Christchurch based, Scottish born, artist Karra Rhodes is rising fast on the New Zealand music scene and she's got a new project in the works.

Her new album, Hometown Therapy, is also being used to shine a light on domestic violence and highlight her fundraising efforts for the charity Shine.

"I like to think that I write music that a lot of people maybe feel uncomfortable writing music on."

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Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the biggest names in food around the world, and he's set to bring his insights to our shores next year.

After 11 cookbooks, Ottolenghi's built a name for himself in the world of food, and his distinctive way of cooking has earned him praise and critical acclaim.

He says these tours are often 'hectic' and 'intense' - and it's hard for him to juggle the experience of taking in a city on these schedules.

"I'm quite flexible with the way I eat, so I'm just happy to eat whatever's around...cooking on stage is really just about sharing some basic techniques that I've developed over time."

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Exit Strategy by Lee Child and Andrew Child. Jack Reacher is back - this time in Baltimore, where he inadvertently gets himself caught up in corrupt goings on at the local Port. He walks into a coffee shop, and someone brushes against him - only later does he realise that a note was slipped into his pocket at that moment, from someone asking for help and requesting a late night rendezvous. The note was clearly intended for someone else but Jack heads along to the meeting anyway, just to see what’s going on. This is classic Reacher - he’s about to dispense a lot of vigilante justice and stand up for the good guys, before he gets onto another Greyhound bus and heads off for who knows where.

Good Things Come and Go by Josie Shapiro. Josie is an Auckland writer whose first book I loved - Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts. This is her second, and it’s equally good - about Penny and Riggs living in LA where things have gone terribly wrong for them, and the chance for Penny to come back to Auckland and hold a solo art exhibition is too good to ignore. They head back to Waiheke Island (and into the midst of complicated family dynamics) and reconnect with an old friend who’s down on his luck. The rekindling of that childhood friendship brings serious undercurrents, with long held secrets to be reckoned with. Josie is a terrific writer and I hope will be bringing us books for years to come.

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On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 23 November 2025, Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the biggest names in food, but it turns out even he struggles to know what to cook for dinner. This week he tells Francesca the unusual way he decides what to cook.

Karra Rhodes is an up and comer on the New Zealand music scene, she talks to Francesca about why she is donating royalties to charity.

The All Blacks have wrapped up their 2025 season, ZB commentator Elliott Smith with his report card, and Francesca questions the financial viability of university halls of residence for students.

And feeling that end of year fatigue? Erin O'Hara with all the tips for surviving Christmas without burning out.

Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Megan's been exploring the US, and she's unveiling her travel hacks for getting around on the trains.

She recently took the train from Boston to New York, and she weighed up the pros and cons of getting around the US on the train.

Read more about Megan's experiences here.

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This week on The Sunday Panel, ZB Wellington Mornings host, Nick Mills, and host of The Front Page podcast, Chelsea Daniels, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

The coalition Government is about to celebrate two years in their roles, what do we think of their progress? Is the coalition starting to re-position itself ahead of the election? Winston Peters has been vocally against the Regulatory Standards Bill - will we see more of this?

Trained GPs will soon be able to diagnose and treat ADHD next year. The College of Psychiatrists has raised concerns ahead of the switch, what do we make of this?

Schoolies is an Australian rite of passage, but the new moolies trend for mums looking to spend big on holidays after the kids have been through school is getting some buzz. Do we need this on our side of the Tasman?

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The end of the year is almost upon us, and many of us will be feeling overwhelmed, burned out and exhausted.

This is not a new phenomenon, we see it every year around November and December ahead of the summer holidays.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals how to work through the holiday exhaustion without getting too overwhelmed.

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Most of us think of oral health as something that affects our teeth and gums. But what if what’s happening inside your mouth is quietly influencing the rest of your body's long-term risk of disease - including diabetes and heart disease?

A new study published in the Journal of Translational Medicine has just found exactly that.

The study followed 65 people who were treated for root canal infections, a type of deep tooth infection that lets harmful microbes seep into the bloodstream.

The researchers tracked 44 different metabolites, small molecules in the blood linked to inflammation and metabolism, both before the root canal treatment and again over the next two years.

They found that:

• Within three months, signs of systemic inflammation dropped.
• Two years later, several markers of metabolic health, including blood glucose levels had significantly improved.

A root canal infection is more than a sore tooth, it’s a chronic bacterial invasion. When bacteria and toxins escape from infected tissue, they can enter the bloodstream and spark inflammation throughout the body.

Over time, this chronic inflammation is known to interfere with how our body handles glucose - potentially increasing insulin resistance, elevating blood sugar and putting extra strain on the heart and blood vessels.

The results showed that:

• Over half of the metabolites shifted significantly.
• Some amino acids linked to insulin resistance dropped.
• Cholesterol dipped temporarily after three months.
• At the two-year point, glucose levels were notably lower.
• Pyruvate, a molecule involved in inflammatory pathways, also declined.

The study raises the question around whether dental and physical health records should be connected, so doctors and dentists can work together helping to improve your overall health holistically.

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