Grey Areas with Petra Bagust
by rova | Love It Media
Kia ora and nau mai haere mai to Grey Areas with me, Petra Bagust. This is about growing up and going grey, in Aotearoa New Zealand because I’m getting older. And so are you. So how do we do it well?I reckon we can do it with a bit of gorgeousness and gusto and break that ‘getting old’ mould just a little. Or maybe more than a little.So join me as we climb into some of those topics that just aren't so clear-cut, maybe are a little chewy, a little crunchy… and let’s journey our way through them.I've got a group of wonderful wāhine, and the odd beaut bloke, to chat with, and we're going to share some wisdom that we've discovered along the way. And I’d love for you to share your wisdom with me too, because everybody has something to offer.
Episodes
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Watering a desert with my tears | Georgia Lines
Singer-songwriter Georgia Lines has sat inside the messy, sticky chrysalis of life, facing her deepest fears, and emerged into her thirties proud of who she is.🦋🩵 Georgia speaks publicly for the first time about navigating the painful, terrifying journey of walking through a divorce in her...
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The therapist's guide to surviving ADHD distress | Charlotte Cummings
What do you do when the initial relief of a late diagnosis wears off and your ADHD brain starts kicking your ass again? Petra sits down with counsellor, therapist, and researcher Charlotte Cummings for a deeply honest, liberating kōrero about the emotional reality of living with a neurodivergent...
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The Western dream is bankrupt | Archbishop Justin Duckworth
What does leadership look like when you step onto the periphery and commit to being a good neighbour above pretty much everything else? In this expansive and unexpectedly funny episode of Grey Areas, Petra sits down with Archbishop Justin Duckworth, the dreadlocked, mostly barefoot Anglican...
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Disrupting how we age | Hannah McQueen
What does it take to stop drifting toward frailty as we age, to challenge the "live within your means" mindset, and completely rewrite how we approach both our finances and our health? Well, I’d ask Hannah McQueen… so I did. In this fiery episode of Grey Areas, Petra sits down with…
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From feeling fit to facing death | Mel Homer
What do you do when you’re feeling in "rude good health," working across your dream broadcasting gigs, and a routine test turns your world upside down in an afternoon? Seasoned Kiwi broadcaster Mel Homer was checking her heart health via a blood test when hours later, she was admitted to…
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Season 10 launches Thursday October 1st. 🩷🚀
Full of great kōrero about the areas of life where we find ourselves in the grey - significant health diagnosis, neurodivergence… now what?!, aging parents and more. I sit down with disruptors, survivors, songwriters and spiritual leaders. It’s okay to be in mid-life, just don’t attempt it alone....
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Pushed to my limits | Sir Ashley Bloomfield
Sir Ashley Bloomfield spent 300-odd consecutive days walking out to a lectern and telling New Zealand the status of the public health plan. As Director-General of Health through the COVID-19 pandemic, he became one of the most recognisable faces in the country's history. Calm, consistent, and...
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Look at my beautiful body | Morgana O'Reilly
Morgana O'Reilly is an actor, writer, and one-woman force of nature whose credits span Billy T James Award-nominated theatre, Mean Mums, Neighbours, an Emmy award-winning covid comedy thriller series called INSiDE, and White Lotus. Her one-woman show ‘Stories About My Body’, a sellout tour...
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Give it a nudge | Brodie Kane
Brodie Kane does not lead a quiet life. The week Petra sits down with her, she's training for the Noosa Half Marathon, producing two podcasts, prepping a live show, MCing events across the country, and running Brodie Kane Media as a one woman band. She is, by her own admission, running around…
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I've already fallen on my face | Robyn Malcolm
Robyn Malcolm is one of New Zealand's most beloved actors. And at 61, she is, by her own account, having the time of her life. In this kōrero, Petra sits down with Robyn who’s beaming in from Glasgow, while watching squirrels in the park, writing a new project with After the Party collaborator...
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GSM - The issue affecting 84% of menopausal women | Dr Iona Weir
Most conversations about menopause cover hot flushes, brain fog, and sleep. Far fewer talk about what's happening below the waist, and for up to 84% of women, that silence comes at a real cost. Dr Iona Weir is a cell biologist, inventor, and founder of biotech company Myregyna®. Her life's work...
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Telling the truth under pressure | Barbara Dreaver
Barbara Dreaver has spent decades moving towards stories others walk away from. As one of New Zealand's most respected journalists and TVNZ's Pacific correspondent, she has been detained in Fiji, witnessed children in crisis across the Pacific and stood in places where telling the truth was...
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Hormones, HRT, and why you're not broken | Dr Lara Briden
Dr Lara Briden is back, and for good reason. The naturopathic doctor, evolutionary biologist, and bestselling author of Period Repair Manual, Hormone Repair Manual, and The Metabolism Reset is the only guest to appear on Grey Areas three times, and this kōrero might be her best yet. In this...
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Living together, on purpose | Sir John Kirwan + Francesca Kirwan
What does it actually look like to choose your family? Not just love them, but live with them, day in and day out, across generations and cultures? In this kōrero, Petra sits down with All Black legend Sir John Kirwan and his daughter – volleyball player, business owner and young mum – Francesca...
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BONUS: ADHD, mum-guilt & winning The Voice Australia at 40 | Tarryn Stokes
Tarryn Stokes won the 12th season of The Voice Australia at 40, making her the oldest winner in the show's history. But long before the blind audition that stopped the judges in their tracks, she'd spent years singing backing vocals for Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy, leading worship in…
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BONUS: Finding your way home | Safina Stewart
Born in Aotearoa, raised in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, and transplanted to suburban Melbourne at age ten, Safina Stewart has spent most of her life figuring out where home is. As an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artist, educator, and storyteller, she's had to find that answer from...
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Season 9 is coming - 16th April
Kia ora e te whānau! In the melee of mid-life - which can be dense, frantic and fabulous all at once - we need spaces to listen to each other and to ourselves, and it’s useful to navigate those gritty ‘grey areas’ together. This season, we aren’t holding back - digging deep into topics that…
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Go your own way | Lucy Lawless
In this episode, I sit down with the legendary Lucy Lawless — actor, director, and all-round creative force — for a real conversation about what it means to embrace midlife - to dig into the surprise and delight of this season. Lucy shares how her fifties have brought a renewed sense of drive and...
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End your fight with food | Claire Turnbull
In our fast-paced, image-oriented world, it's no surprise that our relationship with food - especially as our bodies change in midlife - can sometimes be fraught. In this kōrero, Claire Turnbull, a seasoned nutritionist and author of, End Your Fight with Food, opens up about her personal…
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A bit of an enigma | Jesse Mulligan
In this episode I sit down with legend of the screen, print and airwaves, Jesse Mulligan for a candid conversation. We chat about being described as an 'enigma', his unique thought processes and difficulties parenting in a digital age. Jesse also opens up about the only time he cried on…
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Demystifying endometriosis | Fatima Savea + Dr Amelia Ryan
Endometriosis affects at least 1 in every 10 women in Aotearoa New Zealand — that is a staggering number. In this episode, mother and content creator Fatima Savea opens up about her long struggle with severe menstrual pain and undiagnosed endometriosis, which took a serious toll on both her...
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Living alongside adversity | Jess Quinn
In this episode Jess Quinn shares her courageous journey from surviving cancer as a child to becoming an amputee and dealing with endometriosis. Jess talks about her path to self-acceptance, the very real challenges and joys of motherhood without the convenience of two legs, and her advocacy work...
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How to fix your brain | TJ Power
TJ Power is the best-selling author of The DOSE Effect and a neuroscientist who teaches people, young and old, how to fix their brains. By paying attention to how we’re wired, and what we spend our time doing, we can change our brain chemistry in remarkably simple and effective ways. In our…
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Savouring the seasons | Nadia Lim
In this interview, I sat down with the inspiring, go-getter Nadia Lim. Our conversation covers cookbooks, chickens, sunflowers, and the seasons of life. Nadia also opens up about her relationship with her husband Carlos, the importance of self-care, community and resilience. This is a deeply…
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Nothing to hide | Stan Walker
In this interview, I sat down with beloved kiwi musician Stan Walker. Our conversation covers his multidimensional career, his journey with identity, the importance of maintaining boundaries, and protecting his peace. He speaks openly about his growing understanding of forgiveness, the effects of...
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A public private life | Dame Jacinda Ardern
As you and most of the world know, Dame Jacinda is the former Prime Minister of New Zealand and recently published her best-selling memoir, A Different Kind of Power. Our cross-hemisphere conversation covers identity, servant leadership, politics and her immense sense of responsibility. We also...
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Season 8 Trailer
Season 8 of Grey Areas launches tomorrow! And just like the first sensational seven seasons my guests will wrangle with the challenging, embrace the mystery and celebrate the wins - I’m excited to dig into the grey areas of life with my NEW guests and you. Can’t wait!
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BONUS: ADHD and the hormone house of cards | Dr Greg Finucane
In this bonus episode of Grey Areas, we bring you the full interview with neuropsychiatrist Dr Greg Finucane for episode 1 of this season, ‘When ADHD meets perimenopause’. A conversation that turned out to be unexpectedly emotional – and incredibly clarifying. We talk about why so many women,...
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A relational world - Part 2 | Dame Anne Salmond
In part two of my conversation with Dame Anne Salmond, we go deeper - into wānanga (the meeting of ideas), into te ao Māori (Māori worldview), and into the kind of thinking that could help us live better together. Dame Anne speaks about her decades-long relationship with her Māori mentors, Eruera...
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A relational world - Part 1 | Dame Anne Salmond
In this first part of our kōrero, I sit down with Dame Anne Salmond—a thinker whose mind is vast, and whose heart is very much rooted in the soil of Aotearoa. Dame Anne is an anthropologist, writer, and one of our most decorated scholars, but what shapes her most is relationship - whakapapa,...
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Your body’s not betraying you - it’s whispering | Dr Libby Weaver
In this episode I sit down with biochemist Dr Libby Weaver, a nutritionist, speaker, and author of 13 books (soon to be 14). Libby brings a holistic lens to wellbeing, combining science, nutrition, and emotional insight in a way that’s both practical and also deeply human. We explore the gap...
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Public scrutiny & personality types | Amanda Luxon
In this episode, I sit down with Amanda Luxon. Amanda is a former teacher, Myers-Briggs coach, lifelong learner – and yes, the ‘First Lady’ of New Zealand. Our conversation isn’t about politics (though it inevitably comes up), but about difference, understanding, and friendship – because even...
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Breaking silence - you’re not alone | Ali Mau
In this latest episode I am joined by acclaimed journalist and author Ali Mau, who’s new memoir, No Words for This, has just hit shelves. This powerful and vulnerable conversation covers Ali’s experiences with childhood sexual abuse, the life-changing phone call from her sister and her journey to...
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Love, grief & Alzheimer’s | Michael Hurst + Jennifer Ward-Lealand
In this episode we delve into the captivating love story of legendary actors Michael Hurst and Jennifer Ward-Leland, whose "showmance" has blossomed into a beautiful partnership spanning over four decades. Michael and Jennifer open up about their personal lives, sharing heartwarming memories…
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Captain of the ship - leadership, mentorship & friendship | Raelene Castle + Debt Free Diva with Generate
In this episode, I sit down with Raelene Castle, a trailblazer in sports management as the first female CEO of Netball New Zealand and now the CEO of Sport New Zealand and High Performance Sport New Zealand. We discuss her trajectory in the corporate and sporting worlds, her upbringing in a...
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Music, motherhood and moving halfway round the world | Nadia Reid
I'm stoked to sit down with Nadia Reid, who recently released her fourth album, Enter Now Brightness. Our conversation meanders through the various stages of her life – from a futon in Auckland’s Devonport to the bustling cityscapes of Manchester, via the chill vistas of Dunedin. As we go, we…
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When ADHD meets perimenopause | Petra & friends (with special guest Dr Greg Finucane)
What does happen when ADHD meets perimenopause? Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Greg Finucane joins us to help untangle this growing connection. Recently, I have found myself navigating the surprising emotions and 'aha!' moments that can accompany an ADHD diagnosis. It was like the jigsaw puzzle of my life...
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Season 7 kicks off March 6th!
Kia ora e hoa mā! I'm Petra Bagust and Grey Areas is back for season 7, and I have to say I'm so excited for this season. You know how sometimes you just have a good feeling about things? And look, something I've learned from our conversations is that life rarely fits into tidy boxes. It spills...
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Let’s end cervical cancer in Aotearoa | Dr Bev Lawton
Join me as I sit down with the delightful Professor Bev Lawton, a trailblazing advocate for women's health, who shares her insights into menopause, cervical cancer prevention and endometriosis. From her early days as a GP in Newtown, Wellington, Bev highlights the importance of evidence-based...
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Rethinking fitness and hormones | Dr Stacy Sims + Financial fitness with Generate
Fresh from a work out Dr Stacy Sims joins me for a deep dive into the specific ways women need to move our bodies as we age. A trailblazer in the science of female physiology, Stacy challenges the traditional ‘calories in, calories out’ mindset – why it can be counterproductive and how popular...
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When friends are whānau | Suzanne Lynch, Tina Cross + Jackie Clarke (The Lady Killers)
Today I’m joined by three extraordinary and radically different women who consider each other family. Each in a different decade of life – their 50s, 60s, and 70s – Jackie Clarke, Tina Cross, and Suzanne Lynch have performed together for the past two decades as The Lady Killers, and they’re still...
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Making friends with my body - good friends! | Dr Hillary McBride
In this episode, I sit down with psychologist, author, and menopause researcher Dr Hillary McBride to explore what it means to truly come home to our bodies - to treat them like a best friend. Hillary’s work spans critical topics like trauma, eating disorders, and women's health, with a…
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Petra introduces the Parents We've Met podcast
Buckle in for an uplifting conversation filled with laughter and wisdom! Petra Bagust is the host of popular rova podcasts Grey Areas and Sunday Sanctuary, a radio personality and TV presenter, a media chaplain, mum to three young people and all-round wonderful wāhine. In this episode, Petra…
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Diving into the wreck: on mermaids, motherhood and midlife | Megan Dunn
The tide is rising toward Megan’s 50th birthday, and we surf the currents of childhood memories to uncover how mermaids, like the best stories, delight us with their symbolic depth. We reflect on my relationship with my mother, navigating the murky waters between closeness and independence. Megan...
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Bullies, blood and battlegrounds | Susie Ferguson
There were three things Susie Ferguson was never going to do; climb Mt Everest, run a marathon or write a book. However a serendipitous podcast interview with my good friend Frank nudged her to capture her experiences as a war correspondent, radio journalist and woman - the result is "Bloody...
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Nourishing the whole self | Nici Wickes
I sit down with the delightful Nici Wickes, a beloved cookbook author with a talent for making culinary adventures accessible and joyful, as she shares her wisdom on no-fuss cooking, building confidence in and out of the kitchen, and her latest book ‘More from A Quiet Kitchen.’ We tackle body…
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From breakdown to breakthrough | Paddy Gower
Join us for the first episode of Grey Areas Season 6 as we sit down with award-winning journalist, doco-maker and loveable rogue Patrick Gower to discuss his unfiltered memoir, This Is the F#$%ing News. In this candid conversation, Paddy gets vulnerable about the toxic cocktail of alcoholism,...
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Season 6 kicks off on Thursday 3rd October!
Kia ora! I'm Petra, and welcome to Grey Areas, back for its sixth season. We're diving deep into the conversations that matter—those tricky, often unspoken topics that can powerfully shape our lives. Throughout this season, I sit down with incredible New Zealanders who aren't afraid to tackle the...
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The marks that make us | Jenny-May Clarkson + Dean Clarkson
Getting up at stupid-o’clock every weekday morning to perform in front of the nation requires a certain type of strength and stamina. Add perimenopause to the pressure cooker of live television and you’ve got yourself a potent cocktail of challenges. Part of Jenny-May Clarkson’s secret is the...
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Otherhood: Life outside of motherhood | Kathryn van Beek + Lil O’Brien
Having children and becoming a mother is a huge part of our collective cultural script. When you’re single, the question is ‘when are you going to find someone?’ When you find someone, the question becomes ‘when are you having children?’ So what about the many women who don’t have children…
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About this show
Kia ora and nau mai haere mai to Grey Areas with me, Petra Bagust. This is about growing up and going grey, in Aotearoa New Zealand because I’m getting older. And so are you. So how do we do it well?I reckon we can do it with a bit of gorgeousness and gusto and break that ‘getting old’ mould just a little. Or maybe more than a little.So join me as we climb into some of those topics that just aren't so clear-cut, maybe are a little chewy, a little crunchy… and let’s journey our way through them.I've got a group of wonderful wāhine, and the odd beaut bloke, to chat with, and we're going to share some wisdom that we've discovered along the way. And I’d love for you to share your wisdom with me too, because everybody has something to offer.
Hosted by
rova | Love It Media