Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - FULL SHOW: The Show Messed Up... and Megan Took the Fall

Episode Date: September 9, 2025

On today’s show:  Ben is stressed about the one item his daughter insists on bringing overseas Megan has a big apology to make on behalf of the entire show Jono gets expert tips from the choir who performed the South African anthem at the rugby How Megan accidentally made one of the producers late for work We speak to a Kiwi teen featured on Time Magazine’s prestigious ‘Girls of the Year’ list Instagram: @THEHITSBREAKFASTFacebook: The Hits Breakfast with Jono, Ben & MeganSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Jono Ben and Megan podcast, thanks to Dilma. Goodness really does taste great. Dilma, making the world a better tea. Welcome to the podcast where it's, what, day three of Jono trying to learn the South African anthem. He's got to the end of the week. You'll hear some of the help he gets from some people, frustrated people, trying to teach him some things, although one good hack to do with the melody that will come up on the podcast. You're actually reading a text that came through after we spoke about that.

It was quite interesting, do something before you go to sleep. Yeah, they were saying that one of the things they find when they were trying to remember something is the last thing about they before they go to sleep is to read it and try and have nothing else no other distractions before they go to sleep read this particular thing try and hold it in their memory and then go to sleep and then they reckon that during the night you maybe you retain some of that information they will do it over multiple nights as well just little chunks of something and then you know no distractions no phone no nothing afterwards that's the last thing that's in your brain could work i mean there's a different ways of people remembering things just got to guess find

the thing that works for you oh they matter so i was like chat jipt mold will give me 10 different ways I can remember stuff and I've worked systematically through them just sometimes I think you know I've reached an age where I'm like I've learnt I've learnt and there's no

maxed out I'm maxed out of learning no but I don't believe that you can't because you will pick up like I said before you learn scripts memory that's just a memory thing yeah you've done it so you can remember

so there is a way you can do it maybe it's the other language that's tripping me up there yeah it's a reason behind it and I'm in my head I'm like don't make up words because you can easily just go you can make up a same

and try and sell that as a word. I'm like, that's probably in the back of my mind. I'm trying to so hard to not make up noises or sounds. So it becomes across offensive. You see, well, with everything's on the line at the schools at the moment, with the way things are educated, you know, like with the, you know, because some people go on tests, other people don't, you know. It doesn't just mean that you're, because you can't do a test,

you're not going to succeed in life. Not everyone learns the same. Yeah. And that's been the thing as well, this current system that they're debating at the moment kind of does give opportunities for people to learn in all various different ways. Because like, I don't know, my brother and lots of people are handy with their hands and really smart at building and creating things. Not be good at sitting down at the test.

No, I couldn't do that, you know? I could not be handy with my hands. Yeah. No. In fact, I don't know what I'm quite handy at. Still learning that one. But you're right, those people could probably go off at age 15, start apprenticing in trades. Yeah.

And have a wonderful life. Running their own businesses and stuff. but some systems make them stay there to 18. Yeah, that's true. You get three years behind. As well as that, what's the one thing you always take when you travel? We get into that, but actually very shortly. Some really interesting things that people travel with.

And something you don't want your daughter to take. Yeah, but maybe I'm like, maybe just let her. You know, you say. It's not, you're all taking one suitcase. One bag each, yeah, so that's on her, really, you know? Yeah, true. She's got the space, let her fill it how she wants. Although you know whose bag they'll go in if they don't.

Mine, yeah. mine. How many were we going to put my costumes? Are you taking costumes to your... Maybe, maybe not, you know. Have you a Knifle Tower costume? No, I haven't, no. I've got a Mona Lisa one, so, you know,

but the family doesn't know about that. Probably doesn't know about that. You know, like, there's a few, there's maybe three that the family don't know about, so they'll be in the bags. You have to stand in a massive, like, media scrum-like thing to get to the front of the Mona Lisa. You're going to be seen it for ages. Oh, I won't do it outside.

I won't do it like next to, no, because I don't think you take photos. We're the Mona Lisa in front of the Mona Lisa. I've been there and seen the Mona Lisa before. You're not meant to take photos of the Mona Lisa. You know, no, technically you're not. Oh, Lisa, that's so good. So, yeah, I won't do it there.

I'll do it outside. How many costume hit points have you got through the tour? Three or four. So you're taking costumes. Yeah, but that's a satchel, Megan. It's a sysel. It's for its content. I think the family don't listen.

No, they won't listen to the podcast. It's to be honest. So, yeah, that's fine. It's so funny. It's so funny. And so you're right. And so you're right. going to surprise them like in yeah yeah they'll be like mandam will be like my wife be like oh god

what's he doing now like in yeah we went to raritonga i came back in the starfish costume she's like oh my god what are you doing yeah and i brought that over and then a dog barked to me and that was the video it was really disappointing for the money i spend on it i was like this is not how i saw this going oh god but you get one chance one chance of those things so you're just trying to grab it pack the essentials baby pack their essentials so maybe i'll let it take the egg boots uh enjoy the podcast The Hits. Heading away with the family, actually.

I hadn't told anyone on public about this next week. We've something we've always wanted to do. We always said to the kids, it was been a bucketless dream to take the kids to Europe. Before we were like, you know, we've been saying since a little. Before, you know, you watch movies with the Eiffel Tower and stuff in it. And we'd go, hey, we'll take you there before you leave home. And then we realized, well, jeez, they're going to...

It's not long, babes. We've got too many more years for that to happen. Yeah. You know, not to get too heavy into contract stuff here at the radio station. a lot of leave to take up this year. And no contract for next year, so we'll see. So you might regret this trip. Yeah, my making a huge financial dumb decision, maybe.

But hey, I'm putting, you know, a little life thing, a bucket list. You could take the Sky Tower, mate. The Eiffel Tower of New Zealand. So next week heading away, and it's really rolling around quite fast. You know, a whole lot of family stuff going on at the moment with my wife's dad passing away. So it's a lot of admin going through all this stuff. On top of your usual to-do list.

Yeah, so that's, yeah. And I was talking to the girls. My daughter's about, you know, we're going away. So we need to start getting a bit more organized with stuff. You know, you need to pack and get on to that a bit earlier. And then my daughter suddenly started talking about things she was going to take. And she's like, well, I must bring my ug boots. And I was like, hang on, we've got one bag.

It's going to last us for a couple of weeks. You're not going to take. I just don't think it's a weird. And it's going to be warm. Yeah, it's warm. I don't need woolen boots. You're right. And I'm like, she's like, well, I just like to relax in my boots.

and around, I'm like, you should, you've holidayed with me before, see. I'm highly stressed already. We haven't even thought about going to the airport. He's already a race car on the red. I haven't built in relaxation time into the schedule. We're in, like, Paris for like two days. We're not going to sit around and just sitting on her ugboots and paint our nails. You've forgotten about let them.

Like, let her make that mistake. Let her pack her ugboats. If she doesn't have room for other things, then it's her fault. But it is taking a valuable real estate in the, uh, in the suitcase. In her bag. I'm like, this is a dumb idea. It's the thing, maybe I should.

Maybe I should, but I'm like, put your hands up, walk away. I'm like, you need walking shoes because we're going to be walking. We're going to be walking. He's not even catching the train through Europe. He's walking. One country to the next.

Oh, stop. So I've got to say, you know, thinking, what's the one thing that you always travel with? You know, what's the one thing you're like, well, I need to bring it. And maybe for, you know, this is her one thing. Maybe it's a comfort boots. You were reading an article yesterday about people taking pillowcases to

hotels. Yeah, silk pillowcases. Listen, there's some horrific, I know you're probably going to be staying in hotels. Oh, everyone does a little time. It's best not to overthink about it. Yeah, don't think about a hotel room too hard. But it feels like best you're everywhere you eat. I mean, you probably can say the same thing about restaurants and everywhere else.

Yeah, it's like, don't think it overthink it. As long as you don't get sick or nothing bites you, you're kind of like, oh, just let it go. They do say the pillows. They won't change the pillows for years sometimes. Right, the inside of, yeah, just years of strangers. But they've got pillowcases by the outside. To be honest, if I could. That's why someone takes this hyperalogenic.

case everywhere they go. If I could, I would take my whole pillow, but I can't take that. Talk about valuable real estate in the suitcase. Yeah. I mean, you can walk on places with a pillow, you know, like on a plane or a bus or something like that. I had a friend Robert Taylor, who I used to work with, dear Robert, he would never leave home, never travel to a party without his own light bulbs.

So he would come. He was a big lighting guy. He loved to set them. So if he's coming to your house, he's like, the lighting's all off for this party. He'd be up on a stool, unscrewing your lightbulbs. bulbs and putting in the Phillips soft whites or he'd have a little colourful ones as well. So we're prepared to go, no matter what sort of what's... He'd create an atmosphere.

Yeah, lighting atmosphere. Never leave home with that light bulb to a party. You did not know that. No, yeah. What was his preferred light bulb? Oh, it would depend on the evening. What sort of thing? And did he take them home again?

Generally not. You'd wake up with a red light of thinking you had slept in a brothel or something. Overn and then you would have to go and put your OG light bulbs back in. Yeah, about half a dozen light bulbs to any party he would turn up to. Okay, well, what's the one thing that you have to travel with? The one thing you're back, maybe it's a superstition, good luck thing, that you have to travel around. Or maybe it's something you can't get anywhere else. Are you taking your coin in your...

I'm going to be a little cork thing. It's got to come with me as well. My parents burden's weird. Oh, she's not allowed to take her own boots, but you can take your cork. He's got a cork with a coin in it, which is apparently his lucky travel charm. But my parents gave me when they went traveling. And now I'm like, well, I can't get rid of this. Seems like something your dad, like shoved into a cork after it, a long dinner.

Exactly. John O' Ben and Megan The podcast The Hits It's the one thing you always travel with My daughter wants to take Ug Boots on a holiday away I'm like maybe I should just let her

You know We're not going to skiing though Megan It's not ugboots You know I know but that's She can find that out Just let her It'll take up real estate in her bag

She won't use them And she'll be like That was a dumb mate Someone from that part of the world 's listening in this morning It's coming into winter over here in Europe It'll be cold

You will have relaxation days They don't know you Ben Is there any relaxation scheduled into your tour it'll be sleeping at the end of the day that's all the relaxation you need that's all you need just sitting and being is there any any time for that? There's no sitting and being

unless it's on transports. I'm going to get shinsplants walking in other boots with the pace that Benz says that's going to be a powerful couple of ease in Europe so you're going to have calves of steel so what you never leave home without we actually spoke to Natalie coincidentally on another topic but she never leaves home without one of the show's

partners products no if we go up to say Hawaii where as far as I'm concerned America has crap tea my mum and say my sisters go how many tea bags will we drink today how many boxes do we need to take no we take it with us we put it in our suitcase

and take it over and you work out your tea allocation for the trip I love it it's in my company and my drawer at work oh wow you've got tea bags everywhere you're like us we came back from Sri Lank and I've been doing hard but what's like all right stop banging on it but you know this one's picked from this and this one's it. Yeah, it's really good to you though. We're going to get

Annette on. Welcome to the program, Annette. Good morning. Lovely to have you on. A lot of people taking foldable umbrellas, foldable chairs on tour, pillows, you name it. What is it for you? Lynette, Annette? I take my knitting needles and my yarn and I knit while I'm away. Oh, are you allowed to take them on a plane? Like, can you take them on the plane? They're not like... You can take your knitting needles, but you can't take your scissors. Oh, okay. You could hijack a plane with knitting needles, though, couldn't you? You could do some damage if you needed to.

Oh, you can make a lovely scarf. I've never had them taken off me. I've had scissors taken off me, but never mind my knitting needles. What's you're going to do is you're going to hijack the plane? Oh, she's made the pilot some lovely mittens. Exactly. Some plane driving mittens. Oh, that's very cool.

Yeah, it's probably a great thing to do. Pass the time on a plane. That's a great idea. Hey, good on you. I really appreciate it. We're going to get Noah on this morning. Welcome to New Zealand's breakfast, Noah. Hi.

Hi. So I never leave without my soft toy that I've had since I was five. I take it everywhere with me. One time I felt really sick and to score some free snacks on a plane, I took it to a flight attendant and put on a sad face, hugged it and said I was sick. Oh, you play them, you guess let them into that. It's beautiful. What is your stuffed toy? My stuff toys is wolf I got from Kelly Tarton. And what's his name? Wolfie

They're creative Why are they selling wolves at Kelly Talton Is this an underwater sea world? Yeah, I know I don't get why they felt wolves either Makes no sense to me, Noah They got someone You bought one

So yeah Is it an underwater wolf? Maybe Hey good on you Noah, you're bloody adorable Lovely chatting with you That's so good John O'Ben and Megan

The podcast The hits This is not really making news Like the initial incident Is it? But maybe it should be right Megan This deserves a worldwide apology

and I see why the guy has done what he's done. Let me take you back to was it a few months ago? The Coldplay Yeah, probably was, eh, yeah. She's those fun times when we ruined some people's lives, wasn't it there? Yeah. The split moment, you know, we'll get on with our lives.

Yeah, the Colplay concert. We obviously don't need to probably explain that to you again. Well, they've caught on the Jumbotron. The CEO, Andy, and then the head of HR Kristen, they were not together. they had significant others or we would lead to believe. Canoodling, weren't they? Arms around the pelvic region, I could see.

That's a classic. You've seen that cuddle before. It's one of the great. Now, both of them are no longer working in astronomer and the world piled in. Now, Kristen is the woman in question in this video. She's the head of HR

at the company too, which was the bono. She was. Not anymore. And her husband slash ex-examine. husband has spoken out months afterwards and has said that we were privately and amicably

separated before the concert. Oh so she wasn't in a relationship? She was not in a relationship. At the time of the concert. This seems like pivotal information. You should have told us. Why didn't she tell us? The following day she got to go on, I'm single. I'm ready to mingle. I feel like she

should have been like, hey guys, I mean... Absolutely. That's the greatest piece of evidence. Why wait till 12 weeks later? She hasn't even come out with that, right? He has. Andy's still got a wife, but I'm sweet. I'm single.

But maybe that's what caused the separation. We don't know that. Do you think he was probably like, well, hey, you did it. You made your bed, maybe I don't need to front foot this, the partner, the ex-partner, right? Yeah, absolutely. He's sitting back, rubbing his hands together, being like, well, probably not to the level of that. I mean, no one wants that to anyone. It doesn't sound too amicable to me then.

Yeah. I think an apology's due If she was If she had separated Then there's nothing She'd done no harm No foul I mean

He was Well she was still head of HR Sleeping with her boss That was married He was married A little bit of harm A little bit of fail Yeah

I mean yeah I mean no one deserved That level of Worldwide scrutiny And you know Shame right No matter what happened When are we going to learn this lesson

That we need all the details Before we do a public pylon Yeah, we jump into all, so many rumors, hey. I mean, radio hosts out of anyone really need to learn that lesson, don't we? Spout off all sorts of crazy stuff. It's fun, though, initially. Yeah, it is fun, but then you're like, what were we doing there? What are we doing there?

Yeah, real people. So wish them all the best, as they patch back their lives, all of them, really? Is he still with his wife, or is he split up, Andy? No, I think they might have split, yeah. She had some not-so-nice things to say. Yes, okay. Let's just say, no phones at Coldplay concerts. Stagdo rules.

Or just don't cheat on your spouse. That's probably a better lesson. Jono, Ben and Megan. The podcast. The Hats. Two couple who won Lotto, celebrated with a lovely feat of KFC. That's the way that wanted to celebrate it as well.

Very cool. Go the family pack on that job, wouldn't you? Well, you could. I mean, you could definitely upsize anything you wanted that day, right? Yeah. Jeez, that's a great celebratory meal, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah.

It's always this thing sometimes. I didn't like okay. I was just, I say, If that's what you really love, you know, sometimes you go, the worst thing is when you go to a flash restaurant and then you drive home and you're like, I'm still hungry. I need to go to KFC. I need to go.

What are you when you're ordering? No, sometimes it's like big plates, tiny. I hear you, bro. And you're like, I went out of a dinner. I spent $200 between the two of us and I am still hungry. I hate big plates tiny portions. Hate them. It's like dirty plate syndrome.

You go out of dirty plate. Where's the rest of it? Father Lone Star never disappoints. So I go double Johnny Cash Snash. double No no double We doesn't eat during the day though So he's

You're like a camel Yeah Feet up at night Now Jono is having to Well to learn the South African National Anthem We made a bet with a South African Radio show

Who would win the All Blacks Or South Africa And who of his team lost Would have to learn the other anthem And you're probably thinking Why was Jono doing this Well he ran his mouth off Megan right Yeah

You did You added something to the bet That we weren't a part of And you were like We'll learn it any Anyway, but me and Benham said, no, because you made the bet. Well, I see our South African friends, Mike Aaron and Palletta. They're learning it.

They're learning the New Zealand National Anthem. Are you going to feel bad if they really nail it? 100%. I feel like they're going to. Yeah, they'll memorize it too. With today. Yeah. See, their hardest thing is finding an all-black jersey they can purchase in South Africa.

Yeah, no, they've got one. They can find one. We need to get organised a South African top, actually, too, for you. So, 800 of the hits, because this is just a great memory game. What can you read? What strange things have you remembered over the years? The periodic table is a big one, isn't it, for some people? Yeah, producer grace and memorize all presidents.

47 presidents. We'll have to get it back in for a 12th time to do that very shortly. Because this ant, I just, it's not sinking in. Like, I'm playing it constantly around the house. My daughter probably knows more of the answer than I do. Yeah. Maybe it's, I don't know, I don't know, maybe someone's got a technique, I don't know. Maybe you don't need to play it.

Maybe you just need to say it out loud. That could be a good tip. I don't know. Just write it down and keep saying it. Yeah. Maybe the music's messing you up. Can I give you an update of where I'm at? Yeah, but no music.

No music. I feel like I know it better than you just by you playing it. Okay. Because the music drowns you out. I don't want to hear it. You know, you just don't know. The music's playing. I'm like, is he even singing or is like, ha, yeah.

Every time he does it. He's like, want to hear this? Do you need the music as a guide? A little guy. I said you say you're going to blast that first. Okay, I'll try and blast it. I'll try and blast it. You can have the music, but turn it down.

And you do this cutesy little voice. He does, hey, a weird voice that he does. He talks to his wife, using, and sings the sustainable national anthem. Only times I've heard him do that voice. Okay, here we go. Turn it down. It's gone. Okay.

In Kose, Sekelelele, Africa. Nice. Pondolwaiyo Yizwa imitandah Zoyetu Kose Sekkelela Tina

Lusapu Yo Moodenabuoka Okay, I'll stop there And it's good enough Like it sound and loud I like the passion behind it I don't know about the diction

And the, I mean that's... Pitchie. Am I made? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. But that's the thing Ben and I are like, was that it? Yeah, was he right or not? Jono Ben and Megan, the podcast.

The Hits. The Springboks take on the All Blacks again this weekend. As well as the Black Ferns and the quarterfinals and the Warriors in the top eight. It's just going to be a huge sporting weekend, but Jono needs to learn the South African National Anthem by Friday. Yeah, we've had a bet with South African Radio Station. Well, I completely screwed the bet. We won the bet and then somehow I've ended up having to sing the anthem,

shooting my mouth off. That's all on you. The Auckland Pacific High School Choir Was it the junior choir? You were close to my side of your anthem You were similar But not quite there But anyway

They performed They performed at the test on Saturday night And nailed it That just gives you goosebumps It's incredible right Yeah they're doing that great job We're going to find the person Who put that together

We're going to talk to them Maybe they've got some tips here. Can you hide me in a choir? Well, maybe that's the best tip of all. You can you just whisper? Do you give us some help with trying to remember the South African anthem? Kerry, good morning. Good morning.

Great to have you on. So I can hear you struggling a little bit on the melody there. On the melody. Oh, no, just not focus on the melody. The least of his worries, surely. What was this pronunciation? You can help us. It's the same melody as the Incy Wincy Sparta.

Whency Winsie Spider Come up the water spout Okay Cool Cesee Caleli Africa That's better That's better That's a great tip

Who which came first The anthem or Incy Wincey or Do you know? Probably insuency Knowing South Africa I said probably Someone's like I need to write a bloody anthem

All of South Africa's like Kerry's pulled the bloody curtain back Of this world's greatest plagiarism case Well, okay, well, there you go. You've got the melody help that you need is. The second verse, Kerry, Morena Boloca, is that also Incy-Wincy Spider?

The whole thing is Incy-Wincy Spider. I think it is, yes. I'll have to go through the second verse, you know, definitely the first verse. Okay. Yeah, I think it is. So you just go back in the same melody? Great, great.

That is a great tip. Oh, that's a really handy tip. The second verse starts with a word to us that reads Morena, like Good Morning and Māori, but is that how you pronounce it? Is it Morena? Morena. Morena Baluka, yes. Oh, wow.

I could be wrong. I could be wrong, but I think that is how it is, yes. Morena baluca, se chabas ha ha ha ha ha ha. You're getting the melody wrong again. She's like, it's incy, wincey spider, you idiot. Oh, well, this is handy. Thank you. Thank you so much.

I'm sorry, he's frustrating to work with, but as you can see. Get up here, Kerry. Okay, thank you. Kirstie, see you to help. No, Andrew the Hits. So I just got some tips for Dono, but I think specifically to think of today on Maori and to think a bit about how the pronunciation of those words,

it's like a rattata, and that's kind of how I'd look at those languages when it comes to the Zulu version, as well as even the Afrikaans, if you get that rattata sound in, you'll be able to pronounce it a lot easier. easier. Can I give you a dry run

Acapella Kirstie without my band helping me out? Yeah, go for it. We'll just go line and lay line. Give us one line. First line. In Kose Sekelelele Africa.

So, okay. Any pointers? I would make the end of Korsi more silent. So Korsi rather, like Korsi, Zicalelli Africa. Good if you can join

in his backing vocals, eh? If someone else takes a lady, you just harmonized. Just like when you see a rap artist and then there's like 32 people on stage and they just do the odd words? Yeah, that would be handy for you. Africa. Okay, Kersi, next slide.

Give us the next slide. Malupaniso, Pondoayo. Malupakanishi, what up? No, malupakanisho. Malopakhaniso. Pondo ayo. $60 an hour for the singing lesson, too. It's going great for some...

As fun as this is. As we crawl our way through, live by like, yeah, I'm there with you, Megan. Oh, God. You guys, you just call each other off the show or something like, we don't need to broadcast any. It's handy, it's really handy, thank you. We'll take this offline.

Yeah, you guys take it offline and continue your singing lesson. But it's really handy. Thank you so much for your help. I appreciate it. No problem. John O'Benn and Megan. That's day we did a bit of filming for something coming up at Eden Park. It was pretty cool to go on to Eden Park, eh, and just to see what's there.

Even just going through, like, being in that tunnel where the players and stuff walk out, that was cool. And all the artwork they've got everywhere that showcases all the concerts they've done or the iconic sports games, the pictures everywhere. It's really, there's so much history there. And the tunnel where the buses drive in with the teams, they've got this wall of mural. So you've got like, cold play mural, spray painted, Luke Combs one. all black's blues pretty impressive stuff but yeah after that actually one thing before you did it but the weirdest thing I think that anyone's ever said because you had to film something with the one of the ground stuff

and you had to straddle the ground stuff and all I we hadn't met this guy before but all this guy came over and he just goes I'm here for the straddling that's the thing he said to everyone I was like that's a sentence you don't hear every day and then you too strip you I think you just met right and you were like do you mind if I jump on and then that was it he drove a little like sort of buggy thing that they had for the ground staff and off he went and you straddled him, which for a long period of time. It makes sense, well, kind of makes sense

when the video comes out, but yeah, but I was just like, I haven't heard that every day. After you hopped off, you're high-fived and said, I'll call you tomorrow. Yeah, and we were thinking, you know, maybe he'll go home to his partner or whatever, and how was work today? He'd go, yeah, it was a bit unusual.

This happened, you know, like, because normally he's dealing with the turf and all the management stuff. Did you guys talk because you were face-to-face, like you were straddling forward? I know you wanted to get into some weird guy at the lights, But you were the weird guy for a lot of people yesterday. I was a conversation light.

You can get to that. I just thought it was worth mentioning. I can feel parts of his body. Okay. Yeah. Conversation is weird because, you know, your faces are like, I could feel the warmth of his breath. Yeah.

You know, he was an attractive man. He was a good looking bad. And he was comfortable. You guys were both comfortable. Yeah, it was consensual. It was consensual. He was just on his lunch break as well. He came out eating a sandwich.

He's like, I'm here for the stradling. I was like, oh, yeah, it was sweet. Well, you'd like to meet. John, I went off you went, and he did the straddling and off. He's not getting paid for that, nothing got that. Powerful two minutes in both of our day. Achieved a lot. So then anyway, so that happened, that was unusual,

and then what happened on their way home? Oh, well then I was at the lights and then this car pulled up. A lot of drum and bass, just pounding out, you know, and the driver was just like staring me dead in the eyes. I was, you know, next to a park next to me, and he's just like, boom, look, looking me dead in the eyes very aggressively. He's like headbutting.

His neck's doing like 120 beef. PM or something he's just like head banging to drum and bass and it's again that situation where you're like do I continue to stare at this person with the eyes or do I try I was like because I wanted to acknowledge that hey he's having a good time a little thumbs up or something you know and you join in I kind of tried to but it was like you know when someone comes in and plays their song or album to us and we don't know how to do you a bit bob your head along or not and it was very intense I don't know if you want to be going to rave with them or wanted to murder me it was also like 3pm so like

Exactly. It seems too early. It does, but hey, maybe it's a good little, you know, maybe it's a night shift worker. Yeah. He was having a big drive home. And he just drove off headbagging still the same? Wow. Yeah.

It's interesting because not everyone's on his wave. No. Yeah. Especially on a Tuesday. Tuesday, yeah. Well, actually, something you probably were listening to that would have drowned out was the South African National Anthem, right? Yeah. Were you playing that?

Yeah. You want to hear a banger? John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The Hats. Johno's lost a bet, and he's having to perform the South African anthem this week at the end of the week. It's very tough to learn, and we thought we'd get him some help. If you watched the All Blacks Play South Africa, you would have seen the Auckland Pacifica Secondary Schools Choir. Their amazing performance at the South African National Anthem before the game on Saturday.

So we thought we'd get musical director Nines to join us this morning to tell and hopefully help out Jono. Good morning, Nines. Good morning. Lovely to have you on, mate. Thank you for helping us out, and particularly me. I don't know, it could be your worst student, nines. I'll give you a bit of grief. Jono is having to learn the South African National Anthem by the end of the week.

He ran his mouth off in a little bit we were having with a South African radio show. And I was listening to the radio yesterday, and you were on talking about how you not only learns it, but had to teach a whole lot of kids about it before last weekend's All Black Game. That's exactly what happened. There's a lot of great teachers on there. So I found a channel with a lady that breaks down the whole South African National Anthem, how it's pronounced and how it should be sung. Yeah, went and taught the kids and followed that process.

We just taught them line by line. I taught them how to speak at first. And then we went through and learned all the harmonies for it. And the end result is what you guys saw at the game. Oh, which was incredible. Yeah, it was amazing. How long did you give yourself for this, Nones? we had four rehearsals in total

four? Yeah, four rehearsals The first two rehearsals Was basically learning the anthem And then the last two rehearsals Was just cleaning everything And make sure that it was ready for the game So I think Jono was over here So I know four, it's like

You can definitely fit in four rehearsals By the end of the week It was only four sessions So Jono, you know Three sessions Don't say like it was only four How many hours was each session Out of interest

It was, they were all just two-hour sessions Eight hours before now and Friday. You can do that. You did eight hours on it yesterday. I did and none of it sunk in. None of it sunk in. Do you think it's easier to teach children? It depends.

You know, there are professional choirs out there that are awesome at learning it. But I think there's something different about working with kids and just seeing them, you know, achieve something that they think of their mind, oh man, this is going to be hard.

But, you know, once when they get down with it and they learn it and they started singing it, they surprise themselves. And, you know, it just adds to the warmth of the, the anthems. Do you mind if I give you just a... Well, check your laptop and do it then.

I can't do it without, though. I definitely need the words in my head. Do you mind if I just... You go for it, John. I'll tell you what, this song is going to be the might... You know when they do the Sputterfly wrapped at the end of the year?

You're like, wow, you really love this South African anthem. Don't let it drown you out. Yeah, yeah. Turn it down a bit. Oh, I'll start again. Start again. Don't...

No, they don't ever chance at the game to start. Pacific a secondary school squad didn't ever take two they were incredible over the weekend he's trying to be positive here I appreciate it

okay here we go you're going you better you better stop mate I can't even I can hear all of the South Africans getting ready to go to war Yeah, I know.

It's hard when you're being heckled on the other side. You're trying to drag yourself out of the music. And what did you learn about the anthem? You know, because the anthem is changed, right? There was a different anthem in South Africa before apartheid. Yeah, there were seven verses, I think they were, before it. But after apartheid, these were the four confirmed verses. There are five different languages, though.

In the first two verses, the African verses, there's actually three different different tribe languages in there. Wow. No wonder it's tripped me up. Yeah, but it was just the one. You'd be fine. Yeah, it was incredible. Yeah, the Auckland Pacific Secondary School's Choir,

and you guys are performing again at the Blederslow game. Is that right? In a couple of weeks' time? It is not entirely confirmed yet, but yes. And has Ben signed the contract for you? I'll send that through it here. Well, I'm saying it should happen anyway. You guys, you work on it.

I would be better with the Australian national answer. Yeah, John, it would be a lot better with that way. To be honest, I probably wouldn't do. Hey, well, listen, thanks for the. tips. Thanks for making me probably feel more anxious about it now, knowing that you only had four rehearsals. And the kids nailed it in four rehearsals. We'll send you

the video. Excellent. I'd love to see it. Thank you. You're like, please don't. John O'Ben and Megan The podcast. The Hats. I'll tell you what's a shame is not having Producer Grace in here. Jensi, producer Grace. She adds some youth brings down the average age of the show. But a sass when we come in

the morning? A lot of sacks. It keeps us grounders. What does she say? It's a full diva mode or something. She's, she operates It's another level of diva. And she's even named our group chat diva. I don't think we deserve to be in a diva chat. No, divas is not really us, right? She's not here this morning.

So, we're assuming a sleep-in. We've seen it before in breakfast radio. It happens. We're kind of hoping for a sleep-in. Yeah, let's give her a call. Never a nice start to the day when you're sleeping. Hi, guys. Hi, Grace.

How are you? I just want to offer sympathy, because it sucks when you sleep through. your alarm. Oh my God, totally. I don't even, I feel so delusional. I woke up five minutes ago. I have no clue what's happening. You're driving right now with the sounds of it.

I think I'm driving. I think I'm driving. No, you're definitely late for work, but that's all right. That's all right. That's what's happening. But do you feel like you've had a sleep in? Does it feel nice? No, I feel worse.

Yeah. It does feel worse, especially because you're like, you're just in a panic. Frantic. Yeah. It happened to you a couple of weeks ago, and you said you felt more rested but more stressed. Yeah. Yeah. that is true

more rested but more stress it's not because I fiddled with your alarm is it? Did you fiddle with my alarm? Yeah Why did you fiddle with her alarm? Because I changed your alarm to those birds Oh

It'll be 100% That's your That's on you I think it's Megan's fault That I'm like Everyone's one's just She's just jumping on me Have you got the birds on your phone

Can you play them? Like how gentle are they Would you wake up to them? Oh yeah You probably wouldn't wake up to them Yeah Especially if you're not used to it. Like if that's not your thing that your body subconsciously listening to, that's...

Yeah. Maybe I need a scary alarm. Yeah. You want something blaring and obnoxious. Rips the duvet off you. Yeah. You ready? Oh no.

Are you serious? No, that's not going to wake you up. That wakes me up every morning. Really? I'm well awake by now. No. No, that's like an outdoor noise. That's just...

Grace, listen, this is not on you. Yeah. If that is your new alarm, no wonder you've slept in. Like, oh, the bird's or, you know, you're open away in the middle of the night. You know, but like a bha-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b. You do, yeah. It's what you need. It's like a bang.

Oh, I'm awake. I've got to get up. That's what I wake up to every morning. John O'Bennon and Megan, the podcast. The Hits. Grace, who's just making a way into work right now. We sleep through alarm this morning, which happens, and we just start talking. Well, it's Megan's fault.

because Megan somehow took it upon herself to change grace as usual alarm to a gentle... This is it. You couldn't even hear it when John I was talking just then. That's where I wake up. Sounds like a Radio New Zealand, R&Z program. It gets louder. No, still it's not.

Unless it's like a bird, like a seagull, like a... I'm not going to wake up to that. R&Z bloody lovely bird calls, didn't they? Yeah, my dad used to bring the radio up to me when I was little, and that would wake me out. So maybe that's why I like this. Maybe that's why you like it. So our boss, Matt, text through and said that's 100% your fault, Megan, too.

I changed it. Mind you, he sent through his alarm it is horrific. Matt's one, our boss. Oh, no, that's my text. That's my text, but this is me. Yeah, I had that one for a little bit, but it was. That's too much. It was like the Titanic is sinking.

It's like, it's like, get out family. Women and children first. Yeah, like it really was. But it gets you up. It gets resolved. I put my phone in another room, like just off. We've got a little onsuit area, so I put it there, and with my wife's phone, and she hates that fact.

It's not. They don't like sleeping next to the head, with the phone next to my head, so I like in there, but she's got a little hack, because I'm like, you get up, you turn it off, you get on your day, but she just goes now, Siri, stop, Siri, stop from bed and turns the alarm off. I didn't realize that one in the weekend. Oh, 800, this is blowing up on the TX-4-487 for the 6 o'clock club. Aaron We're going to get you up

He's trying to integrate that That young person saying into the show It's not going to work You're going to work You're going to officially kill it As soon as we start broadcasting it Between 6 and 7 Aaron morning

Hey mate how are you Yeah we're doing well What will get you up What alarm I've got the classic corn I don't know if you remember But back in the day I'm 53 now

But I had a bike with a classic Rubber sort of squishy thing with a brass thing at the end of it used to bang it and it made a horrific noise like and um Was it this one? It's similar

but mine's the old So Yeah I think he's trying to play sound defeat There we can hear it so we can imagine it I know in my head It's sounded good Aaron Day

Thanks for listening mate Appreciate it Someone said on the text Same alarm as you Megan The birds are good The birds are good So you're waking up in the Waitakiti Rangers. Lovely.

Heading to Wyke and I, our friend Cody, commuting into Wellington this morning. What gets you up in the morning? Good morning, guys. I've got five different alarms. The last two I don't normally end up listening to because I'm awake by that stage. But the first one's sort of a softer, longer one,

and then it goes into a bit more of an aggressive two to get me out and stop the missus from waking up because she doesn't enjoy getting woken up that early. But then, yeah, the last one, I'll just keep going until I stop it, which I've had it gone for about 10 minutes before before I woke up. That's interesting. You've got a compilation album of alarms. Now that's what I call alarms, volume one.

Appreciate it, Cody and Jimmy, what gets you up? Great text here, Jimmy, before we get to you. My bladder usually gets me up consistently. It's a good one. Jimmy, what's waking you up in the morning? Well, my Spotify playlist. And you usually last, yesterday's morning of Stone Tunk's Harmony.

Phone Tugs. Oh, yeah. What, Thunderstruck? Yeah, Thunderstrike, yeah. Wow. Okay, well, yeah, someone else has said Elton John as a song that comes through from my friend's funeral, starts nice and quiet

and gets louder, kind of bliss to wake up too. You've lots of people texting through. Someone who has a phone alarm is silent but connected to the watch that vibrates. Quite smart. Oh, so your wrist just starts. Sort of like pins and needles. I like the songs that,

start gentle because when I was doing rowing nationals we had in the year tonight. You did Rohing Nationals once and you bang on a bit all the time. She was talking to BK. and Toonga who's former rowers. She's like, did you know I did rowing nationals? He was like a professional rower. We had good bans about rowing.

Oh, excuse me, I went to rowing nationals. My Haydrysdale's like, oh that's nice. I went to the Olympics. 29. John O'Benn and Megan. The podcast. The hits. The Uber driver's going on strike.

or Saturday from Saturday pretty much until midnight that night. So John, I don't know who you're going to have light banter with on Saturday. No one talks to me. I'll talk to no one. Maybe I'll start my own Uber service. I'll be available if anyone wants to lift anywhere. You can just go around and talk to people. I'll pay you to listen to me talk.

But something that, you know, and I guess this is a reflection on things these days, you know, how the world is. You know, like we're not really, I can't remember the last time. Apart from sport, I turned the TV on to watch anything live. Yes, you just watch your phone, don't you? You sit around and you end up watching, sitting next to your partner or whoever it is at home sometimes at night. Not all the time, but sometimes I'll find myself sitting there and looking at my phone. Well, my wife is sitting right next to me looking at the phone.

Just half a meter away, ignoring each other, staring at screen. Occasionally, someone will go, oh, have you seen this or whatever this is? And you show the other person, it's never quite as good for that other person. And they're like, hmm. And you're like, oh. Yeah. I've never had a moment where I've played something to someone and they've enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed it the first time. I know.

Sometimes you send videos very, really. really you are prolific as anybody else to everyone don't stop though no i passively enjoy it yeah but do you ever go oh geez that's a cracker jotto that's how we get back to johnno and go thank you so much for this he was in a weird place when he said that yeah i actually did send you one the other day i thought of you actually did you yeah i sent you a video um do you want me not open the life no it was the one it was the yeah it was the husband saying to the wife who was just going she's like i've just got to lie down with the kids and getting to sleep but i'll be back to enjoy our Friday night, don't you worry. He's like, see you

tomorrow. She goes, no, no, I'll be back, I'll be back, I'll be back, I'll be ready to party. He's like, see you tomorrow. And then suddenly she's asleep next to the kids. I was like, that is me every night. But my wife will watch them and she watches them just too loud, like obnoxiously loud. Like it takes over my meme watching and real watching trends. Oh, so you're enjoying your own memes. And then the blasting, I'm like, do you have to have it so loud next to me? Like put

AirPods in or something. I'm not putting earpods in just to watch these videos. Like, what's way too loud. You're encroaching on my time. And you're my meme time. I'm trying to ignore you over here while you're ignoring me over here. And I feel like there should be a limit. Like unless we're all watching it together,

surely there should be like a set volume that we're like, we can watch it for. Why don't you make it a family viewing experience? Plug your phone into the telly and you can all watch memes together. Because no one will enjoy whatever it was. That's the thing. Kids ones and we all like, succumb and all that stuff and I won't understand what it is.

Everyone's algorithms are targeted to them. That's fine, but that make it a viewing experience. And it'll be like a old, taking back to the old school, everyone bick it over what you're going to watch. And everyone can just like real-life social media, just cut, move on, skip, you know. Yeah, you can all, because, you know, generally 30 seconds max viewing time.

Yeah, if that, to be honest, the kids are pretty brutal. Me, Monday. Me Monday. You go, every week you have a viewing session. The new age PowerPoint, I like that. Or new age TV. That's how we're doing it. All right.

But I'd just say, if you sit next to someone watching your stuff, just keep it down. Just keep it down. No one wants to hear it. let alone see your videos. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast, the Hats. This is an incredible story. Takaroa teenager has already been included in Times' first-ever Girls of the Year list.

She's a self-publicist author, just 17 years old. Her name is Rotendo Shadea. That's incredible, right? Yeah, we've got to catch up with her after the show yesterday. Thank you for joining us, Retendo. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Now, you've had to actually ask for permission to leave your class this morning.

and I wouldn't imagine too many people on Time Magazine's lists have to ask for permission to leave their class for interviews. Yeah, I had to ask permission and, yeah, the teachers are okay. They just said I need a catch up with my schoolwork, which I'll be okay with me. Okay, well, hopefully it won't keep you too long. Does everyone in your class know that you're on the list? Yeah, everyone did. In my English class, after I did an interview, my teacher, like, put it on the TV in class,

and he made everyone watch it, and I was like, oh, no, they didn't hear my arm. This is the worst class ever. So for people that don't know, how did you get on this list? What did you get rewarded for? So they approached me first. They sent out an email. They were like, hi, we're from time. And we'd like to interview you just for something.

And I kind of didn't believe it because, you know, it's time. You know, you see these people do men of the year, woman of the year. So I was like, I was like, I'll maybe answer this later and take with my parents. And then I got another email from like one of my journalists. And they're like, oh, hi, I know these people. I've worked with these people. Could you please answer the email? And I was like, oh.

It does sound like a scam. It does, yeah. Click the link and answer these questions. Yeah, so I instantly was like, okay, I'll answer it. And then I did an interview with one of their journalists. And then they told me about the girls of the year. And I was like, oh, this is really cool. Like, it never really like hit until, like, after they launched it.

And, like, they, I don't know, like, who, like, referred them to me. Like, there was no application process. and I think they randomly just chose people around the world and it's a really good opportunity and then later on I got told that you're working with Lego and you get to have your own like Lego figure made after you. Oh, that's so cool. Yeah.

So you're only one of 10 around the world that's been chosen, which is incredible. Now, you have been writing books. You've published a couple of novels. Now it started, I understand just reading from a friend's birthday. Is that the first time you ever wrote anything like this? Yeah, it was like my first time. I wrote it as a birthday present

And I wanted to give her a really cool birthday present And it was like my first time writing like a really like long project Because I, you know, it was mine The only writing I had was like writing short stories And it's not like, so I was just basically writing on what I knew I didn't watch any tutorials It was just all based on the creativity of my brain So now you've written two published novels

So that's incredible Good on you Now, geez, writing a book for someone's birthday I struggle to write a birthday card. Awesome support from your parents. What do they think about the fact that you're on Time Magazine's Girl of the Year List? Both of them are really proud. And my dad, he used to read Time magazine, like, growing up in Zimbabwe and stuff.

So, like, he would read these big magazines, and he said, like, those stuff were, like, stuff that they used to read. And he says it's really cool thing, like me, like his daughter on this, on something that he used to read. Oh, wow. Wow, that's incredible. We've got Retendo with us. one of Time Magazine's Girls of the Year. They're 10 in the world. Domestically, when you're at home,

where they're like, Retindo, you've got to go and make your bed. You're like, well, that doesn't sound like something one of Time Magazine's Girls of the Year would go and do. Are you using it to your advantage? Yes. Yes, I'm using my advantage a little bit. I'm usually, you know, at home. I have to do my chores.

I have to respect my parents. You know, I can't use my privileges all the time. Yeah, you're a far better person than me, to be honest. Yeah, good on you. And I'm so proud that I'm representing, like, New Zealand and a lot of people, like, from small towns and stuff, because that representation can inspire more young people, like, more young girls to go out there and do, like, stuff that I've seen, like, too high to achieve. I would imagine there's too many other 17-year-olds, you know, releasing books anywhere in the country, but particularly Tokaroa. So that's amazing. Well done.

Thank you. Your next book, three struggling radio announcers, okay? In their 40s, just making their way to just battle them. Yeah. If you work out the ending of how we turn things around, just let us know, because we'd love to know. John O'Benn and Megan, the podcast. The Hats.

Brad Pitt's ad that you filmed in Queenstown with Taika Waititi. It's just been released. Pretty cool, pretty cool looking ad. I mean, Brad Pitt's a pretty cool looking guy, though, isn't he? It's a coffee machine. It's a coffee machine ad. What's it got to do with being stuck out in the wilderness? I'm thinking, well, no, it just looks a beautiful backdrop for it.

And I think it's just where Brad Pitt was probably like, I'm here. Yeah. Have you got any electricity out there? We can plug a coffee machine. Oh, it starts in a house. and there goes outside, and that's, yeah, that's beautiful scenery. Yeah, good old Brad Pitt, eh? Yeah.

Now, I sent a message to a friend. This was, God, July 3rd, because I went, I had to go back and look at it. So July 3rd, Ben, we had something on the Saturday night that I'd forgotten about. And I sent this to her, our friend, and I said, sorry, I can't make this weekend, just remember it I'm working. We're hosting the Flight Center Awards on the 5th. Oh, yeah, so that was a while ago, yeah. Yeah, a while ago, 68 days ago, to be precise.

last night, 722pm, 722 p.m. She comes back with, I get a text back, she said, oh no, that's no good. Hope you have a good night anyway. Oh, so it wasn't like a, like, oh, thanks, just got round to this. Oh, what? Has she just sat down, like three months later, gone, all right, crack the knuckle, all the time to get through the text. Which I understand. Sometimes things get away with you, but normally you would start with a, oh, sorry, I thought I got back to you, I didn't.

It's a busy week. There's not an event coming up. Nothing, nothing. And no other comms that would tie into future events coming up as well. It's not a text that you hadn't seen. No, this is brand new ping last night. Oh, sorry, that's no good. And I'm like, what was this in regards to?

Oh, the thing from 68 days ago. Wild. To be fair, that could have been me. I do that kind of thing. Yeah, you're not that great on the phone, are you? Nah. I've got a text from Megan going, did you hear about the Titanic? Oh, shame, yeah.

Yeah, some people are banged straight away. Yeah. And then others obviously leave it, you know. There's nothing worse when you forget it. Like sometimes you will look at something and you'll be like, well, I'm in the middle. I can't reply to that now and then you'll forget and you're like, oh, I never got back to that person. Like, especially if, because I leave my phone on silent all day because it's on silent while we're on the radio. And then I might like look at the message and be like, okay, I'll get back to them.

And you never do? Get sidetracked with something else. I did end up saying, we should catch up soon, what, 2032? Is that suit? They'll reply back about them two, three years later I'll go, what about this weekend? Mind you, you got a belated birthday greeting yesterday from Joe, and you're in the garage, yeah.

Joe, the lovely Joe that looks after the car parks. She said, I think she does more than just that, but she's one of her jobs. I was in the car park, yeah. And she was like, hey, happy birthday. And I was like for now, four July. Next year. Yeah, she's getting it early.

Yeah. She genuinely. I genuinely thought it was my birthday. Oh, well, you could politely. Why didn't you just go, hey, thanks. No, because I was so confused. I was like, no, it's not my birthday. I did correct her.

Oh, you did? I would have just taken it, taking it. Probably. Well, these two are making me learn the South African National Anthem. We're not making you. No. You made yourself. You made your own beds.

Yeah, I did make it. Now they're making me lie in it.