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PODCAST

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.

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All Episodes

5:45

Dr Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist on the latest...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/21

NVIDIA GTC took place last week in San Jose, where thousands of developers and industry experts gathered to discuss the latest AI breakthroughs. The sessions revealed how AI was set to shape every major industry, with plenty of experts discussing the next steps for this new technology. Nanotechnologist Dr Michelle Dickinson was at the event, and she revealed how AI was set to impact the business and medical sectors, among others. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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7:22

Steve Newall: entertainment correspondent on recaps...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/21

The 98th Academy Awards took place last Monday in LA, with the major prize going to One Battle After Another. It dominated the night with six wins - including Best Picture and Best Director, edging out Sinners. Best Costume Design went to New Zealander Kate Hawley for Frankenstein, and the Weta FX team won Best Visual Effects for Avatar: Fire and Ash. Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall recapped the 2026 event. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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5:50

Greg Lumsden: National Excavator Operator Competition...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/21

The Civil Contractors New Zealand Cable Price National Excavator Operator Competition officially wrapped up this weekend. The event took place at Manfeild Park during Central Districts Field Days on March 20-21, where top operators faced off to take home the title. The competition's chief organiser, Greg Lumsden, revealed what makes someone a successful operator in this context. "We've got a massive, big Connect 4 game that the two diggers play - so there's two 13-ton diggers on each side and they

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6:00

Ethan Griffiths: Newstalk ZB political reporter ahead...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/21

A prediction that the New Zealand First leader will be feeling confident heading into a set-piece speech today. Winston Peters will be giving his State of the Nation address in Tauranga today. Newstalk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths says we can expect a policy and an election announcement this afternoon - and thatthe state of the polls will be giving Peters a boost. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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6:12

Matt Watson: fishing host voices disapproval with new...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/21

Fishing host Matt Watson has been quick to voice disapproval with a bill proposing to remove almost all minimum legal-size limits for commercial fishing operators. The proposed laws would apply to a range of popular fish species, including snapper, trevally, butterfish and tarakihi - and recreational fishers will still have to follow all current minimum size limit rules. Watson says this won't address destructive fishing methods - and that these terms are 'madness'. "The notion that - well, these

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5:55

Mauro Barsi: EMA Head of Legal on the association...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/21

The relationship between employers and employees is getting more and more fraught when they come into dispute - and there's growing calls for change. The Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) is calling for a review of the employment disputes resolution system, as they've voiced concerns around employment advocates. EMA Head of Legal, Mauro Barsi, says the association has observed that the system is becoming much more difficult to navigate, and costs are getting higher. "Some of the

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3:33

Andrew Dickens: Are there good things coming from...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/21

Well, the whole world is talking about petrol, how to get it, and how expensive will it get while the unrest in the Middle East continues. News outlets world wide are warning of hard times to come and leaders are playing a waiting game to see how the cards fall. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Rather than waiting for the state to take the lead, citizens are modifying their behaviour. And it’s not all bad. In Auckland, Tuesday was the busiest day on public transport since 2019 (pre-Covid).That's7000

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12:52

Holly Shervey and Emmett Skilton: Crackhead creator...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/15

Crackhead is a new, locally produced dark comedy, and it's getting plenty of positive reviews. Created and written by actress Holly Shervey, Crackhead is loosely based on Shervey’s own experience of addiction and psychiatric care. Holly Shervey and her husband, director of the show, Emmett Skilton, explained the creative process behind creating the show. "When we finally start to take it off the page, I see Holly really embracing it - she mentioned it's cathartic, she is very liberated by doing

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15:18

Charlotte McConaghy: Australian author speaks ahead...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/15

Australian author Charlotte McConaghy’s novel Wild Dark Shore has been widely reviewed as one of the must read books of 2025. It also saw McConaghy named on the longlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Ahead of her appearance at the Auckland Writers Festival, she's opened up about the creative journey behind her iconic work. "I was concerned that my sort of level of immersion into my writing was so different than what it had been in the past, and I was worried that it was going to sort of

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4:34

Whitcoulls Recommends: Lake Effect and Every Second...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/14

Lake Effect by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney. In 1977, just as The Joy of Sex is sweeping through suburbia, neighbours Nina Larkin and Finn Finnegan leave their respective families for a new life together in a seismic betrayal which ripples through their children’s lives and has a profound, ongoing impact on them all. Yet family bonds are not easily broken and somehow seem to stretch, bend and accommodate all the chaos and mystery and love which life throws at them. This author writes wonderfully about

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3:39

Megan Singleton: BloggerAtLarge.com writer on the...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/14

It's spring on the other side of the world, which means it's almost peak cherry blossom season in Washington DC. There's over 3000 cherry blossom trees in America's capital, and BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton says timing is everything when it comes to seeing them in bloom. Megan outlined her travel tips - read more about what she recommends here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

11:07

The Sunday Panel: Are the Government taking fuel...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/14

This week on The Sunday Panel, Newstalk ZB host Roman Travers and editor and journalist, Jo McCarroll, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more! The Middle East crisis is getting worse and there's concerns about what it will do to the global fuel supply chain. Do we think the Government is taking this seriously enough? Are we taking any steps to reduce our consumption? It's nearly Easter, and the hot cross bun debate continues. What makes a good hot cross bun

en-US

117:43

Full Show Podcast: 15 March 2026

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/14

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 15 March, author Charlotte McConaghy is behind one of 2025s must read books 'Wild Dark Shores'. She joins Francesca to talk about the unexpected success of a book that was very hard to write and the insane research trip she undertook with a toddler in tow. Holly Shervey has turned her story of drug addiction and psychiatric care into a new local TV show. It's had rave reviews and Holly and her director husband Emmett Skilton

en-US

4:04

Erin O'Hara: naturopath and wellness expert on how to...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/14

Healing the gut rather than relying on long-term restrictive diets is considered a better approach to manage IBS and bloating than restrictive dieting. Irritable bowel syndrome is very common in New Zealand, affecting an estimated 15–20 percent of the population, or roughly 1 in 7 adults. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals how to work through long-term gut issues. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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5:29

Mike van de Elzen: Hot smoked mussel pate

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/14

Hot smoked mussel pate Cook time: 10 minutes Prep time: 10 minutes Serves 6-8 300-400 gm darker fleshed fillets like Kahawai or Trevally 100 gm seasalt 2 cups large manuka wood chips 10 green lip mussels 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 3 tbsp crème fraiche Juice of one lemon 1 tbsp honey Pinch of paprika Cracked pepper and seasalt 3 tbsp fennel tips & chives, chopped finely Toasted sour dough Start by making up a salt brine by combining 100gm of salt with 1 litre of water. Whisk until dissolved

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3:49

Dr Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist on scientists...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/14

Imagine biting into a tomato that smells like freshly buttered popcorn. Research published in the journalKeAi showed the world’s first tomato plants with a popcorn-like aroma made using gene-editing technology. The goal is part of a much bigger effort to solve one of the biggest problems in modern agriculture: why tomatoes have lost so much of their flavour. Why tomatoes don’t taste like they used to If you’ve ever eaten a tomato straight from a garden, you probably know the difference immediately

en-US

6:50

Steve Newall: entertainment correspondent on Netflix...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/14

Netflix has recently confirmed it would release a sequel to Kpop Demon Hunters, its most popular film of all time and a two-time Oscar nominee. The film's a big hit with fans all over the world, and it's nominated for two Academy Awards this Monday - Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall explained further, and discussed the other nominees ahead of tomorrow's Oscars. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

7:08

Lulu Wilcox: freelance stylist on her Loved by Lulu...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/14

A Kiwi fashion stylist has turned personal loss into a new purpose. Inspired by her auntie's cancer battle, Lulu Wilcox has created 'Loved by Lulu' a range of headwear for women struggling with hair loss from the likes of chemotherapy. Wilcox says she wanted to create something that gives back, and offers people comfort during tough times. "This has come about, Loved by Lulu, and I'm very, very passionate about it and I've been in the fashion industry for so long, I just felt that the need to give

en-US

5:01

Ethan Griffiths: Newstalk ZB political reporter on...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/14

Building relationships is the focus for the Prime Minister, as he departs for Samoa and Tonga today. Chris Luxon will visit the main islands of both countries this week to meet with the pair's new Governments. Alongside him will be his Police and Pacific Peoples Ministers - as well as a business delegation and MPs from other parties. Newstalk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths explained why Luxon is looking to strengthen the partnership between the regions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener

en-US

16:09

Nathan Surendran: Wise Response Society chair on what...

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin ·

2026/03/14

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has sparked concerns about global oil shortages, domestic rising petrol and diesel costs, and it's got experts speculating. The Government is working to find a solution, with Energy Minister Simon Watts meeting with his counterparts in Tokyo for the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Forum to discuss the issue. Nathan Surendran is the chair of the Wise Response Society, and he says the conflict is causing oil refineries all over the world to slow down production

en-US

3,424 results

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