The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are significant health challenges, with asthma affecting around 600,000 New Zealanders  - with one in seven children and one in eight adults living with the condition.  Tragically, asthma contributes to an average of 60 deaths per year in New Zealand, and Māori and Pasifika communities are disproportionately affected.  New rese...

Christmas day platters:  The Christmas countdown is on - meaning it's the season of sharing platters and pre-dinner nibbles. Pickled vegetables   Cook time: 5 minutes  Prep time: 10 minutes  Serves: 12  Pickled vegetables can include:   Carrots, fennel, baby beetroot, radish, red onions, cucumbers or red cabbage   1 tsp fennel seeds   1 tsp coriander seeds &...

Professor Richard Scolyer has helped transform the treatment of skin cancer in his role at the Melanoma Institute of Australia and his research has also helped aid additional breakthroughs.  After Scolyer was diagnosed with an incurable brain cancer, he used his melanoma research to treat his condition - and the results paid off. Scolyer says he felt compelled to try the new research after le...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 1st December 2024, The Block Australia host Scott Cam stops by the studio to dish the dirt on the latest contestants on season 20 of the popular reno show. Australian of the Year Dr Richard Scolyer talks about his risky decision to trial his own melanoma research to treat his brain tumour. David Cunliffe talks through the cha...

TV fans looking for a mystery drama with a few laughs are in luck - as a new series out of the UK is set to premiere on TVNZ. Ludwig stars David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin as an unlikely duo investigating a mysterious disappearance. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains if this series is worth checking out this evening. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Go the Aussies!   They have drawn a line in the sand and done what no other Government has been brave enough to do. They’re standing up to global social media companies to protect their young people by introducing a social media ban for those under 16.    The intention is good. The intention is excellent. What parent doesn’t want to protect their young adult from inappropriate or ha...

The Block Australia has celebrated a significant milestone. The popular home renovation competition show has begun its 20th season, and fans from both sides of the Tasman have tuned in to keep it going. Host and former tradie Scott Cam says he's been with the network for 25 years - and he never expected the show to last as long as it has. "I've done about 10 different shows, this one is the last s...

Jess van Slooten is among the hundreds of Kiwis whose life was saved by receiving an organ transplant. At 22, she was diagnosed with a serious lung condition - which required a lung transplant. She says receiving the transplant has allowed her to continue to live a normal life and enjoy her favourite outdoor activities again.  "I've been skiing, I've been climbing mountains - lots of adventur...

It's been five years since a devastating fire gutted Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral - but the wait is almost over. The 12th-century cathedral, one of the French capital's most beloved and visited monuments, will reopen its doors next week to tourists and to the Catholic faithful. European correspondent Catherine Field says no one expected the restoration to move so quickly or be completed under budge...

The Labour Party is on a mission to win voters back - and the calls for change have been well-received.  Labour is holding its annual conference in Christchurch this weekend, the first time its members have met since losing the 2023 election. NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan says Chris Hipkins has indicated interest in at least a capital gains tax. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio...

The Labour Party is focused on winning back New Zealanders. It's holding its annual conference in Christchurch this weekend - the first time its members have met since the 2023 election defeat. Leader Chris Hipkins has told the party it must change if it wants to re-gain the trust it's lost. Former Labour leader David Cunliffe says it's the right message after a historic loss in confidence. He say...

Gosh, we live in an amazing country. There’s been plenty of talk this year about how we’ve lost our mojo and the country has lost its way - the cost of living, the state of our health and education systems, and they’re all appropriate conversations to have. But if you get the chance to step away from your day to day concerns and get out into the wild you’re quickly reminded there’s so much to love...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 10th November 2024, Matty Matheson is best known to Kiwis as Neil Fak on Emmy Award winning show The Bear, but he's actually the only cast member who is a real chef. Matty joins Francesca to talk about how he got involved in the show and how he's finding acting. Author Oliver Burkeman talks about how we need to accept ou...

Time of the Child by Niall Williams. Set in a small Irish village, this tells the story of Dr Jack Troy who lives quietly with his unmarried daughter Ronnie. Their lives are changed forever just before Christmas in 1962 when an abandoned baby is found and handed to him, and instead of passing the child on to the correct authorities he finds he simply cannot give her up. I cannot say enough how won...

Travelling internationally to run a marathon might not be on everyone's bucket list, but it's a growing trend. People come from far and wide to take part in the seven World Major Marathons - which take place annually in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York City, Tokyo, and most recently, Sydney.  BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton says there's plenty of marathons all over the world yo...

This week on The Sunday Panel, d irector at Capital and political commentator Ben Thomas a nd senior PR consultant at One Plus One Communications Damien Venuto joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more!  The US election is over and done with, and Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States. Do we think he'll be a good leader - or better than...

End-of-year burnout is a concern plenty of us grapple with ahead of the Christmas season - but how can we get ahead of it? Workplace stress, holiday obligations, self-reflection and all the anxieties that come with those can contribute to the stressful feelings. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says it's an important time to prioritise self-care and healthy habits - without adding to the...

Beyonce is set to dominate at the 2025 Grammy Awards, as she's leading the pack with 11 nominations. It's already a history-making moment for Beyonce - she and her husband Jay-Z were originally tied on 88 nominations, but now she's pulled ahead as the most-nominated artist of all time at the Grammys. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says the other nominees for February's event include Charli XCX,...

Author Oliver Burkeman's new book offers readers a reality check on their own limitations - and reveals there's benefits to knowing how finite life is. Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts tells readers there's a limited time frame to get everything done - and that it's okay to embrace your personal limitations in reaching your goals. Burkem...

If you're over 50 and can stand on one leg for at least 30 seconds, you may be aging well, according to recent research published in the journal PLOS ONE. Unipedal balance testing (standing on one leg) is a known measure of neuromuscular aging.   The study found that as we age, our balance tends to decline more quickly than our walking speed or muscle strength making it a very sensitive predi...

It’s understandable Auckland CBD's retail and hospitality businesses' initial reaction was one of concern after learning Auckland’s train network will close for 96 days in the final push to get the City Rail Link open in 2026. Devastated even. In years to come, we will take the CRL for granted as a valuable, normal part of a functioning, modern city. But almost a decade of disruption has taken a t...

Great Meatloaf   Cook time: 1 hour  Prep time: 30 minutes  Serves: 6-8 1 white onion, finely diced   500g pork mince   500g beef mince   1 ½ cups grated courgettes  2 cloves garlic   ½ tsp white pepper   1 tbsp Dijon mustard   1 cup breadcrumbs   ½ milk   2 tbsp vegetable oil   1 egg   6 tbsp grated Parmesan   8 slices Parm...

The four-page Treaty Principles Bill has been introduced - and will be the subject of Parliament debate next week. Many are wondering about the bill's future, given that Prime Minister Chris Luxon has said his party won't support it past the select committee stage. NZ Herald political reporter Adam Pearse says Luxon won't even be in the country for its first reading - and will be looking to put so...

Matty Matheson is best known to TV fans as loveable handyman Neil Fak on hit series The Bear  - but he's got plenty of real-world experience in the world of food. But before he appeared on our screens, he made a name for himself as a celebrity chef - he owns plenty of restaurants, hosts YouTube cooking tutorials, and he's written a few cookbooks of his own. His newest book Soups, Salads, Sand...

Clean ups are underway as the West Coast recovers from a deluge of rain. Franz Josef experienced its wettest 24 hours in more than four decades - prompting a state of an emergency for southern Westland. State Highway 6 from Fox Glacier to Haast has been damaged by slips and flooding - it's closed until at least Monday. Westland mayor Helen Lash says the road is currently not passable. "The road ha...