The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin
News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your Sunday morning listening covered with The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB.
Episodes
Award-winning journalist Charlotte Glennie's built up a memorable career over the years.
As a foreign correspondent, she reported from North Korea, Mongolia, and Russia, she covered monsoon rains in a Bangladesh refugee camp and she witnessed the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people.
But before all that, Glennie was in a life-changing accident while in Croatia and lost her footing and fell off a cliff ...
Brothers Pene Pati and Amitai Pati began their music careers in South Auckland church halls, but now they've grown their international careers.
A new documentary Tenor: My Name Is Pati explored the duo's journey to the opera stages as Sol3 Mio stars - and how they got to train and work overseas.
Pene Pati says he was scared on the journey, but knew he would find his way.
"I often think about this - it's a bit of both. I was s...
Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubuse. Saoirse is a successful artist living in Ireland with a lovely family and skeletons in the closet that she hopes will stay hidden forever. When she becomes the focus of attention after winning a major art award, her carefully constructed life comes under attack as her deception becomes known, and the public gaze sees only the extent of her lies and not the desperate need that drove them.
A Far-Flung L...
Travelling can get expensive, but Megan Singleton's unveiled a solution to keep track of costs.
The Splitwise app can add up expenses and reveal a total of who owes what to whom when you're travelling in a group.
Megan explained further - read more of her travel tips here.
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On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 8 March 2026, Sol3 Mio star Pene Pati has gone from singing in South Auckland rest homes to the grandest opera stages around the world. He talks about his journey and just how demanding the opera world is.
Former foreign correspondent Charlotte Glennie suffered critical injuries in a fall in 2001, she joins Francesca to talk about it's life changing impact and...
This week on The Sunday Panel, host of the Prosperity Project, Nadine Higgins, and Coast day host Lorna Riley joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Luxon’s leadership has been questioned this week, but looking across the board - where is the leadership? Are we stuck with our current political leaders because there is no one else to step up? Where is the next generation of leaders?
United ...
Choline is an essential nutrient that is required for optimal health, and it plays a key role in healthy brain function, heart health, and liver function.
Research indicates that over 90 percent of New Zealanders and Australians fail to meet the recommended daily intake for choline.
Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained the benefits of choline, and how we can add more of it to our diets.
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See o...
Flounder with burnt butter, capers and parsley
Cook time: 10 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6
12 flounder fillets
1 cup seasoned plain flour with salt and white pepper
4 tbsp sunflower oil
100 gm unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 lemons
4 tbsp capers
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped roughly
Flaky salt and cracked pepper
1 dried chilli, crushed
Heat two cast-iron pans over a low...
Have you ever wondered why some people seem particularly drawn to conspiracy theories, even when the evidence doesn’t support them?
New research suggests the answer may have less to do with intelligence or critical thinking, and more to do with how people naturally process information.
A study published in the journal Cognitive Processing found that people who strongly prefer order, patterns, and structured explanations may b...
It's been a big week for Harry Styles fans, with his fourth studio album Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally being released on Friday.
As part of the album launch, Harry's sold-out show in Manchester's Co-op Arena has been recorded and will be available on Netflix for fans all over the world.
Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall explains further.
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War in the Middle East is also becoming a war of words - as the conflict enters its second week.
Meanwhile, there's been reports Iran's new Supreme Leader could be chosen within 24 hours.
The Economist's Middle East Correspondent, Gregg Carlstrom, says the narrative of this war is constantly changing - especially from US President Donald Trump.
"A week ago, he was saying he wanted to give Iran back to the people of Iran, he wanted ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins says two Air Force planes will be heading to an undisclosed location in the Middle East to help any Kiwis who are stranded.
The White House says the war could last four to six weeks - with Israel unleashing a new wave of strikes on Iran.
A C-130J Hercules aircraft left Auckland's Whenuapai - and another was sent earlier to the Middle East, after being in Asia.
Newstalk ZB political reporter Azaria Ho...
There's suspicions speculation around Chris Luxon's future won't be subsiding, even after he firmly ruled out stepping aside.
This week's Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll has National down to 28.4 percent, with Labour able to govern alongside the Greens and Te Pati Maori.
The Prime Minister's assured the public he had his MP's backing and won't be going anywhere.
Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says this ...
Well, it was an interesting end of the week when it comes to domestic politics.
With rumours swelling on Friday that the Prime Minister was considering his future over the weekend, he had to act quickly. There was absolutely no way he could go into the weekend with even the hint of speculation he was considering his future.
When a sitting Prime Minister signals they are “considering their future”, it is almost always ...
Amanda Knox was arrested for the murder of her flatmate, wrongly convicted, and spent four years in an Italian prison, and she's looking back on her journey in a new documentary.
Mouth of the Wolf follows Amanda’s first trip back to Italy in years to face the people and places that shaped her story.
Amanda Knox and her husband, Christopher Robinson, worked on the project together and the pair described the risky journey back ...
Physicist professor Brian Cox is a bit of a rockstar in the science world.
When he’s not hosting his BBC shows, Brian is touring the world making science engaging and accessible.
He performed his last show to over half a million people globally - and now he’s back and apparently bigger than ever, with his 'Emergence' show set to kick off in June.
"The show really tells the story - it starts with 1600, goes to now, which is on...
Kin by Tayari Jones - who was the author of a wonderful book called An American Marriage a few years ago, which I loved. In this new one, Vernice and Annie are both motherless, close as sisters, growing up in small town Louisiana during the Jim Crow years. Their lives take them in different directions - Vernice to Atlanta and college, whilst Annie heads to Memphis in constant search of the mother who abandoned her. It’s stunningly ...
Megan Singleton recently took a staycation an hour and a half out of Auckland to check out the new Clements Hotel.
The hotel is housed in the oldest commercial building in Cambridge and used to be the infamous old Masonic Hotel.
Megan unpacked the new changes - check out the full review here.
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This week on the Sunday Panel, director at 818 Chris Henry and resident economist at Opes Partners Ed McKnight joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
What do we make of IAWAI’s proposal to charge new builds a growth charge for water infrastructure maintenance and upgrades? Is that a fairer option than all ratepayers covering the cost? Or should it be spread more evenly?
Are camping costs getting...
Both matcha and coffee will give you a noticable energy boost in the morning, but which drink is really better for you
Matcha is generally considered healthier than coffee due to its high concentration of antioxidants - and it give you a 'calmer' boost without the crash afterwards.
Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara compared the drinks to examine the health benefits of both.
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