Big Small Talk

As whispers of the next federal election swirl, one name keeps coming up: Pauline Hanson. Hanson and her party are rapidly rising in popularity. Polling over the last few weeks suggests that the next election might come down to a race between Labor versus One Nation.  So – who is Pauline Hanson? And how did we get here?  In this two-part series, we talk about the rise, the fall, an...

We are back for part two of our series on Pauline Hanson, and things are not looking good. It’s 2003, the authorities have come knocking, and Pauline is staring down a criminal trial. In our final episode, we track Hanson’s return to parliament and meteoric rise in popularity. Her reality television rebrand, her  We ask ourselves: how do we make sense of Pauline Hanson? Is there a...

Sarah kicks us off with a breakdown of the Lindsay Clancy trial unfolding in the US right now - who she is, what happened, the evidence we’ve heard in court and the reality of trial by TikTok. Hannah then talks through the latest developments in the Sydney Swans scandal, with multiple players now stood down from the club, plus the powerful show of support for the Swans women’s team ove...

Pip Northeast is the breakout star of Netflix’s My Brilliant Career, currently one of the Top 10 shows in the world. But forget everything you’ve been told about getting ahead at work. After chatting about taking on one of Australia’s most iconic stories - and the woman behind it all, Miles Franklin, we put the career advice we’ve all been fed to the test. Should you r...

First up, Hannah takes us through reports that three teenage boys from one of Sydney’s most expensive private boys schools – The Scots College – were arrested on charges of sexual assault. She also talks about Victoria Police’s investigation into the Sydney Swans. Sarah dives into the business scandal that could see Bill Gates’ 23-year-old daughter go to prison. A fas...

Everyone has an opinion on AI. Some say it's the inevitable future. Others think it'll take our jobs, fuel misinformation, and hand even more power to Big Tech and billionaires. This week, Sarah sits down with bestselling author, technologist and journalist Cory Doctorow to unpack whether AI really is the future or just a wildly overhyped tech bubble. They also dive into Cory's theory of the "reve...

First up, Hannah unpacks the ABC’s apology to Gina Rinehart over comments made during its new Gen Z-coded show, Race Around the World. What’s really upsetting people here – the fact the public broadcaster said sorry OR who it is saying sorry to? Sarah talks about the OpenAI luxury influencer brand trip (yep you read that right). The theme? Eco-friendly summer camp. Think farm-to-...

When did women become expected to grow out of having fun? This week, Sarah is joined by Happy Hour hosts Lucy & Nikki to chat about dating as a party girl, whether men are intimidated by fun, successful women, being on the apps and why your friendships shouldn't disappear just because you're in a relationship. Sarah-Jane Instagram Big Small Talk Instagram  See omnystudio.com/listener for...

BSTies – it’s been a week! Sarah talks about Ariana Grande’s new album (which has sparked intense online debate around her appearance), as well as her decision to step away from public life. The girls chat about why we need to be careful in these conversations concerning Ariana’s body and health, but also about the dangers of collective silence. Hannah dives into how a rogu...

This week, Sarah sits down with historian, author and educator Dr Esme Louise James , creator of Kinky History, to explore the fascinating history of sex, desire and shame. Esme explains how many of the things we consider "new" or "unnatural" have actually existed for millennia, and how our modern attitudes towards sex have been shaped by history, religion, medicine, law and power. They also discu...

If you grew up watching Anastasia, chances are you believed there was always a chance the youngest Romanov princess escaped. But the true story behind one of history's most enduring mysteries is even more extraordinary than the film. In this special two-part crossover with Ainslie Harvey's The Hot History Podcast , Sarah is joined by historian and host Ainslie to uncover the true story behind the...

The mystery isn't over !!! In part two of our VERY special The Hot History Podcast crossover, we unravel the century-long question that captivated the world: did Princess Anastasia really survive? From the famous imposters and Soviet cover-ups to the discovery of the Romanovs' remains, DNA testing with Prince Philip, and the family's surprising legacy under Vladimir Putin, we separate fact from fi...

It's good to be back!! Hannah has officially announced she's running against the Prime Minister at the next federal election. The girls chat about what she'll be campaigning for, why she's doing it, how she's feeling, and what it means for the podcast.  Sarah dives into the film everyone can't stop talking about, The Odyssey, unpacking how it was made, why Christopher Nolan insisted on shooti...

Have we accidentally created an impossible definition of success? This week, Sarah is joined by Jemma Sbeg , host of The Psychology of Your 20s , one of the world's biggest podcasts, now adapted for Netflix - to unpack the pressure so many of us feel to achieve something extraordinary before 30. Together they explore the psychology behind comparison, burnout, perfectionism, quarter-life crises, so...

This week, Sarah is joined by pop star Kita Alexander. ARIA-nominated, a collaborator of Fisher, started out with Dua Lipa (who she opened for on the Radical Optimism tour), Kita has just released her new album, Rage, which she will be touring this year! Together, they chat about her wellness routine, fitness habits, anxieties, and the role meditation plays in navigating both everyday life and maj...

This is a really special episode.  Jessica Mauboy has one of those rare energies that instantly makes you feel at ease, and this conversation is such a genuine reflection on a career that has come full circle. From navigating fame at just sixteen during the unforgiving 2000s media era, being body shamed by Kyle Sandilands, landing a record deal and leading roles in Hollywood, to becoming a mu...

The Taylor Swift Wedding has happened. It's the biggest pop culture story of the year (probably) and we have plenty to unpack. We chat about the venue, Adam Sandler officiating, performances, the extensive (and yes, controversial) guest list, the raffle, the impact on NYC citizens and the comparisons to Bezo's.  Next up, Karl Stefanovic has now also been axed by ARN as well. He opens up about...

It's time for hot takes over tea. How do you navigate personal relationships when your job is having opinions on the internet? Have we ever felt lost in our careers? How do we feel about getting married? And seriously, do Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos have therapists? This week both Hannah and Sarah are answering YOUR hot takes and burning questions, from how we actually met to our mos...

It's been a BIG week and, honestly, one of our most interesting episodes yet. We kick things off by breaking down why Karl Stefanovic was axed from Nine, his viral "I'm free" video, and what we think comes next. Sarah then dives into Kylie Jenner's new partnership with Meta AI Glasses and whether the feminisation of tech is finally enough to make wearable AI cool. Hannah unpacks Australia's newest...

This week, Sarah is joined by award-winning retired financial adviser, best-selling author, and host of Australia’s number one finance podcast, She’s on the Money . In this episode, Victoria Devine answer all your listener questions for a mid-year money reset. No question is too silly, no topic is too intimidating. We discuss, should you prioritise saving or travel? How do you actually...

Chelsea Manning has leaked hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, including the infamous Collateral Murder video. The fallout is immediate: governments scramble, public trust is shaken, and Julian Assange becomes one of the most divisive figures in the world. We unpack the leaks that changed everything, the 2016 U.S. election controversy, Assange's years inside the Ecuadorian...

Before WikiLeaks became one of the most controversial organisations in the world, Julian Assange was a teenage hacker from Australia with a fascination for secrecy.  In this episode, we trace Assange's journey from hacking NASA and the Pentagon to developing the philosophy that would eventually underpin WikiLeaks. We unpack the leaks that first put the organisation on the map, from government...

This week, Pauline Hanson delivers the National Press Club Address and Gina Rinehart also makes a major announcement. Then, the SA abortion bill is narrowly defeated, we unpack the latest from the UK as Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigns, and Norway's prince is convicted in a case that has dominated headlines across Europe. ARN reaches a settlement with Kyle Sandilands, we break down the ina...

This week on Small Talk, Sarah is joined by Science Vs host Wendy Zukerman to unpack the internet's latest wellness obsession: peptides. From BPC-157 and MOTS-c to anti-ageing injections and "Wolverine stacks", Wendy breaks down what peptides actually are, what the science says, and where the line sits between promising medical research and wellness-industry hype. They discuss biohacking culture,...

This week, we unpack Gwyneth Paltrow’s decision to star in an ad for a luxury real estate development in Israel, as well as a recent Goop podcast episode on US defence systems. Then, Elon Musk becomes the world’s first trillionaire thanks to SpaceX. We also break down the FIFA World Cup, the Socceroos’ strong start, and why New York has been electric following the Knicks&rsq...