Stars and Stories: The Black Star Radio Podcast

This week on Stars and Stories, Gerald Quigley shares a powerful reminder about heart health , and why feeling “fine” doesn’t always mean you are. He recounts stories of two men, both symptom-free, who went for routine checks: • One needed a double bypass within days • The other underwent a quadruple bypass shortly after testing Neither expected it. Both had family histories of heart disease but i...

How the Wet Weather Is Affecting the Tablelands This week on Stars and Stories, MJ speaks with Rod Marti, Mayor of the Tablelands Regional Council about the impact of ongoing wet weather across the region. While the cyclone itself didn’t directly hit, current weather has left the ground saturated, dams overflowing, and paddocks waterlogged. For farmers, it means delays — not being able to access l...

After a Cyclone: Clean-Up Comes With Hidden Health Risks This week on Stars and Stories, MJ speaks with Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Public Health Medical Officer Dr Helen Pedgrift about what happens after a cyclone, and why the clean-up can carry serious health risks. Floodwater isn’t just messy — it can carry bacteria that lead to skin infections and gastro. Even small cuts or scr...

This week on Stars and Stories, MJ is joined by Gerald Quigley to talk about something many people don’t realise is increasing — young onset dementia. Around 29,000 Australians under 65 are currently living with it. It’s not a different type of dementia — it’s defined by the age at diagnosis. And while we often associate dementia with much older people, that assumption doesn’t always hold true. Ge...

This week on Stars and Stories, MJ speaks with Jimmy J Thaiday — an artist turning ocean waste into powerful cultural storytelling.   Growing up on Yam Island and now based on Erub (Darnley Island), Jimmy uses discarded ghost nets to create striking three-dimensional artworks. What was once damaging marine life becomes something meaningful — art that protects culture, shares stories and invokes em...

On Stars and Stories, MJ sits down with Gerald Quigley to unpack migraines — and why they’re very different from a standard headache. Gerald explains that migraines can involve intense one-sided pain, nausea, vomiting, digestive upset, visual disturbances — and sometimes even no headache at all. (Yes, “silent migraines” are real.) Triggers vary from person to person. Stress is common, but hormones...

On Stars and Stories, MJ is joined by Gerald Quigley for a timely conversation about heart health — and the very real impact stress is having on Australians. With cost-of-living pressures weighing heavily on so many people, Gerald explains how ongoing stress can quietly increase the risk of heart disease. Financial stress, work pressure, relationship changes, even retirement — it all adds up, and...

On Stars & Stories, MJ is joined by Gerald Quigley for an important conversation about sleep — and why poor sleep can be more dangerous than many people realise. Gerald explains how conditions like sleep apnoea can cause the body to stop breathing during the night, often without the person even knowing it’s happening. Warning signs can include loud snoring followed by long pauses, waking with...

MJ and Gerald Quigley dive into an important and often overlooked topic — social frailty — and what it means for health, wellbeing, and long-term cognitive health. Gerald explains social frailty as a lack of meaningful social connection, limited support networks, and reduced access to resources — something recent Australian research has linked to a higher risk of dementia. While many assume this i...

In a lighter and more playful episode, MJ and Gerald Quigley chat about food preferences, comfort meals, and what our go-to foods might say about us — without judgement. From chicken wings and fish and chips to lamb cutlets with mash, peas, thick gravy and mint jelly, the conversation moves beyond rules and restrictions and back to enjoyment. Gerald reminds listeners that food isn’t just fuel — it...

In this episode, MJ is joined by Gerald Quigley — practising Community Pharmacist and Accredited Master Herbalist — for a practical chat about travelling with medications, especially during the holiday season. Gerald shares simple but important planning tips for anyone travelling interstate or overseas, including how to store medications in hot climates, why it’s smart to split essential medicines...

When to Seek Fertility Help: A Conversation with Gerald Quigley 1 in 6 couples in Australia experience fertility challenges — and it’s a topic that needs more open discussion. In this segment, Gerald Quigley, pharmacist and master herbalist, breaks down what to know and when to take action: If you’re under 35 and haven’t conceived after 12 months — it’s time to see your GP. If you’re over 35 — mak...

A Common-Sense Guide to Healthy Eating Forget the trends — true healthy eating is simpler than you think. In this episode, Gerald Quigley breaks down the basics: Carbs, Protein & Fats The Truth around Fat Protein with Purpose  Rethink “Clean Eating”  Gerald also highlights the value of enjoying food again — like your morning coffee — without guilt or confusion. Because when it comes to long-te...

In this episode, MJV speaks with Penny Larsen, National Manager of Education at Royal Life Saving Australia, about the heartbreaking reality of child drownings in Australia. Over the past 10 years, 183 children aged 0–4 have lost their lives to drowning — the majority in backyard swimming pools. With summer approaching fast (and already here in Far North Queensland), Penny shares four essential st...

This week, MJ sat down with Pharmacist and Master Herbalist Gerald Quigley for an honest chat about International Men’s Day — and the power of simply opening up. Gerald dove into why International Men’s Day is the perfect reminder that we don’t have to carry everything on our own. He talks about the shift away from “bottling things up,” the power of sharing what’s going on, and why opening up isn’...

In this episode, MJ is joined in the studio by Queensland Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic for a powerful conversation about the rising challenges of mental health, alcohol, and drug use across Far North Queensland — and what real solutions look like on the ground.   Commissioner Frkovic has been travelling across the state, speaking directly with community members, Elders, and local organi...

In this important episode, MJ sits down with Gerald Quigley to uncover surprising — and potentially life-saving — truths about heart health in women. Gerald shares sobering statistics: heart disease kills more than twice as many Australian women as breast cancer, and 40% of heart attacks in women are fatal. Even more concerning? Many of these attacks occur without the classic warning signs we’ve b...

In this heartfelt episode, MJ chats with Jennifer from the Mareeba Animal Refuge to shine a light on the many fur babies in need of forever homes. With over 30 animals currently in care — including puppies, adult dogs, cats, and a growing number of kittens — the refuge is feeling the pressure of kitten season and increasing demand. Jennifer reminds us that adopting a pet is a lifelong commitment a...

Why Teenagers Are Drowning — And What We Can Do It’s a shocking trend many parents aren’t aware of: drowning rates among teenagers in Australia are on the rise. In this episode, MJ speaks with Beverly Hunter from Royal Life Saving to uncover the alarming stats — and what families and communities can do to turn the tide. Beverly explains that teens aged 10–20 are now 13 times more likely to drown t...

Getting Stung by the Facts with Dr Jaz Lawes, the Weird and Wonderful World of Jellyfish On this special World Jellyfish Day episode, Lauren is joined by Dr Jaz Lawes, a PhD in Biology/Biological Sciences and the National Research Manager at Surf Life Saving Australia. Together, they dive deep into the weird and wonderful world of jellyfish — creatures that have roamed the oceans since before the...

Fighting for Fair Freight: Cape York Weekly’s Award-Winning Story In this episode of Stars and Stories, MJ catches up with former Cape York Weekly editor Lyndon Keane to celebrate the paper’s recent success at the 2025 LGAQ Journalism Awards. The team took home Silver for their powerful coverage on the Cape’s Fight for Fair Freight — a campaign shining a light on sea freight monopolies and the ris...

In this episode of Let’s Talk Health, pharmacist and Master Herbalist Gerald Quigley joins MJB to explore a new initiative making waves in Queensland — the Community Pharmacist Program. Traditionally, certain health concerns required a doctor’s visit and a prescription. But under this new program, specially trained pharmacists can now assess and treat a growing list of common conditions — includin...

Get Ready Queensland with Johnathan Thurston In this episode, of Stars and Stories MJ is joined by rugby league legend and Get Ready Queensland Ambassador Johnathan Thurston to talk about disaster preparedness across Far North Queensland. Queensland is Australia’s most disaster-prone state in the country— from cyclones and floods to bushfires — and JT’s on a mission to make sure every household is...

Did you know you can lose up to 90% of your kidney function before you feel unwell?   In this Stars and Stories episode, MJ is joined by pharmacist and master herbalist Gerald Quigley for a serious (and seriously important) chat about kidney health — and why now is the time to get yours checked.   With kidney disease now a full-blown health crisis in Australia, this episode explores: ✔️ Why your k...

In this episode, MJ is joined by pharmacist and master herbalist Gerald Quigley to discuss breast cancer—the most common cancer affecting Australian women today.   In the next 12 months, around 21,000 women in Australia are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer. While mammograms are available to women aged 50 to 74, screening for younger women has often been less effective — until now.   Int...