Sunday Morning for Sunday 8 October 2023

8:10 Michael Palin: My great uncle Harry’s New Zealand connection 

Actor, comedian, broadcaster and author, Michael Palin, has documented the extraordinary life and tragic death of a First World War soldier - his great-uncle Harry in latest book Great-Uncle Harry: A Tale of War and Empire. 

The biography tells the story of Harry’s life, also known as Henry William Bourne Palin, including his time spent in New Zealand, up until his tragic death, killed by a sniper in 1916 serving with the New Zealand Division in northern France. Harry joined and served in the New Zealand Division at Gallipoli and the Somme. 

The book is the result of hundreds of hours of detective work from Michael, desperate to uncover the details of an ordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. 

8:40 Princess Chelsea: Everything Is Going to Be Alright Tour 

Chelsea Nikkel, better known by her stage name Princess Chelsea, is a producer, musician and visual artist from Auckland. She’s racked up almost 100 million views on her viral hit ‘The Cigarette Duet’ 

She’s gearing up for the New Zealand leg of her Everything Is Going to Be Alright Tour where she’ll perform her critically acclaimed 2022 album before she heads to the U.S in December. 

Princess Chelsea refers to her 2023 Taite Music Prize winning album as her ‘nervous breakdown’ album. She spoke to Jim Mora about her journey to personal recovery and reconnecting with fans.  

9:10 Mediawatch 

Mediawatch looks at political parties’ election policies for the media - and how the media handled criticisms of  National’s policy on tax.  

Also - Rupert Murdoch starting the succession process at his mighty media empire. 

9:40 Ethan Kross: How to master your inner voice 

How you talk to yourself can mean the difference between a good day or a day spent wallowing with your head under the covers.  

Award-winning Professor of Psychology and Management at the University of Michigan Ethan Kross is the author of ‘Chatter: The Voice in our Head, Why It Matters and How To Harness It.' He's one of the world's leading experts on conscious mind control and an advocate for harnessing your existing ‘chatter’ to your advantage, rather than trying to quiet it.  

He shares his insights and techniques learnt from his more than two decades of research. 

10:06 Gregor Paul: Rugby World Cup Update

Rugby Writer and columnist, Scotman Gregor Paul is in Lyon with the All Blacks, but has been keeping a keen eye on the action at the Stade De France between Ireland and Scotland.

10:20 Otto English: History's fake heroes 

Andrew Scott is a political journalist who goes by the pen name of Otto English. His blog ‘The Pinprick’ covers history and politics, he’s also written two books on these same subjects.  

His latest book, ‘Fake Heroes: Ten False Icons and How they Altered the Course of History’ dives into the hidden lives of some of history’s biggest names. Otto examines these larger-than-life idols and exposes lesser-known truths. He joins Jim Mora to discuss why exposing the past matters today.   

‘Fake Heroes: Ten False Icons and How they Altered the Course of History’ is published by Welbeck Publishing. 

11:05 Natasha Frost: Australia Update 

New Zealander Natasha Frost is the New York Times’ correspondent in Melbourne. She joins us with the latest from across the Tasman. 

11:20 Jess Rogers: The Music Man’s leading woman 

The 1957 hit musical ‘The Music Man’ follows the tale of brazen swindler Professor Harold Hill who arrives in River City, Iowa, promising uniforms, instruments and lessons for a new town band. 

Sharing the stage with the Royal New Zealand Navy Band is Jess Rogers, an Auckland based actress and singer taking on the role of Professor Hill’s love interest Marian the librarian. 

Jess’s love of performing has taken her from retirement homes to theatre stages. Her most recent credits include the New Zealand premiere and National Tour of ‘Shrek the Musical’ and ‘Madagascar the Musical’. She’s also a member of the vocal trio The Madeleines.  

Jess Rogers speaks to Jim Mora about performing with a live big band and what audiences can expect with this latest adaptation of a classic which marches into Auckland’s Aotea Centre from the 12th October. 

11:30 Dr Whitney Scott: Chronic pain without the pills 

One in five New Zealand adults suffers from chronic pain. 

It's estimated in about 25 years there'll be one-and-a-quarter million people in constant, persistent or recurring pain, costing billions to alleviate. 

What can be done about your pain, if you have it, that can avoid or reduce the need for pills? 

Dr Whitney Scott is a senior lecturer in clinical health psychology at King’s College London, and she also works as a clinical psychologist at the INPUT Pain Unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London. Whitney as has published more than 80 papers on pain.

11:45 Jarrod Haar: Should employers be paying for your beach holiday? 

The latest trend began in Europe, which has now gone global according to the BBC, this new idea that your employer could pay the cost of your holiday instead of increasing wages.  

We ask Dr Jarrod Haar, Professor of Management and Māori Business at Massey University whether that’s something we might see here.