The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Kaliane Bradley's The Ministry of Time has been regarded as one of the of successful books of 2024 - and it's got quite a history attached to it. The book was initially written as a fanfiction project intended for a small group of friends over the Covid-19 lockdowns, but it went on to become an instant hit. Ahead of her appearance at the Auckland Writers Festival, Bradley opened up about her creative process - and the journey that led to the creation of the book. "It's been a real pleasure to see that there are people out there that have connected with it and who care about it - when I started writing is, I didn't expect it to get beyond the original 15 readers. It really is very thrilling." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey. Set in England in 1979, identical 13 year old triplets are part of a Government scheme where they're constantly monitored and medicated. They're overseen by Mothers Morning, Afternoon and Night who teach them from the Book of Knowledge, keep records in the Book of Dreams, and write up their misdemeanours in The Book of Guilt. There's a slow, insidious creep to the narrative and when the Minister for Loneliness decides more social interaction would be good for them, they're sent to visit a family who have secrets and a shocking connection to these boys, as they discover that the world they thought they knew is an entire fiction. From the author of the award winning The Axeman's Carnival, this is remarkable. The Good Mistress by Anne Tiernan. Set in Ireland, this is the story of three women who knew one another as young girls and went on to have very separate lives. Juliet is mourning the loss of her lover, Rory, with whom she'd had a long affair, and who died suddenly; Erica is mourning the loss of her husband, and Maeve mourns the loss of the happy marriage she once had which over time has become increasingly unhappy. They meet up again when Juliet travels from her home in Auckland for Rory's funeral, and find they need to reconcile the realities of love, betrayal and the limits of forgiveness. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tens of thousands of travellers have descended on the city of Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis and the election of a new pontiff. The region's had its' share of time in the spotlight over the last couple of weeks - but BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton says there's plenty to explore and experience no matter what. She outlined her tips and recommendations here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, ZB Wellington mornings host Nick Mills and broadcaster and journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Labour has introduced a new members' bill designed to crack down on tobacco lobbying. Do we need to stop lobbying - or introduce more transparency in the name of health and safety? Ahead of a House of Lords vote on Monday, 400 artists have signed letter seeking protection from AI - can Governments get ahead of technology with policy? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With all the discussion around the importance of work-life balance going on, there's been additional questions raised about what that looks like for women. Many women are navigating the dual pressures of career advancement and family responsibilities, which creates an unrelenting overlap between work and home that often leads to burnout. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara unpacks the issue further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autumn veggie soup with lemon garlic bread Cook time: 30 minutes Prep time: 15 Serves: 6 2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 medium onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 3 carrots, peeled and diced 1 cup chopped celery 4 bay leaves 400gm can whole peeled tomatoes 400gm can cannellini beans, drained 1 ltr water & 1 stock cube ½ tsp toasted fennel seeds 5 large spinach leaves, destalked and roughly chopped 1/2 cup kalamata olives Old parmesan rind if you have one Lemon garlic bread 6 ciabatta rolls 150 gm unsalted butter 4 tbsp chopped parsley 3 cloves garlic, crushed Zest and juice of one small lemon Flaky salt and pepper Heat the oil in a large soup pot or casserole. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add carrot, celery and bay leaves. Continues to sauté for another minute before adding in the tomatoes, drained beans, fennel seeds, water, stock cube and Parmesan rind. Simmer for 20 minutes before adding olives when you want to serve. Super fast and really easy. Whilst your waiting, make up the butter. Turn the oven on to 180*c Combine the soft butter to the rest of the ingredient and season with flaky salt and pepper. Make a couple of cuts in the top of the rolls and fill with butter. You can choose to wrap the rolls in tin foil or simply place onto a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes Serve soup with warmed lemon garlic rolls. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Utes and SUVs make up 9 out of 10 of the most popular cars on our roads - but a new study has revealed the safety risks they pose. Research from the journal Injury Prevention shows that a pedestrian or cyclist is 44 percent more likely to be fatally injured if they are hit by an SUV or light truck (LTV), compared with smaller passenger cars. For children, the stats are even more bleak - a child hit by a SUV or LTV is 82 percent more likely to be killed than a child hit by a passenger car. Physicist and science writer Laurie Winkless explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dua Lipa, Sir Elton John and Florence Welch are among a list of stars calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to update existing copyright laws to protect them from AI. A letter signed by more than 400 British musicians, writers and artists and addressed to the Prime Minister says failing to give them that protection would mean them 'giving away' their work to tech firms. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains what the letter calls for - and why AI doesn't follow the same regulations as other platforms. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 11 May 2025, author Kaliane Bradley opened up about the creative journey that led to her successful debut novel, The Ministry of Time. Kiwi actress Robyn Malcolm is feeling pretty excited after After the Party got nominated for a Bafta - she joined Francesca to discuss. Francesca speculates about what Donald Trump's latest tariff-based announcement could mean for the film industry. Later, the Sunday Panel weighs in on lobbying laws and whether it's possible to regulate AI. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Queenstown brewery has put New Zealand on the global sake map for the first time. The country's first and only dedicated sake brewery has taken home a gold award for its handcrafted Drip Pressed Junmai Ginjo as part of the Tokyo Sake Challenge. Zenkuro Sake director Richard Ryall says this award comes as the brewery celebrates its 10-year anniversary. "It's been an amazing journey for us to reach this point - and 10 years has just flown past. But what a way to celebrate, with this fantastic award." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2025 Bafta Awards ceremony is set to take place, and one Kiwi star is feeling hopeful following her recent nomination. Robyn Malcolm's After the Party has been nominated for Best International Series - and she's feeling pretty thrilled about it. This follows the show picking up a record haul of nine awards at the New Zealand Television Awards last year. Robyn Malcolm says she's 'blown away' by the impact of the series, and she's feeling excited no matter what happens. "We've got a chance, but it's not a big chance - so if, weirdly, we ended up getting up on stage, that would be mind-blowing. But if not, it's completely brilliant being here and being part of it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's pushed their new pay equity changes through - and it's prompted some noticeable backlash. The Bill, halting pay equity claims and raising the threshold to lodge a claim based on gender discrimination, passed this week under urgency. Hundreds of protestors turned up outside Ministerial offices around the country in opposition. NZ Herald political reporter Jamie Ensor says these changes left Kiwis feeling 'blindsided' - and it felt like a 'perfect storm' making these changes so close to the Budget. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Access to mental health support is a constant problem - but one Kiwi start-up is working towards a solution. Between the shortage of qualified professionals, long delays and high costs, plenty of New Zealanders aren't getting the help they need. oVRcome specialises in VR Exposure Therapy - and the start-up is expected to showcase the technology at Melbourne's Digital Health Festival. oVRcome founder Adam Hutchinson says the company is focused around delivering exposure therapy through VR technology. "We deliver virtual reality exposure therapy - it sort of tricks the brain into thinking that you're actually in that environment. Therefore, we've been able to prove recently that we've been able to get the results." Read more about oVRcome here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts have voiced support for Labour's new bill requiring more reporting around tobacco lobbying - and there's growing calls for more transparency. Reports also indicate alcohol lobbyists have been given input into health policies. Transparency International New Zealand chair Anne Tolley says there needs to be more regulation and transparency around lobbying - so Kiwis can see who's involved. "The problem is, we don't know who's talking to whom, how often, and what the results are. That's why we're asking for a register of lobbyists, much more transparency about who's talking to whom and how often - and then what the outcomes are." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, a new disaster movie was announced. There isn't a script yet, because no one knows how it's going to end - and when it was announced, no one knew how to react. If there was ever a global WTF moment in film, it was Trump's announcement of a 100 percent tariff on films coming into the US which have been produced in foreign lands. As is often the case with President Trump, he asks a good question but comes up with the wrong answer. It's totally reasonable to look at how California can rebuild its entertainment industry. According to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, around 18,000 full time jobs have been lost over the last three years, mostly in California. So, yes, sure, look at how to maintain production and jobs in the US - but in a way which will actually benefit the entertainment business. No one sees the tariff on films made overseas as the answer to their problems. Many US studios make films overseas. The industry was advocating for tax incentives and subsidies and all the other normal things countries, including New Zealand, have done to help their film industries. But throwing out a declaration on social media without further explanation isn't the way to convince an industry you have their best interests at heart. Share prices for Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and Comcast fell after President Trump's announcement. And what does this proposal even mean? Is Trump talking about independent, foreign language films? Or large-scale studio films made overseas? And what if you produce the film from the States - say you write the script, pre-produced and post produce the film in the US, but take advantage of another country's tax incentives to shoot there? Is that a film made in a foreign land? What about a US produced film that uses Weta FX in NZ to create award winning visual effects - will it have to foot the tariff bill? What does this mean for streaming services? It's thought about 75 percent of Netflix content is made outside the US. Will TV shows be included? It's a minefield and it has thrown Hollywood into chaos. Films do not get made in a hurry, they are scheduled and planned years in advance. This is close to a writer's strike - in that Hollywood is being forced to take a breath and pause non-committed work, and it will take some time to get things started again. It's not just Hollywood who has been thrown, film industries around the world are in collective shock. In the UK, where new instalments of Marvel's Avengers and Spider-Man are set to shoot in London, the news was met with disbelief. Succession star Brian Cox called it “an absolute disaster”, and with a related workforce of around 200,000, many freelancers could find themselves jobless. New Zealand could suffer the same fate. Our industry has been bolstered recently by international productions, such as Chief of War, Minecraft and Brad Pitt's Heart of the Beast. We have an incredible industry here driven by a world-class crew who rely on these international projects. At the beginning of the year, Studio West in Auckland completed construction of its fifth sound stage, and Auckland Film Studios is also adding new stages - all so they can accommodate bigger international projects. The industry will be holding its breath that it can find a way to fill this new capacity. New Zealand's film sector generates NZ$3.5 billion annually, with around one third of revenue generated from the United States. So, yeah, what Brian Cox said - this could be a disaster. But we're grown ups - so keep calm and carry on seems to be the public response so far, but behind the scenes there is no doubt at least mild panic. Finding a way to convince Trump there are other approaches to Make Hollywood Great Again will be at the forefront of industry leaders' minds right now - let's hope they do. Otherwise, this story might have a miserable ending... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karoline Tamati, known to Kiwi music fans as Ladi6, is back with her new single Lightbulb - and she's confirmed there's more to come. Her upcoming new album Le Va is her first big musical project in seven years. This album promises to be a deeply personal project, as it was written as a tribute to Tamati's late mother. "We had a very specific theme for this next record - which was that we wanted it to be more indicative of the live show. In the past, we hadn't had that so much, we'd sort of kept to the mellow end of soul and R&B." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Nicholls is a critically acclaimed author and BAFTA-winning screenwriter - and he's set to make an appearance at this year's upcoming Auckland Writers Festival. His bestselling book One Day sold millions of copies and went on to become a successful hit series on Netflix. Off the back of his latest hit novel, You Are Here, Nicholls plans to address Kiwi fans - and open up about the pressures of success. "I've written a lot of books set in the past and a lot of books with quite a large time scale - and this is like a little delicate chamber piece, even though it takes place against all these mountains and lakes and rivers. It's a character study." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende. Any new book from the wonderful Isabel Allende is a treat, and this is no exception. It begins in 1866 when an Irish nun becomes pregnant after an encounter with a wealthy Chilean who turns his back on them, and the baby and her mother have to fight for their place in the world. The child, Emilia del Valle, eventually becomes a writer and a journalist, and is eventually sent to cover the Chilean civil war along with a friend and colleague, Eric Whelan. There is history here as well as the romance, which makes it truly fascinating along with the romance. It was an extraordinary time. The Pretender by Jo Harkin. Set in 15th Century England at the juncture between the Plantaganets and the Tudors, this is fiction which is fun, bawdy, historically interesting and never takes itself too seriously. It tells the story of a young boy who through his lifetime is known by a series of names. Firstly, he's John Collett, growing up on a farm from which he's one day uplifted by a couple of noblemen, becoming known as Lambert Simnel and told that he is in fact the 17th Earl of Warwick and will challenge King Henry 7th for the Crown. I loved it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 11 years of operating in New Zealand, Ubers can now drop passengers off out front by the doors at Auckland Airport's domestic terminal. Instead of walking a couple hundred meters from the domestic terminal and through the car rental garage, people in Ubers can enjoy the same convenience as the taxi and shuttle bus riders. BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton unpacked this latest announcement - and gave a brief update on the progress of Auckland International Airport's construction. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New studies have shown that vaping may not be the perfect silver bullet set to bring down nicotine consumption. Recent data shows that people who vape, even without a smoking history, are at a higher risk of developing COPD than non-vapers. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains the research further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 4 May 2025, critically acclaimed author and BAFTA winning screenwriter, David Nicholls on the fear he still gets when releasing a book. Ladi6 on the impact of losing her mum, new music and why she's turning towards helping others. Anthony Albanese has won the Australian election in a landslide, correspondent Murray Olds on what went wrong for the opposition Liberals and former New Zealand Minister Steven Joyce shares his thoughts on the shift in world politics away from MAGA style politics. Francesca reminisces about the days of school banking and Mike Van de Elzen weights in on the recipe stoush brewing over the Tasman between two popular food bloggers. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Sunday Panel, Resident Economist at Opes Partners, Ed McKnight, and host of the Front Page podcast, Chelsea Daniels, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Over in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secured a second term as Prime Minister. This comes days after Mark Carney won the role of Prime Minister - with experts claiming anti-Trump sentiment helped propel his win. Do we think anti-Trump sentiment helped boost these candidates? Finance Minister Nicola Willis has refused to rule out means-testing for KiwiSaver ahead of the 2025 Budget. Do we agree with means-testing the Government contribution? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nagi Maehashi, founder of popular food blog RecipeTin Eats, says influencer Brooke Bellamy's new cookbook ‘Bake with Brooki' plagiarised some recipes from her blog. Maehashi claimed Bellamy's book contained uncannily similar ingredients, quantities, and instructions for a caramel slice and baklava. Mike van de Elzen explained whether you could really claim ownership over a recipe. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No coastal city is immune to rising sea levels - and one expert has warned New Zealand could be at risk of sinking shorelines. A new study from a group of New Zealand researchers shows human activity is exacerbating the risks of oceans rising and impacting land. Physicist and science writer Laurie Winkless says oceans are getting warmer and glaciers are melting - and it's something that should be considered for future urban planning. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fyre Festival brand has gone up for sale - a matter of weeks after the organisers postponed Fyre Festival 2 with no new date set. Billy McFarland, the former organiser who served six years in prison after the 2017 event, claimed giving control of the festival to a new group would help build on the global entertainment brand. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall wonders if anyone will pay for the event. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data has revealed the average cost of a funeral in New Zealand has surged to $14,000 - and one charitable organisation hopes to help Kiwis bring these costs down. Advocacy group Death Without Debt believes a DIY funeral can be done for little more than $1,000 - if people know how. Convenor Fergus Wheeler says families could manage the process with no loss of dignity and for far less. "Things like - moving a body around, not to embalm a body. You can register the death yourself, you don't need a funeral director to do that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's less than a month left to go until the 2025 Budget - and there's plenty of speculation about the announcements to come. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has been clear in her initial statements that this coming Budget will be focused on getting the books back in order. The Government has slashed its operating allowance to just $1.3 billion dollars - a substantial drop from the $2.4 billion forecast by Treasury. ZB senior political reporter Sophie Trigger says it's been made clear this won't be a 'lolly scramble' Budget. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's re-election is cementing a belief US policy is influencing voters abroad. The Labor Party has secured a historic, and comfortable win over Peter Dutton's Liberal National Coalition - with Dutton himself ousted from his own Queensland seat. Over in Canada, Mark Carney secured the role of Prime Minister - with experts claiming anti-Trump sentiment helped propel his win. Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce says the political right has learned the same lesson as the left about online 'echo chambers'. "The broad middle of politics is much more pragmatic about what they want to see happen in the world, they're not so much interested in the culture wars - be they on the left or on the right." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is returning to the top job, after a decisive election win that was well predicted. He's the country's first leader to win back-to-back elections since John Howard in 2004, pushing his party back into office - this time with an even larger majority. Meanwhile, the night proved a big loss for opposition leader Peter Dutton - after he lost his seat of Dickson in Queensland and conceded defeat. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this was an 'epic' win for Labor - and a significant loss for the opposition. "Unless Labor really stuffs things up, it's going to have another election win in three years time, because the Liberals - the conservative right of Australian politics - is in complete disarray this morning." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These days I have blurry memories of my time at primary school in Auckland in the late 70s, early 80s, but I can very clearly remember my ASB school banking book. ASB began school banking in 1972 as a way for children to learn about saving and banks, and I guess it was also with a view to retaining us as customers when we were in the workforce and had real amounts of money. On banking days, I can remember bringing my 50 cents to school to make the deposit. My book was stamp marked with the date and the deposit and new balance amounts written in. And goodness, did I love watching the balance increase. I'm pretty sure at one point I had an ASB Kashin elephant money box as well. I'm sure this is ringing a bell with some of you. This is far from what the Government proposed this week - compulsory financial education for students up to year 10, starting in 2026. But, encouraged by my parents, it was at primary school that my understanding of savings and budgeting began - because it was easy and available. While I was budgeting to add to my rubber and sticker collections the real benefit was that I became a good saver, and it has stuck with me for life. As has my now worthless rubber collection - currently in a box under the stairs. I know teachers are inundated with curriculum changes and already have a lot to deal with in the classroom - but there must be room to grow financial literacy beyond what's in the maths curriculum. Concepts like saving, budgeting, debt and investment. Of all the things students learn to prepare them for life after school, surely this is among the most useful and important. Yes, this is something parents should be teaching their children, but financial knowledge is not equal amongst adults. Some parents don't like talking about money. Some assume their children will pick up good money management habits through osmosis. Some prefer to leave it to an expert to explain along the way. And many children just don't listen to their parents. When my son got his first part-time job, I suggested he read Get Started Investing by the guys behind the Equity Mates podcast. It was perfect for a teen boy. But no, the idea of having his own money and the freedom to spend it how he liked was way too exciting. OK - so I was a bit optimistic, but at least I know that in theory he understands the idea of compound interest. I'm enthusiastic about my children becoming financially independent - as quickly as possible - so the more information they have, from as many sources as possible, the better prepared they are to make good decisions. As an adult I'm still learning how to manage my money better. So, let's get them started young. We don't know what the curriculum requirements will be at this stage, but let's give our children the basics and the best chance to be good with money for life. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gillian Swinton grew up watching her grandmother maintain a family farm in Northern Scotland - and used her experience to cultivate the rural lands of New Zealand. Now based in Central Otago, Gillian and her partner Hamish live on a 2.7 hectare property - embracing their own journey of living a self-sufficient and more simple life. Gillian has shared her own story of homesteading with tips and tricks in her new book The Good Life. "All of a sudden, we've got two-and-a-half hectares and sheep and bees - and it snowballed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Epic thriller All the Colours of Dark was one of the must-read books of 2024 - but author Chris Whitaker's road to success was a long one. Whitaker has suffered his share of trauma - childhood abuse, stabbing, and losing millions of pounds as a stockbroker. He turned to writing - a move he credits with saving his life. Ahead of his upcoming appearance at Auckland Writers Festival, Whitaker says it was a 'vulnerable' place putting his creative work out for audience approval. "It felt like I didn't have anything else to offer - that was then, obviously, but now I've started writing a new book and I'm in love with that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1985: A Novel by Dominic Hoey. Set in Auckland in the mid 80's as the title suggests, this is the story of a young man coming of age in a dysfunctional family in Grey Lynn before it became gentrified, when the area and many of the people who lived in it were rough, not necessarily law abiding and where there seemed sometimes to be no future. Obi and his best friend Al discover a map which they believe leads to treasure, and which they hope will turn their fortunes around. The book is extremely atmospheric of the era, and took me right back. Terrific local fiction. High Heels and Gumboots by Rebecca Hayter. Rebecca is a sailor and a journalist, often combining the two things, who turned her back on Auckland and bought a property in Golden Bay, where she had grown up many years earlier. It's a story about leaving the city and discovering independence and self sufficiency, a strong community to call her own, and finding ways to come to terms with the fractious relationship she had had with her mother, who was something of a legend in the area. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the perks of using credit cards is the Airpoints rewards - but there's benefits and pitfalls involved. A Platinum AMEX, for instance, will give you points for every $70 spent - but it comes with a higher annual fee than the Airpoints Low Fee Visa card. You can also earn Airpoints through New World's rewards programme, but it takes a bit of spending to make a significant impact. BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 27 April 2025, author of smash hit 'All the Colours of the Dark' tells Francesca of the traumatic life events that inspire his writing. Scottish expat homesteader Gillian Swinton shares her journey to living self-sufficiently in Central Otago. New Zealand Archbishop Cardinal John Dew attended the funeral of Pope Francis overnight, he shares his experience from St Peters Square and explains his role in picking the next Pope. Blogger at Large's Megan Singleton gives us tips to maximise the Airpoints you earn on your credit card and the panel debates whether taking selfies with the late Pope crosses an ethical line. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Sunday Panel, NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson and journalist and editor Jo McCarroll joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Should Kiwis have more say over the state of the health system? Can health ever become bi-partisan? Do we believe it is a matter of doing things differently with the money we have, rather than continually expecting more money to be the answer? Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world came together to pay tribute to the Pope - but the amount of people taking selfies raised a few eyebrows. Does this cross the line? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a subject many would prefer not to think about, but there's no avoiding the fact that people can struggle with issues with their pelvic floor. A weak pelvic floor can lead to issues with getting proper exercise - as well as other complications. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals the signs and symptoms of a weak pelvic floor - and how to best treat this condition. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chicken Coq au Vin Cook time: 25 minutes Prep time: 30 minutes Serves: 6 6 large bone-in chicken thighs or legs 2 cups red wine 12 baby white onions, outer skin removed 2 tbsp sunflower oil Flaky salt and white pepper 200gm button mushrooms 6 rashers streaky bacon 1 cube chicken stock dissolved in 1 cup water ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley + extra for garnish 6 serves mashed potatoes Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and marinate in red wine for at least two hours in the fridge. Preheat oven to 180*C. Place the baby onions and mushrooms into a large casserole dish, toss with oil, salt and pepper and roast until the onions are tender (about 10 minutes) Next heat a large cast iron pan and saute bacon till coloured. Remove bacon and chop into large pieces. Remove chicken thighs from marinade and brown in the pan with a touch of oil. Cook the chicken in batches to avoid stewing. Once coloured place the chicken into the casserole dish Cover with bacon, onions, mushrooms, red wine, stock and parsley. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove tin foil and continue to cook for a further 25 minutes. To serve: spread a generous amount of parsnip mash on each plate. Spoon over the coq au vin and garnish with chopped Italian parsley. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine seeing a colour so vivid, so unlike anything in nature, that your brain has no reference for it. That's exactly what happened to five people who took part in an experiment published in the journal Science Advances this week. The newly perceived colour, which is described as a hyper-saturated blue-green shade, has been named olo, and it unlocked a visual experience that was previously impossible with natural light alone. To understand the experiment, we first need to understand how we see colour. At the back of your eye lies the retina, which contains three types of photoreceptor cone cells - S, M, and L cones -each tuned to different wavelengths of light: S cones respond to short, bluish wavelengths, M cones to medium, greenish wavelengths, L cones to long, reddish wavelengths. Together, they allow your brain to mix and interpret the colours of the world around you. But here's the catch: in nature, the M and L cones are almost always activated together due to how their sensitivities overlap. This means it's essentially impossible to isolate just the M cones with regular light. As a result, a truly pure green, seen by stimulating only M cones, is something no one had ever seen - until now. The researchers used pinpoint lasers and advanced optics to stimulate individual photoreceptors in the human eye. Using a laser no more powerful than a standard green laser pointer, the team was able to target cone cells with surgical precision. First, they needed to create a cone map, a detailed image showing the exact arrangement of cone types on each participant's retina. This map allowed the system to fire microscopic pulses of light solely at the M cones, leaving the others in darkness. When volunteers looked into the laser system, they described a colour that doesn't exist in nature. Some said it was like a supercharged peacock green, others just stared in amazement. As soon as the laser was adjusted to stimulate even a few non-M cones, the olo colour vanished and was replaced instantly by the familiar green of the laser. The implications of this go far beyond a cool visual trick and open up new possibilities in both science and medicine. By allowing researchers to control cone cells at this level of precision, it may help us: Understand how colour vision truly works on a cellular level, Simulate what it's like to lose certain types of vision, helping us study degenerative eye conditions like macular degeneration, Explore how to expand human perception, possibly giving people with colour blindness access to colours they've never seen before or even enable humans to experience tetrachromacy. Sadly, most of us will never get to see olo ourselves, but its discovery is a powerful reminder of how much there is still to learn about the human body, even something as seemingly simple as colour. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the most distinctive concert films in rock history, Pink Floyd at Pompeii, has been rereleased to theatres - along with an accompanying soundtrack. Filmed in 1971 and released the following year, the film captures the band shortly before Dark Side of the Moon ushered in their most commercially successful phase. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall recaps the experience - and explains whether or not this is worth the watch. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sick of inaction from politicians around our ailing health system, two Kiwi doctors are taking matters into their own hands. GP Dr Glenn Colquhoun and general hospital physician Dr Art Nahill yesterday launched Hīkoi for Health: A People's Inquiry. They've hit the road in a bright yellow 'vanbulance' in a bid to protest the state of the health system - and collect stories from people who've been impacted by the health system. "I've gradually seen conditions, both for patients and for healthcare providers, deteriorate - to the point where I didn't feel like I could bear anymore of what I would call moral injury from trying to treat and discharge patients in a broken system." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Works toward improved public transport for northwest Auckland are a step closer after an investment case was endorsed by the Transport Agency, the Minister of Transport says. The announcement on the Northwest Rapid Transit plan - which includes public transport on State Highway 16 (SH16) from Brigham Creek to the city centre and a Northwest Busway - was made by Chris Bishop earlier in the week. NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.