Saturday Morning

8.11 KT Tunstall's generation defining sound

Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall went viral before going viral was even really a thing.

In 2004 a chance live performance of her song Black Horse and the Cherry Tree on British TV show Later...with Jools Holland catapulted her career overnight. That made it onto her multi-million-selling debut album Eye To The Telescope which also features the generation defining hit Suddenly You See - known for featuring in The Devil Wears Prada.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the album and to celebrate KT's heading to New Zealand for two shows in May.

Susie Ferguson asks her about breaking into the music industry, going deaf overnight, and discovering siblings she never knew existed.

8.30 Dr Neil Melvin: 4 years of war in Ukraine 

The war between Russia and Ukraine is grinding towards its fourth anniversary.

Despite another round of peace talks this end there's been progress, but no breakthrough, despite sustained pressure from US President Donald Trump, particularly on Ukraine. 

Ukraine's president  Volodymyr  Zelensky said it was 'not fair' he was being asked to compromise more than his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The key sticking points are territory, who would monitor a ceasefire and fate of a key nuclear power plant.

Mihi Forbes speaks to Dr Neil Melvin, he's the Director of International Security at  RUSI - the Royal United Services Institute in London.

9.05 Dr Hilary Cass - puberty blockers

New prescriptions for puberty blockers were to be banned by the Government just before Christmas, but an urgent High Court injunction has called a halt to the new regulations and a judicial review is set down for May.

The findings of an independent report and subsequent major clinical trial in the UK prompted the Health Minister Simeon Brown to press pause on the medications for new patients with gender dysphoria.

The four-year Cass Review, carried out for NHS England recommends limiting the use of puberty blockers to research settings.  It also urges unhurried holistic care, caution around irreversible treatments, and the recognition of complex factors such as mental health, neurodiversity and social media as possible contributors to the rise in young people questioning their gender.

Baroness Dr Hilary Cass joins Susie live from the UK.

9.35 Michaela Brake and Lisa Burd: No Tears on the Field

No Tears on the Field is the latest film from award winning documentary maker Lisa  Burd. 

It tracks a women's rugby team in Taranaki for a season, delving into the diverse backgrounds of some players, while examining the history of the women's game, which one of the fastest growing sports in the country. 

It's an authentic and inspiring watch that examines the grit and determination of building a sport and a team despite the personal struggles and challenges of the film's core characters. 

Mihi Forbes speaks Lisa Burd and decorated Black Ferns super star Michaela Brake - who among many accolades has two Olympic gold medals in her trophy cabinet...and who also got her start in rugby in Taranaki.

10.05 Percival Everett - reimagining Huckleberry Finn

When Stephen Spielberg adapts your novel for the big screen you know it's the big time!  

Susie speaks with Percival Everett, Pulitzer prize-winning author of the phenomenon James,  about the process of reimagining of Mark Twain’s classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

They also discuss satire, power, freedom and race, and the place of language, books and reading in the current political climate. 

Percival tells of his other loves too: horses and roses, and why he thinks writing a book is like knowingly going into a bad marriage.

10.34 Vampire love stories with blind author Steffanie Holmes

Stepping into the world of medieval sword collections and vampire love stories, Kaipara coast's Steffanie Holmes is the author of over 50 books - and she's legally blind. 

The trained archeologist and best-selling author went down the less traditional route of self-publishing, selling over a million copies around the world, and now she helps other authors navigate the world of publishing through an online community called Rage Against the Manuscript.

Steff speaks to Mihi Forbes about her latest paranormal romance book A Grave Mistake, making mead on her off-the-grid property, and which heavy metal song is best to walk down the aisle too.

11.05 Doug Allan: Life Behind the Lens 

His lens provided the pictures for Sir David Attenborough's words. 

A BAFTA and Emmy award-winning wildlife cameraman, who started his professional life diving for pearls, Doug Allan's work is seen on renowned shows like Planet Earth, The Blue Planet and Life.  

His close encounters with nature have both enthralled and terrified. From polar bear cubs in the Arctic to orcas chasing stingrays in Northland, Doug Allan has filmed it all during a career spanning four decades. 

Back in New Zealand for a speaking tour of the South Island, Doug joins Mihi to share stories from his Life Behind the Lens. 

11.25 Sorry Not Sorry: David Williams

Apologies come in all forms.  But how often are they sincere?

A participatory performance show Sincere Apologies examines famous apologies.  Fifty real apologies are sealed inside fifty envelopes and distributed to the audience, who read them aloud.  They range from a Prime Minister’s apology to the Stolen Generation to BP’s statement following an oil spill. Others tap into pop culture, including Kanye West's "apology" to Taylor Swift. 

Sincere Apologies is on at Auckland's Q Theatre next month. It's the show's first time in New Zealand.

11.45 Gardening in foul weather with Hannah Zwartz

Gardens around the country have faced a battering in the wild weather of late, so our gardening expert Hannah Zwartz is back, this time to teach us how to deal with the weather effects, as well as the seasonal pests and disease that come with changing temperatures. 

Hannah has over 30 years' experience gardening professionally, including looking after the herb and succulent areas at Wellington Botanic Garden and running community market gardens in the Hutt Valley.