Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - FULL SHOW: We're Back, Happy New Year!

Episode Date: January 18, 2026

On today’s show: Jono wants us to adopt this new catch phrase Ben is 100% an airport Dad Megan went strawberry picking over the break but it might be the last time she ever does.. Jono had a pesky drip that he could'nt avoid What are your new years resolutions? And are they actually realistic We start the road to the countdown of the 99 best 90's songs and refkect about 90's television. Megan says goodbye to something that has been in her life for over 5 years. We look at what is on our algorithms Ed Sheeran is in NZ! Did anyone have a rough start to 2026? Instagram: @THEHITSBREAKFASTFacebook: The Hits Breakfast with Jono, Ben & MeganSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cook easy, delicious dinners, the whole family will love because nothing beats dinner time. John O'Bennon and Megan, the podcast, The Hits. Hey, welcome to the podcast. We are back for 2026. This is our first show, first day back at work. Full of beans, full of beans. I just had our post-show meeting with our boss, and he was like, you were too, too energetic. And I was thinking in the back of my mind, well, don't worry, that's going to button off from tomorrow for the next 11 months.

It was like, just bring it back just 10%. I like out how he does it and we call him out on it now. He always starts with something positive. He's like, the energy was good, it was good back, the stories were good, and then you'll like, wait for it, wait for it. Compliment sandwiches.

He calls it the shit sandwich now. Too much energy. And he was like a little too much energy. And you can hear it. You can give us your feedback as well. You'll hear it as the energy really dials up and then dials back, apparently towards the end of the show.

But to be, that's a good thing. It's good thing that we're excited to be back at work doing our job. I was driving to work thinking, you know, we're lucky to drive to a job that you're like, this is, I enjoy doing this job. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I would be, you know, there'd be people that would be going to work

kind of, you know, so, yeah, a bit of a blessing to be honest. I know, there's a lot of people that go back and, like a lot of my friends and stuff on a Sunday are like, oh, work tomorrow. And I'm like, I'm so glad I don't get that on a Sunday. Yeah, who's honestly? Just dreading the next day. It's just like the job that, yeah, we we'll probably all started doing free.

Yeah. Oh, totally. The job you would do free and you end up getting paid? Don't say that now. No, I would definitely not do it. Well, it sounds like you would. It's a mortgage.

It's a mortgage now. We're going to tone things back and then we'll wrap things up and then we'll get a little less excited throughout the podcast. So you enjoy that. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. Back with you for 2026. Happy New Year. Great to be back.

Yeah, lovely to see you guys. I started a, a weird hug train. Because Megan arrived in the studio when I was out of the studio and I came and I gave her a hug and then Behan I noticed you stood up. Well I had to give him to a hug

because you walked straight kind of past this is high and stuff but yeah so I was like oh now I feel like why didn't he give a hug but then at the same time in my head I'm like oh no my other weird guy giving a hug is like oh Ben coming around for a hug and then producer Troy's like

wow I don't know I don't know that hasn't hug yeah I apologize well I've got our hug out of the way normally we hug out of work and at work we just kind of carry on and it's a workplace. Because like we see each other every day. Don't speak anymore. I'm not giving any more these sweet, sweet hugs.

Okay, nothing more for 12 months. It's okay, because if we did it every day, it would be a little weird. It would be kind of weird. We have been away for a couple weeks. Great to be back. How was your break? It was good. Yeah?

I did nothing. Well, no, I stayed at home. We didn't go anywhere, but we did all the... That sometimes is really good because you feel like you get to the end of that period and you're like there's nothing more that needs to be done in this house. It's like a show home. Is that the case? Well, we definitely did things that have been lingering,

but I felt like I had a period where I was feeling really like... Productive. Productive. And I bought some fence paint, but I never got around to painting the fence. So now the fence painter's just sitting there and being like, hey. I've painted one fence in my life and that is... It's so hard. I find it quite cathartic, but it takes ages.

So I haven't got round to it. Now I've added a job. Spray gun, baby. Spray that paint everywhere all over the neighbours. How about you, Ben? Do you get away? Yeah, we went to Sydney for a couple of days, which is... great with the family.

Yeah, it's great to go to a city where public transport works. You know, I was just like, wow, this is like, Auckland grown up. This is like what they want Auckland to be. But yeah. No, one defecating on buses? No, it was great. A really, really good time. I think I went to every teenage clothing store in Sydney, so I can tell you where every one of those are.

Feel like my family really play me quite well because, you know, I punished them at home for filming stuff and sometimes I was like, oh, dad wants to film again. But they did this. And you know when they're mind-tricking you? They're like, they would often go, hey, did you actually, we film something. And I go, oh, yeah, okay. So I'd film that and they'd like, why don't you edit that? And then they'd just go shopping.

I was like, oh, they've really played me. They tried to be the guys sort of weird. He just took on phones outside Brandy Melville with H&M and Princess Polly and all sorts. You're posting any of your editing videos, but? Yeah, I got through. That's his creep doing looking outside the teenage girls' stores on his phone. Exactly. Why don't it yourself?

Oh, I just go, I feel bloating. I feel bloating. You say this every year. Yeah, I do. I feel like, you know when a whale beaches and like day three they start to sort of expand with the gases? That's how I'm finished. I'm quite glad to be back to be honest.

But my big issue was for some reason, sea lice really attracted to my milky white fides. And so every summer I've been riddled with sea lice. And I went through 90% like each time I go into the ocean, I'm like, this is Russian roulette with my groin here.

But I got through 99% last day of swimming at the beach. Just, oh my God, imagine the zittiest. Wait, explain to me like what happens. So they're not. Have you ever had a sea life issue? Yeah, once, but not it's not a big problem for me. What is it about you?

I don't know. Where are you swimming? Just like in, they come when the water's quite warm. And I think they're like little jellyfish, baby jellyfish. That was what they are. And then honestly, you imagine the zittiest teenager. Imagine that was my crotch. Okay, that's not starting a year with this.

I took a photo of it. And I was like, I'll show this to the gang, and I was like, not even my phone does this to have this in the stream. Delete. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The hits. First day back, a lot of parents are known navigating the school holidays as well, but still continue on. So good luck if you're in the middle of those trenches at the moment. Really, it's not to sort of after Waitangi things get back into action for the schools.

This is becoming my reality this year because my son's going to school. Does he starting schools here? Yeah. And I don't know how people do it. where do they go when they're off for all these holidays? Leave them in the car, let them wander the streets. You know, character building stuff. Hey, just over the period, I had somewhat of an epiphany last week where I'm like,

we've always had a dream to be a show with a catchphrase. Right. We've tried. We've tried so many. We've dipped our toes into this many times. Yeah. Anyway, give me hot chips. We tried to kick that off.

But we always, we end up inevitably just losing enthusiasm for the Progy, but there are shows out there, you know, they say one thing, they'll be like, Freudy, and then all of a sudden it's on merch, it's on tattoos, blimps, and oh yeah, just fun things. They've got credibility to these shows. We don't, we don't carry the cred. So here's my pitch. Something nice and easy that we can continue on is just how far through the year can

we get people when they call up saying, happy new year guys. And we drag it up. Like how brilliant would it be if we're in August, October? But someone listens to the show for the first time They hear a caller going Happy New Year guys Would that be incredible? What did that be good?

And it seems like one that we can't Like we're not forcing it It's not like say So what you're saying is not on us It's on the callers I'm just thinking about merch though It's not very sexy Or descriptive to us

If you're wearing a t-shirt That says Happy New Year Yeah true So we can't really claim it There's glasses There's merches t-shirts Yeah And the hard work's done

Jump in on the bandware I like it that people can be still saying it throughout the year though. Should we just see it? We'll see how it goes. Again, you can't force these things. Yeah, well, maybe it's like if the people haven't talked to us for the first time, they can say Happy New Year and we just keep it going. You know, because there always is that cut off period.

Well, maybe for us there's not. We just got to keep going. Can we make it until December with people still phoning in sync? What are people join the show halfway through the year and we're like, Happy New Year? They're going to be very lost. They're going to be no explanation. We'll just do it.

All right. So we'll get our first Happy New Year out of the way. That's great. We've had our phone lines that have been blocked for the last couple of days. I tell you, well, honestly, if we took those phone lines off now and the system, crushed the system. Try it. Take them off. Yeah, you're ready.

John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast, the hits. Ed Shearin, he's in the country at the moment. We're lucky enough to go along on Saturday night in Auckland. He's got more gigs coming up, Wellington and Christchurchate. Incredible. Like three hours, place for three hours. The biggest, massive screen, I think a biggest screen ever assembled in New Zealand. island as well and he's got all these cool little things like he's he goes out and plays in

the middle of the audience but then the bridge extends and something comes out from the stage and it's like great we've got a working harbour bridge here in Auckland finally edshar thank you all lanes open and then he walks out to that then the yeah walks out to the middle how windy was it though how windy to shut the bridge to the wind picks up yeah true actually you're right but great to have ed sherin in the country here's some illicit recordings of ed sherin's first concerts time to me burn this out

Yeah, he's incredible Incredible that one man can entertain a whole crowd that big for three hours I know, yeah with this loop machine that he plays That's really really That loop machine would stress me the hell out I can't even push this arrow

When we finish talking You didn't know having to push There was one time He was like well hang on Start that again I'm out of time And then I was like oh yeah So he like restarted So again

He's one of us He is one of us You come and try and panel This breakfast show every morning edge Yeah Now something I you know, I like to be organized, particularly if I'm going somewhere. I like to, you know, like I'm the family plan.

You're the safety dad. I reckon you would be. In the top 2% of the most anal travelers ever. I know. And the airport is like, I'm like, I'm getting there. I'm getting there early. Let's get there early. Let's get there early.

You know, it's relax at the airport. So we had an early morning flight. Why don't you relax at home before going to the airport? Well, no, it was a six o'clock flight we were on. And it was early morning, six a.m. In the morning. And I'm like, okay. So what?

time did you sit your lawn floor? So I'm like, well, let's get there at least three hours before. Three a.m. Let's get there at least three hours beforehand. So that means the family, we're up at two. We're up at two. We're getting into it. We're all getting an Uber. We're going to get into it. What if someone from the family goes, how about we don't do that? What do you, how do you get them across the line? I think it's trauma because my parents are like that are the other way. They are, I remember just them getting me on trains and we're running like my dad in his little car and he's running behind people tailgating and he's speeding and all the stuff. Always late for everything.

Putting me on wrong trains sometimes. I'll be sitting there with my sister going, I think we go the wrong way. Is it when you meant to be going to school? Mad panic and all things like that. So I'm like, okay, I'm the opposite now. So I get there nice and early. So my family up there at 2 o'clock. And to their credit, they got organised.

We were on our way and we actually got to the airport just before 3 o'clock Uber as well. Checked in. I'm like, great, three hours into our flight. Does the check it even open at 3? Check-in was open. Chicken was open. That's fine. But what wasn't open was the area that you go to next,

where they process, you know, the customs area. There was just, it was gated shots. Oh, the security wasn't even. No. And it was like, four o'clock. This is open. You're like, come on, guys. And we're up there at three.

And my family are like, well, hang on. So then one hour, we can't go through into one hour. I'm like, yeah, yeah. When you just flying to Australia? Yeah, yeah. It's like a domestic. Yeah. So it would be there a couple hours.

They didn't even warmed up the x-ray machine. No, nothing. And my family are like, so we've got to stand here for one hour. Well, you know, not standing. We can sit around, guys. They're seating. What more do you want? But we're here and we're relaxed.

We're relaxed, guys, aren't we relaxed. And all the eateries aren't even open at that point, right? They won. They won, I was open. McDonald's. That is so funny. So customs weren't even in the building here. They didn't even warmed up their fingers for probing.

Nothing. They weren't ready to go as well. So my family are like, oh my goodness, please. This is way too early. So maybe I do need to pull things back. Why don't we see how late we can leave Ben to get to an airport when we have a work trip this year? Well, that's what I was going to say. Do you tone it down when you travel with us?

Because you're not that annual. I try. Yeah, I try to tone it down. Are you trying to hide your crazy from us? A little bit. He's actually been hiding at the other side of the airport for nine hours. John O'Ben and Megan. The podcast.

The hit. The sunniest spot in New Zealand is just read announced. Not quite. Oh, it's Marlborough. Not your hometown of Nelson. Not Moulbara. as well. We shall be in Springfield of New Zealand. New Plymouth.

Just, only by one hours worth of sunshine did it beat Nelson. It gets so contentious because it's like down to where is it taken from? How much cloud cover, you know? How much cloud cover considered to be fine and all that. Did each of the towns did you designate as one person to

count the hours and the minutes of sunshine and both Nelson? Well, I think the Metsever says it, don't they? Yeah, well this was their sciences New Zealand reckons that in Taranaki, New Plymouth is a sunniest spot just in New Zealand. But Nelson's still very, very sunny. So, you know. I can feel you're sad today.

No. Oh, of course not. That's our claim to fame. Although, you know, Nelson's still great on a cloudy day. Is New Plymouth still great on a cloudy day? It's still great all the time. Can't see the mountain. Oh, yeah, true.

Exactly. Listen, last week went to a school friend's funeral. It was, you know, very, pretty sad if you're going to a funeral and you go, geez we've reached this age we're going to funerals for health reasons right you know but really lovely it was a lovely service and people you know

they stand up there and give beautiful eulogies don't they have about the person and I'm like every time I go to a funeral I'm like I'm gonna start being a better person I've got to start honestly because I was saying lovely things about him and you know he's a great guy and he would answer the phone and if you needed anything you would turn up and you would do it

and he cared for people I'm like I do none of this and were there he heaps of people there. Loads. Loads. Because I always look around and I'm like, I would, I'm not sure how many people would come to mine. I'm with you. I'm with you.

I might be smattering, smattering of people. But what happened unfortunately for the last 20 minutes of the funeral, teeming, teeming with rain, like torrential rain. And it was in a fairly old church. Okay. And I was sitting upstairs. And the roof is, you know how church's roofs are sort of triangular. Yeah.

I could just start feeling this drip, boom, boom, dripping on the bridge of my nose. Now I'm in a funeral, I need to be concentrating on the proceedings. But my concentration, I won't lie for the last sort of 10, 15, 20 minutes probably was on this drip. And I was like, okay, well, this is really annoying. Just drip, drip, drip. The grand scheme of things, probably not a major. So then I moved back slightly and then the drip was going straight into my crotch. So I'm like, okay, well, that's not ideal.

Not a great option, no. So then I was like trying just varying positions of how I could handle this drip the best. And then I just ended up going, okay, well go just on the back of my neck and they can run down the shirt. What that does though, and I was becoming aware of it, I was like, well, I'm going to have a saturated back here. It was obviously dripping quite a lot. It was honestly, it was pouring down with rain. And then I came out and then you see faces that you haven't seen in, you know, 20 years, all school friends and all sorts of people. They're wanting to hug.

And they're putting hands around on my saturated side. sopping back and I'm like oh I felt like it wasn't the time to complain about what yeah no you're right and I knew it's because Sam he was a bit of a prankster I was like maybe this was his final he's like I'll get you one more

you could have just gone facial option then we're like Jono is really like letting his emotions he's emotional guy oh doing on each cheek he should have done it on each cheek Jesus he's not stopping it's leaking there was like a puddle underneath him really

Oh, there we go. Here we go. Next, Ed Shearin is in the country and we want to know if you had some Ed Sharon sightings. He's been here for a couple of weeks. It hasn't even made the news. Usually you'd see it in the newspaper. He went to some cafe or whatever.

I've been reading Tony Street's favourite beach though in the news. Keeping abreast of that. Paul have been its favourite car parks. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The Hits. Can we talk in, you know, about New Year's resolutions. And Megan, you've made a resolution. resolution that is punishing us.

To be honest, I don't usually do this because I always, everyone else, I fail. The one I stuck to one year, I was like, I'm going to wear lipstick every day every year. I tried that one too. I got bullied out of it. I was at the rock at the time, but it was like, it was a bad choice. That's the kind of resolution I made. The eyeline, it really took it over the edge.

But this year, and this was triggered because we have these awards given out at the hits. And I was not completely self-aware. my award was something about being the Houdini emailer or something. Yeah, so you went at the meeting when the awards, these are like meant to be fun awards, but this one was a little bit, I thought you weren't a little bit passive-aggressive.

It was about the fact that you don't reply back to emails. And then you came later, you're like, what was my award? And I was like, oh, don't tell her what it is, because it was a bit of, it was fun in the room at the time. We all enjoyed it. I didn't understand it. I was like, well, I don't get it. I don't think I've ever received an email from you.

And, you know, there was a slight tense conversation going on about, because someone hadn't replied to an email, Megan, in the meeting with the management. And you even came up with which I thought was a rock solid excuse. You were like, I thought I had replied in my head. And I was like, she actually saying, she thought you replied in her head. I do that all the time.

And then what do you expect our managers to go, oh, okay, that's fine. Have you replied to your head? And then you always like, don't get good at what you don't want to do. Don't get good at what you don't want to do. But it's just like emailing. It's just emailing. It's like what you need to do is how do. No, but I don't, I don't text back either.

I read the text and I answer in my head and I'm like, done. Okay. So this year you've taken on yourself to decide. I'm going to reply to people because they want, half the time it's like telling me to do something, right? So I'm like, cool, I'll do it. But now I'm like, thank you so much for your email. I will do this at my first available.

sarcastic. I know. And now my email inbox is just filled up with your emails. We had a meeting the other day and without a word of a lie, straight after the meeting, it was five emails from me getting replied to five. She's going, thank you. Including a reply all too, which was... I didn't realize I replied to like 51 people.

A very passive aggressive. But there are just acknowledgments of the email too. Well, that's all you want. It's like you're trying to prove a point here. Well, you were... What else do you want from the email? What I did appreciate, though. Your ones want acknowledgments.

On the Zoom, you did say, listen, I... I'm starting this new year's resolution and you said, I have no faith that I'm going to continue on email. No, what I'm trying to do is flood you all so you get so sick of it that I can just tap out. You'll never ask me for an email again. Maybe like me, you've made a New Year's resolution that you're not fully committed to. Yeah.

Have you said something to yourself where you're like, you know, in your heart? You're never going to see this through till December. No, I'm not. Yeah. 0800, the telephone number, please text us 24487. Prices, because day one, we aren't. plentiful. Now what I am willing to do is producer Troy, the wonderful producer to Troy, has returned from Japan with exotic confectionery from lands far far away.

Orange-flavored Kit-Kat. For the best caller, I will give out one piece of orange-flavored kit-can. I'll put one of my straw-y-one in there? Strawby one, and will you give on your marches? You can choose. All right, here we go. What flavor you want. I'm 800 of the Hats, 4487.

Thank you, Troy. And you use resolution that you're not fully committing to like Megan. Is there anyone else out there? We'll find out next on the Hats. podcast that Megan's a good year's resolution which is to actually start emailing just replying to people

just replying to it just basic sort of business day today you could do yeah apparently like people get in touch with like you know businesses and stuff get in touch with Troy and say can we have her number because we know she's not going to reply on email I had a reputation I was like oh no but no no one actually talked to me about my reputation

no they did give you a bit of a sassy award towards the end of last year saying the Houdini of emailing I'm flooding you with passive aggressive emails so that you don't want any more from me. Where I am positioned in the studio, I'm in between the pair of you, and I have both opposite ends of the emailing spectrum here. Megan, who never sends them, and Ben, who sends so many. Too long, too many.

I know. To the point where he schedules them so he doesn't look like an email psych. Future email. He's probably got email scheduled for three weeks away. But the thing is, Ben covers it all, because I read Ben's novels and I'm like, he's got this. Yeah, true. They don't need to hear from me too.

So unrealistic New Year's resolution, you think, for you. Yeah. I have no intention of saying it through. So 4487 on the text. A few texts coming through, people saying unrealistic expectations on New Year's resolutions. Oh, meal prep every Sunday? That's never going to happen. I'll stretch every morning like a calm-scented person.

Oh, stretch. I don't think anyone in the history of starting resolutions in January has ever seen them through. No. And I'll stop buying random stuff. stuff at 11pm online. Oh yeah. Yeah, that's a good one. Linda, lovely to have you on.

Happy New Year. Happy New Year. Happy New Year. Show's catchphrase for 2026. Happy New Year. I tried to get that off the ground. Linda, your unrealistic New Year's resolution. What is it, mate?

I am trying to find more me time. Oh, that's a really nice one. Now, why are you not getting enough of it at the moment? I have become a single mother of five since June last year. Oh, yeah. Okay. see why you're not getting a lot of time. How do you plan to get any me time with five children?

Yeah, that's a good question. I, because I work full time as well. I'm going to put a pin in it now, Linda. That is not going to happen. You're not going to get any me time. You need some me time. You're a superwoman. That gives me an eye twitch.

I put a proposal to my boss, and I suggested that maybe I take one random day a month to off work well the kids are at school and daycare so I can have just me time. The boss is like, no. Did you get that pass to the boss? Actually, he agreed with me, yeah. Oh, good.

Whatever you do, don't fill that day with chores. Don't fill it with like meal prepping and all of it, cleaning the house. Don't do that. I will try my best not to. Hey, good on you, Linda. Well done. Yeah, there we go.

I'll tell you what, I couldn't have too much me time. I reckon me alone for me time. Not good for me. I don't really go. You wouldn't see me. I wouldn't be around in December. If I had too much me time. All right, Kathy's coming through.

Unrealistic New Year's resolutions. Amanda, your wife's set one. Yeah, she did. And it lasted two days. And producer Troy, we need to find out what he's trying to do 30 of. John O'Ben and Megan. The podcast. The hits.

So we're talking New Year's resolutions and unrealistic ones. And you're saying maybe it's unrealistic to keep a New Year's resolution. Yeah, and neuroscientists have said they don't work. And we all know that. But apparently the goals are too lofty. and real life gets in the way. She reckons a better way to do it is to set an experimental routine. So just say you're going to do something for a set period of time.

So I'm going to go for a walk after lunch for two weeks. And then you'll create a habit. She really raised the eyebrows of the show to highbrow when you start referencing neuroscience, don't you? Yeah. Yeah, we should do more of that. That should be a resolution. According to the neurothorans.

So, yeah, 0800. That's telephone number 4487, your unrealistic New Year's resolutions. being your wife Amanda. Yeah, her and my sister over, you know, just on New Year's. They're like, you know, they were talking. They were talking about someone else they knew you that was, you know, off drinking for a month. You drink a lot over summer.

You know, what a lot of people do? And they were like, great for the skin. There are all these things. So we're going to do it for a month. I'm like, good. But I did say to them, I said, why don't start February? Why don't you do it in February? They don't know, no, we need to get into it now.

I'm like, okay. Sweet, you do you. That's fine. And then two days. As he opens a beer in front of them. Yeah. Yeah, I'm like, and they're like, you want to do it? I said, I'll do it in February, but right now I'm okay.

I was like, you know. And I probably won't do it in February. Yeah, I know. And then the day later they were like, they came back with the bottle of rosé from the supermarket. They're like, yeah, we saw it there. And it was like, it's great for the skin. One day. You didn't even last one day.

Yeah. So, yeah, so again, they're thinking about doing that in February. We'll find out. Yeah. So let's go to Will, welcome to the show. Will, happy new year, shows catchphrase. Hello. Happy New Year, Will.

You got to say the show's catchphrase. Oh, sorry, yes, hello. Happy New Year. Yeah, that's good. That's good to follow. You can get the conversation underway. What was your unrealistic New Year's resolution, mate? Oh, going to bed early.

I just can't. When there's a book in front of me, it's always one more chapter. Oh, actually, speaking of books, producer Troy, who's with us right now. He's trying to do what this year? Read 30 books. What a nerd. You say, as you laugh. Yeah, 30.

How many have you done so far? I've done two. Two, that's impressive. I always start off for the bang. I always read, because I've got so much time over the new year break. You smash out two or three books. Yeah. And then I grind to a hole.

What about you, Will? How many year I reckon you'll do this year? Oh, I don't know. Maybe 10, 15. That's pretty decent. I wanted to read one over the break, and I read half and then the movie came out. The house made, great movie. And I was like, I just watch it.

So it's easier reading a movie. It really is. Now, okay, let's get a recommendation from Will to try. one book that Troy must read this year, Will. Oh, okay. Just going to my bookshelf. What's your vibe of books? Are they stabby ones, romance?

Like Harry Potter types. Oh, fantastic. It plays the cockles of your heart, Troy. Oh, here's a good one. David Eddings, the Bulgariard. Bulgariate, okay? Troy will read that. He will come back with a first.

full review Friday. Friday, Troy. Oh, geez. We will call you back, Will. Okay, and you can question Troy on certain parts of the book. Friday. Oh, look, if there's a movie on it too. How many pages in the Bulgarian?

How many pages? Yeah, roughly. Okay, roughly how many pages? About maybe 400. Oh, Troy. You better start. You better start reading. The Bulgarian quiz Friday morning, 7th,000.

30. We'll do it with you. Well, okay. Okay, well, I... You wanted to read the books, mate. We'll catch you back here on Friday. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The Hits. From today, you can do something really cool on the Hits. The Hits. Top 99 of the 90s.

Yeah, we want you to decide the top 99 songs of the 90s. You can nominate your top five songs from the 90s. Right now, the Hits stock code. nz. And then on the 5th of Fed, we're going to play out the top 90s. songs of the 90s as voted by you, which is really cool. Yeah, what would you lock in your, what would sum up that era of music for you, Megan? It would have to be Hansen, probably in Bob. Oh, you're actually, you had them sprayed all over your bedroom, didn't you, Hansen?

All in poster form. They were the 90s for me. Yeah. Absolutely obsessed. Now, we love going into chat GPT, so I thought I put it in, tell it what, to see what they would think the top five songs of the 90s would be. California Love, number five, Britney Spears, baby one more time. No Diggity, Black Street features Dr. Dre and Wonder War number two and smells like teen spirit. Nirvana, number one song.

But then it said it's dangerous territory. It's hotly contested. So even chat TV is like, I don't know. You potentially would even have to categorise them. Yes. I think there was a crazy stat that like, you know, smells like teen spirits and Alison Chains and Pearl Jam and Guns and Roses all released these crazy albums. I think even Blood Sugar Sex Magic. from the Redholt in like about a two or three months period.

Really? It was like peak rock. I really wouldn't it? Like 1991. So yeah, it's going to be a tough one to vote for. So vote right now with the hit stock code at NZ and I can't wait for that to happen on the 5th of February. We thought we'd look back at some things from the 90s and you reminded us this morning

of this. Yeah. Do you remember, it would certainly not stack up nowadays and he's passed away too. Jerry Springer, the trashy daytime talk show. I watched that doco on Netflix just recent. Netflix. Just recently, and it delves into how bad it actually was on the jury's ring of show? It would have been terrible. It was a cast of people who definitely would have voted for Trump if he was an option in the 90s. And even as a child, I remember

watching it, because there were titles like, you slept with my stripper sister. And these people would come on and my girlfriend's in love with a man who's in love with another man. And I was, even my young brain was like, do these people know it's an option not to go on television and share these stories? The docos kind of about that. They had these people go on and then there was no sort of duty of care for these people afterwards. And so go back to their lives and their lives would be kind of ruined because of being on that show. And so sadly some people are no longer with us anymore because they're going on that show.

Like it destroyed their life. Yeah. I'm not surprised. They had one which was my parents, I've got a racist baby. I have a racist baby because the parents were they were KKK members. And Jerry, I tell you what, Jerry, he fed it to them. He fed it to the KKK parents. A baby doesn't know that there are.

different races. A baby, it is only the grown-ups such as you that teach out children to not like that person because of the colour of the furniture. But a lot of chair throwing. Every piece of furniture was used as a weapon on that show as well. I actually interviewed him once a few years ago. I sat down with him for 20 minutes as well. And he was, yeah, he was a mayor of Cincinnati before going into TV and then he was a news anchor.

I remember that. And at the end of the news, they'd give him two minutes to talk about something, just basically filibated. And that became quite popular. So it's an opinion piece. Yeah, and then that's how he kind of led him towards this his own show for the last two minutes. Apparently he was quite a gentle, really nice guy. Quite self-deprecating as well.

So he had no talent and he was a failed like mayor and all that sort of stuff as well. And that's how he ended in the thing. But yeah, he was a really lovely guy. They had a man who married a horse. Yeah, that was in the docker. What am I going to do? He was like, yeah. I wanted a girl, but, but, but, you know.

By that time. Have you ever been with a woman? Yes. I mean, a human. Yeah. And he kissed the horse. Kiss the horse and he runs like, whoo! His accent is unfortunate too.

I know. Yeah. Just something going. I wanted a woman. If you marry a horse, don't go on TV. Yeah, sure. Keep that to the 90s. But the 90s countdown is not kept in the 90s.

That'll be here on the Hats. You can vote right now. The Hits.com. NZ door right now. John O'Benn and Megan, the podcast. The Hits. Now, Megan, you've cut something that

has been around for five years you were saying. Just over five years. I've written a little something to say goodbye. Is this a genuine emotional moment? Is this genuine emotional? I never know. How do you want us to play this? Just genuine reaction.

You don't know what. We don't know what it is. What I'm saying goodbye to. So will this be revealed throughout the poem? We'll finally get to the end of it. Yes. Does this poem brought you my chair, GPT? No, absolutely not.

We are gathered here today to feel all something that's been with me through sick and thin. It arrived quietly. You made yourself comfortable immediately and then just refused to leave. You've outlasted sleep regressions, lockdowns, toilet training, at least three attempts at getting my life together. You've been with me before my son could walk. Five years is a really long relationship, longer than my first marriage.

You demanded... Not hard to beat that one, no. Not really. You demanded my attention at the worst times during holidays, my two weddings. summer it made me overly aware of one very specific part of my body at all times today finally i can tell you it's gone today we can say goodbye to my baruka oh son you've had a varuka this whole time you even told us i had can i also just say we've had how many weeks off four weeks off she comes in with hot

A veruca con. A funeral for a varuka. Day one. Yeah. Dude, I've had this thing for longer than my son. I had it before I was pregnant with my first child. I remember lying there as I was going to give birth and they were like, you have a large varuka. I was like, I'm aware.

And it's finally gone. I've tried everything to get rid of it. The cousin of the war? Yeah, I was thinking it's somewhat, right? Yeah, I mean, it's in that family. Yeah, but it sounds a little nice. It sounds like fancier, a vera. No, this is the Veruca.

As opposed to a warts. Yeah, warts and all. You know? That's me. She's always... If you won't get in there, warts and all, she'll get in there. Take me the name of your book. Your autobiography.

Burukes and all. It'll get stuck in there, won't she? Marikas and all. So how did it go? How did it go? I've burnt this thing like a million times. I went to the doctor. They like stab it.

They do everything. And do you know what I got? If anyone's struggling out there, I'm really stubborn. Don't make yourself a spokesperson for Verrucaper person. for Veracus. Five-year-old Varroca. Use my co-Megan

to get 20% off. It's like this chatstick stuff. You chapstick your foot. Really? Oh, and it goes. Oh, there you go. It's a wart on the sole of your foot. It's not a wart.

It's a foot wart. It's like part of that family, but it's like the fancier warts. A wot on the sole of your foot. It's like the upper class wart. The burraca. It's the brand you out of a wart. Megan, there we go.

Veracers and all. John O'Ben and Megan The podcast The hits First show back of 2026 Great to be back Hanging out with you guys Yeah

Thank you Megan Thank you Megan Thank you Megan She's sticking to the show's catchphrase for 26 I feel like it's not It's already somebody else's catchphrase or many of our

catchphrases but we're embracing it The goal is to try And keep saying happy new year As far through the calendar year as we can get Yeah Hopefully until next December Well I'm worried

A little bit worried about My start to the year Now you know Your phones They kind of send you stuff and it pops up and it comes part of your algorithm and this stuff has come up without me even, you know, clicking on videos of watching, but now I'm getting them all the time. And it's all these sort of videos that talk about, well, here's some of the highlights.

How I went from Burnout Dad to Dad of the Year. So a little story about a guy who did that. How did he? Yeah, I need to click on this app. I need to get on this app. This is how my husband healed from burnout and made our loveless marriage happier. This is being sent to me. So it's assuming you're in a loveless marriage.

All men with ADHD, built for leadership and CEO potential, but stuck in self-sabotage need to hear that. I'm like, okay, my stuff is. Burned out guy at 40. On the outside, he's fine, inside he's crumbling. You're like overwhelmed and burned out with endless ideas and stress. You need this app.

This app is stressing me up. Is this, like, is this, you know, I know your self-sabotaging ways? Is this really connecting with you? Some of it, yes, some of it does. Yeah, I'm like, maybe I could be CEO. Maybe, maybe, guys. I don't think.

I don't think you're burnt out. If anything, you have more energy than everyone I know. Yeah, but it's nervous. Anxious energy. It's the ADHD nerves. What this company needs is a really nervous CEO. Should we do that? No, no, no, no, no.

No, no, let's not do that. No, no, let's do it. Go on. Let's have an idea. No, no. So this is getting pushed hard into my algorithm. Here's something here from it. You are not lonely.

It's your anxious attachment to the partner. Months ago, my face looked puffy, tired, older than I am. I try everything. Honestly, I believe as soon as you hit 40, the internet or the algorithms just starts preparing you for death. Yeah. It does. Yeah. So I love my loveless marriage and burnout and all this stuff.

I can solve it this year with this app that I need to click on as well. But I'm getting sent this all the time. And I was thinking, well, what's in your algorithm? Maybe there's someone out there right now who's getting sent this exact stuff. And they can join me and go, yep, I can connect with you through this algorithm. Okay. Is anyone, we want to play a game. Okay, we'll each play something from our algorithm.

Okay, and if the first person to call up, oh, 800 hits who can match with us. Okay, so are you being served, Ben's anxious, ADHD? Burnout, you've been burnt out with stress and worry on the inside. And loveless marriages. I'm being fed this wonderful lady Tina, who's from Shanghai, and Tina has a warehouse of excess used motor engines. Okay, so many, hundreds of them, like from all sorts of types of vehicles. And they've taken, ironically, the sort of the Tina from Turner's approach for the advertising,

where she's singing. She's doing musicals to try and get rid of her whole load of engines. My name is Tina. I'm from China. I have a lot of Indians here. Many, many Indians in my factory. They are very complicated. They are very novelty.

If you need to... The millogy is mileage. You can find me. I hope you can find me. I hope you can choose soon. I hope you can take them. Take them away. It reminds you when Big Save Lily would over order on furniture.

Tina's surrounded by thousands of thousands of engines. I'm not in the market for an engine, but I'd follow that. Yeah, she's put it into a rap song. Megan, what are you getting fed in your algorithm? It's probably not much of a surprise, but I've got a lot of Formula One content. Specifically, I opened it, and I got Liam Lawson straight away. Megan was staring way too long at a picture of Liam Lawson's shirtless on. a BP 4 course.

You were the one who showed it to me after you stared at it for it. And you're like, I'm going to need your phone. That's what you said to me. Those are your word. It's okay. 0-800. What are you being fed in your algorithm? Who can you match with Ben?

With his anxious ADHD content. Burned out. Stressed out guy. Maybe you've got Tina from China. Well, maybe you've got a shirtless Liam Lawson. We'd love to conduct to someone. 4487 next. Tell us what's in your algorithm.

We'd love for you to join us in New Zealand's breakfast next on that. they are really in the humidity if you need the Jono Ben and Megan The podcast As we mentioned before Ed Sharon, great to have him in the country I played a couple of gigs in Auckland over the weekend

and then he moves on to Wellington and Christchurch as well A big big bear of this show too publicly We always criticise people who pull out their phones It shows and record them And like when are you ever going to go back And watch a tinny, you know, shaky phone recording of a concert

Well now it's paying dividends Because we're going to play audio Of some of these shaky phone recordings from the concerts It's Whoever recorded that one Thank you very much You go

Do you know We have the actual song You know It always I know It sounds like worse Kind of hear it muffled I reckon it sounds better

But Ed was actually He's got his It's the loop tour isn't it Yeah so he's got like that loop machine Which is just him on stage Which is great for you know Obviously him not having to pay band members Seems on accommodation

Yeah Yeah But also just incredible how he creates the songs And as he says at the start He's doing it live in front of you. Like he is putting the backings and all the harmonies and he's doing this whole thing. It's really, really incredible. My feet is called a loop station.

Everything you're here tonight is completely live. It's made live on the spot. Control with my feet. Loops and later. That's very cool. Yeah. And thank you to that person who recorded that random conversation for me as well. That's paid dividends.

Yeah, the biggest screen in New Zealand as well, too. It's just a huge screen. Tell that to the Harvey Norman Superceder, buddy. Yeah. Seen those TV screens in that shop. A friend who was with her, she works in graphics. She was just like, I'm just thinking of the file side. size? How big is this file size?

I'm like, no one else is thinking of this right now. But yeah. It's a one giant screen. It's a huge screen and obviously it breaks out to different things throughout the song. Probably a wee transfer situation, I reckon. I was like, wow, here's chewing all the Wi-Fi and the Bluetooth and stuff. Our billboard, our digital billboard on our work, sometimes you drive past and it's just a computer screen and it's like files not working.

Imagine if that happened. Yeah. An insurancy, yeah. I mean, a lot of stress on that screen operator. How do they move it around? Well, yeah, it's just there. The pictures move around in between as well. No, but how they move the screen around?

Oh, right. Yeah, it's like, it's not swiveling, it's not swiveling, mate. It's like, I can't see, can you just turn the TV round a little bit, Ed? I see what you mean now. You were like looking at me like, it works like how you usually go to look at screens. You know, back of the day, you're like, just move the screen around a little bit. Can I see it over the West end? I guess they must pack it down, otherwise you're going to see one massive truck driving down the country.

Well, they sell just, after each show, sell it on Trade Me, just a giant TV screen. What do we need to unpack the logistics of it? It's amazing. I'm a detailed guy. Genuinely loves New Zealand, too. He talks about his love for New Zealand, and he says, you know, like if he wasn't, like if he didn't marry someone from his high school and live like 10 minutes away from his parents in his hometown, he's like, I would genuinely live in New Zealand.

So what are we needs to do? We need to get rid of his missus and his parents. It's all I'm hearing. Yeah, as well, which is cool. Because, you know how everyone says they love New Zealand, but he feels like he does. He really loves it. He's been here a long time, isn't he? Yeah, he's a couple of weeks, I think, rehearsing the tour and he's going to be a couple.

Oh, well, up a month. in the country. So we wanted to know, you know, have you seen him while he's been here in New Zealand? Because usually when you see a celebrity in the wild, it makes news in New Zealand. And I haven't seen any news stories about him at a cafe or wandering around. Did you say, you got a tattoo? Yeah, I saw him that you got a tattoo while in New Zealand backstage as well. Yeah.

What of? I'm not sure. I just had the photo with the tattoo artist and his family as well, some sacred tattoo as well. So, yeah. Have you seen each year in the wild or just any random. Redhead, we'll take in the wild. This time of year, too, dangerous.

Dangerous, the old SBF, mate. It's probably not the best country for Ed to be in starting this time of year. Did you talk to him too, or did you do the old Kim and I leave him be? Leave him be. 0,800 the hits, 4487, please. Ed Sharon in the wild. Have you spotted him? John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast.

The hits. We're just talking about Ed Sharon in the country. No one has seemed to have spotted him. He seems like he's kept a pretty low profile, apart from the massive performances. New Zealand while I see it. But one thing I did really enjoy at the concert is the fact that it felt like all advertising around Mount Smart was like there was no advertising, except for the big John I bet and Megan

billboard at the back. So all Ed would have been looking at. Well, not Allie would have been looking at. I hope he was focused on something else apart from the billboard. I mainly went along, just check our billboard was up and running. I got sent that so many times. I'm like, oh, you're at the concert. To be honest, we need to be sure.

I think Mount Smart's forgotten that it's up there. Yeah, because it's all the Warriors games. Great placement. It is, yeah. Let's not alert them of that. Yeah, yeah. Now, well, hey, we went high risk, high reward on that one. Anyone seen each year?

No, wins and losses, you know? If we started the year on a loss, and I truly believe, 0-800 the hits, 4-487, I had probably one of the most eventful holiday breaks I've had in recent history. So, yeah, 0-800-the-hits, 4-487, the most eventful thing to happen to you over the last three weeks.

So I was in a sort of a beach town. Coramandel Beach Town, filled with delinquent youth. You know, the teenagers. Yeah. And my son, he's reached the age where he's like, I want to go hang out at the beach on New Year's Eve. Hey, you used to do that. You used to be one of those. I know, I know, that's why I'm not.

I just like impersonating a mock. Yeah, gotcha. And so, yeah, he went along. And it was basically just a park, a couple of floodlights, police. And my daughter, Poppy, she's like, oh, can I go and have a look? And we'll take you a long for a look. So we took her and my niece, Gia, who's a bit younger. And there was a lot of people, hands and knees, vomiting,

passed out. It was a life education lesson. That was just you. Like, come on, Dan. It's time to go high. Put your pants up. There's teenagers around. And it was so far to the two ends of the spectrum.

Poppy's like, I'm never drinking. And gee, it's like, I can't wait to turn 16. I cannot wait. So anyway, that's by the bye. Next morning, it's the 1st of January. Okay, new year, new me. Let's start fresh. All things positive.

I'm walking out on the law. lawn and I notice a deposit on the lawn. Oh. Okay. And I know the difference between animal made and human made. Oh no. I'm like, this is, this has been human produced. Oh, no.

How do you tell the difference? Taste. Very distinctive taste, John, I'll tell you about. That's a good question, Megan, isn't it? It's a pretty good question. Shape, texture. Yeah. Oater, too.

Oh, okay. So then I'm like, okay, this is like seven in the morning. The first thing I'm going to do for a new year is I get a spade. That's how you started your new year. That's how I started this year. Wow. That is a grim start. And so I'm digging this hole.

And then the neighbour just pops his head out and he's like, digging a shallow grave, are we? What went on last night? So then I sort of just put it in the grave and patted over. Maybe it was me. I hope that's not for cheerist for how your year's going to go. Maybe it is a sign. Your first moment.

A metaphor of what's ahead for the next 12 months. The most eventful thing that's happened to you since the start of the year. We'd love to hear from you. Had 19 days. This is the 19th day. What's most eventful thing that started this year? I think anyone's going to beat that one.

Oh, no, I don't think so. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The Hats. Morning, and we want to decide the top 99 songs of the 90s. So thank you. This is what Megan's really backing Hanson, but you nominate your time. top five songs from the 90s right now at the Hits.com.com.com.com.

Then keep the hits loud. Thursday, 5th of February, we're going to play out the top 99 songs of the 90s as voted by you, which is going to be awesome. Guys, it's a good decade. Good decade of music. I feel like a DJ, uh, name a DJ. DJ Calvin Harris there. You hear all that mixing going live there?

Yeah, it's really good. DJ Calvin, name a DJ. Well, fortunately for you, the songs are going to play. play in their entirety and you won't have to mix them on the day. They'll just play. Megan, you've come and saying you might be rethinking a tradition. I have a lot of traditions, especially around the Christmas time, and a lot of them kind of just happened.

And my husband gets really annoyed because it's a busy period anyway. So I'm always like, we have to do this, and we have to do this, and we have to do this. You're like your Santa photo, the family Santa photo, the Christmas tree note that we do, my Christmas wrapping every year. we go strawberry picking every year and we get a photo and we've done it since 2015 maybe. Right. And so every year we go strawberry picking and we get a photo together

and then gradually we added two members to the family which has made it a little bit harder. So it started out as a cute just you and Andrew thing, and now it's expanded too. Don't they just have like those smelly European tourists who come over and do the seasonal picking? They do it for all the picking for you, don't they? Yeah, but it was quite fun to go along.

I live by a strawberry farm So it's like, well, we just totter over and we do it. You eat a whole lot as well. Yeah. It's fun. Yes, you pay. What do you mean? Well, I mean, if it's next door to you, you can just somebody sneak over and jump over the fence.

But do you know what? This year it's expanded. It's huge. So there's the strawberry patch you can see. But this year they were like, well, that's been exhausted. Everyone's picked all the strawberries. So you had to jump on a bus and they buss you over to another farm, which is acres and acres and of fields.

And then they're like, you have to walk down. Strawberry fields forever. It's true. John Lennon would say. They usher you to where you can pick. And this time it was way down the back. So we walked for ages. I have a three-year-old.

She's trudging along. And before we went, we're like, everyone needs to go to the toilet. Of course we get to the back of the farm after we bused there. And she's like, I need to go to the toilet. So we walk along and they usher me to a port-a-lew. When I get there, it's like tied up with rope. And I'm like, okay, well, we can't go to that one. I go across to another Portaloo, another field, another acre away, and that one is nasty.

Right. Nasty. I was like, I wouldn't go in it. She doesn't want to. Well, the smelly European pickers. Yes, it has been used. So we had to walk another acre, get back on the bus, bus back to the original place. She checks out all of the toilets, finally goes to the toilet.

Then I had to bribe the man to get back on the bus, because technically we've already used our ticket, go back. This took an hour and a half And by that time the whole family of finish picking And all of them are bleft Apart from my husband who's standing there frantically Like I cannot find my wife and child I'm with him I'm with him cancel it halfway through the story

I'm like I didn't pick a strawberry Why are you doing this to yourself Oh you don't pick a single strawberry No And so afterwards we were like I was like can we please take this photo And Andrew's just looking at me like

Can you can we stop this? How many strawberries did you leave with as a family Oh no the rest of them picked Oh they got some Right you'd come home with a bucket load of strawberries so the panics. Yeah, no, they got strawberries, but we... Why don't you just let her go on the paddock?

Just go down there, mate. It's filled with fruit that people eat. That's all right. You said they're enormous. No one's going to notice. Good fertiliser. Well, baby, you're right. Next year, the strawberries be enormous.

It might be the last time we go strawberry picking. John O'Benn and Megan, the podcast. The Hits.