The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

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...

A non-Kiwi Best Actor winner and acclaimed recognition for a late director’s final film were among the notable moments of this year’s New Zealand Screen Awards.

The late Lee Tamahori’s historical drama, The Convert, scored five major awards including Best Director: Drama Feature.

John Lithgow also added a Kiwi award to his collection, having been named Best Actor in a Feature for his performance in The Rule of Jenny Pen.

Flicks.co....

After many years of representing performers locally in New Zealand, Kiwi actress Jennifer Ward-Lealand has taken on a new role.

Ward-Lealand was recently elected to the top ranks of the global federation of actors’ unions at the World Congress in Birmingham. 

She says it's the first time New Zealand's been invited to the top ranks within FIA (Federation Internationale des Acteurs) and her appointment came as a surprise.

"The s...

New Zealand First is denying claims the party's lining up to work with Labour next election, despite David Seymour suggesting the idea.

Seymour made the claim after New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters announced he'd campaign on repealing the Regulatory Standards Bill.

Newstalk ZB political reporter Azaria Howell says it's unclear where this will go from here, given how Seymour championed the bill.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com...

ADHD New Zealand is echoing calls for caution when it comes to GPs treating the condition.

GPs will be able to start medical treatment next year for those affected. 

The College of Psychiatrists says GPs should only be included if they have accredited training and clear referral and escalation pathways. 

Dr David Chinn is part of a team of experts who advises on health policy, and he says it's been hard for people to get ...

Captain Scott Barrett is praising the fresh faces for injecting some enthusiasm into the All Blacks for the season-ending 52-26 win over Wales in Cardiff.

Barrett says the 12 changes to the starting line-up ensured there was no baggage carried over from the England loss.

Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith says the All Blacks can head home happy for the end of the year, but there's still some lingering questions about the t...

Yesterday my son’s contract with his Canterbury University hall came to an end.  

He was officially a hall member for 41 weeks, but when you take into account the mid-semester and semester breaks he was only there for 32 and a half weeks. So that was about $20,000 for 32 weeks.  

This and fees around $9000, depending on what you’re studying, mean the cost of a University degree is quite confronting.  

I’m sure i...

For the last 25 years, the Jubilation Choir has been bringing together singers from all walks of life, and some Kiwi music powerhouses are set to appear next Sunday.

Next week, the choir will be joined by Julia Deans, Bella Kalolo and the one and only Anika Moa. 

Anika Moa says she's done plenty of collaborations, but appearing in the Jubilation Choir will be a career first.

"It's nice to be a part of this project because we'v...

The Detective by Matthew Reilly: Matt Reilly is well known for the thrillers he’s been writing for many years now, but this one is quite a departure. It’s based in the American South and is the story of many women going missing over a period of 150 years, starting back in 1877….and the investigators looking for them all also disappeared. It’s set in the nexus of Louisiana and Texas, where a quirky private detective gets the bit bet...

The Coromandel is well-regarded as one of New Zealand's top holiday hotspots, but it's got more to offer adrenaline junkies than it lets on.

Adventure Racing Coromandel co-founder Andy Reid's been leading the charge in this development, having helped create the K2 bike race and the Kauri Run - among others.

Reid's taken his findings and experiences and put them in a new book - Are You Trying to Kill Us?

"We started with the adventu...

This week on The Sunday Panel, editor and journalist Jo McCarroll and Newstalk ZB host Roman Travers joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

A damning police watchdog report from last week found numerous failures in how police handled complaints a staff member made against disgraced former deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. How bad does this look for the police?

It's been a big week for...