At Large with Toby Manhire

The Spinoff
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  • Politics
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Bringing the insight, wit and energy of The Spinoff to your podcast feed, At Large with Toby Manhire dives into a story in the news, drawing on Spinoff talent and newsmakers to cast light on the issues of the moment. Each episode centres on an illuminating but unstuffy interview that helps the listener get their head around a subject, followed by How Good, a short, unashamedly exuberant celebration of something new = anything from a live band to a biscuit.

  1. 2 days ago

    Is the NZ economy all sweet now? We asked Shamubeel

    The GDP numbers look good. The Strait of Hormuz is (maybe) open. To find out whether that means the green shoots will bloom into great bountiful gardens, we called in economist Shamubeel Eaqub to ask: Is this cause for optimism? Will the fruits of recovery be shared fairly? How does National’s new KiwiSaver policy look to you? And just how close to the bulls**t is the Reserve Bank sailing on interest rates.Plus: Hayden Donnell tells us just How Good is the best of the crunchy peanut butter on NZ supermarket shelves.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    28 min

  2. 3 days ago

    Britain’s great big prime minister problem, continued

    Keir Starmer has walked out from Downing Street and said it’s all over, meaning Andy Burnham is almost certain to be the next UK PM, the seventh since 2016. Why did Starmer fail, who is Burnham, and is this all really about Nigel Farage and Reform? Toby talks to UK-based NZ journalist Richard Adams about the latest drama, and asks whether Christopher Luxon could learn anything.Plus: In How Good, Lyric Waiwiri-Smith reveals what she has learned about British romance from two powerful texts: Jane Austen’s Persuasion and Love Island UK.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    29 min

  3. 3 days ago

    The strange renaissance of Michael Jackson

    Michael just became the highest-grossing music biopic of all time. Gens Z and Alpha have him on high-rotate. And a man who looks just like him is drawing hordes of adoring fans across the streets of Christchurch. Alex Casey, fresh from hanging with the impersonator of the moment, joins Toby to explore the Jackson revival, and ask: how did he shake off the shadows of such serious allegations? Plus: in How Good, Te Aihe Butler and Toby sing the praises of the Hurricanes and the Super Rugby champions’ superpower song. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at thespinoff.co.nz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    30 min
  4. Behind the Story: Outrageous Fortune: 20 years on

    06/07/2025

    Behind the Story: Outrageous Fortune: 20 years on

    Staff writer Tara Ward has been writing about local TV on The Spinoff for over a decade. Today we published her Cover Story looking back at how Outrageous Fortune came to be, 20 years after the first episode aired on New Zealand TVs. Tara spoke to the creators, writers, directors and stars of one of New Zealand’s most beloved shows, and tells the behind the scenes tales of its journey to our screens. If you’ve never seen Outrageous Fortune, I’d suggest reading Tara’s feature and then pressing play on episode one. And if you’re a longtime fan, The Spinoff will have Outrageous stories running all week to celebrate its 20 year anniversary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    17 min
  5. Behind the Story: Is everyone getting Botox without me?

    29/06/2025

    Behind the Story: Is everyone getting Botox without me?

    Five years on from the Zoom Boom and in the middle of a cost of living crisis, Alex Casey investigates what is motivating women to get Botox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    28 min
  6. Behind the Story: The rise and rise of Botox in Aotearoa

    29/06/2025

    Behind the Story: The rise and rise of Botox in Aotearoa

    Senior writer Alex Casey has always been fascinated by the multi-billion-dollar appearance industry, both as a consumer and a journalist. Today The Spinoff published a Cover from Alex, headlined “Is everyone getting Botox without me?” Alex is 33 and looks 23, or so a Botox specialist said. But she’s been thinking about injectables and how they seem to be everywhere she turns. So she spoke to dozens of women about their decisions to either get Botox or stay away from it, as well as those who’ve administered them, with mixed feelings. The story is a thoroughly researched but also deeply personal feature about the decisions women must make about their bodies every day. Alex appeared on Behind the Story to talk first-person feature writing, ageing and having your mind changed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 min
  7. Behind the Story: The unreported reality for NZ veterans

    25/04/2025

    Behind the Story: The unreported reality for NZ veterans

    Ātea editor Liam Rātana has reported two stories recently on the same topic, a topic that is so often ignored by both media and everyday New Zealanders: veterans. Our returned or retired army personnel are at the sticky end of almost every social measure: unemployment, mental health, suicide. But without even a national register of how many veterans we have, it’s even harder to tell the stories of a community that hasn’t been quantified yet. Liam’s work covers the recent Waitangi Tribunal hearings into the treatment of Māori veterans as well as a veteran group’s call to boycott the formal ceremonies of Anzac day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    18 min
  8. Behind the Story: Why are big shows shorter in New Zealand?

    11/04/2025

    Behind the Story: Why are big shows shorter in New Zealand?

    Alex Casey is a pop culture writer and expert and also an incredible investigative journalist. This week she combined the two to investigate why popular global shows in New Zealand are just a little bit shorter than overseas in ‘Mystery of the missing minutes: Why are TV shows shorter in New Zealand?’ And what happens when the answer to a question is a little bit boring but you still want to write about it? Plus, there’s wild chat about Lorde’s new album teaser and why it suggests her greatest ever work is about to come out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    19 min
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About

Bringing the insight, wit and energy of The Spinoff to your podcast feed, At Large with Toby Manhire dives into a story in the news, drawing on Spinoff talent and newsmakers to cast light on the issues of the moment. Each episode centres on an illuminating but unstuffy interview that helps the listener get their head around a subject, followed by How Good, a short, unashamedly exuberant celebration of something new = anything from a live band to a biscuit.

Information

  • Channel
    The Spinoff
  • Creator
    The Spinoff
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Spinoff 2026

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