Best The Spectator Australia Podcasts (2024)

1
How to defeat wokeism, with Helen Pluckrose 50:40

1h ago50:40

50:40

It's easy to say that "woke ideology" is a nonsense. It's much harder to say that when your job, your social status, or your friendships may be put at risk by doing so. We need a practical, principled approach to fighting back against wokeism. Enter Helen Pluckrose. Helen is a political and cultural author and speaker. She is the co-author of ‘Cyni…

1
Liane Moriarty on mortality, her new novel & what’s next for Big Little Lies 34:23

2h ago34:23

34:23

When Liane Moriarty writes a book, people read it. More than 20 million people, in fact. As she prepares to release her 10th novel, Here One Moment, Liane joins Sarrah Le Marquand in the studio to discuss her first book since being diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago. From reflections on her own mortality to her thoughts on BookTok, writin…

1
The horror of Starmer's Britain, with Nick Dixon 49:25

16m ago49:25

49:25

The United Kingdom is a great country. It’s arguably contributed more to the flourishing of Western civilization than any other. Which is why recent events have left many people heartbroken. Racially and culturally motivated riots have erupted on British streets, met with a two-tiered policing and judicial response, a crackdown on free speech, and …

1
Olympia Valance has some news… 41:39

28m ago41:39

41:39

Late last year, Olympia Valance opened up about the difficulty she and her husband, former AFL player Thomas Bellchambers, encountered while trying to start a family. After a roller-coaster four years, which saw them experience multiple pregnancy losses and undergo IVF, Olympia decided to speak out because she wanted anyone else going through the s…

1
The unstoppable rise of the nanny state, with Christopher Snowdon 56:44

1d ago56:44

56:44

Across the Anglosphere, governments on both sides of politics have never been more interested in the personal lives of their citizens. The nanny state thrives from Australia to the United Kingdom, and even in that traditional bastion of freedom, the USA. Christopher Snowdon is the UK’s leading warrior against the excesses of the nanny state. He is …

1
Andy Lee and Rebecca Harding on the one question we won't ask them 38:37

3d ago38:37

38:37

Andy Lee and Rebecca Harding are one of the country's most popular couples. So when they announced their engagement in May, there was a collective cheer from the Australian public, particularly since part of the business of being Andy Lee – a four-time Gold Logie nominee and half of a hugely successful double act with long-time co-host Hamish Blake…

1
Going all-in, with Liv Boeree 42:47

23d ago42:47

42:47

What the mainstream media calls a “conspiracy theory” is often nothing more than an amalgam of incentives hiding in plain sight. Once you see that, the rest becomes pretty obvious. Misaligned incentives are everywhere, and are the root cause of some of our thorniest global challenges. So how can we fix them? There is no one better qualified to answ…

1
Poolside in Paris with Cate Campbell on gender parity, the race of the century - and why being a spectator is HARD 33:42

12d ago33:42

33:42

Cate Campbell competed as part of the Australian swimming team at four consecutive Olympics and has a haul of eight medals (four of them gold) to show for it. But this time around, she's at the Paris Games fulfilling a very different role. On this episode of Something To Talk About, Cate joins host Sarrah Le Marquand poolside from Paris to talk abo…

1
Inside Israel's information war, with Eylon Levy 53:45

13d ago53:45

53:45

When it comes to conflict in the Middle East, there’s the war, and then there’s the war about the war. Of course, this isn’t new. Caesar was penning war reports in Gaul and sending them back to Rome to win hearts and minds over 2000 years ago. But, back then Caesar could control the narrative. Today that is almost impossible. Social media, an activ…

1
Celia Pacquola won’t be shaving her legs for the Logies. Here’s why 34:52

17d ago34:52

34:52

Celia Pacquola has been busy. She debuted her first live show in five years, I’m As Surprised As You Are; became the host of popular sketch comedy series Thank God You’re Here; starred in the Logie-nominated TV show Utopia; and – in between filming, writing and performing – she also had a baby. On this episode of Something To Talk About, Celia join…

1
America's forever war, with Nick Bryant 48:28

30d ago48:28

48:28

The American experiment is failing. Division, mistrust and misinformation are now the country's defining characteristics. The storming of the Capitol, the prosecution of Donald Trump and battles over gun rights and abortion raise the spectre of further political violence. We often hear that these events are unprecedented. On the contrary, author an…

1
“I feel extremely violated”: model Robyn Lawley on the dangers of AI 36:36

24d ago36:36

36:36

Robyn Lawley is one of Australia’s most successful models, who has been breaking barriers since she began working in the industry at the age of 15. She is also an advocate for body positivity and inclusivity in fashion, an ambassador for Inika Organic and a business owner. On today’s episode, Robyn joins Sarrah Le Marquand to discuss the dangers of…

1
We're all Soviets now, with Sir Niall Ferguson 50:30

1M ago50:30

50:30

Sir Niall Ferguson is arguably the world's greatest living historian. He first pointed out that we’re in Cold War II back in 2018. In articles for The New York Times and National Review, Sir Niall tried to show how China now occupies the space vacated by the Soviet Union when it collapsed in 1991. This view is less controversial now than it was the…

1
Love, burnout and getting political… it really IS a lot with Abbie Chatfield 56:23

1M ago56:23

56:23

It has been a big 12 months for Abbie Chatfield. She walked away from radio, continued to host her hit podcast It’s A Lot, took her one-woman show on the road with a national tour, and filmed her second season as host of FBoy Island Australia. Chatfield also continues to generate headlines by using her social media platform to speak out about serio…

1
Lies my liberal teacher told me, with Wilfred Reilly 1:01:45

1M ago1:01:45

1:01:45

Education was once the search for truth. Sadly, this is no longer the case in many universities across the Western world. Instead of promoting debate, disagreement, and viewpoint diversity, too many institutions peddle a series of ideological narratives that seek to engrain a black armband view of history, an assertion of the importance of identity…

1
Meet Australia’s hottest couple: Tony Armstrong and Rona Glynn-McDonald 45:05

2M ago45:05

45:05

Tony Armstrong is a man who needs no introduction. The last few years have seen the ABC presenter become one of the hottest properties in the Australian media, as confirmed by his recent Gold Logie nomination. His status as Australia’s most eligible bachelor almost meant you could practically hear the hearts breaking when he went public on social m…

1
Decoding the modern bloke, with Geoff Norcott 49:41

1M ago49:41

49:41

It wasn’t so long ago that one phrase sat above any other in the hierarchy of endorsements for a British or Australian male: “He’s a good bloke.” You don’t hear it as much in 2024 because blokehood is under attack across the Western world. Historically positive masculine virtues are now shamed as toxically masculine. At a minimum, blokeishness is d…

1
Sonia Kruger on her very public roles & her very private relationships 56:15

2M ago56:15

56:15

Since 1992, Sonia Kruger has been a fixture on our screens, from her role as Tina Sparkle in Baz Luhrmann’s cult film Strictly Ballroom to working as a television presenter on morning TV and hosting some of Australia’s most successful reality shows - including, of course, Dancing With The Stars which is back on our screens this week. But when it co…

1
"Machines are the children of humanity" - Agnieszka Pilat 43:02

2M ago43:02

43:02

It feels like AI can now write anything for us and create anything for us. In some respects it’s exciting, but it’s also scary, and it raises a depressing question: will technology kill creativity? There are few people better placed to answer that question than Polish-American artist Agnieszka Pilat. Agnieszka is the Silicon Valley elite’s favourit…

1
The interview that brought Amanda Keller to tears 42:34

2M ago42:34

42:34

Amanda Keller is a confessed oversharer. It’s her job to share snippets of her private life on the breakfast radio show she’s co-hosted for the past 19 years, Jonesy and Amanda on Sydney’s WSFM. But last year, Amanda revealed she’d been keeping a secret. On her new podcast, Double A Chattery, Amanda told the world that for the past six years, her h…

1
How the elites betrayed America's working class, with Batya Ungar-Sargon 55:56

2M ago55:56

55:56

There has long been a curious sub-genre in liberal journalism. It can best be described as “examining working class Americans in their natural habitat.” It goes something like this. Journalists from New York or California will bravely venture into a red state, observe the local inhabitants from afar, and come back with a series of superficial insig…

1
Olympian Leisel Jones on body shaming, life after swimming - and going public about divorce 41:56

2M ago41:56

41:56

With nine Olympic medals and 14 individual world records to her name, Leisel Jones is one of Australia’s all-time greats. But her time as a professional athlete wasn’t all podiums and accolades - it was also full of intense media scrutiny, body shaming, self-doubt, a public lashing from swim legend Dawn Fraser and a pressure to perform that was so …

1
Gay Shame, with Gareth Roberts 50:34

2M ago50:34

50:34

The most peculiar aspect of 'Pride' is how it has lumped together the gay population, with the most extreme proponents of gender ideology, when the latter have arguably done more than any other group to harm the former. Gareth Roberts has witnessed this firsthand. Gareth has fallen into commentary on gender ideology, but like previous guests of the…

1
There’s TikTok ”manifestation”. And then there’s Zoe Marshall 51:20

3M ago51:20

51:20

Almost 20 years ago, writer and media personality Zoe Marshall went through such a deeply traumatic series of experiences – the death of her mother, a family rift and a physically and psychologically abusive relationship – that she considered ending her own life. But then, she leaned into manifestation, or as she calls it, co-creation - and her lif…

1
Imagining nuclear armageddon, with Annie Jacobsen 43:54

3M ago43:54

43:54

The world could end before you finish listening to this podcast. That's the reality of a nuclear-armed world. If a sense of complacency had crept in about the threat of nuclear weapons, Annie Jacobsen's stunning new book is a wake up call. 'Nuclear War: A Scenario' imagines the 72 minutes after the 'button is pushed', and it doesn't end well. It's …

1
Bianca Dye: Fifty, sacked and single 50:28

3M ago50:28

50:28

Former radio host Bianca Dye is no stranger to tackling taboos and staring down stigma - after all, she’s been doing it since back when feminism was a dirty word, particularly in the then-male-dominated world of radio. But her new era - a chapter of her life she describes as Fifty, Sacked and Single - is seeing her having to stare down even more st…

1
A heretical conversation with Andrew Gold 57:52

3M ago57:52

57:52

Heresy is defined as opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted. It has rarely been more dangerous to be a heretic, which is why it's rarely been more important to champion them. There is no bigger heretic than Andrew Gold. Andrew is a journalist, author, and TV presenter who produces documentaries on bizarre and controversial subcu…

1
Amber Petty: from so-called fairytales to domestic violence and re-traumatisation 54:47

3M ago54:47

54:47

Amber Petty was first catapulted into the spotlight in the most unusual of circumstances, by standing alongside her best friend, Mary Donaldson, at her wedding to the Crown Prince of Denmark in 2004. Becoming known as the “royal bridesmaid”, Amber Petty has experienced many highs and lows during her career in the radio and media in the 20 years sin…

1
The rebirth of the West, with Victor Davis Hanson 57:15

3M ago57:15

57:15

Note: We had some minor sound issues in the first 10 minutes, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to edit out anything that Victor said. Stick with it. It’s worth it! In some respects, the West is exhibiting similar symptoms to past civilizations that decayed, declined, or were completely wiped off the map. At the same time, there are green shoots that…

1
Ever heard of the glamour gap? Kate Langbroek has some thoughts 47:27

3M ago47:27

47:27

It’s been five years since Kate Langbroek and her husband and four children packed up to move to Italy – a decision that to this day has people stopping her in the street to discuss. Now firmly entrenched back into the reality of life back in Australia, we decided it was time to sit down with the always entertaining - and always unpredictable - Kat…

1
The REAL reason for African poverty, with Magatte Wade 52:58

3M ago52:58

52:58

Australiana is now Fire at Will - your safe space for dangerous conversations. Why is Africa poor? There’s a series of trendy answers to that question, that are almost taken as read amongst the progressive elite that dominate our institutions. Racism, slavery, and colonialism. Magatte Wade has called BS on this narrative, and she is uniquely qualif…

1
Brooke Blurton on Mother’s Day as a motherless daughter 34:00

4M ago34:00

34:00

Today’s episode of Something To Talk About is released on the eve of Mother’s Day – an occasion that for some, is a day of celebration, yet for others is a reminder of grief and isolation. Media personality, author and youth worker Brooke Blurton is one who approaches Mother’s Day with conflicted emotions, having lost her mother when she was just 1…

1
Fighting cultural socialism, with Eric Kaufmann 1:00:44

4M ago1:00:44

1:00:44

Australiana is now Fire at Will - your safe space for dangerous conversations. Across the western world, cosplay protests are ongoing in some of the most elite academic institutions. They point to a deeper malaise in places of higher education. That's a real problem. The illiberal dogmas that have infiltrated our social institutions have their root…

1
Ready... Aim... Fire at Will. 1:52

4M ago1:52

1:52

Introducing your safe space for dangerous conversations. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here.By Will Kingston

1
Em Rusciano is ready to emerge after the “scorched earth” years 52:43

4M ago52:43

52:43

Em Rusciano has never been one to hold back, but despite having built a career on being refreshingly honest, her decision to go public at a National Press Club address about being diagnosed with ADHD at age 42, and autism a year later, took her into completely unchartered territory. Now, three years on from her diagnoses, Em is embarking on her mos…

1
"Conservatism is gratitude" – Jonah Goldberg 1:09:30

4M ago1:09:30

1:09:30

Australiana is now Fire at Will - your safe space for dangerous conversations. Western liberal democratic capitalism has created more prosperity, and enabled more human flourishing, than any other social system. It is something we should be proud of. And yet, Jonah Goldberg argues it is under attack, both from illiberal progressive identity politic…

1
Friendship, fallouts & feminism: putting Kyle & Jackie O on the other side of the microphone 1:01:05

4M ago1:01:05

1:01:05

For 23 years, Kyle Sandilands and Jackie “O” Henderson have dominated radio airwaves in Sydney, and having appeared on various TV shows over the years, have become one of Australia’s most well-known double acts. But despite their infamy, they very rarely do interviews together - and yet for today’s episode of Something To Talk About they agreed to …

1
Debunking Australia's housing crisis myth, with Cameron Murray 48:53

4M ago48:53

48:53

Australiana is now Fire at Will - your safe space for dangerous conversations. There’s a common refrain when it comes to housing in Australia today: ‘it’s never been harder to enter the housing market’. Housing affordability has been labelled by politicians, the media, and aspiring homeowners as a historic crisis. What if that’s just not the case? …

1
Edwina Bartholomew: “I just don’t give a s*** about mother’s guilt” 48:35

4M ago48:35

48:35

She gets up at 3 a.m. for work, is raising two children under age five and is building a side hustle as a property developer and renovator. So it is little wonder that Sunrise news presenter Edwina Bartholomew can’t be bothered by those who question her life choices - whether that’s arriving at the studio in dirty clothes or living in separate hous…

1
In defense of journalism, with Anthony De Ceglie 51:10

4M ago51:10

51:10

Australiana is now Fire at Will - your safe space for dangerous conversations. It’s easy to forget that journalists were once invested with immense trust by citizens. This is no longer the case. Journalists are amongst the least trusted members of society, and it has been largely self-inflicted. The rise of activist journalism over objective journa…

1
How the Red Wiggle is changing what a family looks like 42:40

5M ago42:40

42:40

Caterina Mete - better known to children and parents around Australia and the globe as the Red Wiggle - recently made history when she announced she is expecting identical twin girls. Now Caterina, who is the first-ever pregnant Wiggle, joins us to talk for the first time about the emotional path she took to get here. Having conceived her babies th…

1
"Gen Z is the most conservative generation since WW2" - Isabel Brown 54:07

5M ago54:07

54:07

Australiana is now Fire at Will - your safe space for dangerous conversations. Gen Z has developed quite a reputation. Lazy. Difficult to work with. Technology-addicted. And of course, insufferably woke. What if that reputation is ill-founded? What if, in fact, Gen Z is the most culturally conservative generation since World War Two? What if Gen Z …

1
Hamish Blake on luck, love, Logies and… um, lollies 58:34

5M ago58:34

58:34

For more than 20 years, Hamish Blake has been a familiar face on the Australian entertainment landscape, moving seamlessly between the worlds of radio, television and podcasting. So what’s been the secret to his success? In a rare in-depth interview, the popular entertainer and two-time Gold Logie winner chalks it up to luck - as well as a healthy …

1
The short march through the institutions, with Yascha Mounk 56:05

5M ago56:05

56:05

Australiana is now Fire at Will - your safe space for dangerous conversations. Sometimes it feels like the tidal wave of ‘wokeness’ (or identity politics) washed over the western world almost overnight. It has captured more or less every societal institution in a remarkably short period of time. However, the intellectual roots of the movement can b…

1
Brittany Hockley has an update on her fertility journey 59:54

5M ago59:54

59:54

Brittany Hockley has come full circle in that she first rose to fame on reality TV, and is currently starring on another reality TV show - this time, of course, in the jungle. But a lot has happened in the intervening six years… It was 2018 when Brittany appeared on The Bachelor in the now-infamous season featuring Nick Cummins, yet the woman joini…

1
Tales of a Hollywood dissident, with Matthew Marsden 53:43

5M ago53:43

53:43

Australiana is now Fire at Will - your safe space for dangerous conversations. Politics is downstream from culture. To change politics, one must first change culture. The left intrinsically understands this in a way that the right simply does not. The arts have been captured by a toxic mixture of identity politics, social justice ideology, and canc…

1
David Campbell on the decision that changed everything 50:12

5M ago50:12

50:12

Television presenter and singer David Campbell will soon mark an important milestone: ten years since the day he decided to stop drinking alcohol. In a wide ranging conversation with Something To Talk About, David - who is, of course, the son of Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes - opens up about why he wanted to break the intergenerational cycle …

1
The real State of the Union, with Charles C.W. Cooke 53:12

5M ago53:12

53:12

Australiana is now Fire at Will - your safe space for dangerous conversations. There are two ways to look at American politics in 2024. There’s the prevailing pessimistic view. Many people think democracy is under threat, the economy is structurally vulnerable, the military is stretched, and for many, the looming election represents a choice betwee…

1
How Rosie Batty found hope again 51:41

6M ago51:41

51:41

Ten years after her son Luke Batty was murdered by his father, Rosie Batty continues her tireless campaign to raise awareness about domestic and family violence. But perhaps even more remarkably, she has managed to find hope in the aftermath of such an unimaginable tragedy. On today’s episode of Something To Talk About, Rosie sits down for a powerf…

1
In conversation with Douglas Murray 41:24

6M ago41:24

41:24

Australiana is now Fire at Will - your safe space for dangerous conversations. It is now in vogue to celebrate non-Western cultures and disparage Western ones. Many well-meaning people have been fooled by hypocritical and inconsistent anti-West rhetoric. It’s not just dishonest scholars who benefit from this intellectual fraud but hostile nations a…

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