Radio stars’ children stepping into the spotlight – Spy

The Hits’ Ben Boyce’s daughter Sienna has inherited talent and charisma in spades.

The kids have “grown up around the media” and are following their parents’ famous footsteps.

The daughters of two of New Zealand’s favourite radio stars have stepped into the spotlight and their parents couldn’t be prouder.

Coast radio host Toni Street and Matt France’s daughter Juliette, 11, and The Hits’ Ben Boyce’s daughter Sienna, 14, with wife Amanda, have inherited talent and charisma in spades.

Juliette has the starring role in the upcoming Auckland production of Matilda The Musical. To make it even more of a family affair, little sister Mackenzie, 9, is also in the production playing the part of Amanda Thripp.

“Musical theatre is bringing so much joy to our entire family, I can’t remember what life was like without it now,” Street tells Spy.

Juliette has grabbed the starring role in the Auckland production of Matilda The Musical.

She says Juliette’s passion for performing started when she joined dancing as a 2-year-old and it has spiralled from there. After performing as Elsa in the National Youth Theatre’s Frozen Jr in 2022, Juliette’s first professional show was last year in G&T Production’s Music Man, which Street says opened her daughter to working with all sorts of professionals and embarking on further singing training.

Both daughters spent a lot of time over summer learning lines, specific choreography and the tough songs of Matilda to sing and Street reveals the audition process was gruelling.

She says it was one of the proudest and most exciting moments of her and husband Matt France’s lives when they found out both girls were in the show.

With Juliette being the lead and in the spotlight as Matilda, Street says it will be a new experience for all the family.

“One thing I will be able to help her with is blocking out any negativity as I’ve had to deal with a lot of that in my 16 years as a broadcaster.”

One of Street and her husband's proudest and most exciting moments was when they found out both girls were in the show.

Ben Boyce says his daughter is already far more talented than her famous dad.

“Sienna acts, sings, dances and is comfortable on camera or with a microphone - we definitely have to fight for the limelight in the household,” Boyce tells Spy.

This month sees Sienna juggling two productions at the same time, with School of Rock and an upcoming Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with the National Youth Theatre.

Boyce says he and wife Amanda have a lot of communication with Sienna as she puts herself into the spotlight.

“Sienna has grown up around the media since she was a baby doing radio and TV skits, and it’s her passion and she loves doing it,” he says.

The young entertainer has already been in TV commercials, acted in TV shows like Mean Mums and My Life is Murder, and of course has been roped into many of her dad’s Jono and Ben TV and radio segments over the years.

The two are now constantly filming together for social media, with a clip of Boyce embarrassing himself with Gen Z slang in front of his daughter recently, watched by close to two million people.

“Our house is full of us filming little skits and talking about ideas,” he says. “We often rope in her sister Indie to film or Mum to film on camera.”

The process is collaborative. “It’s funny, as I often tell Sienna about something I’ve seen on TikTok we should film a version of and she does the same.”

Recently Sienna debated Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in The Hits studio over his decision to ban phones in school.

“I think if I was face to face with the PM at her age, I would have crumbled into a nervous mess, but she brought up some great points,” says Boyce.

Watch this space as the father and daughter are busy working on an upcoming iHeartRadio podcast for NZME and The Hits.