Rnz: Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan

The show within a show, the little show that could, call it what you will, Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan will always make you smile as they preview tonight's edition of The Panel.

Every second Thursday we have group chat: a chance to talk about the stories that might not make the news bulletins but do fill up your social media feed, Jesse is joined by Culture 101's Perlina Lau, Olivia Wilson, senior producer on Afternoons and film aficionado Kate Rodger.

It's time to talk history with Dr Grant Morris and today he's looking at whether NZ was the most Scottish place, outside of Scotland. during colonial times.

Let's try to solve some of the world's problems now, it might sound ambitious but every second Thursday for ten minutes or so we do our best to right some wrongs, or at least discuss how to approach doing so. Jesse is joined by Dave Armstrong from the Wellington production company Armstrong Creative. Dave wants to discuss Wellington Council's offices, artwork spend and the water meters.

Time for NZ Sporting History, and today we're with local lawn bowls great Peter Belliss. Born and raised in Whanganui, Peter was one of the first true professionals in New Zealand bowls. And he's done it all, he's been a world champion, Commonwealth Games medallist, and coach. In 1988 Peter was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to bowls, and last year he was among the first crop of inductees into the World Bowls Hall of Fame. Peter joins Jesse from his home in Whanganui.

How much would you pay for a good night's sleep? I'm asking because a thing called sleep tourism is becoming a huge and huge money-making industry. A 2024 report by HTF Market Intelligence found that worldwide sleep tourism is worth more than 690 billion US dollars. Hotels offering sleep deals are all over the place and can feature specialized rooms with soundproofing, blackout curtains, pillows, calming mists and special menus designed to help sleep deprived guests. Dr Charlotte Gupta, who is a sleep & nutrition scientist at Central Queensland University.

Plastic seems to be everywhere, in everything, and possibly even in every one of us when it comes to micro plastics. While we imagine many of you do your best to cut down on single plastic us, a group of Wellington students has committed to going without it altogether in their flat. To find out just how hard that is, Jesse is joined by Leah Werner and Simon Langham

According to Chris Tremain, there just aren't enough volunteers to keep things running in community sports and as a result kids are missing out. Former MP Chris Tremain - now the president of Hawkes Bay Rugby Union - joins Jesse to discuss.

An outbreak of the deadly hantavirus has led to an ocean cruise turning into a nightmare. Three passengers of the cruise ship MV Hondius have died, one is in intensive care in a South African hospital, and three others were evacuated from the ship earlier this week. So what exactly is hantavirus and how worried should we be? Epidemiologist - Professor Michael Baker - joins me to explain.

It's the little show that can: ten minutes of sense and nonsense with Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan, whether it makes you smile, or grimace, it'll definitely entertain you!

A decade ago, women were told to lean in, to chase the promotion, own ambition and grab a seat at the table. But lately, more women are hitting pause and wondering if that version of success is actually delivering. The internet is obsessed with the girlboss vs tradwife debate between women who chose career over being stay at home parents. But is it really that simple? Emma Waters is a policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, which is an American think tank that's deeply rooted in Christian conservative principles. She argues most lives don't run on one track, they move in seasons. There are years when work comes first, and years when family, relationships, or raising kids takes the lead. She makes the case for setting aside labels, rejecting the idea that women can have it all, and taking the middle path.

Kelly Gibney joins Jesse to share this week's Easy Eats recipe, herb and lemon crumbed beef schnitzel with beetroot and carrot salad.

Time for our weekly travel segment, Heading Off. Each Wednesday after two pm, we chat to someone who's been travelling and get a chance to learn all about their adventures from the comfort of our homes. If you've been somewhere and want to share what you discovered, please email us afternoons@rnz.co.nz or text 2101 and one of the Afternoons team will be in touch. Today we're jetting to Bulgaria with Mona-Lynn Courteau.

Time now for the Kakapo Files, where the kakapo chicks are growing up fast and starting to leave home, which comes with risks. A couple of weeks ago one of the chicks left the nest, and couldn't get back in. Fortunately, some quick-thinking rangers found him, popped him back in the nest and made him a ramp so he could come and go at will. Claire Concannon has more. Here's the link to the Kakapo Camera if you want to watch for yourself!

At the Taite Music Prize awards the Outstanding Music Journalism Award went to Rosa Nevison, Flynn Robson, and Sam Elliott for their new magazine called Newzician. Born out of a love for music and the music scene, they are only four issues deep but already it's getting lots of attention. Newzician co-editor Rosa Nevison is with Jesse.

Over the past week, stargazers have been craning their necks to see a rare comet crossing the New Zealand sky. We thought we'd better talk about this on Afternoons, because once the comet - known as C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS - disappears, it won't be visible for another 170,000 years. Josh Aoraki is an astronomer at Te Whatu Stardome in Auckland, he joins Jesse to tell us more.

Kiwi researchers are calling for action after completing a study that shows screen time could lead to long term harm to our children's development. Children's screen use is linked with later difficulties with skills such as attention, planning and self-control, according to a University of Auckland study pulling together research from around the world. Claire Reid is the PhD student leading the research and she joins Jesse to explain what she's learnt.

It has just been announced that the Broadcasting Standards Authority is being disestablished, and self-regulating options will be looked into. So, what does that mean for media organisations and for you, the audience? Joining Jesse to discuss is Tim Watkin, a long-serving member of the BSA and the author of the book 'How to Rebuild Trust in Journalism'

The show within a show, the little show that could, call it what you will, Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan will always make you smile as they preview tonight's edition of The Panel.

The rich and famous have gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Met Gala, for a dinner where a ticket costs around $100,000 U.S. That kind of price tag is unimaginable for most people, but for the ultra-wealthy, it barely registers. Money doesn't just change what you can buy. It changes how you move through the world, what you expect, what you notice, and what you feel entitled to want. For two months, New York Magazine writer Lane Brown spoke with extremely wealthy people. Some were old money heirs. Some people came into their fortunes in tech and as entrepreneurs. What he found is that having millions or billions doesn't just expand your lifestyle. It can reshape your psychology. But even the super-rich can't completely escape the awkwardness of the restaurant check. His article is called "What Does Extreme Wealth Do to the Brain?"