Afternoons for Thursday 19 February 2026

1:10 Explainer: What on earth is going on with Auckland's housing?

 Housing Minister Chris Bishop has outlined changes to housing densification plans for Auckland - with cabinet agreeing to lower the maximum number of houses in Auckland from 2 million to at least 1.6 million.

The U-turn comes after Auckland Council had been progressing a new plan to accommodate up to 2 million homes in the coming decades.

Council is now being asked to review the city's housing plan and remove areas where it does not want intensification to occur - housing density will go ahead near transport hubs and rail corridors. 

Joining us now is Patrick Reynolds, Director and Spokesperson for Greater Auckland - an independent, volunteer-run analysis and advocacy platform for improving the quality of our cities.

1:20 Local Legends: The family business looking out for the elderly

Today we’re chatting with the team behind Jamie’s Angels, a home-delivered meal service providing hundreds of fresh meals every week to elderly residents in Whanganui

The husband and wife team took over the business from their son when he moved to London many years ago; what began as a small family business has grown into something pretty special.

Graham Lillington from Jamie's Angels chats to Jesse.

1:30 The Beths are back in town! So, what next for the talented group?

It’s been a huge year for indie darlings The Beths who are back in the country after wrapping up an epic 70-show run at the end of last year not to mention an appearance on American talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live,

Here to tell us how it all went and what's coming up next, Jesse is joined by lead singer Liz Stokes!

1:45 Great Album: The Beths 'Straight Line was a Lie'

Every Thursday we try to give away an album to the winner of our Link Three competition and this week we've got a goodie; The Beths' Straight Line was A Lie.
It's the group's fourth album and shows off their wide spectrum of talent and style. 
 

2:10 Relationships: What happens when you both retire and are home together?

Every second Thursday we talk about relationships with Professor Kirsty Ross from Massey University's School of Psychology

Whether matters of the heart, workplace dramas or friendship pickles, relationships take work and sometimes a professional opinion can come in handy to sort any conflicts.

If there are any topics, you would like Kirsty to cover email us at afternoons@rnz.co.nz

2:30 A-Z of Aotearoa: P is for Pies!

It's time to continue our way through the A-Z of Aotearoa. 

We've been having a lot of fun with this segment each fortnight, making our way through the alphabet marking each letter with something iconically Kiwi. 

Today it's the letter P for Pies. 

That's right, New Zealand is obsessed with "The Humble Pie". 

Over the next 25 minutes we'll meet a social media influencer hunting for the country's best mince 'n' cheese, along with the most recent Supreme Pie Award winner. 

To kick things off we wanted to learn about the history of the meat pie and its place in New Zealand culture. 

 Newsroom managing editor Jonathan Milne starts off the chat.

3:15 Your Money with Mary Holm 

Personal finance whizz Mary Holm joins Jesse to share some tricks and tips on picking your Kiwisaver fund.

3:35 The importance of play: Parents we're looking at you

We're asking because it seems that most adults, in the midst of busy lives, have swapped play and silliness for seriousness and productivity. 

But there is clear evidence that you adults benefit from play just as children do.

So what are these benefits and how can we all get more playful? Scott Duncan, Professor of Population Health, Auckland University of Technology explains.

3:45 The pre-Panel 

Wallace Chapman previews tonight's edition of The Panel.