Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

This hearty soup is full of comfort and takes full advantage of the late-season, cheap tomatoes available right now. As for canned beans, they are pure nourishment – affordable, varied, and yummy.   Makes 8-10 servings     Ingredients    4 tablespoons olive oil     1 medium onion, diced    2 carrots, diced    2 stalks celery (or small bulb fennel), chopped     2 litres water    4-6 fresh tomatoes, grated (see note)     1 x 420g can crushed tomatoes    1 bay leaf     5 handfuls of dried pasta shells or macaroni     2 x 400g can mixed beans, drained and rinsed     salt and pepper to taste – use plenty of each    chopped parsley to serve     crusty bread to serve        Method  In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onion, carrot, and celery for 5–10 minutes or until softened.     Add water, fresh and canned tomatoes, and bay le

Kevin Milne has music on his mind.  Paul McCartney released a new single last month, Days We Left Behind, the lead from his upcoming album ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’.   It’s a nostalgic song, and got Kevin thinking about a story a friend of his son tells about meeting the musician.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nine days, 22 hours, and 32 minutes.    That’s how long the Artemis II crew has been away and as we speak this morning, they’re entering the final, critical hours of their mission. All going well, by the time Jason Pine welcomes you to Weekend Sport after the midday news, the capsule will have splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. The four people who’ve travelled further from Earth than any other human beings ever will be fished out and whisked off, home to NASA in time for supper.  As someone who wasn’t here for the Apollo missions, Artemis II represents the most exciting crewed space mission of my life. There have been other big moments: rescue missions to the International Space Station, perilous repair jobs that have needed specialist, highwire space walks. But Artemis is the first crewed mission to leave low Earth orbit since Apollo 17, 54 years ago.  For me, that’s what’s significant. When many of us think of the view of Earth from space, we think of something from the movies. We think

Stephen K. Amos does the talking so that audiences can do the laughing.  Many will know the British comedian from his regular spots on UK television shows like ‘Live at The Apollo’ and ‘QI’.   Right now, he’s working the festival circuit in Australia, before he heads our way in May with his new show deconstructing the science of laughter.   The show is called ‘Now We’re Talking’, and it delves into what exactly laughter does to a person, physically and emotionally.  “And then I talk about how it’s important for us to keep talking in a world where there’s a lot of noise out there, and people aren’t listening enough,” Amos told Jack Tame.   But why is laughter so infectious? Amos says it’s do to with human connection.   “The mirror neuron – you see somebody laugh, you laugh.”  “It’s a shared experience, and on your own, I suppose people don’t want to look odd if they’re just sitting by themselves and then guffawing like a bit of a lunatic.”  “But it is, it’s good for the

Humankind is returning to the moon.  NASA launched its first manned mission to the moon in over fifty years earlier this week – sending four astronauts on the Artemis II on a ten day journey to circle the celestial body.  And though many young kids dream of being an astronaut one day, Kevin Milne isn’t sure he could hack it.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK singer-songwriter Arlo Parks has released her third studio album – Ambiguous Desire.   It’s a departure from her previous albums, both of which held more rock and alternative elements, whereas this one is filled with the sounds of nightlife – house, garage, and techno.   Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to share his thoughts on the album.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bonfire of the Murdochs by Gabriel Sherman   When Rupert Murdoch made a fateful decision about who should inherit his media colossus, he believed that pitting his children against each other would produce the most capable heir. Twenty-five years later, that gamble would tear apart one of the world's most powerful families and trigger a multi-billion dollar reckoning in a succession battle featuring betrayals, lawsuits, and revenge plots.  In Bonfire of the Murdochs, bestselling author Gabriel Sherman tells the inside story of this epic family war, one whose seeds were planted a half-century ago in Australia when the complicated patriarch left his homeland to conquer the world and please the ghost of his judgmental father. That quest culminated in a media empire that controlled Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and tabloids on three continents, which wielded more political and cultural power than any single company in modern times.  But Rupert's plan to rip up the secret trust control

"One of life’s great truths is that Las Vegas never rests on its laurels. It is constantly in a state of evolution and reinvention, unfurling ever brighter and more ambitious embellishments to enrich its entertainment arsenal." "No matter how you tackle Sin City, Las Vegas requires a suspension of disbelief, as you’re swallowed up within the whirling, swirling haze of escapist gratification. Blend the best of new and old Las Vegas, sampling the latest and greatest hits in town." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we approach the Easter break —a time typically filled with texts, chocolate, memes, and quick check-ins— new research from 2degrees suggests Kiwis may be craving something more meaningful. The study reveals a modern contradiction: Kiwis have more ways to stay in touch than ever, but two thirds say meaningful conversations are harder to come by.   While texting and social media have become the default, a phone call still has the greatest emotional impact - 77% say they feel meaningfully better after speaking to someone close to them, yet only 15% regularly pick up the phone.   Always on, rarely connected:   67% of Kiwis say meaningful conversations are harder to come by despite having more ways to stay in touch than ever   Nearly one in three (32%) are making fewer calls than five years ago    23% of Kiwis can't recall a single phone number apart from their own    How Kiwis use their phones to communicate:   68% say text-based messaging is their primary way of

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 4 April 2026, British comedian and tv personality Stephen K Amos joins Jack to talk about the joy in connecting through humour and why it's important not to take it all too seriously.  Jack reflects on the gift and simplicity of being in nature.  Chef Nici Wickes has the perfect easter treat, Easter Rocky Road.  Economist Ed McKnight looks at the house buying trends that happen every election year.  Plus, travel contributor Mike Yardley is in Las Vegas and has all the latest and greatest from Sin City.  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.

We all know about the direct effects of elections —financial, policy, crime— but they also seem to effect the housing market.  Ed McKnight analysed 11 elections going back to 1993, and discovered a few patterns that appear in the housing market around that time.  He joined Jack Tame to discuss his findings.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It might not be obvious in Aotearoa, but there’s something like 1400 different species of snails! They’re in many groups and with many different jobs to do, in the forests, in liquid habitats, on tree trunks, and in your garden.  Native snails consume dead and decaying leaves, fungus, and algae (they don’t eat your veggie garden) and leave behind nutrient-rich poo for soil health.  The Leaf-veined slug is one of those Molluscs that slithers around in the evening and at night. Their movement can be relatively smart, especially when they cruise on outdoor furniture or on leaves. Here they clean surfaces – literally! I’ve always called them the Wet & Forget slug, simply because they leave those clean tracks where-ever they went.  Paryphanta the kauri snail. A serious native snail with almost 80 mm diameter shell. It occurs from Kaitaia to the southern parts of Northland. It’s even distributed to Titirangi and Laingholm, where I used to have it on our lawn, especially at night. I’ll never forg

Australia's social media ban's first report card is in and there’s room for improvement   The regulator says the big social media companies are not doing enough to keep children off their platforms, particularly having insufficient measures to prevent kids from creating new accounts, not providing effective ways to report under-16s, and allowing those who said they were under 16 before the ban to say they were actually over 16.   Social media companies Meta and Snap say they are doing the best they can to comply, but it's very difficult to know how old a person is. Meta suggests that the App Store is the best place for age verification, which would effectively move the problem to Apple and Google.     Amazon's adding a fuel surcharge to orders   The 3.5% fuel surcharge will be added to orders that are fulfilled through its distribution centres. It'll come into effect on April 17th. The company says it can no longer continue to eat the additional cost, adding that this surcharge will o

Something Very Bad is Going to Happen   A bride has a feeling that something horrifying will happen at her wedding — and the closer to the altar she gets, the worse it becomes (Netflix).    Your Friends & Neighbors   When a financial titan suddenly finds himself divorced and jobless, he starts robbing his wealthy neighbors to stay afloat. Stealing from his own social circle strangely exhilarates him -- but he gradually gets tangled in a deadly web (Apple TV+).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the price of Easter eggs through the roof this year I’m making this rocky road as the ultimate sweet treat for the long weekend!    Makes one tray      Ingredients  200g dark chocolate, chopped     200g milk chocolate, chopped    50g butter    1 tablespoon golden syrup or maple syrup   100g roasted almonds, chopped roughly    ½ cup chopped dried apricots    1 cup chopped marshmallow eggs   1 cup mini eggs, some chopped some left whole       Method  Line a shallow 20x20cm dish with baking paper.   Gently melt both chocolates, butter, and syrup in a pot over a low heat.    Stir in the almonds, apricots, and pieces of marshmallow eggs. Scrape into the dish and smooth the top as much as possible.   Push the mini eggs down into the surface and chill for 3 hours or overnight until set.    Cut into squares.      Nici’s note:   You can get inventive with t

The Drama  A happily engaged couple get put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week off the rails.     Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice  Two friends navigate the dangerous world of organized crime, testing their loyalty and survival skills as they get deeper into the criminal underworld.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For my birthday this year, my wife went above and beyond.   I didn’t want a product. I didn’t want a thing. For the last year of my thirties, I asked for an experience. And a couple of months before the big day, I casually dropped it into conversation.   “How would you feel,” I asked.  “If for my birthday this year, you took on all of the family duties for a bit... So I can duck off for a couple of nights in the bush?”   I’ll admit to a bias —I’ve spent more time in that any other— but I reckon the Kahurangi might be our best National Park. Although Fiordland National Park obviously boasts the majesty of Milford, Doubtful, and Dusky Sounds, and Abel Tasman has the golden sand beaches, between the nikau groves meeting the Tasman and the true sub-alpine, I reckon nothing can rival the Kahurangi in terms of sheer variety of landscapes.    I was reminded of that diversity this week, when, for my birthday escape, I joined my brother and brother-in-law and drove up the Wangapeka River

Comedy legend Eddie Izzard’s material has taken on a life of its own.   Now going by Suzy Eddie, she doesn’t just tell jokes, she’s rewritten history.   The comedian, actor, and politician has captivated audiences with a career that has constantly pushed forward, and now she’ll be captivating Kiwi audiences, gracing our stages later this year.   She’s bringing two shows to our shores that couldn’t be more different, the Remix Tour in May, and a one-person performance of Hamlet in July.   “Just like Shakespeare went from his comedies to his dramas and tragedies, so am I,” she told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame.   The Remix Tour has Izzard performing highlights from her 35 year career in stand up comedy, and with so much material to pick from, every night will be unique.  “It lives – that's the thing,” she said.  “It lives as opposed to, oh it’s old and we pull it out and it’s the old prayer from before – it's got essences of that, but also new stuff as well.”   In contrast, Ha

Most people are aware that drivers licensing tests have changed over the years, but not everyone is aware of exactly how much.  Kevin Milne first sat his driver's test back in 1964, and in retrospect, the rules back then were much slacker.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ninth studio album from Swedish musician Robyn, ‘Sexistential’ is a return to an earlier form.  Unlike the softer sounds of her previous album ‘Honey’, her latest release is reminiscent of her 2010 trilogy ‘Body Talk’ – Robyn working with the same producer, Klas Åhlund, as she did on that project.   In Chris Schulz’s opinion, the album is easily the best pop album of the year so far, and he joined Jack Tame to share his full thoughts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.