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Married At First Sight Australia has hurtled back onto our screens like a glass of wine at a dinner party, and The Real Pod's MAFS-perts Alex Casey and Jane Yee have committed to watching every ep. Crack open your honesty box, settle in with a salad box and join two very excited women in the commentary box for week one, where much like Sam's ankles, the cracks are already beginning to show.Sign up to Rec Room – a weekly newsletter from The Spinoff full of recommendations of things to watch, read, listen to and eat. Subscribe now: thespinoffrecroom.substack.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After a decades-long four-year hiatus, The Bachelor NZ is back! Jane and Duncan discuss their first impressions of new Bachelor Moses Mackay (6:30), meet the ladies who’ll be competing for his heart as they arrive on the red carpet (12:10) then analyse the first set of dates from Tuesday night’s episode (30:45).Sign up to Rec Room – a weekly newsletter from The Spinoff full of recommendations of things to watch, read, listen to and eat. Subscribe now: thespinoffrecroom.substack.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Whaaat just happened? Join Duncan and Jane as they try to make sense of life, the universe and the Donkey Bay Inn after watching Lexie give out her final rose.Sign up to The Spinoff Rec Room – a weekly newsletter with staff recommendations of what to watch, read, eat and listen to. Subscribe now: https://thespinoffrecroom.substack.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With her suitors dropping like flies Jane, Duncan and special guest Ben Thomas break down the last week of The Bachelorette NZ before Lexie hands out her final rose. From broken boats to broken hearts, team Real Pod leave no stone unturned as they reflect and dissect Lexie's journey to love.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join Alex and Jane as they recap the second part of the MAFS Australia reunion special. This week everybody hits the couches for a lovely calm post-dinner party chat with the experts.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join The Real Pod over Zoom this week as we learn the fate of That Vegan Teacher, discover a shocking fact about MAFS' Nasser and find out the truth about Michelle Visage’s L&P in Real News (3:48). Jane drops a bombshell about Squiggles in this week’s edition of Wayne’s World (12:18), Alex thinks Critter Corner (15:10) might need to find a new name, and we check in on Colin’s Cranny (17:34), the Community Noticeboard (20:12) and Max Key Corner (22:22) before Alex gets muted so the grown-ups can talk The Bachelorette NZ (24:10).  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this bonus episode of the The Real Pod, Alex and Jane recap part one of the MAFS Australia reunion. Dinner is served and so is the drama as Nasser delivers his final speech, Cyrell loses her cool and her drink (all over Jessika's face) and Troy makes a play for Ashley with the frizzy hair. Join team Real Pod as they unpack it all and make a phone call that leaves them reeling.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Team Real Pod gather around the pod table to bring you the latest in New Zealand reality telly and the stories that didn’t make the 6pm news.This week: Cats gone wild! Mittens gets kidnapped, Nero rides a train and Milo’s stealing fingerless gloves. In non-cat news, scientists work on the pressing need for veges to send emails, the powers that be in Texas send accidental alerts to the entire state population about a knife-wielding doll, and we finally get to the bottom (sorry) of why Wombats do square poos. Plus we recap a week of lads lad lads on The Bachelorette NZ with our New Plymouth correspondent Tara Reid-Ward.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re back, baby! Jane, Alex and Duncan return to the studio to revive all the classic segments of yore – and review the brand new season of The Bachelorette NZ.This week: the first Real News in ages includes a furious sex arse tycoon, a tempting sausage, a boy who found $5 in the sea and sold it for $500 and Duncan recalling a Trade Me lemon nightmare. We consider the case for Tourism NZ to reunite Jay Jay and Minou, do a Real Review, return to Colin’s Cranny, check in with Max Key and check out the Community Noticeboard. Then live updates editor Stewart Sowman-Lund joins Jane and Duncan to discuss first impressions of the new season of The Bachelorette NZ.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pour yourself some eggnog and join the hosts of The Spinoff’s podcast network for our annual Superpod round up of the year that was.Representing Gone By Lunchtime, Dietary Requirements, The Real Pod, Papercuts, The Fold and On The Rag our hosts dive into the key events, issues, heroes and villains of 2020.From National’s botched election campaign to Ben Thomas’ take on TikTok, via the collapse of Bauer, the rise of oat milk, with a detour through controversial frozen grapes and Simon’s Sausage Spot, there’s something for everyone in this year’s Superpod. Featuring special guests producer T and Covid-19.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After more than a year of social distancing for Alex, Jane and Duncan, the Real Pod trio are back in the same room for an emotional reunion and the long-awaited analysis of a cinematic masterpiece.Approximately a thousand years ago, the idea of The Real Pod maybe, possibly, perhaps one day recapping the Twilight movie was floated. The people heard the rally cry, and a small but incredibly insistent movement began.The comments on Facebook asking “Twilight pod?” kept trickling in, and after the sixth or seventh one, we finally relented. As if we could outrun it... as if we could fight it off.So here we are in Forks, Washington, diving deep into all the mystery and wonder of an unstoppable love between vampire and human. Join us as we talk 2000s fashion, terrible hair, fast cars, mushroom risotto, twenty-three year old doctor dads and that scene in the parking lot. Plus Alex drops a bombshell about R-Patz that none of us smelt coming. It’s The Real Pod, and it’s really, really long. What a stupid pod… What sick, masochistic podcasters.– Sign up to The Spinoff's newsletter Rec Room for weekly recommendations along with all our latest videos and podcasts.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Real Pod assembles one more time to dissect the final week of The Bachelorette NZ, with special thanks to Nando’s.We've reached the end of our love journey in more ways than one, as this season of The Bachelorette NZ coincides with end of The Real Pod in it's current form. Lesina chose nobody, Lily chose Richie and Alex, Duncan and Jane have a lot of questions. Why did AMOG wear those shoes on the beach? Why is Lesina's mum a crown prosecutor? And who on Earth is Chad?Stay tuned to the end for some virtual goodbyes, as well as 12 minutes of Duncan and Alex recapping After the Final Rose in the Uber home from the filming. It’s The Real Pod, and it's been real.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Real Pod assembles (virtually) to dissect the penultimate week of The Bachelorette NZ, except this time we are in a national lockdown. The lads on The Bachelorette NZ knew all about what it was like to be in lockdown, so in a lot of ways we should have been prepared for this. Coming at you via our individual houses on day one of national lockdown, we have no choice to return to doing what we do best: recapping reality television.It was hometown week on The Bachelorette NZ, back when domestic travel was encouraged and hugging was a normal way of greeting people. Logan's Mum was incredible, AMOG's Dad spilled all and Jesse's brother seemed to be gunning for The Bachelor NZ in 2021. Join us for a little bit of normalcy in a weird, weird world.And remember: stay inside and watch telly.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Real Pod reassembles to dissect the seventh week of The Bachelorette NZ, with special thanks to Nando’s.The good news is that we are all back in the same country for the first time in a long time, the bad news is that it is definitely not because of The Right Reasons. In a snap decision, Jane left LAX for New Zealand 48 hours ago and recaps her journey home for us in these freaky times of Covid-19.It's a better time than ever to travel to our alternate reality in Argentina, where the boys are still pulling down pants and popping grapes willy-nilly. Mike and Michael decided they were done with Lesina's grilling, Logan had a revealing session with his notebook and AMOG has come completely loose at the seams.It's The Real Pod, and it's still real. For now.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Real Pod reassembles to dissect the sixth week of The Bachelorette NZ, with special thanks to Nando’s.In this trying times of global chaos and social distancing, we welcome you to join our digital gratitude circle and recap the last week on The Bachelorette NZ. These were happier times when the swimming was synchronised, the chicken nibbles were realistic looking and Michael's root vegetable was hanging out for all the world to see.AMOG has completely come undone, Jesse is permanently rarked and Liam is officially veto-ed. In real news, Duncan played Alex's Mum at Scrabble and got caned, Jane is in the thick of California Coronavirus chaos and Alex is wearing a wig. We also desperately have to talk about whatever the hell is going on with MAFS AU. It's The Real Pod, and it's real as hell.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Real Pod reassembles to dissect the fifth week of The Bachelorette NZ, with special thanks to Nando’s.The boys have escaped jail for the Argentinian countryside this week, complete with rabbit hunting and a whole lot of prickles. Steve tries to serenade his way to a kiss, Liam goes on a jean short journey and Mike finally lets down those handsome walls. Logan is writing a rom-com, Jesse is writing poetry and Michael is still trying to write the perfect cake recipe.On the pod, things are evolving too. Duncan has changed his mind (again) about Richie, Jane needs to go to hospitable with a chronic case of missing Tavita-itis and Alex has some more feelings about eggs. It's The Real Pod and it's about as real as it gets.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Real Pod reassembles to dissect the cultured fourth week of The Bachelorette NZ with special thanks to Nando’s.This week on The Bachelorette NZ, a burrito bust-up ends in anaphylaxis, Steve chows down on some one ply and the Buenos Aires hostel goes full Lord of the Flies. It's become abundantly clear that that the show is less about two women finding love, and more about a bunch of blokes slowly losing their mind over a talking bottle.Also Duncan makes a formal apology to Richie, Jane reveals her drop crotch truth and there is a fierce debate about visible farts vs poop burps. Oh, there's also a bit of a bombshell from Alex. It's The Real Pod and, today, it's real as hell.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Real Pod reassembles to dissect the fourth week of The Bachelorette NZ with special thanks to Nando’s.Oi oi me homies, it's intruder week on The Bachelorette NZ and we are about as shook as a humble kūmara being wrenched from Dargaville's finest soil. Michael! Mac! Mike! Richie! Elliott (again)! The lad culture in the mansion is officially ruined, the cat has been set amongst the pigeons and all Aaron can do is sing his favourite Lonestar tune.Lesina took Elliott out for a danger cruise, Lily made gelato with Liam and the boys pranked each other till the stars turned cold. Will Steve ever forgive Aaron for interrupting him? Will Logan's kissing ever get better? And how long until Tavita's hernia explodes all over the Buenos Aires?? All that, and a quick round-up of MAFS AU and Love is Blind. It's The Real Pod!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Real Pod reassembles to dissect the nude and rude third week of The Bachelorette NZ with special thanks to Nando’s.Two wonderful women and a mixed bag of lads jetted off to Argentina this week, one which saw a serious culling of the meek set of the herd. Conor, Flynn and Mr Wedge all departed, nearly joined by Tavita, who was only saved after his hernia was given a double shaka down at the hospitable.The big change at the 'actually plausible winners' end of the competition was Aaron disintegrating before our wide eyes. First he snitched on Steve for his hobby of the odd sly dart, then he did a diary cam in maybe the worst possible location in their mansion/prison, then he fell apart in ways which we found either endearing or terrifying. Alex, Jane and Duncan recount every wild moment, with a little recap of the first few MAFS AU weddings for dessert. Delicious, like a block of fresh gouda.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Real Pod reassembles to dissect the second week of The Bachelorette NZ with special thanks to Nando’s.The dramatic second week began with Lily walking in to the mansion and ended with The Mole revealing his true moley self to the bewildered men. Will the twists ever stop? Maybe everyone is a mole! The only thing we're sure of is that Glenn has continued to be weird and Aaron has continued to showcase a range of hats.In the mansion, things are starting to get interesting and strong feelings are starting to form. Tavita has declared he would "go to war" with Marc, Liam has a gratitude circle for his birthday and Logan, Kurt and Jonathan compose an original song together. Oh yeah, and Lily and Lesina are there too.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.