The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This author is known and loved for her deeply moving and profound works of fiction (for me, particularly, Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun). This time it’s the story of four Nigerian women, and as such spans a wide geography from Africa to America with a great insight into their friendships, loves, regrets and world views. It’s very elegant and insi...

Megan Singleton's coming out of her second week in New Orleans as Mardi Gras season continues. She made it to the Orpheus Parade on Lundi Monday - and recapped a memorable experience riding in a parade float. Read more about Megan's travel highlights - and check out the photos - here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, Newstalk ZB host Roman Travers and producer, journalist and commentator Irene Gardiner joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  NZ Super is set to undergo a tough period as the aging population grows. How can we address this problem? Should we raise the age?  Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr shocked the nation by resignin...

We've all had busy weeks and felt compelled to order a takeaway meal from the endless options we have available - but one expert is wondering if they're really the best for you. While some options are better than others, many takeaways are high in calories, fat, salt, sugar and other questionable processed ingredients. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara unpacked some of the more popular 'h...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 9 March 2025, godfather of British cinema Mike Leigh joins Francesca to discuss his 60 years in the industry, and latest film Hard Truths. Patricia Kelly, wife of one of the greatest stars in Hollywood Gene Kelly, discusses bringing tribute show Gene Kelly: A Life in Music down to Auckland. Professor Susan St John says provid...

Can you wiggle your ears? Apparently around 15 percent of the population can consciously move their ears up and down. Now, new research published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience have figured out where this ear wiggling skill came from.  While humans can't turn their ears like some animals, our ear muscles still try to make tiny, unconscious movements when we're listening to something...

Dried mushroom risotto  Cook time – 60 minutes  Prep time – 20 minutes  Serves 6  3 cups dried mushroom   1 onion, peeled and diced   4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed   2 tbsp vegetable oil   Flaky sea salt   2 cups arborio rice   1/2 cup white wine   2 cups parmesan, grated   150 gm butter, cubed   Black pepper   Vegetable s...

Kiwi director James Ashcroft is working on his latest project for Netflix - and two of TV's biggest names are set to join the cast. Michelle Monaghan of The White Lotus fame and Severance star Adam Scott have signed on to the crime thriller The Whisper Man - based on the New York Times bestseller. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

South Canterbury's Barrie Coleman is on a mission to raise funds for mental health efforts. He began his year-and-a-half-long endeavour of playing at every golf course in New Zealand on Saturday. Coleman says he's left his job to complete these fundraising efforts.  He's also sold his house and will be living in a campervan - that's also set to be offered up for auction at the end. LISTEN ABO...

Former High Commissioner to the UK, Phil Goff, recently lost his job after commenting on Donald Trump's understanding of war history. The Foreign Minister stepped in to fire Goff over his comments, leaving experts questioning whether he was suited to make the jump from politics to diplomacy. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls many people feel more worried about this second Trump term - and i...

The debate over how we fix Superannuation has sparked discussion over the years - and one expert has offered up a solution. Economists have stressed the importance over fixing this issue, as New Zealand stares down the barrel of an ever-expanding ageing population. In a new paper, Auckland University associate professor Susan St John introduced the idea of the New Zealand Superannuation Grant. "Wh...

Despite relief from Australians after being spared the worst from ex-cyclone Alfred - the storm is still causing havoc. New reports show hundreds of trees are down and over 350,000 homes and businesses have lost power in Queensland and New South Wales. Flooding continues to be an issue in areas such as Lismore, where 13 defence force personnel were injured in a crash.  Australian corresponden...

It has been another big week for Health Minister Simeon Brown as he outlined his plan to deliver a better health system for New Zealanders.  At the announcement on Friday, Brown outlined his 5 key health priorities, a shift back to local decision making by July this year - and that NZ Health would return to board governance. What was most interesting was that the Minister already has the cash...

Danish actor Claes Bang has made a name for himself in projects like Bad Sisters , The Northman and Square - and now he's taking on a new type of role. He's recently been spending time in New Zealand shooting the new period action film William Tell,  alongside Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista. He says the darker tone of the film was different compared to the 'romanticised' retellings of Tell's l...

The lives and legacies of Henry VIII's former wives have often been condensed into a simple six-word rhyme - but a West End hitmaking musical aims to turn that around. The global musical phenomenon, Six, has finally made it to New Zealand shores, allowing Kiwi viewers to learn about the former Tudor queens in a whole new context.  Giorgia Kennedy and Zelia Rose Kitoko, who play a reimagined C...

The Comeback Code by Jake Bailey. Jake came to national prominence when, only a few days before he was due to make the end of year speech as Head Boy at Christchurch Boys’ High, he was diagnosed with a deadly aggressive cancer – and made the speech anyway. This is his second book – after living through such adversity he then had a lot of questions and studied psychology to look for answers – and i...

BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton has been spending the last few days in New Orleans - and she's made a few memories during the peak of Mardi Gras season. She's been taking in parades and experiencing the city - full of beads and sequins and marching bands. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast day host and host of travel podcast Trip Notes, Lorna Riley, and senior PR consultant at One Plus One Communications, Damien Venuto, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more!  President Trump, Ukranian President Zelenskyy and VP Vance held a heated meeting yesterday. Trump accused the Ukranian President of not being ready...

There's plenty of concerns surrounding the dangers of processed meats - but the issue is receiving more attention following the release of a new book. Processed explores the dangers - and cancer risks - associated with consuming too much processed meats, including hot dogs, ham, bacon, salami and sausages. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained the harmful health conditions that come...

Ember-fired tuna with tomato and cucumber salad  Cook time: 5 minutes  Prep time: 15 minutes  Serves: 6-8 300-400gm piece yellow fin or similar tuna   1 tbsp sunflower oil   Flaky sea salt   3 tomatoes  1/2 cucumber  1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped    2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds  2 tbsp black sesame seeds (optional)  2 tbsp soya s...

Why is it that humans can talk but mice can’t?   New research published in the journal Nature Communications found that it might be due to a specific gene.  If you asked somebody what sound a mouse makes, most people would answer 'squeak' - but mice can also make chirping sounds in the ultrasonic range that humans can’t hear.  The researchers took a variant of a gene called NOVA1, w...

The 2025 Oscars are set to take place tomorrow afternoon (NZT) and it's anyone's guess as to who's bringing home the gold. This year's ceremony will take place at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, with Conan O'Brien set to host. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall recapped the nominees - and outlined his predictions for what will win in the top categories. LISTEN ABOVE See omnyst...

Current workplace demands on employees have reached the point where Kiwi companies are 'fracking human resources, according to one researcher. Dr Denise Quinlan has undertaken research and surveys to better understand our workplaces and the pressures put on employees.  The findings reveal our workloads are not sustainable, with up to 50 percent of New Zealand workers at risk of severe burnout...

The Prime Minister has made his expectations clear to David Seymour, about the repeated short comings related to the school lunches programme.    The scheme's come under immense pressure, with questions being raised over the quality of the food, the timeliness of the deliveries and the variety of the meals. NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan says many impacted parents feel...

It's a big day for the Warriors - as the team is set to play their highly-anticipated match in Las Vegas against Canberra. The match will be beamed into 125 million American households, with a crowd of more than 40,000 expected at Allegiant Stadium.  CEO Cameron George says Kiwi fans have taken to the streets in their Warriors merch, and the team's hoping to do them proud. "The exposure our c...