ZM's Fletch and Vaughan. Photo / NZME
Carl Fletcher and Vaughan Smith are radio royalty in New Zealand.
Together with comedian Hayley Sproull, they currently host Fletch, Vaughan & Hayley on ZM, one of the country’s most popular radio shows, which is also repurposed as a podcast and downloaded nearly 500,000 times each month.
In this wide-ranging, long-form interview on the Between Two Beers podcast, the duo open up about their rise to the top of the charts and how they’ve stayed there so long.
In this episode they discuss:
🔘 Their 19-year journey working together and how they keep things fresh
🔘 Their start at The Edge and how Vaughan *won* his job through a competition
🔘 Their controversial cross-company move from the drive show on The Edge to Breakfast radio on ZM
🔘 The shift away from stunt-based radio
🔘 Vaughan’s parenting journey and how he decides how much to share
🔘 Hayley Sproull, commercialising a friendship and much more.
Show notes | Episode 125 | Fletch & Vaughan
2:04: Our first foursome since Jono and Ben
3:31: Hambassador chat with Vaughan
6:59: Some thoughts on Fletch from Morgan the Sexologist
11:38: Quick reflections on 19 years of work
13:53: The coming together of Fletch and Vaughan
20:29: The shift from stunt-based radio to a conversational show
24:22: The looseness of afternoon radio
33:45: Moving to ZM
43:03: From afternoon drive to breakfast radio
49:23: Fletch: The best in the game
54:57: The art of never punching down
59:12: Audience engagement and fan interactions
1:03:56: Vaughan’s dad journey
1:09:11: The ratings game
1:12:05: Looking ahead (and is Hayley Sproull still busy)
1:15:11: Last words from Steve, Seamus, Fletch and Vaughan
Between Two Beers is part of the Alternative Commentary Collective - NZ’s Home for Sports Entertainment. Check out more podcasts, events, details on live commentaries and sports watch alongs here.
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