Striking a Chord on Ageing
Broadcaster Petra Bagust says ‘having fun is as important as going deep’. Image courtesy of rova.
Grey Areas with Petra Bagust has won Silver at the New York Festivals Radio Awards 2023, and has been nominated for the NZ Radio Awards.
Host and former TV presenter Petra Bagust says Grey Areas with Petra Bagust is about raw honesty and having hearty, humorous kōrero on gritty topics that remind women that they don’t need to suffer alone in silence. We had a chat with the award-winning podcast host to find out more.
What do you think has resonated most with your audience?
My sense is Grey Areas has struck an un-judgy chord and put out an invitation to wāhine in Aotearoa to write their own ageing stories – including all the colours, the highs and the lows.
[In the podcast] we haven’t been afraid to talk about hormones, bodies, boobs, pelvic floors, heartaches, triumphs, the random side streets of life; the wonder and terror of living life and talking about all the topics we aren't supposed to mention to anyone. And in the process, we’ve discovered that giving ourselves permission to talk with each other is healing.
Image courtesy of rova
Season three is coming out soon, how does it differ from the previous two seasons in terms of the style of production, topics etc.?
We are continuing to be as brave in terms of our topic selection. But we have to maintain our joie de vivre, because having fun is just as important as going deep.
One thing that’s changed is we’ve tried to make this season’s episodes focused on one topic and talking with one guest.
This is partly for sustainability reasons – it makes planning, interview prep and editing simpler, which means we can do more episodes. But it also means we can explore topics more fully and do a proper deep-dive with guests, without having to edit episodes down too much.
How do you feel about making the Silver award for the New York Festivals Radio Awards, and the nomination for the NZ Radio Awards?
I feel stoked! We didn’t have awards in mind when we were making Grey Areas, so it’s a delight to be nominated and even to take a few home. I think they add a bit of mana to our mahi… plus it means you can put ‘award-winning’ in your bio forever, haha.
What is the most gratifying aspect of making podcasts that you never found in TV?
Having more time and space. Making Grey Areas has been creatively freeing, following the flow and thread of stories and energy. This work is personal to me – I have a lot of skin in the game. We record in my home and I've shared a lot about my own struggles and life experiences in the episodes that have gone out so far.
I also like being involved in the set-up, and being the one to approach our guests. We are fortunate to have such a wonderfully talented team who I love, so I think it's a more personal process than most TV-making. That said, our ‘thank you’ credit list is getting a bit longer!
Grey Areas with Petra Bagust is available on rova and all other podcast platforms.
Don’t miss the latest season of Grey Areas coming to rova (and beyond) in May.
