Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - FULL SHOW: Why Ben went running on red wine and a full roast?

Episode Date: April 8, 2025

ON THE SHOW TODAY: Megan got scared by a suited man in her room! Has this White Lotus actor brought back the receding hairline? Why King Charles was playing a carrot??? Why Gen Z are so against 😂 Jono forgets how to be a radio host... Do Americans even care about the tariffs - We chat to our New York correspondent How Ben got in trouble for a plane banner... I know I'm not the only one - I love to know the plot before watching! Facebook: The Hits Breakfast with Jono, Ben & MeganInstagram: THEHITSBREAKFAST See 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 on a Wednesday morning here on The Hits. Lovely to have everyone here. Well, you've been here for the last three hours, but it's lovely to have people still in the room. Are you going to put a shout out for Soto Ephraim this morning?

Yeah, I've kind of been bubbling away with the new David Seymour endorsed column. It's the David Seymour pills too. He really wanted it back, didn't he? Seymour, didn't he? He was hot on that one. And he was hot on the old treaty bill as well. That didn't work out as well for him. Anyway, let's not go into that right now.

You win some, you lose some. You do, you do. Not that I wanted it. I'm just saying. He won the pseudo one. And yeah, honestly, probably the best night's sleep I've ever had. You know how they've got the day one and the night one? Right. Essentially just saying. He won the pseudo one. And yeah, honestly, probably the best night's sleep I've ever had. You know how they got the day one and the night one? Right.

Essentially just masks, I think. I think you've still got the cold. Yeah, it's not fixing it. No. It's just making you soldier on. Yeah, soldier on with Codrill, which is an odd catchphrase now, given what we've been through with the pandemic. Well, it feels like we're back to soldiering on again, right?

Yeah. Hey, pussy, get back into work. For a while, you couldn't sneeze or cough or anything around anyone. You're like, oh, my God. You've been bliming nose all morning. You guys haven't even been batting an eyelid. No. Or maybe secretly.

No, I actually felt like I should have asked if you were all right. You were all right. No, no, honestly, it's just a little thing. But what I was going to say is the night pills. Whew. Best night's sleep I've had in, I'd say, years. That's good. Honestly, it was one of those ones where I'm like, this is a great sleep.

And I woke up and I was like, surely it's time to get up now. It was only one o'clock. Are you one of these people that don't take like Panadol though? Oh yeah, I chug it. You give me a pill, mate, I'll take it. Love it. Because my dad doesn't take like, doesn't even want to take Panadol. Why? I don't know. I know there are people,

I can't imagine if you had a headache, you'd take a Panadol. Oh, I will eventually know. I know there are people, I can't imagine if you had a headache, you would take a Panadol. Oh, I will eventually, but I do like to see if I can tick some boxes first. Why? You are like my dad. How do you work through a headache?

So if you've got a headache, how do you tick boxes? Oh, I make sure I've like, I probably haven't drunk enough water, you know, fresh air, exercise, those sort of things. Eating something, sometimes having food in your system

really helps, you know helps and then after that I'll be like alright it's time to take Panadol but yeah I don't take a lot you've got a checklist my dad has like you know like serious issues

or he'll really hurt himself and he's like no I'm going to work through it I'm like why it's a sign of weakness so when he would if he did take a cold pill

I imagine it would knock him out yeah that is interesting that must be nice it's an interesting approach. So if he had a, let's say he's broken a finger, is he taking a Panadol for that? Oh, he might take a Panadol, but he's not taking anything the doctors have given him,

anything stronger. He wouldn't, really? That might warrant a panty, yeah. He might get it, okay. Might get the panties out for that. That's a really interesting approach. Is it a, is he hurting? Like, I imagine he's hurting his mouth.

He's insufferable to be around. Right. So he's the, yeah, I wouldn't want to leave him to that state. He's miserable and annoying. And you think, well, it could be fixed with one little pill. But for some reason. He doesn't want to do it. Let's just roofie his tea with Panadols.

I think mum might have, if I'm honest. Well, knowing your mum, and I don't know her that well, but what I do know. Yeah, sorry. It sounds like something she could do. Definitely roofied my dad. All right, enjoy the podcast, which starts with me and unfortunate thing I had to do last night. John O'Bannon Megan.

The podcast. The hits. Hey, something that I did, well, I said as a parent, you know you say stuff as a parent and it doesn't, it feels like sometimes it comes back to bite you. This is probably from quite a while ago. So when my oldest daughter turned 14, she could go to the gym. And I had to go along with her or an adult has to go along with her.

And I said to her, like, at the start, I said, any time you want to go to the gym, I will go with you. Like, any time. Because I wanted to encourage her, you know, to go along if she wanted to go. And so, you know, she's like, what happens? Because often I will, you know, do my exercise in the afternoon i said doesn't matter i'll go back with you again and this often will happen i'll be like if you want to go i don't want to like force you to go but if you want to go i'll go with you so sometimes she'll come up

to me normally it's fine normally it's fine and i'll go back again even if i have already done exercise what do you do if you have to go back twice she should feel like a legend walking in the second time even if you just like pick up your drink bottle or something you feel like a legend walking in the second time for the day? He's back again? Even if you just like pick up your drink bottle or something, you're like, still I'm doing more than, you know,

just for some reason. You just want someone to check your swipe card details. Do you actually exercise the second time around or are you just parading? Lackluster, like lackluster

because you're already sitting on the bike and watching something. Just peacocking. You could just be like, I've actually been here before already today. Check your phone

and stuff like that. But that's fine. It doesn't always happen. But then my wife's brother's back from the States. He's back for a few days. And he's back and staying at our house for a couple of nights. And last night he was like, I would love a kiwi roast for dinner. Like he really wanted a roast dinner.

Lamb roast. Hadn't had one in a while. So we had that last night. And don't normally drink during the week. But he was like, you know, red wine. He bought some wine. I was like, I'll have a couple of glasses of red wine relaxing wow half past eight getting close to nine o'clock my daughter cena's like you're full you're full of wine and meat she's

like hey can we go to the gym i was like what now like yeah i said oh it's nine o'clock and she's like oh anytime i'm like oh you should have just got you don't have much time's happened before Eddie. And this is what she said. I said, oh, it's nine o'clock. And she's like, oh, any time. I'm like, oh, okay. You should have just gone. Do you know how much time's happened before this time right now? I know, this is nine o'clock. Had she eaten the roast? She did, yeah.

But she decided she wanted to go to the gym. She's like, oh, like at night it's quieter. I'm like, oh, okay. The important thing is she didn't drink the wine. Yeah. So she can still gale go. And she's like, well, let's drive down. I'm like, I can't drive down.

It's like, we've got to go. This is where I was like, we're going to go. We're going to have to run down. I thought that would be the moment she'd go, drive down it's like we've got to go this is where I was like we're going to go we're going to have to we're going to have to run down I thought that would be the moment she'd go oh it's too much hard work she's like okay

I was like oh two wines and a lamb roast and you jogged to the gym and back again and back again at the end of it

I was like oh every part of this was really like did you spew I want to spew it was pretty on the way down I was pretty close

to like oh my lamb's coming back so I wouldn't recommend it Every part of this was really like... Did you spew? I want to spew. On the way down, I was pretty close to like... My lab's coming back. So I wouldn't recommend it. If you're going to do a marathon or a run or anything like that, don't have a roast in a couple of months. There's his hands in the bin.

He's like, I've been here once before today. I was on that treadmill just hours ago. Can I make a suggestion? And you can use this right across your life. You can say no. I know. But I could say... Ben doesn, is you can say no. I know. But I did say. Ben doesn't know how to say no.

I just say any time. And she said, you said any time. I'm like, I did say any time. But then you can also say, just because I said so as well. That's always a good ender. And they can't fight back from that one. Jono, Ben and Megan. The podcast.

The hits. I said this morning I got such a fright. I'm going to preface this by saying I watched the finale, no spoilers, of White Lotus last night. So I felt, and then I went straight to bed. So I was already on edge. Did you sob? I hear a lot of sobbing going on with that final.

I was lying down watching it. I had to sit up and sob. You can't lie down and sob, can you? No. Because all your mucus kind of sits back into your nostrils. Yeah, I did have to sit up to cry. Let it drain out. So I was on edge.

I was already like, that was running through my mind um and then this morning I woke up and I get my clothes out for the day but usually um my husband's asleep he hasn't got any prep done for his day I wake up and there's a big floor length mirror in our room and I'm getting ready doing my thing I keep it all dark sneak sneak out of our bedroom and that's when I turned and saw this like dark figure it was a person in our mirror like a whole body and I like my I jumped so hard my heart like hurt and it wasn't you like it wasn't it wasn't me no I was like not on the angle to see myself. Was it your shadow?

It was a suited person standing in the mirror. And I was like, oh! And my husband had got his clothes out for today. He was, like, going to do some filming. He's got his clothes out and he's hung it on the mirror. Oh, has he got a full three-piece suit? He put the whole outfit and hung it on the mirror. Who's this incredibly incredibly fancy

dress intruder I know I didn't I mean I didn't think about that on their way to a cocktail party Harvey Specter

from Suits he's gonna attack me while dressed very nicely yeah like if you're gonna have any intruder someone in a tuxedo so you're

like damn you've gone to a lot of effort to break into this house my friend it's very rude yeah but I mean at

least I would have been like murdered by someone so like spiffy well you have all people very different you'd be judging them for fashion into this house, my friend. That's very rude. Yeah. But I mean, at least I would have been murdered by someone so spiffy. Well, you have all people. Dapper. Very dapper. You'd be judging them for fashion, wouldn't you? Yeah.

You're like, you look great. Okay. Balaclavas are so 2021. As they're trying to steal all your stuff. Yeah, but I'm okay. I'm glad you're okay. Again, another story of Megan telling us things were a lot more dire than they actually were.

Yeah, that's right. It's very jumpy. Jono, Ben and Megan. The podcast. The hits. Charles was at an event at Windsor Castle and he ended up playing, it was a carrot that was carved into a recorder with a whole lot of other people that were also playing carrots. Yeah, and listen, It actually sounded all right.

Out of all the people to get invited to Buckingham Palace. I know. What are you bringing to His Majesty? Oh, we've got a carrot recorder. That would have definitely been pre-approved. This is the London Vegetable Orchestra. No, without a word of a lie, that's what they're called. And they, yeah, they make instruments from produce.

And he got his sausage fingers around a carrot. And have a listen is that him playing well he's with others yeah sounds beautiful do you reckon he's like dying inside going, I'm the king for God's sake. I'm blowing on a carrot instrument. Is he the one that's doing well or is he the... Yeah, I think he's more the background.

I mean, it's your first time blowing into a carrot. The recorder's a hard instrument to nail in any instance, let alone a carrot recorder. He does have those little sausage, those cute little sausage. Which he's joked about before, right? Blowing up little cocktail sausages, aren't they? Yeah, he jokes about sausage fingers. But when he was getting coronated, during the coronation,

people made lots of references to his sausage fingers. He's got this ring on this little finger, which looks like it's on the verge of amputation. Choking out his pinky. God, it must be painful. He must be able to pull it off. Maybe that's why Elsa wore gloves. Not because of the ice thing.

Maybe she had sausage fingers in her coronation and she was like, hey, I'm going to get mocked by the internet. Turn into a meme. Nobody look at my hands. Jono, Ben and Megan. The podcast. The hits. All right.

The ice caps are melting. Inflation's spiralling, and global tensions have never been worse. But there's more important things winding up a certain generation. And we welcome in Gen Z producer Grace with what's winding up Gen Z this week. Now, can I just start by saying,

well done to you today. You did something... I actually haven't done it. Oh, you haven't done it. I'm about to. You told me before you're doing something for what you think is maybe the first time you've done it. Yeah, I think it's the first time I'm going to done it. Oh, you haven't done it. Okay. I'm about to. You have to do something. You told me before you're doing something for what you think is maybe the first time

you've done it. Yeah, I think it's the first time I'm going to do it, which is sending a letter. She asked me, what do I do? Like, where do I post this? How do I do it?

I was like, oh, wow. Who's the letter for? The government. Yeah. It's the electoral. Electoral role thing. I'm not a student anymore. They really need to shift

that online, don't they? They do. Yeah. It is a confusing online, don't they? They do. Yeah. It is a confusing time, isn't it? You know? Thank you for the empathy, Ben. It means a lot. I remember my first time I showed my daughter a CD

when I got one of those from work, and she's like, how do I get that in the phone? Because that's the only way she can listen to music. I'm not that bad. I know how to use a CD. Yeah, I was like, oh, that's a good question. So in the past few years, you know, issues that are affecting your generation.

And we know you a lot. You're mobbed like trigger warnings. So we must give a trigger warning for anyone over the age of 35. This might irritate you, this segment. It does actually. It winds people up. So I appreciate you doing this. Now, what are we doing wrong at the moment?

Well, if you can hit the music, Jonah, that I told you to play. So I normally come here really fiery, but now I come here with empathy. Just like how Ben showed me empathy, I'm going to come here with empathy for you guys. It's time for you to let something go. Why do I have this sarcasm? Is it something we're wearing because you cancelled skinny jeans and ankle socks?

No, it's not something you're wearing. It's something you could say you're using. It's time to let it go. It needs to be buried. Let it die. The dot, dot, dots on messages. Well, that's gone now too. That's gone now too. Over ear headphones?

Yeah. What? What's that? Because everyone's using ear pods. Oh, no. We're not talking about that. What you need to let go is the cry laugh emoji. And I know it's, you know, part of it.

I love the cry laugh emoji. I know it's really important in your culture. It's been a big thing of your life the last 10 years. But it's just, it's time for it to die. How do you know if we're crying with laughter though? I don't need to know. I don't care. Just let it go.

We moved on from LOL to the cry laugh emoji. Yeah, but you overuse it. That's the problem. You just overuse it. No, but I do want people to know the intention behind what I said. And that's like, ha ha, or a cry laugh emoji. Why can't it be just regular laugh emoji? Why do you people to know the intention behind what I said, and that's like, ha-ha, or a cry-laugh emoji. Why can't it be just regular laugh emoji? Why do you need to be crying?

Are you thinking about that? It's funny when you see something and you reply to someone with a cry-laugh, but in real life you're just straight-faced. Yeah, I don't think anyone in the history of ever sending a cry-laugh emoji has ever been crying with laughter. See, exactly, so you've been lying this whole time. Yeah, you're right, actually. Okay, so I send you something funny.

How do you respond? Lol. Or, ha-ha, or I just don't. You go, ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay. I go, ay-ay-ay-ay-ay, because I go, actually. Okay, so I send you something funny. How do you respond? Lol. Or, haha. I just don't. You go, ayayayayay. I go, ayayayayay, because I go, hahaha. I go, that's funny. I noticed the skull was popular. Yeah, I use the skull a lot. Dead. Dead. Dead. That's so funny. I died. But I do, I use it

a lot when I post to socials. I'll use the cry laugh emoji, just because I'm like, oh, that's what millennials like, but I'm sick of using it. Can I ask you a question? When did this emoji become uncool for your for your mob and uh probably a while now like what about the sideways cry laughy that's a good one i like that one that's just too over the top why do you have to be sideways too it's too much crying laugh sideways i'm like falling off my chair cry laughing but do you actually fall off your chair no megan you're a liar do you actually die maybe inside it feels

like we can't question what they're doing it's interesting when you write haha it's not the one there's not the options that come up is it you've got to go searching for the cry laugh emojis yeah so you actually put a lot but it's probably in your recents because you guys do it all the time and i'm number one baby it's number one for me but yeah borrow the story the gen z's want you to bury it let it die is there any other emojis we need to cancel? Start using the dead one. You're dead. It's so funny.

I don't think my mum will understand that. You can use it for your mum because she's, you know, old. I feel you guys do a really good job, though, of being very passive aggressive in your messaging, but you end it with like emoji, like the heart hands emoji. Oh, yeah. Just to try and cancel out the aggression. I like to do the one when it looks like I'm saluting you.

If I ever do that, I'm speaking with pure sarcasm. Just so you guys, if you look through our messages, you'll be like, wow, graces. Yesterday she's like, have a great day, King. And I was like, thanks. And she said, I meant that sarcastically. I said, well, it doesn't affect me. I'm taking it as a compliment and I feel like a king. And that's how I'm going to walk out of it.

Jono, Ben and Megan. The podcast. The hits. This morning had one of those moments where, and I don't know if you put it down to busyness, the way the society is nowadays. Do you have a fall? No, I haven't had a fall.

I did have a fall last week though, Phil. Down on the final stair too. I made it down 99% of the stairs and yeah, just missed time. But anyway, we're not here focusing on that. I walked into a room this morning and I completely forgot why I walked in there. here focusing on that I walked into a room this morning And I completely forgot Why I'd walked in there Do you do that?

All the time Now and again yeah The most embarrassing Is the bathroom I'm like There's limited things That I could do in this room Not the bathroom

No Did you stop and go Wait Yeah no You just kind of Foss it around Trying to you know Re-engage the memory

As you're like Looking through towels Was I needing one of those I often find that It's media that it destroys it for me yeah like you go somewhere and you're like i'll just have a quick look at my phone i don't know why and then you'll be like 10 minutes later i'll be like now why was i sitting on the bed in the spare room yeah usually it's like that and i'm like oh my god what a cat singing jay-z or something i'll be doing stuff in the kitchen and I'll turn around and be like,

I don't know why I turned this way. I don't know what I was doing, where I was going. It happens to me all the time. It's like your brain's like, we've reached the destination and now it's up to you. I got you here. Now I'm going to test you to see how much you've been concentrating. But I reckon concentration levels over the decades really have just, we must have just nosedived that. You're been concentrating. But I reckon concentration levels over the decades really have just,

we must have just nosedived that. You're probably right. Yeah, with writing things down, phones, all that stuff. Every now and again, I'm like, this is a great radio chat. I'm not going to write it down. I'm going to remember that. Nine times out of ten, you forget. I had a great, you know, great chat.

So now I'm just like, write it down straight away. But it's because we're on TikTok and it's like, scroll, scroll. You know, like if your attention span is so short. Big pressure point in our relationship is the supermarket. Jen will be like, can you go grab something for pack and save? I'm like, great. Mince milk bread. Mince milk bread.

Don't need to write that down. Mince milk bread. And I get out of there and I walk out with like catnip and rubber gloves or something. She's like, where's the mince milk and bread I've got everything the opposite of what I asked for I go one two three mmb so when you're in there you're very good with your memory you're gonna remember a lot of stuff all right but I've got little tricks to it so you'd go in there and you're like one two three mmb yeah gotcha I'm trying to figure out if you've got a really good memory or I've just got a really shocking

one and you've just got like a normal level because I'm like, oh, she remembers everything. No. Oh, that was it. I can't even remember what the out was. I can't even remember what the out gag was meant to be for this bit. Jono, Ben and Megan. The podcast. The hits. Catch up with Nicole. She hosts a radio show in New York. She's our entertainment correspondent

live from the US. How you doing this morning, Nicole? I'm doing okay. I'm still trying to process the White Lotus finale and still going through it, but I'll be okay. I'll be okay. Everything's okay. Everything's fine. A huge show around the world, huge in New Zealand. Megan

has got to watch the final episode. I've seen the first one. I'm going to watch the series, but she's calling me a psychopath, Nicole, which we're going to get to later in the show because I don't mind. Like I've seen online what happens. I'm not going to reveal it and I don't mind knowing it,

knowing I'm going to watch it. It doesn't worry me. I'm happy. I concur. I think you are a psychopath. That is the most bizarre thing I've ever heard. He kind of likes sometimes knowing the ending and the plot line

while he's watching it or before he watches it. Yeah. Are you somebody who gets anxiety from like like the build-up of something like yeah like i have a friend who can't watch those types of shows because like she needs to know and if she knows she's okay i don't do it all the time but i don't mind it's like the warriors who you love you know sometimes i will not be able to watch a game live i'll know the result and if they win i'm like oh great i can watch this and enjoy it. All right. I got you.

I understand. I mean, it's not for me. Uh, you do, you know, you keep your psychopathic ways there. And I'll do you boo and I'll do me.

Speaking of the white Lotus, um, do we have anything that we can say that doesn't spoil? No spoilers, nothing, no spoilers. Um, I'll,

I'll say is that I, I actually posted, I felt like I needed a lorazepam at the end of that one. And I was, I'm surprised. My husband fell asleep in the other room. I don't know how he didn't come in and check on me or nobody like knocked on my door to do a wellness check because I was ugly crying.

Like it was, and it wasn't just surrounding like who dies. It was the whole thing was just very emotional for me. Do you know how you could have avoided that? By the plot line you know what you're not wrong touche before you get invested in the characters be like i'm gonna lose this one i know how weird it sounds when i say it also wait megan i have a question am i the only person who like i'm like into walton goggins like i don't care that he's got a receding hairline. I want that man. I want him.

You aren't the only one. I've seen everyone saying he's the internet's daddy or boyfriend or whatever. Ben was reading an article saying he's brought the receding hairline back. Can I just say it's never gone away? We've consistently been here the whole time. We haven't disappeared.

No, I think I saw a couple interviews of him in real life. He's such a charming, amazing. That's what won me over. You know, we don't like to go too deeply on politics and stuff like that, but obviously these tariffs put out by Donald Trump are affecting not just America, but the whole world, and we all get the system of tariffs. What's it like on the streets for everyday Americans over there? If you want to know the truth, I don't even know.

Obviously, I know what a tariff is, but I don't understand really what's happening. And all anyone wants to talk about is the tariffs. And it's almost like he is like playing a board game with his friends and he thinks it's not fair. And he is marching away, stomping his feet like well then i'm gonna put a tariff on you i have no idea what is going on or what he thinks this is gonna the whole thing is a little bit foreign to me even though i live in this freaking country and we've never seen the word tariff so many times in our life right it's unbelievable i get it he wants

us to be like he wants us to have the jobs But there's a reason that we source out things in maybe China or another country because it's cheaper. That's just the way that it is. But I have no idea. The whole thing is just, it's a mess. It's a mess. Also, I don't think he's thought through. Like, I know, not getting too deep into it. The beef, a lot of your beef comes from New Zealand and Australia.

So your Big Macs are going to be expensive. He likes the Big Mac too, doesn't he? He loves McDonald's. Yeah, don't start messing with me. I'm like such a meat and potatoes girl. I'm such a carnivore. Do not mess with that. I did not know that actually.

First the eggs and now this. I saw Dave Chappelle was like, I don't want to make my own Nikes. Trying to make better Nikes than I'll ever make. It's a very good point. It's a great point. They've got it covered. Why are we going to mess with something that's not broken? It's unreal.

Jono, Ben and Megan. The podcast. The hits. We must bring you in here, Ben Boyce, because MacGyver holds a special place in your heart. It does. This is wild. I love the show MacGyver, and then I guess,

I know where you're going with this. Through a show they used to make, a sports comedy show, we had a segment that was called MacGyver. It was about Stephen MacGyver. We'd play some pranks on him. The great broadcaster from Sky Sports, great dude, as well as net change to Hamish MacGyver, who was the TV3 broadcaster.

Again, great dude. Did it have a change because of this incident? Yes, we went a bit far. Younger days, stupid days, all totally our fault. We went. But it had a change. What? Did it have a change because of this incident? Yes, we went a bit far. Younger days, stupid days, all totally our fault. We went a bit far with a prank. We hired a banner that went around Mount Smart Stadium. We were playing some jokes on Stephen McIver. God, who paid for that?

Well, I think we had to pay for it in the end. He paid with his body. It never went on television. And we were mortified because we thought, we're doing these pranks on Stephen, you know, lighthearted pranks. And we were like this he'll find this one funny hired a banner with a bit of a message to do with goats behind the plane he didn't unfortunately find it funny and it was to do with him and goats and it went from what we thought was going to be really funny to like the

worst moment and we had to like calls saying get that thing out of the sky there's a banner or the plane and you can't it's got to draw it's got to fly 40 minutes back across Auckland so you can't just drop the banner and we're like oh no we ended up going to the police station

the irony is if he could drop the banner it would just land perfectly in the middle of the field oh we were mortified to cause embarrassment to someone

that we didn't want to cause embarrassment we're all good now he came and played handball with us for hours and hours so time heals these things and we apologise.

We even brought flowers to a very awkward meeting with him. Yeah, at the time. And as I say, totally our fault. One of those real great lessons, life lessons. So no one ever saw that? Like you didn't put it to TV? No, eventually he did let us play it many years later. Only 40,000 people in a sold-out bounce-ball stadium.

We had to have some blurs on it for obvious reasons later. But, yeah, again, one of those things that never really wanted to go. It's a story of my career. How many pranks backfired? Oh, well, that was a big one. The airport one's a big one. They've had a couple of marquee prank moments for me. He's learned from them all.

It definitely makes me question things a bit more, you know? You wonder how you've ended up with this anxious, paranoid human being sitting in front of you. Yeah, there's a lot. Well, it's moments like MacGyver. I can't even say it. He's fine now. He's fine. Yeah, we're all good now.

Yeah, it's all good. And you learn those lessons. And you told us a story and we thought it was funny. Yeah. Even if he did it. He does now. He finally sees the funny side of it now, which is great. Jono, Ben and Megan.

The podcast. The hits. You said to me yesterday, I feel like, as Jono said before, you've really overshot the mark. Psychopath. Yeah. We all have psychopathic tendencies where someone says something and you're like, you are a monster for that.

No, as I said it, I was like, I probably am a little bit. Maybe I'm the only one that does this particular thing. And it doesn't mind me. Because a lot of, you know, we're talking about The White Lotus and you were yesterday going, no spoilers, no spoilers. Like a lot of people didn't want to know spoilers. I get that. I totally get that.

But for me, I was like, I kind of will watch the series, but I don't mind finding out about spoilers. So Ben hasn't watched White Lotus yet, the latest season, but you know what happens. You know who dies. Yeah, and I still will watch it, and I still will enjoy it. Sometimes with a movie, I was saying to you, sometimes I'll be watching a movie with my family

and my wife, I'll start looking at characters, then I'll get into the trivia, then I'll get into, oh, I just read a header about the plot and stuff like that as well. I go, oh, okay. And I don't mind. I don't enjoy the experience any less for knowing what's, in fact, sometimes is a comfort for me.

He even likes his... He's so organised in life, he even likes his viewing that is yet to come to even be organised. Maybe that's it, yeah. Is this worth watching? Do I want to see this cliffhanger? You're out cliffhanger-ing the cliffhanger. See, my wife is the same as you.

She wouldn't want to know. I wouldn't tell her. I'm not going to spoil it for anyone. I like the journey. Yeah, that's fine. And here's the kicker, though. You said you sometimes find out the result of a sports game. Yeah, no, I love watching.

This is wild. Yeah, okay, so I love watching sport live. If I've got the choice, it's live over anything. But sometimes when it's late and delayed, you might hear the result, and then I go, oh, the Warriors won. I've missed it. I'm going to watch that because it's a nice comfort in the fact that I know they're going to win.

There's no stress involved. I'm like, oh, that's cool's a nice comfort in the fact that I know they're going to win. There's no stress involved. I'm like, oh, that's cool. The Storm has scored twice, but I know the Warriors are coming back. But you know the ending. I do, but you know. Does it not take the pleasure out of the journey? It's not as enjoyable, yeah, but I don't mind it.

But it's 20% more relaxing. I get you. Sometimes you just, you don't need to be stressed out watching the Warriors. I love the Warriors. It's weird because I like the Jeopardy. And that is good. And as I say,. And that is good.

And as I say, live over anything is better. But yeah, but as far as a movie or a TV show, I don't mind finding out the spoilers. Sometimes it's quite good. I'm like, oh, I see how this is. Okay, so like an emotional bit. So there's a huge emotional part where people would cry. If you know, you've read it. You know it's coming up.

I've prepared myself for it. Emotionally prepared yourself. Do you still shed tears or are you like, oh, you might want to brace yourself for this one, honey? Yeah. I do know that it's got to be very good to get me across that threshold then, I guess, you know.

But maybe I'm the only one and that's fine. Do we need to bring philosopher Sam Smith into this again and find out if you are the only one that does this? Oh, yeah. Psychopathic tendency.

Okay. And it's not like I intentionally do it all the time, but I don't mind finding out spoilers. I don't mind. I won't make me not want to watch something that's very good. Okay, is Ben Boyce the only person who

reads plot lines, finds out what's happening with a story, and even sports games? Yeah. Oh, 800 of the hits? Oh, I knew this was going to be it, I knew this was going to be it. I knew it was going to be it. I do like this version. It's very cool.

I was trying to get the hook of Sam Smith. I'm not the only one. I've ended up with the... This is a good version. You get the point. It's the best version in my opinion. But anyway, it's not about why they're right now. Is Ben the only one?

Jono, Ben and Megan. The podcast. The hits. All sorts of accusations have been thrown around by Megan towards me because I will happily find out about spoilers. In fact, sometimes I'll read ahead on movies and TV shows. So I know the plot line. I don't mind knowing that.

I sometimes enjoy the experience more knowing what's coming up. He emotionally prepares himself for any uh devastating scenes what if there is something coming up that you know amanda your wife won't like will you give her a little warning oh no i try not to because i feel like she doesn't like she likes she's like you megan she doesn't want to know she doesn't want to know but it's it's frustrating i get it i get it it probably causes frustration for people right someone's saying on the text machine um sporting movies or shows

100% fine often relieves anxiety and that's probably it probably it for me yeah that's because I was like trying to read up

on your personality trait like what does this mean for these psychos that do this and it like often is like a comfort thing and an anxiety thing

and so now I feel like a monster for calling you a monster that's alright I don't know I'm not offended but I'm fine I'm fine with it

you know I've got to be in the right frame of mind to watch something my family keep wanting to watch adolescence which I do need to watch Friday. I'm not offended by it. I'm fine. I'm fine with it. You know, I've got to be in the right frame of mind to watch something. My family keep wanting to watch Adolescence, which I do need to watch. Friday night, I'm like, it's too full on for me. I can't do that. What about a Wednesday night? Yeah, maybe Wednesday night.

I made them watch The Naked Gun instead of Real Gear Change. Like from? Yeah, it's on Netflix right now. Wow. I enjoyed it. No part of me regretted that, that's for sure. You knew the plot line. You knew the ending right now. Wow. I enjoyed it. No part of me regretted that, that's for sure. You knew the plot line. You knew the ending.

Exactly. Let's go to the phones. Maria, do you ruin spoilers for yourself? I'm totally like Ben. I absolutely love spoilers because I don't want to be disappointed. I was watching Maths. I was watching the TikTok one so that I saw what was happening in Aussie before it came on New Zealand.

Oh, so you knew it all and then you would watch it again, like see the full episode. Yeah, totally. Because I didn't want to watch the bad stuff happening to my favourite couple. So I was like, nah, just that. So what happens if something bad happens on TikTok? You're like, will you just not engage with that episode? Oh, I just don't watch it.

Really? Okay, interesting approach. What would you call Maria a psychopath? An absolute psycho. I think a psychopath is someone that would have a spoiler and then go out and tell people purposely. That feels like that's in there. That's also a psychopath.

I try not to, but sometimes it slips because I think it's with my mouth, not my head, so. You looked into it, Megan, didn't you, yesterday? Yeah, so it's for people who like to have control over situations. They have a low tolerance for emotional overwhelm. The worst thing you could do, one of the worst things to me would be to take to a surprise party or a surprise weekend away

would be my worst nightmare. Going up and be like, what, what, what? Not being prepared. We have to throw ben a surprise party my wife has never like it'd be like no if you bought that if you bought that you know she's like she would not do it i just would i would not enjoy it so you don't like to be surprised in any aspect i'd rather look forward to like if someone says are they coming back in three months i'm like great i get to look forward to hanging we are 100 throwing your surprise party

this year i would hate every second of a surprise party. Honestly, I would. Debs, morning to you. Do you ruin shows for yourself? Yeah, 100%. I'm with you. I'm with you. But you still enjoy watching them when you know everything that's going to happen?

More so, I think, because I'm not stressing. The whole thing just stresses me out. Listen, can I just say, watching TV doesn't need to be a stressful experience. You don't need to make it stressful. Yeah, you don't have to be caught up in knots and things are going to come up. I'm like, okay, I'm going to be chill and relaxed through this thing. Yeah, I mean, I was watching White Lotus,

like crying my eyes out, like up and down, up and down on the seat. Maybe it would have relieved that. But you enjoy that. That's fine. I do. And I get that. I'm not going to yuck your yum, as you always say.

Debs. But he would find out what your yum was before he was going to yuck it. He doesn't want to be caught by surprise that you're into bloody all this weird stuff. Debs, we've had a text through here. Someone who reads the end of books first, then starts at the beginning. Would you do that, Debs? I may have done that. Oh, you've done that?

I've had a wee peek from time to time too as well, you know, just to kind of go, oh, okay, I can see how this is all. And how's this all going to come together too? There's still a journey. There's still a journey you need to get to. I think people who like suspense and horror and get scared are psychopaths. Really. They're the weird ones.

There's a lot of psychopathic allegations being thrown around this morning but can I just again the meaning of a psychopath impulsive risky behaviour compulsive lies a lot of them become murderers

do you define yourself in the same ten words no I do you're only more me than Ben that's for sure John O'Ben and Megan the podcast

the hits O'Keefe rugby referee holds a record for the most first class games super rugby and test matches officiated by any New Zealand referee, which is a tremendous honour.

And he joins us in the studio right now. Good morning, Ben. Morning. Lovely to have you here. Doctor Ben O'Keefe. Yeah. Some days I'm a doctor, some days I'm a referee. Anything you can do with this face of mine, this buddy?

Beating up all... That sort of doctor? I don't know. A bit more time, I don't know. We'll see how we go after this. Might have to go back to medical school to see what he can do. Now, people, of course, know you as an international rugby referee, but you also teamed up for a really cool campaign

that is a good reminder for a lot of parents about how they react to kids' sports, right? Yeah, exactly. So Active's all about love their game at the moment and we're trying to give really good messages about positive sideline behaviour because as a player, now I'm a referee, I see a lot of it around the world.

But I think we've got a really good opportunity to try and improve what we're seeing and hearing on the sideline towards kids, players and referees. Reading about it, how much it sticks with the kids that I think a lot of parents don't know. They get caught up in the game, they get caught up in what's going on, but don't realise how much it sticks with them

after the game and affects their love of sport. Yeah, well, I think parents you know, like our parents, you know, we're passionate, we want to win, and we sort of put that on to our children. And I think sometimes we forget that, you know, we just want our kids to have fun. But also the kids, vicariously, they can make up for my shortcomings.

Well, exactly. You know, I failed at achievements. That's why I had kids. Yeah, it is. But what's the bit of advice you would give? I think we love supporting New Zealand, we love sports in New Zealand so I think it's really important that we continue doing that but it's just the message

around before the game, during the game after the game, whether it's towards a referee or whether it's towards your child that's playing just be positive about did you enjoy it did you have fun today, what did you learn rather than you have to win every time and you need to run faster, you need to catch the ball better so I think all those things if we just change it slightly kids will have a much more

enjoyable time do you think it's okay for um someone to follow you around the netball court and stand under the goal while you're trying to take a shot and tell you how to do it is this my game is this that uh that's my mum she got told she couldn't come to netball games not only by but by the refs really yes i know people like that i haven't met your mom i don't know if that was her the other weekend at my rugby game probably um no i think that's potentially crossing the line a little bit would you ever crack at your mom while you were shooting shut up yeah it's literally arguments constantly it's very distracting but i think also what people sometimes forget too

is being a parent on the sideline watching my daughters play is a lot of time there are coaches, there are volunteers, people doing it for free. The referees are sometimes like a 12-year-old girl in the umpires and stuff. Got to take a step back and realise it's not the Rugby World Cup final or anything like that. Well, I mean, for everyone it is kind of their final, but it's perspective, isn't it?

So I think it's important. I'm big on refereeing because obviously that's my background. But you're right, you know, the referee's job isn't there to be perfect, OK? It's like the players, they're not there to be perfect either. But they're there, they're turning up, they're giving up their time. Often, while they're all volunteers, you know, they're young and they're going to stay involved if they feel like they're supportive, if they feel like they're loved, they enjoy the game. And that's what we want to try and do on the sidelines.

Who is, and you can name and shame, this is a safe space, the worst professional rugby player for you to have to deal with, internationally or domestically, where you're like, and you're like, why do I have to referee this person again? I get some every weekend, you know, the normally typical, you know, first fives, halfbacks, but I probably want to say, without naming anyone, that a lot of them have retired now. Well, they're not playing anymore, Ben.

You can make a change. No, I think, look, and that's the thing, like, as referees, like, you don't go out there to win by, you know, wanting everyone to sort of, you know, love all the decisions that you're making, but you try and do the best job that you're doing, just like community referees do, just like community players are doing, and if you can walk off the field and say, yep, I really contributed to the value of that game, that game then you know we can be pretty happy. What a great mindset. What's your relationship like with the players when you actually walk off the field and they've been disagreeing with you for 80 minutes? No it's really good like it's um I think we're

very lucky in rugby at the moment you know compared to other sports where there is respect for officials there's you know a lot of respect for the game you know just like they could be battering and tackling each other in the game, you come off the field and they shake their hand and they shake your hand and you walk off and it's pretty good. Can you hear us from the grandstands when we're like, come on, Riff, get some glasses. Riff, can you hear all that?

You have a very recognisable voice. I probably could if you were at a game. Go on, Ben, did you get some glasses? We were in Hamilton a few weeks ago. The more you travel down this career path, the further away from the crowd you get, which is not a bad thing. The problem is the crowd gets bigger and bigger and bigger.

80,000 people booing or cheering you hear, but in the middle you're so focused and you're just so entrenched in what's happening in front of you, you zone out from everything else. But I do feel for my assistant referees sometimes because they're right next to the bench, they're right next to the sideline. There's some stadiums in New Zealand

which are very, very close to the sideline. I'd just constantly be like, shut up! You want to do this? Come on up! I have done that a few times in my career and it backfired on me. Well, Ben, lovely to have you in there.

Thanks so much for speaking up about your job and in particular getting involved with this campaign which is such a great campaign i love their game uh thanks to active and of course a great message for parents all around the country yeah look i'm really supportive it's an honor to be part of um active in any campaign and i think you know we're doing a really really good thing for you know in new zealand too and be nice to ben he's he's just a... Me? No, not you. He's trying his best. I am trying my best, you're right. I'm trying my best. We don't always get it right, do we, Ben? But hey, we just keep battling on.

Jono, Ben and Megan. The Podcast. The Hits. New Zealand Herald Daily Quiz. Feel good about this one. Down in my quiz caves. They're jiggling. They're jiggling, Quiz Queen. How are you feeling about it? Your quiz in my quiz caves. They're jiggling. They're jiggling, Quiz Queen. How are you feeling about it? Your quiz caves are jiggling. They're excited.

Is it an earthquake? Ten out of ten. I feel it's coming. Yes, me too. Feeling my jelly. Which is how they did come in and say it's very hard again today. Sorry, I had my headphones on. I wasn't listening.

Yeah, you didn't hear that. Ignorance is bliss. Okay, question number one. What is the name of the largest crater on the moon? Is it Copernicus, Taicho or South Pole Aitken Basin? Quiz Cave's not feeling so good now. I felt like it's number one. Do you?

Copernicus. Have you heard of that before? I'll show you just so you can see it I don't know if that's going to help We can lifeline We can lifeline Yeah we can lifeline off question one Unless you want to just Back yourself

Go on Megan Back yourself Go on back yourself At least you just want to back yourself Do the un-New Zealand thing Of backing yourself Yeah it doesn't normally happen But maybe this yourself At least you just want to back yourself Do the New Zealand thing Of backing yourself Yeah It doesn't normally happen

But maybe this is At least laughing hysterically Maybe this is a moment That'll come through You'll be like Oh my god I was right So there you go

Is it the bibbidi-bop one Can't say The last one The South Pole Aiken Basin Which one would you like to do Is it Is it what Aiken Basin

I don't know You guys choose No it's on you mate No it's on you Sometimes we. No, it's on you. Sometimes we will choose and you're like, oh, no, I was talking about that one. So that's what you sound like. So right now it's on you. Oh, no.

Just so you know, Ben and me will be talking about all the options. Go one. That was the Copernicus one? Copernicus. Nice. That was incorrect. Yeah. It was the South Pole Aikenernicus one. Copernicus. Nice. That was incorrect, unfortunately. Yeah.

It was the South Pole Aiken Basin one. You were talking about that one, Ben. I was just saying. But anyway, over to you, Megan. Hey, that's all right. That's all right. Don't have to tickle me because it sounds like making bacon. Out of pure interest.

The next question. Yeah. How would we have gone I think you would have got this one So the next one was Te Whātū Ora Is the Te Reo Māori name For which government agency

Is it Department of Conservation Health New Zealand Or Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trades Health New Zealand That is correct Well done Now I feel like we want to keep going on the quiz We can't

We can't You're tapped out That's it Alright well thank you very much New Zealand Herald quiz Back tomorrow For nothing