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

Dame Harriet Walter's got plenty of memorable roles under her belt, from Succession, to Ted Lasso, to Killing Eve - and now she's taking on a part like no other.

She portrays former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the docuseries Brian and Maggie and she's opened up about taking on such a challenging role.

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Dr Timoti Te Moke became a doctor at age 56, but it wasn't an easy road to get into medical school.

Before he started at Middlemore Hospital, he endured a childhood filled with abuse, time in state care, in prison and eventually gangs. 

He detailed his journey in his new book, The Unlikely Doctor, and says he wrote it to shine a light on the barriers holding Kiwis back from reaching their potential.

"There are a lot of people ...

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Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson. This has a hugely implausible premise. Jet Mason is attacked in her kitchen one evening, after which her doctors tell her she’ll be dead by an aneurysm in seven days, so she decides to spend the week hunting down her murderer. It took me a little while to get into the rhythm - the black humour, sarcasm, farce, twisted family relationships, and roving suspicion of everyone she knows who might be ...

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Megan Singleton's continued her travels, and she's recently taken in Thailand's Koh Samui.

Koh Samui is an island in the Gulf of Thailand, about half-way down the country, and it's an easy destination for those looking to skip Bangkok. 

She recapped her highlights from the trip here.

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

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July 26, 2025 116 mins

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 27 July 2025, Dame Harriet Walter has taken on her toughest role yet, she tells Francesca what it was like to take on Margaret Thatcher and why her she's nothing like the iron lady.

Dr Timoti Te Moke shares his inspirational story from child abuse and prison to junior doctor at 56.

Francesca questions whether the Government has got its priorities right with el...

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Bowel movements are one of the easier identifiers of overall health - so what does it mean when things aren't in working order?

A person who has a 'lazy bowel' can experience infrequent bowel movements, constipation, and straining, and it can often signify bigger problems.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains what to look out for, and how we can 're-train' our bowels.

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Home-churned butter:

Prep time: 5 minutes 

Serves: 400g

1 ltr cream  

1 tsp fine salt  

1 tsp flaky salt  

Clean tea towel or Chux cloth 

Place the cream and fine salt into a bowl of a bench top mixer with a whisk attachment. 

Whisk for 2 minutes on a medium beat. The cream will slowly harden up and start to turn yellow.  

Stop the mixer and push the cream back down into the centre. Remix...

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We’ve all heard that flossing daily is key to keeping your gums healthy. But what if your dental floss could one day do more than prevent cavities? What if it could protect your whole body from serious diseases, like the flu? 

Research published this week in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering shows that dental floss might be the future of vaccine delivery. 

In this unusual experiment, scientists used floss coated w...

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Nearly 30 years after the original, Happy Gilmore's long-awaited sequel arrived on Netflix this week.

Adam Sandler reprises his iconic role as he returns to the world of golf after his victory at the Tour Championship in the original 1996 film.

Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald and Ben Stiller also reprise their roles from the original, alongside some new faces played by Bad Bunny, Margaret Qualley and Travis Kelce.

Flicks.co.nz ed...

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Christchurch entrepreneur Nic Gaviria's business idea designed to address binge eating has landed a new major supporter - and a cash boost.

Gaviria was selected from 16,000 business owners around the world to be mentored by Steven Bartlett, a Dragon's Den investor and host of the Diary of a CEO podcast.

She says it's been extremely 'validating' to have the business recognized.  

"I saw this competition pop up in an ad on ...

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Winston Peters is sounding the alarm over high levels of immigration, pointing to issues within Europe as a catalyst for further changes to our system. 

The New Zealand First leader's long rallied against mass immigration, and is hinting at a beefed up policy at the next election.

Newstalk ZB political reporter Azaria Howell says NZ First's Shane Jones has also indicated immigration will be a key topic ahead of the next NZ Fir...

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Less than half of graduating nurses are getting hired by Health New Zealand.

New data reveals only 323 out of 722 mid-year graduates gained entry level jobs in hospitals.

The Nurses Organisation says that number used to be as high as 90 percent.

President of the National Student Unit, Bianca Grimmer, says it's forcing students into roles they're not exactly after.

"Nurses have a purpose and a 'why' for why they want to go into the ...

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The South Island seems to be pulling ahead of the North as New Zealand crawls out of the recession. 

Kiwibank’s latest report reveals economic activity is picking up across most of the country - but recovery remains fragile. 

It indicates booms in agriculture and tourism have aided recovery in places like Otago and Southland.

Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr says the tide is turning for the economy, but the nature of ...

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Right, all you dropkicks out there - as David Seymour fondly called some voters this week - the electoral laws are changing and you’re being given a good year’s notice to make sure you’re enrolled and your details are correct before advanced voting starts in the general election next year. No enrolments or changes will be accepted after advanced voting starts.  

You may think a year is adequate time to get your head around new...

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The Cowboy Junkies are still going strong as they approach a significant anniversary.

This year the band is celebrating 40 years together, and they've managed to stay together and not take any significant breaks, a rare feat for the music industry.

Ahead of their upcoming stop in Ne...

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The Stars are A Million Glittering Worlds by Gina Butson. This is the first novel from a New Zealand writer, about a young woman who leaves home after a tragedy and travels the world for a year, running away from the hurt and running towards something she’s not quite sure of. Her travels take her to Asia, then Central America where, in Guatemala, she befriends two people who have significant impacts on her life, each in a different...

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BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton's latest stop is in Bangkok, Thailand, and she's been taking it all in.

Despite the muggy weather, Megan's been able to get around via water taxi, and it's allowed her to take in some shopping and dining - and she's also experienced the Sky Train.

She recapped her experience further here tod...

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This week on the Sunday Panel, partner at Freebairn and Hehir Laywers, Liam Hehir and journalist, TV producer and commentator, Irene Gardiner, joined in on a discussion about...

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Supplements are regarded as a healthy choice to give you an extra boost - but do these products really have the benefits they claim they do?

Numerous studies have identified tainted supplements or misleading labels, so it's important to do your research before you take them.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains further - and explains why supplements aren't an insurance policy or a substitute for a good diet and healt...

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