Life Academy

This week, Alicia’s longtime friend and actor Nicole Gulasekharam joins us for Disney nostalgia, big laughs and a catch-up 20 years in the making. From going to school with Demi Lovato and the Sprouse twins to working with Asa Butterfield, Nicole has a few stories. Plus, why wait for a groom when you can throw yourself a wedding-themed 30th? We also answer a pen pal who feels lost at 25, talk chan...

This episode takes us straight into one of Dance Academy’s most chaotic shopping trips: Abigail and Tara getting trapped in an antique shop 🪞🚨 This week, we live-react to ‘Through the Looking Glass’ and unpack Christian’s bad-boy past, Abigail’s shoplifting storyline, the wardrobe choices we still have questions about, and Alicia's VERY embarrassing trailer incident while filming with Luke Brace...

Dena’s away, so Alicia’s long-term Disney friend Nicole Gulasekharam is stepping in—and her audition stories deserve their own headlines 😂🎬 This week, we unpack Kelly Clarkson’s Pretty Woman shopping moment, Nicole’s unexpected path to starring alongside Asa Butterfield, Tom Welling’s Instagram mishap and Tobey Maguire officiating his ex-wife’s wedding. Because apparently being friends with your...

We’re talking girl code, dating your bestie’s ex, toddler meltdowns and the parenting win Dena has waited nearly four years for. Plus, we’re handing ourselves a weekly report card—and introducing Big Sister Pen Pal with a listener dilemma that brings out some very personal confessions. We’re also in our immunity and health era 🤭 With sickness doing the rounds at home, Dena is sharing her practica...

We start with a heartfelt conversation about raising daughters in a world that still asks girls to protect themselves. Then, the pop culture homework takes a turn: Kim Kardashian’s five nannies, Dena’s confession about getting help, and Rihanna keeping everyone waiting. Plus, which Hollywood star held up an entire room… for fried chicken? Big feelings, questionable celebrity behaviour, and plenty...

Have we left it too late for another baby? dAlings, this one gets personal 🩵 Between Bali belly before Bali and birthday chaos, we’re talking about trying for another baby—and the feelings we don’t always want to admit. What happens when getting pregnant isn’t as easy the second time? When someone else’s happy news hurts? And when you’re longing for another chance at the newborn days? Dena shares...

Nothing says Life Lately like a full-blown Bali transformation, a birthday spent sick in bed and Alicia entering mama-bear mode at kindy 💀 We’re talking body image, motherhood, female friendship, career setbacks and whether Alicia crossed the line by stepping in when Isla was being left out. Come for Dena’s Bali awakening, stay to shop our Favourite Four products from September below. Love you, d...

This episode takes us straight into one of Dance Academy’s most iconic side quests: Kat becoming a music video girlie 💃🎬 This week, we live-react to 'Heartbeat' episode and unpack the Miles Kelly storyline, what filming those dance scenes was really like, the wardrobe choices we still have questions about, and the scenes Alicia was much more nervous to film than anyone realised. And then there’s...

Apparently all roads lead back to an Australian teen drama 😭🇦🇺 This week, we unpack Kendall Jenner allegedly funding the romance, the H2O reboot that should absolutely exist, what Kat and Abigail would be doing now, and the Sydney Sweeney ad that has the internet very divided. There’s also reality TV tea, an Emmys red carpet debrief, a little Nicole Kidman appreciation, Practical Magic 2 hype, an...

Okay… we might have accidentally unlocked a new Life Academy era 👀🎭 After months of talking about the live show, we finally got on stage; and meeting our dAlings in real life hit way harder than either of us expected. There were tears, Dance Academy throwbacks, a surprise guest, a very big “wait… should we actually take this on tour?” moment. There’s also some VERY exciting acting news, the real...

“EXCUSE ME?? Your therapist did WHAT?” dAlings, this episode takes a turn 😭 We start with the usual chaos: live show excitement, mum guilt, Bali dreams, acting feelings and a little accidental OnlyFans brainstorming!! Before Dena drops one of the wildest stories we’ve had on Life Academy. She shares what happened with a former therapist she once trusted completely, how blurred the boundaries beca...

Pop culture is giving us absolutely no peace this week, dAlings 🍿 We’re back with another wildly unqualified catch-up featuring unexpected celeb pairings, relationship updates, Taylor Swift theories, a little Off Campus chaos and an Anne Hathaway performance that has Dena rethinking EVERYTHING. There’s also some heavier news in the mix, plus a few very random detours because obviously we cannot s...

We’re grateful for our bodies… but some days, loving them is really bloody hard 😭 This week gets a little more honest than usual, dAlings. Dena opens up about cancelling a Sydney photoshoot because her body confidence had hit such a low point, and we talk about that awful space where you can know all the “right” things about body positivity, gratitude and self-love… and still look in the mirror a...

If you’re in your 20s wondering why everyone else seems to have a plan… this one is VERY much for you, dAlings. This one is a very special episode because THE Sarah Davidson — yes, our girl from Seize the Yay — is joining us today!! At this point, we genuinely think Sarah has had about nine different careers (god bless a too-talented girl 😭), and somehow every single one makes sense when you hear...

Pop culture is absolutely refusing to have a quiet week, dAlings 🔕🩵 We’re back in the trenches with Verity finally getting its movie moment, Anne Hathaway seemingly starring in everything, Zendaya continuing her world domination, and the very chaotic question of whether Kyle Sandilands’ new paid show is actually worth the money. Then Alicia Silverstone is heading back to Clueless, RAYE is being...

Dance Academy, but make it IMAX… because we’re watching it WITH you 🩵🩵 We’re watching Season 1, Episode 7 together and there is SO much going on. Bad-on-purpose hip-hop, Kat and Tara being an absolute crush disaster, Sammy quietly falling for Abigail, and enough early-2010s wardrobe choices to keep us emotionally occupied for the full episode. We also spill some very random memories from filming...

The stage is gone, but the part of us that belonged there never really left. 🎭 This week is a mix of genuine relief and absolute emotional carnage. Dena’s back procedure may have finally worked (thank GOD 😭), Alicia is surviving a very intense toddler phase, and one innocent trip to the park ends with magical unicorn ponies, an hour-long meltdown and Bluey being called in as emergency support. U...

We’re in full film-girlie mode this week, dAlings 🍿🎬 This week, we’re deep in the pop culture trenches with Natalie Portman friendship drama, Nicole Kidman romance rumours, an Olivia Wilde obsession that has officially become a full-time job, and Alicia’s very enthusiastic review of The Odyssey. There are also strong feelings about Anne Hathaway, Hollywood double standards, sad girl summer, and...

Nothing says Life Lately like toilet drama, an eye emergency and a late-night hotel escape 💀 We catch up on the week’s chaos, from an unexpectedly traumatic trip to Bluey Live and a health-anxiety spiral to uni overwhelm, comfort food and the caravan-park mattress that forced Dena to stage a late-night escape. We also have some very exciting news: Life Academy is heading back to Sydney Dance Comp...

We came for a cosy catch-up and somehow ended up fixing modern dating 😭 We’re talking school holidays, magical fairy days, friendship, burnout, trauma study, body pain and the daily chaos of looking after both toddlers and pets. There is also psychic baby news and a tiny daddy’s girl with absolutely no respect for personal boundaries. We also have a LOT to say about ghosting, dating apps, emotion...

The pop culture department is open again and yes, we work entirely off vibes 😎😎 This week, we unpack the suspicious Fourth Wing profile pictures, Taylor Swift’s wedding that apparently had a thousand guests and a raffle, the Britney Spears movie and Dena’s very unexpected journey from techno girl to full Swiftie mum. Honestly… Meryl Streep the chicken may be the sweetest pop culture story of the...

This episode is basically a support group for tired mums and ex-theatre kids 🎭 We catch up on toddler concerts, bedtime chaos, big feelings, back pain, phone addiction, Peppa Pig drama, and the never-ending battle of trying to parent while also staying emotionally regulated. We also talk about the state of Australian theatre, audition doubts, creative burnout, the privilege of having time to make...

Season 1 Episode 6 said ballet episode… but secretly gave us lore, longing, and a full prequel request 🩰🩵 We are back in the real dancer world: pointe shoes, rehearsal chaos, empty theatre nostalgia, questionable styling, and all the tiny ballet details that made Dance Academy feel way too accurate. But underneath all the pirouettes, this episode is quietly doing the MOST!!! Kat and Abigail have...

Pop culture class is back and today’s lesson is: never underestimate a celebrity family feud, an ex at a concert, or a fandom with receipts 😱🩵 This week, we are catching up on Call Her Daddy drama, Off Campus relationship tea, Adam Hyde becoming the new face of Bonds, Ariana Grande’s Ricky Alvarez moment, and the Beckham family saga that is giving rich-people group chat meltdown 👀 There’s also...

Sometimes healing is not just talking. Sometimes it’s learning to feel safe in your body again. In this episode, Alicia sits down with Georgia Verry about Conscious Combat Club, a Melbourne-based charity using trauma-informed martial arts to support women and gender-diverse people impacted by violence. They chat through gender-based violence, fight-flight-freeze responses, dissociation, breathwork...