"It’s definitely a new world, but we’re navigating it together," says Ben Boyce about working with his daughter, Sienna.
In celebration of Father’s Day, Mitchell Hageman talks to proud girl dad and Hits Radio host Ben Boyce and his daughter Sienna about fatherhood, fame, family values, and learning life together, both in and out of the spotlight.
In true dad fashion, it appears Ben Boyce is more terrified of his daughter learning to drive a car than the idea of her sitting down with our Prime Minister for a podcast episode.
“That’s a scary proposition, Sienna on the road,” the Hits Radio host laughs, with his 15-year-old daughter quickly adding it would be the ultimate stress test.
We’re all hanging out in a studio, but it’s far from “bring your kid to work” day. This is where the pair record their popular When I Grow Up podcast, a brainchild of Sienna after she realised she had no idea what she wanted to do as a career.
The podcast is now in its second season, and the pair have interviewed the likes of Dame Lisa Carrington, Lucy Lawless, Olympian Dame Valerie Adams, musician Benee and comedian and movie star Urzila Carlson, focusing on the ups and downs of their chosen occupations and how they got to where they are today.
“I thought, ‘Let’s try to inspire younger people so they actually know that you don’t have to have it all figured out’,” Sienna says.
Throughout this journey, and amid many hilarious social media pranks they have played on each other, lies an undercurrent of trust, love and learning. Sienna was never pushed into the media spotlight - she and her dad genuinely love working together and face the good and the bad head-on.
“Obviously, there are pros and cons about social media,” Boyce says. The pair always discuss their content before posting and make sure they are both comfortable with what goes out.
“Coming from a job that was in the public eye for years, I was like, ‘Do I want my kids to get into it?’ Obviously, it’s their decision, but do we want them to open that door?”
A mate of his had a good perspective on the matter. If Boyce couldn’t “build a deck or make a pavlova”, then taking the opportunity to share something he and his daughter both enjoyed was a no-brainer.
“It was kind of cool to go, ‘At least while [Sienna is] interested, we can do this together.’ And some of the things I’ve learned, I can help her out with, and other things we’re navigating. It’s definitely a new world, but we’re navigating it together.”
Sienna often appeared in her dad’s hit show Jono and Ben at Ten with Boyce’s The Hits co-host Jono Pryor when she was younger. She still recalls some of the more outrageous pranks of that era.
“I remember, and it’s a vivid memory too, when Jono wrapped my bike in bubble wrap and I was so mad,” she says.
Today, most things are still filmed around their family home or out in public areas, but there’s one place that’s always a definite no-go.
“School is definitely off-limits,” says Sienna, who is currently in the midst of mock exams.
Boyce, who is also a father to Sienna’s younger sister Indie, says he “loves being a girl dad” and recalls marvelling at learning the importance of bobby pins and how to pack correctly for school.
“He even has hair ties all around his car now,” Sienna adds.
But Boyce has also learned there’s no one set way to be a dad, a concept many families across the country learn as their kids grow older and times change.
“I guess every kid is different and every situation is different,” he says. “What we do with Sienna, we’re like, ‘Cool, we’ll do the same thing again with Indie’, and it doesn’t work. It’s kind of finding out what works and the things they love.
“A good reflection of that was a holiday we took after lockdown to Queenstown. We did a couple of activities, and I remember asking Sienna what her favourite thing was, and she said the zipline. Then I asked Indie what her favourite thing was, and she said feeding the ducks.”
Boyce gets emotional talking about the best thing about being a dad, and why he’s making the most of spending time with his daughters.
“Time goes so fast, you know. I know it’s a cliche, but time isn’t something you’re ever going to get back. It’s really precious.
“And it’s not all about spending money and things like that. It’s about spending time together as a family.”
What about Father’s Day? What did Sienna get her dad as a gift?
At this stage, it’s a card. Boyce says he doesn’t mind what it is, because making his daughter suffer through a punishing Warriors game at Mt Smart Stadium last week was more than enough.
Season two of the When I Grow Up podcast is now available on iHeart Radio.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.