Takatāpui Talk

Donald Hollingsworh

Takatāpui Talk is a living collection of stories — a weaving together of voices from our community, shared with honesty, care, and deep respect.Each kōrero holds a life lived — through love, loss, identity, whānau, and resilience — offering insight into what it means to be takatāpui in Aotearoa, both then and now.This series is not about explanation or justification. It is about presence. It is about truth. It is about us, speaking for ourselves.Created within a space of trust and connection, these conversations are a taonga — for our people, for our whānau, and for those who seek to understand us more deeply.Takatāpui Talk is a reminder that we are not new, we are not invisible — we have always been here. These kōrero are about resilience, laughter, truth, and love.

  1. 5d ago

    Macau Johnson Takatāpui Talk

    Send us Fan Mail 🌈 TONIGHT AT 6PM | MACAU JOHNSON Tonight on Takatāpui Talk, Macau Johnson shares a kōrero filled with the highs and lows of life. From his childhood and studying Film and Television, to working on a recycling truck and becoming a Drag Race commentator, Macau speaks openly about the experiences that shaped him—including his extraordinary hauora journey. Honest, funny and real—this is Macau’s story, told in his own words. 🎥 Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TakatapuiTalk 🎧 Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0f7P5M6L4IYgR1Qe2k5qgM 🎙️ Listen on Buzzsprout https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TakatapuiTalk 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/takatapuitalk 🎵 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk Please follow, share and help us carry these stories further. Our conversations. Our stories. Our voices. #TakatāpuiTalk #IndigenousVoices #MacauJohnson #Takatāpui #MāoriPodcast #Hauora #DragRace #QueerMāori #RainbowWhānau #Aotearoa Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth. If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond. Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews. Our conversations. Our stories. Our voices. Arohanui.

    Macau Johnson Takatāpui Talk
  2. Aug 23

    Dr Huhana Hickey Takatāpui Talk

    Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of **Takatāpui Talk — Indigenous Voices**, Donald Hollingsworth sits down with **Dr Huhana Hickey MNZM** for an intimate conversation about an extraordinary life. Dr Hu is Māori, disabled, lesbian, a lawyer, academic, human rights advocate and internationally recognised voice for disability rights. But behind those achievements is a deeply personal story of identity, whakapapa, adversity, resilience, humour and an unwavering determination to create change. From her childhood and the discovery of her Māori whakapapa, to living with disability, finding her place within our rainbow communities, studying law and becoming a formidable advocate for others, Dr Hu speaks openly about the experiences that have shaped her. And amongst the serious kōrero, there is plenty of laughter — including the wonderful story of a moko that apparently likes to dance like Michael Jackson. For Donald, hearing Dr Hu tell her story was an experience he won't forget. This is more than an interview about achievement. It is the story of a wahine who has continually challenged the spaces that weren't designed to include her — and helped make those spaces better for the people coming behind her. **An extraordinary life. An honour to share.** 🎙️ **Takatāpui Talk — Indigenous Voices** Hosted by Donald Hollingsworth #TakatāpuiTalk #IndigenousVoices #HuhanaHickey #Takatāpui #WhānauHauā #Māori #DisabilityRights #LGBTQIA #Aotearoa Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth. If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond. Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews. Our conversations. Our stories. Our voices. Arohanui.

    Dr Huhana Hickey Takatāpui Talk
  3. Aug 16

    Rawiri Tahau Maurirere Takatāpui Talk

    Send us Fan Mail RAWIRI TAHAU MAURIRERE ❤️🖤 This week on Takatāpui Talk, I sit down with hairdresser and creative Rawiri Tahau Maurirere for a kōrero that begins with his childhood and his journey into hairdressing, before opening up a much bigger conversation. Why are so many Takatāpui drawn to hairdressing, beauty, fashion and other creative industries? Can our choice of career also be about finding safety, belonging and a place where we are free to be ourselves? We talk about Rawiri’s career with Buoy and Vivo, the emotional side of working with people, burnout and boundaries, chosen whānau, his next adventure in Rarotonga — and what we might say to young Takatāpui wondering where they belong. Important conversations. Our stories. Real voices. 🎥 YouTube: Takatāpui Talk on YouTube  🎧 Spotify: Takatāpui Talk on Spotify  🎙️ Buzzsprout  📘 Facebook  📱 TikTok & Instagram: @takatapuitalk #TakatāpuiTalk #Takatāpui #RawiriTahauMaurirere #OurStories #RealVoices #Hairdressing #CreativeIndustries #CareerChoice #EmploymentForTakatāpui #Belonging #Whānau #RainbowCommunity #Māori #RepresentationMatters #MauriOra Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth. If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond. Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews. Our conversations. Our stories. Our voices. Arohanui.

    Rawiri Tahau Maurirere Takatāpui Talk
  4. Aug 9

    Mihirawhiti Searancke Takatāpui Talk

    Send us Fan Mail We are  honoured to welcome Mihirawhiti Searancke to Takatāpui Talk. From her whakapapa and identity to her years as a psychiatric nurse, activism, and reflections on whenua and land loss, Mihirawhiti shares a lifetime of experience and service. This conversation also touches on an important chapter of our history—one that reminds us why remembering our past matters for future generations. These are the stories that deserve to be heard, preserved, and passed on. 🎥 Watch the full interview on YouTube 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Buzzsprout 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakatapuiTalk 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KqCVXQ6Q8rCjTQ6L6Q4gM 🎙️ Buzzsprout: https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TakatapuiTalk 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk #TakatāpuiTalk #MihirawhitiSearancke #Takatāpui #Matariki #Lesbian #RainbowHistory #LGBTQNZ #Māori #Whakapapa #Pēpeha #MentalHealthHistory #Tokanui #Activism #Aotearoa #OurStories #RealVoices #DonaldHollingsworth Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth. If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond. Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews. Our conversations. Our stories. Our voices. Arohanui.

    Mihirawhiti Searancke Takatāpui Talk
  5. Aug 2

    Glory Haronga Takatāpui Talk

    Send us Fan Mail 🌺 NEW EPISODE | TAKATĀPUI TALK 🌺 This week on Takatāpui Talk, we're honoured to welcome Glory Haronga, the reigning Miss Whakawahine 2025. Born and raised in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Glory shares her journey of growing up Whakawahine, finding strength in her identity, the importance of sisterhood, community, and what it means to represent her people with pride. We also explore the significance of the Miss Whakawahine pageant, preserving Indigenous Pacific identities, and creating spaces where everyone feels seen, valued, and celebrated. These are the conversations that preserve our history and celebrate the richness of our communities—one story at a time. ✨ If you enjoy this episode, please Like, Subscribe, Comment and Share. Every share helps us archive and celebrate Takatāpui stories for future generations. 🎥 Watch more episodes on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TakatapuiTalk 🎧 Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0f7P5M6L4IYgR1Qe2k5qgM 🎙️ Listen on Buzzsprout https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com 📘 Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TakatapuiTalk 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/takatapuitalk 🎵 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth. If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond. Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews. Our conversations. Our stories. Our voices. Arohanui.

    Glory Haronga Takatāpui Talk
  6. Jul 26

    Amanduh La — Part Two

    Send us Fan Mail 🌈 Takatāpui Talk | Amanduh La – Part Two | The Power of Drag, Identity & Legacy In Part Two of my conversation with the incredible Amanduh La, we explore the deeper meaning of drag—not simply as performance, but as an art form that creates joy, confidence and connection. For audiences, drag can be an escape from everyday life. It invites us to laugh, celebrate, reflect and see the world through a different lens. Behind the glamour, costumes and humour are artists who dedicate countless hours to their craft, creating unforgettable experiences while often giving people permission to embrace their own authenticity. Amanduh also shares stories of chosen whānau, the takatāpui pioneers who paved the way, and the legacy she hopes to leave for future generations. Thank you for supporting Takatāpui Talk as we preserve and celebrate the stories of our community—one conversation at a time. 🎙️ Listen or watch on your favourite platform: 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakatapuiTalk  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TakatapuiTalk  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takatapuitalk  🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk  🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/search/Takat%C4%81pui%20Talk  🎙️ Buzzsprout: https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com  🌐 Website: https://www.takatapuitalk.com Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth. If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond. Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews. Our conversations. Our stories. Our voices. Arohanui.

    Amanduh La — Part Two
  7. Jul 19

    Amanduh La — Part One

    Send us Fan Mail 🌈 From Tokoroa to Paris, Italy and New York Fashion Week… this is the extraordinary story of Amanduh La. Growing up in the Mormon faith, discovering her identity, travelling the world as a model, and ultimately embracing the uniqueness that would become her greatest strength—Amanduh's journey is one of courage, resilience and authenticity. This conversation moved me so much that, for the first time on Takatāpui Talk, we've released it as a two-part episode. Part One is a story of dreaming beyond the limits others place on us, and finding the courage to become exactly who we are. I hope you'll join us. 📅 Premieres this Sunday at 6:00 PM (NZT). 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakatapuiTalk 📘 Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TakatapuiTalk 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takatapuitalk 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk 🎧 Podcast: https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com 🌐 Website: https://www.takatapuitalk.com If Amanduh's story resonates with you, please like, subscribe, comment and share. Every share helps preserve and celebrate the stories of our Takatāpui community for future generations. #TakatāpuiTalk #AmanduhLa #Takatāpui #Whakapapa #Māori #RainbowCommunity #LGBTQIA #QueerVoices #RepresentationMatters #Authenticity #EmbraceYourUniqueness #Podcast #Aotearoa #NewZealand #Storytelling #Pride #Resilience #OurStories #YouTubePremiere #PartOne Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth. If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond. Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews. Our conversations. Our stories. Our voices. Arohanui.

    Amanduh La — Part One
  8. Jul 12

    Jade Dayna Kanara Mills Takatāpui Talk

    Send us Fan Mail Jade Dayna Kanara Mills | Finding Sisterhood, Love & Identity | Takatāpui Talk Ep. 8 Today on Takatāpui Talk, I sit down with the wonderful Jade Dayna Kanara Mills—a proud Māori whakawāhine whose whakapapa connects her to Hokianga, Te Rarawa and Ngāti Tāmāra. Jade shares an extraordinary life story spanning decades. Growing up at a time when there was little understanding or language for young whakawāhine, she speaks openly about leaving home, finding community, surviving through sex work, and discovering the strength that comes from chosen whānau. This is also a beautiful love story. Jade reflects on the man she has loved for more than 30 years, the life they have built together, and the joy of creating a future that once seemed impossible. We also talk about the cultural work Jade has undertaken through Aha Ko Te Aha, the importance of preserving our stories, and what it means to grow older with gratitude, humour and purpose. Some parts of this conversation are frank. We discuss sex work, identity, belonging, and the realities faced by many whakawāhine of Jade's generation. These are Jade's lived experiences and personal reflections, shared generously and in her own words. Thank you, Jade, for trusting Takatāpui Talk with your story. If this conversation resonates with you, please like, subscribe, and share it. Every subscription helps us preserve and celebrate the voices of our Takatāpui community for future generations. 🎧 Listen on Buzzsprout: https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com 🎵 Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Takatāpui Talk:  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/takatapuitalk  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takatapuitalk  🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk #TakatāpuiTalk #JadeDaynaKanaraMills #Takatāpui #Whakawāhine #Māori #RainbowCommunity #LGBTQIA #QueerHistory #OralHistory #Aotearoa #NewZealand #Community #Identity #Whānau #Love #Resilience #MāoriStories #Podcast #DonaldHollingsworth #AhaKoTeAha I think this is one of those episodes people will come back to. Jade has a way of telling her story that feels like you're sitting across the table with her, listening over a cup of tea. Those are often the conversations that stay with people long after they've finished watching. Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth. If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond. Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews. Our conversations. Our stories. Our voices. Arohanui.

    Jade Dayna Kanara Mills Takatāpui Talk

About

Takatāpui Talk is a living collection of stories — a weaving together of voices from our community, shared with honesty, care, and deep respect.Each kōrero holds a life lived — through love, loss, identity, whānau, and resilience — offering insight into what it means to be takatāpui in Aotearoa, both then and now.This series is not about explanation or justification. It is about presence. It is about truth. It is about us, speaking for ourselves.Created within a space of trust and connection, these conversations are a taonga — for our people, for our whānau, and for those who seek to understand us more deeply.Takatāpui Talk is a reminder that we are not new, we are not invisible — we have always been here. These kōrero are about resilience, laughter, truth, and love.