The Panel

Wallace Chapman and Perlina Lau star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Susana Lei'ataua. Then: award winning fashion writer Emma Gleason is back and this time she's all about the revival of 2026: skinny jeans are back!

In part two, if we're talking divisive issues in New Zealand, well, there is a laundry list of hot-button topics. If we're wanting a way through the public discourse to actual solutions, the idea of citizen's assemblies may be the answer. Iain Walker is the Executive Director of the NewDemocracy Foundation in Australia, he's led dozens of citizen's assemblies and explains why he believes they work. Then, New Brighton in Christchurch has really struggled to bounce back post-earthquakes. Part of the suburb getting back on its feet is the annual firework's display on the New Brighton pier. Celeste Donovan, Christchurch city councillor, explains why the display is going from strength to strength.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Leonie Freeman and Martin Bosley. First up, the nation's hospitals are in the headlines lately and not for good reasons. Middlemore and Hutt hospitals are both facing crumbling infrastructure including leaks in Middlemore's maternity block and an ED patient at Waikato Hospital died in the toilet during a nine-hour wait over the weekend. Health commentator and former executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Ian Powell joins the panel. Then, an alliance of mayors and tourism leaders are ramping up the pressure for a nationwide visitor accommodation levy, a bed tax in other words. John Glover, the mayor of Queenstown has been a persistent advocate.

Wallace Chapman and Perlina Lau star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Susana Lei'ataua. Then: music played during surgery can improve teamwork and lift people's moods, boosting well-being for staff and patients, according to a new study. Anantha Narayanan, a trainee vascular surgeon and PhD candidate in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Auckland University joins the panel to discuss what is best played while you have your hip operated on: Metallica or MegaDeath?

In part two, a church on Auckland's North Shore plans to open a low-cost cafe and budget meals service for those in need. But some locals are not happy their base may be in their local township. The panel talks to Reverend Dion Blundell. Then, bookshops seem to be thriving in 2026. Wellington's Willis Street is soon to be home to three independent book stores, and in Taranaki a thriving store just took out the region's top retail award. The panel talks to Poppies Bookstore Owner Angela Sefton.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Jennie Moreton and Simon Wilson. First up, the weekend saw both the ACT and Labour parties hold rallies announcing new policy. Michael Swanson, a honorary research fellow in the politics programme at Otago University, joins the panel to discuss the two parties and their possible election outcomes. Then, Health and safety regulation can sometimes be the butt of the joke, where critics say the paperwork required is just common sense. The ACT Party's Health and Safety Amendment Bill intends to overthrow much of those requirements. Dr Danaë Anderson, Researcher & Lecturer in Workplace Health and Safety at Victoria University of Wellington joins the panel to assess the bill and if it will do what it says it will.

Wallace Chapman and Emile Donovan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

In part two, we go to the place in New Zealand with the least expensive house prices. Ikamatua resident Anna McInroe takes us on a tour of the hidden West Coast village. Then, Paul of Invercargill walked out to his suburban backyard to find a cow staring back at him. How did it get there and what happened next?