The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

In the latest episode of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, famed chef Yotam Ottolenghi talks finding the joy of cooking and talks his stage show coming to New Zealand in 2026.  We hear from Black Grace Dance Company founder Neil Ieremia as the group celebrates 30 years of stunning performances.  Plus Bill Bryson talks revisiting and revising his iconic book  A Short History of Near...

Audio file  FR EDITORIAL 301125.mp3    Transcript  So, did you get yourself a bargain on Black Friday or some kind of good deal in the last 10 days that may also be associated with a Black Friday? I've done quite a bit of Christmas shopping this weekend, most of it online through Kiwi retailers, and have saved at least the shipping costs or up to maybe 25% savings, which, you k...

The hugely popular Synthony Festival is going ahead at the end of March.  Synthony has taken off over the last few years – with the 2025 festival selling out and 40,000 people attending.  2026 will be the first Synthony Festival for The Black Seeds – and their front man Barnaby Weir told Francesca Rudkin that he is looking forward to the festival.  'To get an invite, to such a huge,...

A social media trend called 'Sleepmaxxing' involving elaborate routines and hacks to maximize sleep quality and quantity, has been growing in popularity.  Social media wellness content is giving advice about sleep - how to get more of it; how to improve it; how to measure whether you’re getting quality sleep and commonly marketing sleep aids (sometimes expensive).   But are there downsid...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 30 November 2025, there's Oscars buzz around Russell Crowe for his portrayal of Hitlers right hand man in new film Nuremberg.  This week Russell tells Francesca why he's not interested in another Academy Award. Over the last few years Synthony Festival has taken off, The Black Seeds are playing the festival for the first...

Chili pickled vegetables  Cook time: 5 minutes  Prep time: 10 minutes  Serves: 12    Pickled vegetables can include:   Carrots, fennel, baby beetroot, radish, red onions, cucumbers or red cabbage     1 tbsp fennel seeds  1 tbsp coriander seeds   2 fresh chili, sliced   2 bay leaves   1 tsp mustard seeds   300 ml cider vinegar  ...

We often think of brain development as something that happens in childhood, stabilises in adulthood, and then gradually declines.  However new research published in the journal Nature Communications suggests our brains actually move through five distinct eras, each with its own strengths, vulnerabilities, and turning points.  Researchers analysed MRI brain scans from nearly 4,000 people...

'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' - the third instalment in the 'Knives Out' series has received a positive review from Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall.  He told Francesca Rudkin that the film is, 'really humour laced, really strong performances, and the sort of film as well that I think really benefits from not having your phone in your lap.'  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/lis...

Kiwi born Hollywood star Russell Crowe has played many intense roles in his career.  But his latest might be his most intense yet.  Heading back to world war 2, Russell plays Hitlers right hand man Hermann Goring in ‘Nuremberg’, the film focusing on the duel between psychologist Douglas Kelley and Goring, in the lead up to the post war trial.  Crowe told Francesca Rudkin that he had...

A new era begins for TVNZ’s 6pm bulletin tonight.  After almost 20 years in the 6pm chair, Simon Dallow read his last bulletin on Friday. His replacement starts tonight, with Melissa Stokes promoted to the 6pm duties.  Stokes told Francesca Rudkin that she is nervous but prepared for the step up. 'I fill in for Simon when he's been away, so it is the same team that I'm going into, the sa...

Major disruptions yesterday as airlines around the world had to ground their Airbus A320 aircraft.  Many travellers were left stranded after Airbus ordered immediate software fixes for 6000 of its A320s.  Aviation Commentator Irene King says that New Zealand is lucky to be a smaller country, as it means the delays won't last as long.  'The nice thing about being a small country is t...

Labour has shifted into campaign mode as the party meets for its annual conference in Auckland.  With less than a year until the next election, Labour party leader, Chris Hipkins opened with an emphatic message “Believe We Can Win”. Hipkins told Francesca Rudkin that the party has been focusing on what Kiwis didn't like about their last election campaign.  'We've spent time really focusi...

Christchurch based, Scottish born, artist Karra Rhodes is rising fast on the New Zealand music scene and she's got a new project in the works. Her new album, Hometown Therapy, is also being used to shine a light on domestic violence and highlight her fundraising efforts for the charity Shine.  "I like to think that I write music that a lot of people maybe feel uncomfortable writing music on."...

Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the biggest names in food around the world, and he's set to bring his insights to our shores next year. After 11 cookbooks, Ottolenghi's built a name for himself in the world of food, and his distinctive way of cooking has earned him praise and critical acclaim. He says these tours are often 'hectic' and 'intense' - and it's hard for him to juggle the experience of takin...

Exit Strategy by Lee Child and Andrew Child. Jack Reacher is back - this time in Baltimore, where he inadvertently gets himself caught up in corrupt goings on at the local Port. He walks into a coffee shop, and someone brushes against him - only later does he realise that a note was slipped into his pocket at that moment, from someone asking for help and requesting a late night rendezvous. The not...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 23 November 2025, Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the biggest names in food, but it turns out even he struggles to know what to cook for dinner. This week he tells Francesca the unusual way he decides what to cook. Karra Rhodes is an up and comer on the New Zealand music scene, she talks to Francesca about why she is donating roya...

Megan's been exploring the US, and she's unveiling her travel hacks for getting around on the trains. She recently took the train from Boston to New York, and she weighed up the pros and cons of getting around the US on the train. Read more about Megan's experiences here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Sunday Panel, ZB Wellington Mornings host, Nick Mills, and host of The Front Page podcast, Chelsea Daniels, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The coalition Government is about to celebrate two years in their roles, what do we think of their progress? Is the coalition starting to re-position itself ahead of the election? Winston Peters has...

The end of the year is almost upon us, and many of us will be feeling overwhelmed, burned out and exhausted. This is not a new phenomenon, we see it every year around November and December ahead of the summer holidays. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals how to work through the holiday exhaustion without getting too overwhelmed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Most of us think of oral health as something that affects our teeth and gums. But what if what’s happening inside your mouth is quietly influencing the rest of your body's long-term risk of disease - including diabetes and heart disease?  A new study published in the Journal of Translational Medicine has just found exactly that.  The study followed 65 people who were treated for root can...

Asparagus risotto with spring onions and rocket  Cook time: 30-40 minutes  Prep time: 10 minutes  Serves: 6 650-750ml vegetable stock, heated   1 onion, finely chopped   4 cloves garlic, crushed   2 Tbsp sunflower oil   1 cup Arborio rice   2 cups white wine   100 gm butter   1 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan   1 bunch asparagus   1 cup...

A non-Kiwi Best Actor winner and acclaimed recognition for a late director’s final film were among the notable moments of this year’s New Zealand Screen Awards. The late Lee Tamahori’s historical drama, The Convert, scored five major awards including Best Director: Drama Feature. John Lithgow also added a Kiwi award to his collection, having been named Best Actor in a Feature for his performance i...

After many years of representing performers locally in New Zealand, Kiwi actress Jennifer Ward-Lealand has taken on a new role. Ward-Lealand was recently elected to the top ranks of the global federation of actors’ unions at the World Congress in Birmingham.  She says it's the first time New Zealand's been invited to the top ranks within FIA (Federation Internationale des Acteurs) and her app...

New Zealand First is denying claims the party's lining up to work with Labour next election, despite David Seymour suggesting the idea. Seymour made the claim after New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters announced he'd campaign on repealing the Regulatory Standards Bill. Newstalk ZB political reporter Azaria Howell says it's unclear where this will go from here, given how Seymour championed the b...

ADHD New Zealand is echoing calls for caution when it comes to GPs treating the condition. GPs will be able to start medical treatment next year for those affected.  The College of Psychiatrists says GPs should only be included if they have accredited training and clear referral and escalation pathways.  Dr David Chinn is part of a team of experts who advises on health policy, and he say...