In the sixth episode of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, one of Ireland's bestselling authors Marian Keyes talks Francesca through her 16th novel and why people crave love stories. 

And Australian author Trent Dalton visited New Zealand for the Auckland Writers Festival - and popped in to studio for an interview. 

Hollywood star Diane Kruger starred in Kiwi film Joika - and joined Francesca for a chat. 

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 sixth episode of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, one of Ireland's bestselling authors <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/marian-keyes-irish-author-on-her-new-book-my-favourite-mistake/">Marian Keyes</a> talks Francesca through her 16th novel and why people crave love stories.&nbsp;
And Australian author <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/trent-dalton-australian-author-on-his-latest-book-lola-in-the-mirror/">Trent Dalton</a> visited New Zealand for the Auckland Writers Festival - and popped in to studio for an interview.&nbsp;
Hollywood star <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/diane-kruger-actress-on-her-newest-role-in-kiwi-directed-film-joika/">Diane Kruger</a> starred in Kiwi film&nbsp;Joika -&nbsp;and joined Francesca for a chat.&nbsp;
Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin brings you the best interviews from Newstalk ZB's&nbsp;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 6: Marian Keyes, Trent Dalton, Diane Kruger

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/83bd3afc-1c2f-413c-9185-b2600149bf3a/transcript

‘I wanted adulthood’: Comedian Chelsea Handler opens up on life-shaping experiences ahead of NZ tour

US comedian Chelsea Handler is set to bring her controversially-named tour to New Zealand shores this July.

Handler had a diverse, long-running entertainment history, having worked as an actress, writer and television host for over two decades. It’s been a long career, the result of big plans and ambition brought about by a complicated family dynamic.

“I was not satisfied at all with my family dynamic when I was born as the youngest of six children. I remember being very young and looking around like- who’s in charge? Because it wasn’t my mom, it wasn’t my dad, they were two hot messes. And my brothers and sisters were just doing what they wanted.”

She told ZB’s Francesca Rudkin she knew she wanted to turn her life around, and she started working as early as she could to ensure she didn’t get anything less than the best for herself.

“I wanted a big life, I wanted freedom and I wanted adulthood. And I wanted to cut ties with anyone who was going to hold me back- I thought childhood was insulting, I never felt like a child.”

Her upcoming comedy tour promises similar anecdotes and stories to the ones she shared with Francesca- Handler vividly recalls the day she was told she would never fly first class, and that moment stuck with her.

“I remember walking past the first class section and I was sniffing around- this is my group, you know? It smells like my group! And my mom’s like- keep going, keep going, we’re in the back, we’ll never be able to fly first class. Those people are rich and we’re not. And I was like- first of all, speak for yourself.”

Handler knew from an early age she could get away with being opinionated and assertive. Despite her ‘messy’ upbringing as the youngest in a family of eight, her five siblings eventually looked to Handler as a family leader. She told Francesca she was bold and opinionated- and she hopes to encourage other women to do the same.

“It's all about women knowing their own power and standing up for themselves and being loud and brave. I like to live my life in a very loud, brave way as an example to everyone. You don't have to get married, you don't have to have babies to have value, there are a million things you can don in this world."

She’s copped some backlash for her controversial moments, but she’s unbothered by the headlines and negative comments. She explained to Francesca that she doesn’t feel the need to be liked by everyone, and that’s never her intention.

“Also if everyone does like you- what does that say about you? It says that you have no opinions, that you don't stand for anything, because it's impossible to be liked by everybody. I started my career understanding that a lot of people would not like me, so anyone who likes me is a bonus."

Chelsea Handler’s still looking forward to touching down in New Zealand, it’ll be her first tour since 2019. And depending on how a certain presidential election turns out- she could come back again much sooner, as she explained to Francesca.

“I want my life to be one big adventure, and it has been. Getting to come to New Zealand and Australia and travelling the globe to make people laugh is a total, total privilege." 

Chelsea Handler’s two-stop New Zealand tour, Little Big B****, will play at the Auckland Town Hall on July 5th and Wellington’s St James Theatre on July 6th.

LISTEN ABOVE

<h2>‘I wanted adulthood’: Comedian Chelsea Handler opens up on life-shaping experiences ahead of NZ tour</h2>
US comedian Chelsea Handler is set to bring her controversially-named tour to New Zealand shores this July.
Handler had a diverse, long-running entertainment history, having worked as an actress, writer and television host for over two decades. It’s been a long career, the result of big plans and ambition brought about by a complicated family dynamic.
“I was not satisfied at all with my family dynamic when I was born as the youngest of six children. I remember being very young and looking around like- who’s in charge? Because it wasn’t my mom, it wasn’t my dad, they were two hot messes. And my brothers and sisters were just doing what they wanted.”
She told ZB’s Francesca Rudkin she knew she wanted to turn her life around, and she started working as early as she could to ensure she didn’t get anything less than the best for herself.
“I wanted a big life, I wanted freedom and I wanted adulthood. And I wanted to cut ties with anyone who was going to hold me back- I thought childhood was insulting, I never felt like a child.”
Her upcoming comedy tour promises similar anecdotes and stories to the ones she shared with Francesca- Handler vividly recalls the day she was told she would never fly first class, and that moment stuck with her.
“I remember walking past the first class section and I was sniffing around- this is my group, you know? It smells like my group! And my mom’s like- keep going, keep going, we’re in the back, we’ll never be able to fly first class. Those people are rich and we’re not. And I was like- first of all, speak for yourself.”
Handler knew from an early age she could get away with being opinionated and assertive. Despite her ‘messy’ upbringing as the youngest in a family of eight, her five siblings eventually looked to Handler as a family leader. She told Francesca she was bold and opinionated- and she hopes to encourage other women to do the same.
“It's all about women knowing their own power and standing up for themselves and being loud and brave. I like to live my life in a very loud, brave way as an example to everyone. You don't have to get married, you don't have to have babies to have value, there are a million things you can don in this world."
She’s copped some backlash for her controversial moments, but she’s unbothered by the headlines and negative comments. She explained to Francesca that she doesn’t feel the need to be liked by everyone, and that’s never her intention.
“Also if everyone does like you- what does that say about you? It says that you have no opinions, that you don't stand for anything, because it's impossible to be liked by everybody. I started my career understanding that a lot of people would not like me, so anyone who likes me is a bonus."
Chelsea Handler’s still looking forward to touching down in New Zealand, it’ll be her first tour since 2019. And depending on how a certain presidential election turns out- she could come back again much sooner, as she explained to Francesca.
“I want my life to be one big adventure, and it has been. Getting to come to New Zealand and Australia and travelling the globe to make people laugh is a total, total privilege."&nbsp;
Chelsea Handler’s two-stop New Zealand tour, Little Big B****, will play at the Auckland Town Hall on July 5th and Wellington’s St James Theatre on July 6th.
LISTEN ABOVE

Best of 2024: Chelsea Handler on the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/376eb46b-a617-4e3c-b353-b2610030513f/transcript

Actor Eric Bana returns for mystery-thriller sequel to 'The Dry'

Eric Bana is known for his comedy. 

The Australian actor began his career with the sketch comedy series ‘Full Frontal’, but he began his acting career playing Con in the 1997 film ‘The Castle.’ 

In 2020, he starred in an Australian mystery drama thriller film, playing the role of Aaron Falk in ‘The Dry’, based on Jane Harper’s book of the same name. 

Four years later, the detective has returned for the sequel ‘Force of Nature’, with Bana reprising the role. 

He told Newstalk ZB’s Francesca Rudkin that slipping back into the role felt a bit like cheating, having never reprised a role before. 

“I’m so used to having to, you know, do a lot of prep for a character.” 

‘The Dry’ was a hit upon its release, but Bana said they were uncertain whether the franchise would continue. 

“We looked at the next book for Aaron Falk and thought, well it's not enough just to, you know, is it, is the premise enough?” 

“Can we justify making a big screen version of it?” 

Clearly, with the movie releasing earlier this week, the premise had enough meat on its bones that they managed to justify its creation, and so off into the Australian bush in the middle of winter they went. 

The film was shot in a couple of locations around Australia, Bana revealed, with scenes shot in the Dandenong Ranges, the Yarra Valley, the Latrobe Valley, and out near the Otways National Park being stitched together. 

“It’s funny because the cabin that we used for the retreat is privately owned, and we joked at the fact that people were going to go and say there and want to walk down to the waterfall. It’s about a four-hour drive away.” 

Being out in the wilderness and on location is Bana’s preferred method of shooting, telling Francesca that he doesn’t like shooting in a studio, and so he rarely does it. 

“I feel like it’s a more level playing field when you’re using natural light as an actor.” 

“You know how long the day is going to be, there’s a real, natural ticking clock.” 

The downside to filming on location, however, was the weather. Filming in the middle of winter is unpleasant at the best of times, but doubly so when you’re hiking out into remote areas of the bush. 

“It was pretty brutal.” 

Showcasing Australia on an international scale is quite important to Bana, telling Francesca that sometimes it feels like Kiwis and Australians are good enough for our talent to be poached internationally, but they’re never allowed to sound like they’re from there. 

“It’s really important when you make products from your home, that’s an original story that can travel, it’s great because that's how people see and hear us, hear our stories and hear who we are.” 

LISTEN ABOVE

<h2>Actor Eric Bana returns for mystery-thriller sequel to 'The Dry'</h2>
Eric Bana is known for his comedy.&nbsp;
The Australian actor began his career with the sketch comedy series ‘Full Frontal’, but he began his acting career playing Con in the 1997 film ‘The Castle.’&nbsp;
In 2020, he starred in an Australian mystery drama thriller film, playing the role of Aaron Falk in ‘The Dry’, based on Jane Harper’s book of the same name.&nbsp;
Four years later, the detective has returned for the sequel ‘Force of Nature’, with Bana reprising the role.&nbsp;
He told Newstalk ZB’s Francesca Rudkin that slipping back into the role felt a bit like cheating, having never reprised a role before.&nbsp;
“I’m so used to having to, you know, do a lot of prep for a character.”&nbsp;
‘The Dry’ was a hit upon its release, but Bana said they were uncertain whether the franchise would continue.&nbsp;
“We looked at the next book for Aaron Falk and thought, well it's not enough just to, you know, is it, is the premise enough?”&nbsp;
“Can we justify making a big screen version of it?”&nbsp;
Clearly, with the movie releasing earlier this week, the premise had enough meat on its bones that they managed to justify its creation, and so off into the Australian bush in the middle of winter they went.&nbsp;
The film was shot in a couple of locations around Australia, Bana revealed, with scenes shot in the Dandenong Ranges, the Yarra Valley, the Latrobe Valley, and out near the Otways National Park being stitched together.&nbsp;
“It’s funny because the cabin that we used for the retreat is privately owned, and we joked at the fact that people were going to go and say there and want to walk down to the waterfall. It’s about a four-hour drive away.”&nbsp;
Being out in the wilderness and on location is Bana’s preferred method of shooting, telling Francesca that he doesn’t like shooting in a studio, and so he rarely does it.&nbsp;
“I feel like it’s a more level playing field when you’re using natural light as an actor.”&nbsp;
“You know how long the day is going to be, there’s a real, natural ticking clock.”&nbsp;
The downside to filming on location, however, was the weather. Filming in the middle of winter is unpleasant at the best of times, but doubly so when you’re hiking out into remote areas of the bush.&nbsp;
“It was pretty brutal.”&nbsp;
Showcasing Australia on an international scale is quite important to Bana, telling Francesca that sometimes it feels like Kiwis and Australians are good enough for our talent to be poached internationally, but they’re never allowed to sound like they’re from there.&nbsp;
“It’s really important when you make products from your home, that’s an original story that can travel, it’s great because that's how people see and hear us, hear our stories and hear who we are.”&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Best of 2024: Eric Bana on the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/ba03fd6a-32ba-4f97-a405-b25e014bc300/transcript

In this episode of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, British acting royalty Hugh Bonneville talks the latest Paddington film and his memories of Dame Maggie Smith. 

Then we hear from New Zealand's own Madeline Sami - who had a massive 2024 with the second season of her show Double Parked. 

And we get cooking inspiration from one of Australia's most loved cooks, Nagi Maehashi. 

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 this episode of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, British acting royalty Hugh Bonneville talks the latest Paddington film and his memories of Dame Maggie Smith.&nbsp;
Then we hear from New Zealand's own Madeline Sami - who had a massive 2024 with the second season of her show&nbsp;Double Parked.&nbsp;
And we get cooking inspiration from one of Australia's most loved cooks, Nagi Maehashi.&nbsp;
Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin brings you the best interviews from Newstalk ZB's&nbsp;The Sunday Session.&nbsp;
Listen on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Episode 5: Hugh Bonneville, Madelaine Sami and Nagi Maehashi

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/39290e2e-ac39-423b-898c-b25c0149e794/transcript

Episode 6: Marian Keyes, Trent Dalton, Diane Kruger

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