Frances Cook

Frances Cook is a reformed money mess, currently managing podcasts for the NZ Herald, Newstalk ZB, and RadioSport. She is best known for hosting the personal finance podcast Cooking the Books, one of New Zealand’s top podcasts. Gaining a Master’s in Media Studies from Victoria University of Wellington, Frances went on to work as a journalist, first at RadioLive then NewstalkZB, before moving to cover politics for ZB. She more recently made the switch to work at the NZ Herald, first as a senior multimedia journalist, and now in her podcast role. As well as hosting Cooking the Books, Frances also hosts The Front Page, which goes behind the scenes of the biggest investigations out of the NZ Herald newsroom. She is the executive producer of podcasts Speaking Secrets and Trip Notes, with others in the pipeline. She is a regular commentator for Newstalk ZB radio shows, particularly on politics and personal finance matters.