The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Despite the rising cost of living, growing fuel prices and ongoing concerns about inflation, the demand for travel still hasn't dropped. The Auckland Travel Show is on this weekend, and it's clear demand is alive and well, but there are some new trends emerging.  Founder Rob Eliott says people have redirected their plans - with plenty still planning trips for Asia and the Pacific Islands.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is up against it, with growing calls for a leadership challenge. Labour had disastrous local election results, with right-wing party Reform making huge gains. UK Labour MP Catherine West says she will trigger a challenge to Starmer's leadership if Cabinet doesn't. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the results are a vote against Starmer. "People don't know who he is, people don't know what he stands for, nothing has changed. This summer will mark two years of him being in power and he hasn't delivered the change people wanted."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

University student groups want the Government to reconsider the scrapping of the fees-free study scheme.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed it'll end at the Budget, with 2026 being the final year students are eligible.  Victoria University of Wellington Student Association President Aidan Donaghue says it's being binned as the cost of living bites.  "There's huge opportunity costs...we can't work full time while also studying. So energy, heating, groceries, fuel - those are all just compounding on students as they try and better themselves."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 10 May 2026, Francesca speaks to comedian and author Pax Assadi about his new book full of excerpts from his life, 'Mortified'.  Aidan Donoghue from the Victoria University Wellington Student Association shares his thoughts on the Government's decision to scrap the fees free scheme. He says it's another kick in the guts for struggling students. Francesca gives her thoughts on the ex-CRL bosses' comments on the expensive project: Yes, it's over budget. But weren't you the guy making those decisions?  And doctor Michelle Dickinson shares a research paper that asks the question, 'How do you give CPR in space?'. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett. She wrote a book called The Help fifteen years ago which was a sensation at the time and subsequently made into a movie. This new one is also set in Mississippi, in 1933, during Prohibition and the Great Depression. Birdie’s family are impoverished, so she travels to visit her sister who’s married to a man of means in another town, hoping to get some financial support - but when she gets there finds that things are not at all as she’d imagined them to be. She meets another young woman down on her luck and the two of them embark on a high risk money making scheme - a brothel called The Calamity Club, from which they reap very considerable benefits but always under threat of discovery by the authorities. There’s a second thread to the story about a young girl named Meg who after being abandoned by her mother is being brought up in the local orphanage, and her life intersects with these women in what are eventually life changing ways.  The Wife, The Maid and The Mistress by Ariel Lawhon whose most recent new book was The Frozen River. As with her other writing, this is based on real events - in 1930’s NYC, a judge stepped into a taxicab and simply disappeared - he was never heard from again, and it haunted New York society for years. This fictional account tells the story of the judge’s wife, the maid who cleaned their apartment and the showgirl who had been his lover, and posits a totally compelling and credible answer to the mystery. With access to some archival material from the times she’s done a great job of recreating what might have happened.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, Director at 818, Chris Henry and journalist and editor, Jo McCarroll, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The Government has confirmed fees-free uni is over and done ahead of the Budget. What kind of impact will this have? Would it be better to find other ways to support young people? Are we worried it will be another factor that will drive young talent from New Zealand? Do we think interest-free student loans are on their way out?  The Government's given councils three months to put forward merger proposals, or it will force them to join up under its own process. Do we think this is enough time? What will this mean for jobs? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi actress Morgana O’Reilly has made the leap to the world of comedy, with her newest project proving successful at the NZICF. Stories About My Body examines years of growth and change, as Morgana looks back on her stories and memories and diary entries. She says it took a while to craft the project - and it adds more cinematic touches to the one-woman show. "I think the whole thing is essentially a love letter...to all of your 13-year-old selves, all the way up until pushing babies out of one's body."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seed oils like canola and sunflower oil have attracted controversial claims about harmful effects - but should we be worried? Some argue they fuel chronic inflammation and disease, while others have pointed out that they lower cholesterol and reduce heart disease risk. Naturopath and wellness research Erin O'Hara weighed in - and revealed which oils are better for you.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mother's Day crumpets  Cook time: 10 minutes  Prep time: 30 minutes  Serves: makes 10-15 375 ml warm water  250 ml milk  1 tbsp dried yeast  1 tbsp raw sugar  400 gm plain flour  1 tsp baking powder  1 tsp baking soda  Pinch of salt  Sunflower oil for cooking Combine the water, milk, yeast and sugar in a jug and set aside to activate.  Place the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Slowly stir in the yeast mixture and continue to mix until smooth.  Cover with a clean damp towel and set aside somewhere warm to ferment for a hour.  The batter should start to bubble during this time.   10 minutes before you start to cook the crumpets, dissolve the baking soda in a little water. Mix through the batter and set aside.  Heat a large cast iron frypan over a medium heat. Add a touch of oil and spread it around. Drop in some 10cm crumpet moulds or steel pastry cutters. Spoon in about 1/4 cup of crumpet batter into each mould. Allow the bubbles to rise to the surface for a couple of minutes before removing the moulds. After 5 minutes, flip and continue to cook on a low heat until golden.  Repeat until all the batter is used.  Serve hot with marmalade and butter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Space tourism is now a thing, and it probably won’t be too long before that tour consists of an orbit around the moon. We already have a situation where astronauts spend months living in space stations far from Earth.    Now, imagine someone suffers a cardiac arrest.  On Earth, CPR is a life-saving skill we take for granted. Push hard and fast on the chest to keep blood flowing to the brain and organs until medical help arrives. But in space, things get complicated very quickly.  Research published in the journal Microgravity are now exploring a question most of us have never considered: how does blood move through the body during CPR when gravity is reduced?  CPR relies heavily on gravity and body positioning here on Earth. When you compress someone’s chest, you are helping pump blood through the cardiovascular system toward vital organs like the brain.  But in space, astronauts float. Without gravity, rescuers can’t brace themselves properly, and the body itself behaves differently. Fluids shift upward toward the head, the heart can shrink slightly over time, and circulation changes in ways scientists are still trying to fully understand.  That means traditional CPR techniques may not work as effectively in reduced gravity environments like the moon, Mars, or spacecraft.  Researchers have proposed several “space CPR” methods over the years, but there has been a major problem: nobody has really been able to measure what is happening inside the body during those attempts.  The Concordia research team developed a remarkably advanced CPR simulator designed specifically for hypogravity environments.  At first glance, it looks like a medical training mannequin. But inside, it contains a surprisingly realistic artificial cardiovascular system.  Instead of simply measuring how deep chest compressions are, the system measures whether blood is actually moving effectively through the body.  To test the system, the researchers took their mannequin aboard a specially modified Falcon 20 aircraft used for space science experiments.  The plane flies in steep arcs called parabolic flights. During parts of the flight, passengers experience brief periods of reduced gravity, similar to what astronauts feel in space.  During these moments of hypogravity, the mannequin received automated chest compressions while sensors tracked how fluid moved through its artificial arteries.  One of the key measurement points was the carotid artery, the major vessel that carries blood to the brain.  The team observed measurable differences in blood pressure compared with Earth-based CPR. Systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, pulse pressure, and mean arterial pressure were all higher in reduced gravity conditions.  The body appears to respond differently to CPR in low gravity than it does on Earth.  That’s an important discovery because it suggests Earth-based assumptions about resuscitation may not fully apply in space.  As humans spend more time away from Earth, medical emergencies become inevitable and unlike on Earth, there is no ambulance coming.  Future astronauts may need to handle life-threatening emergencies entirely on their own, with limited equipment and delayed communication with Earth.  Understanding how CPR works in reduced gravity could one day save lives millions of kilometres from the nearest hospital.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pax Assadi has revealed the unlikely source of inspiration for his new memoir. His new book, Mortified, is far from a highlight reel - it focuses on the shame, the cringe and all the stupid things that leave many wanting to die from embarrassment. Assadi says he was in a 'creative zone' developing stand-up when the book concept came to him. "I just thought it was cool, counterculture thing to do against the backdrop of our social media society that is obsessed with making sure we all look pristine - and I'm just kind of sick of it. I'm a little bit sick of us all pretending like we're all perfect."   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns about what the Government's latest pre-Budget announcement means for students. Winston Peters told Newstalk ZB on Friday that they'd get rid of the final free year of tertiary education, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed it.  She says they will have more to say on it in due course. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says it's likely the Government isn't thrilled with Peters leaking these details - and it wasn't pre-authorised by Willis or anyone else.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I can’t wait to get onto Auckland’s CRL. I can’t wait to check out the overly grand stations. And I can’t wait to experience moving around our city in a way residents of other modern cities around the world have been doing for decades.  More so, I can’t wait to see if it does what it was intended to do - transform the city's rail network from a "one-way cul-de-sac" into a two-way through-system, designed to double the network's capacity and improve accessibility across the region.   It’s been a monster of a ride getting this underground railway built, and yes it’s costs a bundle, but I was intrigued this week that those most vocal about the decision making and costs are the people responsible for the project.  Good on former CRL boss Sean Sweeney for coming out and calling it how he sees it. We need people with experience expressing views on how we do things in this country. Sweeney oversaw the CRL, and its many cost increases and associated challenges for six years, and admits he would do things differently if he had his time again. He feels the main issue with the CRL was that it was over-specified. It’s not just the CRL, he also thinks the Christchurch stadium could have been built for less. As much as Cantabrians are enjoying the stadium, I’m sure there are many who feel the same way.   Building infrastructure is a bit like buying a house. When you buy you’re convinced you’re being ripped off and then 7-10 years later you’re generally pretty happy with the price and capital gain. I’m sure that over the next 10, 20, 100 years we’ll feel pretty pleased with ourselves for future proofing these investments: a platform long enough to cope with extra train carriages in anticipation of Auckland’s population growth, and a roof on Christchurch’s stadium.  Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop took the opportunity to reinforce National’s ‘fiscally responsible’ stance by ordering a review into the build, while still trying to stay positive about a project which will open on his watch. It was a bit of a headline grab. An effort to look proactive in response to the criticism. But anything that costs $5.5 billion, and was as difficult and disruptive as the CRL has been, should be reviewed and learnt from. Preferably before we launch into a second Auckland Harbour crossing. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown also piped up, expressing his long held view on the cost of the CRL, saying the project was “set up poorly” and he would take a tougher approach to projects.   But weirdly, I don’t hear Aucklanders talking about it the same way as those who were or are involved in it. Remember City Rail Link Limited was formed between the National Government and the Phil Goff-led Auckland Council in 2017 to jointly fund and oversee it through to completion. Both local and central Government are responsible for this project.  While the CRL has been a torturous affair, especially for those living, working or trying to run a business around its construction, most locals just want it to open, for it to make a fundamental change to how we get around our clogged up city, and can’t wait to give it a try. Spending $2 billion more on the CRL is worth a discussion, but maybe we need to keep it in perspective. Superannuation currently costs the country over $24 billion annually and is estimated by Treasury to cost over $45 billion in 10 years. The reluctance of political parties to thoughtfully address this is neglectful. So, enjoy the fancy infrastructure where you can, there’s unlikely to be much more on the way.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No-one knows what the future of AI has in store for us, and one journalist has raised concerns about the impact of the technology. When investigative journalist Karen Hao started looking into Sam Altman’s OpenAI, she had hopes for the technology, but extensive research and unparalleled access to those closest to the AI arms race left her with a different view.  Her work in this space has made her one of the foremost tech journos covering AI.  She’s been listed in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.   She's heading to New Zealand for the Auckland Writers Festival with her book EMPIRE OF AI: Inside the Reckless Race for Total Domination. "My criticism of companies that use this kind of rhetoric is that they are essentially just leveraging the lack of a shared definition as a way to just hype up their technologies."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Olympic paddler Luuka Jones-Yaxley's lined up an unexpected project after her success in Paris.  Shortly after retiring from the high-performance canoe Slalom at the Paris Olympics, Luuka received a call and an offer to appear as Charlize Theron’s stunt double in the Netflix film Apex.  She says the offer felt like an 'April Fools joke' at first, but she was on a plane to the South Island to begin filming before she knew it.  "I just received at text from a friend down in the South Island and he called me and said he's been doing a bunch of water safety on some films and that this film had approached him and they needs a kayak double for Charlize Theron - and it kind of went from there."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. Natalie Heller Mills drifts into marriage with a real loser, and in a last desperate attempt to help him make something of himself, gets her father in law to fund them onto a remote ranch in Idaho where she raises a brood of kids, embraces a traditional way of life, and sends it all via Instagram to a rapidly increasing audience. The trouble is, Natalie doesn’t entirely subscribe to the situation she finds herself in - and when one day she wakes up in the year 1855, in exactly the environment she’s been emulating, the things she’s been espousing and pretending to live like suddenly become all too real. This is terrifically well done - full of side-eye and quips to the reader amid a situation from which there is no escape. London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe. He’s the author who gave us the wonderful Empire of Pain a few years ago. This is about a young man whose fall from the balcony of a high end apartment block beside the Thames was filmed by MI6 cameras across the river. Zac Brettler always wanted more, and passed himself off as the child of a Russian oligarch which ultimately resulted in him getting in with the wrong crowd. Despite the footage, the Metropolitan Police refused to investigate and when Radden Keefe got involved he found a great deal to answer for. This is fascinating, investigative writing of the highest order.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel expert Megan Singleton's been in New York seeing the sights, and making some unexpected discoveries.  After she learned the Abyssinian Baptist Church was booked out, she checked out the spring blossoms in Central Park, explored the Met and visited Little Island - which is built on wine glass shaped stilts across 4 acres in the Hudson River.   Read more of Megan's travel tips here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Sunday Panel, broadcaster and journalist Wilhelmina O’Keefe and Resident Economist at Opes Partners, Ed McKnight, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! ACT has recently revealed their new immigration policy - what do we think? Is this going to attract the right people to New Zealand? A lot of what ACT is talking about here is just about enforcing existing laws - have we been too soft in the past?  There's been disagreements in the coalition this week - do we see them lasting until the election? Is Winston Peters trying to get one over Chris Luxon?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Additives are added to processed food to keep it fresher for longer but these might unexpectedly affect the health of the microbes in our guts. A diverse microbiome is key for our overall wellbeing, as it influences everything from our mood to our metabolism and our brain health, and processed food can have a harmful impact. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 3 May 2026, Francesca speaks to investigative reporter and influential AI expert Karen Howe, who initially supported the development of AI, but now sees a darker side to the newest tech trend. Luuka Jones-Yaxley has gone from being an Olympic Silver Medalist to Hollywood Stunt Performer. Francesca gets the details on her journey, including rubbing elbows with some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Francesca gives her thoughts on a chaotic week in politics, backed up by a visit from ACT Party Leader David Seymour, who has just announced a new immigration policy. And doctor Michelle Dickinson tells us where the safest spot to sit is on an airplane. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week I started my editorial with: ‘Well, it was a rather chaotic, eventful week in politics wasn’t it’, and went on to speak about how I thought it was a mistake that the Prime Minister has decided to decline appearing in a weekly spot on TVNZ’s Breakfast.   But it appears that ‘chaotic’ and ‘eventful’ is likely to be how we’re going to describe the next 27 weeks until the election, if the coalition can hold itself together through to November.   The nonsense and the scheming this week included what could quite possibly have been a leaked story about embattled TVNZ reporter Maiki Sherman, lawyers letters flying between media companies keen to report the juicy details, Winston Peters releasing emails under an OIA request revealing the Prime Minister’s potentially damaging views on the US war against Iran, and a feisty retaliation by the National Party on NZ First. All I could think at the end of this week was - surely both the media and politicians can do better.   I get it - everyone is coming out firing on all cylinders - that’s what you’ve got to do in election year. National has a new campaign leader and communications adviser, and I am sure many National voters like the new fighting spirit being shown by the Nats. After all, the Foreign Affairs Minister was out of line this week.   But with Winston Peters stating, 'No, we won’t do a deal with Labour or their Marxist and separatist mates', then you’d think that having ruled out being part of an opposing coalition there would be some shared effort to sell this one to voters.   The number of people who this week said to me, 'I don’t want to vote for any of them' was a bit of a surprise. Civility is often put aside during an election year, and yet I think it’s what most of us are craving right now. We’d like the people we have entrusted to run the country to act like grown-ups and get on with the job without the backstabbing.  Budget month is going to be tough, and yet all National and the coalition have to do to sell this budget is deliver it straight-up. We all know the story - whatever economic recovery and confidence we were gaining heading into 2026 has been wiped out by decisions made elsewhere in the world.   It’s not just our story - it’s happening everywhere. This week, the Bank of England warned inflation could hit 6.2 percent in the UK by early 2027, and food prices could rise by 6-7 percent by the end of this year. In Australia inflation rose to 4.6 percent in March, with an expectation it will peak higher with consumer prices now growing at their fastest pace in two and a half years.   No. It’s not the economic recovery story National was hoping to campaign on, but with little policy or innovation coming from the Labour Party there is an opportunity to double down on their fiscally responsible approach to managing the economy.   The revelation of Christopher Luxon’s support for the war wrecking our economy - isn’t helpful for him. But what would be more damaging is having coalition party leaders calling out each other for poor judgement over the coming months. Luxon has done a good job keeping the coalition together, but if they’re going to spend the next 6 months sabotaging each other rather than continuing to work on how they can come together on policy, selling the budget will be the least of National’s problems.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you board a plane, you probably think about whether or not you want a window or aisle seat that is either close to the bathroom, or far away.  But new research published in the journal AIP Advances concludes that when it comes to safety, who is sitting around you matters more than where you sit on a plane. There’s a global aviation safety standard rule you’ve probably never heard of: every passenger must be able to evacuate a plane in 90 seconds. But here’s the catch: it's based on controlled tests, under perfect conditions, involving calm people and ideal scenarios. I've never been in a plane emergency, but I imagine people panic, aisles clog and not all passengers will move at the same speed.  The new research asked a simple question - what actually happens during a realistic evacuation and does the passenger type and seating location affect survival? The researchers built a full digital model of an Airbus A320 cabin and simulated emergency evacuations under one of the worst-case scenarios: a dual-engine fire. This scenario prevents the use of wing exits, forcing everyone to escape only through the front and back doors  They ran 27 different scenarios with different passenger mixes and seating arrangements.  Surprisingly they found that the fastest evacuation didn’t happen with the strongest, fastest passengers but instead when only 20 percent of passengers were elderly and evenly distributed near exits. That scenario took 141 seconds. It still didn't meet the 90 seconds target, but it was the fastest of all of the scenarios and much better than the worst evacuation, which took over 218 seconds. At first glance, the findings seem obvious. Older passengers move more slowly, which slows down evacuation, but the real insight is not just how many slower passengers you have, it’s where they are Here’s what the study found:  Older passengers may move more slowly, take longer to react, need assistance and struggle in stressful, unfamiliar situations. Clustering slower passengers in one area creates bottlenecks Random placement causes unpredictable surges and congestion Even distribution smooths the flow and reduces jams When exits are limited (like in a fire scenario), small delays ripple outward and slow everyone down.   This research is important because the world is aging, meaning that in the near future, more flights will include a higher proportion of older passengers. The researchers suggest that airlines should strategically distribute slower-moving passengers evenly to improve safety, so maybe in the future your seating choice might be made by your age, not whether or not you like the window seat.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Fired duck livers with port and cream  Cook time: 25 minutes  Prep time: 30 minutes  Serves: 6 250 gm duck livers   1/2 cup red wine   1/4 cup port   3/4 cup cream   6 field mushrooms   1/2 onion, peeled and sliced thin   2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 2 tbsp sunflower oil   Salt and pepper Take a large cast iron or similar pan. Heat to a high heat.   Add the oil and quickly add in the onions and garlic. Then add in the livers and continue to cook for a couple of minutes until the livers are well coloured on both sides.   Add the red wine and port and quickly reduce. Once it reduces by half, add in the cream, mushrooms, salt and pepper. When the livers are pink inside, remove and continue to reduce the sauce until thick.   To serve, toast some sourdough or similar and spoon the livers and sauce over the top. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2026 Taite Music Awards took place last week, where Kiwi artists and industry experts celebrated New Zealand's independent music scene. Geneva AM, The Mint Chicks and Marlon Williams were among the big winners on the night. Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing concerns about the impact of social media on young people, with advocates calling for tighter regulations. Politicians have voiced support for a teen social media ban in line with Australia, but experts say more needs to be done in this area. B416 advisor Jade Varney says education is important, but the technology's gone too far to let young people use it without a proper intervention.  "These technology platforms have been engineered to intercept our control functions in our brains, and a young person relying on the knowledge they've been taught in school just may not be enough at this current stage." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns about the stability of the coalition after National and NZ First had it out last week. Winston Peters' office released emails showing Prime Minister Chris Luxon wanted the Government to explicitly support US/Israeli action in Iran, which Peters later rejected. Former Minister and commentator Peter Dunne says Peters is running rings around Luxon ahead of the election - and it's unclear what this could mean for the coalition after the election. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The A-League will have a new champion after Auckland FC ended Melbourne City's season in a thrilling 14-goal penalty shootout. The Kiwi side will play Adelaide United across a two-leg semi-final. CEO Nick Becker says it was 'crazy' watching the team's performance on the night. "Sport is such an incredible thing, I think with football especially, because it's such a low-scoring game - the scarcity of goals and then the drama... it was a real emotional rollercoaster.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT has launched its immigration policy ahead of this year's election - with surcharges and tougher limits for serious offenders.  It includes a $6 a day infrastructure surcharge on temporary work visas, which is expected to pocket $80 million a year. The party also wants stronger English language requirements, and would also establish a dedicated unit around enforcement for people over-staying their visas. Leader David Seymour says New Zealand was built on immigration, but it's important to keep the right balance. "What those waves of settlement have done is two things. One is that they built a Kiwi character that's the envy of the world...whether it's our troops out there doing peacekeeping, our sportspeople, our businesspeople - Kiwis have a reputation that we can fix anything, we do what we say we're going to do, we're compassionate and thoughtful people." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Reyne is regarded as an Australian musical icon thanks to his success in Australian Crawl, and he's set to celebrate the band's success in his new tour. Alongside the full band, Reyne will be performing the hits of Australian Crawl next month in Auckland and Wellington. Reyne says he knows it's unusual to celebrate the fall of a band, but it felt right. "I'm very grateful for that, as I get older, I realise how grateful I am."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Influencer and mental health advocate Jazz Thornton has been campaigning hard for stalking to be criminalised, with new reforms set to be added to the Crimes Act next month. Thornton was targeted by obsessive messages from a stranger overseas back in 2024, and things escalated when the individual flew to New Zealand and turned up at her house. Inspired by her own story and those of others, Jazz has created a new documentary ‘Stalked’ - which is coming soon to Sky.   "It was the unpredictability, and you have the commander of the police on the phone and all of these detectives, and cameras are getting installed in your house...and you know there's concern from the police and you can't know why." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Other Catherine by Lauren Keenan: this is the story of two women bound together through generations of a family, each making their own way in a turbulent world. In 1793, eighteen year old Catherine is sentenced to the colonies and finds herself in the abject misery of the hold of a convict ship sailing to Australia where, despite the horrors and deprivation, she manages to forge enduring bonds with some of the other convicts. Two generations later, another Catherine - known in her native reo as Keita - finds herself and her loved ones caught up in the arrival of sealers and whalers to the shores of Aotearoa, and a profound change to their way of life. History and blood unites these two women, each of whom navigate their way through periods of great change. Murder in Paris ’68 by Edward Chisholm. Paris in 1968 was a world of chic, celebrity and glamour alongside a parallel underworld in which the demimonde lived dangerous and darker lives. Alain Delon was a movie star of the era - globally famous, he moved in fashionable circles. When a young man was found dead on a road outside Paris it was initially assumed he was indigent, but his clothes and well manicured fingernails told a different story and he was soon linked to Delon. This is extraordinary narrative nonfiction in which politicians, police, diplomats, gangsters, petty criminals and a raft of famous names became caught up in scandal and corruption.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton's been exploring Nashville and taking in the city's history. She got to go to the Grand Ole Opry and listen to the Oakridge Boys singing Elvira - as well as take some studio tours. Read more about Megan's experience here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 26 April 2026, in 2024 mental health campaigner Jazz Thornton feared for her life when a stalker flew to New Zealand and turned up on her doorstep.  She was shocked to learn New Zealand had no laws in place to protect her.  She joins Francesca to talk her own situation and her new documentary Stalked. It's been 40 years since the end of iconic Australian band Australian Crawl, lead singer James Reyne is commemorating the end with a tour, he joins Francesca to talk about the hey day of the band that shaped the sound of Australian music. When Dr Clive Price moved to New Zealand from the UK, he saw gaps in our bowel screening processes. He joins Francesca to talk about what he's doing to help younger people be more proactive about bowel screening. Francesca looks at Christpher Luxon's decision to cancel his weekly Breakfast interview with TVNZs Tova O'Brien and questions whether it makes him look like he can't handle the pressure. And the panel discuss Anzac Day and whether it hit a bit differently this year with the current world situation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Sunday Panel, Partner at Freebairn and Hehir Lawyers, Liam Hehir and Coast Day host, Lorna Riley, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Luxon's dropped the weekly TVNZ Breakfast programme - what do we make of this? Is this a smart move by Luxon here...or a misstep? Especially in an election year? It's ANZAC weekend - did the dawn services and commemorations hit different yesterday given current world events? After years of waiting, Christchurch's Te Kaha Stadium is finally open. What do we make of this? Will we try the deep-fried pie sandwich?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mushrooms have been found to have plenty of health benefits - and they  enhance immunity and protect the brain through high levels of antioxidant compounds. They also give you a Vitamin D boost, improve gut health and have been linked to reduced cancer risk. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike's ANZAC biscuits Cook time: 20 minutes  Prep time: 5 minutes  Serves: 12 cookies  1 1/2 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup shaved coconut 1/2 cup chopped almonds 3 tbsp sunflower oil   3 tbsp honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp baking soda Water if required Combine oats, coconut and almonds into a mixer   Add oil, honey, baking soda and vanilla   Mix well until combined and form into small cookies (smaller cookies are healthier cookies) and place onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Flatten down with enough room around each cookie. Bake for 20 minutes in a low 150c oven until golden brown. Cool completely before eating, and enjoy. Store in an airtight container for as long as it takes to eat them! LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Walk through almost any neighbourhood today and you’ll see an oodle - Goldendoodles. Labradoodles. Cavapoos. Cockapoos. These 'designer dogs' have exploded in popularity, often chosen for a simple reason - they’re supposed to be easier.  Easier to train. Better with kids. A perfect blend of the 'best' traits from two breeds.  But a new scientific study suggests the reality might be a lot messier.  Crossbreeding isn’t new, but “doodles” are a modern phenomenon.  The logic seems straightforward. combine two desirable breeds (like a poodle and a Labrador), and you’ll get a dog that inherits the best of both.  It’s a concept rooted in something called hybrid vigour, the idea that mixing genetic lines can reduce inherited health problems and improve traits.  But behaviour isn’t that simple. In a study published in PLOS One, researchers set out to test whether these popular beliefs hold up.  They focused on three common poodle crossbreeds:  Cockapoos (cocker spaniel × poodle) Labradoodles (Labrador × poodle) Cavapoos (Cavalier King Charles spaniel × poodle)  And compared them to their purebred parent breeds. Instead of relying on anecdote, they collected large-scale behavioural data from over 9,400 dogs, one-third of which were crossbreeds. Their owners completed detailed surveys covering 12 behavioural traits, including:  Trainability  Aggression Attachment to owners Fear responses Excitability Interaction with other dogs  Across the dataset, the results challenged the popular narrative.  Crossbreeds showed more behavioural problems in 44 percent of comparisons and they showed fewer problems in only 10 percent. In other words, doodles were more likely to have behavioural challenges than their purebred parents, not less.  The differences weren’t trivial.  Across all three crossbreeds, researchers found higher levels of:  Non-social fear (e.g. loud noises, unfamiliar objects) Separation-related behaviours (distress when left alone) Excitability and over-arousal  Cockapoos stood out the most, showing the highest levels of undesirable behaviours compared to their parent breeds. Cavapoos also showed elevated issues, but Labradoodles were more nuanced - better behaved than poodles, but worse than Labrador retrievers.  Behaviour is what scientists call a complex trait, it emerges from the interaction of genetics, environment, training and early life experiences.  The data showed that owners of crossbred dogs were more likely to be first-time dog owners and rely on non-professional training advice  This is important information as a dog’s behaviour isn’t just what it is, it’s what it experiences.  As demand for designer dogs has surged, so has poor breeding practice.  High demand can lead to:  Less controlled breeding Reduced focus on temperament Stress on breeding dogs Early-life environments that aren’t ideal  All of these factors can shape behaviour long before a puppy ever reaches a home.  This study isn’t really about whether doodles are “good” or “bad” dogs. It’s about how mixing two breeds doesn’t guarantee a specific behaviour and what matters most is:  Early socialisation Consistent training Environment Informed expectations  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marlon Williams, Geneva AM, Tom Scott and Jazmine Mary are among the nominees up for the 2026 Taite Music Prize. The award, named in honour of late Kiwi music journalist Dylan Taite, celebrates the best of New Zealand's musical output. Ahead of the ceremony on April 29, entertainment correspondent Steve Newall recapped the nominees. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After years of anticipation, Christchurch's new One New Zealand Stadium is finally open for business, and the city's food and drink scene is ready to reach a new audience. The stadium opened with Super Rugby Pacific’s Super Round, and one new delicacy on the menu has caught the attention of the wider public. Sunday Session investigative reporter Claire Sherwood got to try the deep-fried pie sandwich and she's outlined her thoughts. "The pie itself was pretty significant, like a good inch thicker, a big steak and cheese pie - then double deep-fried. It was super, super crispy."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some experts have raised concerns that the Government's fuel response is not proactive enough. A month ago, the Government detailed our response phases and what would trigger a move between phases - but the country remains in level one with no restrictions.  Wise Response Society chair Nathan Surendran says margins are getting eroded and the economic outlook is worsening as a result. "We should at least be at phase two, we should be saving, we should be conserving fuel - it takes time for people to adapt, they have to think through what they can actually do without." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister's pulled out of his weekly TVNZ Breakfast interview - as a row escalates between the broadcaster and the National Party. TVNZ says Chris Luxon's office informed them he'll no longer appear every Monday, and consider interviews case-by-case. Luxon will continue to appear on Newstalk ZB and RNZ.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the party's also laid out a complaint against TVNZ over the 'aggressive' conduct of the journalists.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bowel cancer is the biggest cause of cancer deaths in Kiwis under 50, but plenty of experts have raised concerns over the current screening process. New Zealand's national screening programme doesn’t kick in until 58, and advocates are calling for more to be done to screen younger Kiwis. GP Dr Clive Price recently moved from the UK, and he's set up a screening company called Truescreen to fill the gaps. "It's about just filling that gap in the market, really, and offering a service to Kiwis."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, it was a rather chaotic, eventful week in politics wasn’t it? Some actual business took place - the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement was confirmed by Labour agreeing to support it, the Finance Minister acknowledged the economy had been disrupted by the volatility of oil prices since the Iran conflict began, and the Prime Minister took it upon himself to call for a caucus confidence vote after weeks of speculation about his leadership - securing his position now and most likely until the election.   But it was also a week of nonsense. Aside from this rare slip of dissent within the National Party, it was also a week of coalition friction, unnecessary comments about Willis' weight and migrants, and apologies or refusals to apologise. It was a week of whining about the media, bizarre late night door knocking, and a complaint laid by the National Party about those persistent door knockers from TVNZ’s political team. And then the Prime Minister put his foot down and decided to cancel his regular Monday morning TV slot on TVNZ’s Breakfast show. The door-knockers had given the Prime Minister a passable excuse to step away from Breakfast, where he has been struggling with interviews, and he took it. He’s entitled to. As Heather du Plessis-Allan noted on Friday afternoon, we have very good access to politicians here in New Zealand. And yet, it’s a mistake. It looks weak in a week when the PM was trying to look like he was in command.   The relationship between politicians and the media is a co-dependent one, but the balance shifts in an election year when politicians need the media a little more to give them visibility to sell policy, and project leadership, credibility and authority; quite simply - they need to be heard.   Of course, the media needs politicians too. Just look at the headlines and attention Tova O’Brien’s interactions with the Prime Minister have given Breakfast. Beyond creating content and audience engagement, there is the more substantial reason the media need politicians, and that is of course to hold them to account. And for that you need access.   I don’t mind Christopher Luxon’s faffs - his missteps in interviews. There’s something refreshing about his lack of political intuition, his inability at times to swat a question away without answering it. He appears human. He should be more relaxed about the gotcha-moments and not get flustered trying to get out of them.  I know - it’s easier said than done when you are in the national spotlight. But with his leadership confirmed, National needs to do something to improve its polling and solidify their position leading the coalition come election day. TV appearances are a long-standing and recurring weakness - the Prime Minister hasn’t appeared in TVNZ’s Q & A with Jack Tame since December 2024 - so it’s understandable this is a step they’ve taken.   But Judith Collins’ words about Jacinda Ardern cancelling her weekly interview slot with Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking in 2021 keep ringing in my head. As the National leader at the time she told a radio station, "I think what you're seeing is the absolute arrogance of this Government." She went on to question whether Ardern didn’t like hard questions. "The point is those hard questions are actually what you get paid for” she said.   You might be able to pick and choose whose hard questions you answer, but be careful it doesn’t look too much like you just can’t handle the pressure.   Anyway, only 28 more weeks until the election. There’s little chance it will be boring.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi singer Tusekah's been building up a reputation as one to watch, and it seems like some other major artists have taken notice. She's supported a range of notable artists including PJ Morton, Deva Mahal, and Olivia Dean on tour. She says opening for Olivia Dean represented a lot of firsts for her, and she revealed that getting the gig was just a matter of reaching out and staying persistent.  "It was just really surreal - and then the support that I got from her audience was amazing as well, so I'm super grateful to have had that opportunity."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1943, the actions of young 28th Māori battalion solider, Lance Sergeant Haane Manahi, changed the course of World War II in North Africa. Just before midnight, Manahi led a group of soldiers up a vertical cliff to capture the Tunisian town of Takrouna from Axis powers - he took hundreds of prisoners, carried injured comrades down the mountain and protected locals from danger.  Up until now, Haane’s story has largely been kept alive through his descendants but it’s now been turned into a film. Sgt. Haane was directed by Tearepa Kahi and stars Alex Tarrant - and the pair are committed to bringing this story to life.  "I knew there were things about his story that were familiar, and when you're a storyteller, you want to get off the beaten track and into the unknown world. So it was sort of sitting down with what was unknown, what remained - what stones remained unturned."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke. This is set on a remote Scottish island to which seven aspiring authors have been invited, and when they arrive find that the reclusive famous author who lives there has died, and his publisher is desperate to find someone who can write the last chapter of his unfinished manuscript. There is an enormous payday for the successful writer, but as they settle in for the contest the bodies start to pile up and they find that they’re writing crime in the middle of a crime scene. Evelyn Clarke, the author of this is actually two people, both of whom are established writers and they’ve taken the opportunity through this novel to skewer the publishing industry whilst delivering a very Agatha Christie-esque mystery thriller.  Other People's Bodies by Megan Nicol Reed. Set in Auckland, this is the story of a group of women who join a gym which is operated by an enigmatic man named Lars, where they discover friendship, shared goals and become drawn more and more into his orbit. As things go on though, something in the dynamic changes and his influence and control of their lives becomes overbearing and somewhat sinister. Lars is married to Priya, in a relationship where the power balance is uneven, and she reaches a point, watching, where she must decide if she should step out of the shadows and intervene, whatever the cost.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Megan's on another visit to New Orleans and she's found some new spots to check out. She's being checking out the local cuisine and exploring the bars - and the historic Storyville Museum. Read more about her experiences here.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, TV producer, journalist, and commentator, Irene Gardiner and host of The Front Page podcast, Chelsea Daniels, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Is National in a pickle? The party underperformed in another poll and it's sparked discussions about Luxon's future as a leader. Do we see him lasting ahead of the election? Do we see him getting rolled? The new Michael Jackson biopic is out in theatres this week - will we see it? Can we separate the artist from the art?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 19 April 2026, today in 1943, Sergeant Haane Manahi changed the course of World War II in North America.  A film has been made about his heroic efforts, director Tearepa Kahi and lead actor Alex Tarrant tell Francesca talk about the little known soldier and why they wanted to tell his story. South African born Kiwi artists Tusekah is on the rise, she joins Francesca in studio for a live performance of her latest single 'Lay Me Down'. After a short reprieve, the Strait of Hormuz is closed again. Geopolitical analyst Dr Geoffrey Miller talks about how moves by Iran and the US in the last 24 hours could threaten any peace deal between the two countries. Francesca has embraced AI for one of life's more mundane jobs - has it converted her thinking on using it more in the future? And science has found a healthier way to produce a crispy French fry, Dr Michelle Dickinson with all the details. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The standard 'dad bod' is characterised by increased abdominal fat and reduced muscle definition - and one expert has issued a warning about it. These changes typically happen due to a combination of lifestyle changes, metabolic shifts, and hormonal changes after becoming a father. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals how you can can improve your health and avoid the related issues.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.