Two of Central Otago’s best-known voices are back behind the mic with a new podcast series celebrating the people, places, and stories that make this region tick.

The Central App will be bringing Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson and Grant Stewart’s ‘Rated F n G’ podcast to a new audience.

Ferg and Grant, known for their unmistakable banter and years on local radio, are set to drop their third episode this week.

Already the podcast is striking a chord with listeners thanks to its positive tone and genuine connection to the community. 

“This isn’t click-bait,” Ferg said.

“People we’ve spoken to over the last few months have told us they want to hear positive stories. That’s what we’re going to endeavour to do.”

In their first episodes, the duo talk with ‘Gilly’ from Glenorchy about why he heads to Glastonbury every year; Clyde’s Olympic silver medallist Nicole Shields on her charity ride through five African countries; Cromwell’s king of the mall Gary Anderson; and Lake Hāwea mountaineer Lydia Bradey, who has summited Everest six times.

“It's not just profiling the ‘same old, same old’ - we dig a little bit deeper and try and find those stories that haven't been told,” Ferg said.

“These are the stories we think are worth sharing.”

Ferg and Grant’s story began decades ago, working together pulling pints, pouring wine, and occasionally dancing on the Skyline gondola restaurant floor in Queenstown, before a local producer took a punt on two radio novices and put them on the airwaves.

Branded ‘The Odd Couple’, Ferg said he was the sports-mad, “family man, sensible one”, and Grant was the younger larrikin - “witty, creative, and with 1,000 voices in his head”.

In addition to the podcast, Ferg will also be serving up a weekly sports column for app readers.

“It’ll be a bit of everything - the sports people who hit the headlines, but also the stories behind them. It will also be about those everyday people that are just out there doing sport.”

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