The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Epizódok

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  Joseph Moore: Kiwi comedian on his new role with Saturday Night Live UK 26.09.2026 14p

  Kiwi comedian Joseph Moore has been working behind the scenes as a writer on many iconic TV shows like Taskmaster, 7 Days and Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee - and he's hit the big time overseas.    Earlier this year, he got chosen from hundreds of applicants to write for the new Saturday Night Live UK - and he's proven popular, with his 'Pub Song' skit going viral.     He says he'd already moved to the UK with his wife, comedian and actress Laura Daniel, but he didn't expect to score something like this.  "When we moved, we didn't know that SNL UK even in the works, let alone that it existed - but it was never going to happen...so to have landed here has surpassed anything that we were imagining."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Full Show Podcast: 27 September 2026 26.09.2026 1ó 57p

  Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 27 September. 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.
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  Whitcoulls Recommends: Hollow Bones and That Woman 26.09.2026 4p

  Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult. This is Jodi doing what she does best. It’s the story of Molly Fitzgerald and her husband Jesse (he was a character in Jodi’s much loved book My Sister’s Keeper and there is a reference to that previous work in here, although it wouldn’t matter if you haven’t read the previous book - it’s just a nice continuation for anyone who did). Molly’s mother died in the Twin Towers in the 9/11 attacks and she’s made her career working in emergency response. But things aren’t quite what they seem and a serious incident sparks the discovery that everything that Molly and Jesse had thought to be true was in fact a lie.  That Woman by Silvia Cartwright. She is of course a notable New Zealander - she was our first female High Court Judge and our second female Governor General. She chaired the Cartwright Commission in a major enquiry at National Women’s Hospital, and was a judge of war crimes in Cambodia, along with many other achievements throughout her long career. This is her revealing story from a difficult childhood in Dunedin, to blazing a trail, told with humour and empathy and warmth. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Megan Singleton: BloggerAtLarge.com writer on the top things to do in Rarotonga 26.09.2026 4p

  The school holidays have gotten underway, with many Kiwis jetting off for the break.    Air New Zealand has recently confirmed Rarotonga is now the most popular South Pacific destination for Kiwi travellers, and travel expert Megan Singleton has looked into why this is.   She highlighted the accommodation choices, the food, the beaches and snorkelling tours - with plenty of options available for all kinds of travellers.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  The Sunday Panel: Do we see the big debates making a difference? 26.09.2026 8p

  This week on the Sunday Panel, Resident Economist at Opes Partners Ed McKnight and host of The Front Page Chelsea Daniels joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The election campaign has officially launched and the big Leaders Debates are due to take place - with the first one happening on Thursday October 1st. Do we see these upcoming debates changing the minds of prospective voters? Or are these just for political nerds?    Meta's new smart glasses are officially available in New Zealand. Is this a sign technology has gone too far - or has the horse bolted?    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Erin O'Hara: naturopath and wellness expert on the differences between chronological and biological age 26.09.2026 4p

  We all want to live long and healthy lives, but there's a difference between living longer and living longer well.    Biological age measures the health and functional state of your cells and tissues, reflecting how well your body is aging compared to your chronological age.  Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further, and revealed the sleep and nutrition steps to take to improve biological age.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Mike van de Elzen: Mike's chicken enchiladas 26.09.2026 4p

  Mike's chicken enchiladas Cook time: 40 minutes  Prep time: 15 minutes  Serves: 4-6 4 flour tortilla wraps   3 cups shredded left over chicken  1 large onion, peeled and sliced  3 cloves garlic, crushed  1 tbsp sunflower oil   1 can black beans, drained  2 cans diced whole peeled tomatoes  2 tbsp tomato paste  1 tsp dried mixed herbs  2 tsp smoked paprika  2 tsp ground cumin  1/2 tsp chilli powder  Salt and cracked pepper 1/2 cup soft feta, crumbled  1/2 cup grated cheddar  Salt and cracked pepper  Coriander for garnish Salad greens for the table Pre-heat oven to 180*c Heat a large cast pan over a medium heat and add in the oil. Then the onions and garlic. Sauté until they start to caramelize. Add in the spices and herbs and sauté for a further minute before adding in the whole peeled tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook out for 10 minutes and reduce slightly before turning off to cool.     Remove about 1 cup of sauce and set aside for later. With the remaining sauce add in the drained beans, shredded chicken and crumbled feta. Season.   Lay the tortilla wraps out flat and fill evenly with the chicken filling. Roll up and place into greased 20 x 23 cm baking tray.  Cover the top of the enchiladas with the remaining tomato sauce and grated tasty cheese. Place into the oven for 40 minutes or piping hot. Serve immediately with some coriander over the top and salad greens on the side.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Dr Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist on the idea of paying students to sleep to improve their grades 26.09.2026 4p

  What if one of the simplest ways to improve students' grades wasn't more homework, tutoring or extra study, but instead paying them to go to bed?  Research published in the Journal of Political Economy tested exactly that in an experiment involving more than 1,100 university students.  The researchers offered some students US$4.75 if they managed to get at least seven hours of sleep on a weeknight and it worked!  Rather than simply asking students when they went to bed, each participant was given a Fitbit. The devices measured movement and heart rate, allowing the researchers to estimate when students fell asleep, when they woke up and how long they slept.  Students were monitored before the intervention to establish their normal sleeping patterns, followed by four weeks of experimentation and then another one to five weeks of observation afterwards.  At the beginning of the study, students managed at least seven hours of sleep on only around 43 percent of weeknights.  Then the researchers divided them into different groups, a control group who wore their Fitbits and completed the surveys but otherwise carried on as normal and an experiment group who were challenged to sleep for at least seven hours by 9am on a weeknight.  If their Fitbit showed they had achieved it, they earned US$4.75.  Each student in the main treatment group was given a personalised bedtime target based on their normal sleeping pattern, generally around an hour earlier than their usual bedtime.  Thirty minutes before that target, they received a reminder.  The researchers then created several other experimental groups to tease apart which parts of the intervention were changing behaviour.  One group could earn the same financial reward, but instead of receiving the money immediately, their accumulated payments arrived at the end of the study.  Another could earn the delayed financial reward but didn't receive the nightly reminders or daily feedback.  A further group received the bedtime reminders and morning feedback, including happy or unhappy emojis depending on whether they had reached their sleep target, but received no money at all.  During the four-week experiment, students receiving the immediate incentives became substantially more likely to get at least seven hours of sleep.  Their average weeknight sleep increased by about 19 minutes which was enough to push many students across the seven-hour threshold.  The timing of the reward mattered with immediate incentives producing a larger improvement in sleep during the intervention than delayed payments or reminders and feedback without money.  Getting the money tomorrow morning appeared to be more motivating than knowing the same money would arrive weeks later.  Then the researchers stopped paying the students and found during the following one to five weeks, students were still sleeping around eight minutes longer per weeknight than they had before the experiment.  The researchers also obtained the students’ academic records from the university and found the students receiving the immediate sleep incentives improved their average semester course performance by around 0.075–0.089 grade points, equivalent to roughly 0.10–0.11 standard deviations.  So the students slept more, and their academic performance improved too.  Then the question became, if the students are spending more hours asleep, what are they doing less of?  Screen time! Students reported spending less time browsing the internet, watching television and videos or playing games, particularly around bedtime.  The study raises an interesting question about how we try to change behaviour.  Perhaps knowing what is good for us isn't always enough, what matters is when we experience the reward. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Chris Henry: entertainment correspondent on Taylor Swift releasing four new songs 26.09.2026 4p

  Taylor Swift recently expanded The Life of a Showgirl, and dropped four new songs last Friday. The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore came with the songs Patient Zero, Cleveland!, Pink Clouding, and Babylon. Entertainment correspondent Chris Henry says these songs were recorded after the album's initial release, and there's speculation she's trying to get more attention on the project ahead of next year's Grammy's. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Ronan Keating: Irish singer-songwriter speaks ahead of New Zealand tour 26.09.2026 17p

  Irish singer-songwriter and former Boyzone member Ronan Keating has launched his latest tour, and he's set to play in Auckland and Christchurch in March 2027. Since launching his music career as a 16-year-old, Ronan has 19 albums across both the band and his solo career and sold over 45 million albums. He says it's been a long time since he brought an international tour of this size and scale to life, and he's looking forward to it.  "It's special, because it's tricky out there at the moment for artists and for people being able to afford tickets - a lot of tours are being cancelled, etc. So for me, it's a risk, it's always a risk putting on a tour, but the reaction has been unbelievable."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on former Labour Speaker Trevor Mallard appearing on the campaign trail with Hipkins 26.09.2026 4p

  Both major parties are kicking off their campaigns today in Auckland, with Labour and National hitting the trail to reach out to voters. Labour made an appearance at the Ōtara markets on Saturday - and a familiar face from the Ardern era made an appearance alongside Hipkins. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper said the emergence of former Labour Speaker Trevor Mallard could remind voters of the previous Government, and the party should try keep their distance. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Kieran McAnulty: Labour campaign chair speaks ahead of the party's campaign launch 26.09.2026 7p

  The election race has gotten into full swing, with both parties set to hold their campaign launches today. Labour's event in South Auckland is set to take place this afternoon, and it's likely some new policies will be unveiled ahead of the election. Labour's campaign chair Kieran McAnulty says Chris Luxon is out of touch with the average New Zealander, and they'll be calling out the Government's broken promises. "We're gonna be targeting the fact that unemployment is up and that homelessness is at the highest level it's ever been and that for 70 percent of New Zealanders last year, their wages did not keep up with the cost of living. So take your pick." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Simeon Brown: National campaign chair on the campaign season officially getting under way 26.09.2026 7p

  The election race is officially under way, and National has revealed how they plan to address the opposition's policies. Both National and Labour are holding campaign launches today, with plenty of new announcements set to be made. National campaign chair Simeon Brown says voters should know the left-bloc wants to tax, borrow and spend more. "We cannot have a capital gains tax, a wealth tax, an inheritance tax, a land tax on top of your rates - these are the issues at stake as the work we've done, but also the risk that there is with a Labour-Greens-Te Pati Māori-Opportunity Government."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Francesca Rudkin: Will the upcoming debates be useful for voters? 26.09.2026 3p

  The school holidays are upon us again, the clocks changed for daylight saving this morning, and this week saw the final sitting of the House before the election. You know what that means - stump speeches are being refined, hustings are well under way as the debate comes out of the House and into the public arena. Let the entertainment - or as one Newstalk ZB listener called it this week, the nonsense - begin.  It actually feels like we’ve been in campaign mode since politicians returned to work after the new year, but from this weekend the campaign starts in earnest. Parliament will be formally dissolved on Thursday, but essentially - we’re all go from now.   And that means it’s time for my favourite part of any general election - the televised debates. The first of a variety of debates is on Tuesday and they’ll roll through until November 5th on all the main news outlets. The main attraction are the Leader’s Debates between Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins, of which there are three.  But are these debates useful? They can be. If the moderators and journalists can push past the rehearsed lines, there is a slim chance we’ll learn something new. If they can keep the participants from talking over each other, and keep deflection to a minimum, we’ll get the opportunity to see how participants handle difficult questions and pressure.   Accomplishing this is a lot harder than it looks.  The trouble is that modern political debates can become an elaborate game of verbal dodgeball. You ask a question about the cost of living, and suddenly you’re hearing about the other party’s tax policy. Ask about health, and somehow we’re discussing the economy. Ask about an awkward policy, and the answer is a sentence beginning, “Well, the reality is”…or “As I have indicated…” There is a name for this – it’s called “block and bridge”, and Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins use this technique extensively. There is a very simple reason for it. Most voters do not delve deeply into the detail of a policy announcement, they don’t scrutinise the complex fiscal mechanics behind a promise. They make decisions based on slogans, media headlines and interpret them through their own beliefs and loyalties. This is why the constant repetition of key messages is vital to a successful election campaign.  It’s also why, even though I still get excited about a televised leaders debate, I always feel a bit flat afterwards as commentators judge it like a boxing fight, and ultimately name a debate winner based on who was the most Prime Minister like. It all comes down to performance – or ‘studio presence’ - rather than substance. With neither party or leader heading into this election with safe, promising poll results the pressure is on to convince voters they’re the person to lead the next Government. Let’s hope this pressure creates some unpredictability under the hot studio lights - that’s why most of us watch after all.  Ultimately though, while a televised debate may help some undecided voters choose how they’ll cast their vote, I doubt they will change many other minds. At this point, Chris and Christopher are very familiar to most of us and what we think is locked in. Maybe one of the keys to getting our attention is surfacing others in the party who we haven’t already prejudged.  So, let the campaigning begin. From now on every announcement will be carefully timed, every photograph will be carefully chosen, every slogan will be tested, and every awkward question will be met with a rehearsed answer to a completely different question.  Hopefully, somewhere along the way someone will answer these simple questions - what exactly will they do, how much will it cost, who pays, and what difference will it make to my life? Fingers crossed.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Dame Silvia Cartwright: former NZ Governor-General on her new memoir 'That Woman' 20.09.2026 16p

  Dame Silvia Cartwright has been a trailblazer for women in the fields of law and justice, and she's detailed her life story in a new memoir. She was one of two women studying law at Otago University in the 1960s, and went on to become New Zealand's first female High Court judge and the second woman to hold the role of Governor-General at a time when the sector was overly male.  She's been on an extraordinary professional journey, which she's detailed in her new memoir That Woman. "I do remember reading, or at least glancing at a book about Roman law when I was about 14 - but I think it was a process of elimination. In those days , if a woman studied at university, the options were fairly limited to teaching, nursing, or - being Dunedin - medicine." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Keala Settle: singer and actress on her upcoming performance in Sunset Boulevard at Wellington Town Hall 20.09.2026 15p

  Actress and singer Keala Settle was launched into international stardom thanks to her role in The Greatest Showman as the bearded lady, Lettie Lutz. She sang the film's biggest hit This Is Me, which won a Golden Globe and got an Oscar nomination - and it ensured the Tony-nominated actress became a household name. Keala Settle spent a lot of time in New Zealand visiting family as she grew up, and she's set to return to our shores for the WITCH musical theatre premiere of Sunset Boulevard at the Wellington Town Hall. "I'm just excited to go back - and then just forgot that there's this actual job that I had to do. So it could be overwhelming, if I let it be. But I'm just trying to keep my wits about me as much as I can and lean on everyone that's around me."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Whitcoulls Recommends: The Pirate Queen and Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel 20.09.2026 3p

  The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon. Fiction, based on the real life of Grace O’Malley who lived in the 16th century and gained renown as a fiercely independent woman and a fearless pirate who controlled an army of men, key maritime routes and trade in the west of Ireland. Suffering English rule, she bowed to no one and her story is extraordinary. This is by the author of The Frozen River which is one of my favourite books in recent years.  Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley. Readers of Agatha Christie will be familiar with Miss Marple, her village living amateur detective about whom many books were written. Lucy Foley has now produced a new Miss Marple story, authorized by the Christie estate - in which Miss Marple finds herself in a flash hotel high in the Alps where murders occur and of course her sleuthing skills come to the fore. It’s a real homage to the original author, and fans of her work - but also readers discovering them for the first time - will find much to enjoy.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Megan Singleton: BloggerAtLarge.com writer and travel correspondent on how to make the most of Aitutaki, Cook Islands 20.09.2026 3p

  Travel expert Megan Singleton recently went to the Cook Islands and she's revealed how to make the most of one small island - described as 'heaven on Earth'.  The tiny island of Aitutaki is about 220km north of Rarotonga, and easily accessible on a short flight from the region. Megan says you'd need three or four days on the island to see all that it has to offer - and outlined her recommendations. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  The Sunday Panel: Will National's supermarket policy announcement lose votes? 20.09.2026 9p

  This week on the Sunday Panel, Partner at Freebairn and Hehir lawyers Liam Hehir and journalist, TV producer and commentator Irene Gardiner joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! National has proposed to, if elected, break up Foodstuffs in a bid to bring down food prices for Kiwi consumers. Has National made a mistake with this policy?  Does this completely go against the party's values of ambition and hard work and success? Do they also need to take a look at banks or petrol companies?  Labour's Chris Hipkins recently claimed smaller parties shouldn't be able to veto National and Labour working together amid calls for more bipartisanship for key issues like the NZ-India trade deal or the teen social media ban. Do we think Hipkins has a point here? Would the benefit of the two major parties agreeing and working together outweigh any negative? Wahs fever is on the rise - how excited are we for tonight's big game? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Full Show Podcast: 20 September 2026 20.09.2026 1ó 57p

  Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 20 September. 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.