Big Small Talk

This week, we discuss Hannah Montana's return for a 20th anniversary special, which drew millions of viewers in just days (and pitch what we would have done differently if we were made exec producers!) We then look into the US-Israeli war in Iran entering its fifth week and Donald Trump extending his deadline on proposed strikes while pushing for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen. Back home, the Alba...

This week on Small Talk, we’re joined by writer, editor and Culture Club co-host Maggie Zhou to unpack fashion, trends and identity in the digital age. From growing up on Tumblr to navigating TikTok’s endless trend cycles, Maggie breaks down the difference between slow and fast fashion, the psychology behind overconsumption, and whether influencer and celebrity brands still hold power...

The contraceptive pill has been called many things ... controversial, life changing, revolutionary. But one of the most impressive achievements is being universally known as "the pill". Over 150 million women use it worldwide.  But what is the history of contraception? Where did the pill come from? What was the pushback? How did it get approved? When did it come to Australia?  Big Small...

In Part Two of this series, we deep dive into the backlash the pill faced, including the impacts on mental health, as well as the introduction of other contraceptive methods and its popularity today. We then deep dive into the trials for the Male contraception pill.  Big Small Talk Instagram Sarah-Jane's Instagram  Hannah's Instagram  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

We give an update on the escalation of the war in Iran - new strikes, global shipping chaos, conspiracy theories and the impact on our fuel prices. Then, we give a timeline on this bizarre feud between Chappell Roan and an eleven year old, who is also the daughter of a Brazilian football star. Hannah and Sarah discuss how One Nation have had their strongest result in more than 25 years at the Sout...

This week on Small Talk , we’re joined by the host of Do You Fucking Mind, Alexis Fernandez , to unpack the neuroscience of manifesting. From what affirmations are actually doing in your brain to how visualisation can quite literally rewire your thinking. We get into the real difference between a vision board and a mood board, how to actually manifest without just hoping for the best, and wh...

We kick off todays episode with the Oscars - the major winners to the most political moments of the night, the best dressed, and yes… the ballet and opera jokes. Then, we unpack how major porn sites have become completely inaccessible in Australia amid a stand off over new age-verification requirements. Next, we dive into the latest Louis Theroux documentary exploring the manosphere —...

Toni Lodge is a comedian, podcaster and now author, who has built a huge following for her chaotic, hilarious and painfully relatable takes on everyday life (and she's one half of the Toni and Ryan Podcast ). I was lucky enough to sit down with Toni and chat about everything from losing her mum and the strange ways we talk about grief (and why she doesn't like people say sorry). Plus she unpa...

Kyle and Jackie-o have called it quits, ending their 200 million dollar ten year contract (or have they??) Hannah and I discuss the show, the controversies, what it means for the industry and levels of sympathy for Jackie O.  We discuss Iran's new supreme leader, Spain's PM calling out Trump and the US submarine that had Australian navy personnel on board that took down an Iranian ship. Oh, a...

Singer, songwriter  Maisie Peters joins us in the studio! At just 25, Maisie has already opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, supported Coldplay, sung Stick Season with Noah Kahan, and performed at Wembley Stadium eight times! Not to mentioned just released a music video directed byt Amelia Dimz and starring BennyDrama. Oh! She also teased her new album with creating a very iconic rom-co...

This episode is a big one. We unpack everything going on in Iran and Australia's response. Hannah breaks down Anthony Albanese's "difficult" week - from the bomb scare to commenting on David Pocock on Karl Stefanovic podcast to calling Grace Tame 'difficult'. Sarah takes us into the world of the Kennedy Family and if Ryan Murphy's new show on JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette is ethical. Plus, everythin...

This week on Small Talk we’re joined by Josh Van Cuylenburg from The Imperfects !! Josh is a producer-turned-host and the architect of the Vulnerabilitea House. To test the theory on the 'hangover', Josh has kindly let me host a special Small Talk edition of the Vulnerabitea house with him.  If you're wondering what the Vulnerability Hangover is - it's that wave of shame, regret and &ld...

Picking up where we left off in Part One, we now deep dive into the sectarian violence that unfolded in Iraq and layout a timeline on how they attempted to implement democratic processes as well as Saddam Hussein's trial. We also look at the collapse of the America's central justification for the war: no weapons of mass destruction found. We then jump into Bush's re-election and changing public op...

Big Talk is back for 2026! The Iraq War was one of the most consequential political decisions of the 21st century. In this episode of Big Talk, we trace the road from 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq, unpacking how the trauma of that moment reshaped American and Australian foreign policy overnight and how George W. Bush framed the world in binaries of “good versus evil”. This episode takes...

In this episode we explain the grounds of Andrew Mountbatten Windsors arrest. We then reminisce our Disney Channel days in the wake of Hillary Duff's crazy ticket sales for her Australian shows and the announcement that Hannah Montana will return. Hannah explains the abhorrent comments by Pauline Hanson and the discussion around 'ISIS Brides'. Sarah talks us through the explosive America's Next To...

Senior Producer and professional on-mic giggler from Shameless Media and host of  Everybody Has a Secret , Annabelle Lee , is in the studio with us. We dive into the ethics of secrets — why we’re so drawn to them, what makes them powerful, and what really goes on behind the scenes of Everybody Has a Secret . Then, with the help of some very juicy listener submissions, we put our m...

We unpack the fallout from Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia and why police are now being investigated over their handling of the protests. Then how Zayn Malik claims he was never in love with Gigi Hadid (partner of six yers and mother to his child??). A Norwegian Winter Olympian publicly begs for his ex back, all while the Olympic Village somehow runs out of condoms. Back...

This week on Small Talk, we’re joined by comeback king Mitch Churi. From starting in commercial radio at 19 to hosting national shows - and then being unexpectedly let go - Mitch knows what it means to publicly rebuild and rebrand. We giggle over it being the year of the horse and the insane amount of content encouraging our 2026 personal rebrands.  Thankfully Mitch is also well up to d...

This week we’re unpacking the Super Bowl and Bad Bunny's joyful and perfect performance. Then to the major protests around the Israeli president’s visit to Australia and the police response. We dive into why the internet absolutely melting down over " Wuthering Heights" discourse (yes, justice to the English lit majors). We also break down the latest developments in the Epstein files a...

This week on Small Talk, we’re joined by comedian Elouise Eftos , aka “Australia’s first attractive comedian.” Fresh off five-star reviews, major comedy festival wins and an upcoming New York debut, Eloise joins us to unpack the very online, very uncomfortable concept of pretty privilege. Is it real? Is it choice feminism? Is it survival? And why are women punished less for...

We dive into the Grammy Awards - the big winners, the performances, the political moments, and the red carpet. We then unpack the bomb attack at Perth on Invasion Day and how reporting was minimised. We explain the updates to the Jeffrey Epstein files - what new evidence has surfaced and the DOJs response. Plus, Sydney Sweeney's Cosmopolitan cover story, which she talks about her 'MAGA Barbie...

Today I’m joined by one of my all-time favourite comedians, Daniel Sloss. Daniel is a laddish Scottish stand-up whose Netflix specials didn’t just make people laugh, but famously ended relationships. In fact, over 250,000 breakups have been attributed to his 2018 special Jigsaw.  We also dive into the more serious turns in his work, from his groundbreaking material on consent and...

We unpack the new hate speech laws finally passing parliament and why the Coalition then split. Sarah finally gets to discuss Zach Bryan marrying someone who looks uncannily like his ex Brianna Chickenfry, as well as Harry Styles dropping a new single hinting at a pivot into house music. Donald Trump backs down from his Greenland ambitions. We dive into what’s happening with ICE in the US -...

For our first Small Talk of the year, we’re joined by award winning journalist Jan Fran , now also the co-founder of Ette Media alongside Antoinette Latouff - for a big, messy, start-of-year powwow about where things are headed in 2026. To kick off I’ve pulled together a few predictions from Vogue Business , A ustralian Financial Review , The New York Times and Reuters , and put them a...

We’re kicking off the year with a stacked first episode - breaking down the extraction of Venezuela’s dictator Nicolás Maduro (with expert insight from Venezuelan senior journalist Claudianna Blanco ), unpacking Ashley Tisdale’s viral op-ed about toxic celebrity mum groups, and explaining what Australia’s Royal Commission into Antisemitism and new hate speech laws co...