Afternoons for Friday 13 October 2023

1:10 First Song: Paige talks her debut album 'King Clown'

This morning, Kiwi songstress Paige unleashed her debut album 'King Clown' upon the world. 

It's been a long time coming following the release of her last EP in 2020. That project saw her reach 52 million total streams around the world. 

Her song 'Waves' even went platinum in Korea, where she's just returned from a promotional tour. 

She's bringing the new album to four centres around New Zealand in November and December. 

She joins Jesse today and introduces her latest single 'Carousel'. 

1:15 Massey University students plea for science courses to remain

Yesterday we looked at the issue of university cuts - and how Victoria and Otago universities are working together to save their language courses.

Today, we're looking at a change proposal out of Massey University which would see science programmes cut from its Albany campus in Auckland.

Students are gutted by the plan and are calling on Massey to reconsider.

James Roberts is a post-graduate biology student studying invertebrate conservation. Katipo spiders are a big part of his research, and he says the cuts could put key conservation projects at risk.

James speak with Jesse today.

1:25 Film festival acknowledges mental health as part of the human experience

While nearly half of us will experience a diagnosable mental illness at some point in our lives, only two percent of characters in top box-office grossing films are portrayed that way.

A new film festival is setting out to change that, showing that mental health challenges are part of the human experience.

The Aotearoa Mental Health Film Festival will kick off in Auckland on the 16th of November and tour selected theatres in Hamilton, Tauranga, Hawkes Bay, Wellington and Christchurch. 

Nine films have been selected, among them is a film called 'Te Reo Rangatira - Maizy Metekingi', directed by Brandon Te Moananui. 

Brandon joins Jesse today.

1:35 Pet obesity is a bigger problem than you think

When a cat called Harry arrived at the Dunedin SPCA, he tipped the scales at 11.72 kilograms. That's nearly three times the weight that he should have been. 

But our next guest says that although people want to spoil their pets - and find fat cats very cute - they're shortening their lives.  

Our pets are getting bigger in New Zealand. A study by the SPCA's science team found that more than one in five cats are overweight or obese.

Dr Alison Vaughan is the SPCA's Scientific Officer. She joins Jesse to break down this issue.

1:50 Freaky Friday

Freaky Friday is a weekly segment where we indulge in some of your strangest and spookiest stories. 

Today we hear from Sandi, who shares a tragic story that wound up giving hope, and Jess, who had some strange experiences when restoring an old farm stay.

2:10 Film review with Kate Rodger

Kate Rodger joins Jesse to discuss the latest Martin Scorsese epic 'Killers of the Flower Moon' and Netflix's 'Fair Play'. 

2:25 NZ Live: Sweet Mix Kids

Today on NZ Live Jesse is joined by a couple of Kiwi DJs who it's fair to say have hit the big big time.

Sweet Mix Kids - aka Chris Scott and Sandon Ihaia - have played top festivals like Coachella and supported stars like Adele, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay.

Now they're back home in Aotearoa touring their second album 'Stargazing' - a mix of disco, funk, rap, soul and electronic dance music featuring a lineup of guest artists.

Released last year to vinyl and CD only, it spent four weeks in the NZ Top 20. Now it's about to launch on streaming services.

3:10 Sarah Tuck: Date Mini Loaves

Today Sarah Tuck shares a recipe she claims to be "the best thing in the universe with a strong cup of tea on an Autumn afternoon".

You can find the full recipe for her Date Mini Loaves here. 

3:15 Weekend Stuff with Stan Scott

Have you got chores that have been itching at you for a while? Stan Scott is back to share all his DIY tips for your weekend projects. 

3:35 Critter of the Week: Vampire Squid

The vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) might sound scary, but it’s more like a soft-bodied floating Christmas tree than a blood-sucking creature of the night.

This deep-sea creature has some out-of-the-box defensive strategies: it shoots a cloud of glowing mucus to disarm its predators and tries to camouflage itself by turning itself into a pineapple.

Nicola Toki joins Jesse to teach us about this not-so terrifying creature. 

3:45 The Panel with Ali Jones and Peter Fa'afiu