The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Our immune system is designed to fight disease and keep bacteria and viruses at bay. If weakened at any time, we are more vulnerable and susceptible to colds, flu, or any serious illness. Erin O'Hara tells Francesca Rudkin how we can give our kids the best chance to beat those winter colds. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Woodfired Focaccia 8g dried yeast 1 cup warm water 300g strong white flour ½ tsp salt 1 sprig rosemary 2 tsp flaky sea salt 1 cup olives grape seed oil Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. Leave for 5 minutes or until frothy. Put flour, salt and 2 tbsp oil in a large bowl, create a well in the center and slowly add yeast and rest of the water until a firm dough forms. Lay onto your bench and kn...

If insomnia keeps you awake at night, Flinders University researchers recommend a trip to the doctor - not for a sleeping pill prescription but for a short course of intensive behavioural therapy. Dr. Michelle Dickinson told Francesca Rudkin all about it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paramount Pictures on Thursday temporarily shut down production on the British set of Tom Cruise's seventh "Mission: Impossible" film after someone tested positive for coronavirus. "We have temporarily halted production on 'Mission: Impossible 7' until June 14th, due to positive coronavirus test results during routine testing," a Paramount spokesperson said in a statement. "We are following all sa...

2021 is a comeback year for Ladyhawke (‘Pip’ Brown) with her single ‘Guilty Love’, collaboration with BROODS topping Triple J’s most played list and clocking over 1 Million streams. Now the follow up single ‘Mixed Emotions’ is released today, the second single from her anticipated forthcoming album TIME FLIES, which will be released on Friday, October 8. Pip says about the new single, “Mixed Emoti...

Hi-tech mouthguards are being used in a new study to better understand concussion at the lower levels of the game. The world rugby funded study is using 700 players in Dunedin and is one of the first of its kind, to focus on community clubs rather than professional athletes. New Zealand Rugby Research Scientist Danielle Salmon is leading the study and spoke to Francesca Rudkin. LISTEN ABOVE See om...

The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley Seventh title in the series about the Seven Sisters which is based on the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades. A billionaire, Pa Salt, adopted seven daughters all with different backgrounds and the story of each of them is told in each of the books. This new one starts in Gibbston Valley and makes its way around the world, as six of the sisters try to find the seventh...

If you're planning to travel to one of the Disney Parks & Resorts around the world, here's what you'll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the Covid-19 pandemic. The basics After being closed for over a year, Disneyland Resort in California reopened on April 30 with limited capacity at Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park. Only California residents may visit the par...

Cycling activists have closed two northbound lanes on the Auckland Harbour Bridge after breaking through a police barricade. The "Liberate the Lane" group held a rally at Point Erin Park this morning, calling for a three-month cycle lane trial on the harbour bridge. When the protest finished, a number of cyclists made their way down to the bridge but were met by a row of police officers. After 15...

Anika Moa is one of New Zealand’s busiest entertainers: singer-songwriter, radio host, TV host, marathon runner, as well as being a mother of four. And to add to her schedule, next month she will perform in the Auckland Live Cabaret Season in Tuawahine, alongside an incredible line up of wahine. She joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss her latest project and how running and sobriety has changed her...

Brain fog is something we all experience from time to time - forgetfulness, losing focus, not being able to think clearly. But there are a number of reasons why we might have these experiences. Health and wellbeing expert Erin O'Hara joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss what causes brain fog and how to improve your focus. LISTEN ABOVE                   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Do you hate the sound of other people eating? Well, scientists have now worked out why! Misophonia is the hatred of a sound, usually made by another person like their chewing, breathing or scratching their nails down a chalkboard. It can inspire a strong reaction in someone - and new research out in the Journal of Neuroscience now thinks they know why, thanks to MRI scanning of brains while these...

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes 3 large eggs 1 cup plain yoghurt Zest from one lemon ½ cup vegetable oil 2 Tbsp lemon juice, plus the juice of two extra lemons for the glaze. 1 ½ cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 cup caster sugar Pinch of salt ½ cup pistachios or almond, roasted and chopped   Preheat oven to 180 degrees, grease a 22cm x 12 cm loaf tin. Combine the eggs, yoghurt and whis...

Cruella de Vil is one of Disney's most iconic baddies. Now the incredibly stylish villainess from 101 Dalmatians gets her own live-action origin story, which shows how a young fashionista turns into the sneering, dog-hating, villain we all love to hate. And fans of local panel-game show Taskmaster NZ are in for a treat, as the second season's cast has been unveiled! Flicks editor Steve Newall join...

Australian actress Toni Collette is one of the country's most talented exports. A Golden Globe and Emmy winner, as well as an Academy Award nominee, Collette is known for her roles Muriel’s Wedding, The Sixth Sense, Little Miss Sunshine, and more recently thriller Hereditary. Her new movie is Dream Horse, the true against-the-odds story of a racing syndicate in a small town in South Wales. She joi...

Tomorrow, Kiwi Scott Dixon will start in pole position for the famous Indy 500. But what makes Dixon so good at what he does? Dr Ken Carter is a Professor of Psychology from Oxford College of Emory University and he worked with Dixon during the NBC series Mind of Motorhead - and he believes he has discovered what gives Dixon his edge in such a high risk sport. He told Francesca Rudkin that one gro...

An Australian-New Zealand Prime Ministerial summit under the glow of Queenstown's snow-capped hills. Scott Morrison will arrive in the tourist town today - ahead of talks with his Kiwi counterpart Jacinda Ardern. The pair will catch up with business and community leaders, before sitting down for their annual high-level meeting tomorrow. They're expected to chat about the Covid-19 recovery - as wel...

I was cleaning out rooms this week for the painters to come and give our place its first freshen up in a decade. A family really makes a mark on a house in a decade. As I was trying to find places to stash everything I found three quite large plastic boxed filled with kid’s books. Books that belonged to me as a kid, and the large collection our kids acquired over the years. There have been raised...

Federated Farmers President David Clark said floodwaters in Canterbury have exceeded warnings "by a huge magnitude" and multiple rescue operations are taking place. One person is awaiting rescue by helicopter to get out of a flooded area as torrential rain hits Canterbury. "It's a really serious situation here in Canterbury, the rivers are breaking in multiple places," he said. Clark has been help...

This week was the Budget. Did it rock your world, and change your life? Or does life just go on as usual? I know it’s terribly cynical of me, but after a year of unprecedented spending to outrun the effects of a pandemic, and only one year into this government’s term, Budget 2021 was never going to be a lolly scramble. If you’re inclined to ask ‘what’s in it for me?’, most of us will need to wait...

Labour this week unveiled the 2021 Budget - the first "fully red" budget they've been able to put together, now that they are without NZ First as a coalition partner. Was it a success, will the public like where the money has gone to, and what was missed out? Meanwhile, Prince Harry continues to vocalise his experiences in the Royal Family. This week, he has opened up about turning to booze and dr...

As the global travel industry adjusts to life under Covid-19, hotels have had to adapt to the times. While many hotels in New Zealand and Australia have been used for quarantine and isolation, in the US, citizens are free to come and go as they please without isolating. So hotels there have instead changed to become social housing to help out with housing shortages. Travel blogger Megan Singleton...

In 2019 90-year-old Australian Laura Henkel travelled to Switzerland to end her life through legal assisted dying. One of her last requests was that her daughter Cathy Henkel and granddaughter Sam Lara film her journey and her fight to make assisted dying legal in Australia. The result is now a documentary called Laura’s Choice, which is coming to New Zealand as part of the Doc Edge festival.  Hen...

Northern Spy by Flynn Berry Tessa is a producer for the BBC in Belfast which she juggles with solo motherhood and her commitments to her wider family. The Good Friday agreement was signed some years ago but the IRA are still active and she’s blindsided when TV news footage shows her sister Marian involved in a robbery with them – and even more shocked when Marian confirms it’s not only true, but s...

Many of ys have heard about iron deficiency, but it's not commonly understood why it is such a big problem Why does it quite often go undetected, and how can you boost your iron stores? Wellbeing expert and naturopath Erin O'Hara joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.