In the latest episode of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, famed chef Yotam Ottolenghi talks finding the joy of cooking and talks his stage show coming to New Zealand in 2026. 

We hear from Black Grace Dance Company founder Neil Ieremia as the group celebrates 30 years of stunning performances. 

Plus Bill Bryson talks revisiting and revising his iconic book A Short History of Nearly Everything. 

Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin brings you the best interviews from Newstalk ZB's The Sunday Session. 

Listen on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. 

LISTEN ABOVE

In the latest episode of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, famed chef Yotam Ottolenghi talks finding the joy of cooking and talks his stage show coming to New Zealand in 2026.&nbsp;
We hear from Black Grace Dance Company founder Neil Ieremia as the group celebrates 30 years of stunning performances.&nbsp;
Plus Bill Bryson talks revisiting and revising his iconic book&nbsp;A Short History of Nearly Everything.&nbsp;
Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin brings you the best interviews from Newstalk ZB's The Sunday Session.&nbsp;
Listen on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Get the very best from Newstalk ZB's Francesca Rudkin as she brings you the top interviews from her chats from The Sunday Session. 

Hear from the big names globally as well as those making headlines right here in New Zealand. 

Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin is the home of in depth, enlightening and entertaining conversations. 

Listen on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Get the very best from Newstalk ZB's Francesca Rudkin as she brings you the top interviews from her chats from The Sunday Session. 
Hear from the big names globally as well as those making headlines right here in New Zealand. 
Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin is the home of in depth, enlightening and entertaining conversations. 
Listen on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

Great Chats 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.

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Episode 17: Yotam Ottolenghi, Neil Ieremia and Bill Bryson

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/20a442ef-5aa7-4a46-af44-b3a70010afe0/transcript

The SailGP season got underway last week, but the Black Foils didn't start out as well as they'd hoped.

A collision with the Swiss boat in the opening race has left them with significant boat damage and in negative points ahead of the Auckland event in under three weeks. 

Black Foils strategist Liv Mackay says the boat is getting repaired ahead of the event, and the team should be back on the water in time.

"It was definitely a pretty shocking situation and definitely something that you don't take lightly - as in, the risk and everything out there. But the season is long, we've definitely been in these similar situations before, so it's not a notch off the goal."  

LISTEN ABOVE

The SailGP season got underway last week, but the Black Foils didn't start out as well as they'd hoped.
A collision with the Swiss boat&nbsp;in the opening race has left them&nbsp;with&nbsp;significant boat damage and in negative points ahead of the Auckland event in under three weeks.&nbsp;
Black Foils strategist Liv Mackay says the boat is getting repaired ahead of the event, and the team should be back on the water in time.
"It was definitely a pretty shocking situation and definitely something that you don't take lightly - as in, the risk and everything out there. But the season is long, we've definitely been in these similar situations before, so it's not a notch off the goal."&nbsp;&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Liv Mackay: Black Foils strategist on the impact of the team's collision at the start of the SailGP season

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/ca4d0200-d331-4074-8ad6-b3dd0004e078/transcript

Pati Umaga was once given ultimatum by his father to become a either a church minister or a lawyer - and instead launched a career in music that changed his life.

He found success as the bass player of the Holiday Makers, but he was left tetraplegic after a fall.

He suffered years of hardship but eventually re-found his purpose as an advocate for the disabled community through his music - and he's turned his story into a stage show called A Music Portrait of a Disabled Samoan.

Oscar Kightley has assisted in writing the show, and Nathaniel Lees has directed it - and the pair are looking forward to sharing this story with Kiwi viewers.

"It's really great, I'm working on my friend's show about his life story and it's really interesting and it's so cool to be able to put it on a stage."

LISTEN ABOVE

Pati Umaga was once given ultimatum by his father to become a either a church minister or a lawyer - and instead launched a career in music that changed his life.
He found success as the bass player of the Holiday Makers, but he was left tetraplegic after a fall.
He suffered years of hardship but eventually re-found his purpose as an advocate for the disabled community through his music - and he's turned his story into a stage show called A Music Portrait of a Disabled Samoan.
Oscar Kightley has assisted in writing the show, and Nathaniel Lees has directed it - and the pair are looking forward to sharing this story with Kiwi viewers.
"It's really great, I'm working on my friend's show about his life story and it's really interesting and it's so cool to be able to put it on a stage."
LISTEN ABOVE

Nathaniel Lees and Oscar Kightley: director and writer of A Music Portrait of a Disabled Samoan on their new Auckland Arts Festival production

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/8c8ad897-3951-4c65-b3a4-b3dc018b5888/transcript

Workhorse by Caroline Palmer. This is set in a Vogue magazine-like environment, where Clodagh (Clo) Harmon is trying to make her way up the ladder, but struggles because she doesn’t have the pedigree, monied background and social confidence of her colleagues - she’s a workhorse, not a showhorse. It’s been compared in a lot of places to a combination of The Devil Wears Prada and The Talented Mister Ripley - as Clo makes more and more bad decisions and is prepared to do almost anything to get ahead.

Not My Type by E.Jean Carroll. This is the woman who sued Donald Trump for sexual assault in the changing room of a New York department store, and then went on to sue him for defamation. It’s the story of the trials, from her point of view - the clothes she wore to make certain statements, her observations of the defendant and his lawyers, the way the court cases evolved –-all told in an acerbic, witty, hilarious, insightful and incredibly entertaining way. She’s 82 now and hasn’t received a cent of the two settlements which she was awarded but she’s retained her dignity, her sense of humour and an ability to write a brilliant account of what and how it happened. I was riveted. 

LISTEN ABOVE

Workhorse by Caroline Palmer. This is set in a Vogue magazine-like environment, where Clodagh (Clo) Harmon is trying to make her way up the ladder, but struggles because she doesn’t have the pedigree, monied background and social confidence of her colleagues - she’s a workhorse, not a showhorse. It’s been compared in a lot of places to a combination of The Devil Wears Prada and The Talented Mister Ripley - as Clo makes more and more bad decisions and is prepared to do almost anything to get ahead.
Not My Type by E.Jean Carroll. This is the woman who sued Donald Trump for sexual assault in the changing room of a New York department store, and then went on to sue him for defamation. It’s the story of the trials, from her point of view - the clothes she wore to make certain statements, her observations of the defendant and his lawyers, the way the court cases evolved –-all told in an acerbic, witty, hilarious, insightful and incredibly entertaining way. She’s 82 now and hasn’t received a cent of the two settlements which she was awarded but she’s retained her dignity, her sense of humour and an ability to write a brilliant account of what and how it happened. I was riveted.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Whitcoulls Recommends: Workhorse and Not My Type

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/bfb30f4f-e455-4593-934b-b3dc01864280/transcript

Episode 17: Yotam Ottolenghi, Neil Ieremia and Bill Bryson

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