Saturday Morning
Presented by Susie Ferguson and Mihingarangi Forbes, this podcast features in-depth interviews, current affairs, and news across a broad range of topics.
Episodes
White Fern Eden Carson re-connects with te ao Maori
Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori starts on Monday and so if you've always wanted to try, there's no better time! For some that desire to learn a bit of te reo, and find out more about te Ao Maori comes through sport... it's front and centre for some, from the All Blacks haka, and now the Warriors haka. In other sports it may be a little less visible but no less important. Representing New Zealand Crick
Jackie van Beek
Eagle vs Shark, What We Do in the Shadows, 800 Words, Funny Girls - Jackie van Beek has been an ubiquitous face in the Australasian comedy scene for nigh on two decades. Now she's appearing in a sci-fi splatter satire Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant, which came out this week and is described by critics as 'one of the strangest films they've seen in a decade' Now, this chat with Emile contains several
Mystery writer, podcaster and game show genius Richard Osman
One of the world's best-known crime writers, Richard Osman has attracted millions of fans with his distinctive mix of mystery, humour and memorable characters. Building on the success of his Thursday Murder Club series he's now launched a new series featuring an unlikely team of amateur sleuths - with his latest novel We Chase Shadows that comes out next week. But Osman also talked to Emile a
Looking to the Stars with Astronomer Michelle Thaller
Our regular space expert former NASA astronomer and science communicator Michelle Thaller joins us to discuss everything beyond the Earth's atmosphere. She's the recipient of Nasa's highest honour, the Exceptional Achievement Medal. From her home in Wisconsin she explained to Emile the possibility of AI data centers in orbit and Nasa's latest telescope as well as answering some questions from
Charting the Passionate Rivalry
The All Blacks series against South Africa's Springboks conjures memories of the deep history between two great sporting nations. Despite more than 30 years since the first free and fair elections in South Africa which swept Nelson Mandela to power, access to sport is still deeply affected by the decades spent under apartheid and colonial powers before that. Emile talked to Associate Professo
Detecting Fraud in Scientific Literature
It turns out not all heroes wear capes, some wear lab coats! In an age where facts seem debatable and the truth can be so easily manipulated, one woman is on a mission to root out mistakes, fraud, and cheats in the scientific world. Dutch microbiologist and scientific integrity consultant Dr Elisabeth Bik is famous for scanning biomedical literature to detect image duplication and research fr
Len Brown on his loop finally opening
After years of suspense, Auckland's City Rail Link is finally opening on Sunday morning. Former Auckland Mayor Len Brown was one of the infrastructure project's progenitors, with his lobbying for central government support one of the dominoes that had to fall before Auckland could cut the ribbon on its shiniest new toy. Brown joined Emile on the show to discuss his legacy, as written in train
The ballerina Kiwis remember every Christmas
It's 100 years since a Russian ballerina visited our shores and left her name here forever. Everyone knows the pavlova was named after Anna Pavlova, but what's still debated is exactly where and when the dessert got the name, with people on both sides of the Tasman laying claim. Writer and cultural historian Andrew Paul Wood may be the closest to knowing the answer - he's done extensive writi
Live from Koroneihana
Koroneihana celebrations are in the final days at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia. The event is a week-long annual celebration of the anniversary of the Maori monarch's accession and coronation. This week Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po welcomed groups from all over the country including a delegation of politicians and iwi leaders who arrived on Friday. RNZ's Maori News Editor Taiha
100 Loos to Use Before You Die
No matter where you go in the world, you'll find toilets. But Lonely Planet editor Jessica Lockhart has discovered that not all toilets are made equal. In the new edition of Lonely Planet's Toilets of the World, she catalogues the weirdest and wildest loos a traveler may find in their sojourns. That includes Kiwi loos with magnificent views, latrines where toes may lap in the blue Mediterrane
The designer lending her creativity to violence prevention
Jordan Tane is an artist and designer whose experience of growing up takiwatanga - with autism - means she sees the world a little differently. And it's exactly that unique perspective that's seen her land on the YWCA Y25 list of female and gender-diverse changemakers for 2026. Non-verbal until she was five years old, the award-winning designer and PhD student is now creating communication to
Home is Where the Heartbreak is
This is Home is a new series on whakaata Maori that's about the struggles of a family to hold onto their homestead. It's based in Auckland and sees two sisters Kara and Nina being forced to live together again - but coming up against issues many of us will be familiar with, especially in today's world where many are struggling with the cost of living... they're dealing with financial pressure
Dr Buzz Burrell on Surviving Winter Flu Season
Winter flu season has been hitting the country hard, and with it comes all the questions we start to wonder about every year - does being out in the cold make you more likely to get a cold, when can I go back to work after I've been sick, should I get the flu shot? Dr Buzz Burrell is at our bedside to answer all of the questions we might have this sickly season and how to avoid meningococcal
The man untangling Whales
Very few jobs in this country involve launching a rescue mission wearing a wetsuit - to save an animal as big as a bus. But DOC Marine Reserves Ranger Zac Penman is only ever one phone call away from such adventure. He runs the large whale disentanglement team and he's here to tell us how it all works.
The forgotten history of NZ's Chinese poll tax
Five years after its sold-out debut, Pork and Poll Taxes returns, revisiting the little-known story of New Zealand's Chinese Poll Tax through an epic family tragedy. Writer and performer Talia Pua joins director Chye-Ling Huang to discuss history, migration, belonging, and why this story feels more urgent now than ever. Pork and Poll Taxes is running from 16 - 19 September at Auckland's Heral
Can we regrow our teeth?
Going to the dentist doesn't exactly evoke joy for most. But are the days of drilling, filing and pulling teeth soon to be behind us? Hannele Ruohola-Baker spends her days working on what sounds like science fiction - helping people regrow their own teeth. She's a biochemist and stem cell researcher from The University of Washington and part of a team exploring how stem cells can be guided to
The Psychiatrist Who Can Now Prescribe MDMA
Dr Gary Wynn is one of two psychiatrists who have just been approved to administer and prescribe MDMA in New Zealand - the first time it's been allowed in our history. We've got him on the line to chat about what comes next.
Connecting the Dots: Climate, Oceans and Extreme Events
This week devastating flash flooding hit the Nepal-China border, resulting in hundreds missing and many feared dead. This year alone we've already recorded a number of tragic disasters across the planet - heat waves and cyclones, floods and droughts. Some of them could tie to increasingly turbulent weather patterns as the climate changes. But how do we make sense of the link between seismic a
How singing can ease neurological issues
As co-founder of the CeleBRation Choir at the University of Auckland's Centre for Brain Research back in 2009, music therapist Alison Talmage knows the benefits of a good sing-a-long. She's written a handbook to help other people launch similar initiatives in their communities, so people dealing with serious brain conditions like dementia, strokes and Parkinson's Disease can get together in c
Dr Jessica Gerbic: the 12 stages of mauri
Many of us yearn to have more balance in our lives, to tune in and be guided by our energy levels. For Dr Jessica Gerbic it's been her career's work as a clinical psychologist she's helped hundreds of people tune in to their mauri - how it ebbs and flows and she's identified 12 stages of mauri she uses to guide her patients through to better, more balanced, brighter lives.
Humans vs Algorithms on Broadway
Max Wolf Friedlich is being celebrated for writing the play Job, a testy two-hander which knits together the world of therapy and big tech to create a tense stand-off between actors Peter Friedman and Sydney Lemmon. But while the play, which recently opened on Broadway, is seeing Wolf Friedlich's name in lights - actor Robert Pattinson has signed on to produce his next stage project - he's at
Is sleep our secret weapon?
Evolutionary anthropologist David R Samson has travelled far and wide in his search of sleep secrets, napping in chimpanzee nests and summering with the hunter-gathering Hadza people of Tanzania. In his latest book, The Sleepless Ape, he outlines the curious story of human sleep and how it got us where we are - from the strange fact that we sleep less than other primates despite heavy cogniti
Fashion designer Vince Ropitini at NZ Fashion Week
Since last Monday designers from around the motu have been at New Zealand Fashion Week in Auckland. One of them is Vince Ropitini who has a "commitment to storytelling through design." His career has seen him work overseas and he draws inspiration from his roots in Taranaki.
A week-by-week guide to growing vegetables
Sarah O’Neil 'Growing Vegetables: A Simple Guide for New Zealand Gardeners', is a week by week look at what to grow, when, and how.
Mike Lew's new take on a Shakespeare's Richard III
Brooklyn-based playwright Mike Lew's work recontextualises Shakespeare's Richard III in a modern high school, with a cast list that puts disabled actors at the forefront.
Del Holland explains how to make the most of pantry staples
You know that random ingredient you bought for one recipe, used once, and then banished to the back of the pantry forever? Well, chef and food waste advocate Del Holland is back with ideas on how to use it up.
Fehinti Balogun - the climate crisis is a class crisis
BAFTA-nominated British-Nigerian actor Fehinti Balogun on climate justice.
Deborah Mailman's historic Logies induction
Acclaimed actor Deborah Mailman made history as the first Indigenous person inducted into the Logie Awards Hall of Fame this month.
Reading Between the Lines: The True Cost of Low Literacy
Kate de Goldi ponders the future of reading and literature.
The case for eating Insects
Entomologist Neil Birrell wants to know why we aren't chowing down on creepy-crawlies?
Jo Robertson - 'What happened to sex?'
Sex therapist Jo Robertson looks at how the internet's revolutionised sex, relationships and consent for generations of younger people.
New Zealand Bartender of the Year
For the first time in its history the winner of New Zealand Bartender of the Year has been awarded to a woman. Melanie Walker is known for her tinctures and syrups.
Budget busters in the garden
Gardening is proven to be good for the mind, body, and environment. But can it be good for your wallet too?
'The Fox' - Sam Neill as a foul mouthed magpie
New film 'The Fox' is a magic realism-style comic fable featuring one of the last on-screen appearances of Sir Sam Neill.
Kiri Nathan on New Zealand Fashion Week
Iconic Kiwi fashion designer Kiri Nathan will be bringing indigenous fashion to this years New Zealand Fashion Week.
Love, loneliness and literary obsession: Meg Mason's new novel
New Zealand-born writer Meg Mason shot to acclaim in the middle of the pandemic with her novel Sorrow and Bliss. Now she's back with a book about a lonely woman who lives on the periphery of the spotlight in the world of the literary festival.
Bringing AI to Pacific communities
Curious about AI but not sure where to start? Time to cut through the hype of AI with some practical tips and insights with Julia Pahina and Eteroa Lafaele.
Doing business in the world of Trump's tariffs
Lately, economic uncertainty feels like the only thing you can really feel certain about. University of Auckland professor Natasha Hamilton-Hart has made a career of looking at the ups and downs of global trade.
How Finland tackles homelessness
In 2017 the number of homeless in Finland was around 2000. However, since those record lows the number has spiked. We look at what worked, what went wrong - and what we can learn from it.
The zoo you can visit from your couch
Maya Higa has taken her love of animals and online content - combining them to create a digital wildlife sanctuary.
