18 NOV 2022 · Off the back of the release of his brand-new album The Hardest Love, global superstar Dean Lewis has announced The Future is Bright World Tour which will head to New Zealand in March 2023.   The 10-track The Hardest Love album includes previous singles ‘Looks Like Me’ and ‘Hurtless’, as well as the emotive ‘How Do I Say Goodbye’—a devastating song about the looming loss of a parent.   With over 7.5 billion streams, Dean was welcomed into the Spotify Billions Club with his hit song 'Be Alright'. Over the past few years, Dean has performed to hundreds of sold-out crowds worldwide, including headline tours and major festivals in the US, UK, Europe and Australia, and the 2019 AFL Grand Final in Australia. Dean has recently collaborated with Dutch DJ / producer Martin Garrix and Norwegian DJ / producer Kygo. LISTEN ABOVE

18 NOV 2022 · Love Untold, Ruth Jones  The funny, moving and uplifting new novel from Ruth Jones, co-creator of Gavin & Stacey and author of the Sunday Times bestsellers Never Greener and Us Three.  Four generations of one family. Four women: Grace, Alys, Elin and Beca.  Each of them has a secret. Each has been misunderstood. And each of them longs for just one thing... to feel loved.    When McKinsey Comes to Town, Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsyth  An explosive exposé of the world's most prestigious and successful management consultancy.  McKinsey earns billions advising almost every major corporation as well as countless governments, including Britain's, the USA's and China's. It boasts of its ability to maximise efficiency while making the world a better place. Its millionaire partners and network of alumni go on to top jobs in the world's most powerful organisations. And yet, shielded by non-disclosure agreements, its work remains largely secret - until now.    

18 NOV 2022 · Mike Yardley once again is making us jealous with the tales of his travels to the Swiss Reviera. LISTEN ABOVE

18 NOV 2022 · Are commitment issues a big deal in a relationship? What makes it so serious? What can you do if you think your partner is unsure?  What can you do if you are unsure?  LISTEN ABOVE

18 NOV 2022 · It’s never how anyone plans it when they get married, but divorce is very common – which means it could be a curveball you have to contend with.  On the financial as well as the personal – it can be devastating.  So how can you best navigate the dollars and cents side of divorce?  LISTEN ABOVE  

18 NOV 2022 · Taylor Swift's fans feel let down by Ticketmaster  The pre-sale earlier this week was Ticketmaster's biggest event ever. To put it into perspective, they had 4x the number of system requests than their last peak. There were 3.5 million registered verified fans, who purchased 1.5 million tickets. There were long digital queues, and now resellers are taking advantage of the demand putting tickets back up on Ticketmaster's own site for thousands of dollars.  In a strange move, Ticketmaster has now canceled a public sale of her tickets “due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand”. Seems to be a mixed message! Did they sell too many?   Taylor hasn't been on tour since 2018 so the Swifities are eager to see her IRL again.  Elon Musk's ultimatum to staff - are you hardcore or not?  Staff had to pledge they would be hardcore if they wanted to keep their jobs, or they'd be paid three months salary and need to leave. It seems hundreds of folks have left. Many of the teams that used to be critical to the operation of the site are either wiped out, or down to a couple of people.  There's a new policy for their Twitter Blue subscription service which gives you a verified checkmark - new accounts won't be able to buy the service for 90 days.     

18 NOV 2022 · Tulsa King: Sylvester Stallone stars as New York mafia capo Dwight "The General" Manfredi, who is released from prison after 25 years and exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma (TVNZ+).  1899: A historical mystery. Passengers on an immigrant ship traveling to the new continent get caught in a mysterious riddle when they find a second vessel adrift on the open sea (Netflix).  Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?: A new documentary about a young man who attempted to win a fighter jet in a Pepsi sweepstakes during the 1990s, and who began a David versus Goliath court battle for the history books. (Netflix).   

18 NOV 2022 · You know you’ve probably cracked life when TIME Magazine names you in the top three most-fun people in show business. That’s Alan Cumming.  The Scottish star has been nominated and awarded for just about everything you can think of both on screen and on stage - and Alan’s not slowing down anytime soon.  He’s bringing his own show to our shores next year called Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age - a joyful and mischievous exploration of ageing.   Alan Cumming joined Jack Tame. *Tickets are on sale for Alan’s shows in Wellington and Auckland in January from Ticketmaster now*   

18 NOV 2022 · COQ AU VIN AKA CHICKEN IN WINE  Wine in cooking adds a certain something to a dish that is irresistible. Not only does the kitchen smell divine as it’s cooking but the taste is incredible – perfumed, aromatic, delicious.  Here is my very basic, no-fuss version of that French classic, coq au vin.  Serves four to six  20g butter  3 rashers smoky bacon, diced  2 medium onions, quartered  2 stalks celery (leave whole)  2 tablespoons olive oil  1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, excess fat removed (or use 6–8 chicken pieces)  1 cup red wine  1 cup vegetable or chicken stock  2 bay leaves  2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves  1 dozen small brown button mushrooms, stalks removed  salt and pepper  1 tablespoon flour and water to thicken (optional)  For this dish, use a large pot or flame/ovenproof casserole dish (Le Creuset or similar) that has a lid. Melt the butter in the pot and add the bacon, onion and celery stalks. Sauté until golden, remove and set aside.  Add the olive oil to the pot and brown the chicken pieces. If necessary, do this in 2–3 batches so as not to overcrowd the pot.  Once finished browning, return the chicken, bacon, onion and celery to the pot. Add the wine and bring to a rapid simmer for 2 minutes — this allows the alcohol to cook off. Add the stock, bay leaves and thyme.  Cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour (or cover and cook in a preheated oven at 160°C for 1½ hours), until the chicken is very tender and wanting to fall away from the bone. Halfway through the cooking, add the mushrooms and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Just before serving you may choose to thicken the gravy slightly with flour mixed with a little water. Pour it into the pot and cook for a further 10 minutes. You want a sauce that is not too thick, not too thin, just right!  Serve with crusty bread.  Note: Without a doubt, this dish is better made the day before, cooled, then reheated. It deepens the flavours. 

18 NOV 2022 · Francesca Rudkin has been watching drama 'She Said' and biographical drama 'Emily'. LISTEN ABOVE