How do I describe Stephen from Dunedin to someone who has never heard of him before?
Well, his name is Stephen, and he is from Dunedin. He is obsessed with Facebook, Radio and Otago sports.
In the early 2000s, Stephen gained a bit of a cult following with his frequent appearances on New Zealand radio stations as a phone caller.
His favorite radio station was whatever one would give him airtime.
Then for a long period of time, he was banned from almost every radio show in NZ for abusing producers who wouldn’t put him on the air.
The only show who never banned him was the breakfast show on The Edge that I was part of.
What I loved about having Stephen as a regular caller was that he was polarizing- people either loved him or loathed him, there was never any middle ground.
Blandness doesn’t win radio ratings, and bland is most definitely not a word you’d associate with Stephen.
In January 2025 Stephen was in Auckland for a trip to Los Angeles which we postponed at the last minute due to the devastating fires and his dad’s worsening health.
So, I promised him I would bring him into the PodLab studios and have him as a guest on my podcast. Sadly, a week after recording this episode, Stephen’s father- Robin Gibson- passed away.
If you remember Stephen from his on-air appearances on The Edge breakfast show, this will bring back some (hopefully) cool memories.
For everyone else who is listening, you are about to become acquainted with who I believe is one of New Zealand’s great characters- Stephen Gibson aka Stephen from Dunedin.
This is Stephens Facebook page if you would like to follow:
https://www.facebook.com/StephenFromDunedin
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If you say the name Dr. Chris Warner, I think 9 out of 10 New Zealanders would probably know exactly who you are talking about!
The Shortland Street character, played by Michael Galvin, has been a core cast member in the New Zealand hospital drama for over 30 years.
He was on episode 1 of the show back in 1992 and he is still seeing patients at the fictional Ferndale clinic now.
It is hard to imagine Shortland Street without Chris Warner.
This podcast is a small part of the Michael Galvin story.
We talk Shortland Street- then and now- including the ferocious criticism the show received when it first launched. And his iconic line, “please tell me that is not your penis.”
How Michael coped with the intense fame in the late 90s when Shortland Street cast members were as famous as All Blacks.
Michaels personal journey with mental health, anxiety and depression, including a panic attack while filming one day. And the role meditation plays in his life now.
His pride in the relationship he has with his daughter and his thoughts on becoming an empty nester.
How he would like Chris Warner's story to end and much much more.
***
Just before we crack into it, I want to thank my epic sponsors at Generate who made this episode possible.
Something to ask yourself - what do you see yourself doing in retirement? Moving to the beach? Exploring the world? Spending more time with friends and family?
Whatever your dream, there’s one big question —how much will it cost?
That’s why choosing a KiwiSaver provider with strong long-term performance matters.
Generate is an award-winning KiwiSaver provider with a track record of delivering strong long-term returns- I can vouch for this myself, but you can see their latest returns for yourself on their website.
The choices you make today will shape the retirement you’ll have tomorrow.
Start planning now—Book a chat with an adviser at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom
You’ll be surprised at how easy and fast it is to switch to Generate.
The issuer of the scheme is Generate Management Limited. You’ll find their Product disclosure statement on their website. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The FastCast is a highlights length version of a previously released episode of The Dom Harvey Podcast.
The Coast to Coast is an iconic New Zealand multisport event. Only 2 women have ever won the C2C 5 times. Simone Maier and Kathy Lynch.
And I don’t want to jinx it or anything, but all going well in the 2025 event held in February, Simone could become the absolute Coast to Coast G.O.A.T with 6 wins.
Simone joined me on the podcast early in 2024 shortly before her 5th Coast To Coast win.
This FastCast is a few selected moments from our full 100-minute chat. If you want to learn more about Simone after hearing this, you can go back and find the full episode from January 2024.
Or watch here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtTZx82RKzs
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Mark Longley’s life was plunged into unimaginable grief in 2011 when, at the age of 17, his daughter Emily Longley was murdered by her boyfriend.
In this conversation Mark shares memories of Emily and who she was and the joy she brought to his life.
We talk about coping with the challenges of grief and how he managed to avoid being totally consumed by it.
The importance of making a stand against violence and the emotional toll of the trial that followed Emily's tragic death.
Mark reflects on his relationship with Emily, the last moments they shared, and how he has navigated the complexities of loss while striving to keep her spirit alive.
Since his daughter’s life was taken Mark has done a huge amount of important advocacy work in this space which has potentially saved others from going through the tragedy his family has endured.
I didn’t know Emily at all. But I have no doubt she would be incredibly proud of her dad.
If anything in this conversation is triggering or raises concerns for you or someone you care about, please go to: https://www.areyouok.org.nz/ for additional resources and advice.
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In 2006, Peter Beck from Invercargill at the bottom of New Zealand founded a company called Rocketlab with a dream of building rockets and sending them into space.
A lot has happened in the 19 years since then.
Personally, Peter Beck has been named the Kiwi Bank New Zealander of the year. He has also received a Knighthood.
Professionally, the company he started is now worth around 15 billion dollars and employees around 2000 people. And is mentioned in the same conversations as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
This is part of the Sir Peter Beck and Rocketlab story.
For the hard core Rocket nerds, I need to warn you, this is Peters first ever pod cast focusing on him. So, if you are hoping for some in depth rocket science, you may be disappointed.
We talk about his early years in Invercargill where his obsession with space began.
Why he never went to university
The intense anxiousness he personally feels with each launch.
Competing with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos
His thoughts on Tall Poppy syndrome.
His final conversation with his father and so much more.
I loved this conversation so much and left feeling a huge amount of pride as a kiwi. This is a masterclass in what any one of us can achieve regardless of where we are from, if we dream big and back it up with relentless drive and a never give up attitude.
***
Thanks so much to the sponsors of this episode, the legends at the Generate KiwiSaver Scheme.
If you set yourself up for one real easy win in 2025, it should be to take a more active interest in your Kiwisaver!
Switching is super quick and easy too- I switched to Generate over a year ago and there has been no looking back. My only regret is not doing it years ago!
So why should YOU consider becoming a Generate customer?
They are a Kiwi-owned company with local advisers right across the country ready to help you. They’ll chat with you about your options and help make sure you’re maxamising your KiwiSaver investment.
These guys are so good there is a good reason why win awards all the time for their chart-topping long-term performance.
Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/dom for a no-obligation chat with one of their advisers. The sooner you get advice, the better off you could be.
A copy of their product disclosure statement is available on their website. The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited and of course past performance does not guarantee future returns.
**The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guests and may not reflect the views of the show sponsors**
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The FastCast is a highlights length version of a previously released episode of The Dom Harvey Podcast.
The complete episode with Jeremy Wells was one of the first podcast episodes I ever recorded. It was released originally released in March 2022.
I took my equipment over to Jeremy’s house and we sat in his office and recorded the episode- it was a hot day and I was anxious which caused me to sweat profusely.
Jeremy Wells is one of New Zealand’s top broadcasters- he hosted the breakfast show on Radio Hauraki. And the nightly TV show 7Sharp with Hillary Barry.
In his 20’s he was part of the iconic TV comedy duo, Havoc and Newsboy.
This FastCast is part of Jeremys story. He speaks candidly about his teenage years where he went off the rails causing his parents great concern with substance abuse and even considered ending his own life at his lowest moment.
And we discuss the art of catering for 2 very different audiences on his radio and TV shows.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
UFC legend Dan Hooker called into the Podlab studios in Auckland for one of the most memorable podcast episodes I’ve done so far- if you are yet to listen, it is well worth checking out.
He is unlike any New Zealander I have ever met- his lighthearted and laidback approach to the most brutal sport on the planet is inspiring, hilarious, alarming and fascinating.
After the podcast wrapped up, Dan was already running extremely late for his TV commitments at Sky, but he generously stuck around a bit longer so I could ask him questions that were shared with me on Instagram:.
Why did he only got heavily tattooed recently?
What is the infamous Christmas bash
Will he ever fight in NZ again?
His biggest gambling win so far
The hardest fight he has ever won
His dream opponent and heaps more.
This is Dan Vs Instagram……
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UFC is the fastest growing sport in the world. And Dan "The Hangman" Hooker is one of the biggest stars of the sport.
I have been a fan of Dan for years but had never met him until we connected for the podcast, and I hope you guys like this one as much as I did. The guy is HILARIOUS! And I genuinely believe its worth a listen, even if you are not a fan of combat sport.
This is part of the Dan Hooker story, an insight into mind of one of the most intriguing New Zealanders I’ve ever met:
He shares his best stories from the UFC.
His fight day rituals and the aftermath of fights (which often involves hospitalization)
Why he wasn’t invited to spar Mark Zuckerburg
His thoughts on being called a role model.
His aspirations for a title.
Life after the UFC and so much more.
***
Thanks so much to the sponsors of this episode, the Generate KiwiSaver Scheme.
I’m a generate customer. So is Dame Lisa Carrington and podcast listener Dan who sent me a DM:
“I would like to thank your sponsors. Switching my KiwiSaver to Generate has been a game changer. I’ve seen more growth in just a few months with Generate than I did my entire time with my previous fund through a big bank. It’s been a massive improvement, and I couldn’t recommend them more highly.”
So why should YOU consider becoming a Generate customer like Dan, Dame Lisa and me?
Well for starters they win awards all the time for their chart-topping long-term performance.
They are a Kiwi-owned company with local advisers right across the country ready to help you. They’ll chat with you about your options and help make sure you’re maximising your KiwiSaver investment.
Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/dom for a no-obligation chat with one of their advisers. The sooner you get advice, the better off you could be.
A copy of their product disclosure statement is available on their website. The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited and of course past performance does not guarantee future returns.
**The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guests and may not reflect the views of the show sponsors**
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Scott Blanks has never got on stage to tell a joke in his life. But he has done more to nurture and develop comedians and the NZ comedy scene than anybody else.
Scott is a trained accountant who, in 1997, established NZs first comedy club- The Classic on Queen Street.
28 years later the Classic is still there and so is Scott. And both are thriving!
This is a small part of the incredible Scott Blanks story.
We talk the inception of The Classic, which in a previous life was an adult movie theatre.
Some deeply personal stories of love, loss, and resilience. Including the heartbreaking story of him and his wife Bridget’s daughter, Kate.
His first impressions on household names like Dai Henwood, Rose Matafeo, Guy Williams, Ursula Carlson and Rhys Darby.
Also, so many incredible lessons in here for aspiring comedians! Including how long it really takes to go from amateur to professional. And so much more.
Scott is a man who has devoted his life to promoting and championing others, so it was cool to have the opportunity to get to learn a bit about this great New Zealander who has done so much for so many.
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The FastCast is a highlights length version of a previously released episode of The Dom Harvey Podcast.
The complete episode with Stefan Ozich was originally released in 2024, just days before Stefan embarked on a daunting running and fundraising attempt: A 6000km run of the length of NZ on the TeAraroa trail. Twice. From Cape Reinga to Bluff and back again.
On the afternoon of Wednesday January 22, after 114 days of running around 60km daily, Stefan will finish at Cape Reinga.
It has been an unbelievable physical and mental feat!
At the time of writing this he had raised $179,000 for Men’s Mental Health.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/stefanozich/
Give-A-Little: https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/the-long-path-double-run-of-nzs-te-araroa-trail
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