The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Knitting is seeing a resurgence, largely thanks to five-time Olympic diver Tom Daley going viral for knitting in the stands between events.

After the Tokyo Olympics wrapped up, Tom now owns a knitting brand and has even been known to knit creations for celebrities - and he's now hosting Game of Wool: Britain's Best Knitter.

He says he taught himself to knit, and it eventually became his 'superpower.'

"It became my mindfulness, it b...

The Governor by Lynda la Plante. The creator of the Jane Tennison series of books, Prime Suspect, has another story about a woman working in what was typically a male dominated industry - as governor of an English prison. Helen Hewitt is in her early 30’s and appointed to the top job where she goes up against unruly prisoners, staff who don’t want her in the job, and the politics of the prison service which undermine he...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 16 August, British Olympian Tom Daley went viral at the Tokyo Olympics as he sat in the stands knitting between events.  Now he's somewhat of a celebrity knitter and joins Francesca to talk about his new show Game of Wool and why the show, and knitting, are appealing to younger generations.

The day Whakaari White Island erupted, helicopter pilot Mark Law ...

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! 

Luxon managed to survive another leadership challenge last week. But what could this saga mean for the National Party 12 weeks ahead of the election? Will this hurt their chances at getting another term?

The Meta glasses h...

Hot apple cobbler with soft cream 

Cook time: 5 minutes 

Prep time: 25 minutes 

Serves: 6

6 braeburn apples  

1/4 cup water  

1 tbsp honey  

1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

1/2 tsp cinnamon  

1 tbsp raw sugar  

3 tbsp lemon curd (optional)  

Cobbler topping  

1/2 cup milk  

1 egg  

250 gm plain flour  

1/2 cup raw sugar  

120 gm butter, cubed and chilled  

The world of meat alternatives could be about to change after new research published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science came out this week. 

Instead of trying to make plants taste more like meat using flavourings, they've taught plants to manufacture myoglobin, the same protein that gives meat its distinctive colour, flavour and nutritional value.

Myoglobin stores oxygen inside muscle cells, but it also gives meat many ...

Last week, millions of people flocked to Spain to watch a rare total eclipse of the sun.

Around 91 percent of the sun was obscured by the moon, and it inspired people to listen to listen to some songs that matched the moment.

Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Chris Staples Dark Side Of The Moon, and Pink Floyd's Eclipse all saw significant bumps in streaming. 

Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall explained fu...

Another New Zealand Fashion Week is set to get under way, and it aims to be one of the biggest events of the year.

The event will return to Shed 10 from August 17 to 22, and Caitlin Crisp, Twenty Seven Names and the Kāhui Collective are among the names set to appear.

New Zealand Fashion Week owner Feroz Ali says the industry needs to adapt to a changing market - and they're aiming to boost international co-operation. 

"The dec...

It was a big week in Parliament, with Luxon facing another leadership challenge ahead of the election.

The Prime Minister held on to his leadership role, Minister Chris Penk was stripped of his portfolios - but speculation's growing about what this means for National. 

Political commentator Brigitte Morton says it's a 'messy' look for the Government, and it's likely there will be some damage as a result of this.

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The All Blacks will take a three-from-three record into the opening test match of their tour of South Africa.

They've just wrapped up a 50 to 19 victory over the Bulls in Pretoria, backing up wins over the Sharks and Stormers.

The first test against the Springboks is in Johannesburg next Sunday.

Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith recapped the action, and explained what fans could expect next week.

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There's been plenty of incidents of AI going rogue, with  OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta seeing issues during security testing.

As AI technology develops, researchers are taking steps to understand how it could all grow and change, as well as what separates AI from humans.

Multiple AI labs around the world are part of the study, including University of Auckland computer scientist, Dr Matthew Egbert.

"We've got lots of examples of...

As you may have heard, this time a week ago ZB turned one hundred years old, and on Friday night we threw a little party to celebrate.  

The Prime Minister came, and made a speech, and he was brilliant. He was smart, very funny, relaxed - he roasted us respectfully and took the mickey out of himself beautifully. It was a great speech, well-delivered and it had everyone in the room asking - so where has this guy been?  

Bu...

Australian actress Melissa George has been on our screens for years, and she's taking on a new Kiwi comedy-crime drama.

She started out as Angel Parrish on Home and Away, and she's made a name for herself in other international projects like Mulholland Drive, Grey’s Anatomy, Friends, The Slap, among others.

She's now starring in Ms. X, which is available on ThreeNow, and she's revealed she was into the show from the first scr...

Back in 2023, former Labour Minister Kiri Allan hit a low point - and had to step down from politics.

After crashing her car while over the alcohol limit, she resigned from Labour and her political career came to an end.

She's shared her story and opened up about what happened that night in Wellington in her new memoir, Go Hard or Go Home.

"I carried a lot of shame, guilt...as the book says, my world shattered down and it's all my ...

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. This was actually released last year, but has had huge word of mouth enthusiasm for many, many readers and was voted onto the new Whitcoulls Top 100 last month. It’s now out in a second format and is the story of a woman’s life told through letters which she writes to a number of people important to her - some of whom are well known writers with whom she has an affinity, such as Ann ...

Megan Singleton's just returned from a multi-generational holiday in Fiji and she's outlined how to plan a similar big trip - without everything blowing apart.

They stayed at the Shangri La Resort on the Coral Coast, because it was important to find a location that appealed to a group aged 4 to 80, with a good beach, activities and a wide range of dining options.

She outlined her experience further here. 

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This week on the Sunday Panel, Newstalk ZB host KerreWoodham and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! 

Newstalk ZB celebrates 100 years today. What are our favourite memories of the station? What stories do we remember? What role does radio serve in a c...