The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

The hugely popular Synthony Festival is going ahead at the end of March. 

Synthony has taken off over the last few years – with the 2025 festival selling out and 40,000 people attending. 

2026 will be the first Synthony Festival for The Black Seeds – and their front man Barnaby Weir told Francesca Rudkin that he is looking forward to the festival. 

'To get an invite, to such a huge, awesome gig, which is already prov...

A social media trend called 'Sleepmaxxing' involving elaborate routines and hacks to maximize sleep quality and quantity, has been growing in popularity. 

Social media wellness content is giving advice about sleep - how to get more of it; how to improve it; how to measure whether you’re getting quality sleep and commonly marketing sleep aids (sometimes expensive).  

But are there downsides to following a trend when it com...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 30 November 2025, there's Oscars buzz around Russell Crowe for his portrayal of Hitlers right hand man in new film Nuremberg.  This week Russell tells Francesca why he's not interested in another Academy Award.

Over the last few years Synthony Festival has taken off, The Black Seeds are playing the festival for the first time, front man Barnaby Weir talks...

Chili pickled vegetables 

Cook time: 5 minutes 

Prep time: 10 minutes 

Serves: 12 

Pickled vegetables can include:  

Carrots, fennel, baby beetroot, radish, red onions, cucumbers or red cabbage  

1 tbsp fennel seeds 

1 tbsp coriander seeds  

2 fresh chili, sliced  

2 bay leaves  

1 tsp mustard seeds  

300 ml cider vinegar  

250 ml water  

1/4 cu...

We often think of brain development as something that happens in childhood, stabilises in adulthood, and then gradually declines. 

However new research published in the journal Nature Communications suggests our brains actually move through five distinct eras, each with its own strengths, vulnerabilities, and turning points. 

Researchers analysed MRI brain scans from nearly 4,000 people aged between newborn and 90 years o...

Kiwi born Hollywood star Russell Crowe has played many intense roles in his career. 

But his latest might be his most intense yet. 

Heading back to world war 2, Russell plays Hitlers right hand man Hermann Goring in ‘Nuremberg’, the film focusing on the duel between psychologist Douglas Kelley and Goring, in the lead up to the post war trial. 

Crowe told Francesca Rudkin that he had to do a lot of background reading ...

A new era begins for TVNZ’s 6pm bulletin tonight. 

After almost 20 years in the 6pm chair, Simon Dallow read his last bulletin on Friday. His replacement starts tonight, with Melissa Stokes promoted to the 6pm duties. 

Stokes told Francesca Rudkin that she is nervous but prepared for the step up.

'I fill in for Simon when he's been away, so it is the same team that I'm going into, the same desk, the same login, the same p...

Major disruptions yesterday as airlines around the world had to ground their Airbus A320 aircraft. 

Many travellers were left stranded after Airbus ordered immediate software fixes for 6000 of its A320s. 

Aviation Commentator Irene King says that New Zealand is lucky to be a smaller country, as it means the delays won't last as long. 

'The nice thing about being a small country is that we can recover pretty quickly f...

Labour has shifted into campaign mode as the party meets for its annual conference in Auckland. 

With less than a year until the next election, Labour party leader, Chris Hipkins opened with an emphatic message “Believe We Can Win”.

Hipkins told Francesca Rudkin that the party has been focusing on what Kiwis didn't like about their last election campaign. 

'We've spent time really focusing on what didn't go well for us an...

Christchurch based, Scottish born, artist Karra Rhodes is rising fast on the New Zealand music scene and she's got a new project in the works.

Her new album, Hometown Therapy, is also being used to shine a light on domestic violence and highlight her fundraising efforts for the charity Shine. 

"I like to think that I write music that a lot of people maybe feel uncomfortable writing music on."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/lis...

Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the biggest names in food around the world, and he's set to bring his insights to our shores next year.

After 11 cookbooks, Ottolenghi's built a name for himself in the world of food, and his distinctive way of cooking has earned him praise and critical acclaim.

He says these tours are often 'hectic' and 'intense' - and it's hard for him to juggle the experience of taking in a city on these schedules.

"I'...

Exit Strategy by Lee Child and Andrew Child. Jack Reacher is back - this time in Baltimore, where he inadvertently gets himself caught up in corrupt goings on at the local Port. He walks into a coffee shop, and someone brushes against him - only later does he realise that a note was slipped into his pocket at that moment, from someone asking for help and requesting a late night rendezvous. The note was clearly intended for someone ...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 23 November 2025, Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the biggest names in food, but it turns out even he struggles to know what to cook for dinner. This week he tells Francesca the unusual way he decides what to cook.

Karra Rhodes is an up and comer on the New Zealand music scene, she talks to Francesca about why she is donating royalties to charity.

The All Blacks ha...

Megan's been exploring the US, and she's unveiling her travel hacks for getting around on the trains.

She recently took the train from Boston to New York, and she weighed up the pros and cons of getting around the US on the train.

Read more about Megan's experiences here.

LISTEN ...

This week on The Sunday Panel, ZB Wellington Mornings host, Nick Mills, and host of The Front Page podcast, Chelsea Daniels, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

The coalition Government is about to celebrate two years in their roles, what do we think of their progress? Is the coalition starting to re-position itself ahead of the election? Winston Peters has been vocally against the Regulatory...

Most of us think of oral health as something that affects our teeth and gums. But what if what’s happening inside your mouth is quietly influencing the rest of your body's long-term risk of disease - including diabetes and heart disease? 

A new study published in the Journal of Translational Medicine has just found exactly that. 

The study followed 65 people who were treated for root canal infections, a type of deep tooth...

Asparagus risotto with spring onions and rocket 

Cook time: 30-40 minutes 

Prep time: 10 minutes 

Serves: 6

650-750ml vegetable stock, heated  

1 onion, finely chopped  

4 cloves garlic, crushed  

2 Tbsp sunflower oil  

1 cup Arborio rice  

2 cups white wine  

100 gm butter  

1 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan  

1 bunch asparagus  

1 cup chopped spring onions &nbs...