Lauren Mabbett

10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT LAUREN MABBETT

Newsreader, comedienne, drummer, plane aficionado, Backstreet Boys fangirl, and she worked at Alcatraz – we hope The Hits radio personality Lauren Mabbett has an opening for a new best friend, because we want that job.

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Lauren is The Hits day show announcer for the Bay of Plenty (9am-3pm on 95.0FM). Born and bred in Tauranga, she started her radio career in the Bay, then worked on air in Auckland and Wellington before returning home late last year to take up her current dream role.

1. I have a weird fascination with America.

Growing up seeing America on TV, that’s what I thought life was: Living on Full House in a San Francisco townhouse. I’ve visited about 30 of America’s 50 states. When I was 27, I lived in San Francisco for a year and worked at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. My job was on the landing giving out tickets, but once a week I would go out to Alcatraz Island and welcome guests. People have ghost stories about Alcatraz (which closed in 1963 and is now a museum), but I didn’t get any weird vibes.

2. I was twice a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

I was at broadcasting school in 2009 when my two roommates and I made YouTube videos about how we wanted to raise money to go to America for a holiday. Within a week, someone at The Ellen DeGeneres Show had found the videos and contacted us. Then it snowballed. Ellen called us live on air telling us she was flying us over. We had VIP treatment: Picked up from the airport in a limo, tickets to Disneyland, a baseball game, and they surprised us by putting us on the show, where we met fellow guest and Friends actor Matthew Perry. Ellen was lovely. Very tiny. I remember hugging her and thinking, “Oh, I’m going to break you.” We stayed in the presidential suite of the Bonaventure Hotel in LA. You could stand at one end of our apartment and yell and the person at the other end couldn’t hear you. It was a whirlwind. We appeared on the show a second time at the end of our trip for a recap. It’s a claim to fame I don’t think I’ll ever beat.

3. I used to be a full-time drummer.

I was 12 when I started playing the drums. I was in a few original metal bands, but the one where I got paid (in my early 20s) was the cover band Budokan. We’d play at

Krazy Jacks, Cornerstone, Crown and Badger. It was such a different life because my gigs would start at 11pm and now I’m in bed at 9.30pm. Other fun facts: I’m left-handed but I play righthanded. I love drumming to Nickelback and Creed and I do a bit of air drumming to some of The Hits songs. I have a drum kit set up at my house but it’s hard to find the time to play. I’m also conscious of the people around me. It’s literally the most annoying instrument. It’s loud, and huge to transport. Whenever my mum was helping me carry my gear, she’d say, “Why didn’t you play the harmonica?”

4. I do stand-up comedy.

I was doing it for about six years, two or three times a week when I lived in Auckland, and got paid for it. I’ve done a little bit here in the Bay at The Hop House. I’ve fallen away from comedy in recent years. It takes so much brain power. You feel like you should always be editing and writing more, and making it better. I never felt like I could just relax.

5. I’ve never burped.

When I tell people that they’re like “Why don’t you try drinking a Coke?” Do you think I’ve never had a Coke in my 36 years? I have met a few people that can’t burp, so I know I’m not alone. And no, it doesn’t mean you fart more.

6. I am a fluent mirror writer.

When I was in preschool, I would mirror my name on my art. So, then I had to learn to write forwards. Even now, I can still very fluently write a reflective paragraph. I can even sign my name backwards.

7. I have a ginger rescue cat called Oscar.

When I lived in Auckland, I wasn’t allowed a cat at my flat, but he rocked up at our door with a big gash on his neck. I tried to find his owners on community pages – I didn’t want to encourage him, but it was the middle of winter. After a week, I put a box outside with a towel in it. I came out in the morning and he was sleeping in it. So, I adopted him, or he adopted me. He lives with my parents in Tauranga, and now I’m back here, I can visit him and he remembers me.

8. I won the Funniest Twitter Award at the New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards.

I’ve got 2,300 Twitter followers (@laurenmabbett), which isn’t that much, but I think I write quite relatable tweets. My pinned tweet is: “In New Zealand, you have to say ‘Just these, thanks’ as you place your items on the counter, otherwise they’ll not serve you and assume that you’re acquiring many more items.” To win that award was a cool acknowledgement. It’s so fun.

9. I’m obsessed with Wayne’s World and Backstreet Boys.

I’ve watched Wayne’s World hundreds of times. When I was in the States, it happened to be the film’s 20th anniversary. I was in San Francisco and I caught a bus to LA for the reunion. The tickets were $10 to be in a theatre with Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere, Lorne Michaels (producer), and Penelope Spheeris (director). They did a Q&A and then we all watched the movie together. I have Wayne’s World T-shirts, mugs... With Backstreet Boys, I’ve seen them both times they’ve come to New Zealand, and I’ve got tickets for next year when they come here. I’m going to be right up the front crying my eyes out. I used to do the dances in my room so I know all the moves. I won’t do them at the concert. Maybe after a couple of wines. Howie was my favourite Backstreet Boy, and fangirling over them is kind of ideal because we do play Backstreet Boys a lot on The Hits.

10. I love planes

I’ll go to the airport and sit and watch planes all day. I have a flight tracker on my phone. It’s not so great here in the Bay of Plenty – you see one come in from Wellington and that’s it for the day. Me flying as a passenger, however, is a different story. You don’t want to sit next to me. “Are we good? Can you smell that? What was that noise?” Sweating, gripping. I just like seeing them. I’d happily work on the runway as a landing signal officer. The Airbus A380 – how does something that huge gracefully take off and land? They’re fascinating pieces of machinery.

THEHITS.CO.NZ

I worked at Alcatraz for a year, but never managed to get any creepy haunted vibes.

Ellen is tiny in person, and I was afraid I’d break her with my hug.