David Walliams is a renowned English comedian, actor, and author, celebrated for his collaborations with Matt Lucas on BBC’s Little Britain and Come Fly With Me. His role as a judge on Britain's Got Talent from 2012 - 2022 earned him significant acclaim, including multiple National Television Awards for Best TV Judge. Walliams has also made a mark as a bestselling children’s author, with over 50 million copies sold worldwide. His popular works, such as Mr Stink and Gangsta Granny, have been adapted into television films.

In addition to his entertainment career, Walliams is known for his impressive charity work. In 2006, he completed a challenging swim across the English Channel for Sport Relief, raising over £1 million. This monumental feat took him 10 hours and 34 minutes.

David’s legacy spans entertainment, literature, and charity, cementing his status as a multifaceted and influential public figure.

David Walliams is a renowned English comedian, actor, and author, celebrated for his collaborations with Matt Lucas on BBC’s Little Britain and Come Fly With Me. His role as a judge on Britain's Got Talent from 2012 - 2022 earned him significant acclaim, including multiple National Television Awards for Best TV Judge. Walliams has also made a mark as a bestselling children’s author, with over 50 million copies sold worldwide. His popular works, such as Mr Stink and Gangsta Granny, have been adapted into television films.
In addition to his entertainment career, Walliams is known for his impressive charity work. In 2006, he completed a challenging swim across the English Channel for Sport Relief, raising over £1 million. This monumental feat took him 10 hours and 34 minutes.
David’s legacy spans entertainment, literature, and charity, cementing his status as a multifaceted and influential public figure.

John Cowan hosts ‘Real Life’, a weekly nationwide chat show on Newstalk ZB featuring a different high-profile guest every week. John talks with them about their life, their upbringing, their passions and their view of the world.

Real Life With John Cowan

David Walliams - Author and comedian

Mahé was raised in Tauranga and attended Tauranga Boys' College before moving to Auckland for his sixth form and university studies. He took up rowing at university and enjoyed a highly successful 20-year career in the sport. He is a two-time Olympic Champion in the single scull, winning gold in 2012 and 2016 and a five-time World Champion.

In the 2008 Olympics, Mahé had the honour of being the Flag Bearer and Team Captain for New Zealand. He was named the Supreme Halberg Award Winner in 2006 and received the Sportsman of the Year award at the Halberg Awards in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2016. He was also inducted as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (M.N.Z.M) in 2009.

After retiring from rowing, Mahé became a Financial Advisor at Forsyth Barr Limited. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting and commercial law, a Graduate Diploma of Commerce in information technology, and is an ACA with Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CAANZ). Currently he is the Mayor of Tauranga.

He is married to Juliette and has three children.

Mahé was raised in Tauranga and attended Tauranga Boys' College before moving to Auckland for his sixth form and university studies. He took up rowing at university and enjoyed a highly successful 20-year career in the sport. He is a two-time Olympic Champion in the single scull, winning gold in 2012 and 2016 and a five-time World Champion. In the 2008 Olympics, Mahé had the honour of being the Flag Bearer and Team Captain for New Zealand. He was named the Supreme Halberg Award Winner in 2006 and received the Sportsman of the Year award at the Halberg Awards in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2016. He was also inducted as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (M.N.Z.M) in 2009. After retiring from rowing, Mahé became a Financial Advisor at Forsyth Barr Limited. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting and commercial law, a Graduate Diploma of Commerce in information technology, and is an ACA with Chartered Accountants Australia &amp; New Zealand (CAANZ). Currently he is the Mayor of Tauranga. He is married to Juliette and has three children.

Mahé Drysdale - Mayor of Tauranga

Ant Timpson, born April 21, 1966, in Auckland, New Zealand, is a prominent film producer and director. In 2003, he founded the 48 Hours film contest, a significant platform for emerging filmmakers.
His work has garnered notable awards, including the British Independent Film Awards Discovery Award and a Saturn Award for Best International Film, both in 2016.
Timpson also launched "The Incredibly Strange Film Festival" in 1994, now part of the New Zealand International Film Festival. His distribution company, starting with "Slacker" in 1993, has released numerous specialist films. He owns the largest private collection of 35mm films in the Southern Hemisphere and is a board member of the New Zealand Film Commission. Timpson is married with two children.

Ant Timpson, born April 21, 1966, in Auckland, New Zealand, is a prominent film producer and director. In 2003, he founded the 48 Hours film contest, a significant platform for emerging filmmakers. His work has garnered notable awards, including the British Independent Film Awards Discovery Award and a Saturn Award for Best International Film, both in 2016. Timpson also launched "The Incredibly Strange Film Festival" in 1994, now part of the New Zealand International Film Festival. His distribution company, starting with "Slacker" in 1993, has released numerous specialist films. He owns the largest private collection of 35mm films in the Southern Hemisphere and is a board member of the New Zealand Film Commission. Timpson is married with two children.

'Bookworm' director Ant Timpson tells John Cowan about his new film and the fear that informs his work

Rev Dr Miguel A. De La Torre is a Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. He has held prominent roles, including President of the Society of Christian Ethics (2012) and Executive Officer for the Society of Race, Ethnicity and Religion (2012-2017). A distinguished Fulbright scholar and international lecturer, he is renowned for his advocacy of ethics of place, leading immersion classes in locations like Cuba, Guatemala, and the Mexico/U.S. border. His extensive speaking engagements include the Chautauqua Institute and the Parliament of World Religions. He has been honoured with several national book awards and is a frequent speaker on the intersection of religion with race, class, gender, and sexuality. In 2020, he received the Excellence in Teaching Award, and in 2021, the Martin E. Marty Public Understanding of Religion Award from the American Academy of Religion, making him the first scholar to receive both prestigious awards and the first Latinx to be honoured.

Rev Dr Miguel A. De La Torre is a Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. He has held prominent roles, including President of the Society of Christian Ethics (2012) and Executive Officer for the Society of Race, Ethnicity and Religion (2012-2017). A distinguished Fulbright scholar and international lecturer, he is renowned for his advocacy of ethics of place, leading immersion classes in locations like Cuba, Guatemala, and the Mexico/U.S. border. His extensive speaking engagements include the Chautauqua Institute and the Parliament of World Religions. He has been honoured with several national book awards and is a frequent speaker on the intersection of religion with race, class, gender, and sexuality. In 2020, he received the Excellence in Teaching Award, and in 2021, the Martin E. Marty Public Understanding of Religion Award from the American Academy of Religion, making him the first scholar to receive both prestigious awards and the first Latinx to be honoured.

David Walliams - Author and comedian

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