When Turia Schmidt-Peke pulled out of this year’s Te Matatini kapa haka festival to be part of Celebrity Treasure Island, her family was convinced she’d landed a role in a Marvel movie. “Why not?” chuckles Turia. “Māori actors can do Marvel! Taika Waititi’s doing Marvel now.”
Her kapa haka team, Ngā Tūmanako, won in 2019, so her whānau and friends knew she wouldn’t miss the chance to defend the title for just any role.
“I told them I couldn’t do the competition because
