It’s the nostalgia hit you didn’t know you needed - some of the most iconic cast members of What Now have reunited.
Shavaughn Ruakere, Anthony Samuels, Jason Fa’afoi, Carolyn Keep (Taylor) and “Props Boy” Mikee Carpinter got together over the weekend, with both Ruakere and Keep sharing snaps of the crew.
“My What Now Whanau has grown!” Ruakere wrote, sharing a photo of the five posing with a couple of their kids, including Keep’s 20-month-old son JJ and Carpinter’s 16-month-old daughter Nikau, whom he shares with The Project’s Kanoa Lloyd.
“Lotta love for my first TV fam,” the FBoy Island host continued. “I grew up with these guys and they’ll always be very dear to me. Anth, Jase, Props Boy and Caro. Love you fullas.”
Keep also shared a group photo on her Instagram page, writing, “Special people, from special times, like no time has passed despite it always being waaayyyy too long between drinks. Love these fabulous individuals for all they were to me way back when, and all they still are.”
Fans rushed to comment on the snaps, with one writing, “The best What Now team! Made my childhood da bomb! Awesome to see you all together, needa run it back aye my kids just don’t know” [sic].
“Best What Now crew,” another wrote, adding a heart emoji.
Another commenter said what we were all thinking, commenting, “Always buzzes me out seeing Props Boy as just a normal person?”
The crew also reunited in 2019 and marked the occasion by sharing snaps on Instagram.
Ruakere captioned her photo at the time, “I was 18 when I started on What Now. Ha, while I was helping ‘raise the nation’ I was growing up myself. I feel like I owe so much of what I’ve learnt about performing/acting/connecting with people to being a part of this show. What a blessing in my life. And to know and grow up with these people. Anth, Jase, Caro, Props Boy (hehe) We know we were lucky. We know we had it good. Heart happy.”
She also posted video to her Insta stories, introducing each crew member one by one and saying: “This is a beautiful moment” and calling it a “wholesome childhood memory”.
The crew hosted the much-loved Kiwi kids’ programme together in different variations from 1996, when Anthony was the first to start, until 2006, when Carolyn was the last to leave.