Podcast
Afternoons
Hosted by RNZ · EN
Jesse Mulligan presents an upbeat mix of the curious and the compelling, ranging from the stories of the day to the great questions of our time.
270episodes
Episodes
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How hard is it to run a restaurant in 2026?
Jun 2900:11:40Tap to summarizeThere's no doubt it is hard work owning and running a restaurant, the recent spate of hospitality closures are a very bleak reminder of that. So how do you make it work in 2026 when more people than ever seem unable to make ends meet? We chat to Sean Yarborough from Auckland's Broke Boy Taco.
Transcribe →TV Critic: Stalked and Pernille
Jun 2900:09:31Tap to summarizeAfternoons TV critic Caitlin Cherry is with Emile to share what she's been watching: Stalked (Neon) Pernille (Netflix) 5 Seasons
Transcribe →Everything you want to know about native flowers!
Jun 2900:26:38Tap to summarizeIt's time for our weekly expert feature where we select a subject and put your questions to the people who know it best. Today we're talking about flowers - specifically the native flowers of Aotearoa. We're lucky enough to have so many beautiful native species in New Zealand, in fact our guest today reckons there's approximately 2200 of them. It's Victoria University Emeritus Professor of Botany Philip Garnock-Jones, author of the Ockham Award-winning book "He Puawai: A Natural History of New Zealand Flowers". If you have questions for Philip send them through to 2101.
Transcribe →Emile Goes Clubbing!
Jun 2900:10:50Tap to summarizeGrab your shades and a pack of gum, because it's time for our Monday afternoon clubbing session. Each week we visit a club or society around the country. If you have one that you think Emile should join, then please do get in touch. 2101 on text or afternoons@rnz.co.nz. This week Emile is joined by Chantelle Gerrard from the NZ branch of the SCA.
Transcribe →Update: What's happening in Australia?
Jun 2900:07:19Tap to summarizeOur favourite Australian Brad Foster is with Emile to share what's hitting the headlines across the Tasman. This week he chats about NSW Government's decision around shark prevention and what on earth is going on at Channel Nine?
Transcribe →Politics: Is MMP still fit for purpose?
Jun 2900:11:38Tap to summarizeLooking at the recent polls, National and Labour's fall in popularity means attention turns to the smaller parties, which will become key players come November 7th and the days after it. This year's general election will mark 30 years since New Zealand moved from the First Past the Post voting system to mixed member proportional representation or MMP. Fans of MMP say the change has delivered a more diverse Parliament. But critics argue it has also given smaller parties and fringe interests disproportionate influence. So it begs the question: Is our MMP system still fit for purpose? Is there a better way? Marcus Ganley is a public law specialist with firm Franks Ogilvie but was previously a ministerial adviser to the Clark government and held senior roles in Australian federal politics, he did his thesis on the first MMP election back in 1998.
Transcribe →Find out what makes NZ a big player in the world of cheese
Jun 2900:09:38Tap to summarizeLet's talk cheese now because in case you needed reminding, we are really good at making it. The recent International Cheese and Dairy Awards for 2026 saw 4500 entries from over 20 countries, including New Zealand. This year six New Zealand producers submitted a combined 118 entries and from that won 41 medals .. including a supreme award. Here to explain why our cheese stands out from the rest and how the sector is doing right now, Emile is joined by International cheese judge and New Zealand Ambassador for these awards, Franco Sessa.
Transcribe →Has Rocket Lab launched us across political threshold?
Jun 2900:11:44Tap to summarizeThere's no doubt that Rocket Lab is a Kiwi success story, but do the dizzying heights of their technical achievements keep us from asking important questions about how they operate? That's what astronomer Dr Ian Griffin asked in an opinion article for the Otago Daily Times today. The catalyst for it was a social media post Rocket Lab put out last week, saying quote, "The Space Force called, and we launched." According to Rocket Lab, it was less than 17 hours between receiving a request from the US Space Force and launching a payload from Mahia Peninsula. Which is incredible - but did it mean important questions weren't considered? Here to discuss is Dr Ian Griffin.
Transcribe →The pre-Panel : Your daily dose of stuff and nonsense
Jun 2600:10:48Tap to summarizeWallace Chapman and Emile Donovan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.
Transcribe →The pre-Panel: Your daily dose of stuff and nonsense
Jun 2400:06:57Tap to summarizeWallace Chapman and Emile Donovan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.
Transcribe →