The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

New Zealanders in Kiwisaver are urged to stay calm and stay the course as stock markets tumble. The global uncertainty comes off the back of US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on imported goods from the rest of the world. Simplicity Chief Economist Shamubeel Eaqub says tariffs have caused significant damage to the global economy in the past - and the uncertainty has added to existing eco...

This week has been a brutal reminder of how politics and politicians like to work and be seen. How important it is to be the centre of attention, to be seen to be ‘doing’ - even if it’s just for appearances and there’s little evidence of a real productive outcome.   Whether it’s destabilizing global economic and trade order, championing legislation that’s dead on arrival, or feeling the need...

Australian actress Rebecca Gibney has made a solid name for herself in a variety of popular TV shows - and her latest project is due to air on Three this week. Gibney is well known for her roles on  The Flying Doctors , Packed to the Rafters and as Dr Jane Halifax, but she's hoping to branch out with her new show Happiness. The show is a musical sitcom series centred around a community theatr...

In 2007, Amanda Knox was arrested for the brutal murder of her flatmate while studying in Italy - and it was a case that captured international attention. Amanda was found guilty, convicted of the murder and spent four years in an Italian prison - but she was later found to be wrongly convicted. 10 years after she was officially exonerated of the crime, she's told her story in her new memoir Free:...

See How They Fall by Rachel Paris. The uber-rich Turner family operate a luxury goods empire from Sydney, where their venal self interest knows no bounds. When their patriarch dies, the heirs call a meeting where things go terribly wrong and their cocooned world becomes the subject of a major police enquiry. Skye married into this money but as things unfold, finds she can’t believe what they’re ca...

If Cancun is on your holiday radar, BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton's made a list of her top spots to check out. From the holiday hotspots to the sacred sites to the wide mix of dining options, Megan's revealed how to pack a big experience into a short timeframe.  Read more about Megan's experience with Cancun here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Sunday Panel, T he Front Page host Chelsea Daniels and Director at 818 Chris Henry joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Finance Minister Nicola Willis outlined some supermarket competition options today - including bringing in a third player or breaking up the current system. What do we make of this? What could these mean for food price...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 30 March 2025, Amanda Knox joins Francesca to talk about being the girl accused of murder. Australian actress Rebecca Gibney discusses brand new show 'Happiness', which centres around a community theatre group. Ahead of Nicola Willis' announcement, competition consultant Ernie Newman considered what the supermarket sector nee...

In this day and age, everyone knows the value of eating healthy food - but it's still a complicated process in this day and age. Diets come with restrictions and many people report feeling trapped by an all-or-nothing mentality - which results in backsliding over busy times. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains how we can improve our diets and eat better without letting mistakes bri...

Making your own Passata   12 ripe tomatoes 2 sticks rosemary 10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed slightly  1/2 tsp flaky salt  1 fresh chili, stalk removed and cut in half  1 tbsp honey Start by turn on your oven to 220*c  Cut the tomatoes in half and lay onto a roasting tray, sprinkle over some flaky salt, smashed garlic, chili and rosemary.   Drizzle with a little...

Lower back pain is something most of us have experienced at some point. Whether it's from sitting too long, lifting something heavy, or just the wear and tear of daily life, it's a common issue. But with so many treatments available, which ones actually work? A team of researchers set out to answer this question in a massive study published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. Gathering data from hundr...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued an apology after hundreds of its members criticised it for not supporting an Oscar winner who was recently detained by Israeli settlers.  Hamdan Ballal, one of the co-directors of Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land , was attacked and detained by the Israeli military. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says a number of high-profile...

After two years, Auckland Council has finally picked a winner in the race to be the future New Zealand national stadium.   Although it doesn’t really feel like a win. Just a little more clarity. And maybe not even that.  The process was supposed to take three months - but on Thursday, Auckland Council finally picked between the final contenders - a new stadium on the waterfront or a reno...

Kiwi start-up Kitea Health has experienced a successful start to 2025.  In the last three months, Kitea has secured a place in the FDA fast track programme and they’ve completed a world first - implanting one of their sensors into the brain of a child.  The company has also revealed it's just shy of $7 million into a $10 million funding round. Kitea Health co-founder Simon Malpas says th...

The Minister for Rail has confirmed a much-anticipated announcement on Interislander ferries is days away.   The Government pulled out of contracts for two new ships in late 2023, citing cost blowouts, and are yet to announce the alternative.  In December, it was promised Winston Peters would announce a solution by the end of March - which is Monday.  Newstalk ZB political editor Ja...

Kiwi fashion designer Sera Lilly has taken to social media after discovering her designs - and original photos - on fast-fashion online giant Shein. In a video shared to Facebook, Lilly revealed screenshots of at least two of her ‘Friday Flamingo’ designs being sold on the site.  Shein has since removed the photos and items for sale.  Intellectual property law expert Kate Duckworth says...

One expert has voiced concerns ahead of the Finance Minister's announcement to improve competition in the grocery sector. Nicola Willis is set to detail the next steps in the Government's moves to create more competition in the sector - and she's voiced support for a third player joining the market. Grocery policy expert Ernie Newman explained why he's not feeling too confident this will lead to r...

In this edition of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, famed UK comedian and writer joined Francesca Rudkin in studio to talk his New Zealand tour and offer some big opinions on the state of the world. Francesca also catches up with worldwide writing sensation Jojo Moyes who has just released her latest novel,  We All Live Here.  And New Zealand's own and The Veils frontman Finn Andrews c...

Author Jojo Moyes had written seven novels before her 2012 novel Me Before You changed her life.  It sold over 15 million copies and was adapted for a major Hollywood film, with Jojo herself writing the screenplay. Since then, she's sold over 57 million books and has hit number one in 12 different countries.  She's recently released her 17th book - We All Live Here. "I did not grow up in...

Dream State by Eric Puchner. This book starts with the lead up to a wedding, after which the bride makes a momentous decision which then ripples through the lives of her husband, his best friend and the future generations. It’s a story about the consequences of the decisions we make, and the subsequent joy, regret and pain which can linger for a lifetime and which help turn us into the people...

The MPC app may not be a new invention, but it's the perfect hack to navigating US travel. The Mobile Passport Control app is free to download - and it can help travellers quickly navigate US Customs. BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton explains the app further - read more about it here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Sunday Panel, broadcaster and journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton and resident economist at Opes Partners, Ed McKnight, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Have we dropped the ball on vaping legislation? New research reveals young people have used vapes as a gateway to smoking. Can we get this under control? Simeon Brown has put the hard w...

Research reveals chronic stress can impact more than just your state of mind.  Regular stress has been found to have flow-on impacts - which can disrupt sleep and lead to increased fatigue and anxiety. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains how we can best treat these adverse symptoms. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered whether people with big feet just have larger versions of the same foot structure as those with smaller feet?   New research published in Royal Society Open Science took a deep dive into how human feet change shape with size, and the results were surprising. The researchers studied the two largest bones in the human foot, the talus (which connects the foot to the leg) a...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 23rd March 2025, Ben Elton is live in studio and reveals a surprising musical collab. Bestselling author Jojo Moyes talks about the frustration of readers and reviewers finding parallels between her books and her own life. A new study suggests vaping might not be our silver bullet to a smokefree future. Dr Lucy Hardie talks t...