Afternoons

The pre-Panel: Your daily dose of stuff and nonsense 30.10.2026 9m

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

Critter of the Week: Native Gecko Mites (Geckobia species) 30.10.2026 14m

Jesse chats to passionate conservationist Nicola Toki about a critter she thinks deserves a moment in the spotlight. This week it's native gecko mites (Geckobia species). While many mites are temporary visitors, Geckobia scale mites are lifelong, permanent residents. They spend every single stage of their life cycle-eggs, larvae, nymphs, and adults-clinging tightly directly onto the skin of a gecko. They are living proof of deep evolutionary history in Aotearoa, having branched alongside our ancient native geckos millions of years before human arrival.

Weekend Stuff: Stan Scott on DIY projects 30.10.2026 7m

Mitre 10's Stan Scott is with Jesse and is very happy to answer any questions you've got about small or large building projects you've got on the go!

Food: Pistachio Mint Pesto with Burrata 30.10.2026 8m

Shared Kitchen's Julie Biuso is with Jesse to share her latest recipe. Spoiler alert = Scrumptious! Maybe it's the tomatoes, the colours, or the bright, fresh flavours. Whatever it is, the crunchy, juicy, sweet tang with a creamy ball of burrata, or with baby spongy balls of mozzarella, is extraordinary. And there is something undeniably summery or festive about it. Just make it. Link to the recipe is HERE!

Film Review: Prime Time and Pressure 30.10.2026 9m

Afternoons film critic Kate Rodger is with Jesse in the Auckland studio to talk to us about what's on at the movies. This week Kate reviews Prime Time and Pressure (both on in cinemas)

Freaky Friday 30.10.2026 8m

As regular listeners will know just before 2pm each Friday we like to get our spook on ...we call it Freaky Friday... and it's when we dive into the unexplained .. the unusual .. and the downright odd! If you have a strange story we'd love to hear from you, text 2101 or email afternoons@rnz.co.nz Today Jesse is speaking with Susan, an archaeologist whose story takes us to the Middle East in the 1980s.

Rugby League World Cup: Samoa vs Tonga Clash 30.10.2026 7m

Auckland is full of colour right now as the Rugby League World Cup heats up and fans make their allegiances known by proudly flying flags from cars and houses. Sunday night sees fierce rivals Samoa and Tonga go head-to-head in what's been billed as one of the biggest international rugby league clashes in decades .... with a place in the semi-finals potentially up for grabs! The game's taking place in Sydney, but you just know Auckland is going to be rocking, Samoan league fan Albert Scott chats to Jesse.

L&T, the fizzy lemon drink making a comeback! 30.10.2026 7m

We all know the iconic Kiwi soft drink Lemon and Paeroa or L&P if you prefer, but did you know there's a rival lemon fizzy drink from the same region? Lemon and Te Aroha or L&T first hit the shelves back in 1887... using water from the Mount Te Aroha spring ... the drink disappeared in the 1970s but now it's making a comeback .. Lemon and Te Aroha director Richard Revell joins Jesse to discuss.

Should supermarkets face bigger fines? 30.10.2026 9m

Two Pak'nSave supermarkets have been fined a combined $580,500 for misleading customers over their pricing. The stores, in Silverdale and Hamilton, were found to have breached the Fair Trading Act, including making misleading claims about discounts and special prices. It's not the first time a supermarket has been caught doing this. You might remember the outrage in 2022 when the Commerce Commission's market study into the retail grocery sector found the major retailers were earning excess profits of around one millon dollars a day. Which got us wondering .. do fines actually work as a deterrent? To discuss Jesse is joined by Consumer NZ's Head of Research and Advocacy Gemma Rasmussen

The pre-Panel: Your daily dose of stuff and nonsense 29.10.2026 8m

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

Political Group Chat 29.10.2026 18m

It's time for our weekly Political Group Chat - a space for good faith debate and friendly disagreement. Joining Jesse this week, and every week from now on, are Victoria University political scientist Dr Lara Greaves, comedian and political commentator Tim Batt, and screenwriter and Free Speech Union member Dane Giraud.

Your Money with Mary Holm 29.10.2026 15m

Let's get into some money matters, personal finance whizz Mary Holm is with Jesse to run through the KiwiSaver changes being proposed by the different political parties.

A-Z of Aotearoa: B for Beehive! 29.10.2026 27m

It's time to return to the A-Z of Aotearoa. We had so much fun the first time round that we've gone back to the beginning of the alphabet, and we've arrived at 'B' today so we're heading to Wellington to visit the Beehive. Jesse will speak to Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero about what goes on inside and what we can discover on a visit. But we'll start with the building itself, and for that Jesse is joined by architectural historian Dr Jessica Halliday. Jessica wrote her PhD on the design and construction of the Beehive so perhaps there's no one better placed to talk us through it.

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen 29.10.2026 20m

When Frances Haugen blew the whistle on Facebook in 2021, she exposed how Meta put engagement and profits ahead of the safety and the wellbeing of users. Her story is the subject of The Social Reckoning, Aaron Sorkin's follow-up film to The Social Network. Now she's concerned those problems could return on a much bigger scale as Artificial Intelligence creeps into our lives. Haugen is starting an initiative with fellow whistleblower Brittany Kaiser who exposed Cambridge Analytica's misuse of Facebook data during elections. They want to help tech employees who see wrongdoing understand how they can safely blow the whistle just as they did. Frances Haugen joins Jesse

Tips and tricks to staying safe this Halloween 29.10.2026 6m

It's Halloween on Saturday and for many of you that will mean kids roaming the streets looking for lollies. Constable Bryan Ward is with Jesse to share some tips on making the 31st fun rather than genuinely frightening for the children in your life.

Why screen use for under 2 year olds should be avoided 29.10.2026 10m

Much of the conversation around screen time focuses on the risks social media poses to teenagers, but what about our younger children? Research shows screen use in under-twos can cause delays in language development and social skills, as well as problems with sleep and eating ... and almost two -thirds of babies and toddlers in New Zealand exceed recommended screen use So if we know the potential risks, why are we still putting screens in front of our babies and toddlers? University of Auckland's Dr Samantha Marsh joins Jesse to discuss.

Should we bring back steam powered engines? 29.10.2026 13m

There's been some talk this election cycle about the desire to electrify as much transport as possible in Aotearoa ... but the cost of electrifying rail isn't cheap. One Kiwi company Mackwell believes the answer could lie in a modern take on steam. Traditional steam engines are notorious for being dangerous and dirty. but Mackwell says it's developed a combustion system that isn't either of those things. Joining Jesse to explain how is founder and Chief Engineer Sam Mackwell.

An insight into the real cost of living crisis 29.10.2026 9m

We've all heard it's a cost of living election ... it's a cost of living crisis .. it's a cost of living tunnel .. but we wondered what those words actually mean? This morning on Morning Report, the parents of seven kids said extra bills means sometimes the kids can't go to school because they don't have food for lunch. Dave Letele is the founder of Brown Butterbean Motivation Community Kitchen and Foodshare, we invited him on the show to tell us what he is seeing first hand.

The quirky content filling up your group chats 28.10.2026 15m

Let's talk about what's got your group chats lighting up now .. Jesse is joined by this weekend's Saturday morning host Kate Rodger, Sunday's culture 101 host Perlina Lau and Afternoons' senior producer Olivia Wilson .. to talk about the stories that are perfect water cooler fodder. This week they chat about Superbowl half time shows, Junior MasterChef and Meghan Markle, plus advice on how to respond to the "Gen Z stare."

Easy Eats: Asparagus, courgette, bacon and walnut galette 28.10.2026 7m

Kelly Gibney is with Jesse to share a delicious recipe. This week is asparagus, courgette, bacon and walnut galette.