At Large with Toby Manhire

The void in the housing matrix 06.07.2026 33dk

Emergency housing numbers have been slashed, helped by strict directives to MSD staff. But where they going to? Helen Robinson, Auckland City Missioner, says rough sleeping is worse than she’s seen in her 13 years at the organisation. She joins Toby Manhire to talk about the problem with the move-on orders around the corner, and the personal and political reality of homeless in New Zealand.Plus: In How Good, Claire Mabey on a bookshop boom in Wellington.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

El Niño is coming: what does it mean for NZ weather? 02.07.2026 30dk

With a new outlook putting an 80% chance on a super El Niño forming, we face a version of the phenomenon that could be as intense as anything on record. Jon Tunster from Earth Sciences NZ joins Toby to explain what this With a new outlook putting an 80% chance on a super El Nino forming, we face a version of the phenomenon that could be as intense as anything on record. Jon Tunster from Earth Sciences NZ joins Toby to explain what this weather pattern is, how bad it could get, and what it portends for the different parts of the country across the next three months and beyond. Plus: Calum Henderson reveals his five most memorable moments from the football World Cup so far. Warning: includes reference to delicate anatomy. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Party season is on for election 2026 01.07.2026 32dk

Boom time for balloons, battle cries and bitter zingers as New Zealand’s political parties stage their jamborees with added election-year energy. Fresh from the National, Labour and Act bashes, Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Joel MacManus join Toby to recount their experiences, and deliver the critical mark on the mojo-meter.Plus: In How Good, Tara Ward on a killer scene in the new TV drama Head Girl.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is everything closing? 29.06.2026 21dk

In Auckland, as in many places around the country, you can hardly walk down the street or open the internet without meeting grim news of another much-loved bar, restaurant, record store or live venue closing its doors. Is it really as bad as it feels? Emma Gleason had dug into the numbers and talked to people affected for The Spinoff. She tells us what she’s learned.Plus: Alex Casey explains just How Good it is to collect VHS (Video Home System) cassettes.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the NZ economy all sweet now? We asked Shamubeel 24.06.2026 27dk

The GDP numbers look good. The Strait of Hormuz is (maybe) open. To find out whether that means the green shoots will bloom into great bountiful gardens, we called in economist Shamubeel Eaqub to ask: Is this cause for optimism? Will the fruits of recovery be shared fairly? How does National’s new KiwiSaver policy look to you? And just how close to the bulls**t is the Reserve Bank sailing on interest rates.Plus: Hayden Donnell tells us just How Good is the best of the crunchy peanut butter on NZ supermarket shelves.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Britain’s great big prime minister problem, continued 23.06.2026 29dk

Keir Starmer has walked out from Downing Street and said it’s all over, meaning Andy Burnham is almost certain to be the next UK PM, the seventh since 2016. Why did Starmer fail, who is Burnham, and is this all really about Nigel Farage and Reform? Toby talks to UK-based NZ journalist Richard Adams about the latest drama, and asks whether Christopher Luxon could learn anything.Plus: In How Good, Lyric Waiwiri-Smith reveals what she has learned about British romance from two powerful texts: Jane Austen’s Persuasion and Love Island UK.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The strange renaissance of Michael Jackson 22.06.2026 29dk

Michael just became the highest-grossing music biopic of all time. Gens Z and Alpha have him on high-rotate. And a man who looks just like him is drawing hordes of adoring fans across the streets of Christchurch. Alex Casey, fresh from hanging with the impersonator of the moment, joins Toby to explore the Jackson revival, and ask: how did he shake off the shadows of such serious allegations? Plus: in How Good, Te Aihe Butler and Toby sing the praises of the Hurricanes and the Super Rugby champions’ superpower song. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at thespinoff.co.nz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: Outrageous Fortune: 20 years on 06.07.2025 17dk

Staff writer Tara Ward has been writing about local TV on The Spinoff for over a decade. Today we published her Cover Story looking back at how Outrageous Fortune came to be, 20 years after the first episode aired on New Zealand TVs. Tara spoke to the creators, writers, directors and stars of one of New Zealand’s most beloved shows, and tells the behind the scenes tales of its journey to our screens. If you’ve never seen Outrageous Fortune, I’d suggest reading Tara’s feature and then pressing play on episode one. And if you’re a longtime fan, The Spinoff will have Outrageous stories running all week to celebrate its 20 year anniversary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: Is everyone getting Botox without me? 29.06.2025 27dk

Five years on from the Zoom Boom and in the middle of a cost of living crisis, Alex Casey investigates what is motivating women to get Botox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: The rise and rise of Botox in Aotearoa 29.06.2025 23dk

Senior writer Alex Casey has always been fascinated by the multi-billion-dollar appearance industry, both as a consumer and a journalist. Today The Spinoff published a Cover from Alex, headlined “Is everyone getting Botox without me?” Alex is 33 and looks 23, or so a Botox specialist said. But she’s been thinking about injectables and how they seem to be everywhere she turns. So she spoke to dozens of women about their decisions to either get Botox or stay away from it, as well as those who’ve administered them, with mixed feelings. The story is a thoroughly researched but also deeply personal feature about the decisions women must make about their bodies every day. Alex appeared on Behind the Story to talk first-person feature writing, ageing and having your mind changed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: The unreported reality for NZ veterans 25.04.2025 17dk

Ātea editor Liam Rātana has reported two stories recently on the same topic, a topic that is so often ignored by both media and everyday New Zealanders: veterans. Our returned or retired army personnel are at the sticky end of almost every social measure: unemployment, mental health, suicide. But without even a national register of how many veterans we have, it’s even harder to tell the stories of a community that hasn’t been quantified yet. Liam’s work covers the recent Waitangi Tribunal hearings into the treatment of Māori veterans as well as a veteran group’s call to boycott the formal ceremonies of Anzac day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: Why are big shows shorter in New Zealand? 11.04.2025 19dk

Alex Casey is a pop culture writer and expert and also an incredible investigative journalist. This week she combined the two to investigate why popular global shows in New Zealand are just a little bit shorter than overseas in ‘Mystery of the missing minutes: Why are TV shows shorter in New Zealand?’ And what happens when the answer to a question is a little bit boring but you still want to write about it? Plus, there’s wild chat about Lorde’s new album teaser and why it suggests her greatest ever work is about to come out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: The war on woke continues as people march for gender-affirming care 28.03.2025 27dk

On Sunday 23rd March, hundreds marched to parliament in support of gender-affirming care for youth. Meanwhile, Winston Peters declared a “war on woke” in his state of the nation address. Lyric Waiwiri-Smith wrapped the two together in a story we published earlier this week, calling the dichotomy “two visions of New Zealand”. She joins Gabi Lardies to talk about all the attention on trans healthcare and the so-called “woke mind virus”. A vision of two New Zealands: The ‘war on woke’ and a hīkoi for trans healthcare The Winston Peters glossary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: The Spinoff Book Club - Live in Wellington! 21.03.2025 1sa 19dk

A five-strong line-up of guests began with avid reader Courtney Johnston who discussed her passion for reading and the books she loves most; writers Carl Shuker and Duncan Sarkies joined to chat about their latest novels and how they came to be; to round off the group Unity Books manager Susanna Andrew and Unity's Aotearoa book buyer Melissa Oliver (Ngāti Porou) joined the stage to give insights on the health of our publishing sector, current trends, and some sparky views on the "Shockams". Books by the authors in the episode: Duncan Sarkies' latest novel: Star Gazers Carl Shuker's latest novel: The Royal Free Book recommendations from our guests: Courtney Johnston: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith A Touch of Mistletoe by Barbara Comyns Irma Voth by Miriam Toews Carl Shuker: Vanishing Point by David Markson Duncan Sarkies: Black Cat, White Dog by Kelly Link The Dark Dark by Samantha Hunt Doppelganger: A trip into the mirror world by Naomi Klein Susanna Andrew: Makeshift Seasons by Kate Camp Melissa Oliver: This Ragged Grace by Octavia Bright Ash by Louise Wallace The Chthonic Cycle by Una Cruickshank Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: When should a journalist tell their own story? 07.03.2025 27dk

This week we published a deeply researched and reported story by Liam Rātana. It takes an inside look at what many people face when they are considering starting a family – tricky ethical choices and less than ideal medical and legal systems. When Liam pitched the story in our weekly editorial meeting a few weeks ago, it was a personal experience, but he chose to focus the final article on others’ experiences and interviews with experts in the field. I wanted to know the thinking behind his approach, and what the process of reporting had been like for him. The genetic gamble: Having children when you carry a hereditary condition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: If you sleuth hard enough, there are new answers to old questions 28.02.2025 24dk

While many journalists are trawling Reddit, X and TikTok for stories, Joel MacManus is browsing Papers Past, an online archive of digitised historical media. This week he may have solved the murder case of an emu that died at the Wellington Zoo in 1907 and last year he made a near definitive ruling on whether or not Te Rauparaha really did drink at the Thistle Inn. The resulting investigations make for gripping reading. Gabi Lardies takes over the mic on this week’s Behind the Story and is joined by Joel MacManus to discuss why he is so intrigued by these questions and how he sets about solving them. Windbag: The unsolved case of the Wellington emu murder Windbag: Did Te Rauparaha really drink at the Thistle Inn? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: Everyone’s got an opinion, here’s mine 21.02.2025 29dk

This week, everyone and their dog was talking Destiny Church and Man Up punching their way into a an Auckland Pride children’s event, terrifying staff and families alike. Head of audience and senior writer Anna Rawhiti-Connell wrote a column about the prime minister’s, in her view, weak response to the event and what it said about him politically.Anna joined me on Behind the Story to share how she lands on column ideas, the purpose and value of opinion alongside reporting, and what it is that turns a passing thought into a thousand written words. When protest isn’t peaceful, you don’t have to be a church mouse about condemning it Christopher Luxon’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: Live! Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club 14.02.2025 21dk

This week The Spinoff hosted a galentines party at Q Theatre in Auckland to celebrate the release of Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club, a six-part video series following two crack up comedians on their quest for love. Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester are both single and looking to change that. In Singles Club, they travel the country looking for love and speaking to all sorts of people about what it means to be single as you get older. The show is equal parts hilarious and heart-wrenching. After watching the first episode with a live audience, I spoke to Bryn and Ku for a live Behind the Story about making such a vulnerable show, the chaos of dating on camera, and whether or not the search for love was fruitful. The first episode of Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club is out now on The Spinoff, Instagram and Youtube, with new episodes released every Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: Help Me Hera - Live in Wellington! 20.12.2024 50dk

After more than 80 columns, Hera’s advice spanned the spectrum of human troubles. For our second live event, we revisited four problems from the archives, talked about Hera’s response, and heard updates from the callers themselves. Note: the callers emailed in their updates so the voices you hear won’t be their actual voices. Instead you’ll hear some of the greatest voice talent that works in the Spinoff offices. Recorded in September 2024. Help Me Hera: Men I haven’t seen in years keep crawling out of the woodwork Help Me Hera: My friend dumped me and I don’t know why Help Me Hera: I need my partner to eat some goddamn veges Help Me Hera: How do I stop being the nosiest person alive? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Story: Aotearoa and its love of movies 13.12.2024 23dk

Senior writer Alex Casey has a long history with cinema, both as a reviewer and as a former projectionist. This week she wrote two film-adjacent features. The first had Alex travel to Akaroa to speak to the people running a bustling local cinema and then go down a rabbit hole of South Island cinemas holding on to the movies as a third space. And the second is just a fun appreciation of our strangely high proportion of successful child actors, and what makes it possible to succeed here at 11 years old. She appeared on Behind the Story to talk local reporting, the magic of movies and the very best of our child actors. The small town cinemas holding on at the edge of the world How does New Zealand produce so many successful child actors? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices