Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - FULL SHOW: How we almost lost the chance to interview a Spice Girl

Episode Date: November 4, 2025

On today’s show: Why Ben's sick of his wife correcting him Megan’s haunted house update: Cassie the ghost is opening doors Ben’s roast potato dad joke rattles Mel C (and technically, rosemary isn’t even a spice) Grace confesses to nearly ignoring the Mel C interview invite (because she didn’t know who she was) Jono’s son calls him “soft” for ignoring private numbers Megan tries to get a hole-in-one in a virtual golf challenge… and nearly breaks the machine again The team visits the Enchanted Christmas store and narrowly avoids Mariah sabotage by Santa Listener Marty has had his Christmas tree up for four years... festive or lazy? Instagram: @THEHITSBREAKFASTFacebook: The Hits Breakfast with Jono, Ben & MeganSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks to Hello Fresh, cook easy, delicious dinners, the whole family will love because nothing beats dinner time. Welcome to the podcast, Megan, you're attempting a pitball song. Me and Joddo, you try. What does he's just drinking? It's a fireball. It's really hard, isn't it? Okay. We're just going to be talking about fireball, which we're here in the podcast, that relates to something your son's been listening to it.

Yeah. Had a few questions. It's a great song. You know the roof on fire. When you see he gets the. how does he do it without just go babbibbibbibbb you know he gets the full baby yeah now baby baby baby baby baby baby i can't get the pace up he cops a lot of grief but he's fantastic we can't do what he does there was that competition it was i think it was like

warm and it was like pitball will perform at a store location anywhere in america at one of the states and you need to vote for the store and i think everyone has a gag voted for a lot Alaska, so he would go to Alaska and to his credit, he flew there, did it, did a thing, it got everyone involved. Why is it a joke to go to Alaska? Well, because they were like, let's just send him to the biggest, the far as away, the coldest, it was midwinter, send Mr. Worldwide. And he's like,

that's world, yeah, I'll go worldwide. And yeah, as a gag, everyone just got on board with that, and he was like, sweet. And everyone goes to his shows wearing boardcaps. Yeah, and he loves it. He had a sunglasses, eh, it's cool. He's like, Walmart is still paying me three million bucks, I'll go anywhere. We all go do that. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And probably played for his flights too, so no skin off his lives.

Yeah, exactly. So, good on if I don't know. Did you know it's a wellness week here at work? I didn't realize. Is it? Yeah, no, I didn't realize that. It's halfway through. There's an email sent out.

Don't worry. We've all missed it. What did they do for that? Well, today it's active wear. Active wear Wednesday. And I got caught out in the lift with two people looking very active. And they said, what? I'm disappointed.

I was going to wear some track pants today, but I was like, Too casual. Yeah, let yourself go. Yeah, I literally thought you guys would say that, so I didn't. I don't think I've ever seen you in a pair of track pants. Well, they're like cool, like... Yeah, designer sort of. Are they ones with juicy across the butt cheeks?

No, they're like, Adidas, like baggy, oversized. Oh, yeah. You wouldn't actually wear them back. Good with them today. Active wear Wednesday. But too late now. Yeah. So what else do they do for?

They had financial Tuesday yesterday. So there was a bit of a Zoom meeting. You know, what are you going to save money on this week? Sometimes they do. Remember there was that thing We had to write inspirational messages and put it up for well this week and stuff That's right

It's a lovely initiative Yeah but I was thinking like Can they put on like a nice breakfast Like you love Asahi bowls Oh yeah do yeah Put on a yummy breakfast That'd be nice for well on us mate Well maybe we'll do that next time

Maybe if you read emails You might be able to get involved It's probably happens Yeah Say balls was last week You're like damn it I missed it Yeah Well the podcast starts with my bug bear

About people that are great spellers and how they have to rub your face in it. That's next on the Hits. John O'Benn and Megan. The podcast. The Hits. Something else. Now, I feel like this is kind of of the similar line.

My wife, I mentioned it before, she's a very good, she's a school teacher and she's a very good speller. And I feel like, and maybe I'm generalizing and maybe I'm wrong, people that are good spellers, they love to tell you. They love to really, it just, they can't let something go. Like if she sees a menu, a sign, no matter where it is, if something's spelled wrong, she has to point it out. They're like crossfitters and runners. They need to tell you what they're doing

And to be honest, I don't care if a sign's spelt wrong. I don't. I don't. It doesn't You know, I know what it means. I'm fine with it, but she'll have to point it out. I also point it out. But it's just because it baffles me that sometimes they get to print. Like at my gym there's a digital sign.

So you're one of these people. And I'm like, the digital sign is spelt wrong. And I'm like, that would have gone through so many people and it's up there all day. Did they spell digital sign wrong? No, something on the sign is spelt wrong. Yeah, but I haven't pointed it out to them. One thing I love Raki making it up is we have a sheet every day that we all.

It's like a communal sheet we can all get on and log on to. And it's what's coming up on the radio show. And I just recklessly type things in there. I mean, you definitely do it on purpose. Same theory. She'll go back through and change it. Yeah. I just fix the spelling mistake.

Spell check, a real-life spell check following me around. This is the thing that annoys me about my wife because I will, you know, like I'll make a video on social media. Now, I'll play it to her to get a reaction. before I put it out. I'm like, hey, what do you think of this? Going for input. Now, this is normally to get invoked some, maybe a laugh. Maybe, you know, maybe this is meant to be a funny video.

Some sort of emotion. Some something out of it. So I'm like, hey, you want to check this out. I'm about to post it. You know, have a look. She'll get to the end of it and she'll go, wrong there. Firstly, wrong there. And accommodation two M's.

That'll be first thing. That's the feedback. As the video is playing, I'm like, can you just watch it once? Give a reaction. Then we can talk about the spelling. Jeez, it winds me up. You see her just go, yeah, and that's all she's concerned about. Spelling over comedy.

Spelling over comedy, emotion, no matter what it is. It could be heartfelt, felt, it could be anything. You'll be like, that's spelled a wrong. And it's like, you know, and it really throws you out in the moment. But she's helping you out because you know that's the first thing that's going to be in the comment section. I'm like, one time, just watch it for me, give me some reaction. Maybe you should say, I want a reaction, not a correction. And then we can do the spelling.

Because the spelling is important. I get it, but at the same time. Second on the agenda, though. Spelt wrong, that's spelled wrong, I'm like, cool. That was my feedback on a video I spent four days making. Like he didn't post it using the wrong beer. Yeah. So thanks for that.

So spellers, they love to tell you when they get right or wrong. John O'Benn and Megan, the podcast. That's. Folks, tonight's around the country. I know there's a lot of debate at the moment whether there should be both public and private sales, I guess, of fireworks, you know, public displays and also the average punters, just giving it a crack. He's been calling them the average muntas throughout the morning, being in charge of fireworks. and it doesn't do the fire service any No, no

Any help, does it? Over 200 callouts I think last year or something Injuries, fires, I think we can all agree We can't be trusted with these things We cannot It's both of the stores, you know All the major stores and chains don't sell them anymore Right?

Not to mention the animals that either get hurt Or just hate it But I love the, you know, the ones That they put on the proper shows Yeah, that's great Yeah, and then producer Troy was saying Dron shows are incredible now The Dron Light shows

It probably is that period in history Remember we used to sell blimbing BZB party pills in the dairy? And we're like, well, we couldn't be responsible with those, could we? It'll be like that with fireworks. We looked back on and go, oh, that was a time. That was a while time. When used to be able to smoke cigarettes on planes, that was a time. Yeah.

That's true. Okay, this is ongoing in my household, if you've heard us speak about Cassie. She first appeared when my daughter, who is three, mentioned that Cassie comes to her home. I don't know what Cassie. Initially, I thought it was my husband having an affair. We've potentially ruled that out. But she keeps talking about Cassie. We haven't ruled out the fact he's having a fear of the ghosts though.

So we haven't, yeah, him put that case to bed. From what I've heard, beautiful Cassie comes to our home. This is what my daughter said. Then she called her her big sister. And what else have we had? I've heard knocking yesterday when I got up in the witching hour. I heard knocking. And you stopped talking about it.

And then your daughter brought it back up again, right? Yeah. and so we are going to get Jess potentially the medium hopefully to come to my home at some point but this morning when I got up again witching hour Cassie sending you an email then notification and my daughter said Cassie just wants to talk to you that's freaky that yeah that was freaky so I this morning I took something to my car it's like 4.30 in the morning took something to my car outside came back in and the hallway door was open Now, every time I come out, because it's early, I shut the hallway door because I'm making noise in the kitchen.

And when I came back in from outside, the hallway door is open. I'd say half a meter. And I was like, what? I thought initially my son had like got up to have a look or maybe you heard something. So I looked down the hallway and I can see that the kids' doors are closed. 100%. You'd shut it. 100%.

Every morning I come and I shut it slowly. I pull it hard and I click it shut. How do they open the bloody doors, the ghosts? I don't know. I don't know. That's true. That was the first time something tangible, I mean, apart from the knocking, which I could have imagined or it could have been, I don't know, it could have been anything. But the door.

How do they do that? When I'm a ghost, I'm going to freak the hell out of a sip. You can just spare your whole time. You'll love it, be pranking everywhere. Yeah, true. Morning, night and noon. You're like, look at this, the doors. Pull down someone's pants.

Because, like, sounds and stuff, like, I don't know. I might be imagining. But the door was open after I'd shut it. Wow. Okay, we need to get to bomb the bus. We need to track down there, just the medium and see if she'll come to your house and... Get rid of it.

Yeah. I know she might be friendly, but I just don't need it. See you later, Cassie. I believe something's going on there. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. So you need, you can play right now. If you want to get on board, that's fine. You can join the game, just try and avoid for as long as possible.

And Mariah Carey's it all I want for Christmas. As soon as you hear her, version anywhere scrolling social media in a shop doesn't matter where you hear it you're out of the game we did a so i think actually in hindsight a silly thing yesterday early in the piece early doors we went to a christmas shop and one by one we had to walk in uh separately and see if the song was playing thankfully we all made it out unscathed although ben when you were emerging after your attempt you were being followed out by a santa claus holding a cell phone which was a sight to behold anyway yeah i didn't know what was going on i was getting out the store but he was bringing

the song of playing on his phone across to you guys and you can hear Megan screaming going out the door oh I'm passing by Santa I'll be home for Christmas oh whoa whoa whoa whoa right right away okay you can hear me

it sounds like there's been a horrific accident something going on I'm just saying away I'm saying away was you playing it oh it doesn't count if it's sabotage and it doesn't it doesn't it doesn't it was on the street I was uh I didn't realize

So there was a lot of people looking. Do you think that was the right reaction in hindsight? Yes, absolutely. I love Ben's reaction. He hears you screaming, but he keeps running. I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, well, I could see you guys. You weren't coming towards me like, are you okay? No, because I could kind of see.

I could kind of face it together what was going on. I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, well, I could see what. Yeah, I could see you. You weren't getting like brutally attacked. It sounds like a siren. It sounded like a police car. Yeah. Overdramatic? No, no, not in any shame.

Not at all. Not at all. And Amy with us this morning. Yes. Please don't tell us the devastating news that you're out already. I'm totally out. Oh, what happened? I was watching reels on Facebook yesterday afternoon,

and an Acquia ad popped up, and I got Mariahed. Oh, my God. How did it feel in the moment? I was just gutted, gutted, yeah. Yeah. I imagine just Shelter. shocked that sort of our boss Matt was saying he was out after three hours he was just sort of sitting there going oh geez it's over it's over which you know there's a good thing as well

which means you can freely walk into malls and supermarkets you can play yourself it's a great song you can listen to you know so you can hear it now yeah but like last last year I did quite well in the game I got quite far but today like no I'm out Amy we did say social media is the worst place you've got to scroll on mute yeah but I was watching a video from a content creator and it was an ad in the middle. Oh, gutter. This is not on you, Amy.

We know you play a better game than this, okay? You'll regroup and you'll be bigger and better and stronger in 2027. What's the year? 2026 will be my year. You've got to have a year off next year. We didn't tell you. He's going to be a year off, a sabbatical.

I might need an extra year to recover. Yeah, you will. That's what it feels like. You'll be back stronger 2027. That's what I was meaning. Good on, Amy. Have a good one. You too, guys.

See ya. Not that it's Akoya's fault, but Akoya, you should do the right thing and drown us and Christmas candles. Not the music, though. Not the music, just, you know. Drown us and wax. Yeah. this morning.

I'm going to cover off all sorts of stuff. I have Stevie Wonder. Are they going to be touring here next year? We're surprised Maddie McLean with her as well too because that's on his bucket list as well to talk to a spy skill. So that's our very tenets. You knocked something off your bucket list, Ben?

Well, yeah, well, yeah, just doing a bad pun with Mel C. You literally made Jono and I grow. Well, yeah, my kids were like, you're going to do a bad joke and I said, oh, I did have one. I explained it to my kids and then they're like, you won't do it to her. So I did. It involved being a spice girl and bringing in some spices to do a question. Yeah.

Yeah. My kids were worried that I was going to ruin it with a dad joke. And I said I would. And they said I didn't have the confidence to do it to you. So I'm making roast potatoes, talking one of the spice girls. Should I go with rosemary or occasion seasoning? I've got some spices for you right now. Oh, dear God.

Sorry, the rosemary, yeah, that's it always. Occasion, occasion seasoning. You know, I was just like, well, what would I have been making a nice roast. Asian, like Mexican, no, no, no, no, no. Okay, go with the rosemary. Rosemary with the roasties. Cool, I've always wanted to ask a Spice Girl about that, so thank you very much for that. My kids said I didn't have the confidence to do it, and I showed them, and I regret no part of that.

There you go, and even later in the interview, she kept going, it was a herb anyway. She was still stuck in her head, that roseberry was a herb, so it wasn't even a spice. Oh, yeah. Got you on a technicality. Yeah, so I was there. It really rattled her that one, I think, as well. Just laugh at the gag and move on. She did.

She gave it She gave it more than it She should have It didn't deserve an answer But it got an answer So I was pleased with that I ticked that off my bucket list We almost didn't get

An interview was probably A member of Let's say one of the greatest biggest bands in history Yeah And it was due to producer Grace Who we joined Who joins us now

Lovely to have you in here Grace Hi everyone This will be my biggest Bug Bear ever with you It will always be My biggest bug bear I'm sure I could come up With something worse

we'll see because we almost didn't interview a spice girl because you i have no clue who mel see is so a few months ago you got an email about this right months ago was it months ago yeah it was months ago so you do you guys want an interview with melc came through to you because you know in the changeover of producer troy arriving yeah yeah i got some emails and i was like who's mel see you know to be fair to you was before your time before you're even born yes thank you a mel see sounds like a type of a supplement, which is like melatonin vitamin C or some sort of you know, deodorant. A quick Google chat

GPT. Or ask the people guys, it was a hectic time, okay? Yeah, true. Ask the people's joke. You'd be like, do you know who Mel C is? Guys, it was a quick. It was a quick, I was like, oh, Mel C. And then luckily the lady followed up. Saying, are you sure you don't want to interview? She was like, hey, like these are the time slots

from Mel C. And I was like, oh, Troy. I was like, Troy, who's Mel C? Troy, our other producer, you come in here. In the booth, Grace just goes, who's Mel C? And I go, who's Mal C? Why are you asking this? She goes, oh, that is asking if you want to interview her.

What? And said, yes, yes, yes. Grace sends me the email. And then, yeah, the first correspondence was October 1st. Oh, my God. Got an amazing opportunity for you to interview Mel C, ignored by Grace. Follow up three weeks later. Hey, Grace, just checking in.

They followed it up three weeks like. Well, because they're going, why is this lady not going back to we don't get interviews like that every day? lose my job, guys. One of the greatest interviews we've had. They followed up, just checking. We've got Melanie free and waiting at 820 Australian time, and then Grace Ford's and goes, we're super keen to chat to Melanie.

I'm C-Seed and Troy. Oh my goodness. I'm very happy, she replied. You're so weak. Well, I've now learnt that, because I knew about Mal B, and Mal B's called Mal B because there's another Mal B. That's right.

It's amazing. Mel's waiting on the Zoom now if you want to talk to her. She's available. Jono Ben and Megan. The podcast, the heads. The race that stops the nation, the Melbourne Cup, and it was won by half yours. Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the double in the same year,

which is the Corfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup in Australia as well. I need the second ever female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. Oh, really? Yeah. Was the first one a New Zealander? I have a feeling that might have been in New York. Why did I chuck that out there now? We didn't need this live research happening.

But we put a bed on. Yesterday we thought we'd throw it out there and do the syndicate for the show, and if we won money, we were going to give it all away. Had $1340 left on my TAB account. And we got Aaron on, the wonderful Aaron. Now, he came through with what seemed like a really confident, well-informed, well-educated tip. Yeah, I think Bakaroo is looking pretty good in my eyes.

Recent form, Craig Williams, the jockey, outstanding jockey. he should weigh in around 57 kilos so that's definitely my pick So that's Aaron That's what you say, Buccaneer, was it? Buckaroo Buckingere, Buccaneer, something I put a few bucks on Buck and Summon

And it was bucking useless Because we've got Aaron back on It's quite fun when you say Buck we're teetering. It's a grey area. I'm better stop now. Aaron, morning to you. Yeah, morning team.

Just firstly, I just like to say the race that stops the nation, well, it's now the race that stops my TABS. Aaron, this is what happens. This is what happens when you go into, you know, gambling situations that can get high eyes and low lows. Yeah, now, Aaron,

for us, can we say, the win for us would have been first or dead last. You know, if it comes fifth, there's no comedic value in that. We were just as happy that it came dead last as if it came first. Yeah, I sort of a little bit lost to work, guys. Yeah, I feel like, I feel like you got more stakes in this than we do. Yeah, we thought it was quite funny, but hey.

How much did you bet on Bucaroo? I put 50 on the nose. Oh, 50 on the nose, yeah. 50 to 1, 50 to 1, yeah. Someone bet $750,000 on it. Yes, I know, a huge bet. I know, crazy. bit responsibly

I like you anymore Hey at least you didn't lose 750 grams Yeah that's right But what I know about gambling Is if we just keep going We can claw this back Aaron

But to be fair There was an issue with the horse You know So like had the horse been okay On another day Maybe it would have been a different story You're right Megan Yeah I'm not going to blame the horse

The jockey the trainer anyone It's all my fault Oh no don't be hard on you You were going what was on paper Yeah At the end of the day, I'll always listen to the hits because they rule, so it's a happy eagher, in it? Yeah, that's right.

Tell you what, Aaron, we are now going to bestowing you the official tipster of this radio show. Okay? Actually, there's a race this weekend in Christchurch that we might need your advice on. Oh, yeah, the New Zealand Cup, right? It's happening, yeah. Yeah, give us a call if you like.

I don't know if I'll answer. We know you've lost your confidence, but we can get this confidence back, Aaron. Keep you back on the horse, so to speak. Absolutely. Do you know what, if Aaron's not available, we could have listened to chat GBT yesterday because when I put it in,

it gave me the winning horse. Really? Yeah. It was like the favourite, I reckon you should bet on half yours. And it came to her as the winner. Wow. Yeah, the guy that put half a medal

would be pretty happy right about now, I would imagine. Jeez. Well, Aaron, hey, listen, thank you so much for listening and we will keep in touch, all right? Awesome, guys, thanks. Have a great day. You too, Aaron.

Megan, the podcast, the heads. And the Moray Carey game is something that we started this week. You can play it too, you're just going to see how long. You can join it now, even if you didn't start a couple of days ago, see how long you can avoid listening to Mori Carey's All I Want for Christmas. And as soon as you hear it, you're out of the game. We released a new rule this year. You can't sabotage anyone else on purpose.

My kids had a little, because they love Christmas music and they love that song. And they were like, can we play it? And I was like, oh, you can't, I can't get out because I can't get sabotaged. And they're like, well, now can we play it. I'm like, well, no, you still can't play it, right? No. So I can't listen to it. Well, they can listen to this version.

We got there. My one. No take backs. Don't take two. I don't want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing I need. And I don't hear. That's not good, guys.

It's not good. It doesn't get any better. It doesn't get any better. The more time to hear it. Yesterday, we decided to go to the Enchanted Christmas store. Now, this is everything Christmas. It's pretty incredible, actually, what they've got. They've got a whole.

a forest of trees they've got a grinch they've got a santa they've got it all this is the most incredible christmas shop i've ever seen it's multi-level these multi-rooms it's like how many christmas trees do you reckon oh there'd be hundreds that was stressing you know i was saying i stressed out about packing down my christmas tree on the 26 that was stressing me out i was like some poor souls put these all up and some poor soul probably the same poor souls can have to take them all down yeah it was a lot it looked incredible though it would have taken months to put together so we did a game we all stood outside the store and then one by one by one we had to go in and see if we would get Mariahed.

Megan, you went for, sorry, I went first. Godspeed. Good luck, good luck. I feel like, remember when they used to do hidden camera stings on businesses? I'm entering, okay. Little drummer boy, if I'm not mistaken. Little drummer boy? Hell of an anthem.

A banger. Safe. Little drummer boy. I was safe. Lucky, lucky. Okay. Then Megan, you hopped in there. All right, good luck.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. I didn't get out. I didn't get out. It was white Christmas. That was a quick. You gave John a grief about it. See you going. I didn't realize that iPhone had such a good microphone.

I thought it was picking up the music and not just me singing. Very breathy rendition of, I am literally. It sounds like you started the Christmas festivities quite early. Of the life. What I thought that I sounded drunk? He sounded drunk to me. What was it? It was the middle of the day.

Marilyn Monroe's style performance there. And Ben, so that was zero from two. None of us got, either else got caught. It was your turn. I'm inside the store. Inside the store. There's music playing. What is that?

What is that? It's not right. So I'll go quick. Going out the door. Oh, I'm passing by Santa. I'll be home for Christmas. Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Ready, ready, ready, right, right.

Megan's screaming. It sounds like there's been a horrific accident. Something going on. I'm just saying away. I'm saying away. What's you playing it? It's just sabotage. Oh, well, it doesn't count if it's sabotage.

Sandra was like, don't you like this song? So Santa Claus, of all people, came out with a cell phone. Yeah, playing the song. That's why Megan screamed. It sounded like a siren, me screaming. But I was outside the shop, and Santa had it playing on his phone. He's like, look what I've got. And I was like, when did it?

boomer like Santa figure out how to get out, you know, download Spotify. Santa's favorite Christmas song, apparently. But we managed to avoid it. And even if you did get us, it would be sabotage. That would fall under the sabotage category there, Benjamin boys. Oh, lucky, lucky. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. That's you get older, you do realize that you do become softer, don't you?

We're things when you're a child, you'll frolic around in the ocean for hours, till your lips are like the color of a bruised purple. I'm not cold. yeah you're right kids shivering away they literally got hypothermia and they'll still they'll still argue it might they yeah yeah when you're an adult you sort of go and you dip your toes and uh oh not for me not yeah yeah you know it's good once you're in good once you're in that's the catchphrase of summer here in alter it oh yeah it's great once you're in because your body goes numb just that when you're walking into the ocean there's

a part of the body that really just when the water starts to hit it as you're going through the waves. You've got to do little jumps. Yeah, it's better sometimes just to get straight out there. But you don't want to

but you just do it. You just got to dip them in. Yeah. And also walking on gravel and bare feet. You used to be able to do that all the time. And now you stand on

one solo stone. It really downs you. Criples you. But yeah, my son called me soft yesterday. I've taken to not answering numbers

that I don't know. So private numbers, unknown numbers. I know you've been doing this for years, Ben, you... Backer of not answering phone numbers. Yeah. I don't answer people I do know.

Yeah. Well, I used to freely answer. I loved the thrill of it. I'm like, who is this? It's just, you know, someone trying to get my credit card number. Who knows what's going on? But now I'm just, can't be bothered. And going on the theory, if it's important, they'll text or leave some form of

other communication. And coincidentally, this private number that keeps calling, has it? Hasn't done it. Still calling it. That's my theory. If it doesn't leave... a message, it's not urgent. Yeah. But my son's like, don't be soft, just answer the phone.

I was like, I've got more to lose, mate. Credit card numbers to hand out. Got all sorts of stuff. You answer and they're like, hi, can I just grab a moment? And you're like, no, no, no, no. When you're young, you've got more time on your hands to mess around with that stuff. But we used to do a game called Private Number, didn't we? It was fun, actually, just to see who would answer a private number.

Like what celebrities would answer one. Was it to the theme of... Private dancer from TV. It's a private number We did a whole version as well Half the fun was just the jingle of that Yeah here we go Private number

Got some other words to it Should I would have been good In this moment To have that version Yeah you're right We'd known about that We could have brought that back Should we try a private number now

On a celebrity Okay Okay I'll go through the phone I don't have any celebrities In my phone do you Littered with them May

Listered with them But will they answer So if you call from your phone, we're going to put it through our systems here that it's going to come up private. It's got to come through private, yeah. No, I won't call from my phone. I'll call from our studio line, which does. It does come up private.

And a lot of listeners don't actually answer this number as well when you call them back. No, you're right. Well, everyone's suspicious these days. Who are you calling? I've got Tom Sainsbury. Oh, yeah, actor, comedian, a great on social media, okay. Beloved Tom Sainsbury. No, that's not even a number.

That's hugely embarrassing. He's littered with numbers. He's littered with numbers. God, Jono has my number I better change it. Tom gave me a decoy number. Did you type it in wrong? Okay, you maybe typed it in wrong.

Or maybe Tom Stations was like, give me a call mate, here we go. And he turned me a rogue number. Okay, here we go. Tom Sainsbury, from Jono's number. Private number. Will Tom Sainsbury. Oh, okay, we're ringing.

There's one ring. I bet no. He'll be looking at it now. No. He's like, do it. Yeah, you just evade you hold it in your hand, don't you? Yeah, we'll look. I'm picking a note.

Your call has been forwarded. Yeah. Tom's saying, we're not a... We should bring back private number. Yeah, we should. And I don't blame him for not being a private number person. Tom Say, we're not a private number person. Oh, yeah, I'm the same.

All right, we'll continue that. We'll do it again next week. Yeah, yeah. Sounds good. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The Hats. Guy Fawkes tonight, sorry, take your effort of getting involved in that around the country. You're not listening to you in Duned and, mate,

I saw them having a fireworks fight across the street from each other and Dunners. Firing them at each other and to the police. And the police and the firefighters as well. So, I mean, if only they'd listen to you, Ben, but your word has no power in Studentville, mate. You're probably right, actually, but do take care. But it's 49 sleeps till Christmas. Not too far to go for that, right?

It feels like the end of the year is fast approaching. And we like to do this every year. We've kicked it off this week, the Mariah Carey game. See how long you can avoid listening to all I want for Christmas. from where I carry. You're all in the game as of yesterday, but so many people getting out already. Yeah, so it's trying to avoid hearing it in malls, petrol stations.

Social media is a big one. Scroll on mute is our tip there. Great soundtrack to any video at this time of year, isn't it, that song? So, yeah, text 4487 if you're already out. Our boss, Matt Anderson, was out within three hours of the official start of the competition. No, social media got him. Good honesty from him though

Really good honesty too And it's an honesty policy Isn't it So this is what we also want to get into Mariah Recelebrating Christmas a little early If you're already playing Mariah We think

49 days to go You usually get your tree up by now Don't you? I usually put it up on the 1st of November But it was the weekend After Kids Campbell And I was a little bit Like under the weather

You want to be in a good frame of life For that right Yeah because we put on the Christmas music Not Mariah And like really make a thing of it so I didn't I didn't feel like do a lovely thing too with your write notes too you know do you know what

we didn't do it last year do not you write a note you leave it with the Christmas tree and then you put it away and then when the Christmas tree comes back out you read the note from the year before your year and stuff it was one of those things that literally hung around in the kitchen all year and we never got around to her

so usually it's like tips for the last year and then like hopes and goals for the future and then it's like encouragement so you break tradition. I know. I keep talking about oh, Megan does this wonderful thing, but you don't. She did it once. No, it's like a 10-year tradition. So we're, no, we'll just

skip a year. It's fine. It's not a tradition that's not a tradition. You've broken the tradition. Do you know, there's someone in work who's going to the office, the Southland, the Southland hits team, having their Christmas party this week? They're getting in early. Which, I mean, is sensible.

The start of November. Because, you know, we all end up in a mad, crazed rush, don't we? sprinting to the finish line of the year. Yeah, the New Zealand rush, you're right, at the end of Christmas. Unnecessary rush, the pressure that we put on ourselves. But I'm fine with, like, Christmas trees and decorations and eating like minced tarts now, but not the Christmas party. That's too early.

Okay, so I 100 the hits, 4487, those are our contact details. Are you celebrating Christmas early? Are you already into it in some way? Have you got that? Are you already listening to the songs? Have you got your tree up like Megan? How early did you get your tree up? Presents, like, who got into the Christmas spirit?

at the earliest. Who hasn't taken a tree down from last year? I have almost finished my Christmas shopping. Carrie Fisher, she left a Christmas tree up all year around her house. And she was just such a happy lady. Yeah, she was like, hey, I love it. It's a great, and so I left it.

And great for the year, you don't have to pack it away too. Especially if you do the Christmas lights outside. I'm like, fun putting them up, pain in the ass, taking them down. God, and unraveling them out of the box. The Christmas tree lights are the worst. Nothing takes longer than that, right? They're worse than the headphone cables. Yeah.

I know, you're like, why did I not put them away sensibly? But I don't care about that in January. You sounded very grinching. We are. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The hits. We're talking about Christmas. We're getting an early with our Mariah Carey game,

which we want to know if you're playing on 4487 or not. We are trying to avoid listening to Mariah Carey's all I want for Christmas as long as possible. A couple of victims early in the 24-hour period. We lost some good people. Got some good people early in the peace. So if you're one of them, 4-487, and see who can last. the longest. Once all of us are out

of both shows, Maddie and PJ and our show, then the station officially starts playing the song. It's not that we detest the song. It's just a fun game to try and avoid it. It is the biggest Christmas song. Remember when COVID was everywhere, it's like, have you got it? No, no, I'm still

avoiding it. We need to do that. Well, it's in the same supermarket that Mariah was played in two days ago. Don't compare Mariah's song to COVID. We love it. We love one and not the other. Similar effect. has on the community.

All right, so are you doing Christmas too early? That's what we want to know. You're quite early on Christmas shopping, right? Yeah, I start Christmas shopping like September. Just to spread it out because otherwise it stresses you out and then you're trying to like find money to buy all the Christmas presents you need. Although I bought my wife a present, she opened it. She opened the box.

And that was meant to be for Christmas. Avoid, avoid the presents delivered to the house. But also you look like a really good guy. I know. A present while she's, you know, unlike. covering from surgery. But I said, oh, that was meant to be for Christmas. Yeah, you ruined it.

Now you've ruined Christmas. And it was actually technically meant to be a present for you because you're building Lego. Oh, yeah, you're right. For the earliest Christmas celebrations, like we said, staff party going on and the company, this Thursday in Southland. They're celebrated.

Getting in the office Christmas party off the to-do list. Now we've got Marty with us. Morning to you. Yeah, good-a. How's things, Marty? Oh, not too bad You've gone early on Christmas, have you? You don't sound like a Christmas guy

Yeah No, I love Christmas It sounds like taking a tree out Oh, so your tree's up already It's up in the last four years Is this a love of Christmas, Marty Or is this like laziness? Both

Both, both, I like it's honesty there She must have accumulated quite The dust, the dust to lay are on top of it? No, it hasn't, actually. My boys have you down there and have some extra on it as well through the year. But do you find like it's just part of the daycour now? Like, does it take a bit of the specialness away?

No, it doesn't take specialness away. If anything, it feels like Christmas every day. Yeah, Christmas. Yeah. It takes the admin away too. Oh, okay. save the lights. Save the lights.

Okay. I like the admin. Tick it off your list. It's done. It's done. Got the tree done. Because some people just like glad wrap it up, eh?

As decorated. Putting it away fully like and then bring it back out. Yeah. Like a body. Put in a body bag. I like the ritual of decorating it with the Christmas music. Yeah. Gotcha.

Yeah. There's not something on that but then that wears off probably about an hour into it. And then look because my mum's obsessed with it and all she keeps bringing. Every time she comes from Christchurch is a boxload of decorations. and they all, every decoration has its own box that sits in and then trying to find the box for the ornaments at the ass end of Christmas nightmare. Absolutely, it's the part that stresses me out the most

is the 26th of December. Get rid of it all. Oh, you're ready on 26? Yeah. Oh no. Mine will last until like end of January. I do a quarter of the year with that thing up. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast.

The Hits. We are over here at the ACC headquarters. where for Movember they're having no sleep until someone gets a hole in one on a virtual golf simulator and I'm here with G Lane from the ACC and Megan yesterday broke the machine temporarily. Yeah, it's been called doing a pappas

and that is slicing it so badly it goes into the launch unit which is almost behind the ball which is, I mean, it's rare. It's a rare thing to do but look, anything can be better than what we've been up to in the last 43 hours. Like, you know, you've just come in here

whilst on here, we're kicked off Lockheed Ferguson from the Black Camps. He's been kicked off for Megan right now to end the madness. Either you're going to break the machine or you're going to get a hole in one, Megan. Okay? Yeah, I'd be proud of either of those. I have been told that if I get this hole in one, our boss is going to buy me coffees for the rest of the year. So that's been intensive. But I am using this other metal club.

Yesterday I had a big, that one. Oh, yeah, I think about the club's going to be, it's really going to matter. Okay. I'm just asking the ball. and not into the machine. How close they've actually got to getting a hole in one overnight. John doesn't know how close anyone that's got to getting a hole in one, G Lane. Hit the flag twice, and we've lipped out of the hole once.

Okay. So, yeah, I don't think you can get much closer than that. I'll hit the flag twice. Okay, okay. We'll be talking through it. Here's Megan right now. Redemption. G Lane, ACC commentary?

Look, she's already got a better setup than Jason Wynne Stanley, the boss here at NZME. He's got a horrific, horrific swing. Here we go. But head down, just watch the ball, Megan. Here we go, Megan. Just head down, okay. She's taking her time. She swings back.

And she's missed it. She's missed it. Okay, warm up. Practice, practice. Warm up. Okay. Aim for the bottom of the ball. Oh, God.

Aim for the bottom of the ball. I'm nervous that I'm behind her. Okay. Here we go. Oh, she's missed it twice. Come on, Megan. This is one with the rain. Just hit the ball.

Oh, God. Did she almost hit the equipment again and went off to the side. Just over the equipment you smashed yesterday. Look, one more time. That didn't, what, like half a metre at tops to the right, didn't even hit the screen. Oh, okay. Okay, Jono, this is not going to happen. How long do you want us to be here, John?

I reckon one more attempt. Give me the driver. One more attempt, one more tip. Okay, she wants the driver, she wants the big bertha's coming in here. That sounds like a horrific idea, but let's do it. Lockyer Ferguson, well, what do you think? I'm literally just turned up, but yeah, the boys have been, boys and girls been working hard all night. obviously a couple of close calls so yeah here's megan oh again she hit it into the screen this time

it's going okay it's rolling it's rolling it's rolling it's rolling and it's not to be okay it's not going to happen with megan and hopefully will happen here at some stage today good luck guys