The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Kiwi actress Rachel House has built up quite a screen presence, having appeared in many local and big-budget international films. She's also a dedicated acting coach and she's been a passionate advocate behind getting Disney films translated into Te Reo. And now, she's making her way into the world of directing through her new film The Mountain, arriving in theatres this week. Rachel says her expe...

A chain of well-known Swedish pharmacies made headlines by introducing age restrictions for certain skincare products. Social media has led to an explosion of under-13s using skincare loaded up with ingredients including retinol, AHAs and peptides, and there's concern surrounding the impact on young skin. Dermatologist Dr Juber Hafiji says these products have their benefits, but there's risk of sw...

A chance to hit the refresh button, and lay down Labour's values now in Opposition. Party Leader Chris Hipkins is giving his verdict on the State of the Nation this afternoon. Senior Political Reporter Sophie Trigger says it's Hipkins' first major speech as Opposition leader, and it's an opportunity for a reset five months on from election defeat. She says he's speaking to party faithful in South...

Telecommunications giant and internet service provider Spark is set to introduce more firewalls, filters, barriers and protections to protect Kiwi users. From April, Spark will be the first New Zealand-based provider to join the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in order to reduce exposure to malware, scams and sexual abuse material. Make Sense co-founder Jo Robertson says Spark will go from blockin...

It's been 24 hours since the Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis was revealed to the world via social media. Kate Middleton announced yesterday she's receiving preventative chemotherapy, following weeks of speculation about her health and whereabouts. Daily Mirror royal editor and Pod Save the King host Russell Myers says Kate's 'emotional' and 'personal' statement has generated sympathy from all...

The Hunter by Tana French. Sequel to her earlier book, The Searcher though can easily be read on its own. Cal is a retired Chicago detective who’s moved to a small Irish village looking for a quiet life. He befriends Trey, a young girl who’s long lost Dad suddenly turns up with a get rich scheme for the locals which he desperately needs them to fall for. He reckons though without his daughter who...

Travel expert and BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton has been seeing the sights across the ditch in Perth. Megan's been taking in the sights of the city and touring the Swan River- as well as checking out the coffee and indigenous food available. Read more about Megan's recommendations for visiting Perth here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, political commentator and Director at Capital, Ben Thomas, and TV producer and commentator Irene Gardiner joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more! Where can the Green Party go from here? They've had a bad year so far, between a change in leadership, Golriz's arrest and Darleen Tama's alleged role in an exploitation scandal. Does the...

New data has confirmed New Zealand is getting fatter every year, with obesity stats reaching new heights. Excess weight is problematic for numerous health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and chronic disease- which impacts our taxpayer-funded health system, Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says the rise in sedentary jobs and the cheaper cost of process food has driven these...

Potatoes with wilted greens and anchovy cream: Cook time: 20 minutes Prep time: 30 minutes Serves: 6 1 kg little farm potatoes, washed 10 cloves garlic 300 ml milk 6 anchovy fillets 2 tsp Dijion mustard 2 tbsp cider vinegar 150 ml olive oil 200 gm winter greens like kale, swiss chard, spinach and wild rocket 2 tbsp sunflower oil Salt Place the potatoes into a pot and cover well with cold water, se...

For most women, menopause is a natural phase of life and part of biological ageing. While the symptoms that go with it may be challenging, this week new science research finds that the benefits of menopause probably outweigh the hot flashes and weight gain. To find out more about menopause, researchers looked at five whale species that go through menopause and compared them to 27 related species t...

Research shows an estimated 70 percent of people will experience impostor syndrome at least once in their lives. It's been revealed that several big names have been impacted by this condition- including Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga and our own former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Author and expert Dr Bex Bell unpacks the nature of imposter syndrome in her new book Inner Critic to Inner Coach. "It re...

The award-winning director behind Once Were Warriors, Along Came a Spider   and the James Bond vehicle Die Another Day  has returned to his Kiwi roots in his newest film.  After wowing audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, The Convert  gives viewers a look into a long-running blood feud between Māori tribes in the 1830's. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says many familia...

More bad press for the Greens, as one MP has been caught at the centre of an exploitation scandal. Green MP Darleen Tana ha been stood down after allegations of migrant exploitation at E Cycles NZ, a business owned by her husband. NZ Herald political reporter Adam Pearse says the party's co-leaders, Marama Davidson and Chloe Swarbrick, will want to want to make sure things are more settled among t...

A registered psychologist believes more action needs to be taken to help neurodiverse learners in the classroom. Next Monday marks the second- annual Neurodiversity Celebration Week- and this year, the focus is on training teachers to educate neurodiverse students. DivergenThinking co-founder and psychologist Anton Ashcroft says he's seen the fallout from an education system that fails to support...

Abraham Verghese is a renowned infectious disease doctor, a professor and vice chair at Stanford University and a recipient of America’s National Humanities Medal.   He's also made headway as a best-selling author, having written Cutting for Stone , The Tennis Partner and The Covenant of Water- all smash hits in the literary world. He's been confirmed as one of the big names set to appear at the 2...

A call to action from Consumer NZ to help get on top of false environmentally-friendly claims on our products. It says issues of 'greenwashing' are rising, and it needs the public's help to send in examples to determine the full scope of the problem. Almost half of Kiwis find it difficult to decipher whether a product's green claims are true. Consumer NZ's Head of Advocacy and Research, Gemma Rasm...

Westpac Bank says New Zealand will need to ramp up house-building prowess to keep up with increased migration. The bank estimates 125,000 homes will need to be built within the next 5 years to meet demand amid soaring post-pandemic migration. Westpac Senior Economist Satish Ranchhod says even if migration slows down to more average rates, the population is likely to increase by 300,000. "Just thin...

OK. So what am I missing? Why are we so obsessed with Princess Kate? How did we go from some simple facts - abdominal surgery, recovery and back to work after Easter - to conspiracy theories, divorce rumours, a photoshop fail with nefarious undertones. Even the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have got in on the story - by making it about themselves. How has this become such a thing? How has this become...

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. Set during WW1, Laura Iven is a nurse who returns from the battleground to her native Halifax, where her parents are suddenly killed by the massive explosion resulting from the collision of two ships in the harbour, one of which was carrying munitions for the war. This real event had an extraordinary and terrible impact on the town. When she receives wo...

Air New Zealand is cracking down on travellers who abuse the limits for carry-on luggage. The airline has noticed people are trying to get around the 7 kilogram, 118 centimetre rule- and are requiring rulebreakers to check bigger bags in. BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton says she's noticed people carrying medium-sized bags that appear to violate the limits. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com...

This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast day host Lorna Riley and Damien Venuto from One Plus One Communications joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick has been confirmed as the new co-leader of the Green Party, replacing James Shaw. What will she bring to the role? How will she transform the Greens? More media industry losses- TV...

Everyone struggles with craving sweet, salty and crunchy snacks- how can we fight these urges? Wellness expert Erin O'Hara says it's important to pay attention to these cravings, as they might signal essential nutrients are missing from your diet. She explains how to counteract the urge to consume sugary and salty snacks here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smokey marinated eggplant: Cook time: 20 minutes Prep time: 20 minutes Serves: 4-6 2 eggplants, sliced lengthways into 1cm thick slices 1 cup oregano leaves 2 cups coriander leaves 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 3 cloves garlic, peeled juice of one lemon flaky smoked salt 1 fresh chilli de-seeded 3 tbsp olive oil Brushed the sliced eggplant with a little bit of oil before grilling over a hot BBQ or Engel...

Is your dog fat? If it’s a Labrador, then science now provides an excuse. All dog owners know the challenge of resisting your pet's big, sad eyes as they beg for one more treat, but there is one dog breed that pushes its owners by begging more than others according to new research published this week in the journal Cell Metabolism. That dog breed is the Labrador Retriever, which was found in the s...