The Netflix reality show has been a smash hit in New Zealand, but what the hell is Love Is Blind and why is it so good (or bad)? Alex Casey and Tara Ward discuss an instant classic. Alex: Knock, knock, Tara. Are you there? It’s me, just a simple ex-tank mechanic with a baby voice, … Read more
Think you know your Lings from your Zings and your Fleischls from your Brettschneiders? Take The Real Pod’s reality TV quiz and prove it, with special thanks to Nando’s. Here at The Real Pod, The Spinoff’s own weekly popular culture and reality TV podcast, we live and breathe reality television and real life in New … Read more
Alex Casey looks back at 10 years of reality television in New Zealand, a genre which reflected both our viewing habits and the good, bad and ugly sides of our national character. I don’t think I’m alone in feeling like watching television in 2019 has become kind of a stressful chore. What used to be … Read more
The final dinner party on Married at First Sight NZ brought an ugly misogyny to light. But it was far from the first time sexism reared its head this season, writes Alex Casey. It began with a man being edited out of the show after his domestic violence charges came to light, and it ended … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. It’s another duo pod this week and we’ve pulled out all the stops. Stings. Segments. Crannies. Grannies. Join us as we traverse the week in news, from Hobsonville Point residents furious about undies to an Elvis … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. Jane is away, so the mice will play. Call the coppers, its a chaos pod this week no with proper doc, no proper stings and no proper adults. It’s been a great week of reality television, with … Read more
When a Married at First Sight NZ contestant is a singer/songwriter, we simply have no choice but to listen to their entire back catalogue. It’s always exciting when a Married at First Sight NZ contestant has dipped their toes into some other public-facing arena. Bel Clarke gave The Bachelor NZ a go that time. Samuel … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. With Duncan enjoying a MAFS-style beach holiday in Bali, Alex and Jane are left to cover another crazy week in reality television. Shannon Ryan has gone full beast-mode in Celebrity Treasure Island, Married At First Sight NZ … Read more
What is it like to crash a Married at First Sight NZ wedding? Two brave reality TV fans went to Swanson to find out. A couple of months ago, Alex Casey and Tina Tiller of The Real Pod, The Spinoff’s weekly reality TV podcast, headed out to an undisclosed location in West Auckland to watch … Read more
Married at First Sight NZ returns to Three tonight in a storm of controversy. Tara Ward takes a closer look at the brides and grooms who will marry a stranger in search of true love. Friends, we are gathered here today to lift the veil on a new series of reality juggernaut Married at First … Read more
A shocking Herald story alleging serious violence by of one of its grooms has forced an unprecedented move from MediaWorks. After further details emerged around the alleged behaviour of Chris Mansfield, a groom on the upcoming third season of Married at First Sight NZ, Three has made the unprecedented decision to cut his storyline entirely. … Read more
The Real Pod team assemble to discuss the brilliant Celebrity Treasure Island, The Block’s descent and worrying signs for the upcoming season of Married at First Sight NZ. It’s the show we didn’t know we needed, good-natured family entertainment that doesn’t forget the absolute drama. Shane Cameron nearly tore Jodie Molloy apart just because she … Read more
A local photographer has posted emails from Warner Brothers NZ requesting they work “unpaid” on Married At First Sight NZ. Update 17 July: Warner Brothers have responded with a comment attached to the bottom of this story. A wedding photographer has posted emails from Warner Brothers NZ on Reddit after the production company requested that … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the second week on Married at First Sight Australia, with special thanks to Nando’s. Your friendly podmates zip up their Australia onesies and dive into the tumultuous second week of Married at First Sight Australia. This week we met the last of our hopeful newlyweds, including a 29-year-old virgin, a … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. The dream team is back together to cover all the breaking news topics you need to know this week. Which Aladdin star was spotted at Laneway? Which of our favourite celebrities made cameos in Jane … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the last few weeks in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. With Duncan still basking somewhere on a desert island, Alex and Jane reconvene in The Spinoff studio to pick apart the past week in local weird news, pop culture and reality TV. We … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the last few weeks in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. We’re back for 2019! Well, Jane and Alex are. Join us for a sprawling chat about this summer in celebrity news, sightings and scandals. Sam and Tayler’s MAFS journey has come to an … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect 2018 in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. Happy New Year! Before you get started on those resolutions, why not join us in looking back at 2018 in reality TV? It’s time for the beloved* annual** Real Pod awards, where everything’s made up and … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on the pod, we are still fizzing after our incredible first Real Pod meet-up, A Very Corny Christmas at Nando’s St Lukes. Which notorious cornies showed up? Did anyone step ‘in it’? And … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, we assemble with armfuls of Halloween candy to talk about the past week in reality TV and real life in New Zealand. MAFSNZ is over, so what did we … Read more
Alex Casey delivers her final sermon on season two of Married at First Sight NZ. As the experiment draws to a close, I have one thing to say to Married at First Sight NZ. To borrow an ancient proverb from Ottie, I feel like we’ve all suffered through this experiment together, day by day, for what … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. Call the police, because it’s time for a CHAOS POD this week. Cracking open a couple of ice cold Red Bulls, your friendly Real Pod team dissect all the real news and reality TV that … Read more
From deep within her grave, Alex Casey delivers the power rankings for week four on Married at First Sight NZ. Honestly, liquidate my heart, pour it into a Soda Stream, blast it with ice cold fizz and pour it out in the Adrenalin Forest, because I just can’t take this anymore. We are nearly at … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, we are finally reunited… kind of. With Duncan coming and going from the studio as he pleases, we are momentarily joined by Hayden Donnell, host of the Lightbox exclusive … Read more
Inspired by a weak reality TV brew and The Spinoff’s own teabag tapes, Alex Casey spills the tea on making the perfect cuppa. First published in October 2018. Last week was a huge week for tea disasters. It began on Married at First Sight NZ, where policy analyst and gaming enthusiast Fraser Lee (nee Pearce) … Read more
It’s week three on Married at First Sight NZ, and it’s going downhill faster than Ksenia in a minivan. What a tremendous week on the greatest show on Earth. We got our first visit back to the big old brick commitment ceremony heaven in the sky, we got a lot of seaside drama, and we … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. With Duncan holidaying in Fiji, we’re joined once again by noted celebrity influencer JT Muirhead to dissect the week in reality television and real news. And what a week it’s been, with the badger botching … Read more
It’s week two on Married at First Sight NZ, and several of our couples have lost their rose-tinted glasses already. Green up those boogie board bags, pack your versatile sarongs and make sure you say hi to Cat from The Bachelor Australia: we’re off to bloody Bali this week! With the final weddings taking place … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, Jane remains in the city of angels so Alex and Duncan are joined by honorary corndog and Survivor NZ superstar JT. Together, they mow through a huge week in … Read more