The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

After 15 years, Downton Abbey is set to come to an end.

It's taken six seasons, 52 episodes and two films - but this week the third film, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, hits cinemas and spells the final chapter for the worldwide phenomenon. 

Ahead of the release, three long time cast members, Laura Carmichael, Michelle...

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. This is set in a small Ohio town at the very end of WW2 when two people become caught up in victory celebrations and have a brief romantic encounter, which results in complications which haunt them down through generations. As secrets are exposed some people find that things are not what they had seemed, and that the world they thought they knew was in fact a lie. I loved this book. 

Saving Elli by Dou...

Megan recently tried to fly to Hawke's Bay, but her travel plans ground to a halt after rolling sea fog stopped the flight in its tracks.

Air New Zealand requested that the passengers line up and get booked on new flights, but Megan checked on her Air NZ app and found a way forward - on a flight that left later that day.

She revealed her latest travel hack - so everyone else could be prepared.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, journalist and TV producer Irene Gardiner and Partner at Freebairn and Hehir Lawyers, Liam Hehir, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

The Auckland by-election had a noticeably low voter turnout - should we be concerned about this? Is the...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 7 September 2025, after 15 years, the end of Downton Abbey is here.  Key cast members join Francesca to talk about saying goodbye to the Crawley's and the Downton world.

Biographer Andrew Lownie's explosive book 'Entitled' has been referred to as the final nail in the coffin for Prince Andrew.  Andrew Lownie tells Francesca about the content of the b...

Growing up, my mother used to say that life is 95 percent anticipation. It’s in the wait, the build-up and the preparation where the joy is often found. Often the actual event is a let-down.  

That was not how I felt at 9pm last night. Well done to the All Blacks.

But I loved the leadup to last night’s win at Eden Park. I was excited when I got up yesterday morning and I found myself looking for things to do to help make the d...

Sarcobesity refers to the coexistence of diminished muscle mass and increased fat mass, but what does that mean from a health-based perspective?

The condition can impact overall metabolic health, which comes with additional health implications and concerns.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains further.

Father's Day Beef with Café de Paris butter 

For years, eggs have been breakfast’s most controversial ingredient. Despite being packed with protein and essential nutrients, they’ve carried the weight of dietary guidelines that linked them to high cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease. But a new study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has cracked that myth wide open. The world-first study investigated the independent effects of dietary choles...

Veteran broadcaster John Campbell investigated Destiny Church in a five-part documentary series earlier in the year - and the second instalment is due to come out tomorrow.

Coach Scott Robertson has praised the All Blacks' response to their bad day in Buenos Aires.

So, while we were on a break, I went to Christchurch to see my son for his 19th birthday. It was a fleeting visit. I flew down on a Friday and home on Saturday afternoon, but my goodness – Christchurch turned it on.  

The Cut Throat Trial by S.J Fleet. I assume that the author’s name is a pseudonym as they’ve published previous books under the moniker of The Secret Barrister – I believe they’re a practising lawyer who in those books delivered some witty and interesting commentary on the state of the UK justice system. This novel is set in a courtroom, where three teenagers are on trial for the murder of an elderly man. I didn’t know this until I...

New Orleans was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago, and the damage didn't stop there. 

This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast Day host Lorna Riley and Senior PR Consultant at One Plus One Communications, Damien Venuto, joined in on a discussion about the issues of the day - and more!

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara covers in detail whether we need supplements and ...