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

Julie Chapman - KidsCan Founder

Annabelle White is a New Zealand food writer and author of eleven cookbooks, known for her approachable and fun approach to cooking. She was a long-time food columnist and also wrote the Food Detective column for the Sunday Star-Times. Annabelle served as the food editor for NZ House & Garden and joined New Zealand Woman's Weekly as Food Editor in 2011. In addition to her writing career, she runs cooking classes and regularly speaks at public events, sharing her passion for simple, delicious food that brings people together.

Born and raised in New Zealand, Annabelle spent a year as an AFS Intercultural Programs scholar in Dover, Delaware at age 17. She later earned a Master’s degree with first-class honours from the University of Waikato in 1983 and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009. Annabelle's TV career began in 1989 when she joined TV3's Nightline as a food reporter. She went on to appear regularly on 5.30 With Jude and 5.00 With Jude before hosting her own prime-time shows, including World on a Plate, which featured segments filmed in New York City and Tonga.

Annabelle continued to expand her TV presence with work on Breakfast TV, filming food and travel pieces in Shanghai, Santa Monica, and Ireland. She has also been a regular voice on New Zealand radio since 1990. Throughout her career, Annabelle has become known for her warm, engaging style and her belief in keeping food simple, confidence-building, and enjoyable.

Annabelle White is a New Zealand food writer and author of eleven cookbooks, known for her approachable and fun approach to cooking. She was a long-time food columnist&nbsp;and also wrote the&nbsp;Food Detective&nbsp;column for the&nbsp;Sunday Star-Times. Annabelle served as the food editor for&nbsp;NZ House &amp; Garden&nbsp;and joined&nbsp;New Zealand Woman's Weekly&nbsp;as Food Editor in 2011. In addition to her writing career, she runs cooking classes and regularly speaks at public events, sharing her passion for simple, delicious food that brings people together.
Born and raised in New Zealand, Annabelle spent a year as an AFS Intercultural Programs scholar in Dover, Delaware at age 17. She later earned a Master’s degree with first-class honours from the University of Waikato in 1983 and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009. Annabelle's TV career began in 1989 when she joined TV3's&nbsp;Nightline&nbsp;as a food reporter. She went on to appear regularly on&nbsp;5.30 With Jude&nbsp;and&nbsp;5.00 With Jude&nbsp;before hosting her own prime-time shows, including&nbsp;World on a Plate, which featured segments filmed in New York City and Tonga.
Annabelle continued to expand her TV presence with work on&nbsp;Breakfast TV, filming food and travel pieces in Shanghai, Santa Monica, and Ireland. She has also been a regular voice on New Zealand radio since 1990. Throughout her career, Annabelle has become known for her warm, engaging style and her belief in keeping food simple, confidence-building, and enjoyable.

Annabelle White

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/30faf27a-841c-4a1d-9268-b2320075d637/transcript

Vanda Symon is a New Zealand author known for her Detective Sam Shephard series, which includes five novels, starting with her debut, Overkill, published in 2007. The novel was written amidst the challenges of raising a young family and inspired by a sleep-deprived state that influenced its prologue. In addition to her series, she has also written a standalone psychological thriller titled The Faceless.

Vanda has a diverse background in both writing and science, having completed a PhD at the University of Otago that examined the communication of science through crime fiction. Her academic credentials include an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy, and she has worked as a community and palliative care pharmacist. Currently, she is a research fellow focused on dementia in aged Pacific people at Va’a o Tautai - Centre for Pacific Health. She also serves as the National President of the New Zealand Society of Authors.

Vanda has received various accolades throughout her career, including nominations for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger award and the Ngaio Marsh Award for best crime novel. She also enjoyed hosting a monthly radio show, Write On, for eighteen years, where she interviewed writers and discussed literature. Outside of writing, she is actively involved in fencing as a competitor and a coach and is a founding member of the Dunedin Crime Writers Association.

Vanda Symon is a New Zealand author known for her Detective Sam Shephard series, which includes five novels, starting with her debut,&nbsp;Overkill, published in 2007. The novel was written amidst the challenges of raising a young family and inspired by a sleep-deprived state that influenced its prologue. In addition to her series, she has also written a standalone psychological thriller titled&nbsp;The Faceless.
Vanda has a diverse background in&nbsp;both&nbsp;writing and science, having completed a PhD at the University of Otago that examined the communication of science through crime fiction. Her academic credentials include an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy, and she has worked as a community and palliative care pharmacist. Currently, she is a research fellow focused on dementia in aged Pacific people at Va’a o Tautai - Centre for Pacific Health. She also serves as the National President of the New Zealand Society of Authors.
Vanda has received various accolades throughout her career, including nominations for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger award and the Ngaio Marsh Award for best crime novel. She also enjoyed hosting a monthly radio show,&nbsp;Write On, for eighteen years, where she interviewed writers and discussed literature. Outside of writing, she is actively involved in fencing as a competitor and a coach and is a founding member of the Dunedin Crime Writers Association.

Dr Vanda Symon - Researcher and internationally published author

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/2ad6ee69-b718-45f4-af54-b22b0074bdf7/transcript

Mark Vette is an internationally renowned animal psychologist, zoologist, and founder of Dog Zen, an online dog training program. With over 40 years of experience, he has trained animals for iconic New Zealand commercials, Hollywood films like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, and TV series such as Purina Pound Pups to Dog Stars and Dogs Might Fly. Mark is famous for teaching dogs to drive and fly a small plane.

A passionate advocate for rescue dogs, Mark has appeared in global campaigns promoting adoption. His training philosophy focuses on understanding dog behaviour to build loving, problem-free relationships between pets and their families.

Through his decades of work, Mark has helped thousands of dogs and their owners, continuously learning from the animals he works with and deepening his bond with them.

Mark Vette is an internationally renowned animal psychologist, zoologist, and founder of&nbsp;Dog Zen, an online dog training program. With over 40 years of experience, he has trained animals for iconic New Zealand commercials, Hollywood films like&nbsp;The Lord of the Rings&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Chronicles of Narnia, and TV series such as&nbsp;Purina Pound Pups to Dog Stars&nbsp;and&nbsp;Dogs Might Fly. Mark is famous for teaching dogs to drive and fly a small plane.
A passionate advocate for rescue dogs, Mark has appeared in global campaigns promoting adoption. His training philosophy focuses on understanding dog behaviour to build loving, problem-free relationships between pets and their families.
Through his decades of work, Mark has helped thousands of dogs and their owners, continuously learning from the animals he works with and deepening his bond with them.

Mark Vette - Animal trainer

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/1d69eedc-becf-4178-8233-b224007504b1/transcript

Julie Chapman - KidsCan Founder

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