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Paul Henry Roasts “Incompetent” NZ Media, Reflects on Dikshit & Moustache On a Lady, Nudism & More!

July 01, 202401:56:29
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[Music]
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Paul Henry welcome to my podcast it's
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quite exciting
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Dom is it I you you are a dream guest
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for me an absolute Dream well you know I
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don't want it to turn into a nightmare I
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mean the thing is the one of the things
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is you've been trying to get me on for a
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long long time have you seen all the
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messages yep yep I don't think don't
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think just because I haven't replied to
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them I didn't see them um but the thing
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is it's not that I'm playing hard to get
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I just never wanted to come on um but
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the thing is the longer you want to get
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me on then I come on then you say
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something like this is a dream to get
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you on because it's been so hard but in
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reality it's just Paul Henry no but I
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I've um by the way I've got a lot of a
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lot of cards here with a lot of notes on
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and um well and the um your cards
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personalized cards you've personalized
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them and but then I I listen to every
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other podcast you've been on from what I
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can together it's which is not many be
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fair one with cie Flyn one with Paula
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Bennett one with Max Key and between two
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be Oh no you're right you're right and
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Max Key asked you um what it takes to be
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a good broadcaster and you said you said
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be yourself then you told a story about
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um having three questions really for for
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each interview you did and I like yeah
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you should actually only need three
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right you know because you because I
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mean fundamentally with an interview you
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know how long it's going to be it's
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different if it's like something like
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this long form or even something that's
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pre-recorded but most of the stuff I was
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doing was live and so you realize that
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you've got a fixed amount of time so you
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have three Journey questions which
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basically form the backbone of the
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interview um and then the trick is to
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actually listen and that is what
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distinguishes a a good interviewer from
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a bad CU most interviewers actually
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don't listen to the answers they go in
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knowing what answer they want to get oh
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and for those of you not watching I've
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just had a wine poured for me Cheers
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Cheers which was your idea I want to
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point out there are people in my life
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who
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think I may be straying into over
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drinking territory alcoholism well you
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well well again your word not mine
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actually your word's not mine in your
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book in your book um I'm in a United
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State you sort of uh it's almost like
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you're internally wondering whether
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you've got an alcohol problem not yeah
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and I don't I don't have an alcohol
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problem in fact for some bizarre reason
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I'm drinking slightly less than I did
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for a while um it might just be old age
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but um I think in that book I I
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mentioned my father's definition of an
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alcoholic someone who needs a drink yeah
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so he said that that people are are
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often um confused by how much they drink
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so so you know if you drink x amount
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you're an alcoholic he said that's not
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it he said you don't have to drink a lot
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to be an alcoholic the definition is do
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you ever need a drink and if you as
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opposed to want one and if you actually
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need a drink at any time then in his
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mind you're an
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alcoholic he needed a drink once a day
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so you're you're a a daily Drinker Mo
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most days do you have alcohol free days
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yeah I do I do and that's important so
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I'm I'm going to give you this advice
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for free now or this knowledge for free
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and it cost me a lot because I've got a
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doctor in Beverly Hills who charges an
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absolute Fortune um and she said it's
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better not to drink any alcohol at all
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um but she said to me if you could have
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two alcohol-free days a week it will
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make a huge difference particularly if
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they are consecutive days so she said
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the benefit of having two consecutive
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days is probably the equivalent to
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having three alcohol three days a week
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if they're consecutive as opposed to
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like a Monday and a Thursday yeah so I
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always try and have two consecutive
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alcohol free days right but and then on
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the days you do drink like like a bottle
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y or into the second no very very seldom
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and also um I'm one of those drinkers
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who very seldom has anything other than
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Wine on a wine drinking day so I might
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have a Jin I love Jin um I might have a
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Jin but I wouldn't I wouldn't have a
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wine so my sort of Maximum alcohol
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intake in a day would be one bottle of
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wine and it would be at the moment a
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maximum really to be honest 4 days a
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week right well that's good going so
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I've dropped it back and you'll notice
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an interesting thing in all this time
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like you poured the drink and we said
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cheers but I haven't yet drunk any cuz
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it's all part of the magic mag magic of
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wine because now because here's the
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thing it was sitting in the bottle with
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the lid on it this is probably boring
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you'll probably cut this out but it was
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sitting in the bottle with the lid on it
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and just seeing it there was enough to
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satisfy you know I had the knowledge
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that he's going to open this wine in a
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minute and then you did and there was
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that lovely noise of the screw C then
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you poured it and I got a SL with now
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I'm smelling
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it and like I've started to enjoy it
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already I'm savoring it already and I
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haven't yet sipped it oh well that seems
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like a healthy relationship with alcohol
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I'm constantly evaluating mine my
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relationship that's because you're
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obsessed with health aren't you you know
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you're obsessed I I because I had a
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little look at your bookshelf on the way
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in um and you have I think an
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unnatural an unnatural interest in your
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your physique and what you put into your
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body I think yeah part of it I think is
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Vanity I like the way how I look but I
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figure it's it's good for you in other
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aspects of your life that you're honest
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about it I think I think a lot of it's
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vanity for most people um but yeah I
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don't know i' I've managed to avoid you
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know eating well or doing any exercise
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for 63 years yeah you you yeah you you
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say that I've heard you heard you say
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that of um and I shouldn't take pride in
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it either because I know it's better to
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be healthy but you are healthy right
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guess like you're you're you're not um
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you're not you're not D you're not
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overweight um you're very active you're
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fit even if it's not through to it I'm
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I'm I'm not very active but I am act
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when I need to be active no no what what
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I mean is you can go on your boat and go
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from I know it's not sailing it's just
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on a boat but you know regardless of
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what the conditions are on a boat you
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can sail from Fiji to New Zealand no
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absolutely absolutely and I can sort of
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carry my weight you know I'm a little
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I've always been a little bit overweight
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um but I'm okay with that you know I'd
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rather look different but not much
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different and the effort to go in the
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effort I would need to put in to look a
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little bit different I'm not prepared to
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do
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it I love it hey by by the way um you
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said you probably chop this but out um I
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don't I don't chop anything anything out
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of these um unless it's at the request
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of say yourself or my public sister
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sitting here she's very worried because
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I really I really don't care what I say
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know but and so I need minders I feel
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like you've been you've been that way
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since um maybe
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2010 was was there a point in your life
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or career that you that you got what you
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considered [ __ ] you money and we you
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just didn't care anymore you know
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someone can fire you and it's not going
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to change your life I've never cared
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even when it was important to me um you
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know money uh you know earning money it
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was necessary I've never cared I've
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never looked over my shoulder at whether
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or not what I'm about to do or what I
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did would would lose me my income um
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I've just never
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I've always thought to myself I don't
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want to be here if you don't want me
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here and I don't want to be here if I
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can't just be
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myself and that there in lies the
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the there in lies a couple of benefits
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actually one I think you're a better
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broadcaster of yourself if you're honest
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and two it's so much
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easier oh yeah cuz you don't get caught
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up in a lie about something and also
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Imagine particularly in the situation
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that like I know we've both been in
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where you're on air for hours and hours
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5 days a week
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live television live radio um you know
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if you're having to you know have a fake
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persona for that amount of time I mean
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that that would take its toll it's much
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easier just to go in and be yourself I
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think there's a lot of people in
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broadcasting though that um that do have
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like a fake persona and it's generally
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like a a nice guy or a nice person
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Persona then when you meet them you're
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disappointed whereas you you um no one
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who ever meets you would say a bad word
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about you like you're you're very you're
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very charming and you're very likable um
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you I try to be and the funny thing is I
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I must genuinely be like that because I
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really don't care I really don't care
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whether people like me or not and I
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don't the comments that I get for the
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things that I do whether they're good or
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bad I I wouldn't like people to to be
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indifferent towards me would
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I well they're not so it doesn't matter
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Ian I think I would much rather people
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feel very strongly either positively or
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negatively than be indifferent um but
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yeah I've never really cared I've never
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really and again how much easier is that
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well for me I I was um I was from a
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background of music radio which is
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vastly different to talk radio but I I
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you know I studied broadcasting it at
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sort of quite great length to try and
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figure out what makes someone good and I
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think you are definitely one of the
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greats and it's probably the three hes
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actually Henry homes and hosing and one
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thing that all three of you had in
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common even though you're all very
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different broadcasters is you're all
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quite polarizing yes yeah yeah
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absolutely because I think if you're
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going to I think you almost have to be
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because if you are true to yourself then
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people will know what you're about so
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for instance they'll know your religion
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uh more or less they'll certainly know
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your politics if you're Hest and of
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course in a especially in a country like
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New Zealand I mean and it's true in many
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other countries but especially in New
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Zealand
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um people are not very tolerant of
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opposing political views um you know
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even within families people are not very
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tolerant of opposing political views so
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of course that is immediately going to
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polarize people um but but I always said
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when I polarize people I polarize them
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so much that they still want to watch to
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have their prejudices against me
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reinforced hate watching yeah yeah oh
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God he said it again I knew he was going
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to say that what an [ __ ] [ __ ] okay
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jeez sh there's so so much to get
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through it's um you know okay I'll do
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short answers okay no no no I don't want
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to I don't want to T anyway it's funny
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though because you have long form
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interviews like podcast which are are
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fantastic I think yeah because um but
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how do you make money out of them
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sponsorship but is there enough
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sponsorship it's getting there in the in
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the first year I started it I I reckon I
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took a 90% pay c cap from what I was
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getting in morning radio y now it's um
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year three it's up to almost the same
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amount wow really yeah there must very
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few people in your position though doing
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podcast I mean so many people do
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podcasts and it's you still have to get
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cut through the advantage you had of
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course is you had a
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so you had a following but it just
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always amazes me that there are because
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there are so many people doing things
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for nothing and you know just desperate
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to get an audience without actually
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thinking of monetizing it whereas do it
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properly and actually you've got to be
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able to monetize it you got to be able
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to get by absolutely you do absolutely
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so good for you hey thanks very much um
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and yeah I wasn't um joking before as
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you know from my DMs you are like a a
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dream guest and I'm it's such an honor
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that you're here today um I thought we
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could talk about a couple of current
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things and then we'll we'll go back and
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we'll bounce around through the Paul
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Henry story yeah yeah um so tritus uh
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first of all uh congratulations like the
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new season I've seen a couple of
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episodes I loved it um I caught up with
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a mutual friend of ours Andrew
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Schusterman on on the weekend for a
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drink he he told me episode three is
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insane yeah it's killer insane why am
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what you know the thing that I'm pleased
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about with it is that it genuinely is
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world class and you obviously we don't
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have a world-class budget um you know
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it's part of a franchise the Traders
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franchise and you know you look at the
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English who are spending millions and
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millions of pounds more than we are
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spending on a 12 episode series um but
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ours is very very comparable to theirs I
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mean we we it's really good it is world
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class on a New Zealand and a healthy New
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Zealand budget I me we spent a lot of
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money on it but in New Zealand standards
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we spent a lot of money on it it's a
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it's a it's a great show um yeah it's so
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interesting he it's just um that sort of
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herd mentality like someone will say
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something about another person and then
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it just gathers momentum yeah but what
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um well and that the thing that I love
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about it because I came out of
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retirement to do it it sort of fitted
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that very narrow criteria that I said I
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would you know when I left um when I
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retired I said I'm never again going to
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do daily weekly or monthly work um but
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if the right project came along that I
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could you know concentrate on and work
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hard on for a short period of time uh I
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would do it and it just the format that
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when I saw you know when they offered it
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to me um I watched the English one and I
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thought God You' you'd be a [ __ ] not to
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say yes to to hosting this um and it's
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hard work and I hate doing it but I love
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having done it do you know what I mean
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have you have you done things like that
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where you can honestly say the doing it
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is really hard but having done it is a
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great sense of satisfaction you're so
00:14:04
pleased and I'm at the point now where
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I'm doing I'm in post production for the
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second second half um and I really enjoy
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that you know uh but but the actual
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taping of it is um yeah and for anyone
00:14:17
that hasn't hasn't seen it so you're the
00:14:19
you're the you're the host or the ring
00:14:20
Master whatever you want to call it and
00:14:21
you're sort of you're playing yourself
00:14:23
but it's very much an exaggerated
00:14:25
version of yourself it's an acting an
00:14:27
acting role yeah is is that who you'd
00:14:29
love to be um it's well it's very um I
00:14:32
suppose in a way it's the opposite of
00:14:34
what I was saying before be yourself but
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it's it's me being it's an exaggerated
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vers an exaggerated version of myself
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yeah and so for instance the clothes
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that I wear there a lot of them are my
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clothes but I wouldn't
00:14:46
normally wear them in that sort of
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combination or or all the time which I
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do in the program yes um and I love that
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because I love theater you know I've
00:14:56
always loved theater um I'm I'm a
00:14:59
frustrated actor always have been got
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started working at the BBC originally
00:15:02
when I was very young because I needed
00:15:04
money and I I discovered that like like
00:15:08
everyone else that was there um I was a
00:15:11
frustrated actor and you were working at
00:15:13
the BBC because they actually paid you a
00:15:15
salary rather than working for a theater
00:15:17
where you may or may not get work what
00:15:20
why are you so anti-work because I've
00:15:22
sort of found from my I'm probably
00:15:23
projecting here but from my personal
00:15:24
experience if there's something that I'm
00:15:25
very good at I generally enjoy it or at
00:15:28
least enjoy it more
00:15:29
you well I'm much older than you I've
00:15:31
done it for longer I'm older than you
00:15:33
you know not considerably though I
00:15:36
suppose suppose not um but I don't know
00:15:40
I just think you know job well done I'm
00:15:44
job well done you know what I mean I I
00:15:46
mean like I a lot of people a lot of
00:15:49
people seem to think particularly in our
00:15:52
industry that the mark of success is to
00:15:56
die doing it I think to a large extent
00:15:59
that's actually the mark of failure you
00:16:01
know isn't success saying gee I I did
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really well at that I'm really happy
00:16:05
with the way I did that I I said yes to
00:16:08
all of these amazing opportunities that
00:16:10
I was given and then was given better
00:16:12
opportunities and started to say no and
00:16:14
thought no I'm moving on there are other
00:16:17
things because you do realize and you
00:16:19
must surely realize this but I think a
00:16:21
lot of broadcasters don't that actually
00:16:24
apart from the people you're
00:16:25
entertaining today you're not making a
00:16:26
difference you know you're actually not
00:16:28
making
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it's a bit of pill to swallow but I've
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always said I could go back on talk back
00:16:33
radio tomorrow and just recap shows that
00:16:38
I did 20 years ago and the same callers
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you know or their next generation will
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phone up and say the same bloody things
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moan about the same thing you know what
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actually changes yeah but you but you're
00:16:49
very good at it that's do you do you
00:16:51
think you've got um like it I'm 51 I'm
00:16:55
at an age where it was never diagnosed
00:16:56
so you definitely would be as well but
00:16:57
do you think there's like of ADHD in oh
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god well we're all on the Spectrum
00:17:02
aren't we yeah I agree we're all on the
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Spectrum like I said in in in which book
00:17:06
was it I think an outraged um I mean
00:17:09
everyone very few people are black and
00:17:10
white if any right so take homosexuality
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right um my viewers that that's just a
00:17:17
spectrum that we're all on um and some
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people
00:17:21
are more to one extreme than another but
00:17:24
I mean in in fact in in my second book
00:17:26
outraged I had a graph so
00:17:30
50% was entirely homosexual right one
00:17:35
and and then at the Other Extreme you
00:17:36
had entirely entirely um heterosexual uh
00:17:40
and and we're all somewhere on that
00:17:43
spectrum and so we are as well on
00:17:46
emotionally and in every other
00:17:48
way and I mean that's what makes that's
00:17:51
why every single person is different
00:17:52
yeah cuz the different combinations are
00:17:54
almost Limitless almost Limitless
00:17:57
absolutely so so you do you do the the
00:17:58
traitors um you've also got the Henry
00:18:00
Spirit as well e Jen yeah like is that a
00:18:03
passion project yeah it's well it's I'm
00:18:05
not passionate about
00:18:07
it you know what I'm gonna be honest I'm
00:18:10
GNA be honest I'm I do find it hard to
00:18:14
be passionate about very many things now
00:18:16
and I think that's healthy as well sad
00:18:19
isn't it no no it's not no cuz I've been
00:18:22
passionate about things and now I just
00:18:24
really like things that I used to be
00:18:25
passionate about but that's not a bad
00:18:27
thing it's because you know you you've
00:18:29
been there and you've done that so
00:18:30
here's what the Gin is the Gin was an
00:18:33
interest and I thought I bet I could do
00:18:35
that because I've got a fabulous taste
00:18:37
buds um but if I'm going to do it I I I
00:18:41
just want it to be really really good I
00:18:44
I want to know that it is the best gin
00:18:47
there is or at least equal to the best
00:18:49
gin there is um but because I wasn't
00:18:53
passionate about having a huge Gin
00:18:54
Company or selling a huge amount you
00:18:56
have to cut Corners cuz I mean how was I
00:18:58
going to sell it I didn't want to do
00:19:00
advertising or anything like that so so
00:19:04
so where I cut Corners was in the
00:19:06
bottles and what I've discovered and had
00:19:08
I not done this I wouldn't have
00:19:10
discovered it the singly most important
00:19:13
thing with Spirits is the
00:19:14
bottle now a lot of people will be
00:19:17
listening to this and also watching it
00:19:20
and instantly you want to jump in and
00:19:22
say well that can't be true you know but
00:19:24
that's the buying decision the buying
00:19:27
decision is what you know and I'm
00:19:29
talking about a spirit you haven't tried
00:19:30
before so if you're going to try a
00:19:31
spirit you haven't tried what are the
00:19:33
decisions the labels are a little bit
00:19:35
important what you've heard about it
00:19:37
it's a little bit important where it is
00:19:38
on the Shelf is quite important but
00:19:41
nothing individually is more important
00:19:43
than the container it's in it's
00:19:45
literally judging a book by its Cav
00:19:47
really it literally is and when you
00:19:48
think about it I mean take Jen as an
00:19:50
example there's so bloody much and if
00:19:53
you've got one that you like why would
00:19:55
you take a risk especially with a Jin
00:19:57
like the Henry which is at the low end
00:20:00
of expensive Jens you know if there's a
00:20:02
really cheap J that you haven't seen
00:20:03
before and you love Jen just buy a
00:20:06
bottle you know but mine isn't that mine
00:20:08
is at the low end of the expensive Gins
00:20:11
and and so why when there's so much gin
00:20:13
in you know the ones you like would you
00:20:15
try a different J because you'd go [ __ ]
00:20:17
look at that bottle you know and the
00:20:19
label a little bit but it's the bottle
00:20:21
so anyway I'm working on that now with
00:20:23
my Distributors so but but is it a
00:20:25
passion project no is it something I'm
00:20:28
interested enough to do a little bit
00:20:30
towards yes and what I know is my God it
00:20:32
tastes fabulous I I didn't bring a
00:20:35
bottle in and I should have brought a
00:20:36
bottle in but see and that's another
00:20:37
thing I don't want to be the guy that
00:20:39
just goes around spooking his own J you
00:20:41
know because this would have been a
00:20:43
perfect place and thank you for talking
00:20:45
about it this will be cut out um but but
00:20:48
but no it's um I I don't want to be that
00:20:50
guy that you know if people buy my Jin
00:20:53
they will realize when they taste it as
00:20:55
long as they like the cuz you know you
00:20:57
have to like cherries to enjoy the
00:20:58
Cherry J you have to like watermelon to
00:21:00
enjoy the watermelon J but I
00:21:03
know someone will say oh well I quite
00:21:07
like the Bombay Sapphire you know and in
00:21:10
the back of my mind I know how it's made
00:21:12
and I'm happy for someone to say I like
00:21:14
that more than yours because what
00:21:16
they're saying is that taste appeals to
00:21:18
me or more likely I've been drinking it
00:21:20
for a long time and so that to me is gin
00:21:23
you know so the more it tastes like that
00:21:25
the better I like it but I am I can I'm
00:21:28
quite happy for people to say I don't
00:21:29
like the taste of it because I know how
00:21:31
good it is technically I know how good
00:21:33
it is you know well what are you
00:21:35
passionate about now and what does an
00:21:36
average day look
00:21:38
like what what gets you out of beard in
00:21:40
the
00:21:41
morning do you know I can honestly not
00:21:44
answer that but something I can't answer
00:21:47
that because something happens at about
00:21:49
4:00 a.m. and I get up and maybe it's
00:21:51
because like you I've worked early in
00:21:54
the morning for so long but what gets me
00:21:56
out of bed in the morning is the
00:21:58
inability to stay in bed any longer you
00:22:02
I'm I'm awake at 4: every morning and
00:22:05
sometimes I just get straight up and do
00:22:07
all kinds of little things like I pay
00:22:09
bills or I just do a little bit on
00:22:12
answer emails or I I don't I'm making it
00:22:15
up because I literally don't know I
00:22:18
literally don't know but I mean I love I
00:22:20
mean I've got a a gorgeous wife I've got
00:22:23
three gorgeous daughters um and I've got
00:22:26
a small gaggle of friends but it's a
00:22:29
very small gaggle of friends
00:22:32
because I when it comes to relationships
00:22:35
I'm very when I say relationships beyond
00:22:39
my immediate family I'm very very lazy
00:22:42
like how many times over the years will
00:22:43
I have said to you God we seriously must
00:22:46
catch up and I know everyone says that
00:22:48
but when I say it I absolutely 100% know
00:22:51
I'll never do it I'm exactly the same
00:22:54
but I feel like there um the well how
00:22:56
many apart from your
00:22:59
how many really close friends would you
00:23:01
say you had oh I've got a very very
00:23:04
tight small circle like maybe half a
00:23:06
dozen a handful of friends I feel like
00:23:08
you've got probably got more than no
00:23:10
that would be more than me but not many
00:23:11
more than me I've probably got you know
00:23:14
in terms of really really good friends
00:23:16
I've got three or four um but I still
00:23:18
don't put much effort them but a really
00:23:20
good friend you shouldn't have to put
00:23:21
much the funny thing is I say that but
00:23:23
that's like a copout thing to say the
00:23:26
fact is if they're really good friends
00:23:27
you should be prepared to put an effort
00:23:29
and I just I don't know I I don't know
00:23:32
about
00:23:33
you but I am I'm very good company to
00:23:39
myself you know I really do
00:23:44
enjoy downtime you know I can be on my
00:23:47
own for ages and and I'll think you I'll
00:23:50
go I've got a farm up north and I'll go
00:23:52
up there and my wife laughs about it you
00:23:55
know she'll say to me I think you need
00:23:57
to go to the farm and and I'll go up
00:24:00
there and literally at the end of the
00:24:02
day a day where I have done nothing like
00:24:06
nothing at theend I mean I've maybe
00:24:09
lifted a moved a few books around not
00:24:11
read just moved a few books around with
00:24:13
the intention of putting them in a nice
00:24:15
pile so that I can sit down and read
00:24:17
them but right at the minute I don't
00:24:19
have time because is I've got to look
00:24:21
out the window and I'll get to the end
00:24:24
of a day and I think where did the time
00:24:27
go just does though doesn't it just does
00:24:29
so who who who who is you in a circle
00:24:32
who are your friends a what would I say
00:24:36
I probably
00:24:37
wouldn't no but like in your book you
00:24:40
talk about your relationship with um
00:24:41
John Key and Michael Hill and uh John on
00:24:44
Instagram you talked about Sam Hunt John
00:24:46
key is probably my number one friend
00:24:49
right really likees yeah yeah well now
00:24:52
you're asking me not him if you ask him
00:24:55
he might say um oh yeah I know Paul you
00:24:58
know whereas he's he's pretty close to
00:25:01
my best friend probably is my best
00:25:03
friend how did that relationship start
00:25:05
was that through a brickfest interview
00:25:06
when he was like leader of nation I
00:25:09
suppose it was it was just it just
00:25:10
developed yeah just bed yeah yeah and we
00:25:14
just I mean we will talk on the phone
00:25:18
about absolute
00:25:21
shite for long periods of
00:25:24
time you know it's just which is which
00:25:26
is the mark of a of a best friend but I
00:25:28
mean you know I
00:25:30
I yeah it's a tin it's a handful you
00:25:34
know it's a little handful of so I don't
00:25:36
know that we're best friends cuz I mean
00:25:38
you know I know he likes me but for all
00:25:41
I know right now as we're speaking he
00:25:43
could be on the phone with someone else
00:25:44
talking a load of shite well no you must
00:25:47
be pretty good friends cuz yeah the
00:25:49
story in your book you talk about um
00:25:51
being on your boat in Europe together
00:25:52
somewhere around Europe together where
00:25:54
was it like Croatia or somewhere yeah
00:25:56
yeah yeah yeah so I a boat is a very
00:25:59
confined space so if he's going over
00:26:00
there to spend time with you on your
00:26:01
boat that's yeah but we frequently just
00:26:03
jump in jump in and and do death defying
00:26:08
Feats because I think there's a sort of
00:26:10
rivalry you know I don't know if you
00:26:12
always have that you probably do because
00:26:14
you're very sporty I'm not
00:26:16
sporty
00:26:18
um but we have this weird rivalry that
00:26:21
we never talk about together but we sort
00:26:23
of set challenges that are always
00:26:26
slightly beyond our ability and then do
00:26:29
them
00:26:31
like sometimes
00:26:33
swims like ludicrous swim
00:26:36
dangerous oh you talking about book you
00:26:39
say it's like 100 miles I'm I'm
00:26:41
imagining 15 20 me but you know the
00:26:43
thing is you you throw waves and show
00:26:46
that that the one we're talking about
00:26:48
that I mentioned in the book was in the
00:26:49
Caribbean uh in an area which is known
00:26:52
for great white sharks and it was not a
00:26:55
calm day and boats are always a lot for
00:26:58
further away than you think you know
00:27:00
they are a lot further away the currents
00:27:02
the waves
00:27:04
anyway silly things do do have you got
00:27:07
any friends that you um that you can
00:27:08
talk to about serious stuff are you good
00:27:11
at talk about serious stuff no no no and
00:27:13
and I know you're into that whole Men's
00:27:16
Health thing and all of that not
00:27:18
spirituality but perilously bloody close
00:27:21
um and that's just not me I'm just not
00:27:24
into that and it's not that I'm
00:27:25
oldfashioned because I realize that the
00:27:27
stoic old way is no I'll just sit here
00:27:29
and die quietly um but I I just you know
00:27:33
that whole and you've got a lot of books
00:27:34
a lot of those sort of Mambi pambi wishy
00:27:37
washy not Mambi pambi wishy washy no but
00:27:41
it's it's good to okay maybe you're up
00:27:44
to something you know oh I just spend
00:27:47
more time looking at Clouds
00:27:51
really oh jeez um I had a cat here about
00:27:55
your early years but now that now that
00:27:56
I'm um a half a tum of wine I don't know
00:27:59
it just seems I love that word Tumbl
00:28:01
Tumbl it's your word and it's very it's
00:28:04
very it's very European I mean they've
00:28:06
all gone into tumblers now anything with
00:28:08
a stem's gone by the way you you you use
00:28:10
the word Tumblr in your book in
00:28:11
reference to pouring yourself a wine in
00:28:13
the in the Cory lounge and it's yeah no
00:28:16
one's giving thems a restaurant por of
00:28:17
the cor loue are they you no no one no
00:28:20
one because everyone in the back of
00:28:21
their mind are thinking [ __ ] I paid a
00:28:22
fortune to be in here it's not free I've
00:28:25
paid a fortune yeah and once I get on
00:28:26
that plane it's like they're going to
00:28:28
going a ration out little drink well
00:28:30
they don't ration it where I fly um but
00:28:33
even so you've got limited
00:28:35
time yeah limited time AB Li time okay
00:28:38
um so we skipp your early years um yeah
00:28:41
because everyone knows that yeah every
00:28:43
everyone who cares knows it and I mean
00:28:45
it was interesting but it's a long time
00:28:47
ago yeah we've got to look forward yeah
00:28:49
so um early career though CU I'm I'm
00:28:51
trying to think it feels like you you
00:28:53
got quite famous quite late yes I did
00:28:56
yeah so you were foreign Cor and you did
00:28:58
some TV because I did a lot of stuff
00:29:00
that I was interested in and and I and I
00:29:02
wasn't I was never discovered I just
00:29:05
sort of put myself in positions and I I
00:29:08
would always just naturally assume I
00:29:11
could do anything that I well anything
00:29:14
yeah from your mom Olive that's how yeah
00:29:15
I just naturally assumed I yeah exactly
00:29:17
and I naturally assumed I could do it um
00:29:20
normally people don't say can you do it
00:29:22
they assume the mere fact that you've
00:29:23
you're sitting there means that you can
00:29:25
do it so you've take that box um
00:29:28
but I was discovered if you
00:29:32
like
00:29:34
by uh I was doing just trying to think I
00:29:37
think I was doing breakfast at Pacific
00:29:39
uh radio Pacific was it with Pam cery or
00:29:42
no I did do breakfast with Pam CER but
00:29:45
but I but I did breakfast with a range
00:29:46
of people there um and on my own for a
00:29:49
while um
00:29:51
but um God I'm just trying to remember
00:29:54
his name you know Bill Rolston mhm
00:29:58
who was the head of news and current
00:30:00
affairs at tvnz he said a um do you want
00:30:04
to come out for lunch so we went out for
00:30:07
lunch television New Zealand had just
00:30:09
introduced that maximum $100 bottle wine
00:30:13
forid L you laugh and I laugh it's just
00:30:17
so ludicrous isn't it
00:30:19
like like don't put a maximum price on
00:30:22
the lunch and don't put a maximum number
00:30:24
of bottles just put a maximum price on
00:30:27
each bottle you know isn't that so
00:30:28
television New Zealand anyway they just
00:30:31
put this thing on so so Bill had
00:30:33
discovered there there were a couple of
00:30:34
places that had really good wines and
00:30:36
maximum was like $100 or something and
00:30:39
there were really good wines at about
00:30:42
$99.90 um and and so we had this very
00:30:46
very boozy lunch and um then he offered
00:30:49
me
00:30:50
breakfast so I did that and that I
00:30:53
suppose that maybe there's a little bit
00:30:56
of Truth in the fact that do you
00:30:57
remember that how's life was Charlotte
00:30:59
dawon I was going to bring that up I
00:31:01
thought like for me I think that was the
00:31:03
moment cuz I'd um heard the name Paul
00:31:05
Henry uh mainly doing like foreign
00:31:07
correspondent crosses and you've got a
00:31:09
very recognizable voice and very
00:31:11
articulate almost and kiwi sounding very
00:31:14
English sort of sounding voice yes and
00:31:16
then um yeah there was it was like a
00:31:18
5:30 show on TV1 or TV3 like a TV1 TV1
00:31:21
it was before the news was TV3 even
00:31:23
going then probably I can't even
00:31:25
remember what year early 2000s yes I was
00:31:28
sh was the H read out problem NS right
00:31:30
yes that's right yeah it was that whole
00:31:31
it was like Beauty and the Beast um only
00:31:34
it was just a panel of rotating panel of
00:31:36
people and and I was the I don't know
00:31:40
the cantankerous sort of honest one the
00:31:42
one that didn't do all the research like
00:31:44
a lot of those people we'd record a few
00:31:47
programs uh at the same time and um I
00:31:50
wasn't in them all but I I was in quite
00:31:52
I was quite regular um and and some of
00:31:56
them would do so much research search
00:31:58
you know well here's a number you can
00:32:00
phone and you know I mean they could all
00:32:02
find the numbers themselves you know
00:32:04
what they wanted was to hear honest
00:32:06
opinion and so I wouldn't read the
00:32:08
letters in advance so you know I well
00:32:12
what I mean is I just read it I wouldn't
00:32:14
dwell on it and then when it was read
00:32:16
out on thing I'd give my give my opinion
00:32:20
and just my opinion because I figured
00:32:21
that was the thing you got five five
00:32:23
people and Charlotte dwson you should
00:32:25
just give your view and I was very
00:32:27
forthright
00:32:28
there was one time when this woman was
00:32:30
being terrorized by a husband or
00:32:32
something like that and everyone and
00:32:33
this was the last letter just before one
00:32:35
news and so Judy Bailey and Richard long
00:32:38
are sort of sitting there all ready to
00:32:39
go watching this thing play out you know
00:32:42
um and right at the end of it Charlotte
00:32:46
came to me and uh said you know what
00:32:48
would you do and I said I'd poison
00:32:51
him I would put poison in his food and
00:32:54
gradually watch him die and
00:32:58
when the news
00:32:59
started you could see Judy Bailey With
00:33:02
Tears In Her Eyes
00:33:05
just cuz they'd never heard anything
00:33:08
like that on air before cuz so and too
00:33:10
good never suggested anyone was poisoned
00:33:13
yeah so was was that sort of
00:33:15
um not like a an epiphany in terms of a
00:33:18
moment but that sort of period was it a
00:33:20
time where you thought okay I'm actually
00:33:22
more valuable if I'm giving more of
00:33:24
myself away rather than just like you
00:33:26
know reciting facts or news I don't know
00:33:30
I mean in hindsight maybe that is true I
00:33:32
don't think I ever thought it you know
00:33:34
because I I don't know I've never really
00:33:37
made anything of an
00:33:39
effort no with my career you know I've
00:33:42
never for a start I've never seen it as
00:33:43
a career it's a collection of jobs that
00:33:45
have been all Loosely in one industry
00:33:49
um but okay well when from your career I
00:33:53
mean here's a
00:33:54
thing so many people talk to me about
00:33:56
doing so many things
00:33:58
kite flying you know this industry it's
00:34:00
all full of kite flying and what does
00:34:04
kite flying mean just hot air [ __ ]
00:34:07
yeah and sometimes it's just you know oh
00:34:10
we've got this idea for a program would
00:34:11
you be interested in it um and I never
00:34:14
say the death Words which are tell me
00:34:17
more about it I never say that I just
00:34:19
say oh yeah come back to me when it's a
00:34:20
deal you know and it's never a deal well
00:34:23
sometimes it is like traitors is an
00:34:24
example but so many people you know
00:34:26
we've got this idea you'd be perfect for
00:34:28
it you know it's an idea are yeah yeah
00:34:31
cuz I've never known anyone that's had
00:34:32
an idea before and and in this industry
00:34:35
everyone's got a thousand ideas yeah I
00:34:38
said my my girlfriend I say that to her
00:34:40
all the time she'll be like d That's
00:34:41
that Call's really exciting I'm like oh
00:34:43
is it though like it's is it it's not a
00:34:45
deal until it's a deal you just can't
00:34:48
count your chicken before they I I mean
00:34:49
you must be in the same situation like
00:34:51
the number of times I would be
00:34:52
frantically busy if if 1% of the things
00:34:57
that are picked to me or attempted to be
00:34:59
pitched to me came came to fruition do
00:35:03
what do you think you're just you're
00:35:04
naturally lazy like no I'm the opposite
00:35:07
I'm the opposite but I'm very realistic
00:35:10
there's too much to do and I enjoy doing
00:35:12
nothing so much and doing nothing
00:35:15
is you know I watched an interesting I
00:35:18
don't know if you've seen Outlaws on
00:35:19
Prime right there's a section in this
00:35:23
and it's in Bristol and I lived in
00:35:24
Bristol for quite a few years with my
00:35:26
mom when we were poor and that's one
00:35:29
thing that Drew me to it and it's funny
00:35:30
because listening to the accents makes
00:35:32
me feel it's surprising how accents and
00:35:35
voices you know get into your head and
00:35:37
it's the first time I've heard a lot of
00:35:38
that th that sort of um sort of Somerset
00:35:42
type accent uh for a long time anyway
00:35:44
they're they're on this walk right they
00:35:46
they this this walking group and one of
00:35:50
the characters in it who's an activist
00:35:53
says oh we should um do something we're
00:35:55
on these walks we should you know we
00:35:57
should somehow make money out of it or
00:35:59
or make a point or maybe rather than
00:36:01
just walking around like this we should
00:36:02
walk on Parliament or we should you know
00:36:05
and this woman says why don't we just
00:36:07
enjoy the walk and this other woman
00:36:11
can't get that this other woman just
00:36:14
thinks well well where are we going well
00:36:17
we're just going to end up where we were
00:36:18
at the beginning well what but what's
00:36:20
the point in that what's the purpose you
00:36:23
know we're expending this energy surely
00:36:25
we could take the energy we're expending
00:36:27
now and also walk but walk with a
00:36:29
purpose and and this other woman just
00:36:31
not why can't we just enjoy the walk you
00:36:34
know and that's what I do I enjoy the
00:36:37
walk without walking that makes sense
00:36:41
okay so so early in your career you
00:36:43
owned a radio station in masterton yeah
00:36:45
uh yes to FM yeah in carterton yeah
00:36:49
basically so is is that where is that
00:36:51
where you sort of made your money or did
00:36:52
you sort of make your money like in real
00:36:54
terms like when breakfast came along is
00:36:56
that when when did you get like
00:36:58
okay so I have I have
00:37:02
um I've I've always spent wisely I've
00:37:05
always invested wisely and I've always
00:37:08
had an above average
00:37:10
income um sometimes way above average um
00:37:16
and that that's what's that's
00:37:19
what's provided reasonably well for my
00:37:22
family you know that that just being
00:37:24
smart with the money that you earn yeah
00:37:25
and not like crazy smart
00:37:28
but I've I've always bought and sold
00:37:30
property in small ways um but I've
00:37:33
always had the backdrop of at the very
00:37:36
least a substantially better than
00:37:38
average income and sometimes like
00:37:41
considerably better than that um and and
00:37:45
so you know that combination that's
00:37:46
meant that I've never needed to I've
00:37:50
never needed to make money on
00:37:52
investments so I've always been able to
00:37:54
allow my investments to make money and
00:37:56
grow
00:37:58
um because I've always had enough money
00:38:00
to squeeze and I haven't taken huge
00:38:02
risks you know when I look back at the
00:38:04
things that I could have taken risks on
00:38:09
um in your book you talk about buying
00:38:11
media
00:38:12
works but it was very cheap not what a
00:38:16
dollar could you buy it for a dollar and
00:38:18
I didn't no but you don't need to buy
00:38:19
buy it for a dollar you can I very cheap
00:38:22
well okay so here's the
00:38:24
thing here's the thing you know you
00:38:26
think oh Med works it's worth well I
00:38:28
mean what was their like the most recent
00:38:30
loss 10 and something million you know
00:38:33
um and of course I was talking when I
00:38:34
was talking about buy media works I
00:38:35
talking about the TV assets um which in
00:38:38
the end were purchased by Warner
00:38:39
Brothers Discovery for 20 20 something
00:38:42
million right they paid over the odds I
00:38:44
wouldn't have paid that much but um you
00:38:48
know you don't need to have that money
00:38:49
to buy it you just need to have a good
00:38:51
business plan and enough to pay towards
00:38:54
it is is there such a thing as a good
00:38:56
business plan for Media Company these
00:38:58
days um I mean this is 5 years ago you
00:39:01
wrote I had a good business plan yeah um
00:39:04
would it have been good enough because
00:39:06
here's the thing you know I mean I'm I'm
00:39:10
going into the am show on Monday um it's
00:39:14
their last week right uh and they're
00:39:16
probably all worried that they that
00:39:18
they're not going to have jobs I mean
00:39:19
maybe they're not worried and they found
00:39:20
other jobs and things like that but
00:39:22
there'll there'll be a level of
00:39:24
agreement over it you know because you
00:39:28
you'll have experienced this as well you
00:39:30
know in media the people in media have a
00:39:33
inflated view of their Worth to the
00:39:35
organization and no appreciation for the
00:39:39
fact that there are people that have
00:39:40
actually got money on the line people
00:39:42
who've actually invested money so as you
00:39:46
spend all this time sitting there
00:39:47
thinking in an AG grieved way I should
00:39:50
be paid more I need to go in and ask for
00:39:52
more money you don't spend one second
00:39:54
thinking interestingly enough I have no
00:39:56
money invested in this bus and there are
00:39:58
people that have and actually last year
00:40:00
we reported a $30 million loss you know
00:40:04
and and so these people will think oh
00:40:06
you know it's the last show and you know
00:40:08
we're great it's just a bloody breakfast
00:40:10
show on just another Network you know
00:40:12
and the reason that they're not going to
00:40:14
be on next week is because the people
00:40:16
who've been hemorrhaging money have
00:40:18
decided to turn the tap off you know no
00:40:21
big brother is making a bloody fortune
00:40:23
and running away with their Futures you
00:40:25
know quite the opposite
00:40:27
um and so I've always been very
00:40:29
realistic about that so coming back to
00:40:30
your question because I don't know why
00:40:31
I'm talking about that um I I had I went
00:40:35
to to Media
00:40:38
works specifically to three with with a
00:40:42
plan to hopefully find them three good
00:40:47
years because as we know the landscape's
00:40:49
changing here's another funny thing
00:40:50
about the media like take your show your
00:40:52
podcast there were no podcasts what 10
00:40:55
years ago there were none none so there
00:40:57
was no so the audience for podcasts were
00:41:01
were somewhere else probably on free to
00:41:03
Air television or radio or somewhere or
00:41:05
buying records or something like that
00:41:08
and so all of these Networks TV and Zed
00:41:10
media Works they were starting other
00:41:13
platforms and they were encouraging
00:41:15
people to go on the other platforms
00:41:17
while simultaneously saying oh my God
00:41:19
where are the viewers going do you know
00:41:21
what I mean like like if you if you look
00:41:23
at Warner Brothers like they actually
00:41:25
started other TV networks you know other
00:41:28
and oh my God the viewers where are they
00:41:29
going well maybe they're going to these
00:41:31
other platforms because the the The
00:41:34
Times They are a changing you know one
00:41:36
of my neighbors in Palm Springs sent me
00:41:39
a photo
00:41:40
yesterday they were at the pool and it
00:41:43
was Twilight and they took a photo of
00:41:46
the lovely pool which has been there for
00:41:47
years and years and the palm trees and
00:41:49
all of my palm trees uh maybe I don't
00:41:52
know 30 years old and in the backrop the
00:41:55
backdrop was the sky
00:41:57
and there was a SpaceX rocket flying
00:42:00
past now only a few years ago you
00:42:04
wouldn't see that and you wouldn't take
00:42:06
photos of it so why are there still
00:42:08
people who think you should be able to
00:42:10
take photos of SpaceX Rockets flying
00:42:12
past but no one should question the
00:42:15
validity of the job that you're doing no
00:42:18
one should change any of that even
00:42:21
although we're driving electric cars
00:42:23
which will soon be Obsolete and you know
00:42:26
phone line
00:42:27
are a thing of the P so everything can
00:42:29
change but don't don't change the place
00:42:32
where we work do you think Legacy Media
00:42:34
have had a sort of
00:42:36
arrogance no I think they're incompetent
00:42:39
right I think it's incompetence no I
00:42:40
really do I mean how like okay
00:42:44
so you know the journalists who said and
00:42:47
I won't name them but I could publicly
00:42:51
they were stupid enough to say we didn't
00:42:53
see this coming and yet they call
00:42:55
themselves journalists
00:42:58
year after year they report
00:43:00
multi-million doll
00:43:01
losses they bemoon the loss of the
00:43:04
audience they see and promote and at the
00:43:08
very least report on the proliferation
00:43:11
of extra platforms but they didn't see
00:43:15
that coming I mean how and and this is
00:43:19
not just the journalists management are
00:43:21
exactly the same how could they not see
00:43:23
it coming when they were part of
00:43:26
promoting
00:43:27
the future and and so it's obsolete TV3
00:43:31
is obsolete so is TV and Z free to Air
00:43:35
television is obsolete every single
00:43:37
thing that's happened for the last
00:43:39
decade and a half has been showing the
00:43:43
new way and some of those new things
00:43:45
have already fallen by the wayside
00:43:47
because they've been
00:43:49
replaced so to all of a sudden be
00:43:52
surprised that programs are closing down
00:43:55
and networks are shutting news rooms
00:43:57
down and things like that it's just
00:43:58
beyond me it's beyond me that anyone is
00:44:01
surprised or even bothered by it you
00:44:04
know I mean you know someone's saying
00:44:07
someone says oh God news Hub is closed
00:44:09
down and then goes out and gets into
00:44:11
their electric car and practically flies
00:44:12
to wherever they're going you know or
00:44:15
doesn't go anywhere because all the
00:44:16
food's delivered to their door or
00:44:18
because their bloody fridge ordered food
00:44:21
for them and you expect still to be able
00:44:23
to watch some stupid oldfashioned thing
00:44:26
how how do you consider most of your
00:44:27
media these days what is that you just
00:44:29
get pop-ups on your phone from the news
00:44:31
the day no internet I I I hunted down
00:44:33
because I don't like popups right um but
00:44:37
still obviously you can't avoid them but
00:44:39
yeah just just on on the on the uh you
00:44:42
know the iPad thing you know I mean it's
00:44:44
just there isn't it whenever you want it
00:44:47
I mean seriously congregating around a
00:44:49
television at
00:44:51
6:00 gather around the news is on sit up
00:44:54
straight you remember D shush us growing
00:44:56
up yeah it's the news it's Julian
00:44:59
Richard sit up
00:45:01
straight older than then I think it was
00:45:03
Philip just Philip Philip Sher God he
00:45:05
was good wasn't he yeah he was fantastic
00:45:07
South Pacific television do you remember
00:45:09
that and it had the eye do you remember
00:45:11
that Philip Sherry always immaculately
00:45:13
turned out beautiful diction and I
00:45:16
admire all of that there was a quality
00:45:18
in that broadcasting but it is
00:45:20
oldfashioned and its time is gone it's
00:45:22
gone yeah everything changes yeah
00:45:25
nothing stays the same and everything
00:45:26
should change
00:45:28
you know me you to
00:45:31
people and it sounds like an old to say
00:45:34
you talk to young people now and they I
00:45:36
mean television the word
00:45:38
television why do we still use the word
00:45:41
television it's exactly the same as say
00:45:43
I mean you say to a young person why
00:45:45
have you been listening to the wireless
00:45:47
you know that's that's like saying
00:45:48
television yeah it's just a what ises it
00:45:50
now just a screen yeah just a screen
00:45:52
yeah yeah everything you consume is on
00:45:54
screen isn't it um when people talk
00:45:57
about traitors you know you know and and
00:45:59
and I still say you know we were we were
00:46:01
taping it well we weren't taping it we
00:46:03
were filming it no we weren't filming it
00:46:05
were we recording it no we weren't
00:46:07
recording it you know we don't we don't
00:46:10
have we don't have tape we don't have
00:46:11
film you know and you think God really
00:46:14
Everything's changed just the
00:46:15
terminology soon you won't need me you
00:46:18
know you don't need hosts oh just
00:46:19
cheaper to get an AI po Henry more
00:46:21
reliable too yeah doesn't complain about
00:46:24
working then I can spend more time up
00:46:26
the farm
00:46:27
and just looking at things yeah but you
00:46:29
um does part of you feel sad about the
00:46:32
the change though given TV's been such a
00:46:34
big part of your life and it's been so
00:46:35
good to you and you've been good for it
00:46:38
do you know what I mean like I feel like
00:46:39
you're part of it but I do when you get
00:46:41
to my age and you've done the things
00:46:43
I've
00:46:44
done you know you do realize how much of
00:46:47
what you've done is now not even not
00:46:49
only is it not done but no one would
00:46:52
even understand it I mean when I for a
00:46:54
period of time when I worked at the BBC
00:46:56
I I worked and the um I was a I was a um
00:47:00
projectionist for David atenor I was a
00:47:02
projectionist now I used 35mm film you
00:47:07
know I was
00:47:08
projecting um Celluloid film uh which
00:47:14
used to sweat nitroglycerin we had a
00:47:17
film store that I used to go into I had
00:47:19
was one of the few people that had the
00:47:20
key to get into the film store at the
00:47:23
BBC under broadcasting house and it was
00:47:26
kept at this cold condition cold
00:47:29
conditions and some of them were
00:47:31
literally dripping nitroglycerin you had
00:47:34
to be so careful with this stuff it was
00:47:36
so oldfashioned but we were still
00:47:38
watching it on we had separate magnetic
00:47:40
tracks for the audio you had to line
00:47:42
them up on the project I mean none of
00:47:45
that none of that is around today and is
00:47:48
it bad that it's not around no you know
00:47:51
I mean it might be nice novelty to have
00:47:52
an Old Edison Edison scroll or something
00:47:55
in your living room very C but that's
00:47:57
all it is yeah and I mean all the things
00:48:00
that replace that have now they're all
00:48:02
obsolete I remember for a while when I
00:48:04
was a foreign correspondent I bought the
00:48:07
latest state-of-the-art technology which
00:48:09
was the mini dis the quality was
00:48:12
extraordinary I think minidis were
00:48:14
around for like 18 months you know they
00:48:16
were almost superseded before the first
00:48:18
machine was on the market I have minis
00:48:21
as well yeah it was amazing cuz before
00:48:23
that we had like a little um like
00:48:25
dictaphone or a little c Rec and then
00:48:28
You Got Dat tapes do you remember the
00:48:29
DAT tapes yeah and then the digital
00:48:32
audio tape was out and then all of a
00:48:33
sudden the mini disc came out and I
00:48:34
thought oh God that's future proof I'll
00:48:37
buy one of those that's so much better
00:48:39
than a DAT tape well L 18 months that
00:48:41
was it yeah now now the voice member on
00:48:44
your phone it does all that stuff it's
00:48:46
crazy so you um you got bre you you went
00:48:49
on breakfast in
00:48:51
2004 look you've done the research okay
00:48:54
I not going to argue with 20 years ago
00:48:56
it's a bloody time who you who with
00:48:58
years ago was it with Alison Moore
00:49:00
firstly right yeah not Kate hawksby no
00:49:03
no Kate Hawks hawksby had already moved
00:49:06
on and I think prior to me Allison and
00:49:10
Mike were doing it right do you know I
00:49:14
it doesn't even matter it doesn't even
00:49:15
matter so but I would say 201 I love
00:49:18
that when it doesn't even matter no it
00:49:19
doesn't I'm I'm off the hwk but 2010
00:49:23
2011 I feel like that was like Peak Peak
00:49:25
Henry terms of the dangerousness of you
00:49:29
we had extraordinary viewership I mean
00:49:30
extraordinary viewership um yeah it was
00:49:34
just sometimes there's a moment in time
00:49:36
you know when everything comes together
00:49:38
and that was one of them you know I mean
00:49:40
pppo was wonderful we worked so well
00:49:43
together but and it wasn't work you know
00:49:46
we were so good together we sat on a
00:49:48
couch well together you know um what's
00:49:52
still hurat from all your other all your
00:49:54
other you know co-hosts or offsiders she
00:49:55
was perfect yes and none of the others
00:49:58
have been perfect some of them have been
00:50:01
really good some of them have been
00:50:03
bloody terrible some of them have been
00:50:04
really good but that it was and and
00:50:07
again it's not that she was perfect or I
00:50:09
was perfect or the or TV and Zed was
00:50:12
Perfect Chemistry or it's just that
00:50:14
moment in time and you can go through an
00:50:16
entire career without ever actually
00:50:18
hitting that moment in time through no
00:50:20
fault of your own but there was just
00:50:22
this moment in time where it all just
00:50:24
jelled just came together
00:50:27
yeah and I felt like at that time it was
00:50:30
just this level of unpredictability it
00:50:33
was like you you're maybe the most
00:50:35
dangerous broadcaster in the country and
00:50:37
the respect that no one knew what you
00:50:39
were going to say no it was was that
00:50:41
because you were that comfortable in the
00:50:42
job you've been there five six years you
00:50:43
didn't give a [ __ ] anymore yeah okay
00:50:45
yeah and you know when it all came
00:50:47
tumbling down I'm going to half pie
00:50:50
surreptitiously if the camera goes to
00:50:52
you now I'll just grab the wine
00:50:56
he's leaning over for the The Roaring M
00:50:59
by the way is Roar did I do okay it's a
00:51:00
central otaro you did really well and
00:51:03
here's what I'll say about roaring M um
00:51:05
it's great value for money it's you know
00:51:07
it's worth the money you spend on it's
00:51:09
good quality and it's at a good price
00:51:11
what' you pay for it um I think it was
00:51:13
like 35 bucks next door you prep Rock
00:51:15
Boon's probably my favorite but it's um
00:51:17
it's a little bit more pricey it's about
00:51:18
5050 you like rockbon I do like Rockburn
00:51:21
do you know what it's not that much
00:51:24
better than roaring me is it is it
00:51:26
better wrong no even a rabbit Ranch it's
00:51:28
like a 25 2425 that's a I mean you can
00:51:31
get okay you can get really nice wine
00:51:33
for under $10 and you should be able to
00:51:35
but it's a what what can you get no you
00:51:37
can but it's a bit unpredictable it's
00:51:39
it's a it's a crapshoot you know um but
00:51:42
this stuff isn't I quite like Mount
00:51:44
difficulty as well but that's a little
00:51:45
bit more expensive I like difficulty and
00:51:47
I don't know that it's any better than
00:51:48
roaring me no I don't want to turn this
00:51:50
into an adver for roaring Meg M but I
00:51:53
actually don't
00:51:54
care and it is and it is made by m
00:51:57
difficulty yeah I'm um I I'm excited
00:52:00
about um yeah I'm I'm 51 now so you've
00:52:03
got like 12 years on me I'm excited
00:52:04
about getting older for that for that um
00:52:07
zero [ __ ] given Factor because I I find
00:52:10
it as do you still give a [ __ ] I find
00:52:13
myself catching myself giving a [ __ ]
00:52:15
about some things but it does get leas
00:52:16
and Le give me an
00:52:18
example oh [ __ ] I can't even think of an
00:52:21
example off the top see that's great
00:52:23
there is nothing you give a [ __ ] about
00:52:24
if you can't think about it you can't
00:52:26
think of something your girlfriend's
00:52:28
lovely I met her the other day for the
00:52:29
first time yeah I found a little yeah
00:52:32
yeah I want to ask you about that so
00:52:33
she's she's um 30 so she's quite a bit
00:52:35
younger than me and she she knows no one
00:52:38
I have on the podcast she's she's like
00:52:40
who you got coming around today did she
00:52:41
not recognize me oh no no she knew me
00:52:43
okay I was going somewhere with this it
00:52:44
was like oh sorry she's like who's
00:52:46
coming around today I'll be like oh Dame
00:52:47
Lisa Carrington she be like don't know
00:52:49
who that is no but then I she's like oh
00:52:51
Paul Henry but then she the next thing
00:52:54
the the strap line or whatever you want
00:52:55
to call it she was say mustache on a
00:52:57
lady which I feel like is um offensive
00:52:59
in a way like like nutting down a well
00:53:02
it's one of the things isn't it but I
00:53:04
know what you mean you know you you've
00:53:06
got this huge body of work but then
00:53:09
things float to the top you know easy
00:53:11
pickings going to the do you know the
00:53:13
thing that I'm most proud of so I came
00:53:15
into work one day this was at tvnz it's
00:53:18
not the thing I'm most proud of
00:53:20
obviously the thing I'm most proud of is
00:53:21
traitors we need to talk a bit more
00:53:22
about that too cuz out the corner of my
00:53:24
eye the publicity who
00:53:27
Lely she's great she's lovely she's s
00:53:29
she's is that aive like a public sitting
00:53:32
here monitoring you like you can't be
00:53:34
trusted it's absolutely necessary you
00:53:36
wouldn't believe I mean so far I haven't
00:53:37
said anything that you'd no no well this
00:53:40
this the thing I like about this
00:53:42
platform um oh I just finish this cuz
00:53:45
there's I want to hear this but the
00:53:47
where I was going
00:53:49
was I mean I I am quite I don't know if
00:53:52
I'm proud of traitors but I I love it
00:53:55
you know I love having done it I'm I'm
00:53:57
very pleased to be associated with it um
00:54:01
but one of the things that I was most
00:54:04
proud about you know when because you
00:54:05
mentioned mustache on a lady and dick
00:54:07
[ __ ] and all those things which people
00:54:09
always bring up um and then there was
00:54:11
that wonderful one where we were talking
00:54:12
about rats and I spat all over you know
00:54:15
cuz I just was laughing so much and I
00:54:16
had a mouthful of water I took a water
00:54:18
take a quick s and then spattered out
00:54:21
all over my co-host anyway um
00:54:26
don't I don't remember that one I came
00:54:28
into work one day
00:54:30
right and this is so we're in the studio
00:54:33
right and they had padlocked our laptops
00:54:37
to the
00:54:39
set now nothing says I don't trust you
00:54:44
like pad loocking padlocking your
00:54:46
[ __ ] laptop to the set it's very so I
00:54:49
said to one of the cameraman I said have
00:54:51
you got a hacksaw anyway he didn't but
00:54:54
he brought one in the next day and
00:54:56
halfway through the program halfway
00:54:59
through the program I said to Pippa I
00:55:02
said this is offensive they don't trust
00:55:04
us now apparently they said subsequent
00:55:07
to this and when I say they like
00:55:09
management whoever the hell they were
00:55:11
they said that you know that obviously
00:55:13
the laptops were there at night and so
00:55:15
they was the cleaners they didn't trust
00:55:17
or or maybe it was the cameraman but
00:55:19
they basically didn't trust anyone these
00:55:22
were Dell laptops seriously like
00:55:24
anyone's going to steal one of those
00:55:26
anyway um anyway uh so halfway through
00:55:30
the program I get the there's I think
00:55:32
you can still see this on YouTube I get
00:55:34
the hack out and start hack soring
00:55:36
through whilst I'm hack soring through
00:55:39
and because I know it would take too
00:55:40
long cuz you know time's against you on
00:55:42
television uh I hackled through the the
00:55:44
nasty cheap wood that they that they
00:55:47
drilled a hole through in the set I hack
00:55:50
sword through it to get the lapt top out
00:55:52
to make a point you know that whether
00:55:55
you like Paul Henry or not that is
00:55:57
bloody
00:55:58
entertaining it's unpredictable and it's
00:56:01
making a point I mean that is a beauti
00:56:03
it's great TV but it's also just great
00:56:05
living it's making a point you know
00:56:07
these people who sit up in their offices
00:56:10
you know are so bad at their jobs that
00:56:12
they've decided the only way they can
00:56:14
protect their Dell laptops is to padlock
00:56:17
them to the
00:56:19
set I mean
00:56:22
really that's brilliant that is so good
00:56:25
I love that breakfast and they've done
00:56:26
that nice thing with chain oh
00:56:30
yeah oh God there's got to be a bit a
00:56:32
way to like secure your electronic Goods
00:56:35
doesn't there than a a bad luck in a
00:56:37
chain you know if you've got people
00:56:38
stealing Goods get rid of the people you
00:56:41
know or padlock the people to their
00:56:43
houses so they can't come in and take
00:56:45
your laptops so was I've never liked
00:56:48
Dell equipment I don't know why he's mad
00:56:50
about it I never I never have I don't
00:56:52
know why anyone says D I always think
00:56:54
inferior and that's just and obviously
00:56:56
that's something D are going to have to
00:57:00
address I think they're a very valuable
00:57:02
company I don't think they're too
00:57:03
concerned but maybe they are I don't
00:57:05
know I think as a result of this there
00:57:08
will be a special emergency meeting of
00:57:10
the Dell board so in 2010 you win the
00:57:14
People's Choice Award the Quantas TV and
00:57:16
film Awards and you you make um the most
00:57:19
memorable speech ever first of all
00:57:20
there's a serious moment where you
00:57:21
thinkk um PPP which is lovely I feel
00:57:24
like we've touched upon that that's
00:57:25
clear special relationship um then I I
00:57:29
didn't get it's 14 years ago so I didn't
00:57:31
get the references um you read out a
00:57:34
letter and I don't know if this was this
00:57:35
was an actual letter or something that
00:57:37
you'd made up uh if it was a real one
00:57:39
I'm I'm guessing you definitely Rec
00:57:40
crafted it you definitely recraft though
00:57:42
because word for word [ __ ] word for
00:57:45
word it was too brilliant to be yeah it
00:57:47
was and and the thing is TV and Zed
00:57:49
didn't give me much mail because I think
00:57:51
I used to get a lot of hate mail but
00:57:55
occasionally they would send me a
00:57:58
selection anyway I I opened this letter
00:58:01
before breakfast one morning and I
00:58:03
thought that is a [ __ ] gem that that
00:58:06
it had obviously been written by someone
00:58:08
who was intellectually
00:58:11
deranged but it it there was a
00:58:13
magnificent outcome it was magnificently
00:58:15
written it was hilarious there was one
00:58:17
little part of it which I think was a
00:58:19
bit unpleasant but here's the thing I I
00:58:23
in my own mind there was one little bit
00:58:25
of that letter that I was a little
00:58:26
uncomfortable with but in my own mind I
00:58:28
thought if I'm going to pull a letter
00:58:29
out of my pocket and read it I'm going
00:58:31
to read it word for word I'm not going
00:58:33
to edit it in any way or embellish it in
00:58:36
any way so anyway when I got this thing
00:58:38
in the morning I didn't think I was
00:58:39
going to use it at the awards and this
00:58:41
was quite a bit before the awards like
00:58:43
maybe a week or something like that but
00:58:45
I thought that's a gem this is a keeper
00:58:48
and I just put it in one of my suit
00:58:49
Pockets um and then at the awards I
00:58:52
thought it's the People's Choice Awards
00:58:54
and here is a really I think I said in
00:58:56
in the speech a really passionate viewer
00:58:59
you know you have to be passionate to
00:59:01
write in but to to have those strong
00:59:03
feelings of rage and and you yeah and
00:59:06
you won the crowd over as well you see
00:59:08
it on YouTube like the whole the whole
00:59:10
Auditorium is in hysterics and it's a
00:59:13
tough crowd because it's a lot of egos
00:59:14
there a lot lot of people think no one
00:59:16
wants to really applaud someone else cuz
00:59:18
they just want to be applauded
00:59:19
themselves 100% so what was the what's
00:59:21
the unpleasant but that you're talking
00:59:22
about the SE word at the end no no no
00:59:25
God no um um do you know I I can't even
00:59:28
quite remember it there was just some
00:59:31
reference there were references to Susan
00:59:34
Bole pamer Anderson and David Hasselhoff
00:59:36
which went over my yeah but I think
00:59:37
there was a I think there was some there
00:59:39
was a little crossover between the Susan
00:59:41
Bole and the and the um uh Pamela
00:59:44
Anderson thing it was just one little
00:59:46
thing that I was slightly uncomfortable
00:59:47
with but again I thought I'm either
00:59:49
reading this whole thing or I'm reading
00:59:51
nothing um I didn't realize that it was
00:59:54
live on TV and I said said
00:59:57
[ __ ] and it was live on TV but I didn't
01:00:00
even know cuz I didn't care about any of
01:00:02
those things do you know what the
01:00:04
miracle was I went cuz I wouldn't
01:00:06
normally go to something like that
01:00:10
um but there was a oh so everyone says
01:00:14
to me not everyone but when people talk
01:00:16
about it they always want to oh was it a
01:00:17
real letter where's the letter the funny
01:00:20
thing is after that there was like a
01:00:22
party you know there's always a sort of
01:00:23
a party afterwards I don't normally go
01:00:25
to those things but I think think there
01:00:26
was some situation where someone else
01:00:28
there was taking me home or something
01:00:30
and so I had to be there I went to a
01:00:33
traitor thing the other night and
01:00:34
someone was supposed to be taking me
01:00:36
home but they lost their keys so someone
01:00:37
else was taking me home and I ended up
01:00:39
having to go and drink far too much
01:00:41
because I just really wanted to get home
01:00:44
anyway one of the top twins came up to
01:00:46
me I
01:00:47
think Linda yeah Linda came up to me and
01:00:51
she said was that a real letter and I
01:00:53
took it out of my pocket and I said here
01:00:54
you have it so she got the letter now
01:00:57
whether she kept it I don't know they've
01:00:59
done a few little famous things
01:01:01
themselves so maybe they're not keeping
01:01:04
relics of Paul Henry's F but it was an
01:01:06
amazing L it was that's where it is so I
01:01:08
gave it to her she couldn't she couldn't
01:01:11
believe it was real CU like you she
01:01:13
thought well surely I've it was well it
01:01:14
was so well written like for comedic
01:01:17
purposes oh for comedic but of course it
01:01:19
wasn't written for comedic you imagine
01:01:21
the Venom someone had to have just
01:01:23
outrage upon outrage yeah they just like
01:01:26
double down Double Down double down so
01:01:30
so the um the controversies um the
01:01:34
mustache on a lady thing was that before
01:01:35
that or after that around the same time
01:01:38
I don't around the maybe I can't
01:01:40
remember I can't remember I watched I
01:01:42
watched that clip this morning it's um
01:01:44
in the whole aftermath it's it's still
01:01:47
very very funny but do you you regret
01:01:50
that now or how how do you feel on mean
01:01:52
I don't even think about it now yeah and
01:01:54
at the time I I just Rec call not
01:01:56
regretting it then you know but it was
01:02:00
more about yeah
01:02:01
yeah I mean yes you if you're on TV now
01:02:05
You' do the same thing the actually you
01:02:07
probably wouldn't you would be canel you
01:02:09
don't well so I wouldn't be on TV now
01:02:11
yeah yeah blissfully um but but here's
01:02:15
you wouldn't do the same thing again
01:02:17
because you can't do the same thing
01:02:19
again because it only works because
01:02:22
you're just doing your thing you know if
01:02:24
if if all of a sudden rethinking things
01:02:27
that's why when people do things you
01:02:30
know and they rework it and rework it
01:02:32
normally it's never as good as the first
01:02:33
draft of course it's like the first
01:02:35
person that comes in and offers you
01:02:36
money for your property you probably
01:02:37
should have said
01:02:38
yes okay then there's the um um oh what
01:02:42
was the other controversy oh um the
01:02:45
Sheila di dick there was the big one
01:02:47
right so this is when well I don't know
01:02:49
if that was the big one I
01:02:51
mean everyone looks at that as being
01:02:53
that was why
01:02:56
that was that was why I lost my
01:02:58
job but I suppose I I I've always said
01:03:03
um that your it's just the way human
01:03:06
nature is your failures are cumulative
01:03:09
your successes are singular so I mean if
01:03:12
you're only on stage for one evening you
01:03:14
know you might have a few jokes that
01:03:15
don't work and a few that do and
01:03:16
everyone goes home thinking about the
01:03:17
ones that did but if you're on stage 5
01:03:20
days a week for 3 hours a day um at the
01:03:24
end of every day everyone thinks oh that
01:03:25
was fun
01:03:26
but your failures add up at the end of
01:03:29
the week everyone can tell you how many
01:03:30
failures you have but they only remember
01:03:32
the one success you had that last day
01:03:34
this is the same with politics that's
01:03:36
why we don't have a national government
01:03:38
forever because the longer you're there
01:03:40
the more failures you've had U and
01:03:42
people will only ever remember your last
01:03:44
success but they'll remember every
01:03:45
single failure and and I'd been in
01:03:47
breakfast for a long time and what some
01:03:50
people perceived as my failures were
01:03:53
cumulative and I knew that the wagons
01:03:56
were circling around me um and because I
01:04:02
was never going to fight for my job I
01:04:03
would never fight to keep a job I mean
01:04:06
how horrible would that be you know to
01:04:08
you know oh oh you're still here yeah
01:04:10
God I've had to fight to keep this job
01:04:12
another way of that is oh you're still
01:04:14
here yeah no one wants me here you know
01:04:16
that's the that's exactly the same thing
01:04:18
both those things add up I would never
01:04:20
fight to keep a job I would never even
01:04:22
you know do you want me here well I and
01:04:24
I want to be here so I Stay stay here do
01:04:26
you want me here no I'm off you why
01:04:28
would you be want to be somewhere where
01:04:29
you're not wanted but that um the sh
01:04:32
thing the response like was outrageous
01:04:35
outrageous and I can't imagine what it
01:04:38
felt like in the the I don't know the
01:04:40
hours or the days or the weeks after
01:04:41
that to be Paul Henry I was the and it's
01:04:46
still it's still it doesn't haunt me now
01:04:48
it's there now nothing haunts me it's
01:04:50
there now it's part of the rich tapestry
01:04:52
of my my I'll call it a career it's part
01:04:55
of that rich tapestry um but it kind of
01:04:57
felt like part of the rich at the time
01:04:59
it must have been [ __ ] awful do you
01:05:01
know it wasn't awful it was huge it was
01:05:04
all encompassing I mean I was the
01:05:05
biggest racist in the country it was
01:05:08
completely out of perspective you know
01:05:11
Rick Alice was the CEO of tvnz at the
01:05:13
time and he literally had not on his
01:05:16
desk because it would have looked stupid
01:05:18
down behind his disc he had a stack
01:05:21
because people emails a stack of emails
01:05:24
printed out like 3T tall of people
01:05:28
supporting me and a stack of emails
01:05:30
printed out 3T tall of people hating on
01:05:33
me and insisting that they that they get
01:05:36
rid of me you I think quite a conundrum
01:05:39
did
01:05:40
the it's 50 what what pile is higher
01:05:44
it's like it's like an informal poll um
01:05:47
that was was a big part of the support
01:05:50
because people could most new zealanders
01:05:52
could see you were being hard done by
01:05:54
like this is what
01:05:56
for goodness sake he's on you know I
01:05:58
mean at the end of the day if if you
01:05:59
look at the reality of here here's a guy
01:06:02
doing live television 3 hours a day five
01:06:04
days a week and he's just being himself
01:06:08
and like us when we talk to this person
01:06:10
and talk to that person we go to work
01:06:11
and we say things and we joke around
01:06:14
sometimes he's going to be right on the
01:06:15
edge sometimes he's going to be boring
01:06:17
and sometimes he's going to slip over
01:06:19
the edge and say something maybe that's
01:06:22
going to be taken the wrong way by some
01:06:24
people and I'm not diminishing I mean
01:06:25
some people obviously were genuinely
01:06:27
outraged but that's not against the law
01:06:30
to be outraged good for you for being
01:06:31
outraged I mean here's the thing don't
01:06:34
watch
01:06:35
anymore you know but but the the thing
01:06:38
that would happen with me with with
01:06:40
other things as well someone would be
01:06:42
outraged and they'd phone up and they
01:06:43
say my God you need to see what he said
01:06:45
today oh I didn't see it I'll go and
01:06:47
look so we're going to have a look at
01:06:48
something that that people have told us
01:06:50
to be outraged about were you out how
01:06:52
what did you think oh was terrible it's
01:06:54
it's a outrage porn it was terrible have
01:06:56
you told anyone else about it yeah I
01:06:57
told
01:06:58
Sheila she's going to watch it has
01:07:00
Sheila watched it she has watched and
01:07:01
she phoned back and she said it's
01:07:02
terrible she's going to write a letter
01:07:05
now these aren't people that saw it the
01:07:06
first time or even the second time they
01:07:09
were told that this was outrageous and
01:07:11
they should see it to be outraged and
01:07:13
Hallelujah they were outraged yeah and
01:07:15
and this sort of this has probably
01:07:17
accelerated the demise of um you know TV
01:07:20
and radio and a away because it's
01:07:21
everyone's too scared to do anything
01:07:23
what a sad country when it's like that
01:07:25
but I mean the world is like it it's not
01:07:27
just New Zealand I mean the world's like
01:07:28
it and the wowers are taking over but
01:07:31
was there I mean it's you know was like
01:07:33
over a decade ago so it's probably
01:07:34
easier to talk about now but just trying
01:07:36
to take yourself back there is is that
01:07:38
like the biggest sort of adversity
01:07:39
you've gone through in your life it was
01:07:40
a collection of things at the time it
01:07:42
wasn't just that one thing and but it
01:07:44
wasn't adversity you know it was it no
01:07:48
it was though it was it might have been
01:07:50
for other people but it wasn't for me no
01:07:52
well as as someone that was um you know
01:07:54
far less well than you and just in music
01:07:56
radio it seemed outrageous like there
01:07:57
were there were reporters C camped
01:07:59
outside your poor mother's rest home
01:08:01
there was people outside your house
01:08:02
there were people it was almost like the
01:08:04
OJ Simpson BR it wasion of the OJ
01:08:07
Simpson thing yeah yeah it was it was it
01:08:10
was I can imagine what it was like being
01:08:12
in your shoes but it was fine being in
01:08:14
my shoes you know was it like yeah okay
01:08:16
so first thing that happens right you
01:08:19
imagine this you got to get up at :00
01:08:21
every morning to go in and do television
01:08:23
and all of a sudden you don't have to do
01:08:25
that anymore
01:08:26
you've been stood down you've been stood
01:08:28
down on full pay so I go to my house at
01:08:32
the sea right and I Hunker out there for
01:08:34
a while cuz CU they told me too tvnz
01:08:37
said I needed to you know just go and
01:08:39
just yeah and and Hawk's Bay I know I
01:08:41
read better the so I did that and then
01:08:42
the next minute there's an emergency
01:08:44
meeting things aren't calming down we're
01:08:46
going to have to address this you're
01:08:47
going to have to come back for an
01:08:48
emergency meeting so I go back for an
01:08:50
emergency my emergency you know um and
01:08:54
and people people were up and arms but
01:08:56
like I say and there were two sides of
01:08:58
the camp three sides really there's the
01:08:59
other side that didn't even know it was
01:09:01
going on cuz they were just struggling
01:09:02
through their lives um and then they
01:09:04
give me a payout and I and I field
01:09:07
inquiries I mean seriously I'm not
01:09:10
minimizing it that's how it was it
01:09:13
wasn't a nightmare for me it was a an
01:09:16
unexpected
01:09:17
flurry of activity yeah but I also know
01:09:21
how I mean yeah you you're you're very
01:09:23
tough and resilient but also you know
01:09:25
there's the the the women in your life
01:09:27
AR like your three daughters and your
01:09:29
mom who you care about deeply and maybe
01:09:31
your girlfriend Lindsay at the time um
01:09:33
and I like yeah how did you feel on
01:09:36
behalf of them at the time I would have
01:09:37
been [ __ ] pissed off yeah I was
01:09:39
really pissed off that that that they
01:09:41
were outside mom's rest home but to be
01:09:44
honest she didn't
01:09:47
know and if she had she would have waved
01:09:51
out the window you know she's she was a
01:09:53
lovely Soul um I mean ludicrous to be
01:09:56
outside my girlfriend's house what were
01:09:58
they hoping to achieve there well I
01:10:00
suppose they were waiting to see where I
01:10:01
was you know where I was going to go but
01:10:03
actually my now wife Diane um she came
01:10:06
in with me and helped negotiate the the
01:10:09
final payout and everything you know we
01:10:11
were close friends then and um yeah you
01:10:14
know you know it's just a moment in time
01:10:16
I mean at the end of the day it's just a
01:10:20
breakfast show it's a breakfast show no
01:10:23
one's been stabbed in the eyeballs it's
01:10:25
just a breakfast show it is and I fully
01:10:28
agree with you but also there's I think
01:10:31
one of the one of the most unfair things
01:10:33
is being misrepresented so having all
01:10:35
these people or feel like the world's
01:10:37
caving in with everyone not everyone but
01:10:39
you know a a huge portion of people
01:10:41
thinking you're a racist and the media
01:10:43
definitely adding fuel to that fire um
01:10:46
that's hurtful the media did a terrible
01:10:48
job but they
01:10:49
often Med they often exactly exactly
01:10:53
that they often do a terrible job as We
01:10:54
Know um but you know the um it was an
01:10:58
international incident why was it an
01:11:00
international incident seriously one
01:11:03
breakfast host on a breakfast program in
01:11:07
a country most people in India have
01:11:08
never heard of says one thing for one
01:11:11
moment and it's an international
01:11:12
incident do you know what went in an
01:11:14
international incident one the fact that
01:11:17
our attache or whoever he was decided to
01:11:21
go and apologize on New Zealand's behalf
01:11:24
no one was seeking an apology no one
01:11:26
asked for an apology and he had not been
01:11:29
given the instruction to go and
01:11:32
apologize he did it off his own bat
01:11:34
right and then the media reported it no
01:11:37
one's saying why did you apologize you
01:11:39
know who was calling for the AP because
01:11:41
it what was all that was entirely
01:11:43
unnecessary so all of a sudden you've
01:11:45
now got a little country in the middle
01:11:46
of nowhere that no one's ever heard of
01:11:48
who's saying there's an international
01:11:50
incident you know we've had to apologize
01:11:51
and everything and gradually that is
01:11:53
reported around the world and in
01:11:57
something I I think what you were
01:11:59
talking about before of kind of asking
01:12:01
like you know that he's resilient and
01:12:04
wasn't really hard um like I think
01:12:07
potentially you talk about your travel
01:12:09
and like been through that so what's
01:12:12
that there in terms of like the way that
01:12:14
you grew up you know that was quite hard
01:12:16
quite res from that so nothing to that
01:12:19
yeah oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah you're
01:12:22
ched so you you were um are you
01:12:25
publicist in the background was just
01:12:26
saying um your child was hard and that
01:12:28
made you resilient so now everything's
01:12:30
water off a duck's back more or less
01:12:33
yeah I
01:12:35
um yeah I
01:12:37
mean this is what comes back to me
01:12:40
saying all of this was based on one
01:12:42
comment one breakfast host makes in one
01:12:44
small country in one moment of time um
01:12:48
at the end of the day there are people
01:12:50
cuz I know what it's like to just
01:12:52
struggle through life um and there are
01:12:55
people who are struggling through life
01:12:56
who don't have the luxury of being able
01:12:58
to dwell on one little moment in time
01:13:01
for one breakfast host you know and so
01:13:04
from my point of view it was just a
01:13:07
moment in time and all of a sudden it
01:13:08
turned into something else and I just
01:13:10
lived through that you know you duck and
01:13:12
dive you take the turns in life you you
01:13:16
you're very lucky that you must say it
01:13:17
now being on the um on the the hosting
01:13:19
side of a reality TV show like the the
01:13:21
duty of care that goes into that
01:13:23
non-scripted reality whatever it's
01:13:24
called it's phenomenal like they're so
01:13:27
nervous about someone someone saying
01:13:29
something mean about someone else and
01:13:30
them taking it badly but one of the
01:13:32
lovely things about traitors they take
01:13:35
they say really mean things about each
01:13:37
other we encourage them to kill each
01:13:38
other and people take it really badly
01:13:41
and and we are there to witness the
01:13:42
whole thing it's that's the wonderful
01:13:44
thing about a program like that here's
01:13:46
the other thing with traitors it really
01:13:48
is reality you know I I mean I mean you
01:13:50
can you obviously there's a a genre
01:13:53
reality television um
01:13:56
and you've got you know Treasure Island
01:13:57
etc etc etc but none of those programs
01:14:00
are as real as traitors because as
01:14:04
producers of the program we really don't
01:14:07
dictate where it goes the key decisions
01:14:10
are entirely out of our control we have
01:14:13
a small ability to manipulate the way
01:14:17
things happen as a result of decisions
01:14:19
that are made but only a small ability
01:14:21
but no ability to actually manipulate
01:14:24
decisions and so the whole program spins
01:14:27
on the real decisions that real people
01:14:30
make based
01:14:32
on quite often mistaken ideas in their
01:14:36
minds or as you suggested before someone
01:14:39
says something and all of a sudden oh my
01:14:40
God you know the whole game's taking a
01:14:43
different turn yeah it's fabulous I
01:14:45
think having seen the first um two
01:14:47
episodes in advance
01:14:49
um it it is it's a stronger show with
01:14:52
less known people rather than um 100%
01:14:55
taking it with celebrities or
01:14:57
influencers and the interesting thing is
01:14:59
the Americans who only know how to make
01:15:01
American television um have only had
01:15:03
celebrities or you know yeah celebrities
01:15:07
um whereas the British who know how to
01:15:09
make television for the world um have
01:15:11
only had normal people people um and the
01:15:15
difference with normal people and
01:15:17
celebrities is normal people are
01:15:20
themselves celebrities are celebrities
01:15:23
and so they to a to one degree or
01:15:26
another will always second guess the way
01:15:28
they're going to appear the way they're
01:15:29
going to handle a situation so it takes
01:15:32
longer for them to get into a game if
01:15:33
ever they fully get into it um the
01:15:37
incredible thing for me in the second
01:15:38
series is the way these people just like
01:15:42
in episode one you would have seen it
01:15:44
they're playing the game straight away
01:15:46
you know their wonderment of the place
01:15:47
dis disperses almost instantly as they
01:15:50
start to think my God I can't trust any
01:15:51
of these people it it is an
01:15:54
extraordinary game
01:15:55
you
01:15:56
imagine like it's it's interesting um
01:16:00
talking to some of them now because I
01:16:02
don't talk to any of them before because
01:16:03
I am you know I'm God in the game I I I
01:16:07
don't even make eye contact with them
01:16:08
they're dust under my chariot wheels um
01:16:12
and that needs to be like that you know
01:16:14
because we're setting a scene it's all
01:16:15
part of the theater it's part of keeping
01:16:17
them in this posited fake world but you
01:16:21
imagine being in this world and not
01:16:24
being able to trust anyone not being
01:16:27
able to communicate with your old life
01:16:29
with any of your family or friends not
01:16:31
being able to talk things through so the
01:16:33
only people you can talk things through
01:16:35
with are people that you have probably
01:16:37
falsely deemed trustworthy but you know
01:16:41
that they may well not be trustworthy
01:16:43
trying to dup you yeah and it's yeah
01:16:45
it's your whole world isn't it your
01:16:47
world people come into it yes people
01:16:49
come into it with a strategy and and if
01:16:52
you talk to them afterwards they say
01:16:53
look that actually didn't serve us well
01:16:55
at all because when we're in it we
01:16:57
realize actually you can't play out a
01:17:00
strategy because there are no anchors
01:17:02
that you can tie to you know everything
01:17:05
is loose everything is
01:17:07
untrustworthy it's fantastic exercise
01:17:10
and Humanity it's it's bloody great um I
01:17:14
so you've had your phone on through this
01:17:16
just in case your daughter Bella goes
01:17:18
into labor no yeah yeah so you've got
01:17:21
three she's expecting twins twins twins
01:17:24
how how many grandkids have you got two
01:17:26
two ran and
01:17:28
Mina you love being a Granddad yeah ran
01:17:32
Henry is this is you know one of the
01:17:34
nicest things one of the best accolades
01:17:37
you can get in your life is for your
01:17:38
name to be passed on and and so uh my
01:17:42
daughter Lucy and her husband Frank in
01:17:44
Melbourne have called their first son
01:17:46
rahan Henry and their second daughter
01:17:49
Mina Olive isn't that lovely after after
01:17:52
your mom yeah Thea yeah yeah how how are
01:17:56
you how are you different from being a a
01:17:58
father to being a grandfather you know I
01:18:00
feel you you you were a fun dad anyway
01:18:02
right I was a fun dad um and still am
01:18:06
you know trying to be you know
01:18:10
um they say about grandchildren you know
01:18:12
all care no responsibility as opposed to
01:18:15
All Care all
01:18:16
responsibility uh and I think that's
01:18:18
probably pretty accurate I mean I don't
01:18:20
see the two grandchildren I have very
01:18:23
often and and I do miss them a bit um
01:18:27
but I see because distance yeah yeah and
01:18:30
I mean I could make more of an effort I
01:18:32
could go more often but I know they've
01:18:34
got their lives and like they don't even
01:18:36
want to talk to me on the phone I me
01:18:39
Mina will wave but only if um uh what's
01:18:43
that program she loves what's that new
01:18:45
program that and actually it's
01:18:47
captivating to watch it's a cartoon show
01:18:49
Peppa Pig it's fantastic have you ever
01:18:51
watched that pig it's bloody fantastic
01:18:54
it's it it's absolutely F it's
01:18:56
compelling watching cuz I was once over
01:18:59
there and I said said to her I said oh
01:19:01
for goodness sake you know they don't
01:19:04
understand for goodness sake but I said
01:19:05
for goodness sake Let's uh oh and then I
01:19:08
started watching Peppa P
01:19:10
you and her mother said what are you
01:19:12
doing
01:19:13
sh it's the good B yeah I've got a a
01:19:16
quote here I think this is from um a
01:19:18
woman's magazine um you talking about
01:19:20
your daughters they know I love them in
01:19:22
every possible way because I tell them
01:19:23
constantly I text all three of them at
01:19:25
least twice a day email about every 2
01:19:27
days and bombard them with supplementary
01:19:30
information about my life and ask them
01:19:32
questions about theirs they uh they know
01:19:34
absolutely without question that I love
01:19:36
them completely that's beautiful yeah
01:19:38
it's a beautiful and here's what you
01:19:40
have to do to get away with that CU that
01:19:41
could be annoying that could be damned
01:19:43
annoying so I've made it a little pisty
01:19:45
a little py yeah but here's how you get
01:19:47
away with it because I still do that now
01:19:49
and sometimes I'm typing it and sending
01:19:51
you know cuz now you got the Emojis so
01:19:53
I'm doing combination of emojis as well
01:19:56
because a picture paints a thousand
01:19:57
words so I send sometimes you know
01:19:59
25,000 words um but how here's how you
01:20:02
get away with it you get away with it by
01:20:04
making clear that you don't expect a
01:20:08
reply you know so I I I will never say
01:20:12
oh I asked you so and so and you didn't
01:20:13
reply never because I don't expect a
01:20:15
reply I just constantly want them to
01:20:18
know and and I know that they must
01:20:21
sometimes roll oh [ __ ] hell you know
01:20:23
go oh Jesus Christ oh my father l oh no
01:20:27
that's nice I think that's that hasn't
01:20:29
changed from 9:00 this morning he still
01:20:30
loves me cuz you you were you were sort
01:20:32
of busy your dad was an adventurer and
01:20:35
you were sort of like an adventure I
01:20:36
guess of a different sort in in the
01:20:38
early part of their lives with your
01:20:39
foreign correspondent right that's right
01:20:41
so it's it's um it is it is very lucky
01:20:44
you've got this relationship with them
01:20:45
now if you don't do the work in the
01:20:46
early in the early years to you have to
01:20:48
constantly do the work I think yeah I
01:20:50
think you have to constantly do the work
01:20:53
and and you know it's a wonderful thing
01:20:54
thing cuz that's that is the only point
01:20:56
in it apart from the just the point of
01:20:59
enjoying
01:21:00
yourself the only other point is to to
01:21:04
pass your the only way you will actually
01:21:06
get any kind of longevity is to have
01:21:08
children and and you know pass it down
01:21:11
apart from that the only point is to
01:21:12
enjoy yourself really because I mean if
01:21:14
you if you enrich other people's lives
01:21:16
which is
01:21:17
nice um I suppose but if you enrich
01:21:20
other people you're only enriching the
01:21:21
life of the person you're touching that
01:21:23
moment you know you're right book and oh
01:21:25
god there are so many I mean look at
01:21:27
your
01:21:28
bookshelf there are so many books if we
01:21:30
if everyone stopped writing books now
01:21:32
people there's enough there's enough
01:21:34
books there's seriously enough books
01:21:37
yeah people say oh I read so and so
01:21:39
we'll go back you know let's re-release
01:21:41
a few that have already been written by
01:21:42
people who've got a lot more to say than
01:21:44
some of the people that are writing
01:21:45
books now and I say that to someone
01:21:47
who's written books as someone who
01:21:49
writes books I mean there is no need for
01:21:51
anyone to write another
01:21:53
book would you do anymore it's terrible
01:21:56
paid a terrible return on you don't do
01:21:59
it for money do you you don't do it I
01:22:00
mean I wouldn't do it if it wasn't if
01:22:02
there wasn't if I wasn't paid I wouldn't
01:22:03
do it but if you actually facted out I
01:22:07
don't know how quickly you write but if
01:22:09
you facted out the hourly rate on
01:22:11
writing a book oh it's terrible lowest
01:22:13
hourly rate you live again outrageous
01:22:15
outrageous I am after sitting down with
01:22:17
you for what it's been an hour 20 now
01:22:20
one thing I sh has it been an hour 20
01:22:22
when do you have to go okay what one
01:22:25
thing I'm confused about you ask a
01:22:26
publicist not me because you know she
01:22:29
actually has a job I know she she's got
01:22:32
a place to go yeah but is it still just
01:22:35
just checking in you know at the
01:22:36
beginning you said it's a what did you
01:22:39
say it's a dream having me here or an
01:22:40
honor dream guest gu dream guest and
01:22:42
would you do you tick that box now or
01:22:44
are you slightly disappointed 100% not
01:22:46
disappointed at all oh fantastic that's
01:22:48
great um one thing I'm confused about
01:22:51
you though so you like you do have
01:22:52
elements of a loner right where you love
01:22:55
you you love going to Palm Springs and
01:22:57
just going on road trips on your own and
01:22:59
your and your Mustang or going to your
01:23:00
farm on your own but also you um you you
01:23:04
do you love holding court and you tell a
01:23:06
fantastic story so it's you just have a
01:23:10
small social battery like you're happy
01:23:11
to well I love
01:23:15
theater you know I think I am quite
01:23:17
theatrical I love theater um do I love
01:23:20
holding Court I do hold Court
01:23:24
I don't know I suppose you need a little
01:23:26
bit of everything in your life a little
01:23:29
bit of several different things anyway
01:23:31
and maybe I wouldn't enjoy being on my
01:23:33
own as much if I was on my own all the
01:23:35
time maybe I
01:23:37
wouldn't how how do you and um your wife
01:23:40
do and make it work you just live live
01:23:42
sort of separate lives and sort of come
01:23:43
together oh we have a wonderful life
01:23:45
together yes and then she has certain
01:23:48
nooks and crannies that she loves to be
01:23:50
you know she's got her favorite places
01:23:53
um and I've got my favorite places and
01:23:55
we come together and we have a lovely
01:23:56
life so it's you know and
01:24:00
sometimes like like sometimes um I'll
01:24:04
visit her in her favorite places and
01:24:07
have a fantastic time and she'll visit
01:24:08
me in my favorite places and then we
01:24:10
live together in in lovely places so you
01:24:13
have like a like a matrimonial house yes
01:24:16
Alo places that sounds very that sounds
01:24:18
brid I should be spending the weekend in
01:24:21
my matrimonial house okay with my wife
01:24:25
for many years no I'm just like
01:24:28
elaborating here for clarity because
01:24:30
when you said we meet in places like
01:24:31
most normal people like a park or a
01:24:34
restaurant but you're talking resid no
01:24:36
yeah we have we have platforms and she
01:24:38
has platforms that she loves and I have
01:24:41
platforms I love and I like her
01:24:44
platforms and she likes my platforms and
01:24:47
then we have a platform that we live in
01:24:49
together so we spend a lot of time
01:24:51
together but we have a lot of time to
01:24:55
ourselves we give each other our own
01:24:57
space yeah yeah it's a perfect marriage
01:25:00
it's
01:25:01
beautiful yeah and it seems like it's um
01:25:04
it's been a good there was an there's an
01:25:05
article that's still online now from
01:25:07
2008 which you read back now
01:25:08
everything's still online has not has
01:25:11
not aged well though you were you [ __ ]
01:25:13
off at the time which one are we talking
01:25:15
about it's one where you're walking
01:25:17
you're walking through an airport lovely
01:25:18
Mo you know this is the whole thing you
01:25:22
know with with things like that I mean
01:25:23
we new New Zealand has not been known
01:25:26
for that sort of Paparazzi style you
01:25:29
know combat journalism um and I was
01:25:32
subject to that for a while
01:25:35
um cuz this article it says Paul said he
01:25:38
was having three months off breakfast to
01:25:40
spend time with his daughter now he's
01:25:41
going overseas with this woman that was
01:25:43
had an affair with Don Brash or
01:25:45
something like that so takes shots at
01:25:46
you shots at her yeah it's terrible it
01:25:49
was the same when they were you know at
01:25:51
the top of my drive and I mean you
01:25:52
mention outside my mother's you know
01:25:54
there was a moment in time cuz that was
01:25:57
all around those few years there was a
01:25:59
moment in time where there was a sort of
01:26:02
Paparazzi style attack journalism style
01:26:04
element particularly to the herald you
01:26:06
know largely down to Shane Curry
01:26:10
actually who funnily enough there was a
01:26:13
period in time where I mean and he
01:26:17
actually wrote about this where I told
01:26:20
him once I wouldn't give him the steam
01:26:22
off my piss
01:26:24
isn't that a lovely PHR and he quoted it
01:26:27
to me in an interview not so very long
01:26:29
ago and now I would actually give him
01:26:31
the steam of
01:26:34
my no we've I there was a time when I
01:26:37
would have wanted to bury the hatchet
01:26:39
right in him but now we've actually
01:26:40
buried it um but he you know I have
01:26:44
always admired him as a journalist um he
01:26:48
is a brilliant tabloid journalist of the
01:26:51
worst kind um and now he's moved on from
01:26:54
that and I've and I've moved on you know
01:26:56
he no
01:26:58
longer yeah pounds
01:27:00
me so is that his car out
01:27:06
there um so yeah December 16 um that's
01:27:10
when the Paul Henry show ends I I I
01:27:13
don't know if this is online but I
01:27:14
remember it clearly uh because that show
01:27:16
was a game changer and because I was in
01:27:18
um media works at the time I remember
01:27:21
over hearing who was the CEO at the time
01:27:23
was it sass turn
01:27:25
no BR no who was it [ __ ] it was well
01:27:28
after Brent right no was it no it was
01:27:32
was it Michael Anderson I think it was
01:27:34
pre Anderson maybe I anyway whoever it
01:27:36
was though though someone was saying no
01:27:38
I think it was Michael Anderson someone
01:27:40
was saying don't something like don't
01:27:41
bit the house on Paul he'll never stick
01:27:43
around long enough which is probably
01:27:45
fair enough and then there was some
01:27:46
friends of mine in engineering talking
01:27:49
about um some headbutting situation with
01:27:51
you because they wanted these like
01:27:54
microphones with long they're called
01:27:56
gooseneck microphones but you were very
01:27:59
very particular about the sort of
01:28:00
microphones you wanted and uh it turns
01:28:02
out you were correct aesthetically it
01:28:04
looked almost but but that was the thing
01:28:07
it was television for Christ's sake
01:28:09
Aesthetics matter you know I mean but
01:28:11
it's setting a Vibe it's part of the
01:28:13
theater like I tell you theater's very
01:28:14
important I mean everything about that
01:28:16
was important to me and people say that
01:28:18
you know you know oh Paul Paul Henry's
01:28:21
leaving you know he's you know I went
01:28:22
into that job and I told them how long I
01:28:25
would give it and I gave them I gave it
01:28:27
that long what was it three years five
01:28:29
years you know no it wasn't even that
01:28:30
long um because I told them I'd give
01:28:33
them I think it was three years or
01:28:34
something and then they said a that was
01:28:37
for the evening show which I loved I
01:28:39
just want the late night one the Paul
01:28:41
Henry show in the evening just wanted to
01:28:42
keep doing that I wanted to make that
01:28:44
more mine I wanted to just I loved it I
01:28:46
could have really done a lot with that
01:28:47
it really suited me um and you know the
01:28:50
set was amazing and I put a lot of
01:28:52
effort into that and they came to me and
01:28:55
said uh you know we really want you to
01:28:57
do a breakfast show and so I told them
01:29:00
I'll need lots more money but I'm only
01:29:02
going to do it within my existing
01:29:05
contract time frame so of course
01:29:08
everyone says oh here we are it's a year
01:29:09
later and he's already throwing in the
01:29:11
towel no actually this was the contract
01:29:14
I gave you and you agreed to that when I
01:29:15
came to do it um but that's you know
01:29:18
again it's just misrepresentation and
01:29:20
also to be fair like it set the platform
01:29:22
for what became the am show which is
01:29:24
it's been you moderately successful it's
01:29:25
been moderately successful I mean you
01:29:27
know the yeah I could have done it for
01:29:30
longer but I just didn't want to you
01:29:32
know I mean we were really making
01:29:33
inroads there was something magical
01:29:35
about that program there was something
01:29:36
magical and as soon as the am show
01:29:39
started the magic started to disappear
01:29:42
it wasn't [ __ ] you know and breakfast
01:29:46
was [ __ ] you it's terrible terrible
01:29:49
television for the money they spend on
01:29:51
it but the am show was wasn't [ __ ] but
01:29:55
just the magic started to disintegrate
01:29:57
because you've really got to like the
01:29:59
microphones are a good example oh but
01:30:00
this microphone would be better because
01:30:02
it's slightly better quality it's more
01:30:03
directional be able to do this and I
01:30:06
used to just say make it work this is
01:30:08
the look these are great microphones
01:30:11
make them work yeah but if we had this
01:30:13
make it work this is the microphone I
01:30:15
want I remember once ages ago I was
01:30:17
doing this is your life right Julie
01:30:19
chrusty Jesus you don't want to cross
01:30:22
her Dam Julie oh
01:30:24
is she a Dame yeah she is CHR yeah see
01:30:27
why am I
01:30:29
anyway how is it possible seriously look
01:30:32
at me now how is it possible you know it
01:30:34
feels how have I been overlooked it
01:30:35
feels like all your friends are as well
01:30:37
like s key there was a whole time when
01:30:41
the guest after guest on my boat they
01:30:43
were all nighters and I thought [ __ ] is
01:30:45
wrong it's my boat why am I not N I
01:30:47
should be nighted just for having so
01:30:49
many s on the boat even um even your
01:30:51
friend Peter Beck who's like 24 now know
01:30:54
Peter Beck he's barely out of
01:30:56
nappies um I love Peter Beck he's a
01:30:59
smart he's a smart guy anyway we say
01:31:02
yeah we no what was I saying we can't
01:31:04
miss this whole thing we're talking
01:31:06
about just your strength of convictions
01:31:07
when it comes to Julie Christie no cross
01:31:09
Julie Christie but here's the thing I
01:31:11
just remember this once I was doing this
01:31:13
as your life right we walk into the
01:31:15
studio looks amazing these this was in
01:31:18
the days when TV and Zed only counted
01:31:20
every second Penny and and judie was
01:31:22
very good because she was in a sense
01:31:24
very like me or was I very like her
01:31:26
whereas she knew what she wanted oh no
01:31:29
we were're going to have this oh yeah
01:31:30
but this is half the price and almost as
01:31:33
good yeah but we were going to have this
01:31:35
so anyway I walk into the studio and
01:31:37
there's a lot of pressure on this is
01:31:38
your life more than perhaps any other
01:31:40
program I've ever done it's a it's a
01:31:41
nightmare program to do you imagine
01:31:43
you're doing a program about one person
01:31:46
right the star of your show who is so
01:31:48
important in your show has no idea what
01:31:50
it's a show they don't even know what's
01:31:52
happening you've organized whole thing
01:31:54
and then you surprise them and all of
01:31:57
their friends who are just there because
01:31:59
they didn't know it was happening until
01:32:01
you organized it they're just there to
01:32:02
see them and surprise them and you
01:32:04
filled them with liquor and you put this
01:32:06
person who doesn't even want to be there
01:32:08
who's as nervous as buggery into a
01:32:10
studio full of people who are pissed
01:32:14
honestly it's just anyway that's a great
01:32:17
who yeah who did you who did you think
01:32:19
of the [ __ ] format you did AJ heck it
01:32:21
who else he was great um Jonah um wow
01:32:25
just a whole handful anyway
01:32:29
um I walk into the studio with her and
01:32:32
it's all done at the last minute because
01:32:33
obviously the whole studio this is a
01:32:35
it's a huge production um cost so much
01:32:39
money which is why no one does it now um
01:32:42
walk into the studio and she said what's
01:32:44
that I was standing there with her it
01:32:47
looked amazing like the set looked
01:32:49
amazing and she looked over and she said
01:32:51
to the guy the designer or whoever it
01:32:53
was what's that there he said oh that's
01:32:55
the star curtain you know what a star
01:32:56
curtain is right so it's just a curtain
01:32:58
of sparkly lights basically star curtain
01:33:01
so that's sparkly lights LEDs um this
01:33:05
was in the day when LEDs were oh my God
01:33:06
what's that how does that even work
01:33:09
um and the guy said oh that's the star
01:33:13
curtain and she said well that's not a
01:33:14
star curtain it looked like a star
01:33:17
curtain to me and she said no what
01:33:19
you've done there is you've just hung
01:33:21
sparkly lights on a black
01:33:24
[ __ ] and they said well yeah it's a star
01:33:27
curtain and she said no she said that's
01:33:29
just rows of Lights she said that's not
01:33:32
a star curtain at all I wanted a star
01:33:34
curtain and he said oh well um and this
01:33:36
is like hours before the whole thing
01:33:38
starts cuz it's all done at the last
01:33:40
minute well some parts of it have done
01:33:41
at the last minute and I thought oh well
01:33:44
it's not not quite right you know but
01:33:46
it's looks amazing and he said oh it
01:33:49
looks amazing and she said I wanted a
01:33:51
star curtain and I'm having a star
01:33:54
curtain he said well where am I going to
01:33:55
get a St I don't care that's not my my
01:33:58
job is not to get the star curtain it's
01:34:02
to insist on us having one and we got a
01:34:04
star curtain it was impossible he said
01:34:07
that I heard him say it's impossible
01:34:09
it's only a few hours it's impossible we
01:34:11
can't possibly get it and so what most
01:34:13
people would do is they go into a b plan
01:34:14
but she didn't you know she didn't go
01:34:17
into a b plan she said it's a star
01:34:20
curtain or it's nothing and there was a
01:34:22
star curtain there on the night she's
01:34:23
amazing you know do do you love her
01:34:26
respect her yeah yeah absolutely respect
01:34:28
her absolutely you know I mean that and
01:34:31
that taught me a lot and so when the guy
01:34:32
said oh you should have these goose neck
01:34:34
you know and and I said it looks like
01:34:39
[ __ ] you know and then there was this
01:34:41
other guy um right down towards God it
01:34:45
was a nightmare doing that show putting
01:34:47
it together cuz I was so it was me you
01:34:50
know I bled it like I do with almost
01:34:53
every I do you know I care about the
01:34:56
theater anyway um this guy towards the
01:34:59
end said I it's not going to be possible
01:35:02
it I it's just not going to be possible
01:35:03
to frame those microphones out you know
01:35:05
TV turn and frame them out and I
01:35:09
said what do you mean frame them out and
01:35:12
he said well they're just so big they're
01:35:13
right in the
01:35:14
way and I said they're the [ __ ]
01:35:17
microphones why would we want to frame
01:35:19
them out this is the set this is the way
01:35:22
it works and he said well you can't have
01:35:24
a great big microphone in front of you
01:35:26
on TV that that's um that's good though
01:35:28
and that's admirable um I I've always
01:35:31
believe been a bit more passive I've
01:35:32
been like oh some someone else is doing
01:35:34
their job they know better they must
01:35:35
know better even though I disagree with
01:35:37
it I'll roll with it and I still think
01:35:38
that to a degree like on traitors I
01:35:40
think that you know they're doing their
01:35:43
job you know they and I you can't do
01:35:45
everything neither should you do
01:35:46
everything you know and and and it's not
01:35:49
that I mean and I'll be honest with you
01:35:51
it's not that every single thing I think
01:35:54
is the best way to do it or the better
01:35:55
way to do it or it should be done that
01:35:57
way
01:35:59
but I really care you know when you
01:36:02
really care it's very hard to loosen the
01:36:05
grip on things the good thing about
01:36:07
traitors is I'm the host and even
01:36:09
although I overstep my boundaries so
01:36:10
many times I'm I'm the host that's my
01:36:14
job you know um but with like the Paul
01:36:17
Henry show and that that I'm ma that
01:36:19
mattered to me and people just
01:36:20
constantly let you down well your name
01:36:22
constantly yeah your name's on it it's
01:36:25
all care all responsibility and you know
01:36:27
there are a lot of things that I look
01:36:28
back I remember there was an interview
01:36:30
once that was I think it was North and
01:36:32
South magazine and they were
01:36:34
interviewing Don Brash after I think his
01:36:37
last enormous political defeat
01:36:41
um and no it might have been it might
01:36:44
have been when he lost as national
01:36:46
leader and he was out and he was in his
01:36:48
apartment down the viaduct or wherever
01:36:50
it was and they said to him what have
01:36:52
you learned from this experience and
01:36:55
he's more clever than you can shake a
01:36:57
stick at you know wasn't a great leader
01:36:59
but more clever than you can shake a
01:37:00
stick at and he said I've learned that
01:37:04
you have to recognize how much power
01:37:07
you've got while you've got it something
01:37:09
like that I'm putting words in but that
01:37:11
was roughly what he said and you think
01:37:12
about your own career how often is that
01:37:15
the case whereas you spend time waiting
01:37:18
for something before you do something
01:37:20
yeah not realizing that actually I've
01:37:23
got a hold all the cards now or I hold
01:37:26
enough cards now to do this and um and
01:37:29
and those are little regrets I've had at
01:37:31
different times when I should have just
01:37:33
said no that person doesn't work for me
01:37:35
it's not that's unacceptable I'm not
01:37:37
going to put up with that you know and
01:37:39
and it but you don't do that because you
01:37:42
think I'll give it another one the doubt
01:37:44
you I suppose it's a learning thing and
01:37:45
then you work with someone like um Dame
01:37:47
Julie Christie and you think okay I can
01:37:50
I can do this that's what Julie would do
01:37:52
um yeah she's a phenomenal
01:37:54
um okay we going to start wrapping this
01:37:56
up cuz it's an hour 38 okay well let's
01:37:58
do it let's do it like this thanks Tom
01:38:02
no there's more there's more by the way
01:38:04
it's worth pointing out as soon as you
01:38:05
walked into this room you looked around
01:38:06
and go there's nothing here that I hate
01:38:09
no no and I'm impressed and here's why
01:38:11
I'm impressed right this is you you've
01:38:14
done all of this you've taken control of
01:38:16
this I mean I'm ify on neon and is this
01:38:18
proper neon or is it no it's LED neon
01:38:21
it's NE no it's not Neon I don't think
01:38:23
it is what how do you what do you mean
01:38:25
well I don't think there's Neon gas in
01:38:26
there is there no there isn't no it's
01:38:28
and it's definitely fake brick it's fake
01:38:31
bre obvious yeah but I'm okay with that
01:38:33
cuz it's not but that's not you just
01:38:35
said it was neon it's not what from a
01:38:38
neon Place yeah well they branched out
01:38:41
oh you're thinking old Vegas neon well
01:38:43
neon I'm thinking you know what neon is
01:38:47
it's gas so it's it's glass tubes full
01:38:51
of Neon gas and this is not this is
01:38:54
plastic full of
01:38:56
LEDs but you know again what but but but
01:39:00
it's is it as good as neon probably it
01:39:03
doesn't have that you know what you want
01:39:04
you want
01:39:05
that you want
01:39:07
that you know where on the electricity
01:39:10
yeah yeah you want a few of these
01:39:12
letters maybe the E just to just to cut
01:39:15
out you know periodically but you can't
01:39:18
do that with LED well maybe you can who
01:39:20
knows um what you want to do I in fact I
01:39:22
don't even know if it's still there but
01:39:24
in Vegas they've got a place called the
01:39:25
Boneyard or at least they used to oh yes
01:39:27
they with all the old neon science from
01:39:29
old Vegas beautiful it's so cool you can
01:39:32
do a nighttime tour of it I've never
01:39:33
done the nighttime tour I've done a
01:39:35
daytime tour a couple of times it's so
01:39:37
cool I mean that the anyway that's one
01:39:39
of the places I love you know what are
01:39:41
you what are your thoughts on Aging so
01:39:43
you're you're 63 now you're almost 64
01:39:45
which is the the line from the famous
01:39:46
Beatle song yeah When I'm 64 will will
01:39:49
you still need me will you still feed me
01:39:51
think about that will still need me is
01:39:54
fine will you still feed me that's no
01:39:58
that's a serious line isn't it it is
01:40:00
it's a big who feeding you at the moment
01:40:02
that's a big call that was from um like
01:40:04
your girlfriend how old is she she's 301
01:40:07
years will she will she still need you
01:40:09
will she still feed you when you're
01:40:13
64 but you I saw her the other night I
01:40:16
don't know that she will feed you when
01:40:17
you're 64 no no she's she's wonderful
01:40:19
though like she's yeah um and she
01:40:23
probably thinks you're wonderful at the
01:40:25
moment when you're 64 and she's got a
01:40:27
bowl of GRL she's holding a bowl of GRL
01:40:30
that she's just made she's made herself
01:40:32
a beautiful steak but for you what she's
01:40:34
done is she's boiled it within inches of
01:40:37
its [ __ ] life and she's got it in a
01:40:39
bowl with some
01:40:41
rusks and and she's about to give it to
01:40:44
you and she
01:40:45
thinks I'm not going to feed him I'm
01:40:48
just not going to feed him I don't need
01:40:50
him why would I feed him anyway who
01:40:52
knows this is your private business it's
01:40:54
not for me to it's not for me to
01:40:56
question but you you well you your
01:40:58
previous guil Lindy there was a big agap
01:41:00
how how big was the not as big as
01:41:02
yours don't try and don't try and duck
01:41:04
and dive behind other
01:41:06
people um but you know I mean honestly
01:41:10
Dom maybe it'll
01:41:14
work oh we're cutting that but out no
01:41:18
you said you didn't cut anything you
01:41:20
said you didn't cut anything um no but I
01:41:23
over the years I've heard you do
01:41:24
interviews and you talk about um the
01:41:26
amount of good Summers you've got left
01:41:27
and the amount of heartbeats you've got
01:41:29
left um yeah what are you what do you
01:41:31
think what do what do you sort of mean
01:41:33
when you say that do you know what I
01:41:36
think it's hard people say oh I'm very
01:41:38
proud to be a New Zealander well I don't
01:41:39
know why because or or proud to be from
01:41:42
any country because you didn't choose it
01:41:44
it's not something you did you just are
01:41:46
a New Zealander can you be proud of
01:41:48
something you had no involvement in um
01:41:51
and so the reason I say that is I don't
01:41:53
know that you can actually say I'm
01:41:55
really proud to be old because you're
01:41:58
old you know although to a degree I
01:42:00
haven't died
01:42:02
earlier yeah yeah so so I suppose I did
01:42:05
have an involvement in it because I
01:42:07
could have died earlier and when you get
01:42:08
to I tell you a thing about 63 you won't
01:42:10
know that this yet although you've
01:42:11
probably lost friends already at your
01:42:13
age but I've lost friends and
01:42:15
acquaintances who haven't made it this
01:42:17
far down the track I don't know how far
01:42:19
I'm going to make it but I don't mind
01:42:22
being my age thank God I mean how it's
01:42:25
so sad people that try not to be their
01:42:27
age um I think I probably look about 63
01:42:32
I don't think I look older than 63 let
01:42:35
me have a check I think I think I think
01:42:37
you good for your age and and these
01:42:39
glasses make me look a bit
01:42:41
older anyway what I'm saying is
01:42:44
I I I don't mind you know I am my age
01:42:48
and and I don't want to hide my age um
01:42:52
and in a way I'm look forward to that
01:42:55
day I remember once years ago I was
01:42:57
going to the ASB Bank and remuera right
01:43:00
I think it was the ASB yeah and it used
01:43:02
to be up the top of some steps there
01:43:03
were about six steps right and I was
01:43:06
walking out of the bank there' been a
01:43:08
queue and I was standing in the queue
01:43:10
came out finally got to the front you
01:43:11
know walked out very unsatisfying
01:43:13
experience being at the ASB um but
01:43:16
that's banking yeah speaking at the end
01:43:18
of you know you're lying on your
01:43:19
deathbed right you're about to die no
01:43:22
one visits you you and says you know in
01:43:26
the last 70 years or however old you are
01:43:30
do you realize you've spent the
01:43:31
equivalent of 16 months in cues at the
01:43:35
post office at we're going to give you
01:43:36
that 16 month no one's going to do that
01:43:38
right so every time you're standing in a
01:43:40
queue for some useless [ __ ] piece of
01:43:42
[ __ ] remember that that's your life
01:43:44
ticking away you know like you're at n
01:43:46
leing right and you've and you've said
01:43:49
oh I will buy that whatever that lump of
01:43:51
electrical thingers and take it to some
01:43:53
counter and you're standing in a queue
01:43:55
and they say oh sorry to keep you
01:43:56
waiting you know what you should say is
01:43:59
no it's my life my heartbeats are on
01:44:02
that carpet over there you know where
01:44:04
are you going to be when I'm dying you
01:44:05
[ __ ] you know but it's not their
01:44:07
fault they're on minimum wage we're
01:44:10
anyway um anyway so what about um what I
01:44:15
was saying was I walk out of the bank
01:44:18
right and sedman
01:44:20
Hillary is climbing up these steps
01:44:24
and I stand there and I wait because I'm
01:44:26
very good to older people and he was
01:44:29
actually I think quite a nice old person
01:44:30
I knew him a bit um and you mustn't
01:44:33
confuse old people for nice people
01:44:36
because old people are not nice because
01:44:39
they're old if they were nice and they
01:44:40
got old they're nice old people if they
01:44:42
were shitty and they got old they were
01:44:44
shitty old people you know but a lot of
01:44:45
people think oh look at that nice old
01:44:47
person no think again anyway what I'm
01:44:50
saying is I know that yeah I really like
01:44:52
Anyway gets to the top top and I said
01:44:54
you know we we're we weren't friends we
01:44:56
were acquaintances he gets to the top
01:44:57
and I said you're not that bastard off
01:45:00
you know it was just a lovely line many
01:45:02
people must have said it to him we had a
01:45:04
bit of a laugh and everything like that
01:45:05
and then he went and he joined the end
01:45:06
of the queue and I thought when I get to
01:45:09
his age I'm going to walk in and I'm
01:45:12
going to say I am very very old I do not
01:45:17
have enough time to stand in a queue and
01:45:21
I'm going to walk right to the front
01:45:24
well he's he's on the $5 note if he
01:45:26
can't jump the queue nobody can think
01:45:28
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah [ __ ] that's a
01:45:30
great story what a y it's a mixed up
01:45:32
story it and it was overly long long and
01:45:34
I apologize for that no that's fine um
01:45:36
what about a backet list or a to-do list
01:45:39
is there anything that you haven't done
01:45:40
that you really want to do no no I mean
01:45:43
there are things that I'll still do
01:45:44
obviously but most of the things but
01:45:46
once you get to well with me I don't
01:45:48
won't say once you get to my ede because
01:45:49
it's not true of everyone but I've I've
01:45:52
collected things I like to do and so now
01:45:54
I just want to do them more what like
01:45:57
travel and yeah but travel God you know
01:46:01
that's a 12 people say travel oh yeah
01:46:04
cuz what I want to do is spend more time
01:46:05
at airports that's what I want to oh God
01:46:08
if only I could spend more time at
01:46:09
airports because airports are the
01:46:11
funnest places in the world oh you did
01:46:13
say you wanted to go to Turkey yeah I
01:46:15
like turkey this is why I've got a
01:46:17
publicist she reminds you of things I
01:46:19
mean I don't desperately want to go to
01:46:21
Turkey but but you know I mean there are
01:46:24
places but but at the end of the day I
01:46:26
mean travel I know where I want to go
01:46:30
but you haven't seen I hate no I know
01:46:33
but you're fine with that but well are
01:46:34
you going to be able to see everywhere
01:46:35
before you die so so where are you going
01:46:38
to be happy well half of everywhere well
01:46:40
I'm the same I'm a I'm a creature of
01:46:41
habit and yeah yeah yeah and you've got
01:46:43
to be careful and my daughters say this
01:46:45
often you know I'll I'll take them quite
01:46:46
often I'll take them to Vegas and I'll
01:46:48
say I'm going to take you to this great
01:46:49
show and they'll say to me have you seen
01:46:50
it before well yeah it's great you're
01:46:52
going to love but well why don't we go
01:46:53
to something you haven't seen cuz I
01:46:54
don't like it's too risky RIS it's the
01:46:57
same with restaurants it I'm ordering a
01:46:59
new item on the menu and then I should
01:47:01
have got the fedini I know the love the
01:47:03
fedini [ __ ] look at this [ __ ] I'm not
01:47:06
paying for this um what about um regrets
01:47:10
any regrets or two few to mention no I
01:47:13
mean if I have I've forgotten them yeah
01:47:15
and are you are you happy and content no
01:47:18
well that's hard to say though isn't it
01:47:21
is anyone I mean if you're happy and
01:47:23
content I mean happy yes content I mean
01:47:25
contentment is a funny thing isn't it
01:47:28
contentment is perilously close to death
01:47:30
isn't it really oh there's someone in a
01:47:33
coma I bet they're content and I bet
01:47:35
every single person in a coma is content
01:47:38
cuz the two things are synonymous aren't
01:47:41
they really but happy yes you're more
01:47:44
happy than unhappy because if you say oh
01:47:46
yeah yeah oh absolutely I'm happy but
01:47:48
when you say content it's a funny thing
01:47:50
isn't it it's like saying is Everything
01:47:52
is Everything right well is everything
01:47:54
always going to be right the black
01:47:57
stripes on my Shelby on my Mustang right
01:48:00
have already started to peel off in just
01:48:02
a few years that annoys me I am not
01:48:06
content with
01:48:09
that write a letter start a group aoup a
01:48:13
group that was a great line that's a
01:48:15
great line the whole this is back to the
01:48:16
mustach great mustach on a lady thing
01:48:19
you watch the whole YouTube clip it's
01:48:20
quite captivating and it has very little
01:48:22
to do with the lady with the almost
01:48:25
nothing it's more it's the three or four
01:48:26
minutes afterwards it's um reading out
01:48:28
emails reading out that email and that
01:48:30
person said so and so and I just said I
01:48:32
ended it by just saying start a group
01:48:34
phenomenal because that's what people do
01:48:35
now it's a great line it's a great and
01:48:37
then that Mr vintage or whoever that
01:48:39
t-shirt company was I don't know if
01:48:40
they're still in business but they came
01:48:42
out with a whole range of t-shirts start
01:48:43
a group how good that which I didn't get
01:48:47
any royalties for but yeah it's a great
01:48:50
line star aou yeah exactly it's the
01:48:53
perfect I didn't get any R starter group
01:48:55
well this has been wonderful today [ __ ]
01:48:57
then there's um I you know this is long
01:49:00
form uh I feel like no this is this is
01:49:02
Marathon form yeah no we we still just
01:49:05
scratched the yeah when when you've got
01:49:07
someone that's interesting in front of
01:49:08
you that 63 and has lived a hell of a
01:49:10
it's just life F yeah but we're still
01:49:12
just like scratching the surface of the
01:49:14
Paul Henry story like we haven't even
01:49:15
talked about your your nudism and you
01:49:18
know so many other bits nudism is a
01:49:19
wonderful thing I'll just say this about
01:49:21
it right
01:49:23
no one cares what anyone else looks like
01:49:25
fundamentally now that I'm still a
01:49:28
beautiful woman walks to the pool naked
01:49:30
and you're interested to look at her
01:49:32
right
01:49:34
a person walks to the pool naked and
01:49:37
you're really interested to look at them
01:49:39
do you know what I mean like because
01:49:41
it's a one you know all of a sudden it's
01:49:43
a window into someone else's life no
01:49:45
seriously but
01:49:47
fundamentally everyone cares what they
01:49:49
look like to themselves and everyone
01:49:51
thinks when you're in mud to start with
01:49:54
you all think oh everyone's going to be
01:49:55
looking at me actually the opposite is
01:49:57
true almost no one's looking at you
01:49:59
everyone's thinking oh how do I look
01:50:01
yeah I think it's like a metaphor for
01:50:03
life people stop doing things because
01:50:04
they wonder what other people will think
01:50:05
but actually everyone's the same as you
01:50:07
they just everyone's thinking oh God
01:50:08
what's someone going to think of that
01:50:09
100% where where did that begin though
01:50:11
where did where did the nudism start it
01:50:13
started with a casual conversation from
01:50:15
some acquaintances of mine who talked
01:50:17
about going to this particular place um
01:50:20
and they didn't realize it was a nudus
01:50:21
place but they were booked in and they
01:50:23
went there and they were surprised how
01:50:26
just natural all seemed and how it was
01:50:28
so different to their preconceptions of
01:50:30
it and they said that to me and I
01:50:33
thought oh that's you know and it just
01:50:35
prayed on my mind a bit and then purely
01:50:37
this was in the United States purely
01:50:40
coincidentally
01:50:42
um maybe a year later or sometime later
01:50:45
I was on a road trip vaguely in that
01:50:48
area and I thought God that's close to
01:50:51
so I looked it up on my phone phone and
01:50:54
um booked
01:50:55
in next minute you're a
01:50:59
nudist and it's it's honestly it's so
01:51:02
there it's just lovely it's just lovely
01:51:05
I'm not into that thing
01:51:07
where like naturists I'm not a naturist
01:51:10
people play tennis and go hiking again
01:51:12
yeah you know there are reasons why you
01:51:14
wear clothes for tennis and there are
01:51:16
reasons why you wear clothes to hike um
01:51:19
particularly in the scalding desert uh
01:51:22
but you know for swimming and sunbathing
01:51:25
why would you have clothes on like why
01:51:27
but is it about CU you you're Place some
01:51:29
Palm Swings it's like a gated community
01:51:30
for for nudus is is it about the um the
01:51:34
freedom of just being naked yourself in
01:51:35
your own house and in your own backyard
01:51:37
or is it about the camaraderie of being
01:51:39
nude with others whole collection of
01:51:40
things really I mean camaraderie is a
01:51:42
funny thing isn't
01:51:45
it with I feel a camaraderie with my
01:51:48
naked friends
01:51:50
um but no it's just it's just natural it
01:51:53
just seems so natural and and here's the
01:51:56
thing when it gets cold you put clothes
01:51:58
on cuz there's a reason for that you
01:52:00
know there's a reason people wear
01:52:02
clothes and again it comes back to the
01:52:03
tennis and the hiking thing there's a
01:52:04
reason why people wear clothes um funny
01:52:08
enough I do play pingpong naked we have
01:52:11
a seems like a lowrisk sport it's a
01:52:13
lowrisk sport it still requires a lot of
01:52:16
jux position of the body and your body
01:52:18
doesn't change direction at one speed
01:52:22
some parts of your body change direction
01:52:24
at a different rate and you're already
01:52:26
going back the other way while that part
01:52:28
of the body is still going in the
01:52:29
opposite direction but anyway how does
01:52:31
it look who would know I've never
01:52:33
watched
01:52:35
um geez this has been very entertaining
01:52:38
yeah there was just one thing about
01:52:39
nudity I was going to say and now it
01:52:41
slipped my mind all you as so often
01:52:44
happens in a conversation you yeah have
01:52:46
you you found that's always been a thing
01:52:48
or has this happened as youve as you've
01:52:50
got into your 60s funny you should say
01:52:51
that cuz I was talking about this with
01:52:52
my wife the other day um and I think
01:52:56
it's not I don't think it's Alzheimer's
01:52:58
um the mere fact that I can say that I
01:53:00
don't think it is probably means it
01:53:01
isn't um but I think as you get older I
01:53:03
think it is you know you don't want to
01:53:05
worry about recall taking a little
01:53:07
longer or sometimes the grasping for
01:53:09
that word and I've always grasped for
01:53:11
words I've got a very broad vocabulary
01:53:14
and I think the broader your vocabulary
01:53:15
the more words there are in there and
01:53:18
perhaps the harder it is to grasp for
01:53:19
the right one and I think it does take
01:53:21
slightly longer
01:53:23
I think that's just one of the things of
01:53:24
getting old and having more stuff
01:53:26
there God I wish you had more of a more
01:53:29
of a stage or platform whatever you want
01:53:31
to call it this is great for me no not
01:53:34
like a would you want to do like a
01:53:35
weekly podcast or something no no no I
01:53:39
couldn't think of well I can think of
01:53:40
worse things open heart surgery um but
01:53:44
but no I wouldn't want to do that again
01:53:46
I wouldn't do daily weekly monthly
01:53:48
so what's uh yeah final question then
01:53:51
like what's like what's what's your ego
01:53:53
like or your relationship with ego you
01:53:55
you must have one like a an it to be I
01:53:57
think everyone does CU I think that's
01:53:59
another thing that's on the Continuum
01:54:01
you know I don't think there anyone that
01:54:02
has no ego at all because I think that
01:54:04
would mean you didn't care about
01:54:06
anything at all ever um but but because
01:54:09
I fundamentally don't care what people
01:54:11
think about me I think that's where ego
01:54:13
comes from I think minor probably and
01:54:16
and there'll be a lot of people who will
01:54:18
hear word of this and that maybe will
01:54:20
write or comment and say way and say ah
01:54:24
Henry there was something I saw I did
01:54:27
this speech and one of the people wrote
01:54:29
oh there isn't a camera Henry doesn't
01:54:31
like you know if they had if they had
01:54:33
any idea how many camera opportunities I
01:54:36
turned down on a weekly basis but I just
01:54:39
laugh at that and I think you know that
01:54:40
has given you just saying that my job is
01:54:44
done you know you you've actually you've
01:54:47
got out of your whatever kind of tunnel
01:54:50
you live in and and you've you know used
01:54:52
your fingers presumably to type
01:54:54
something down and then it's given you
01:54:56
some enjoyment so so you do have this
01:54:59
desire to be center of attention but
01:55:01
it's a very very small desire like it's
01:55:02
a Slither if it was a pie it's a like a
01:55:05
very small I don't have to be center of
01:55:07
attention much much to be completely
01:55:09
over overa by having been it you know I
01:55:13
mean I love just being on my own just
01:55:17
unrecognized by the no one around me you
01:55:20
know how do you get recognized these
01:55:22
days like when you're in New Zealand it
01:55:24
must still happen a lot what do people
01:55:26
say what do they do well I've never been
01:55:28
particularly approachable you know I've
01:55:30
never been like an enormously I disagree
01:55:33
no well I think I'm going to need to go
01:55:35
we you do people do that
01:55:39
sometimes no but do people do that
01:55:41
sometimes in your be the but the the
01:55:44
other day remember when yeah people do
01:55:46
honk and they honk and some people are
01:55:48
lovely and and and the people that
01:55:49
aren't I'm I'm not looking anyway I I
01:55:52
don't know that they aren't all right
01:55:54
we'll wrap this up so you can go we I
01:55:56
need to go we've got through almost a
01:55:57
bottle of roaring me this has been
01:55:59
fantastic as I said at the beginning and
01:56:01
I um I think I said during it as well
01:56:03
dream guest and you have not
01:56:04
disappointed I've been a big fan of
01:56:05
yours forever and I'm so glad we finally
01:56:08
made this happen fantastic Dom thank you
01:56:11
fantastic no thank you
01:56:13
[Music]

Podspun Insights

In this episode, Paul Henry welcomes Dom to a lively and candid conversation that feels like a cozy chat over a glass of wine. The two dive deep into the nuances of broadcasting, the art of interviewing, and the complexities of personal relationships, all while sharing a few laughs along the way. Paul reflects on his career, touching on his time in radio and television, and the importance of authenticity in media. They discuss the challenges of navigating public perception, especially in the wake of controversies that have shaped Paul’s career. The conversation takes a humorous turn as they explore the world of reality TV, particularly Paul’s role in the show "Traitors," where he reveals the intricacies of human behavior under pressure. With a mix of nostalgia and insight, the episode captures the essence of two seasoned broadcasters sharing their experiences, wisdom, and a few cheeky anecdotes about life, aging, and the unpredictability of the media landscape.

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 95
    Funniest
  • 90
    Most satisfying
  • 90
    Best overall
  • 90
    Best performance

Episode Highlights

  • Alcohol Reflection
    Paul discusses his relationship with alcohol, stating he doesn't have a problem.
    “I don't have an alcohol problem; I'm drinking slightly less than I did.”
    @ 02m 57s
    July 01, 2024
  • Success vs. Failure
    Dom reflects on the broadcasting industry, suggesting that not caring about work is a sign of success.
    “I think to a large extent that's actually the mark of failure.”
    @ 15m 59s
    July 01, 2024
  • Friendship Dynamics
    Exploring the nature of friendships and the effort involved in maintaining them.
    “A really good friend you shouldn’t have to put much effort into.”
    @ 23m 20s
    July 01, 2024
  • Enjoying the Journey
    A conversation about appreciating experiences without needing a specific purpose.
    “Why can’t we just enjoy the walk?”
    @ 36m 31s
    July 01, 2024
  • The Changing Landscape of Media
    Media companies are struggling to adapt, facing losses and closures as the landscape shifts.
    “It's just beyond me that anyone is surprised or even bothered by it.”
    @ 43m 52s
    July 01, 2024
  • Padlocked Laptops and Trust Issues
    A humorous incident highlights the lack of trust in the workplace, leading to a memorable TV moment.
    “Nothing says I don’t trust you like padlocking your laptop to the set.”
    @ 54m 44s
    July 01, 2024
  • The People's Choice Awards Speech
    A memorable speech that won over a tough crowd, showcasing his comedic talent.
    “You have to be passionate to write in.”
    @ 58m 54s
    July 01, 2024
  • Resilience in Adversity
    Reflecting on how he navigated public scrutiny and personal challenges.
    “It was just a moment in time.”
    @ 01h 13m 07s
    July 01, 2024
  • The Importance of Communication
    Maintaining connections with loved ones through constant communication is vital.
    “They know I love them completely.”
    @ 01h 19m 23s
    July 01, 2024
  • The Star Curtain
    A determined insistence on having a star curtain leads to unexpected success.
    “It's a star curtain or it's nothing.”
    @ 01h 34m 17s
    July 01, 2024
  • Reflections on Aging
    A candid discussion about aging and the acceptance of one's age.
    “Contentment is perilously close to death, isn't it?”
    @ 01h 47m 25s
    July 01, 2024
  • The Freedom of Nudism
    Exploring the naturalness and camaraderie found in nudism.
    “It just seems so natural.”
    @ 01h 51m 53s
    July 01, 2024

Episode Quotes

Key Moments

  • Success vs. Failure15:59
  • Close Friends23:04
  • Broadcasting Peak49:25
  • Trust Issues54:44
  • Extraordinary Game1:15:51
  • Grandfatherly Love1:18:12
  • Aging Reflections1:41:31
  • Aging and Memory1:53:21

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown

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