RNZ: Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

Welcome to Political Group Chat, a space for good faith debate and friendly disagreement about the stories that have been in the news this week. Joining Jesse today: comedian and commentator Tim Batt, screenwriter and FSU member Dane Giraud, and University of Auckland political scientist Dr Lara Greaves. And you can text 2101 if you have thoughts.

It's time to chat about money matters ... personal finance whizz Mary Holm is with Jesse to share her thoughts on the 2026 KiwiSaver Annual Report and what it reveals.

We're back into our A to Z of Aotearoa .. this is our series where we pick something quintessentially Kiwi for each letter of the alphabet and dive into its history with the people who know it best. We've had P for Pies, S for Silver Fern, K for Kauri, and today it's Y is for Yachting. Yacht designer Brett Bakewell-White and coach and successful sailor Bruce Kendall join Jesse.

Quit is a four-letter word, and not just because of the spelling. In a culture that prizes grit, perseverance and pushing through, giving up can sound like failure. We're taught to finish what we start even when we've started wondering why we're still doing it. Lindsay Crouse argues that sometimes the smarter move is to walk away. Leave the job. End the relationship. Abandon the goal. Stop pouring time and energy into something that no longer makes sense. A former New York Times journalist and endurance athlete, Crouse explores why quitting is so hard, and why it's sometimes the right thing to do in her new book, The Case for Quitting: The Surprising Benefits of Opting Out.

New Plymouth's Puke Ariki museum wants your help. For the first time thousands of historic images are going to be shown publicly, and the museum needs help identifying the people, places and stories within them. The project is called Rekindled: Opunake Life through the Feaver Collection. Puke Ariki's pictorial curator Natasha McKinney joins Jesse.

In quite an extraordinary public announcement, the US military has confirmed that it has deployed weapons in space. According to the US secretary of the air force, Washington had active "on orbit" weapons, which means they have been deployed and are circling the globe. We wanted to get a better understanding of what this means, and how worried we should be. Maria Pozza is an international space lawyer and senior lecturer at Lincoln University - she chats to Jesse.

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight. [picture id="4JO9WD2_Jesse_and_Wallace_Smiling_jfif" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Afternoons' chance to chat about the topics that might be filling up your group chats .. joining Jesse in the Auckland Studio is Culture 101's Perlina Lau, Afternoons Senior Producer Olivia Wilson and Lucy Walker Senior Producer on Morning Report. This week we're discussing the Ed Sheeran tour, Sydney Sweeney's controversial ad and that Hyrox situation. [picture id="4KFNGZU_AFP__20230606__1496393314__v4__HighRes__EdSheeranPerformsOnNbcSToday_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

It's Wednesday which can mean you're on struggle street for meal inspiration ... but don't worry .. help is at hand in the form of the very talented Kelly Gibney and our Easy Eats segment. [picture id="4JIFRIP_RNZ_Curry_chicken_katsu_1_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Time for our weekly travel segment Heading Off. Remember if you have a travel story of your own we'd love to share it with your fellow listeners, just text us on 2101 or email afternoons@rnz.co.nz Today we're heading off to Honfleur, a little seaside port in France, with Afternoons listener Tommy Wilson. [picture id="4JI7MKR_Honfleur_Church_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Our Changing World's Claire Concannon is with Jesse to talk about the H5/N1 bird flu strain and what plans are in place for Pukekura or Tairoa Head on the end of Otago Peninsula, which is the site of the only mainland colony of Northern Royal albatross. [picture id="4JL1BOR_Cat_spotted_on_Royal_Cam_png_16x10_png" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Nutritionist Lily Henderson joins Jesse to chat about Weet-Bix. Just how healthy is the breakfast food and how many should you eat in one serving? [picture id="4PD4Q2L_copyright_image_42015" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

A new podcast is taking a closer look at what happens to Maori when they are released from prison. Over six episoides the podcast, called TIAKI - which means 'to care' - reveals that more research needs to be done on the mental impacts of prison when it comes to re-entry into the community. Maori health expert Gabrielle Baker discusses the issue with Jesse.  [picture id="4JI7OL7_Tiaki_gif" crop="16x10" layout="third"]

Three hour school bus rides... missed firefighter call outs .. loads of Queenstown locals say traffic jams are having a real impact on their day to day life. Residents say it's not just a peak-hour problem - congestion can strike at almost any time of the day. Now the council has set up an anti-traffic congestion taskforce to tackle the issue. But, what can actually be done? To look at some of the potential solutions, Jesse is joined by Ross Copland from Southern Infrastructure. [picture id="4NJZCPJ_copyright_image_180186" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

Each Tuesday here on Afternoons we play You're the Judge where you, our audience, get to chime into someone else's dilemma. This week Billy wants our advice on what to do if he and his new girlfriend are politically opposed - he votes NZ First and she is Greens voter! Send us your thoughts on 2101 or email jesse@afternoons.co.nz [picture id="4K06BN3_getty_images_f84knUj__Q_unsplash_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

If you had one last meal, what would you choose? This is a question that begins every episode of a podcast called Last Meal with Tom Nash. But food is just the entree into much bigger conversations. Tom Nash has a life story that feeds the idea that the hardest moments in our lives can sometimes become our greatest source of strength. As a teenager in Sydney, he contracted meningococcal septicemia and was given little chance of surviving. He did but lost all four limbs. He eventually learned to walk with prosthetic legs and chose metal hook prostheses for his arms. Now he's a speaker and an advocate for antifragility who believes adversity isn't necessarily trying to teach us a lesson. Sometimes life simply serves you something you didn't ask for, and you have to take it as it comes. Click here to learn more about Tom's podcast. [picture id="4JI9L2J_Tom_Nash_png" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

A good podcast is like good radio, you can't stop listening, but with so many podcasts on offer it's hard to know what to commit to - fortunately our podcast critic Ximena Smith is here to help. She shares her thoughts on The Poisoned Wife and Black Box: The Chatbots. [picture id="4JI9L0Q_the_poisoned_wife_podcast_jfif" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

This week Afternoon's book critic Lisa Glass looks into the theme of invisible women via these books: Sophie, Standing There - Meg Mason Boring Asian Female - Canwen Xu People Hacker - Confessions of a Burglar for Hire - Jenny Radcliffe [picture id="4JJUL2T_mm_webp" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

It's time for Mayoral minutes .. where we speak with a local mayor about the challenges they're facing ... how they're working to solve them... and what makes their community special. Today we're heading to the Masterton ... that's in the Wairarapa District in the southeast of the North Island and that's where Mayor Bex Johnson is when she chats to Jesse. [picture id="4JPGAC8_Milky_Way_over_Lake_Wairarapa_1K2A3437__1_JPG" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Multiple sclerosis, also known as MS, is a life long neurological condition that affects five thousand New Zealanders. Symptoms often start for people between the ages of 20 to 50, but being such a complex condition, how it presents is also complicated .. with no two people experiencing MS in the same way. Which also means it can take time to be diagnosed with MS .. some people waiting up to ten years for an official diagnosis after symptoms start. Jesse talks to Shania Mathers about her story getting a MS diagnosis, but first MSNZ General Manager Amanda Rose joins Jesse to discuss why more needs to be done. [picture id="4JI9GK6_Amanda_Rose_1_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

To help build a picture of what regenerative farming practices might look like here in New Zealand, Te Whare Wanaka o Aoraki Lincoln University PhD student Kaitlin Watson compared a regenerative pasture-based system with a conventional one. She chats to Jesse about what she discovered. [picture id="4JI9H27_Kaitlin_Watson_jfif" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

We're going to start today's show by talking about political polls and whether they're reliable. This election is looking really close - and polls are consistently showing both National and Labour below the 30 percent mark. That means polls could take on an added importance .. helping shape narratives .. but how do we know we can trust them? Our next guest has concerns about who gets polled, how the numbers are calculated and who pays for the research. Ben Gray is an Associate Professor at University of Otago - for the past twenty years he has convened a course that covers appraisal of evidence, research ethics, cultural competence and health law. [picture id="4JPVS66_reid_poll_1_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

Ugly is having a moment. Cars are getting bigger, buildings louder and fashion more deliberately outrageous, some might even say deliberately ugly. It's a way to get noticed says designer Debbie Millman. She's an author, educator and host of a podcast that's been going strong for 20 years called Design Matters. She argues that in a world where being noticed has become a form of currency, taking up more space has its own value. In an essay for TIME magazine, she asks whether the world is actually getting uglier or whether ugly is being deployed as a very effective way to make us look.

Let's find out what's good to watch on the television, our critic Dominic Corry is with Jesse in the Auckland studio to share his picks: Lanterns (HBO Max) and The Westies (Neon).

Today we're going to focus on the brain. We'll be talking about brain development, how it controls or bodies and our senses, and what happens when it isn't functioning as it should. Our expert today is Professor Maurice Curtis. Maurice is Professor of Neuroscience and Director of Human Anatomy at the University of Auckland, as well as Co-Director of the Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank. If you have any questions for Maurice, send them through to 2101.

Every Monday afternoon we hit the clubs. We've been to lots of amazing places this year, but we're always keen for more so if you have a club or society you'd like me to visit do get in touch .. 2101 on the text or email jesse@rnz.co.nz Today Jesse is joined by Cherie Hames. [picture id="4KH74W7_farnham_jfif" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Afternoons contributor Brad Foster joins Jesse to tell him what's hitting the headlines in Australia. [picture id="4KH74W7_farnham_jfif" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Do you find yourself speaking less than you used to? We're asking because a new study has revealed that daily conversations are shrinking, with some people speaking 300 fewer words each day. To find out more we're joined by one of the lead researchers, Dr Valeria Pfeifer, she is an assistant professor at the University of Missouri Kansas City.

This week is te wiki o te reo Māori, and to mark it, journalists Eugene Bingham and Adam Dudding have released a new podcast called Reo Journeys: Te Pou Herenga Tai. Along with musician James Dansey, the three hosts take their reo Māori learning from the classroom to the cycleway. Across five episodes, they meet with kaumatua, historians and artists in Northland communities and discuss the revival of te reo Māori throughout Te Tai Tokerau. Eugene and Adam join Jesse in the Auckland studio.

We want to start with some positive news, because it's been a big week for Tikipunga High School at the AIMS Games. For the first time in more than a decade, the small Whangarei school sent their netball team .. and while they didn't stand out for their on court skills .. finishing 127th out of 132 .. their off court behaviour did get them noticed. They are the winners of the coveted Ripple Effect Award, given to a team which embodied the spirit and sportsmanship of AIMS in the best manner possible. Tikipunga High School netball team coach Bethany Badger and player Pheobe Theodore join Jesse. [picture id="4JIBCEA_tikipunga_avif" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

A tiny (extinct) bush wren and a cautionary tale as the Bird of the Year kicks off today. The Stead's bush wren is a symbol of how vulnerable our small ground dwelling birds are, and how crucial island biosecurity and predator control continue to be in NZ. The story of this wee wren helped shape our modern conservation practice and is a poignant reminder of what's at stake for our wildlife.

Music 101 producer Tony Stamp joins us to reveal the runners up in the 2026 Kiwi Cover Song Contest. The winning song will be revealed on Monday's show.  

Connie Clarkson joins Jesse to share her recipe for Lime and Coconut Mussel Hot Pot. A 'Little bit Country little bit Rock and Roll" moment. Savory coconut and aromatics - garlic, onions, ginger, celery, peppers then hit with an uplifting bolt of limes wrapping around that taste of the sea from Green Lip Mussels. Finished off with a whiff of curry leaves. [picture id="4JIGZRV_Lime_and_coconut_mussels_2_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Former professional netballer turned successful musician JessB joins us in Studio 5 to celebrate the release of her second album 'Matters Of The Heart".

Dom Corry reviews 'Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant', 'Fall 2: Deadpoint', & 'The Whisper Man'. [picture id="4JOPDCE_eede4344_c9dd_4de7_b926_9a507dbd069a_jfif" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Freaky Friday is the place for your spooky stories and terrifying tales. Please get in touch if you have your own tale to tell, you can text 2101 or email afternoons@rnz.co.nz. Today we hear from Sarah in Epsom [picture id="4PTYVTZ_30602028_l_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Abby Leterri's new book ' 'Perfectly Themselves' looks examines our relationship with horses. To write the book - which was completed as a PhD thesis at the International Institute of Modern Letters - Abby visited Iceland, Mongolia and the Outer Hebrides. [picture id="4JIIN6M_Perfectly_Themselves_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

For some, motherhood can be a lonely journey, something Mercedes Swann knows well. After the birth of her child she suffered from a sense of isolation. Now she advocates for better support for new mothers 'Mama Talanoa' is an online safe space for Pacific mothers. A place they can openly share the highs and lows of parenthood without fear of judgement. [picture id="4JJ0MLY_Screenshot_2026_08_31_210753_png" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Caroline Andrews is a New Zealander living in New York City. On September 11 2001, at 9:03am, Caroline witnessed the second hijacked plane hit World Trade Centre's south tower. Three-thousand people died at the attacks on the World Trade Centre in Manhattan and Pentagon in Washington DC. Caroline then witnessed a changing America as the US mourned and responded with its war on terror. 25 years on, Caroline is still a New Yorker. [picture id="4JIHXJK_AFP__20100630__dpa_7354612__v1__HighRes__FirstAnniversaryTheTerrorOf11September_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]