Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - FULL SHOW:  Is it rude to sit beside a stranger in an empty theatre?

Episode Date: March 20, 2026

On today’s show:  We chat locations of interest in your relationship after RAY put a breakup plaque outside her ex’s favourite pub. How plasma donation nearly ends in Megan passing out in dramatic fashion... Is it rude to sit beside a stranger in an empty theatre? Ben suffers a deeply humbling moment  Kaylee Bell joins the show fresh off winning Best Female Artist in Australia. How Megan wiped out the power in her house... Jono's personal chat get ruins by Megan! 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. Yesterday after the show about the singer Ray, about how she put a little plaque up on the wall outside her boyfriend's favourite pub, ex-boyfriend's favourite pub. So every time he goes for a drink, he'll be reminded of her.

She said her heart was broken at that pub. That's some high-level revenge there. It is. I love that. Yeah. Some petty... Because anyone would be like, hey, mate, your name's over here. It's probably happening to assign yourself to a new pub situation, I'd imagine.

Great idea as well. Obviously, a location of interest for their relationship. Location of interest? Yeah, location of interest. Do you know where I need a plaque? Why did you drop the music? Are we still talking about Ray? No, Ray, we moved on from A.

If you had released a song, I'd start playing your work. A location of interest for us. I'd quite like a plaque there. When Andrew and I, my husband, started going out, he could only drive automatics. Right. I need a man who needs to. I know he's going to work a clutch. So every now, I had a red MX5 convertible.

I remember that car. Yeah. Racy little job, wasn't it? And we took it to the warehouse Albany in the car park and I taught him to drive a manual. Oh, sweet. Now, what you don't know is we mock Megan consistently for Andrew being significantly younger than her. What don't they know? Well, if you don't know, sorry.

We've told you many times. If you've just joined the show. If you've just joined the show, sorry. Because in my head, I imagine she picked him up from after school, but it's not quite like that. He wasn't at school. When you met him, he wasn't at school. No. God, John.

Put her in the files. No. Okay So that's the location of interest For your relationship It was like 20 Yeah Yeah

And I couldn't He couldn't drive a manual So Okay And kids these days Why don't need to Don't need to Don't say kids

These days Sorry you should say kids these days Sorry Andrew great And now Most new sentence Kids these days Yeah that's right

Not related Don't know how to drive a manual Where was the location Where was the location where you To tie up a shoelaces Have you got these written down Do I need to just wait While you get it all out

No we won't We will stop now We will stop this But that's good And so did he nail it first go? There's a few bunny hops. Well, I suppose if you haven't done it before. So if you go to the warehouse in Albany now, you're like, oh, that's where I taught you to drive a manual.

Yeah, it was in the, like, you know, there's an underground parking box, so it's a little bit secluded. Yeah. We should put a plaque up there. Yeah, we should. We're Megan taught her husband who's significantly younger than her to drive a manual. So that's what we want to know in your relationship. Where is your location of interest? Something that you go to or you see and you're like, oh, that brings back memories.

Yeah, it doesn't have to be like first kiss or anything like that. John O'Benn and Megan The podcast. The Hats. It's your relationship location of interest. Some really funny texts coming through. Megan just shared the warehouse car park. Was a special place for you and Andrew.

In Albany and Auckland because I taught him to drive a manual car. That's lovely. He could drive. He had his full license. Yeah, I know. But that's, you know, that much younger generation. That's all they know is the automatic car. So why would they need to drive him?

me. I mean, driving's become easier than what it used to be. Yeah. So they blame it. Has he had to drive a manual since? No. No. He hasn't. But he knows how to if he hasn't to. What happened to that little red racy MX5 you had? I sold it. You did?

Yeah. I can have that for my midlife crisis right now. Yeah, the window didn't go up anymore. You had to kind of pull it up and things were starting to fall apart. It was a fun looking car. There was like, there goes a fun girl. It was like a go-card on wheels. So your locations of interest in your relationship would love to get your calls in

text on Chris. Happy New Year in Northland. Yes, happy new year. All right, Chris, where's the location of interest in your relationship? It was a little dead end side street in the middle of Hamilton. Oh, okay. What happened there? Do we want to ask what

happened here or do we want to leave it to our imagination? You can leave it was imagination, but the reality was nothing happened. Where was your imagination going? It wasn't nothing, stop it. It wasn't nothing, okay. All right, sure we end the call there? Shall we?

I want to know. What was nothing? What happened? So both my wife and I were in the police, just before we got married and before we were even in a relationship, I used to be her field training officer. So she was brand new at a police college, and I thought, I'll take her to a little dark side street

and we'll hunt for traffic offenders where they can't see us. You park there, they can't see you, you see them. Gotcha. And where you go. God, this is like bridesmaids. You hold the gun. Oh, that's right. Yeah.

Yeah, go on. Yeah. But we sat there in the dark and nothing happened. No cars came past. And I sat there innocently thinking, oh, this is boring and we carried on. But she keeps bringing it up. Like, why did you take me to the side street? What was that? She was like, it was a little creepy, to be honest. Yeah, yeah. And then, of course, we ended up getting married and we have two really cool kids together. And we've been married for 15 years, I think, coming up now. And it still comes up. She still brings up that little side space.

You're like, I was trying to catch speeding drivers, mate. Doing my job. Honestly, honestly. But do you remember what the side street was called? I don't. I know exactly where it is, and I could Google Maps it, but I couldn't see her with the name of it right now.

But yeah, I know exactly where that street is. You should take her back there for a day. Why? Why have you taken me back here? There we go. A bleak dead end street in San Hamilton. Chris, appreciate it. Thanks so much for your cool locations of interest.

Amy. Where is it for you? So ours is in Bessel's Beach in Auckland. Oh, no, it will? Yeah. Why is that? Why is that a place, a special place? Yeah, so my wife and I are both Americans originally.

We met on a Zena fan board. Really? And so she came down here to go to get her masters, and I came down to visit, and we went over to Bessels, and we got engaged there, and then we got married there just a few months later. And now we've been married about 16 years, and we actually fell in love with New Zealand at the same time we fell in love with each other

and so we've been in New Zealand for the last 15 years. Are you both from America? Yeah, we're both from America. Have you ever met Lucy Lawless, Zena? Sorry? Have you ever met Lucy Lawless, Zena? We have.

Yeah, yeah, we've met her a few times. She is amazing. She's just so, she's just wonderful. Yeah, she's really great. She's part of your life. Yeah, she is, yeah. Well, we. It's lovely to have you here, Amy.

Thank you so much. And turning into the show as well. Jen and me, my wife, our first date was a wet t-shirt competition at the Lincoln Green in West Auckland. Was that organised? Like, did you take her there? I was there for work purposes for the road. It's a different time now.

You know, dry t-shirts are preferable nowadays, aren't they? I can't remember the last time I saw a stopping wet t-shirt in a bar. But my role was to make sure the contestants didn't slip on stage. You know, it's very moist conditions up there on stage. Dangerous condition Dangerous. Yeah, then yeah, then we

we smooched at the end of the night. Did she have a dry t-shirt? She had a dry t-shirt. She was in the competition. You didn't need to clarify these things. Yeah, no, no, I didn't end to do it. So it's a real Romeo and Juliet's story that one. Involving RTDs and pokies.

Kiwi romance. John O'Ben and Megan The podcast. The hits. You got hiccups, yeah. Lying. She's been lying. Yeah.

You've nothing but a liar. I'll go with me hiccups Your husband's theory is if you start hiccuping You've been fibbing So have you been lying this morning? Always Always Yeah great

It's radio That's all we do So well this isn't a lie This was a horrific moment last night Absolute shocker of a sleep I don't know why But the dog has decided I'm the guy that gets him up

In the middle of the night And takes him out for a pee And so he will He will like gently sort of Jump on the bed And gently tap my forehead with his poor Oh, that's so cute. And we get up to all sorts of stuff in the night.

He joins me when I'm, you know, sort of fosicking around three in the morning. But he tapped me on the head, and so I was like, okay, toilet time. Must be time to get up. Get up, let him out. Coffee. Triple shot a, triple shot of coffee. Can you stop, like the sound effects, bro? Like, I'm trying to tell a serious story here.

So what time is this again? I didn't know. I pounded back the triple shot coffee. Then I looked up at the clock. Triple shots. Five past midnight. Five past midnight. Last night.

And the panic said it. Stop her happening, mate. Really distracting when I'm trying to do some serious radio. Highbrow stuff here. That's not serious. And you're over there going. It's just him being an idiot like, not checking the time. Did you go back to sleep?

Well, I panicked. I, yeah, because I wanted to get back to sleep before the caffeine said it. I'd give up. I get up. You don't need to hear anything. She's railroaded. No, you're on your body function. Yeah, always just

A man talk for a change. Oh, really? When are we going to get to say something? Oh, geez. Yeah, always about you. No, I'm not sorry anymore. I don't always said that. That was I was sorry.

No, it was necessary, Ben. She needed to hear it. John O'Ben and Megan. The podcast. The Hats. I, you guys always take the piss out of me for cooking everything from scratch and for eating the same thing every day.

You do. chicken soup every night. Just me. I make things for everyone else. Do you, uh, so you're depressing blueberry pancakes, which we watch you, you know, it makes us sad even watching you eat those things. No, but you needed to try them again because I've perfected them. They're fluffy now.

But you don't put anything good. They didn't put any good stuff on anything. So you have those for breakfast. Blueberries or something on top and, you know. What's for lunch? Cottage cheese on rye beta crackers. Every day? With tomato and avocado.

And then chicken soup for dinner. Yeah. This is your, like even seven days a week. Like in the weekends, I might have something different for dinner. Consistent. That's the breakfast and lunch, yeah. That is. But your family eats other meals.

Yeah. Why do you do this? Well, it started when I had like high cholesterol and I was like pre-diabetic and I had to change my eating and make sure I was getting protein and all that. So then I've just kind of stuck with it because it's easy and I know it's healthy and yeah. I'm no culinary expert, but I reckon there's other food. foods that also probably fill the same quota for you.

But anyway, it's just easy, you know. Yeah, I know what you're saying. So anyway, I was doing the chicken soup thing. I've got it down. I cook it from frames. You must be like, oh, chicken soup again, you know? No, but I really like it. But every night?

I know. I like soup. She took it on a plane with us to Christchurch on a Saturday. Oh, no. So anyway, I've got it down to a fine eye. I use chicken frames and I put them in the pressure cooker and it like extracts all the flavour from the bones. So I did this yesterday.

There's so much going on at home. The kids are yelling. I'm trying to do a million things while my husband's about. So much going on. Even the chicken's under pressure. So much pressure in your household at this moment. And like I can do the soup. I do it so often I can do it with my eyes closed, I thought.

So I have to cook the chicken and then I take the stuff off the bones and put it back in. I took it out and I pulled the pot out of the pressure cooker. and then I was like, oh, I can tip the broth back in and then get the bones off. I'm not really thinking about anything, so I pour it from the pot into the pressure cooker

that the pot was not in. So all the broth has gone through the electronics and it comes out the bottom. And this beautiful Russell Hobbs pressure cooker is now fried and also six litres of boiling hot chicken broth went all over my kitchen.

It went on the floor. It went through all of the drawers and went through that Tupperware drawer. Now, how did the world's most perfect husband Andrew take this? You know, did he control his feelings? He got me that pressure cooker, which I love, I use every week.

How is his blood pressure cooker? And I thought he would be like, oh, sucked in, ha ha, ha, whatever, like, chill. He was so dark, he didn't talk to me for the rest of the day. And I was like, are you okay? And he was like, I'm just a bit gutted about the pressure cooker. I was like, you're joking? Are you joking me right now?

But he's salty as and I've fried it. But not only that, when I poured the liquid into it, the power went out. And I was like, this is not the good time. Oh, you sizzled the... Sizzled the kitchen. No, but I didn't know. I was like, why would they turn the power out now? Oh, you never realized it was you.

No. And then, so it turned out half the house, and I didn't think about it. And then I plugged it into a different socket. And then I did it to the... Other half of the house. Oh, wow. And then I realized that I was... I'm angry for Andrew.

I'm not going to talk to her for the rest of the show. It's got to be awkward on radio, that's for sure. So we'll see. Maybe it'll dry out. Do I need to put it in rice or something? Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's how it works. Yeah. So you're after a new Russell Hobbs pressure cooker?

Yes, please. You're going to use our radio show as a platform to try and scound a Russell Hobbs pressure cooker. Yeah, it'll save my marriage because he's clearly quite dark about a pressure cooker that he's never used. You know you can buy them. I know. That's also an option if it really is going to say, you, Brad.

Rusty, if you're listening, there's a marriage on the rocks. John O'Benn and Megan, the podcast. The Hats. We've been talking about sibling, siblings, and when things go wrong with your brother or sister. Yeah, the sibling survivors. And so many texts have come through. Yeah, crazy. This one just before 10 o'clock yesterday in the,

the end of the show. We thought we needed to get it on for you. Have a listen. I think. Yeah, Kelsey, morning to you. Welcome to Siblings Survivors. Hi, good morning to you guys. Well, listen, we read your text. This, wow. This must have had a huge impact on your life. What happened? What did your siblings

do? This was actually the tamest thing we probably ever did to each other. But in primary school, my siblings photocopied my diary and handed them out on the school bus. And my crush, Adam,

unfortunately rode the same bus and while everyone was laughing about reading the diary about how much I was in love with him and going to marry him one day, he started crying. Oh, that's not what you want. Oh, that's no good. You want him to run to you and be like, I feel the same. Was he just embarrassed? Yeah, I think it was just embarrassing and overwhelming for all of us. So he started crying.

That is a really sadistic play from your siblings there. There's many steps to ending up on a bus. with photocopies of your diary. They could have pulled out any one of those. I'm just thinking of the things I wrote about Mike in my diary when I was in love with Mike and honestly. If it became public? A publication of that one?

That would be social disaster. How do you bounce back from that? How did you bounce back from that? Was there revenge, retribution? Move skulls? Yes, there was retribution. My daughter loves the story, but I took my Bath and Body Works cucumber lotion that my sister hated.

I took the sheets off her bed, poured it all over the mattress, put the sheets back on and made her bed, and she didn't realize what had happened until she went to bed that night. That's great. That is great. You guys sounded like you had a bit of a toxic situation going on there. So more sibling survivors next week. Have you got one?

Text 4-48-7. Really interesting relationships, the old brother-sister. combos. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast, the hits. Egan, lucky to be alive. Now, we've worked with you for a couple of years, I think, probably half a dozen times. She's come to us saying she's nearly died. This is just another one we can add to another notch in the belt.

What happened yesterday? Yeah, death experience. So yesterday, I went and donated plasma. Now, I am trying to carry on my dad's legacy because when he was younger, he had a bad accident, and so he needed a lot of blood. He's still alive, by the way. Yeah, he's fine. You did make it sound like Wayno had passed.

Legacy, close carers, legacy. He needed blood to carry on living, which he has done like 50 years since. But in that time, he's donated blood so often. He was given a jersey, a little ceremony thing. Oh, wow. You get some merchdy if you reach a certain level. Yeah, yeah. Levels to this game.

I'm just trying to carry on his legacy. So I've started, like, donating. And yesterday was my first time donating plasma, which takes a little bit longer. They take out your blood, they remove the plasma, and then they put your red blood cells back in. So it takes like half an hour. And the machine's in front of you,

so you can see it all coming out and doing its thing. It's pretty incredible. Whereas obviously when you donate blood, they suck it out of you and it's gone. But in this process, they pump your blood back in. Yeah, the red blood cells, and they take out the plasma. But they separate it kind of like in real time.

The whole thing takes like half an hour and I donated like 650 mils. So you're part of like a loop factory line, Yeah, yeah. So at like... So a tour de France, Lance Armstrong's shop. It was like something they were doing there. I was pretty okay during.

I was just watching Netflix on my phone and she brought me over crackers and cheese. I was like, this is a great... Must be nice. Would you like a glass of red wine or is it? I would have. They recline you a little bit. So I was like, oh, I might fall asleep. Sleepy Megan.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Maybe that's what happened. Maybe you fell asleep and just keep going. It was fine. And then she took it out and she was like, okay, just sit here for a minute. And then you can go over there. You do have to wait like 10 minutes just, you know, so we make sure you're all good.

I hate those excruciating. When you get vaccinated, they're like, can you just sit in reception for 15 minutes? I don't think anyone in the history being told to wait 15 minutes has waited that time. So I... This is why you need to. Yeah. This is why just take your laptop or your phone in. That's what I do.

I jumped up, went over to the little seat, sat down and I was like, on top of the world. Oh, you went downhill. And I, suddenly my eyes went all blurring. and I felt like I was sinking, like everything was rushing out towards me. My ears were closed up. Uh-oh. And I was trying to maneuver myself so I wouldn't, like, pass out off the chair. But I couldn't move my body.

It was kind of frozen in the spot. And I've just felt myself sinking. And I was like, am I dying? Am I dying? But I could see there was all nurses and everyone over to the left in a room. What are they did? I don't know. They were all just busy working and stuff.

And I was trying to be like putting my hand up being like, help me. Guys, I'm not okay. But I couldn't put my hand up and I couldn't even talk. So I was just like, start. You sure you weren't in a K-hole? It does sound like it. Well, I hope I wasn't moving and talking because maybe I was like, oh, wow, wow, wow.

But yeah, all I could do was be like, a brach, breathe, bra. And so I sat there and I was like, and then. eventually kind of came out of it. But when I touched my skin, I was like wet all over my legs, my arms. I'd come up in like a cold sweat. And then they did come over eventually and I'm like, are you okay? And I was like, yeah, I'm good.

Okay, see you later. Well, there you go. And if you want to donate plasma, please contact the New Zealand Blood Service. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The Hits. Producer Troy did yesterday. Go in the movies, middle of the day. I did.

Tell you we're struggling. The bloody movie industry, mate. Movie theatres. If you want bad news again, but we're trying to do Good news. Well, maybe it's a good time to go to the movies. It is a great time to go to the movies. Would you go to the movies by yourself in the middle of the day?

Yeah, I mean. Liar. I have done it for work purposes as well. Non-work purposes. He's like, this is prime getting stuff done times. Tell you one, one time I did bring out my laptop and that was great. And I got, it was in the movie theatre.

Is that an unwritten rule of the movie? Can I do that? Your screen would be bright life. Yeah, but to be the only one in the movie theater. But like, why did you go? Because I had to watch the movie to interview the person on it. And then at the same time, He could clear emails at the same time.

I was like, yeah, I write some questions. Double screening at the movie. I was like, I had done that before. I felt a little bit naughty, but I did it. Maybe they need to have a theatre that's dedicated people who also want to do admin and watch a movie. I'm like, I'm not like trying to record the movie or anything. So Troy, you went to see this one, Project Hail Mary.

Wrongly, crazy. He spoke up from a coma. Is that gozzling? Gosling. I'm really from my apartment. And I'm not an astronaut. I'm not an astronaut If you don't go you die

With the rest of us So does he have to go to space or something He wakes up in a coma Light years from Earth Then he doesn't know why he's there But he's got to save Earth Great premise Did they just

Just chuck him in there Just chucked him in there And that's how the movie opens So it goes on from there I've read the book It's a book from a couple of years ago I was so excited for this movie So I thought I'll go

I'll treat myself to a Thursday afternoon Nothing on. I'll go to the movies by myself. Empty when you booked, you said. It was. And it normally is when I go on the afternoons. I love it. Just place to myself, put my feet up.

Yeah, a laptop out. Do some emails. I haven't done that yet. Yeah, I booked empty cinema right in the middle of the cinema. The big IMAX too. It's like a big, yeah, like probably 200 seat cinema. So you've picked prime location too, middle of the seating as well for the best viewing experience. Yes, that's right.

And then just before I went to the movies yesterday, I checked, oh, see, I'm people are going to pester me in this screening. Huge cinema. And I look at the seating plan. Someone's booked a seat right next to me in an empty cinema. Wow. So all other seats are available. Every single other seat in the cinema is available and he's booked literally the seat next to me in the middle.

But, you know, as you said, this is the prime viewing location. And an empty theatre, where you want to be is in the best seat. Yeah, maybe that's like, you know, did you pick the perfect middle centre? Maybe they really wanted to sit in the middle. Surely one over is not going to really like... This is where you get. All of the Dolby Digital Surround Sound coming out here from all angles. The perfect, yeah.

No, and I rocked up yesterday. I was interested in. I was going to sit next year. I know. Surely he realizes and he sits one across. Well, because I was saying to you maybe it was going to be like a gorgeous woman and maybe it would change your life. I'd have to move away.

Yeah, he's in a relationship, Megan. Oh, yeah, Neve, I love you. But no, I sat down. I was the first one there. And there was probably maybe 10 other people in the theatre, all kind of spread. They played the rules, yeah. And then here comes old mate, sits right next to me. Big bag of popcorn, a rustling.

He bought his own popcorn, the kettle corn from the supermarket, and knee to knee, the whole movie. Did you feel like you could have, or you were like, I know I booked first, I'm not moving. Yeah, I put first. I'm right to be here. Well, you know, he knew that that seat was taken when he clicked on it on the... I mean, he's still got a right to sit next year,

but it does feel like it's an unwritten rule that you wouldn't take the seat over. psychopathic. It's like the urinal. You go to the one over. You don't come right next to me. Did he say anything? Was he like, oh, do you want if I sit here? No, nothing.

No, we didn't share a word. Oh, I couldn't handle that. I just would have moved down, I think. Okay, so what are the unwritten rules of the movie theory? 0800 that's telephone number 4487 is the text. Shoes off. Oh, yeah. Shoes off as a car.

Sometimes you see people with feet on seat shoes off. Yeah, that feels like. something we need to do. That's personal. Yeah. Yeah. Tech's a big one. Do you take your shoes off?

Or like what if you're wearing like, so like if I'm wearing high heels and they just kind of slip off. I think you put beer feet on the seat, do you? Well like in a recliner your feet are off the end. Oh yeah, that's very different. Is that okay? Yeah, you're not, feet aren't dangling over the seat of front. John O'Ben and Megan.

The podcast. The Hits. Funny, we're just talking about producer Troy and, uh, the unwritten rules of the movie theater. Yeah, he yesterday went to her an empty movie theater and booked a seat right in the middle, prime location, prime real estate, and someone booked a seat directly next to him and sat next to him. Really? Gee whiz, that's one of the last sacred places on earth is an empty movie theatre.

And then to have someone right next to in that situation, dastardly manoeuvre. I understand full movie theatre that's going to happen. But it feels like we're going to put that down as a rule, right? An unwritten rule of the movies. Don't sit directly beside someone, especially if it's like a huge cinema. If there's other seats, yeah. Bringing your own food, it was the big bearer of my relationship with Amanda for many years. I'd bring my own food.

She's like, you can't do that. And in the end, I don't know. How would you smuggle it in? I'll just have popcorn in a backpack and, you know. I take stuff in there. It's drowned upon by the movie. The big movie industry. They're hurting right now, Megan.

I'm not doing that anymore. I still buy the popcorn, but you know, just bring you something else. They need you to pay $92 for a packet of pots. Okay, that's what they want. There's how many prices on that thing, though. Have you noticed that when you look up there? You're like, I'll get that. How much does that cost?

And by the time you bought the movie tickets, you're like, oh, my God, how much? I do love going to the movie. The other thing as well, I feel like it should be a rule is just people just take your stuff out. Is it too hard to take your rubbish out? It becomes like a waste dumping ground, doesn't it, in the darkness? Like, I'm on with the kids. I'm like, now they know, I'm like, we're taking a rubbish out. And the kids are like, they pick their stuff up and stuff.

But we're like the minority in the movie, you know? You just leave it there. You just walk out. They have to come through with the bags anyway. I reckon it's a bloody. the leaf blower out situation, isn't it? It feels like the poor people having to do that. I'm drunk from this cup.

I can put it in the bin on the way out. It's their job though. No, it's not their job. It's like walking out of a room. It is their job. They go through them and clean. Oh yeah, but I feel like you can go an extra step to help out the people.

You know, like, yeah. Well, they're still going to go through each row with the bag. It's like us walking out of here as well and leaving all our cups and go, there's cleaners in here, we're going to leave, you know? You know, it's like to take it to the kitchen. You know what, Megan, if I was taking your stance right now, I'd be called white male privilege.

Yeah, exactly. I'm just saying they have to go through each row to check anyway with a bag. Yeah, but you can still be a decent human. Anyway, that's what I think. Be a decent human, take your rubbish out. Oh, now I feel like it. Although I did see a movie theatre with the lights on. Oh, no, people just stand this stuff.

It is confronting. Why? Nico, good morning to you. Good morning, how you doing. We're doing well, mate, the unwritten rules of the movie theatre. Do you take your stuff after you've eaten, Nico? Yeah, yeah, of course. Good on you.

Good on you. Well, no, actually, that's what no one does. For me and my daughters. And Nico. What's the unwritten rule, mate? That you cannot slurp your drink or open a packet of lollies slash chips during a quiet moment in a movie. Oh, okay. Have to wait for a fight scene, action scene.

Trailers? How about the trailers? Is that fair game? Yeah, fair game in the trailers. I think that's the only time we actually can prepare for a movie. Do you know the worst movie? but great movie, but a quiet place? Oh, yeah.

The whole thing was silent, and everyone's trying to, like, eat there. He was no good time. Yeah, we're a film for that. You know the sound of a drink or a cup that's pretty much empty, but people are still trying to extract the last bit of liquid out of it?

There's some stayers in that category, eh? Yeah, no. Hey, good on you, Nico. Appreciate your call. Happy New Year to you, Emma. Oh, hello. Great to have you on. rules of the theatre?

Mine is a little bit awkward. You know, when you're sitting down and someone walks past you and you kind of just apologise for them walking past you. Oh, you say you're sorry, even though you're in the seat of position. Yeah, yeah, I always say sorry and I know a few people that actually do.

That's awkward. Very New Zealand thing to do, to apologise. Do you stand up or do you just put your legs to the side? I kind of, it's kind of performative. You kind of look like you're moving your legs to the side, Like, oh, yeah, it looks like you're doing something. It is my movie.

You're like, oh, I'm trying to move around, but I'm not doing much. Sometimes I like to put mine on the seat in front so they have to do like a duck under the legs or a leap over. Do you go, when you are the person walking past, front or back? Which way do you approach it? Front? Oh, you go face to face. I go front because then if you fall where you can put your hands out. Don't stop you?

Yeah. I feel like it in front is a bit confronting. Do you go bottom? You know, crotch. just to read someone's face, you know? Either way, it's not a great option. The other set on them is, you know. Ben shows him his sweet, sweet tush.

No way's a good option, really. There is it, no. You're both actually, I find most people, both parties apologise. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The Hats. Morning, this is all.

Talking unwritten rules of the movie theatre, it's all texts coming through. Oh, yeah, there are some good ones coming through. A rule should be tall people sit at the back, So you have to now register your height when you buy your tickets online. Hey, as a shorthy, if you get a real tall person in front of you, it sucks. You have to kind of like, even though it's like tiered seating. But then you're like, then you're going to separate tall people from their families.

Oh, well. Sorry, sure you can have to go this way. You're like, well, but I want to say. Screaming apartheid. Not today, mate. Why can't they sit back with you? No, today. I'm on a date.

Well, sorry, mate. She's with someone else now. Someone else about the same line Don't take your own food Another Texas has come through My family owned a small theatre And ticket sales And they didn't make any money

We make all our money on concession sales Please don't take your own food Well there you go that How bad does that make you feel now? I'm conscious We're conscious as clear as it Your wife shamed you out of that That's right

Megan Yeah I still buy popcorn No man I just bring supplementary God I feel like a real monster With this Only make their money On concession sales

Megan And I'm buying popcorn Go on. Hey, yeah, well, I had suffered some rejection yesterday, and it left me, one of those conversations leaves you a little bit rattled, and I was trying to do like a nice thing. Every now and again, you know, in this job, you're lucky enough to have people come up to you and, you know, say hi, I like what you do, people come up to you. And my wife's really good at picking up that, you know, because it's a quakes a lot.

I do that from time to time. Someone I really like, you go up and talk to them, but it takes a little bit of courage to go up and talk to them and an extra bit of courage to go, hey, can I get a photo? So my wife's quite good if that ever happens A few times if it ever does So seeing the person with a phone out going And she's like oh do you want me to take a photo To save them that sort of

She wraps up the awkwardness Moves it on And I'd never done that And some lady came up to me yesterday It was really lovely She's like oh my goodness I've watched a TV show John and Ben loved it for many years

Listen to the hits every day Which was awesome What was her name? I did actually get names It did get names That is a monstrous act for me you Megan He would have asked the name actually you got under name because I left

Connor the situation a little bit awkward she's like yeah I love your videos and social media and then she grabbed she went into like her a bag and she pulled out her phone and I sort of saw that and I went in my head doing what Amanda does I was like hey should we get a photo before you go and she sort of looked at me and she went oh I'm okay oh that's humbling

that's humbling for you New Zealand I was just looking for the bus time time on her phone and I was like she's like I want a memory of this but not one that includes you in photographic form. Yeah. And then she's like, we could get a photo. And I was like, no, it's like, you know, like a pitty photo? And I'm like, and I was like, oh no, it's okay.

I just saw you looking for your phone. And I was just, and then I left. And I was like, I made that awkward. A very awkward situation. God, I feel, I feel so. I don't know what to do. I'm so sorry. We were, I think we were emceeing something, you and I, John,

and we were taking a photo with someone and someone else walked past. And you were like, all right, gooday, mate. What's your name? Pulled them in. And they were like, oh, I'm just going to the bus. Toilip. No, just go in the bathroom. Pulled them in for a hug.

They didn't even know the people who were standing on. Always nice to meet a fan. Give me a cuddle then. It's like a factory line when I'm out there. Grab them all, snapping away. And again, they were like, I guess I can get a photo. You're like, no one wants a pizzy photo. Just take mass ones, delete it afterwards if you don't know who I am.

John O'Benon and Megan, the podcast. The Hits. Symphony tomorrow The Martin Nuclear Fuel Symphony Music Festival It's going to be awesome And one of the performers That we're looking forward to seeing

It's got up very early for us She's in Australia coming back For symphony Kaley Bell, good morning Good morning, Ben, how are you? What time is it over there, Kaylee Bell? Just gone six, I think Oh, this is not ideal

You are getting up for a flight as well too, right? I am, correct, I would never normally get up this one. Even for us, even like, it was actually especially for us. These are not musician-friendly hours. Did you win an award last night in Australia? Did I see Kaylee? I did.

I picked out Best Female Artist at the Country Town Awards over here, which is the big Australian. Kind of awards leading into, there's a big festival here this weekend called CMC Rock. Sing a song and pick up the award, and now I get to come back home finally and see everybody at Symphony. And is that awards sort of carry on?

Did you factor that into your 23KGs? It's tight You can't leave the reward behind though can you You've got to take that Are you travelling with your baby as well too Is that you're juggling that as well as the award No not today He's been with dad a week this week

So I'm very excited to get home and see him And he sent me a very excited little picture last night Because I'm sure that he knows what that is You know Do you get people saying to you oh, who's looking after your baby? Yeah, I do get that a bit. And I just respond with his father a long of the time.

Do you sing your original songs to your baby, or do you do covers, the nursery rhyme bangers? I've been pretty, I wouldn't say strict, but I really just, like, James listens to the radio a lot and, like, adult music, which has been, like, a survival tool for me as well. I don't think I could do hours of kids' music. So he's had quite a broad palette. He's had a lot of teen arena and a lot of things on vinyl.

We listen to a vinyl every morning together. Oh, wow. But yeah, he loves music. He definitely, he's starting to do a lot of little dancing and stuff in the morning when we have music on. So that's very cool. Although I have seen you, like, a couple of times performing with the wiggles as well, though. So maybe there is that crossover. Yeah.

Well, I think they're touring New Zealand this year. So I'm very excited to maybe, like, take James in his little kindi class or something for a little excursion. And I feel like that would be pretty cool. So beat Bill of Goals. And yeah, hopefully his mum can jump up and try and... Tell you what you're doing there, mate. You are blowing the other parents out of the water. Yeah.

Thanks for that, Kaley. A meat and greet with the Wiggles. No one's going to trouble that. My mom's on stage with him. You're like, yeah, okay. The person who has to follow up the fairy bread and Cheerios at home. So, Cynthia, excited to be back, obviously, to see James, but also, Cynthia.

It's such a great event, isn't it? Yeah, I've been there just as a fan for a few years and just love it. It's such a vibe. And, yeah, we jumped when they said, would you like to come in. First, we're doing the band gig. So we are playing pretty early. I think we're on at 3 o'clock. So people do need to get down there early to see the full band thing.

So, yeah, we're very, very excited to do that. And then get to jump up with symphony later on as well, which would be very fun. So that's how worst of the exponents are playing the afternoon as well. I imagine Jordan Luckhop's on with the orchestra later in the evening too. Yeah, I think so. I think there's going to be a bit of that, which is cool. And as artists, it's pretty cool to get up and sing with an orchestra. You know, it's not every day we get to do that and sing pop song.

What one are you singing? I don't know if I'm allowed to say. Oh, okay, we'll find out tomorrow. You are allowed to say that. Yeah, you've got to come and find out. Megan, who's like you are? You don't guess like Kali and just say. We don't know that.

We just had an email from the promoter who said, tell us everything. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. Make sure she tells you exactly what. So she's saying. No, we can't wait to see you there. And now, just before we go, I was doing a bit of a poll on Instagram after I bought an outfit, matching shirt and shorts that my wife on quick glance said you look naked from a distance.

70% of people say I don't look naked on a poll, but then my daughter said last night, that's still 30% of people that's saying you do look naked. Your daughter is so smart. Yeah, you're right. That's a good portion of the public. Because normally I'll be happy with 70%. So, Kaylee, I'm going to put it on you right now. Should I wear this outfit?

not that you will probably have to see me at symphony but what? Yeah absolutely you should wear the outfit you should always wear the outfit Ben. That's what I said who cares always wear the outfit. Kaylee can you do me a favour? When you're on stage with the orchestra can you say security can someone remove that naked

man? Get him out of here. I'll be hiding in the crowd that's for sure. You might be gone by then. John O'Ben and Megan The podcast The Hits. Thanks for hanging out with us now You know, this is, we've been doing radio for a while now, tried and true topic. You know, things that your parents lied to you about that you believed, the Mr. Whippy ice cream truck.

How many times have we heard that call on radio? Oh, yeah, when the, the sirens on, it's run out of ice cream. That's a standard lie that our parents tell their kids. Yeah, now this is a lie. Gaslighting them. Gaslighting, yeah, into, and poor Mr. Whippy, it makes no sense. Why would he alert the neighbourhood that he's got none? And then stop.

When he has something. Stop outside your house. and put your siren on to be like, don't worry, I've got none. Yeah. I've got to go back to the ice cream factory, get more ice cream, maybe. Kids, if your parents are telling you that, that's a lie. It's a lie. It makes no sense that you drive around in silence, not alerting people.

But now this is one I don't think anyone would have heard of, that any prior my mother told me, geez, I must have been like eight or nine years old. And I've taken this pretty much up until now. I still don't know if it's fact or not. But we were at a school production. I can remember it like it was yesterday. and I saw an older gentleman, and he had like veins coming out of his,

the bottom of his nostrils, onto the top of his lips. And, you know, when you're a kid, you're like, did I imagine that? Yeah, but you could see on top of the skin. And, you know, when you're a child, you're like, did I imagine that or was it actually something I saw? But then I turned to mum,

and a lot of parenting I've come to discover is just, you can't be bothered. You just say stuff to fill in time. Shut up the kids. I'm like, mom, what's? that. And mum's like, that's what happens when you pick your nose too much. You get veins growing down, your lips going to go all the way down. And now, at age 44, I've got a vein coming out of my nostril. And I have been scooping lately. I'm not going to lie. I've been doing some deep

ass scooping. Okay, well, whatever lie, I've just, and I know that goes against everything we're about to do on radio, but I just put it into chat, GPT, and it says yes. Yes. She was right? Yes, you can get visible veins or broken blood vessels around your nose from picking your nose. So she's not telling you a lie. I know that goes against what we're trying to get people to call up. I thought that was just a yarn. So John has been picking his nose too much.

And now I've got the veins. I've been diving deep, man. I'll be mining up there. Rupcher the vessels. Really? Small red or purple lines can come up over time. How did she know that niche fact back in the 90s? The internet wasn't even around.

That is crazy. Well, that's, yeah. A prolific picker. You need to slow it down. I am. I'm going to slow it real. Yeah. And when it makes sense, I guess when you think about it

because you're scraping the inside of your... Do you do it in the car and then look to this left and there's like someone in the fortune again? I've been caught in public before. So yeah, there we go. Okay, so that's what you believed in. Now you carry on believing it. Well, thanks, mum.

But yeah, that really throws a rass banner in the works for a phone to-law. I looked at it and I was like, oh, do I want to bring this up? That actually is right, but yeah. Okay, so Lies, you were told as a child that you took well into your adult years. Have you guys got any? Well, Andrew's parents, he's always tell him. Like when he got the hiccups, they're like, stop lying. And now he does it to me.

I get the hiccups all the time. He's like, you've been lying. Oh, he believes that if you're hacking up, it's your body. Your body's honesty system. They start hiccuping. One I believed for a little while. It wasn't my parents, it was a friend of your friend's mom. And you know, when you go in the car, you used to go back in the day and try and get the seatbelt on

and sometimes it'll get stuck and you're trying to get. It doesn't happen so much nowadays. No, but back of the day it was a big problem. Oh, yeah. It was like, you've got a smile. You're like, it's got to be a genuine smile. Oh, true. He's like, not genuine enough.

That was her little game as well. We're like, you're smiling, we're smiling. Maybe the theory is if you're smiling, you calm down a bit. I don't know. I don't know why we believe that for a little bit. We're all like smiling. Now looking back, I was like, what was that? What was that?

John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The hits. About things that your parents, the little lies that your parents told you that you believed for many, many years. Yeah, I mean, I thought for years until now, 44, that if you pick your nose, there's veins that grow out of the bottom of your nostrils, being your fact check. Yeah, which you could have done all through those. Annie Pryor was not lying. She told me to that nine years, which blows my mind, no internet coverage in the 90s as well.

She just knew that fact. Like, that's a really niche, unusual fact. So you need to stop picking your nose. I do, yeah. I've been going deep lately as well. I can't help but not. You know, if you know this anyway, let's not go. No, definitely not go there.

So you can feel one. Stuck right up there. Amen, sister. Our boss Harriet's in right now. Now you've believed something for a long time, right? Yeah, until probably last year, which is concerning because I'm 32 years old, was that you can't swim for half an hour after eating because the sharks can smell the food. In your stomach?

Yeah, I thought you just died, basically. My parents were like, you're just going to die. And I was like, oh. They just said you were going to sink or something, right? But your parents told you the sharks were going to eat you. Yeah, it was all about the sharks. It was, yeah. I don't think people are so much focus.

on, you know, parents these days aren't focused on the half an hour weight between eating and swimming now. I don't think I've once said it. No, I don't know, get out there, mate, get out there. What was the concern? What was the, you were going to drown from cramp? Yeah, cramping. I think it was a cramp situation. I think, I don't know.

Bree Thomas L joins us from ZD. A random cameo. I need to come on now and talk about this. I just came in here for this. I heard you were talking about it and I was like, I need to get some stuff off my chair. You know you work in the afternoon, but you're like, I'm driving in, I'm coming up with this. You know, you can you call us too? Oh, can you?

We appreciate it, though. Really unusual cameo, but, Bree, it's lovely to have you in here. Thanks, guys, good to be here. A lie my parents told me is that we were poor. Well, you're actually quite wealthy. Yeah, they just didn't want to bias anything. No. I mean, one of the classics, one of the classics,

if you watch the TV too long, your eyes will go squeam. Yeah. Now, I've never once said that about the device. to the kids. I'm like, watch more of it, of anything. Please, take this and shush. You need to lie more to your children. Thank you, Bree. Well, you can leave now.

I'm going to go back to my appointment now and get in my car. Reschelle, Richel, lies that your parents told you you took well into your adulthood. Yeah, so that the light in the car was illegal to drive with it on. Oh, you're not the only one. There was a whole generation of parents spreading this misinformation. Yeah. Why was, why did they not want us to have it on? It's just jarring, driving with the line on?

Yeah, I think it's kind of annoying, right? Yeah, if you, the drive on. Or you'd forget and your battery would go flat or something. Yeah. And what age did you figure out that that wasn't the case, Rochelle? Probably in my 20s. You let it leave for two-dollar, because you never, you're like, what you think, why would your parents lie about that?

Yeah. The other big one, too, is which you don't understand the pain of is sitting in the front seat and then someone opens the window in the back seat. Yeah, I thought that was. a lie for a long time. Makes the noise when someone's just got the window down in the bed seat. But yeah. When I first started trying and someone did it, I'm like,

oh my God, Dad was not lying. It was like, there's no noise. He's like, this making your noise. There's no noise. Try the window up. But it's only specific to the driver. No one else in the car. And I'm like, he's right.

I actually did he's the Uber driver the other day. He was not happy. Hannah, welcome. How are you? Happy New Year? Good morning. Happy New Year. To you guys. Lies, your parents told you that you

took into your adult years? No, I'm the one who did the lying. Oh, what was the lie? When my little girl was very little, she would pick her nose nonstop. And no matter what I did, I just could not get her to stop. So one evening I told her, if you don't stop picking your nose, the motions are going to come in the night and they're going to eat tips of your fingers. That is terrifying.

How old was she when you told her this? About four, six. about? Yeah, that's, that's, uh, that's formative year's stuff, isn't it? So when she went to bed that night, I dipped the tips of her fingers in green food coloring. Oh, you are a mom. She's 21 now. She has never picked her nose again. She was bloated to let it look like her eyes pop out, but she will not pick her nose. Cool memory.

Oh, wow. You're going to have to pay for that therapy. That's next level. We appreciate it.