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Confronted

Confronted

By: iHeartRadio NZ
Listen for free

What happens when the life you imagined disappears overnight?

Confronted is an eight-episode narrative podcast that begins with the stillbirth of Matt Earle and Lauren’s daughter, Mackenzie, and follows the 18 months that come after - using real recordings captured in the moment.

Blending past and present, Matt and his best friend Josh revisit past relationships, therapy, travel, and the turning points that shaped that time - including the strange moments where you somehow find yourself laughing when you feel like you shouldn’t.

Told from a male perspective, Confronted explores how people respond when life doesn’t go to plan - and how they find a way forward.

New episodes out every Friday.

Hygiene & Healthy Living Parenting & Families Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships
Episodes
  • Episode 5: Cracking Open

    Episode 5: Cracking Open
    Jul 9 2026

    Grief doesn’t always look the way people expect.

    For Matt, the months after Mackenzie’s death spiral into anxiety, therapy sessions, and a drink-driving charge that forces him to confront parts of himself he’d been avoiding for years.

    Sometimes the hardest moments are the ones that force you to face yourself.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    22 mins
  • Episode 4: Humour and Heartbreak

    Episode 4: Humour and Heartbreak
    Jul 2 2026

    Is it possible to laugh again without betraying your grief?

    Less than two weeks after Mackenzie’s death, Matt finds himself filming a survival show teaser in the Marlborough Sounds with comedian Tom Sainsbury.

    It’s surreal. It’s uncomfortable. And somehow… it’s also the first time he laughs again.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    15 mins
  • Episode 3: The Void

    Episode 3: The Void
    Jun 25 2026

    What do you do with love when there’s no one left to give it to?

    After the hospital, Matt and Lauren bring Mackenzie home and spend a week doing things no new parents expect to do - taking her to the beach, playing her music, and letting her experience the places and people who loved her.

    Eventually the world begins moving again.

    The question is whether they’re ready to move with it.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    25 mins
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