The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

The Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz. This is the latest in the series of thrillers about Evan Smoak, otherwise known as Orphan X - who was trained by the Government from childhood in the art of black ops but has since left the scheme and now uses his skills and talents to do good. He goes by the name of The Nowhere Man and when people in distress call on him he goes to their aid, his only stipulation being that they must pass on his cont...

As Whakaari/White Island exploded around tour guide Kelsey Waghorn, she was convinced this was the end of her life.

Waghorn is among the 25 people who were seriously injured but survived the December 9 eruption in 2019 - while 22 were killed in the eruption.

She shared a full account of her story in her new book, Surviving White Island.

"You look at the video of the eruption - and it's the first time I got shown the video of the e...

This week on The Sunday Panel, journalist and editor, Jo McCarroll, and host of The Front Page podcast, Chelsea Daniels joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was recently arrested after being accused of sharing confidential information with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein while he was trade envoy for the United Kingdom. What does this mean for the royals? Do we ne...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 22 February 2026, acclaimed film director Baz Luhrmann is returning to the world of Elvis with a stunning new concert documentary. Baz talks about finding hours of unseen footage in old Warner Brothers salt mines and the arduous job of bringing the King back to life no the big screen.

When Whakaari-White Island erupted in December 2019, tour guide Kelsey Wagho...

Spiced passata sauce 

Cook time: 30 minutes 

Prep time: 5 minutes 

Serves: 4-6

12-15 ripe tomatoes 

2 sticks rosemary 

10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed slightly 

1 tbsp flaky salt 

2 tbsp sunflower oil  

1 fresh chili, stalk removed and cut in half

1 tbsp honey

Start by turn on your oven to 220*c

Cut the tomatoes in half and lay onto a roasting tray, sprinkle over some flaky salt...

A bonobo named Kanzi was sitting at a table across from a researcher. On the table are two completely empty clear cups and an empty clear jug. The researcher pretends to pour juice into both cups. Then she pretends to dump the juice out of one of them, turning it upside down and shaking it as if to show it’s empty. 

Then she asks Kanzi, “Where’s the juice?” 

There is no juice, but most of the time, Kanzi points to the cup...

Police are continuing to raid Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's former home - Royal Lodge.

The former Prince was arrested and accused of sharing confidential information with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein while he was trade envoy for the UK.

The Government's considering removing him from line of succession to the throne.

He is eighth in line.

Royal Editor at the Mirror Russell Myers says some are questioning if the monarchy can su...

The Conservation Minister says National wants more consistent policy for Auckland's Hauraki Gulf.  

National says it will ban commercial fishing in all 12 high protection areas and 5 sea floor protection areas. 

It will also review the rules which allow bottom trawling in some corridors. 

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says some activities would still be allowed under these changes.

"We've discussed this matter wi...

US President Donald Trump is pushing ahead with another round of global tariffs, just a day after being told last year’s levies were illegal.

In a post on social media, Trump confirmed he’ll lift the tariffs to 15 percent, higher than the 10 percent rate he announced yesterday.

The move comes after a Supreme Court ruling found his sweeping trade measures from last year were unlawful.

Former US Under Secretary of Commerce and Securi...

Well, there is absolutely no question what the biggest story in the world was on Friday.

Words used to describe the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, were 'historic', 'jaw dropping', and 'stunning'. It has been described as a huge moment in the history of the modern royal family. 

But there were other royal commentators who weren’t surprised at all with how Andrew’s 66th birthday unfolded. They’d be...

Miriam Margolyes, Judy Davis and Jacki Weaver are teaming up to star in an unconventional road trip comedy set in 1970s New Zealand.

Three elderly nuns set off on a mission in their car powered by God to track down a lost boy in search of heaven, and the film promises to be entertaining and heartfelt.

Miriam Margolyes says she's delighted to be involved in this film and she's enjoying working with her 'awe-inspiring' co-stars.

"I'm...

Dr Lucy Hone is well-regarded as a resilience expert and she's got plenty of personal and academic experience with devastating grief.

Grief comes in many forms - not just with death, but divorce, estrangement, dementia, redundancy, and Hone's put her findings into a book.

She says some people are more 'mentally agile' than others and that learning how to balance emotions is a key skill.

"They're also typically good at being able to...

Spies and other Gods by James Wolff. This spy thriller is set apart from others by being narrated by a kind of collective voice of MI5 - it’s the spies watching the spies. Sir William Rentoul, head of the service, takes great umbrage when an anonymous whistle-blower lays a complaint and a smart young parliamentary researcher is brought in to investigate. MI5 are particularly adept at ensuring she makes no progress, but she becomes ...

This week on the Sunday Panel, Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills and Director at Capital, Ben Thomas, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

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