Bree Tomasel - One half of ZM's Bree & Clint
Bree is one half of Bree & Clint, ZM's drive show in New Zealand. Previously, Bree hosted Sea FM Breakfast with Daniel Gawned and Weekend Breakfast at Nova Brisbane.
Bree is also known for her social media antics and for hosting TVNZ's Celebrity Treasure Island.
Bree on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breetomasel/
Bree & Client: https://www.instagram.com/breeandclint/
Verbatim from the transcripts — each quote links to the moment.
“I'm glad it only took 783, uh, episodes to get the call up, but I'm glad to be here.”
“Don't give up if you really want to do it. I know that's such a generic fucking thing to say, but the people who really want to do it and, and really kind of get there, you'll never give up.”
“Just go out, get on the piss, fart, eat dumplings.”
“If I can help one person that might be feeling like that and they see me, who they look at as someone who never has any worries or, you know, issues, and they can feel comfort in the sense that they're not alone... then I'm going to do that stuff.”
“I think I did take about 6, and my boss didn't have a go at me for that, which was really nice of him.”
“It was one of the hardest shows, like radio shows I've ever done and probably will ever do. Like, it was just crazy.”
“We just literally had a chat about what was going on for them and how they were feeling... but I think majority, I would say it was 80% escapism and light and fun.”
How do you break into radio or pursue a dream broadcasting career?
Don't give up if you really want it, and try to do something quintessentially yourself rather than copying others, since differentiation is what sets you apart in a saturated industry.
How do you build chemistry with a co-host?
Put in as much effort off-air as on-air — go out, have drinks, have real conversations — because genuine friendship underpins on-air chemistry.
Who should you turn to for feedback on your work?
Gather feedback from multiple trusted sources (a consultant, a boss, colleagues) rather than relying on just one person's opinion, since one-sided feedback can lead you astray.
How do you manage ambition and avoid feeling stuck in a regional/stepping-stone role?
Focus on being excellent in your current show or role, because that focus is what creates the opportunity for the next step, rather than fixating on escaping the current position.
Tomasel describes deliberately recording the audio of farting in front of a new partner for the first time and broadcasting the reaction as relatable radio content, after checking with her partner first.
Tomasel recounts the agonizing six-month decision to leave her role in Gosford, Australia, to take the New Zealand opportunity, driven by fear of future regret rather than certainty of success.
Bree Tomasel recounts the day news of the Christchurch mosque shootings broke 30 minutes before her show went to air, forcing her and her co-host to scrap a prepared show and report only verified facts live, calling it the hardest radio show of her career.
Drawn from the episode transcripts.
According to Bree Tomasel, New Zealand radio has no broadcast delay (no 'dump button'), so swear words go straight to air, whereas Australian stations like hers at SCA used strict compliance rules partly shaped by past Kyle Sandilands controversies. She also notes the NZ industry feels smaller, concentrated mainly in Auckland with two major competing companies.
From episode 783→She says her social media presence got her noticed by Dean Buchanan, who then listened to her actual radio work before deciding to sign her. It took her six months to decide to leave her job in Gosford, driven by not wanting to regret turning down the opportunity.
From episode 783→She describes it as the hardest radio show of her career, scrapping a prepared show after news broke 30 minutes before airtime. She felt unprepared going in but says her instincts and experience took over once the microphones were on, focusing only on verified facts.
From episode 783→Every episode featuring Bree Tomasel on The Daily Talk Show.
