Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

The release coming as a surprise to his fans, Swag is the seventh studio album of Justin Bieber – his first release in four years.  With a range of guest appearances, the album returns to Bieber’s favoured R&B sounds after his backslide into generic pop with 2021’s Justice.  Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the new album.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Steeped in Roman heritage and swooned over as Britain’s premier spa destination, Bath’s architectural flourishes and all-encompassing grandeur underpins my love affair with the city. I recently reacquainted myself with its atmospheric charm in a whistle-stop romp around Blighty with Trafalgar’s Real Britain tour. Adeptly helmed by travel director Selene, this is Trafalgar’s fastest-paced UK tour, delivering a whistle-stop experience with some of Britain’s most desirable destinations. If you’re short on time but want to tick-off a swag of top-billing icons, it’s a cracking option." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell   He’s the perfect man. It’s a perfect lie.  Nina Swann is intrigued when she received a condolence card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her late husband, who is looking to connect after her husband’s unexpected death. Nick is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…  Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband, Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn’t right.  Nina, Martha, and Ash are

Globally, around 460 million metric tons of plastic is produced every year, and it’s estimated that 20 million metric tons of plastic litter ends up in the environment.   To try and mitigate some of the damage, Plastic Free July was launched in 2011.  It’s a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation, which aims to work towards a world free of plastic waste.  Founder and Executive Director of Plastic Free July, Rebecca Prince-Ruiz joined Jack Tame to discuss the initiative and challenge people to get involved.  Find more details here.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Technology has improved in leaps and bounds over the years – going from landlines to brick phones to smartphones in relatively quick succession.  However, as technology has improved, it’s also become increasingly difficult to repair for one reason or another. Gone are the days when you can pop your battery out of your phone and put a new one in.  Kevin Milne recently tried to buy a new battery for his iPhone, and ran into an annoying problem when trying to get the real deal.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winter dormancy is the best time to shift a tree or a shrub (or plant a new one), especially when they originate from a “temperate climate” (the kind that shed their leaves and hail from UK, Europe, North America, etc).  When considering shifting a sub-tropical/semi tropical one, wait a little to just before spring sets in (mid-end September).  These sub-tropicals do not really like to be dumped into a wet and cold soil for many weeks of deepest winter – it could kill them!  Besides, as discussed last week, with these cold and wet soils all kinds of Root Rots (Phytophthora, Armillaria, Pithium, etc) might terminally affect your trees.   Here are some ideas to make it work as well as possible:   1) Consider the size of the tree – smaller ones are much easier to (trans)plant than big ones.   2) Get a “trenching spade”. These long, narrow, sturdy blades are much more efficient at digging into cold, wet clay soils than the ordinary, wider spades.   3) Destination site – select

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for 12 July 2025, country music superstar Maren Morris joins Jack to discuss bringing her Dreamsicle tour to New Zealand, and just what a dreamsicle is...  The latest Superman has hit big screens, and Francesca Rudkin shares her thoughts on this iteration of the classic.  Nici Wickes shares a recipe for the perfect pie and makes a special announcement.  Plus, Justin Bieber dropped a surprise album overnight: "Swag". Music reviewer Estelle Clifford had her ears on it immediately and shares her thoughts on what Bieber has delivered.  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.

Wine: Thomas Barton Reserve Saint-Emillion 2023 RRP $36.99    This is a classic wine option targeted at red wine drinkers who like a wine with some firmness yet plenty of fruit and lots of style. A bouquet and palate of Doris plums and blackberry, baking spices suggesting clove and vanilla, a lick of smoky oak (with a hint of bacon), then clay earth suggestions.    The tannins have some grip, and the acid line adds freshness, offering an overall classic right bank flavour profile and texture. Core fruits also include a fleshy softness from the Merlot and dried herb with chalk-like tannins from the Cabernet Franc.     The Food:   I have enjoyed this wine in New Zealand, and also recently in France, with the best matches being pork belly with apple sauce with smashed potato, and Shepherd’s pie. For vegetarians, a vegetable lasagne with lots of spinach in a rich cheesy bechamel works a treat.    The season:   2023 in France was a challenge for many and not f

The US Secretary of State was impersonated using AI   Concerning news this week as it was revealed that at least three foreign ministers, a US governor, and a member of Congress all received outreach from the fake Rubio, according to a State Department cable.   The impersonator reached out to people using Signal, an app that allows you to choose any username you want – the impersonator used a fake state department email address to make it look legit. At least one of the targets was sent a text message, but at least two were sent Signal voice messages.   We're at a point now, or will reach it very soon, where we're going to need to figure out how to verify if the person you're chatting or talking to is who you think they are.     Nvidia becomes the first $4 trillion company   Apple was the first US company to hit $1 trillion in 2018, first to hit $2 trillion in 2020, and the first to hit $3 trillion in 2022, so by that math, it should have hit $4 trillion in 2024, but Nvidia beat

Too Much   Jessica, a New York workaholic is reeling from a broken relationship. She takes a job in London, where she plans to live like a Bronte sister. When she meets Felix, a walking series of red flags, their unusual connection is impossible to ignore (Netflix).    Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story    Interviews, outtakes and never-before-seen footage provide insight into the chaos and creativity behind the making of Steven Spielberg's legendary blockbuster “Jaws” (Disney+).    Outrageous Fortune    It’s 20 years this week since the classic New Zealand comedy-drama stormed onto our screens - and the series remains as entertaining as ever.    The Wests are a one-family crime wave with a proud tradition in thievery, larceny and petty crime, until now... When patriarch Wolf is sent to jail, his wife Cheryl decides it's time for the family to go straight (TVNZ+, YouTube).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat

Superman   When Superman gets drawn into conflicts at home and abroad, his actions are questioned, giving tech billionaire Lex Luthor the opportunity to get the Man of Steel out of the way for good. Will intrepid reporter Lois Lane and Superman's four-legged companion, Krypto, be able to help him before it's too late?     Heads of State   U.S. President Will Derringer and British Prime Minister Sam Clarke have a not-so-friendly and very public rivalry. However, when Air Force One gets shot down over enemy territory, they find themselves on the run and working together to thwart a global conspiracy that threatens the entire free world.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve been eating too many of the Daily Bread lamb pies lately as our local coffee hut here at the beach has started stocking them. They are too good, but they’ll send me broke, so I’ve worked on recreating one at home and it’s sensational! Meltingly tender lamb and a mix of spices that just hum with flavour.   Makes 4-6 single serve pies      Ingredients  2 tablespoons olive oil    1 large onion, diced    800g-1kg diced lamb, I used 2 rumps    2 cloves garlic, chopped    1 heaped tsp turmeric powder   1 tsp each coriander powder, ground cumin, paprika    ½ tsp ground ginger    1 tsp sea salt & ¼ tsp white pepper   400g tinned crushed tomatoes   Water    300g flaky puff pastry    Egg wash    Sesame or cumin seeds for pie tops      Method  Heat the oil and sauté the onions until softened. Add in diced lamb and brown. Add spices and cook for 2-3 minutes unti

Last month we set a new household record.   Blame the baby, the extra washing, the old house, the cold weather, the dehumidifier, and whatever else. But despite booking in hours of free electricity across the month, between the gas heating and electricity, our family energy bill for June 2025 was the highest it’s ever been: $540.    I know we’re very comfortable relative to so many families, but even so, that has gotta change. But while of course there are things we as a family can improve upon, I’m very aware that there are only so many gains to be won from policing light switches and shower times. I’m seriously wondering about solar.   I read an amazing set of stats in the New Yorker magazine this week about the scale and development of solar energy around the world. This is all big picture stuff... mainly the huge industrial solar farms, rather than household solar, but a couple of these numbers absolutely blew me away.   First of all, solar power is now growing faster than any pow

Mike Yardley travels a lot. He's the resident traveller on Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, always trying something or some place new. As a result, he's tried out many of the apps available for travellers, and has a few he would call his favourites. Read his full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new twist on a classic tale.  Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is an iconic tale of star-crossed lovers, and in just a few weeks, it will be brought to life once more by Auckland Theatre Company.  Although if you’re expecting a classic performance, you’re in for a shock – instead you’ll witness a fast-passed thriller set in 1960’s Milan, complete with Kiwi accents.  The titular characters are played by Theo David and Phoebe McKellar and the two joined Jack Tame to delve into the development of the show and what it’s like to bring this new variation to life.  Performances are running from the 15th of July through to the 9th of August at ASB Waterfront Theatre – tickets are available here.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Her first album released as an independent artist, Period is Kesha’s sixth studio album.  With her taste for experimental pop on full display, the album is a return to Kesha’s wilder, hedonistic, “hot mess” era, filled with brash and unfiltered music.  The popstar says her goal was for it to create a safe space for people to feel fully embodied and liberated, unfiltered, and fearless.  Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the album.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne is encouraging people to spend a little more time outside this weekend.  The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey ends this weekend, which aks people to record the number of birds they see in their garden over the span of an hour.  Last weekend saw Kevin take part in the Whale Count, but he thinks most people will have better luck with the birds.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The White Crow by Michael Robotham   As the daughter of a London crime boss, Police Constable Philomena McCarthy walks a thin blue line keeping the two sides of her complicated life apart.  On patrol one night she discovers a child in pyjamas, wandering alone. Taking Daisy home, Phil uncovers the aftermath of a deadly home invasion, as three miles away a prominent jeweller is found strapped to an explosive in his ransacked store.  The crimes are linked, and all the evidence points to Phil’s father as the mastermind.  Phil’s two worlds are colliding, trapping her in the middle of a vicious gang war that will threaten her career and everyone she loves.  Who can she trust – the badge or her own blood?     This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen   Widow Mimi lives on idyllic Mackinac Island where cars are not allowed and a Gibson with three onions at the witching hour is compulsory. Her granddaughter, Addie, is getting over the heartbreak of her fiancé, Brian, dumping her a

During the cold and wet winter months, people often spend a lot less time in the great outdoors.   This can be a bit of a problem, as recent research reveals that spending time outside can have quite a few psychological benefits.  Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to delve into the findings.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investing isn’t always easy, and while you may think you can afford to buy a new house or investment property, can you really?  Ed McKnight recommends that before you take on those payments, try living with the decreased income before taking on that debt.  He joined Jack Tame to delve deeper into the ‘Can I Invest’ Test.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.