The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Ben Elton’s career began in Britain's alternative comedy scene in the 1980s - and over the last 44 years, he's since built a name for himself. He's become a recognisable name in the world of stand-up comedy and he's also written many notable works, including  The Young Ones and Blackadder.   He also created musicals We Will Rock You and The Beautiful Game with Andrew Lloyd Webber. ...

Parsnips in a soup with curry oil Cook time: 35 minutes  Prep time: 20 minutes  Serves: 6 1 kg parsnips, peeled and chopped   3 white onions, peeled and chopped   10 cloves garlic   3 tbsp sunflower oil   1 cup white wine   1.5 ltr vegetable stock   2 cups cream   Salt   Curry oil: 1 tbsp coriander seeds   1 tbsp cummin seeds   2 tbs...

The Sex Pistols have kicked off their first major tour in decades - and they're set to come to New Zealand next month. The band played at London's 100 Club for the first time in over half a century, with Frank Carter filling in for John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explained what fans can expect ahead of the band's planned concerts in New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omn...

A new six-part podcast aims to explore the rise of deepfake pornography and the ongoing efforts to stop it. Levittown shares the stories of dozens of young women who discovered photos of themselves were stolen, altered by AI and posted on porn sites without their knowledge. Kiwi reporter Olivia Carville is an investigative journalist for Bloomberg News - and says the technology has evolved faster...

Winston Peters will deliver his State of the Nation speech this afternoon - off the back of high level talks in the United States last week.  Similar speeches have come over the past months from the Prime Minister, the Opposition leader, ACT and the Greens - and today it's New Zealand First's turn.  The address comes days after Winston Peters returned from Washington DC, where he met wit...

As Heathrow starts to get back to normal, the UK Government has ordered a probe into the power outage which caused mass disruption.  The outage was caused by a single fire at an electricity substation.  Travellers are still being warned to expect delays and cancellations today - but the airport has re-opened.  UK correspondent Enda Brady says over 1300 flights were cancelled - creat...

New research has cast doubt over the usefulness of vapes in tackling smoking.  A study looking at 25 years of data on New Zealand teenagers shows there was steep decline in youth smoking rates before vapes came on the scene.  Instead of displacing smoking, it suggests vapes are a gateway to cigarettes for young people.  University of Auckland research fellow Dr Lucy Hardie says thes...

So this week we saw Health Minister Simeon Brown’s true colours, and they were a little patronising.   Brown said he wanted medical officers of health to stop writing about issues like fast food and “leading advocacy campaigns” on public health issues. Instead, he said their focus should be on “technical advice” and immunisation campaigns.   The thing is, promoting health and preventing...

Geoffrey Rush has maintained a long-running acting career - and his latest film is set to explore the horrors that can come with old age. Rush has made a name for himself on the big screen, appearing in films like Shakespeare in Love , Pirates of the Caribbean , and The King’s Speech - to name a few. He's set to star in Kiwi director James Ashcroft's The Rule of Jenny Pen, a film set in a drab ret...

Globally-acclaimed Kiwi indie band The Veils have returned with a new album - and Kiwi fans will be able to catch them on tour in the coming days. Their seventh studio album, Asphodels , was released at the end of January, and features singles including The Ladder and O Fortune Teller. Lead singer Finn Andrews says he's looking forward to sharing the new album with Kiwi fans as part of their upcom...

Broken Country by Clare Lesley Hall. Set in a small English farming community in the 1960s, this is the story of a love triangle which goes horribly wrong. Beth and Gabriel were young lovers whose lives then took very different turns and when they reconnect years later, a lot of things have changed. You know from the first page that someone is dead, and the weight of secrets which Beth and her hus...

Megan Singleton's been spending some time in America's capital - and she reckons there's plenty to offer even if you aren't interested in politics. Washington DC offers outdoor green spaces for hiking and exploring, bars and restaurants, world-class museums and historic monuments. Read more about Megan's top picks from Washington DC here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

This week on the Sunday Panel, Capital editor Ben Thomas and editor and journalist, Jo McCarroll joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Chris Luxon hasn't had a good couple of weeks - and it's being reflected in the latest batch of polls. What does this mean for the Prime Minister? Is he in danger of being rolled? Finance Minister Nicola Willis is also co...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 16th March 2025, legendary Australian actor Geoffrey Rush discusses his new kiwi film The Rule of Jenny Pen. The Veils are back in the country and ready to tour, lead singer Finn Andrews performs live in studio. Francesca explains why Christopher Luxon won't be rolled as Prime Minister ... at this stage. Ukraine allies met ov...

Research indicates that while middle-aged men might not go through the exact same hormone shift as their male counterparts, there's evidence they can go through a key shift later in life. 'Male menopause' might not be a clinical term, but the expression has gained popularity as more men report mood swings, depression and other emotional and physical symptoms when they reached a certain age. Naturo...

Chermoula paste   Prep time: 10 minutes  Serves: 6  1 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped   ½ bunch coriander, roughly chopped   2 white onions, peeled and roughly chopped   4 cloves garlic   1 tbsp ground turmeric   1 tsp ground coriander   2 tsp ground cumin   1 tsp garam masala   2 chilli, crushed   1 tsp smoked paprika   2 tsp f...

The need for blood is constant, and every day lives are saved thanks to the generosity of blood donors. With a law change last year, even more people in New Zealand can now become blood donors. The removal of the ban on those who lived in the UK, France, or Ireland between 1980 and 1996 means thousands more Kiwis are now eligible to donate. This restriction was originally introduced due to concern...

It’s been a very busy and important week for the Prime Minister. There was a reason he championed the Investment Summit and made himself available to attendees to a degree unusual for a Prime Minister at events like this.   Plain and simple, he desperately needs it to be successful.   He has staked his leadership on growing our economy, which includes creating an infrastructure pipeline...

The Apple TV+ hit series Ted Lasso will return for a fourth season. Actor and executive producer Jason Sudeikis is locked in to return as the iconic football coach - with the actor saying Lasso will coach a women's team this season. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall wonders if the series really needs an additional season after wrapping up in 2023. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Early trials have shown medical detection dogs picking up ovarian cancer with an incredible accuracy.   Two of K9 Medical Detection's specially trained dogs, Hunter and Hogan, have been taught to track the early stages of ovarian cancer - and the pair have a 96 to 100 accuracy rate. K9 Medical Detection CEO Pauline Blomfield says many cases of ovarian cancer are detected at later stages, and...

The economy, trade, and talks will be top-of-mind as the Prime Minister lands in India today. Christopher Luxon's being joined by a large business and community delegations, alongside three Ministers - as he aims to strengthen the two countries' relationships. The PM's due to meet India's Prime Minister and pitch for increased trade and business opportunities. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Wa...

The default Kiwisaver contribution rate could be due for a shakeup. Finance Minister Nicola Willis is looking at upping the amount employees and employers contribute to their KiwiSaver accounts. With an ever-increasing aging population, Willis explained she wants to ensure more Kiwis are financially secure in retirement.  Simplicity co-founder Sam Stubbs has voiced support with these proposed...

Peacekeeping in Ukraine will be an extensive operation, according to one expert. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has rallied together leaders from Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand for a virtual meeting that he's dubbed the 'coalition of the willing'. Discussions focused on supporting Ukraine to achieve lasting peace. Kiwi K.A.R.E founder Tenby Powell says a peacekeeping force will need...

It's been almost three decades since Singin’ in the Rain star Gene Kelly died, but his widowed spouse is allowing fans to get a look at his legacy. Gene Kelly – A Life in Music is part of this year's Auckland Arts Festival and it celebrates the star's life through archival footage, movie clips and personal stories by his wife, Patricia Kelly. She says her late husband was a romantic who was passio...

After a career spanning 60 years, British film-maker Mike Leigh is considered the godfather of British cinema. He's got experience as an actor, producer, screenwriter and director - and he's used his platform to explore the struggles of ordinary people and their real-life problems. His latest feature, Hard Truths , is set to hit theatres in the coming days. "We've got the film, the budget's in pla...