Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - FULL SHOW: Decoding Liam Lawson’s Emoji

Episode Date: February 18, 2026

On today’s show:  Megan gets listners to help her decide what emoji to reply to Liam Lawson with Why Ben was frantically buying tickets on his laptop while driving! Do we let our kids win board games? How Jono confronting someone over unpaid money went horribly wrong… Emma Memma joins the show to talk touring, life after The Wiggles, and kids’ questions. Instagram: @THEHITSBREAKFAST Facebook: The Hits Breakfast with Jono, Ben & MeganSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Jono Ben and Megan podcast thanks to Dilma. Goodness really does taste great. Dilma, making the world a better tea. Welcome to the podcast for your Thursday. Yep, that's all you need to say. That's what you need say. Hi. Ben was too much.

Bluffing around. I was doing looking at what's planning. You know, it's hard to know. It's like we're doing stuff for tomorrow's planning, so I was doing that. And then John is ready while John was editing. What I'm doing is I'm running a cockpit here. Sterile cockpit and I'm on all concentration at all times, okay? No, we just finished the show.

And generally what we do after the show is you go, that's done, can barely remember what happened, and then you move on to the next one, don't you? That's the cycle of breakfast radio. And it's a fun cycle, but sometimes you get home. And you have no recollection of what you've said over the last three hours. No, even today we were talking about that, because we do the alpha quiz first thing in the morning.

And we try and get 10 out of 10. Sorry, not the alpha quiz, the New Zealand on HeroQuist. And we're like, do we've got 10 out of 10? Was it yesterday? We got 10. or was it night? We all couldn't remember what day it was. All the days blew together as one.

My father-in-law listens to our show quite a lot. I don't know why. But he always is like, oh, you spoke this week about blah, blah, blah. I'm like, I don't remember that. I don't remember that. I'll tell you why he listens because he feels obligated because you're part of the family. No, the rest of my husband doesn't. The rest of the family don't.

Yeah, it's a funny thing. Conan O'Brien, he did a podcast, a famous talk show host. And he said he, when he was in the thick of his talk show, we'd get home from work and his wife would say oh who'd you have on the show today and he was like this is at the time he's got the world's biggest stars daily he couldn't remember couldn't remember who'd spoken to

well there must be some kind of psychology in that you just go auto mode so much in that moment and then yeah I think you just hit like any job anyone who goes into work a job they just go autopilot mode well not autopilot mode but you're just it's an odd flow your head into

yeah yeah and you're right we kind of complete one and then we're on to the next one within the same day type thing as well. How content is very disposable. Yeah. It's just like get chucks out live and then it's gone forever. Apart from those bloody videos you do. Yeah.

Then they're still out there. And speaking of which there's one. In this podcast, it's not going anywhere, mate. Don't worry about this. Don't worry about this podcast. It'll be out there forever. Yeah, you're right. It's a bit of history.

It might not be. At some stage they might clear a few things back and go. They do need to what give the internet a spring clean. It does feel like. Yeah. A lot of stuff. How many of our... Or D-Frague or whatever.

How many of our podcasts are clogging up stuff on the internet from, you know, 2017? Let's say you discover the show and you're like, I like, I like the show. Are you going to go, let's go right back to start and listen to the get-proved? No, we're not. No, yeah, you're going to pick it up and go for now, so you're right. It probably can get to the end of the year and go, give it 12 months. Give it them all. We can probably clear it and then move on.

But anyway, no, we don't. But speaking of things that last forever, my video of me looking at Liam Lawson Shrine is on our Instagram and that will last forever. This is great. I think this is good. This is positive. This is a good step to getting him on the show.

Because if we didn't do this, then... Well, I mean, at least he knows I exist. Yeah. Another great step to get someone on the show I've found traditionally is you can go through management and... We've done that. We've done that.

Like, that's not the first thing is to make a shrine and do a celebrity. I'm not saying that, but I feel like you've done the professional angle, we've done things. So we've tried everything. We've gone full creep. So you're saying they've forced us into this.

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Liam, you force my hand. One way. It's either that. You can get a tattoo or something that's worked for me in the past. I mean, there's are options to get a... I don't know if my husband's going to...

I mean, he's not stoked about the shrine. I don't think he's going to let a Liam tattoo fly. Some attention-grabbing thing to get their attention. You know, watch a trailer on repeat or something in a movie theatre. We did that for Ryan Reynolds, non-stop for a couple days. You know, you've got to do something. How committed are you to this relationship? Yeah.

So we'll find out. But right now, what is going on with Liam Lawson? Well, that's for you to find out the podcast that won't be going anywhere. John O'Benn and Megan. The podcast. The Hats. Now, speaking of another New Zealand sporting legend, Liam Lawson, Formula One driver, Megan, a huge admirer, aren't you? Of his driving skills.

Of his driving, I support him because I love Formula One and he's our Kiwi in Formula One. That doesn't come around every day, having a Kiwi in there. The odd, you know, cap-backwards, shirtless shots come up on Instagram as well. That's good too. That's good. But, you know, but it's more about the driving and, you know. You're the one who took that picture home in your pocket. Yeah, I did. I'm quite thirsty for him.

So we are doing this manifesting thing on the hits at the moment where you can basically manifest anything. We could potentially make it come true for you. And we did a silly gag on social media where you were in the darkened room with candles in front of a Liam Lawson shrine. Yeah, lots of pictures. Manifesting that he comes on the show. An interview with him. Yeah. And we tagged him in in the comments section, didn't we been?

We had the chat humming. I specifically was like, no one tag him in this because it's creepy. The chat was blowing up, bro. Four or five comments. Yeah. Most of them were ours. But anyway, there was another comment that popped up, and that was from Liam Lawson himself.

And he's done the sideways eyes. Now, we broke this news to you yesterday. Liam Lawson has commented on the video. He's commented. Now, have you seen it? I haven't seen it. He's commented. Have a look at what he's put there.

It's the emoji with their little sideways looking eyes, like, you know. What does that mean? What does that represent? It was yesterday. Okay, so that's the emoji, and then we were like, well, what does this make? Well, how do we interpret this? Because it could go either way. It could be like, creepy, like sideways, like, or it could be, oh, that's the year.

We did have to, oh, now, embarrassingly for us three boomers, we did have to chat GPT it, and it can mean a myriad of things. There's a dozen options on the sideways eyes. And he's, you know, he's 24. Yeah, 24 as well, you know, so. So what does it mean for, you know, a younger person around that age? Correct. So we took it to the office, a bit of a.

a vox pop session out there with the early 20s in the office to get their gauge on what they thought it meant. I'm going to say that he's like he's keeping an eye on it and he's almost kind of like it's almost like a, could happen, could happen. Intriguing, sort of a, yeah. Oh, is he like, does he like, restraining? Oh, keep your distance. I'm glad I drive fast cars because I can drive away from this. It's like the eyes are hesitant.

Good or bad, good or bad? I think it's good. I think it means watch this space, Megan, keeping out in your DMs because I, I think that means he's gonna message you. Oh, my even check my DMs! Okay, that's good. That's good. Now what do you think that means?

Ooh. Yeah. Like, I just need to know if it's good or bad. Yeah, like, are we thinking like... If I was to comment in eyes emoji, that means I'm interested. Oh! Oh, okay. Good or bad.

That's a very good for you. That's really good, yeah. Yeah. But it's not a grimace, right? He's not like, ugh. No, no, no, he's like, I see you. I see you and I'm running. I think the I'm running.

you think it does. Oh, okay. This is good, this is good. That was from the early 20s who basically have a PhD in emojis. Yeah. So we think now we need to reply back and we need to just do one simple emoji back. So 800 of the hits, 4487, you can help us out there. What is the emoji that we need to reply back on?

Thumbs up. Oh, it might be good. Classic old thumbs up, mates. We put it on the hits breakfast last night. Someone said eggplant? I don't know, maybe he's interested in an eggplant. Absolutely. No idea.

Hey, that was Haley? I was like, okay, well, no idea is a bad idea. That red face with the sweat. Okay. We've got a choice of a lot of emojis. What do we go back with? John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. That's a little video manifesting him to come on the show.

And we kind of talked to them. Guys, you're all making this creepy. Yeah. We're trying to, I just want to have an interview with him. That's what we want to. How have we made it creepy? Fast cars. Well, we put photos up on, you know, a wall here in the office.

That's how we made it creepy. And you had candles going, it was dimly lit the room. Yeah, you made it look like I was thirsting over his pictures, which I definitely never do. We tagged our faces off in the comment section, being of myself and managed to attract the attention to Liam Lawson, and this was your reaction when you found out he had commented on the post. It's awesome.

It's not bad. It's a look at what he's put there. It's the emoji with their little sideways-looking eyes, like, you know. What does that mean? What does that mean? I guess, yeah. So that's what we've got in our. our inboxes the side eyes and the office seems to think general consensus it's a pretty it's pretty positive good or bad good or bad I think it's good I think it means watch the space

Megan keeping out in your DMs because I I think that means he's going to message you oh I even check my DMs okay that's good now what do you think that means oh yeah like I just need to know if it's good or bad yeah like are we thinking like if I was to comment in eyes emoji that means I'm interested Oh, okay. Good or bad. That's a very good for you. That's really good, yeah. Okay, so we need to get back to them.

We think one emoji to get back to them on, okay? I'm not doing eggplant. Okay. Thank you for your text. A lot of texts coming through of eggplant. He might be a lover of eggplant. Vegetables? Yeah.

Obigee? Is that obogee? Yeah, I love eggplant, but I'm not sending the emoji. Let's go to the phones. Oh, 8100 that hits. Ashley, welcome to New Zealand's breakfast. Talk to us. The smirk face.

Oh, the smirky. What does that represent? Well, he's done the eye emoji, so that could mean anything, so could the smirk face. Oh. The smirk face is a little more flirty. Are we flirting with Liam Lawson through emojis today, are we? Is that what we're doing? Well, well, the eyes could be.

And is this from a show or is this from Megan? I know, that's the thing. Yeah, maybe it's from a show is safer. We collectively is New Zealand replying, but I'm the one who has to front foot it. Yeah, yeah. It's going to come from me. Are we going to hook up with Liam Lawson? Is that what I'm doing it?

I don't think he knows. about it. Jamie, the people's emoji. What's being sent back to Liam Lawson? It has to be the winking one. Oh, great. Yeah, I like the one. No, all of this is giving thirsty.

Like, we need to tone it down a little bit. No, Megan. No, Megan. It has to be the winking one. It has to be. I don't know what droplets of water means, but someone's put that through. There's some droplets of wood.

No. Okay, that's no. Someone's like peach, too. And I like peaches, but I'm not whatever. Yeah, got you. Go to Todong. Candice, your vote. for the emoji that goes back to Lawson.

Well, the peaking eye emoji, the hands over the face with the eye peeking through. That's not bad. That's what I said to one of the Gen Zs out there, and she said that was perfect. You're a bit embarrassed. I think that's a bit of Megan's quietly trying to have a peak at being scared.

And it'll embarrass. That probably sums up quite well. Embarrassed, but also I see you too. Having a little bit of a look that's going to curtain. Oh my God, shame. but are you going? It's not a full sort of palm to the head like, you know, but yeah, it's good. Okay.

Good option there, Candace. Thank you very much. I think that's the one. I think that might be the one. Some great text coming through. 4487. Someone's saying microphone, please. Oh, as in like, do you want to chat?

Oh, yeah, that's good. Oh, that's not bad. It doesn't have any other connotations. A big microphone. I don't think so. You don't know. No, no. Great text here.

Why do I feel like a 13-year-old girl all of a sudden? It's bringing up the inner 13-year-old girl in all of us. Okay, so Megan, you've now. I reckon I'm going to go with Candace because that's what I originally said so the hands over the face and then the eye peeking through like, oh, shame, but what are you want to do it?

Thanks for demonstrating it for us. Yeah, it was great for everyone listening. You could tell my hands were original my face. I really committed to it. And you want to do it from the show or from you? No, no, from me. Okay, all right, okay. No, that's fine.

Because then if he replies, it's me, guys. Okay, I'm you, mate. In 10 minutes, you're like, what did I do that? What did I do it? What did it, but anyway, that's... The same person who said, why did you make it creepy? Yeah.

Okay, good luck. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The Hats. Sent an emoji back to Liam Lawson and social media. A quick update. No reply yet from him. But hey, we'll keep you updated. Now you're like, I should have sent something else.

Should I send another one? We're like, let's just send a library of emojis to the poor fella. Maybe I should have sent the microphone. It's a bit more professional. Well, hey, we've done it now. We'll see how things go. And I did something very stressful in 2026 yesterday. And I wasn't, buying tickets.

Buying tickets is a very stressful experience. I think they've created the stress though, the promoters. And they're playing us like, you know, it's the customer demand, isn't it? We really buy into that. Yeah, now, Zara Larson coming to New Zealand. I'm very excited about that, which is going to be awesome. One of my daughters in particular, both doors want to go. But one of my daughters, see, and her, it's like, she wants to go with her friend.

She's at the stage now where, you know, it's much cooler to go with a friend and take her to go with her family and stuff. I'm like, that's cool. We can go along with your friend. I was like, do you want me to try and get the tickets because they come out at 1 o'clock? I said I've probably got about 5, 10 minutes max where before I have to leave to the dentist to help at 1 o'clock.

I had to be at the dentist by 1.30. Can I ask, what were you doing before that too? You really cram your day full of stuff. What activity? So you had a 5 minute window. I was like, I could be on just before 1 o'clock and hopefully by 5 past 1 I would have got you the tickets and I can go to the dentist.

She's like, nah, all good. I can do it at my laptop at school. I was like, okay, okay. All on you? All on you. You got tickets? And then I get a text. Tell you I don't be happy with that, Luxem, mate. Yeah.

Yeah, well, wasn't it in a phone. Oh, that was on it. It was in a laptop. Then I get a text about five past just as I'm about to head out the door going, Dad, Dad, please, can you get the tickets? I can't get it. I can't get it. The bell's about to ring.

I've got to go back to class. I'm like, oh, geez, I've got to go to the dentist. So, like, I log on quickly to a thing to my account. I'm like, 4,000th in the queue. Oh, no. There's 4,600 people here to me. So you're in the reception of the dentist. Well, I'm not really left.

I haven't been left home then. I've just got my laptop. I've got to leave. I've got to leave. I can wait for a couple of minutes. We're going to leave. And so I'm driving out of the dentist with my laptop sitting there. Oh, that's a commitment. Checking my mirrors and checking the laptop every out again, going, oh, I'm 3,000 in the queue now, you know, all the way.

It's stressful drive. Like, really stressful drive is countdown thinking once I get even in now, I'm not probably going to get tickets. Get in there and finally got in just by actually we had to pull in. Soon as I got down to two people, like pull over the side of the road. I'm way late for the dentist. He's on the southern motorway. No, I didn't take the motorway because I thought I'd have to pull over. So I pulled over, got me really late.

I'm like, stress because I'm late. Not my fault, but the same time I'm trying to get these blooming tickets. And? And, well, no, so I get in there, all the ones left in VIP ones. Like, VIP ones are like for 250. It's your daughter. It's like, created her. How much do you love your daughter?

$350 worth? It's good for her friend as well who's like, she's not going to pay me back, like another 16-year-old. She's not good for like $350. I'm like, ah, so I messaged Megan because I know your friend. You're desperate at 1.30 yesterday when your appointment is. You're desperately messaging me. Yeah, my teeth aren't hygienisting themselves, are they? At anything, he's grinding them down with stress.

Then you sent me another link back. To be fair, I text back two minutes after. I'm the hero here because I don't usually text back. You're like, try this link. Try this link. And then I put it with my phone because the other one's on the other one. And that one then has to get my ticketet password, which I've forgotten. I'm like, why have I forgotten that?

High stress situation. In the end, finally got in thanks to your thing. pay for the tickets. At 141. Yeah. It worked, thanks. I'm late for my dentist. Were you still not in there at that point?

No, no. I was still, yeah. Jeez, I'll tell you what, text 4487 if you want Megan's link. They're gone now. They're gone now. I'm the hero here. But it makes you feel like you've won a pride. Like it's almost like gambling, isn't it?

It's what they want, man. It's like, yes, we're in, we got it. You're in. It comes through. It's sending it. It's great, you know. And I'm like, yeah. You got played.

You got played. I know. Played by your daughter. played by the touring company, played by Zara Larson. Become desperate to get tickets when I got there. I got there in the end. Very stressful, very late from the dangers as well. You're not even going to the show.

No, why am I so stressed about this? John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The Hats. Drama in your household last night. Game boards being flipped in frustration. Yeah, we're playing like a, it's like a memory little board game where you just have to remember things,

match the peers, pretty much. My kids are three and five, and we play. that before bedtime and sometimes it gets a little heated. I'm quite competitive so we play it like we play for real so with there's no you know taking it easy on the kids. Three and five. No but I mean like I'm not like, you're a turn.

I'm not like yelling or anything. I'm just like go and then it's like oh we all say okay mom wins or Bastie won. How many times does mum win? Well actually my daughter's really good at it. She's good. She generally wins. But my son takes losing. quite hard. So he gets

quite upset. And so I had to say because Andrew's like, why don't you just like let him one, just let him, and I'm like no, because I don't want it to feel, like he needs to be able to feel that losing's okay. Well life's going to crush him one day. You've got to learn that early don't you? I said to him, sometimes

you've got to lose, it makes the wins feel really, really good. But you wouldn't take it secretly take it easy on? No. Okay, see that's where I would. I mean, sometimes I would win games if I did, but I'd pull back, I'd pull back in a nage. My wife's different. She's the same as you. She goes hard. Like Cludeau, she's a right, like lead detective.

She's writing down at what everyone else was guessing and working out. I'm like, just chill, mate. It's like, it's a Friday night. We're just having some fun. Oh, man, Amanda needs to play. I know, yeah. Or do you? She is like, and she's right in there. Definitely no be home when they're playing, Ben.

That would be my advice. Yeah. But the thing is, you have that sweet spot where you can just, you can beat the kids whenever you want. You can just, and you can take it easy on them when you, kind of manipulative. Because you know in the back in the mind. You're in control.

But then the tables turn. And then they become very athletic. Yeah. And they're dunking on you and you're... So enjoy it while you can. I remember that playing tennis with my dad, you know? And I'll be like, get a point. I'll be like, yeah, thinking I was all cool.

And then he'd just send down a really fast ace just to put me in my place. Yeah. Humble you. Just to go, okay. You know, you spot on the ladder. But then did you, when you win, did you feel like he was just faking it? Yeah. The winds feel, yeah.

The winds feel hollow. That would frustrate Oscar when I'd take it easy on him. He's like, go hard. And now I couldn't go any harder now. I did put it into chat, Chebtee, to see what that said. And it said, if your children are very young around three to five, that's how old my kids are. It was like, it's okay to take it easy on them because it builds their confidence and keeps them interested in playing. Sometimes it's fun to crush dreams.

Yeah. Builds resilience. Okay, so should you take it easy? You're a parent. You're playing against kids. Take it easy, just a little bit easy. I mean, maybe you don't have to let them win, but do you take it a little bit easy? John O'Ben and Megan.

The podcast. Megan, you don't take it easy on your kids when you're playing games. No, we play games at night and we just all play fair and square. I don't want them to feel like their wins are fake because we're letting them win. And I also like them to feel that losing's okay. It feels like there needs to be just a few little entry wins on the way into competition. Well, no, they win every now and then, naturally. Because, you know.

But I love how you say it. It makes them feel like losing's okay. all week you've been like going through that 10K race going with this was this and this you know I know well I'm trying to not create competitive little monsters but then in saying that my daughter did flip the board last night she was like I don't want to play flip and I see myself in you yeah some kids they just want to win don't they so they have that winning genie they want to see sadness in your eyes yeah and it makes some kids really successful in life, you know, being competitive.

Pauline, happy new year. Happy New Year, guys. I know it doesn't sit right, but we're plowing on with it, Pauline, the Happy New Year. Now, kids, do you let them win? Do you take it easy, or do you go for the jugular? Age appropriate, I think up to the better age of five. You're sort of being a bit gentle with them. You let them win, you let them lose.

My little boy was playing soccer by age four, and he learnt to lose on the festival. So we were a little bit more gentler at home when it came to board games and cards. Yeah, that's the thing. When you're losing a sports game, it's a hard concept to get your head around at that age, isn't it? It is, and they do get sad, but, you know, nothing like a McDonald's ice cream. You know when the All Blacks lost that World Cup in France, that's where Graham Henry took them all afterwards. We'll go for ice creams, guys. We'll get you a soft soup, yeah.

My Dan Carter has a soft serve. Fair. Okay, well, there we go. Just take it a little bit easier as her opinion. Shanaid, welcome. Hi. I take it away. Are you taking it easy on the kids?

So three of them, I take it real easy on. But one of them is just, like, so confident in Lippy, and he's a bit of a backshatter. And, like, even with my mum, he just, he just goes. He just wants to argue for the sake of arguing. So any chance we can get to beat him, which is, I'm alone. Do you gang up on this? one d on Monopoly night?

Oh, we do. Yeah, any board game, even my mum's on it. And my mum's like a saint. She's such a nice woman. But even, yeah, she's like, let's get him. Get him. You're like, hey, he's like, oh, right.

But you know what? I think he's going to be so resilient, you know? Oh, he is. But he's also hyper-competitive, so he hates to lose. And he's like, he really backs himself too, and he's a dirty little cheetah. He's kind of watch him. But we love him.

We love him. We do, we love him. Yeah. The worst part is that I think he actually takes after me. So I'm like, oh, that's why my siblings used to fight with me so much. Once that comic does that bit on, he's like the look of your kids. And you're like, this kid's an annoying little lad. It's basically just looking like a mirror of yourself.

Yeah, pretty much. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast, the hits. I hate to have, what do they call them, a courageous conversation yesterday. Hate those. Don't you hate those? Conversations you just been dreading. So I did some work. she's would have been late November, December last year

for a guy and I haven't been paid for it and so Yeah, yeah, my wife's like just, you know, get in touch And so I was always like, yeah, yeah, yeah She's like, you keep saying yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, but you haven't got in touch them I know because you're waiting during that time, yeah, yeah, yeah, that hopefully he'll just miraculously pay you

Yeah, well, it didn't happen So I'd send, you know, series of emails Hey mate, how are you, might have slipped through the cracks Yeah, you know Even follow up with the other one, hope the family's well, Hey, just, nothing. Friendly reminder, too. Yeah, yeah.

So it's three emails deep, a couple of texts, nothing. So I was like, okay, yesterday at midday, this is the day where I go into that office and I take this. Oh, you're going to face to face to face. Face to face it? Now, awareness the office. Oh, my God. That is big boy, Pat. Well, I know.

Courageous. I told you. Phone call would have been, anyway. No part of me inside felt courageous. I had made phone calls. Oh, right. Okay. So went in there.

And I was like, good-day, mate, he was there. I was like, Bo, I haven't been paid. It's been like four or five months now. What's happening? And he said, oh, listen, my, my mother's been sick. She fell ill. She fell ill before Christmas. And I've been nursing her.

This is actually my first week back at work. I'm so sorry. Yeah, feel bad enough, Ben. Because Ben was like, oh, that old. she's not. Show me, show me hospital records. Show me a picture of her in that bed.

So sadly she passed. Oh no. She's. So my condolences. Still haven't been paid. But hopefully they'll get around to it. But yeah. Honestly, in that moment I was like,

she's, I want to join your mother right now, bro. If there was an option to. So that's a good reminder. It's a good reminder. People have got stuff going on in their eyes. I know. I know, but he still could have emailed you back and said, hey, going through a tough time, can I get back to you? This is what I said to myself in the car as I was driving.

You're right. You're right. You don't know. You're sitting there for four or five months without being paid. You don't know what's going on. That's right. Couldn't have felt like more of a monster. You were also a monster, but he could have emailed.

I'm just going to be sitting around at a hospital time. We've got to use the Wi-Fi to back off a few emails. You know? Hey, I know we're in the appellate of care, you know. What's your bloody Wi-Fi passing around here, bro? He would ask for Wi-Fi in the old family. It's all the most time to clear emails, that's for sure. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast, the hits.

Coming to Eden Park. Very exciting. Emma, already sold out a picnic on the field at Eden Park, but we're hoping there's going to be more tickets in the way. Free gig? Yeah. And she joins us now on Zoom. I'm sorry.

that I couldn't be there in person. That's all right. They're apologising. Taking the virtual version of yourself. We'll take that. Yeah. It's lovely to see you. I mean,

and it's great that you're coming over. Eden Park. This is pretty cool. I know. We are not coping. Has it sold out already? All tickets have gone. Yes.

And I feel terrible. It has sold out of its current ticket allocation, but we're announcing more tickets on Friday. Oh, that's good. Because I was going to say, it's quite a big stadium. But there is, obviously, there's picnic sections and

up, but there is a few other seats around the outside. I don't know how things were. He was like, have you sold out 50,000 or something? I think you step aside Harry Styles and your 42 nights at Madison Square Garden. Emma, mema, here for two months at Eden Park. Is this crazy for you? Because obviously we originally knew you as Emma from the Wiggles and now you're doing your solo thing and like it's just blowing up.

Like my kids, no, no hate towards the Wiggles. but they recognize you more than they do the wiggles, and you got books out, everything. It's been a really interesting couple of years, you know, ever since we kind of ventured out to make music accessible for all children, you know, particularly visually using sign language. The reason I haven't been back to New Zealand is we've been so busy.

We have had so many complaints from families in New Zealand about wanting to get there. And we have been busy trying to create new music and new content, and really try and finesse our live show. And that's why I think for the first time in three years, because we haven't been back there, it feels like we're ready to come back and bring a really beautiful and big show to you guys.

When you depart the wiggles, are they like, that yellow skivy? We're going to need that back, Emma. Get out of here. Shoot, chugger, chugger, your way out of this building. Have the car keys back for the big red car. Yeah, I don't have it. But you said like you were kind enough to come on the podcast I do with my daughter when I grow up here at the hits.

And something is really stuck in my mind because we did talk about you leaving the Wiggles and how many people said to you, what are you doing? And you said something like, what if the best thing in my life hasn't happened yet? And that's always stuck in my mind. And that's like, that's so cool. That's such a cool way of looking at it. Like maybe there's something, Wiggles have been incredible. But maybe there's something bigger and you know, and there can be. You're absolutely right.

I just feel like only now the pennies have dropped. We're really thankful for the support and the continued, you know, enthusiasm about Emma and yeah, I feel like it's only just about to grow now. It's a great way to approach life. Yeah. What would you say to a guy's 44 years old? The best is probably past him. No, the best is to come. Oh, there's still to come.

That's great. Peekin, baby. Peekin. That's saying, like, Jono, limited career prospects. Now, your kids, very excited. about Eminemma coming to New Zealand, Megan. Very excited. They wanted a question.

They wanted to ask Emma a question. Yeah, I mean, these aren't going to be hard-hitting. Bastian and I, they do have a question each for you. Hi, Emma, I'm Bastian. And what's your favorite food? My favorite food is chicken nuggets and chips and natures and fish and sheds. Good options.

That must pain Megan a little bit because Megan loves cooking, your lovely meals from scratch and he likes nuggets and chips and stuff yeah classic what's your favorite meal then well bastion it's a great question and lovely to hear your voice uh my favorite meal is chicken cheesy rice uh you know rice with cheese butter salt and a bit of chicken well chicken cheesy rice never tried it's gonna give that a bash okay good answer okay and i think last time i saw you i was i was pregnant with i yes so this is this next one is i i ever ever um I like what's your favorite emma, what's your favorite emma?

Emma, what's your favorite emma? Really, the reason why we have waffles, the wombat in our show, is because we have a wombat that lives in our front yard. Really? Do you? Yeah, so wombats are a huge part of where I live in the country. We are attempting to bring Waffles the Wombat to Eden Park. Now, speaking of questions from the kids, my daughter,

you know, we mentioned before you came on the podcast, and she pitched an idea. She made me get into a chicken costume in front of you and said if he comes to New Zealand, you're Emma, Emma, could I be, you know, could Dad be Ben Hen in a concert? Someone also said, your side chick, which I thought was quite clever as well. Oh, that's good. Be the side chick.

The side chick. The side chick. Sheena said, you're talking to Emma, yeah, could you ask again? Is it possible? And I'm like, well, I don't know. I mean, you don't want me ruining the performance at any stage. Mind you, it's free. Yeah, true.

No one's made for it. You're right. You're not charged for it, Emma. You're right. They better take what they're given. They can't get their money back, you're right. I mean, I've got to take what I'm given, but I would never say no to Ben Hen. You can lay an egg on stage.

Exactly. That'll be going to your party trick. All right, Emma, I'll leave that one with you, but Ben Hens available if you want. Okay, my people will talk to your own people. Yeah, that's me. That's me. That's me. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. You've got a compliment, and I'm going to do a little forecast.

you're going to say what the compliment was and Ben and me will cut you down. Probably, yeah. Over to you. So I went to get some avocardios yesterday, and I've talked to you about this place before. I always get stuck in conversation with the people that work there, but they're so lovely. Right. But if you're in a hurry, it's not the place you want to go. Right. Because the shop attendant loves a chat. Okay. So I get to the counter, I'm like, okay, it's all good. I can stop for a chat.

And then I felt really bad because he was like, I love your dress. Is it a dress or is it a two-piece or what's happening there? Now she's going to stick around for the conversation. I was like, actually, it's a dress. And thank you so much. And he was like, it looks great on you. I was like, oh, thank you. So I felt bad because I always, you know,

so this guy chews my ear off. She always comes and she's like, oh, he's banging on about something yesterday. That's what you said to me. But he's so nice. Oh, he's nice now. He always nice to gives you a compliment. And then it was like, do you need a, but I bought a watermelon as well. I got sidetracks.

I bought a beautiful. big bowling ball of a watermelon and some avocados. Can I just side note on the watermelon? Love the watermelon, but it's too much. It's like when you buy a whole one, you're like, this is too much to get through. We don't have to get through in one sitting, though. But do you remember last year they were like 20 bucks? I got off five bucks.

I was like, I'm getting it. Anyway, so he puts it in a box and I carry it out. I'm like on top of the world. Like, he's going to get a cool dress on. Get into the car and in slow motion, one of my avos, the box rips, the avo drips. the arrow drops from height and I'm like

well that's going to be bruised now and I sat down and in slow motion my bowling ball of a watermelon rolls off the box and hits the ground and splits open so it's always like the universe was like you need humbling sweater

nice dress but that was meant to be our job the universe took that one I was walking on air for probably a minute I was like, yeah, feeling good. But I took it home and I still ate it. Yeah, good on you.