The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

People will be flocking to Palm Springs over the next couple of weeks for Coachella 2025, but BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton promises there's more to see than music festivals. Between the iconic Joshua trees, the resorts, the mountain tours and the dining options, Megan's revealed how you can make the most of Palm Springs. Read more about Megan's top picks here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/l...

This week on the Sunday Panel, Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills and TV producer and commentator Irene Gardiner joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!   Labour MP Kieran McAnulty has introduced a bill set to change rules around alcohol sales on ANZAC Day morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas. The bill recently passed its firs...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 13th of April 20205, jailed journalist Peter Greste and Aussie acting veteran Richard Roxburgh joined Francesca to discuss their new movie The Correspondent. Francesca has a new idea for a Netflix project to get people interested in the world of sailing. As the sixth and final season of The Handmaid's Tale starts airing on Ne...

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble going back to sleep again? Research shows this may happen for a number of reasons, including lighter sleep cycles, stress, underlying health conditions, or environmental factors.  Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains how we can best combat restlessness - and better prepare for a good night's sleep.  LISTEN ABO...

Bitter flavours act as nature’s warning signs, evolved over hundreds of millions of years to steer us away from potentially toxic compounds. New research published this week in the  Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has just identified the most potent natural bitter compounds known to date and with it insights into why bitterness is so important.  The star of this discovery is t...

Persimmon Tart   Cook time: 25 minutes  Prep time: 30 minutes  Serves - 6  4 tbsp sugar   2 tbsp water   50g butter   4 persimmons, cut each into 8 wedges   2 sheets puff pastry   Raspberry sorbet to serve  Preheat oven to 190*C.   Place sugar and water in a small heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Cook until sugar dissolves, then bring to t...

One of the country's biggest trials will be looked at from a new angle in a new series airing on Three. The murder trial of Phillip Polkinghorne will be explored over three nights.  The Auckland eye doctor was ultimately found not guilty of murdering his wife Pauline Hanna after an eight week trial.  The documentary series will show interviews with Polkinghorne himself, his girlfriend Ma...

Each year in New Zealand, about 3600 people are diagnosed with breast cancer. Currently, there is no cure for the disease that affects one in nine women across their lifetime and, on average, 25 Kiwi men per year. As part of their latest fundraising effort, Breast Cancer Cure has launched the Tees for a Cure campaign - recruiting 17 popular Kiwi designers to utilise their skills for the cause. UoA...

Foreign Minister Winston Peters sent a blunt message to the Prime Minister as Donald Trump's tariffs continue to spark uncertainty around the world. Peters indicated Chris Luxon was premature in joining global talks calling for free trade, in opposition to the tariff rollout. NZ Herald political editor Claire Trevett says Peters expecting Luxon to follow his lead was unusual - but a courtesy call...

New Zealanders are being urged to make sure they're up to date with their measles jabs. As school holidays get underway, travellers are being reminded of outbreaks in Australia, the US, Canada, the UK and Vietnam. There are no cases in New Zealand currently. Health NZ’s acting national public health service clinical director protection, Dr Matthew Reid, says there's a risk of measles spreading qui...

Have I got an idea for Netflix - although I’m unlikely the first to have it.   The shock announcement late this week that Peter Burling was leaving Team New Zealand made me wish Netflix would take us inside the world of match racing and the America’s Cup.   It’s got everything that’s made F1 such a TV hit - big money, big personalities, big egos, big competition - with a solid dose of li...

182 RSA clubs recently voted to decide the future of the 108-year-old organisation. A new constitution has been approved for the RSA - aimed at modernising and centralising power. Dozens of clubs have since threatened to leave if the constitution is passed, with the worry that the change would undermine the fundamental grassroots foundations. RSA chair Rhys Jones says this vote has sparked plenty...

Alisa Xayalith, the former lead vocalist, guitarist, and keyboard player for The Naked and Famous has released her latest solo project. After the band went on hiatus, Xayalith struck out on her own - and her debut album 'Slow Crush' was released last week. She says it's a 'massive milestone' to finally put out her new album - after teasing it with a single a couple of years ago. "So many of these...

Simon Squibb is not your average entrepreneur.  After tragedy saw him leave home at the age 15, Simon went into survival mode - he started a gardening business with no actual experience or knowledge of the industry.  19 businesses later, Simon is a multimillionaire.  He's since taken to social media to ask people about their dreams via TikTok and he's founded the ‘Elevator of Dreams...

Sea Change by Jenny Pattrick. Jenny is a longstanding writer of great New Zealand fiction, perhaps best known for The Denniston Rose some years ago. Her new one is lovely. Set in a small village slightly north of Wellington, which is completely cut off after a massive magnitude 8 earthquake in the South Island’s Alpine Fault and a subsequent tsunami, a number of the inhabitants decide to ignore a...

Megan's still been taking in the sights and sounds of Mexico - and her latest stop is in Los Cabos. There's a wide variety of resorts - with plenty of dining options - and Megan arrived in the height of whale-watching season, so there's not shortage of boat tours to see. Read more about Megan's latest adventures here.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast and Trip Notes host Lorna Riley and Damien Venuto from One Plus One Communications joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Donald Trump has finally unveiled his latest set of tariffs - where do we go from here? Are we in a position to make a strong stance? If a breakaway group formed, should we join in? There seems to b...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 6th April 2025, The Naked and Famous singer Alisa Xayalith has released her debut solo album, she tells Francesca about the healing behind her music. Not your typical entrepreneur, Simon Squibb is using his millions to make others dreams come true. Simon talks about the tragedy that started his road to success. Simplicity Chi...

The health and wellness sphere has recently been shining a light on the importance of protein - but are we eating too much? Protein is important for health, fitness and energy, but one expert has issued a warning about consuming too much - or not enough. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains why it's important to find the right balance. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Oma's apple tart  Cook time: 45 minutes  Prep time: 35 minutes  Serves: 6  300g self raising flour, sifted   100g brown sugar   1 tsp vanilla paste   Pinch of salt   150g butter   1 egg, beaten   Plain flour for rolling   Filling   1 cup raisins   3 tbsp brandy or sherry   4 tbsp warm water   4 apples  Juice of ½ lemon...

Eight years after the infamous, fraudulent Fyre Festival, organiser Billy McFarland has promised the event will return again. Following the end of his prison sentence, McFarland has expressed interest in organising a follow up - but he's had difficulty securing a location. Steve Newall from Flicks.co.nz says representatives from Mexico's Playa del Carmen have confirmed the event will not be hosted...

We've all felt the instant relief of scratching an itch, but what if that fleeting moment of bliss was actually doing more than just satisfying an itch?   Scientists have just published new research in the journal Science which shows how scratching activates an immune response that can help protect the skin against harmful infections.  Scratching has long been thought to serve a practica...

Ghosts of Christchurch’s past are currently on display in an exhibition of mini replica buildings.  Made by artist Ghostcat, the replicas are scale models of the city's former buildings, some of which were destroyed in the 2011 earthquake.   Ghostcat, aka Mike Beer says many iconic Christchurch buildings were destroyed in the earthquake - but plenty of memories still lingered. "I had thi...

Padel is the latest up and coming sports craze taking over the world - and more Kiwis are getting into it. Between celebrities like David Beckham, Serena Williams, and Elle McPherson showcasing their love of padel and sports fans embracing it worldwide, there's clear demand. Ahead of New Zealand's first-ever National Padel Tournament Series, Padel NZ's Jonny Errington explained what's making this...

There's plenty of lingering questions about the future of the Treaty Principles Bill. More than 300,000 written submissions were made to Parliament's Justice Committee - 90 percent of which opposed the bill.  NZ Herald political reporter Jamie Ensor says David Seymour has refused to back down, and he's disputed the public is against the bill. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...