The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

So, this week I’m making a flying visit to Christchurch to help my son buy a car.   It’s taken a couple of months to find a part time job to support himself while studying, but he’s got one, and while he’s been making the most of public transport over the last year, with this job it would be much easier to have a car. I know, it’s not great timing. He’ll only be able to afford to drive to and...

Kiwi singer-songwriter Greg Johnson is celebrating his 60th birthday with a career-spanning national tour. His new upcoming album Somenight, Somewhere is out this October, but the tour will cover decades of hits from over the course of his career. He says he's been reflecting on his career over the years, and he's learned a lot about his own creative abilities.  "There's a consistent thing I'...

TV investigator David Lomas is set to discover more answers and reunite families in his new local documentary series. David Lomas Breakthrough involves the investigative reporter going to great lengths - and often great distances - to find family members who've have lost touch with a particular blood relative. Ahead of the series debuting on Three, he explained he's lost count of how many reunions...

The Keeper by Tana French, who is one of my all time favourite authors. This is the 3rd in a trilogy which began with The Searcher and then The Hunter but you can read this new one without needing to read the others (although they’re so good I would highly recommend it). Cal Hooper, the retired Chicago detective is back, with the village of Ardnakelty in crisis as a young woman is found dead just...

BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton has been exploring America, but she's noticed some extra security in Washington DC? She's staying near some of the city's biggest museums, but she's noticed extra police gathered around some key monuments. Read more about Megan's tips for Washington DC here.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, host of the Prosperity Project podcast, Nadine Higgins and Newstalk ZB host Roman Travers joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! What did we think of the Artemis II mission, now that it's done. Are we excited about the new era of space exploration that this mission has brought? Does the thought of an actual moon landing excit...

Research has found excessive screen time can impact cognitive performance, leading to 'digital dementia'. The condition is growing more common in younger people, and it's largely a result of heavy screen exposure. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cook time: 30 minutes  Prep time: 20 minutes Serves 6  1 de-boned lamb shoulder   1 small jars chipotle in adobo sauce (available from most supermarkets)   1 bottle hoppy beer   1 tbsp tomato paste   1 tbsp brown sugar   1 tsp salt   1 tsp smoked paprika   1 tsp oregano Preheat oven to 150*C.   Place the lamb in to deep roasting tray, approx 25 x 2...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 12 April 2026, David Lomas has made a career out of solving family mysteries and reuniting loved ones, he joins Francesca to talk about some of his favourite cases and talk about how much harder it is to track people down these days. LA based singer songwriter Greg Johnson is celebrating a milestone birthday this year - inste...

Have you ever looked up at the sky and spotted a face in the clouds? Or noticed a grumpy expression in a crumpled sock? If so, you’re not alone, this surprisingly common experience is called pareidolia and scientists are fascinated by it.  New research published in the journal Royal Society Open Science found that humans are incredibly good at recognising faces. In fact, we’re so good that ou...

The Nominations for the 2026 News and Documentary Emmy Awards have been announced, and a film about Jacinda Ardern has landed two nominations. Prime Minister is in the running for Best Documentary, and Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary - and it explores Ardern's  five-year tenure as New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister.  Entertainment correspondent Chris Henry explained furthe...

There was plenty of Supercars action in Taupo over the weekend, and now racing fans in Christchurch will get their turn. The competition will debut in the South Island, with the the ITM Christchurch Super 440 starting on Friday. Canterbury Car Club general manager Mark Wederall says this is big news for fans in the South Island, and it's one of the biggest events to hit the region. "It's massive,...

A former National Party candidate will stand with the ACT Party at this year's election.  James Christmas is now a barrister and had worked under senior National figures including Sir John Key, Sir Bill English, and Chris Finlayson.  Christmas was considered a possible option to take on the Attorney-General role and act as a Treaty Negotiations Minister. Newstalk ZB political reporter Az...

Damaging gusts and severe downpours are gathering steam, with Cyclone Vaianu set to hit. Watches and warnings cover the upper half of the country, and a scattering of regions between Northland and Hawke's Bay have declared States of Emergency.  Heavy overnight gusts have already knocked out power for thousands of homes, with crews out this morning working to restore supply.  Whitianga co...

A new era of space exploration has begun, after Artemis II successfully splashed down from its journey around the far side of the moon.  The four astronauts returned 'happy and healthy' from their 10 day journey, careening safely down into the Pacific Ocean. Former NASA scientist Dr Morgan Cable says she was pleased to see the mission went well - even with a few bumps in the road. "Being able...

Watching Artemis II return to earth’s atmosphere yesterday, it occurred to me that watching a space mission is a bit like watching the Olympics.   You discover a new event, learn a whole lot of new words, and almost immediately think you know what you’re talking about - but really you’re a novice and have no idea of the complexity involved in what you’re watching.   But regardless of how...

The Te Araroa trail, running between Cape Reinga and Bluff, is one of the world’s most diverse long distance walks - and it's since inspired director Bart Schrijver. The trail inspired his latest film The North  - in cinemas now - which has been referred to as the ultimate hiking film. Schrijver says hiking the trail was an 'interesting' experience, and it helped inspire the journey of the ch...

The NZ International Comedy Festival is just around the corner, with many iconic comedians from all over the world set to appear. Australian comedian Felicity Ward, who fans may recognise from The Office Australia, Time Bandits or The Inbetweeners, is one of the bigger international draws, with her new show ‘I Wish I Could Come Out of My Shell’.  She says she's used to the attention being on...

It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh. Nadeeka is having a relationship with Jamie but she suspects he’s having an affair and one day heads home unexpectedly to try and catch him out. What she finds when she gets there is something else entirely...her house is a crime scene and nothing is as she'd imagined. And then it gets worse as the real story of what had been going on in Jamie’s life -...

Travel expert Megan Singleton's set to spend Easter in New York, and she's revealed her itinerary for making the most of the holiday. She's set to head to a gospel church in Harlem on Easter Sunday - the Abyssinian Baptist Church founded in 1808 where Martin Luther King and Malcom X attended. She plans to catch an afternoon game at Yankee Stadium, and then head to the Plaza hotel for an afternoon...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 5 April 2026, Aussie comedian Felicity Ward is heading our way for the upcoming comedy festival, she joins Francesca to talk about being unashamedly extroverted and how Dancing with the Stars changed her life in unusual ways. Film director Bart Schrijver has used his experience walking the length of New Zealand to make his ne...

This week on the Sunday Panel, Director at Capital, Ben Thomas, and Resident Economist at Opes Partners, Ed McKnight, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The Government had their Cabinet reshuffle last week, with Minister Chris Bishop losing a few key roles. What did we make of this? Should Chris Bishop be worried? The Tom Phillips doco - will we watch...

Another Easter weekend means there's more hot cross buns, chocolate eggs, and other sweet treats that can add to the afternoon cravings. Many people experience a predictable 2–4 PM craving window, and it’s not just about blood sugar - with the brain's reward system calling out for dopamine and energy. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/lis...

Easter figgy and oozy caramel loaf  Fig topping   125 gm unsalted butter   150 gm soft brown sugar  6 figs, stem removed and cut in half  Cake mix   225 gm unsalted butter, softened   225 gm caster sugar   4 eggs   3 tbsp milk   100 gm whole ground almonds   1/2 tsp salt   1 tsp ginger powder   150 gm flour   Serve with yogurt o...

Sometimes, the most exciting scientific discoveries don’t come from carefully planned experiments, they come from accidents. A scientist was storing hibernating bumblebee queens in a refrigerator. These bees were in a deep resting state called diapause which is basically a kind of suspended animation that helps them survive winter. Condensation from the fridge dripped into the containers, leaving...