The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Kiwi comedian, actress and director Alice Snedden has relocated to the UK, and she's got a new project for fans to stream on Neon. Snedden's best known for the BBC show Starstruck, as well as the likes of Funny Girls, Jono and Ben, Educators and Taskmaster NZ. She says she always goes back to creating things she's going to have good time on, and her new show, Break Clause, has a relatable premise....

Psychologist John Aiken is best known for matchmaking and advising the contestants on Married at First Sight - but he's got a new project lined up.  Lessons on Living is a three-part series inspired by the late Nigel Latta, with the original book being released last year on the day he died.   John Aiken explained that he's carrying on the conversation Nigel started, and it's very di...

There's all sorts of new and exciting ideas happening in the world of travel - and even New Zealand-made developments are getting credit. BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton explored the benefits and opportunities that come with bigger projects like Etihad Rail and Viking's new hybrid hydrogen powered cruise ship. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee. She wrote the wonderful book Pachinko some years ago and this is another masterpiece. John Koh is a South Korean businessman who’s badly betrayed by his boss and struggles to find another job, in the midst of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. He’s most concerned about the future of his kids, and the family move from Seoul to Sydney and then to Los Angeles looking for...

This week on the Sunday Panel, journalist Simon Wilson and host of The Prosperity Project, Nadine Higgins, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! New data shows over a third of young Kiwis are not enrolled to vote - two weeks ahead of enrolment closing. Are we doing enough to engage young people? How important is it that we get young people enrolled and voting?...

Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 11 October. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frozen vegetable yellow curry with crispy pork  Cook time: 60 minutes  Prep time: 20 minutes  Serves: 6 400gm Brined pork belly   2 tbsp sunflower oil   2 cups frozen mixed vegetable   2 cups fresh spinach leaves   1 cup of curry paste   2 can coconut cream   1 cup vegetable stock   2 tbsp brown sugar   3 tbsp thai fish sauce   Juice of 2...

The state of the health system is a big talking point in this year's election, but there's debate to be had about preventative steps as well. Despite the well-documented benefits of preventive measures, many people fail to engage in proactive preventive health behaviours - and there's also societal factors that add to declining health, like housing, income, and food systems.   Naturopath...

What if one of the simplest ways to improve your marriage wasn't couples counselling, a romantic holiday or an expensive date night, but something as ordinary as going for a walk together? New research published in the journal  Family Relations suggests that couples who exercise together may communicate better, resolve disagreements more peacefully and experience less conflict in their marria...

The Celebrity Traitors UK is back for another season - where UK stars need to guess each other's motives for a cash prize for the charity of their choosing. The first season was well-received, but what can this new season offer viewers. Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall explained further - and whether this show could be a good distraction during a busy election season. LISTEN ABOVE See omny...

Mental Health Awareness Week is set to get underway for another year, with this year's theme being 'Belonging Matters.'  More Kiwis are reporting feeling lonelier than ever, according to new data - and schools, workplaces and other communities are being encouraged to give people opportunities to connect.  Mental Health Foundation CEO Shaun Robinson says economic troubles, global tension...

The election season is well and truly under way, with the first debates of the campaign taking place last week. The cost of living, the health system and education were among some of the major issues discussed on the campaign trail. Former Minister and commentator Peter Dunne says the first leaders' debate fell 'flat' and it's still a very close race for both major parties. LISTEN ABOVE See omnyst...

The All Blacks have ensured the Bledisloe Cup's air miles are limited for another year. The 50-19 win over the Wallabies at Eden Park has extended the run to at least 25 years between series wins for the Australians, who last defended the Cup in 2002. Former All Black and Sky Sport commentator Jeff Wilson says the Kiwi side will have learned some lessons following their string of losses to the Spr...

The election is a month away and enrolment is due to close in two weeks - but new data shows a significant number of eligible young Kiwis aren't enrolled.  Recent data from the Electoral Commission shows only 63.4 percent of people aged between 18 and 24 are enrolled to vote, and questions have been raised.    On a Roll campaign volunteer Adriana Bird says this age demographic is mo...

There are some crimes so horrendous that finding the right words to describe them is almost impossible. The 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas, in which Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 32 others, is one of them.  Hasan was convicted and sentenced to death. Now, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says his execution by firing squad, scheduled for December 3, will be livestreamed so the pu...

Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, one filmmaker has made a start on depicting history as it continues to unfold. The Wizard of the Kremlin is an adaptation of the book of the same name and it follows the political landscape of post-Soviet Russia and President Vladimir Putin's resulting rise to power.  French filmmaker Olivier Assayas says making a movie about modern history com...

Sir Tony Robinson has made a name for himself as an actor, an author and a historian - and he's set to bring his stories to New Zealand shores for another tour. Following the success of his tour in February, he's set to bring An Audience with Sir Tony Robinson: The Regional Encore Tour across New Zealand this November.  Robinson says he's looking forward to experiencing the 'variety' all of N...

Stations by Louise Kennedy. Róisín and Red are kids in the same small Irish town, some years later meeting up again in a precarious London squat where Red has discovered booze and drugs and sidelines Róisín who has to make her own life. For 25 years they’re haunted by each other, and what might have been. Nothing But the Truth by Stuart Greive KC. With over five decades working in law, f...

Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 4 October. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Royal Caribbean recently acquired a 50 percent stake in operator ​Sandals Resorts International for $3 billion. This move is aimed at expanding Royal Caribbean's land-based offerings for tourists in order to boost travel spending and give people more experiences. BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton says this will likely lead to a mix of land and cruise-based all-inclusive experiences for tra...

This week on the Sunday Panel, journalist and broadcaster, Wilhelmina O’Keeffe, and Coast Day host, Lorna Riley, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Green Party has announced plans to introduce an overnight rail service between Auckland and Wellington, a passenger rail between Christchurch and Dunedin, and to extend the Te Huia train route to Tauranga. D...

With the recent opening of Auckland's CRL, more local pubs and restaurants will see a boost in potential visitors, and Mike's compiled his recommendations for a CRL food and drink adventure. The Waitemata station features the Queen's Rooftop Bar , the Te Waihorotiu Station is close to the Irish bar Father Teds , and for the Karanga-a-hape Station, Mike recommends the Lebanese Grocer. Maungahau Sta...

Imagine your phone suddenly flashes with an emergency alert in the middle of the night and you must leave your home immediately.  What do you grab?  Researchers have been investigating what people would want to take with them during a disaster as part of the Wellcome Trust-funded After the End project, which is investigating how people experience and recover from crises.  1,000 adul...

The line-up for Laneway 2027 has been released, with Fontaines D.C., Slayyyter, Adéla and Hayley Williams set to headline. The event will take place at Auckland's Western Springs on February 21, and pre-sale tickets will be available from October 7th. Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall unpacked the full line-up, and noted this will be the first New Zealand performance for some acts.  LI...

The Government books were opened up last week, and they unveil a somewhat more promising outlook ahead of the election. The Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update shows the planned 2028/29 surplus - will be nearly $2 billion dollars bigger than forecast, and the Crown will borrow less.  Political commentator Brigitte Morton says the focus is now on Labour to respond to this with their own an...