Afternoons

Could Alzheimer's Disease become treatable and preventable? Well, a new report from Alzheimer's Disease International says after years of slow progress, clinicial trials are now on the brink of dignostic and medical breakthroughs. By 2050, the number of people living with dementia is expected to be 139 million so these breakthroughs couldn't come soon enough. To discuss the details Jesse is joined...

On Wednesday I spoke to Jessica Lockhart from Lonely Planet Oceania about Dunedin and the Waitaki making it on the travel guides' Best in Travel list for 2027. Jessica said both places showcase the 'best of the quirkiness that New Zealand has to offer' ... she made a special mention of the Royal Dunedin Museum of Natural History, which she described as a museum of curious. Bruce Mahalski is the cu...

The first Chinese dumplings sampled by most of us, in an old school Chinese takeaway shop, were usually deep fried wontons .. and according to food champion and friend of the show Connie Clarkson .. not especially Chinese. But that was in the early 1980s and since then the standard of dumplings have evolved, along with our taste buds. Tomorrow is international dumpling day .. so what better way to...

With more claims of Education Ministry staff trying to avoid Official Information Act requests ... we thought it would be good to start today's show looking into whistleblowing. If you've not kept across the story, earlier this week a video was sent to some media showing a senior education ministry manager telling staff not to mention in writing feedback about draft curriculum documents from the o...

This is Afternoons' chance to discuss the stories that have been in the headlines this week. It's a robust, good faith debate with comedian and commentator Tim Batt, Victoria University Political Scientist Dr Lara Greaves and Free Speech Union Member and screenwriter Dane Giraud.

"Who is the biggest artist ever to play in NZ" There are some big concerts coming up in NZ with major artists like Bruno Mars continuing to visit. But who is actually the biggest artist to play in NZ during their prime? Today Dr Grant Morris and Jesse look at the history.

Every couple of weeks we like to turn our attention to solving some of the world's problems - today Holly Bennett from Awhi Group is with Jesse to chat about the meteoric rise of collectables in New Zealand.

It's time for New Zealand Sporting History and today we are talking to league legend Daryl Halligan!

Let's talk relationships now, Jesse is joined by Professor Kirsty Ross from Massey University's School of Psychology If you have a tricky relationship issue you'd like some advice on - please get in touch: email is jesse@rnz.co.nz or text us on 2101. This week the pair discuss cheating in a marriage and making friends as an adult.

Here on Afternoons we love celebrating New Zealanders doing great things, like our next guest Sophie West. Sophie has just been named the winner of the 2026 James Dyson Award for her innovative design of a reusable period device. She chats to Jesse.

For the first time in over 30 years, a new major exhibition on Picasso is coming to Auckland Art Gallery. The October exhibition encompasses pivotal points throughout the artist's career, such as the Blue and Rose periods and Cubism. Here to tell us more is Sophie Matthieson, Senior Curator of International Art at Auckland Art Gallery

Today in Wellington, representatives from the five Super Rugby clubs, 26 provincial unions, NZ Maori Rugby Board and the Pasifika Rugby Council are coming together for a "Rugby Summit". Why? Well, it seems NZ Rugby has money troubles - it is carrying a structural debt of around $20 million a year, and current projections show it'll continue to lose a combined $66 million across 2027-2030. RNZ's sp...

Liz recalls her memories of meeting Kenny Everett

Kelly Gibney is with Jesse Mulligan to share this week's Easy Eats. She says tray bakes are such a weeknight win. Most of the cook time is hands-off and this one can easily go straight from the oven to the dinner table, where everyone can tuck in and serve themselves.

Heading Off is your chance to travel the world without leaving the comfort of your home. If you've got a trip you'd like to share, please do get in touch on 2101. Today we're off to Kenya!

Every Wednesday we like to find out what RNZ Podcast Our Changing World's been looking into. Host Claire Concannon is away this week so producer Ayana Piper-Healion is with us to talk sand dunes.

We saw a story in Farmers Weekly about how New Zealand's flower market could be an opportunity for farmers and growers looking to diversify and we wanted to know more. Florist Lissie Johns is the founder of Provenance Brokers, a new business dedicated to helping small growers break into the commercial market. She's with Jesse to discuss.

On the morning of August 26, the Himalayan landscape above a Nepalese district a mass of ice and rock broke loose high in the mountains and sent down a violent surge of water, mud and debris. The torrent travelled through valleys, swept away settlements and infrastructure and eventually reached the Nepal-China border. By mid-September, more than 1,400 people had been reported dead and at least 6,0...

Lonely Planet has just released its Best in Travel 2027 and a couple of New Zealand destinations have made the list .. but they might not be what you expect. Lonely Planet Destinations Editor for Oceania, Jessica Lockhart is with Jesse to reveal the places!

Health NZ has released the latest results for its five health targets. The numbers are from March to June and reflect how quickly people are seen in emergency departments, get elective surgery, see a specialist for the first time, are treated for cancer, as well as how many children are immunised. Nationally, the stats for all five targets have improved on the year before. But dig a little deeper...

It's been seven years since Aziz Ansari brought his stand-up comedy show to New Zealand and there's a lot to catch up on. There's been a pandemic, a marriage, a move to London and plenty of change in the world to observe along the way. Aziz Ansari recently wrote, directed and starred in Good Fortune alongside Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen, and will always be remembered for his show, Master of None a...

Every Tuesday we play You're the Judge - your chance to weigh in on someone else's dilemma. This week should you give money to an office wedding present if you're not invited to the wedding? Text us on 2101 with your reckons!

Tim Batt joins Jesse to talk about what's making waves in the world of tech.

Time for our Tuesday music feature, where we take a deep dive into an artist, album, style or era. Today we're looking at a staple of the American indie-rock scene, The Shins. For some listeners this might be a band they know well, but for others it could be an introduction. So we're focusing on the band's first three albums, which were released on the legendary Seattle label Sub Pop. To guide us...

Afternoons' book critic Catherine Robertson joins Jesse to share what she's been reading: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Tor) The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce (Penguin) Light Over Liskeard by Louis de Bernières (Vintage)