RNZ: Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan

Jesse is joined by The Panel host Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest to preview this evening's show.

It's one of the fastest-growing sports in the world but you may not have ever heard of it. Padel is growing in popularity here in NZ and is quickly becoming not only a sport to get you fit, but to help you meet people. Adam McDonald is the Pacific Padel Albany club and community manager and is with Jesse now.

Ancestry.com is the world's biggest genealogy website, providing users with access to historical records and DNA testing. It is known for having a vast collection of records and family trees and once a year it does a big update calling it DNA day. Our historian Dr Grant Morris is here to explain what that is and whether it matters.

With the local elections done and dusted, mayors will now be turning their attention to how to run their councils and get things done in their patch. Today in solving the world's problems, NZME Senior Writer Simon Wilson joins Jesse with an example of how one council seems to be highly functional through political, but crucially not partisan, politics.

Time for NZ Sporting History, and today we're looking at the history of controversial calls in Kiwi sport. Referees have a thankless job and I suppose no one gets it right 100 percent of the time, but sometimes you can't help but throw your hands up and scream 'Oh come on ref!' So to look back at some of these high-wire moments Jesse is joined by award-winning sports journalist Dylan Cleaver.

Friendships, workmates, love, whatever the status relationships are tricky. Navigating the highs and the lows can be challenging especially when it involves having tricky conversations. That's why we've got a new segment every fortnight that focuses on relationships. To help us navigate these difficult discussions I'm joined by Professor Kirsty Ross from Massey University's School of Psychology. Today we're focusing on chore allocation, office friendships and friend politics.

The 2025 Wilding Pines conference is currently taking place in Twizel The aim of the conference is to share knowledge, boost morale and hopefully attract new funding to the problem Funding which - according to MPI returns $34 of economic value for every dollar spent. Dr Thomas Carlin is part of the Bioeconomy Science Institutes "Viva La Resistance" project.

Several of our universities have given up running student essays through AI detection software. Because for the most part, they say it didn't really work. But at a time when essays and written projects can be generated in seconds, how to grade work is a serious question. It's one that Auckland Uni Teaching Fellow Patrick Dodd has been grappling with for the last couple of years, now he believes he's got a solution.

GrabOne - the website which offered discounted deals on experiences, products, and travel has gone into liquidation. It was once one of New Zealand's largest daily deals websites and used to be high value - it was sold by NZME to Global Marketplace New Zealand in 20-21 for $17.5 million. The company announced this morning that there would be no refunds for customers with unredeemed vouchers. RNZ's Money Correspondent Susan Edmunds chats to Jesse about consumer rights.

Dr Claire Concannon of Our Changing World chats to Jesse about the Australasian Crested Grebe and the Lake Wanaka grebe project.

A quiet family lunch ends with three dead, one barely alive, and the world taunted by the question: did Erin Patterson serve up death cap mushrooms in the Beef Wellington lunch on purpose? That question was more than a matter of idle speculation for members of the jury in the Patterson Trial. The Australian writer behind Underbelly and Pine Gap has produced one of the first deep dives into the case that had the world riveted in not a whodunit, but a how did she do it. Greg Haddrick lays out the case from the perspective of a juror in his new book is The Mushroom Murders: A Family Lunch. Three Deaths. What Really Happened?

It's Wednesday which means time to talk Easy Eats; a recipe that isn't too taxing on your time but still delivers on taste. Our regular Easy Eats contributor Kelly Gibney is away so we've got the talented Olivia Galletly also known as The Hungry Cook, joining us. Her recipe for eggplant, shallot and yellow coconut curry is here.

Time for our weekly travel adjacent segment - Heading Off. The longer we've run this, the more it's become your feature with loads of you getting in touch with the adventures you'd like to share. Including today's guest Afternoons listener Stephen Draaijer. Between 2004 and 2009 Stephen spent 15 months travelling and photographing the Silk Road. One of his portraits is up on the Afternoons section of the RNZ website now, and you can see the rest in his book "30 Silverglyphics: A Journey Along the Silk Road"

After being closed for three years, next month will see Auckland's Point Chevalier library reopen. And opening day will be more than a ribbon cutting- it's going to have its own soundtrack. Musicians Dave Khan & David Ward, who have composed music for films like "Power of the dog" & worked with Marlon Williams, Reb Fountain & Dave Dobbin, are behind the project called 'Music to Read By'. To explain what that is Dave and Dave join Jesse with guitars in tow.

For centuries durum wheat has been recognised as the gold standard of wheats for making great pasta and bread. Much like the rest of our wheat supplies, almost all of it is imported. But, thanks to four families in the Wairarapa, that's beginning to change. Mick Williams from the Wairarapa Grain Collective talks to Jesse.

Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee has announced he is cracking down on Parliamentary behaviour, and one of the issues he's keen to look at is standard of dress. When asked about it on Morning Report today, Minister of Health Simeon Brown said since the removal of ties, standards of behaviour has dropped. Which got us thinking, not about ties specifically, but if what you wear affects the way people view you? Does it make you more or less professional? Doris de Pont, Founder of NZ Fashion Museum and NZ Fashion Curator is here to help.

Jesse is joined by The Panel host Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest to preview this evening's show.

We've got a new segment called 'You're the Judge' where we present an issue that's been sent in by one of our listeners, and you, our audience, decide what the right course of action is. We've been asking for the problems that have you stumped and have been sent lots of your dilemmas, if you have one to add to the pile email jesse@afternoons.co.nz Today's issue is gift etiquette - what do you do if you don't like a present?

For years, Dr Jean Twenge warned about the links between declining mental health and the rising use of smartphones and other devices. She was one of the first to raise the alarm, now she wants to offer parents some solutions. Dr Twenge says parents are up against tech companies that do everything they can to encourage young people to spend as much time as possible on their phones and laptops and having conversations with them about that are not going to cut it. Teenagers need rules. She writes not just as a renowned researcher, but as a parent of 3 teenage daughters. Her latest book is called 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World: How Parents Can Stop Smartphones, Social Media, and Gaming from Taking Over Their Children's Lives.

Time to find out what's hitting the headlines in Australia, our usual guy Brad Foster is on a well-deserved holiday, so we're pleased to have TVNZ's One News' Australia correspondent Jacob Johnson joining us. Jacob is going to chat about a superannuation tax change, YouTube's appearance before a Senate Committee, Victoria's crime problem and that Bathurst win.

We're going to chat books now and a new collection coming out in November is celebrating Auckland and some of the reasons people choose to live there. To share the details Anna Rankin joins Jesse, she is currently in New York completing a Masters of Arts in Journalism with a Politics Concentration at Columbia University thanks to a Fulbright award.

Tim shares details of a massive deal announced last week whereby AMD is giving OpenAI 10% of the company. It's caused a lot of chat about the incredibly strange financial arrangements between three huge tech companies (AMD, Nvidia, OpenAI).

The ice cream brand Tip Top turns 90 years old this month. From a small Wellington milk bar to a huge Auckland factory - the story of this company is a remarkable one. The ubiquitous summer treats are now also available across the Pacific, Australia and Southeast Asia. We all have our favourites, be that the boysenberry trumpet, Jelly Tip, Choc Bar or an old school ice cream in a cone. To mark the milestone, Jesse is joined by Chief Executive Ben Schurr and longtime employee Ross Jenkin.

Love Actually is one of the most popular Christmas films of all time. And according to Wikipedia it's the 9th highest grossing Christmas film ever, just below Batman Returns, so take from that what you will. This year it's coming to NZ, with a twist. Love Actually in Concert features a live orchestra playing the score. MC and mega fan Chelsea Plumley joins us now.

New Zealanders are leaving the country in record numbers, the latest figures from Stats NZ show overall migrant arrivals dropped 16% to 138,600, while departures increased 13% to 127,900. Nearly 48 thousand kiwi citizens left this year. Continuing the trend that we've seen over the past two years - with large numbers of New Zealand citizens leaving and fewer migrants arriving. So is this the new normal or just a reflection of current tough times? Sociologist and emeritus professor at Massey University Paul Spoonley joins Jesse.

Drink, quit, relapse. For nearly 20 years, that was the exhausting cycle that ruled Katie Herzog's life. A journalist and podcaster, she tried everything: quitting cold turkey, 12-step programs, sheer willpower. Nothing stuck. Then she discovered a science-backed approach that didn't demand total abstinence from alcohol but used medication to quiet cravings and restore control. Her new book explores how this unconventional path helped her finally make peace with drinking. It's called Drink Your Way Sober: The Science-Based Method to Break Free from Alcohol.

We all know the saying, you can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends. Well workplaces are much the same, you can choose your job but you can't choose who you work with. Which can mean conflicts can arise. But how do you deal with those conflicts in a positive way? Our expert today is here to help answer that question and more. Lisa Oakley has more than 20 years' experience in human resources and HSE [Health, Safety and Environment], and she's the founder and lead consultants at People Associates.

Peta Mathias might be best known for presenting food TV shows, but she's also written 19 books. Nineteen! Her latest "It's been six weeks since My Last Confession" was released yesterday. Peta joins Jesse in studio.

Traditionally most of us think of NZ as having a strong screen production industry. And that was certainly the case 4 or 5 years ago with seemingly jobs aplenty and heaps of international productions being shot here. But that no longer appears to be the case, so far this financial year only seven international productions have registered with the film commission. So what's going on, and how can we get the sector moving again? South Pacific Pictures is the production company behind films like Whale Rider and TV shows Shortland Street & The Traitors. CEO Kelly Martin talks to Jesse.

Cashpoints is a new customer loyalty programme that has launched today. Its' co-founder Ian Sutcliffe - who was also behind the popular AA Smartfuel loyalty programme - promises that Cashpoints is simple for shoppers to understand. Some retailers have already signed up, with more planning to do so in the next few months. We've asked Christopher Walsh from Moneyhub to give his verdict and whether loyalty schemes are actually good for consumers.

The critter for this week is the Astelia Lacebug - Tanybyrsa cumberi. This pretty little critter is the only one of its family endemic to New Zealand. They have beautiful delicate wings which resemble lace (think your grandma's favourite doily) and gives them their common name. These tiny critters are common throughout Aotearoa, living only on Astelia plants. Forest and Bird Chief Executive Nicola Toki rates this critter with Jesse.

One of life's biggest and most stressful events is moving house ... putting your world into boxes can take a toll ... and that's before you take into account the job of decluttering and cleaning. Rachael Quin from The Housekeeper has just gone through it all .. she joins Jesse now to share her tips and tricks to surviving it all.

Time to talk food now, and we've got Dish magazine Editor Sarah Tuck here to share some recipes .. she's got a new cookbook out with Dish Food Editor Claire Aldous .. it's called FAST Two and is packed with more than a hundred recipes. Sarah joins Jesse in studio. Here are her recipes: chicken satay meatballs and red curry soup and dumplings

Kate Rodger shares her must watch films: Went Up the Hill in cinemas now House of Dynamite (Kathryn Bigelow) in cinemas and on Netflix from October 24

Time for Freaky Friday .. our chance to dive into the supernatural .. the odd .. the unusual. Today we chat to Harmony from Motuek about their unsettling experience in 1970s Portland.

This weekend the third Whangarei Maritime festival takes place at the town basin. There will be boats - obviously - but also live music, a maritime careers fair, food and all the rest. This year, not all the action is on the sea, there is also a series of talks at the Hundertwasser Arts Centre. Including a talk from friend of the show Nick Atkinson - on an ocean voyage that began in a Ponsonby bakery and ended at Shakleton's grave. Nick chats to Jesse.

Tomorrow is national bookshop day and given that a number of bookshops have had to close their doors this year, we think bookshops need some celebrating. Independent booksellers around the country are hosting events, fancy dress parties, give aways, sales and in at least one shop book themed tattoos.

Freedom camping is a classic Kiwi pastime, but restrictions are getting tighter and tighter. Queenstown Lakes District Council has voted in a new bylaw that will restrict freedom campers to 15 designated areas with a total of 141 carparks. The council says a steady increase in the number of freedom campers visiting Queenstown has forced them to set a bylaw so they can control it. They recieved public submissions when a draft was put forward in June, with the vast majority of respondants saying it was too permissive. So, if you're a regular freedom camper, what do you need to know? Where can you pitch a tent these days? James Imlach is the national manager of property and policy for the NZ Motor Caravan Association and talks to Jesse.

On average we breathe in around 20,000 times a day, but for the most part, it happens automatically. We don't think about it. Despite that our breath and the way we breathe can have a huge impact on our mental and physical wellbeing. Think about it, if you're dealing with a difficult situation what do you do? Stop and take breath. But there's soo much more to it than that. Art of Living is a global leader in meditation and breathwork. It teaches the skills across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. National co-ordinator Andrew Melville breathes with Jesse.

It's time to talk money with Mary Holm now, which is something Mary and Jesse have been doing for ten years this month. To mark that anniversary Mary asked you to send in the tips and tricks that have seen you change your financial habits. She joins Jesse to share the results.

Time for our next instalment of A-Z of Aotearoa, we've covered Inventions, Fish & Chips, Charles Upham, Dairies, the Great Walks, Billy T James and today we're looking at the career of the first true global superstar of rugby Jonah Lomu. It will be ten years next month since he died, and while he needs no introduction, it's good to reflect. At just 20 years old Jonah exploded onto the world stage at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa running over Mike Catt for that famous try and any other defender that stood in his way. He became a global phenomenon almost overnight going on to play 63 matches for the All Blacks and scoring 37 tries Sky Sport rugby commentator Tony Johnson joins Jesse in the Auckland studio to remember Jonah

Right, it's time now for Group Chat, our chance to talk about all the conversations filling up your chats, the topics discussed at the school gate or in the office kitchen. Today Jesse is joined by Kate Rodger and Afternoons Senior Producer Olivia Wilson, and they're chatting about Taylor Swift's new album and the mixed reviews and Jimmy Fallon's decision to "not be political".