The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

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

November 22, 2025 5 mins

The end of the year is almost upon us, and many of us will be feeling overwhelmed, burned out and exhausted.

This is not a new phenomenon, we see it every year around November and December ahead of the summer holidays.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals how to work through the holiday exhaustion without getting too overwhelmed.

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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...

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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...

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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....

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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...

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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.

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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 ...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Megan Singleton's been working her way through the US - and she concluded her latest adventure with a few days in New York.

The winter season is getting underway, meaning people are flocking to the city to take in a New York Christmas.

Megan unveiled her highlights, check out more here.

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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...

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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...

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I had a lovely Saturday morning. Lying in bed, drinking a coffee, reading the weekend Herald and listening to Jack on ZB say that he’ll ditch his wallet by next year as everything he needs will be on his phone. 

I was thinking - keep up, lad. I ditched the wallet during Covid. The phone has become ubiquitous and if not the phone, then a card in a pocket in the phone.

It’s debatable whether this is a good thing considering how ...

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November 15, 2025 117 mins

On the Sunday Session with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast for Sunday 16 November 2925, Anika Moa is in the final stages of making her first album for adults in a decade, but she reveals it might not be the Anika Moa we are used to.

Andy Reid is the co-founder of Adventure Racing Coromandel, his new book 'Are You Trying to Kill Us' is out now and Andy shares the wild stories from his events.

The All Black grand slam hopes are over...

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The holiday season means more gatherings and Christmas parties - and with it, more opportunities to binge-drink.

Recent data shows  one in every five New Zealand adults were hazardous drinkers, placing themselves and others at risk of harm.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals how Kiwis can be mindful and stay safe this holiday season.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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For decades, most medical and biological research has been conducted primarily on male volunteers and male animals in laboratory studies. One of the main reasons was convenience - male hormone levels are more stable, whereas female hormones shift across the menstrual cycle, introducing variability that researchers historically preferred to avoid. 

But that convenience has come at a cost. 

When treatments are developed and...

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Roasted carrots with mint emulsion and spiced chickpeas 

Cook time: 45 minutes 

Prep time: 20 minutes 

Serves: 12

20 carrots cut in half  

2 tbsp sunflower oil  

Flaky sea salt  

Miso emulsion  

2 soft boiled eggs  

1 tbsp miso paste  

4 tbsp orange juice 

Juice of 1 lemon  

1 cup coriander leaves and stalks  

10 mint leaves  

1 tbsp brown sugar  

1 clov...

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Auckland's hotels will be completely full next Wednesday - as the city welcomes 57,000 visitors ahead of two major events.

40,000 are expected from Metallica fans alone, with the rock band set to perform at Eden Park.

Meanwhile, nearly 4,000 international delegates are gathering at Aotea Centre for New Zealand's largest ever academic conference, celebrating indigenous education over five days.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall expla...

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