The $100,000 winner correctly guessed that the secret sound was an egg cracking. Video / Supplied
Amid an emotional morning, Kiwi mum-of-two Irene has won $100,000 after correctly guessing the sound of an egg cracking in ZM's "Secret Sound" competition.
After listening to her husband, Carl, making an egg sandwich every day for work, Irene was a shoo-in for correctly guessing the noise.
"Me and myhusband have totally overthought this," she told ZM's Fletch, Vaughan and Hayley on air this morning. "And we reckon it's an egg being cracked open ... whether it be you're frying it or boiling it, but [the sound of] the shell cracking open."
While the hosts question Irene about how she came to her answer, dragging out their announcement, she tells them: "I don't even know guys, just tell me. I'm just really stoked that I got through. We've all been overthinking this, the whole nation's in, because everyone wants money, why not?
"This is one of the saddest things. My husband was up making egg sandwiches at 5.30 in the morning and I thought I heard it. My husband was like, 'you really need to sleep, babe.'"
Irene is the winner of the ZM Secret Sound competition. Photo / Supplied
Asked what Irene would do if she did win the money, she says: "I'd be generally responsible, pay off debt and then maybe take the family for a holiday and kind of just, you know, do what families would do with the money. Spend it a little bit on our whānau and yeah, share it around."
As music builds in the background, ZM's Soundkeeper Georgia tells Irene: "Well Irene, you got through, at 8 o'clock on this fine Monday morning. And I can confirm you have won $100,000!"
After a shrill scream, Irene replies: "Holy s***! Are you ... holy crap! Oh my gosh. Are you kidding? Are you guys kidding?"
To which Fletch tells her: "We've just created a lot of mess with confetti cannons, we are not kidding. $100,000, we are not kidding."
"We love confetti cannons in this house," she tells them and later shares: "This is totally going to change our lives," she says before breaking down. "I'm a big crier. Everyone who knows me knows I'm a big sookie."
When the hosts ask if Irene will be able to take a moment to let the win sink in, she reveals the family has a tough day ahead of them.
"So, um, we're going to a tangi today," she says to the audibly shocked hosts. "So yeah, this is gonna help change my family's lives in so many ways."
The hosts also asked where Irene's husband was and learned he was at work - with his egg and mayo sandwiches.
Getting Irene's husband on the line, she tells him with a choke in her voice: "Hey babe, so don't swear, we're on the radio, I've already done it a lot. But we won $100,000."
Irene's clearly shocked husband replies: "What? ... are you serious?"
"One hundred per cent, it was an egg, babe. You didn't believe me when I woke up at 5.30 ..." his wife tells him.
"That's insane honey ... holy crap."
An ecstatic Irene stays on the line with the hosts and tells them: "This conversation just doesn't seem real. I feel like I'm still sleeping. It's a complete dream and that I'm gonna hang up and then wake up, but I can't believe."
