Real Life

Former Education Minister, Chris Carter, tells John about being the first openly gay MP and his time with the UN

Chris has lived and worked in West Auckland for most of his life, serving the Te Atatū community for 15 years as its Member of Parliament and as a government minister....

Nadia Lim tells John Cowan about life on the farm and how she and husband Carlos worked through relationship troubles

Nadia Lim is a New Zealand chef, nutritionist, and farmer who lives and works on Royalburn Station — her family’s high-country farm on the Crown Range in Central...

Founder of Opportunity International, David Bussau, tells John about his humanitarrian micro-finance operations

David Bussau, founder of Opportunity International Australia, began life in an Anglican boys’ home and started his entrepreneurial journey at 15 with a rented hotdog...

Musician and The Office actor Creed Bratton talks to John Cowan about his career and a lucky run in with Ricky Gervais

Creed Bratton is an American musician and actor, best known for playing a fictionalised version of himself on NBC’s The Office. A former member of the 1960s rock...

Motorsport icon Greg Murphy joins John Cowan to reflect on his career and the importance of proper training for NZ drivers

Greg Murphy is a NZ motorsport icon whose impact on V8 Supercars is indisputable. Known for his fearless approach and ability to perform against the odds, he has...

Alex Walls, host of Love It or List It NZ, talks to John Cowan about balancing business and parenting

This week, John's guest will be Alex Walls co-host of Love It or List It.Alex Walls is a New Zealand interior designer best known as one half of Alex & Corban, co-founder...

Andy Robinsion, Acting Head of Fragile and Developing Contexts for World Vision New Zealand, tells John about helping vulnerable people around the world

Andy Robinson is the Acting Head of Fragile and Developing Contexts, International Partnerships for World Vision New Zealand

Sam 'The Trap Man' talks to John about his stories from the bush and how we should "think like a forest"

Sam Gibson, better known as Sam the Trap Man, grew up beside the Hamanatua Stream in Tairāwhiti Gisborne. From an early age, the bush was where he truly belonged—hunting,...

Award winning author Claire Mabey talks to John Cowan about writing for tweens and her time living in a Greek monastery

Author, literary advocte and founder of Verb Wellington, joined John on Real Life this week. Claire Mabey won the NZSA Best First Book at the recent New Zealand...

Ian Foster talks to John Cowan about his new book and what he thinks of his time with the All Blacks

Ian Foster is a New Zealand rugby coach and former fly-half born in Putāruru. He played a record 148 games for Waikato and 28 for the Chiefs, also appearing for...

NZ Youth Choir director David Squire joins John Cowan to reflect on his 15 years in the role

David Squire (MMus (Hons), PGDipMus, BMus, DipTchg) is one of New Zealand’s leading choral conductors and Music Director of the New Zealand Youth Choir. Under his...

"The Pope's Astronomer" Br Guy Consolmagno talks to John Cowan about the intersection of science and his faith

Journalist and author Jared Savage talks to John about New Zealand's criminal underworld

Jared Savage is an investigative reporter for the New Zealand Herald and has won more than a dozen national and international journalism awards, including being...

Kiwi filmmaker Fraser Grut talks to John Cowan about his 50+ year long, '10,000 Dreams' project

Fraser Grut is the kiwi filmmaker behind the '10,000 Dreams' project, his plan to record and publish the aspirations of 10,000 individuals. The project started as...

Jon Hartley, Board Chair of Kiwibank, talks to John about he reconciles his corporate skills and Christian faith

Jon joined the Kiwibank Board as Chair in November 2019. He has had a distinguished career and has held senior roles across a diverse range of commercial and not...

BoP MP Tom Rutherford talks to John Cowan about life as a backbencher and why he loves his electorate

Nicola Toki, CEO of Forest and Bird talks to John Cowan about the impact of regulatory change and her run in with Prince William

Nicola Toki is a New Zealand conservationist and Chief Executive of Forest & Bird since 2022. Born in Invercargill, she grew up exploring the South Island, moving...

Miriama Kamo, author and 'Marae' presenter, talks to John about Matariki and what she's up to now after the end of Sunday

Miriama Kamo is a Christchurch-born journalist, author, and TV presenter of Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Mutunga descent. She’s spent over two decades telling powerful stories...

Habitat for Humanity Group CEO, Alan Thorp, talks to John Cowan about getting kiwis into healthy homes

Alan Thorp is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity New Zealand, a role he’s held since 2021. With a background as a Chartered Accountant and...

Brian Kelly MNZM, Host of Country Sport Breakfast, talks to John Cowan about his decorated career

Brian Kelly MNZM has been named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to broadcasting. Raised in Whanganui, he began his career in 1970 with...

Billy T Award winner Hoani Hotene joins John Cowan to discuss his journey into comedy

2025 Billy T Award winner Hoani Hotene (Ngāti Hauā) is a comedian from Petone, Lower Hutt. Bursting onto the Wellington comedy scene in 2020, Hoani quickly made...

Businesswoman Sian Simpson talks to John Cowan about building communities and helping others find joy

Siân Simpson is an award-winning global businesswoman, community builder, and broadcaster. She is a sought-after public speaker and whose online content has received...

Andrew Little talks to John Cowan about working across party lines and the support networks he leans on

Andrew Little was born in New Plymouth in 1965 and attended New Plymouth Boys' High School. He started working young—his first job was digging trenches for a methanol...

Author Rachel Paris describes to John Cowan her transition from law to writing books piquing Hollywood's interest

Rachel’s debut novel, See How They Fall, will be published this year by Hachette in Australia and New Zealand and by Penzler Publishers in the United States. The...

Lead singer of Voom, Buzz Moller, talks to John Cowan about the 20 year gap between albums and his idea of success

Buzz Moller is a New Zealand musician and actor, originally from Upper Hutt. He went to Upper Hutt High School, Rathkeale College and later studied at the University...

Doctor turned author, Adam Kay, joins John Cowan to talk about his experience of the UK's NHS that led to his new career

Adam Kay is a BAFTA-winning author, screenwriter, comedian, and former junior doctor, best known for his brutally funny memoir This is Going to Hurt. The book became...