The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Elijah Wood, the star of Lord of the Rings , has returned to New Zealand shores as part of his latest project. Wood stars in Bookworm , an adventure-comedy that follows a young girl and her estranged father on their mission to find mythological beast known as the Canterbury panther. He describes the film as an emotional father-daughter story - where the connections are the central focus of the pie...

In this episode of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, global megastar Robbie Williams talks his storied music career, his controversies, and why he chose now to make a biopic.  Better Man  is in theatres now!  Then we hear from extreme adventurer, Andrew Fagan. He joined Francesca to talk his attempt to set the record for the smallest boat to sail around the world solo.  And Ma...

'Mixed emotions': Lydia Ko claims gold at the Paris Olympics, qualifies for LPGA Hall of Fame  Lydia Ko has won gold in the women's golf competition at Le Golf National, simultaneously securing entry into the LPGA's Hall of Fame. The Kiwi's fired a one-under par 71 - sinking a birdie on the 18th - to finish at 10-under overall for a two-shot win.  She describes feeling 'emotional' as she...

One transport planner is looking into the feasibility of a fixed link between New Zealand's two islands. KiwiRail are officially cancelling an overseas contract for building more mega-ferries, after the Government declined to foot the bill. Nicolas Reid, the Principal Public Transport Planner for MRCagney, says there are other options available to cross the Cook Strait. "There's options around the...

In the first episode of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, Canadian music superstar Rick Astley talks his life, the dangers of fame and the memoir he released this year.  Then we hear from Celebrity Treasure Island and ZM host Bree Tomasel about her upbringing and coming to the New Zealand radio market as an Australian.  And TV show The Bear is one of the most critically acclaimed shows...

To mark the end of the year, Joan MacKenzie has outlined her favourite fiction books for 2024. Her top five consists of: The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S.Berry  Moscow X by David McClosky  Time of the Child by Niall Williams  Our London Lives by Christine Dwyer Hickey  Southern Man by Greg Iles  The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.co...

Today (December 22) is the busiest travel day of the year. Bloggeratlarge.com writer Megan Singleton flew through three airports to get home for Christmas – Auckland to Wellington to Napier.  In true Christmas travel fashion, her flight to Napier was cancelled due to lightening and bag drop chaos caused lines back to the baggage carousel. Megan shares her tips for travelling during the busy s...

This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast Day host and host of the upcoming Trip Notes travel podcast Lorna Riley and Senior PR consultant at One Plus One Communications Damien Venuto joined in on a discussion about the issues of the day - and more!  One year in, is the coalition Government on track? And how have they managed the big issues we are facing?  If one person is hosting Christmas d...

Reggae-inspired kiwi band Corrella have had a big year.  They were launched into the spotlight with the success of hit single ‘Blue Eyed Maori’, which holds the record for most weeks ever spent at the top of the NZ Singles Chart.    The Tāmaki Makaurau band claimed Breakthrough Single and Best Roots Artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards - and building on that momentum, have released a...

Christmas is a time for enjoying yourself but how can we keep the balance to stay healthy? Erin O'Hara joins Francesca Rudkin to discuss how keeping a little balance can make all the difference in how you feel - and the importance of supporting your gut health. Tips to keep the balance:  Get rid of the ‘all-or-nothing’ approach. Everything in moderation  Limit Alcohol intake   Eat y...

Mike van de Elzen shares tips to make desserts go better, and be easier to serve on the big day (Christmas!), plus shares his favourite sweet in the world - cheesecake.   Choose desserts that can be prepared and easily stored for the day  These can include cheesecakes, panna cotta, classic pavlova. tiramisu, brandy christmas cake and brandy ice-cream or the old classic trifle.  Dess...

Recent research has uncovered a fascinating phenomenon: when low on water, some plants emit high-pitched clicking noises, inaudible to human ears but detectable by certain insects. These ultrasonic “screams” might be nature’s way of signalling distress—and they don’t go unnoticed.  New research published in the journal BioRXiv found that female moths use their sensitive hearing to listen to t...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 22nd December 2024 Lord Grantham himself, Hugh Bonneville tells Francesca about his return to the delightful world of Paddington Bear - he also let's us know when the next instalment of Downton is coming. Kiwi reggae band Corrella are in studio to talk about winning awards and sing us 'Cookie' off their latest album Skeletons...

Rounding off the year’s entertainment offerings, editor of flicks.co.nz Steve Newall tells Francesca Rudkin 2024 did not have the usual offering of culturally impactful shows and films.  Firing through those that did stand out, Steve says he was more impressed with the range of cinema than small screen selections.  In no particular order...  Series Highlights:   Rivals  Th...

The recent Paddington Bear film series has been a delight to audiences, prompting a renewed interest in the famous bear – and even seeing the late Queen get in on the action.  Filled with charm and humour, the third film in the series Paddington in Peru hits cinemas on January 1.  Most well known as Lord Grantham on Downton Abbey, Hugh Bonneville stars, alongside the loveable Paddington...

A kiwi man is on a worldwide letter delivery mission. Jonny Beardmore collected 50 letters from an ancient postbox in the Galapagos Islands earlier this year – letters left there by travellers in the hope that one day they would be delivered. Beardmore, aka the Galapagos Postman, is now travelling the world delivering the letters to their intended recipients in a mission to raise awareness for Mot...

NZME’s big guns, NZ Herald Political Editor Claire Trevett and Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls join Francesca Rudkin to discuss the political year. Summing the year up in one word, Jason Walls chose ‘teething’, while Claire Trevett settled on ‘unrelenting’. The pair discuss Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s performance, the biggest wins and biggest fails, and what the change in Deputy PM...

2024 has been a fascinating year for democracy with more than 60 countries holding elections. It's been the biggest election year in global history, with around half the world's population having the opportunity to vote in local, regional, legislative, or presidential elections. Democracy was tested as countries dealt with voter apathy, attempts to suppress opposition groups, and the impact of sop...

To mark the end of the year, Joan Mackenzie has outlined her favourite non-fiction books for 2024. Her top five consists of: More Salad by the Two Raw Sisters  The Last Secret Agent – Pippa Latour with Jude Dobson  Kingmaker by Sonya Purnell  A Life Less Punishing by Matt Heath  The Siege by Ben McIntyre  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While most of the country is winding down for the summer holidays, airports and airlines across New Zealand are gearing up for the busiest weeks of the year. Air NZ expects almost 3 million passengers domestically and internationally from now until the end of January. Bloggeratlarge.com writer Megan Singleton says it's important to plan ahead and keep a cool head if something goes wrong ahead of a...

This week on the Sunday Panel, Director at 818 Chris Henry and partner and Freebairn and Hehir Lawyers Liam Hehir joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Herald's Claire Trevett has unveiled her top pick for 2024's politician of the year. Who would we choose? Who do we think has done the most for the country? Police presence at large events - one Auckland MP...

The year is winding down - leaving many of us to wonder why we feel more exhausted than ever. The holiday season brings more stress, but one expert suggests there's more factors at play. Naturopath and wellness expert explains why we can feel more exhausted - and offers up some self-care tips to boost energy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For 1 in 6 children with mental health challenges, being too scared to fall asleep knowing that terrifying nightmares await is a daily reality.  Research published in the journal Frontiers in Sleep this week offers new hope with a new therapy showing a reduction in the frequency and distress caused by nightmares, which helped the children to sleep more peacefully through the night.  Chil...

Christmas brined chicken or turkey Cook time: 35 minutes  Prep time: 24 hours  Serves: 6-8 people  1 sized 18 chicken or small turkey   2 bay leaves   2 lemon, crushed   10 peppercorns   5 star anise pods   5 ltr water 250gm   uniodised salt   1 tbsp flaky salt   2 tbsp Dijon mustard   2 tbsp sunflower oil  Firstly, clear some room i...

The weather's warmed up and summer is well and truly here - meaning it's the perfect time for a hiking adventure. Tramping influencer and hiking guru Hannah-Rose Watt has taken the guesswork out of planning a trip in her new book revealing the best trails for walkers of all experience levels. She says she designed Wild Walks Aotearoa: A Guide to Tramping in New Zealand to offer something for...