Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

Kevin Milne has a new "pet". It's not an animal per se, but rather an robotic vacuum cleaner and mop. Kevin got his from a Boxing Day sale - reduced from $1,250 all the way down to $250. And with a price drop like that, he's wondering how many people own these robotic vacuums. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2024 was a bit of a rough year, with job losses, hard economic times, and low business confidence. The new year offers a chance to reset.  Dr Dougal Sutherland offers his top tips for starting 2025 off with some oomph:  If you have a job, count your blessings! Lots of people lost theirs last year and so it’s important to remember that even though it may not be the best job in the world, at least you’re in paid employment!   Plan out your holidays for the year as best you can. Have a look for the public holidays that are happening in 2025, can you make any of these into longer weekends (e.g. four days instead of three) and give yourself that extra time to rest and recover? Looking ahead I can see there is quite a gap of public holidays between Matariki and Labour Day – can you plan for some leave then? Four months is a long time to go without a break, especially in winter.  Make a daily ‘Have to, Hope to, Love to list’ – “Have to” are things you must do today; “Hope to” are things that you

As 2025 settles in and everyone settles back into work, you may be left daydreaming about that bach you rented over the Christmas break.   You may be tempted to buy one of your own – but should you?  Ed McKnight joined Francesca Rudkin to run through the pros and cons of buying a holiday house.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 18th of January 2025, New Zealand country music star Tami Neilson and Dr Jada Watson talk about their new show ‘The F Word’ – combining Jada's research with Tami's music.  Francesca Rudkin reflects on some bad crowd behaviour at the tennis.  Chef Nici Wickes gives some ideas on how to use up the glut of courgettes in the garden – including using them in ice cream.  Have you returned from summer holidays desperate to buy a holiday home? Ed McKnight has the pros and cons of buying a bach.  Plus, David Gray is back and Estelle Clifford gives us her thoughts on his new album 'Dear Life'.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tech ebbs and flows when it comes to advancements – sometimes we’re flooded with them – other times there is very little new stuff hitting the market. As we head into 2025, has tech development and innovation stagnated?   Tech commentator Oskar Howell joined Francesca Rudkin for a chat about the state of the landscape compared to previous decades and the wide array of products produced.  He says it feels like a lot of these tech conglomerates are putting their eggs in the AI basket and using AI as a means to cut corners in developing good technology - gimmicks in place of proper innovation.   In 2025, a quarter of a century in, Howell would like to see some actual new tech – maybe these companies can get back to basics and stop with the fanciful AI and all that nonsense?   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lots of moaning early January 2025: coolness and wetness in many different places. Wellington and Christchurch were the biggest moaners in New Zealand – the West Coast was just lovely.   Canterbury (after a few good weeks in spring) started getting wetter and colder as Summer commenced.   In the garden there was no amazing speed of growth, but that rainwater reminded me of a transplantation trick to get tomatoes, lettuce, spring onions, and other vegetables really taking root!   Transplanting in a dry garden is tricky – you would have to water the young tomato plants twice a day to allow them to survive.  That in itself is really tricky to execute. Too little water and the patch of soil is not wet enough to make the plants spread its roots. The young plants simply struggle to develop. Too much watering makes the young plants far too wet around the roots, causing all sorts of trouble, especially fungal diseases before the plants are even 30 centimetres tall.   This year’s cool and wet

The Pitt  A realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Neon).    American Primeval  A mother and son fleeing from their past form a found family while confronting a harsh landscape of freedom and cruelty in the American West (Netflix).     The Hardacres   In this 1890s rags-to-riches saga, the working-class Hardacre family are catapulted into the world of aristocratic snobbery, when a radical business idea makes them rich beyond their wildest dreams (TVNZ+).     LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flow  Winner of Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Golden Globes, this dialogue-free animal adventure centres on a cat who must work together with other species stuck on a boat after a flood devastates their home.   The world seems to be coming to an end, teeming with the vestiges of a human presence. Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences. In the lonesome boat sailing through mystical overflowed landscapes, they navigate the challenges and dangers of adapting to this new world.      The Brutalist   Escaping postwar Europe, a visionary architect comes to America to rebuild his life, his career, and his marriage. On his own in a strange new country, he settles in Pennsylvania, where a wealthy and prominent industrialist recognises his talent.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first courgettes from the garden are cause for a celebration. Not so the marrows that sneak up on you later in the season when you are heartily sick of grilled courgette and the neighbours are getting tired of you offering them as gifts!    Here’s some surprising and delicious ways you can use them.      Creamy salad or steak sauce  Makes about ¾ cup    Ingredients  1 cup chopped raw courgette   ¼ cup olive oil (or use iced water)    Handful of basil leaves or parsley or other herb you like    Decent squeeze of lemon juice or some other acid like vinegar    Salt & pepper   Parmesan cheese (optional)      Method  Blend it all together to a creamy, light green sauce and pour over salads or bbq meats.    Store in the fridge for up to a week.         Fresh fruit ice cream Freeze chopped courgette and use equal portions of it with a frozen fruit (berries or mango are g

Summer means different things to us all, but if you love a game of tennis then summer sure delivers. And sometimes it gives us more than just a hard-fought match – it can also serve up a conversation starter as to how we should behave, as both players and the crowd.    The wind and rain made things challenging for the ASB Classic organisers in Auckland. Regardless, it was a great tournament with sold out crowds and some excellent tennis.    I’ve only just started to watch tennis live over the last few years, and it’s become a summer must do. It’s a great sport to watch live, especially at the Manuka Doctor Stadium in Stanley St, because it’s such an intimate setting. We’re so well behaved here in NZ – it takes no prompts for the crowd to go quiet, and it can be a relief when a fan finally gets the courage to yell some encouragement between points.    Getting hooked on the ASB Classic is the perfect lead into the Australian Open. A few hours each evening have drifted away while I’

"Best of both worlds": Dame Sophie Pascoe forgoes competing, presents Paralympics coverage  The Paralympics got underway this week in Paris, and for the first time in 16 years, Team New Zealand is missing a familiar face.  Dame Sophie Pascoe, New Zealand’s most decorated Paralympian, has decided to forgo this year’s Games in favour of staying home with her young baby.   Pascoe is a 4-time Paralympian, bringing home a total of 19 medals – 11 Gold, 7 Silver, and 1 Bronze.  However, while she may not be competing this year, that doesn’t mean she’s uninvolved, as Pascoe is presenting New Zealand’s TV coverage of the Games.  She told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame that as the Paralympics came closer she was feeling a bit nervous about presenting, as well as a bit of FOMO from not being over at the Games, however when they began she was content with her role.  “I'm right where I need to be with my family, with my baby and right here, presenting and helping out the Paralympic team, but still f

"They've been waiting far too long": Alan Bates digs into the fight against the Post Office In 1999 the British Post Office introduced a faulty piece of accounting software, the consequences of which would see over 900 subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted for theft, fraud, and false accounting.  Some lost their businesses, jobs, and homes, and many were left financially ruined. Others were convicted and sent to prison, some dying while they waited for justice.  The case has been highlighted in the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office; the prosecution of Post Office subpostmasters being described as ‘Great Britain's worst miscarriage of justice’.  Alan Bates, a former subpostmaster, has been leading the charge and this week gave a strong witness statement at the public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal.  He told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame that the outpouring of support from across the nation has been absolutely wonderful, and they may need to engage it going forward.  “Some of the, if you

"I'm aiming for a few more": Dame Kiri Te Kanawa ahead of her 80th birthday Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has had an eventful life.  One of New Zealand’s most prolific performers, the opera singer has performed in countries all over the world in several different languages, receiving a slew of honours over the years.  She retired in September 2017, her last performance taking place in October of 2016.  Since then, Te Kanawa committed herself to nurturing young artists, sitting as a judge in singing competitions and establishing the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation which supports young musicians and singers in realising their dreams.  Te Kanawa recently moved back to New Zealand after living in the United Kingdom for over 55 years, and her connection to both countries saw her sent as one of NZ’s official delegates for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.  Her 80th birthday is coming up this week, Te Kanawa telling Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame that she can’t believe she got to this age.  “I thought

Tom Sainsbury talks comedy, dramatic aspirations, obsession with the "New Zealand character" Tom Sainsbury wears many hats - actor, writer, comedian, director, host, influencer - across film, tv, stage, and social media here in New Zealand and on international projects.  Kiwis might know him for his political impersonations or shows like Wellington Paranormal.  Tom is hosting a winter special of New Zealand’s International Comedy Festival, and having just returned from a very glamorous international sojourn, he joined Jack Tame in studio for a chat.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This sticky cake is studded with tangy feijoas and has a chewy caramelised coconut topping added halfway through cooking and it’s just gorgeous.  Makes a 23cm cake.    Ingredients  1 cup pitted dates  1 cup boiling water  1 teaspoon baking soda  130g butter  ½ cup white sugar  ½ cup brown sugar  1 large egg  1 ¼ cups plain flour  1 teaspoon baking powder  Pinch salt  ½ cup dessicated coconut  1 cup peeled and diced feijoa    Coconut topping:  1 cup shredded coconut  1/3 cup brown sugar  1/3 cup milk  50g butter    Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 170 C. Grease and line a 23cm round baking tin. 2. Cover dates in boiling water and leave to soak for 5 minutes then add baking soda and blend to a chunky paste in a food processor. 3. Cream the butter and both sugars until pale and creamy then beat in the egg and beat for one minute more. Add the date paste to the creamed mixture and stir until combined.

From NME - “Contrasting with this recollection, there’s a peacefulness to ‘Mahashmashana’, the tone grounded even when its author veers into psych-rock (the pounding ‘She Cleans Up’) and strutting funk (‘I Guess Time Makes Fools of Us All’). Half of its eight tracks spool on for more than six minutes and he’s not minded, these days, to explain them in interviews or on social media. Insteadhe’s bowed out from the spotlight to produce a record that tunes into love, ageing and the search for meaning without the compulsion for a punchline or wry aside. As a result, the lush ‘Mahashmashana’ doesn’t quite mainline the zeitgeist in the same way that ‘Honeybear’ and ‘Pure Comedy’ did. Then again, there’s something to be said, in 2024, for logging off in favour of self-reflection. On the swooning ‘Mental Health’, Misty rejects the hive mind, concluding that his own particular “insanity” is “indispensable”. Whoever the folk he is underneath that beard, the good Father can’t help but share words of wisdom.”See

Mark Gregory is a chef who has worked around the world, cooking for royalty, music legends and sporting greats - and has spent decades in top European kitchens. He’s appeared on TV shows like Ready Steady Cook and the BBC’s Good Food Show and Mark was the first kiwi chef to be awarded both the Master of Culinary Arts by the Royal Academy and France’s  Master Craftsman status. He joins Francesca Rudkin in studio to talk all things Christmas cooking and his cookbook 'Christmas at the Castle'. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Still have a gift or two to pick up? Catherine has a round-up of her top books from the year... Fiction The Waiting by Michael Connelly Intermezzo by Sally Rooney Frankie by Graham Norton Southern Man by Greg Iles We Solve Murders by Richard Osman Non-Fiction The Elements of Marie Curie by Dava Sobel Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham & John McCloskey The Seige by Ben McIntyre From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 21 December 2024, kiwi chef extraordinaire Mark Gregory joins Francesca Rudkin to talk Christmas day entertainment, festive cooking, and how local charity DineAid is helping with food insecurity during the holiday season. Francesca celebrates Liam Lawson winning the Red Bull seat. The holidays are upon us and Chris Schulz delivers his top cinema picks to catch over the festive season - perfect for escaping the heat for a blast of AC. Mike Yardley rounds up signature events and exhibitions across the motu this summer. And, Nici Wickes shares a deliciously easy peach, raspberry & blueberry trifle cake - minimal effort for maximum effect this Christmas! Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looking for something to do over the summer?  Sail GP's long awaited Auckland debut will roar into the city in January 18th and 19th of Wynyard Point.  Historic exhibit Dinosaurs of Patagonia will also take place in New Zealand.  Down in Wellington Te Papa will exhibit the premiere of the global tour of Vivian Westwood.  Mike Yardley discusses all this and more events across the country this summer.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.