No Filter

Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click here to subscribe now. Judith Lucy wrote the book on wellness. Then she got cancer. After years of anxiety and a burnout that forced her to step away from stand-up, one of Australia’s funniest women went searching for a way to feel better. That search took her all the way to an ayahuasca retreat in the Amazon. Let’s just say enlightenment wasn’t what she brought home. Just days before her scheduled double mastectomy, Judith joins her longtime friend Kate Langbroek for a conversation that is as funny, frank and deeply personal as you’d expect. She shares the Christmas Day revelation that changed how she understood her family, and the devastating phone call that exposed the boyfriend she thought she’d grow old with. She also opens up about the anxiety that followed her on stage for decades, and why it took until her 50s to ask what she…

Benson Boone knows what people say about him. He’s heard the Harry Styles comparisons, the Freddie Mercury references and the assumptions about everything from his jumpsuits to his politics. He’s even had strangers tell him they thought he’d be a “real douchebag”. We know No Filter listeners love a great interview so we’re sharing an interview from our sister podcast, The Spill. No Filter executive producer and Spill guest host Bree Player sits down with Benson to talk about what people get wrong about him, why those comparisons can be frustrating, and the imposter syndrome that follows him into rooms full of his musical heroes. For someone so confident onstage, life away from it can take some figuring out. Benson opens up about adjusting to the quiet after a tour, his constantly racing mind and how a song about losing one person became a love letter to the people who show up for him. Find more celebrity interviews and entertainment conversations on The Spill, wherever you get your podcasts. What To Listen…

Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click here to subscribe now. Rodger Corser has played a jackaroo, a detective, a cop and a heart surgeon, and for most of his career he's been very good at not telling us much about himself. In this episode Kate gets him talking. He takes us back to the pub bands he played from age 16, and to the film school degree that was supposed to put him behind the camera. He tells the story of walking into the Rent audition with no plan and walking out with the lead, and of the notorious party cast that followed. We hear about meeting his wife Renae through a matchmaking agent, and about becoming a stepdad and then a dad. Rodger also talks about the diagnosis that came barely a year into their relationship, how bluntly it was delivered, and the second opinion Renae's mum insisted on that changed everything. From there he describes the busy years of 12-hour…

Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click here to subscribe now. Koko Casey was a flight nurse. She spent her career flying into disaster zones and distant countries, keeping critically ill strangers alive at 30,000 feet, until the night a routine medical retrieval turned into the plane crash she was never supposed to survive. On the 17th of November, 2009, the jet she was working on ran out of fuel in a storm off Norfolk Island and ditched into the ocean at close to 200 kilometres an hour. Koko and everyone else on board lived. What came next very nearly took her life anyway. In this episode, Koko tells Kate Langbroek what the official story leaves out: the sixteen years of chronic pain and PTSD that followed the crash, the slow slide into addiction and self-loathing she now calls "the hitchhikers," and the points where she came closest to not making it at all, including an…

Here is a very special episode of Unleashed, Mamamia’s podcast for Gen X women. One of the hosts of Unleashed, Dr Ginni Mansberg, has been going through something incredibly difficult. Ginni’s mum had been very ill for a long time and made the decision to choose voluntary assisted dying. Ginni wanted to talk about what was happening with her mum and her family on Unleashed. And rather than just having a conversation about VAD, they decided to tell the whole story. It’s about what happens when you know someone you love is going to die. About family, grief, love and all the complicated feelings that come with saying goodbye. And it’s Ginni telling that story as both a doctor and, ultimately, as a daughter. This is part one of a three-part series, beginning one month before Ginni’s mum’s death. Listen to part two and part three here. Please take care while listening. This episode discusses voluntary assisted dying, death and grief. If this conversation brought up hard feelings and you need some help, please…

Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click here to subscribe now. Jason Donovan has spent almost forty years being reinvented in public: teen heartthrob, chart-topping pop star, tabloid cautionary tale, musical theatre mainstay. In this conversation with Kate, he finally puts it all together in his own words, including the night at LA's Viper Room he still doesn't love talking about, and what he now understands about why it happened. Jason opens up about growing up the son of an actor in 1970s Melbourne, being cast alongside a young Kylie Minogue years before Neighbours, and the strange, competitive spark that pushed him toward a pop career of his own. He talks candidly about his recent, surprisingly honest turn in Kylie's new Netflix documentary, revisiting their relationship on his own terms rather than a tabloid's. He reflects on turning down Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and on…

Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click here to subscribe now. For the best part of a decade, Cassandra Thorburn has been publicly known as one thing: Karl Stefanovic's ex-wife. The headline that ran when their 21-year marriage ended in 2016, and pretty much every headline since. But Cassandra was a journalist and a television producer long before any of that, working across Australia, New Zealand and the US, and in the years since her divorce she's quietly rebuilt herself over and over: a season of Dancing with the Stars, a children's book, a podcast on surviving separation, a stint as a dental nurse, aged care work through the pandemic. She is, by her own account, someone who has never really had a plan. She's just kept saying yes to the next thing. Then, at the start of this year, she was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer, one so uncommon that fewer than…

Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click here to subscribe now. Jennifer Robinson has spent her career standing beside people who have found themselves up against some of the most powerful institutions in the world. The Australian human rights lawyer has represented Julian Assange and Amber Heard, and her new documentary Silenced examines what can happen to women who speak publicly about violence and abuse. In this episode of No Filter, Jennifer talks to Kate Langbroek about the grandmother who inspired her life’s work, what she witnessed while representing Amber Heard, and how social media shaped the public response to the Depp-Heard case. She also explains why Brittany Higgins’ story became central to Silenced, and the extraordinary personal cost that speaking out can carry. Jennifer also takes Kate inside her 14-year fight to help bring Julian Assange home, and reflects on what…

Blanche d’Alpuget has died aged 82. To remember the celebrated author, activist and widow of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke listen back to this episode from 2018, when Blanche spoke to Mia Freedman about love, lust, longing and the great loves of her life. It was 1970 in Jakarta when a then married Blanche met a then married Robert Hawke. She thought his name was Robin. Little did she knew he would go on to become the great love of her life. Six years later, in 1976, she met Robert again. Their affair began and continued on and off until 1995 when they married. In person, Blanche was extraordinarily beautiful down-to-earth, quick to laugh, searingly honest and still madly in love with the man who has - along with her career and her son - been the big love of her life. She joined Mia to talk about Bob, love and her book On Lust and Longing… Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click…

Ally Langdon has spent more than 25 years at Channel Nine, reporting from war zones and natural disasters for 60 Minutes, surviving the brutal hours of breakfast television and eventually taking over one of the most coveted chairs in Australian TV as host of A Current Affair. But for someone millions of Australians feel they know, Ally has kept much of her life firmly out of the spotlight. In this episode of No Filter, Ally joins Kate Langbroek for a funny, candid and surprisingly personal conversation about the woman behind the television career. She talks about raising two children with husband Mike Willesee Jr, the years they spent barely seeing each other while both had demanding careers, why she refuses to read the comments about herself and what really went through her mind when she was offered the A Current Affair job. Ally also takes Kate back to her childhood on a farm on the NSW Mid North Coast, reflects on the stories that have stayed with her after decades as a journalist and explains why,…

Gloria Steinem, one of the most recognisable voices of modern feminism, has died at 92. In tribute, we're re-sharing this 2016 conversation between Gloria and Mia Freedman, recorded during Gloria's visit to Australia. Gloria talks openly about the illegal abortion she had in London in 1957, her decision not to have children, her marriage later in life to "the friend I married," and the mother whose own ambitions were given up for family. She reflects on ageing in public, the pressure on women to stay young, celebrity feminism, and her friendships with a younger generation of feminists including Lena Dunham. It's a candid, wide-ranging conversation with a woman who shaped the modern women's movement — full of the warmth, wit and clarity she was known for. Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click here to subscribe now. What To Listen To Next: Listen: "I Went to a Really Dark Place":…

Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click here to subscribe now. Jessie Stephens, co-host of Mamamia Out Loud and bestselling author, sits down with Kate Langbroek for a completely candid conversation about the last six months of her life. Ten weeks early, on the day she finished up for maternity leave, Jessie gave birth to twins Margot and Harry, while at home raising her toddler daughter, Luna. Jessie opens up about something she's never spoken about publicly before, a moment in NICU when she found herself in what she describes as "a really dark place." She also talks about growing up an identical twin, falling for her now husband Luca while they worked together, and building a marriage and family and a career when it's all intertwined. Jessie will be back on Mamamia Out Loud in September. Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No…

Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click here to subscribe now. Most Australians met Sophie Delezio when she was two years old, after a car crashed into her childcare centre and left her fighting for her life. She survived — and then, extraordinarily, survived a second catastrophic accident just a few years later. She grew up in hospitals, in the headlines, and in the hearts of a country that has been quietly following her ever since. But the woman sitting across from Kate today isn't the little girl from those front pages. She's 25, married to her childhood sweetheart, and a new mum working out — like every new mum — how to hold onto herself in the middle of it all. Sophie and Kate talk about what actually happened the day of her first accident, and the impossible decision her parents faced over keeping her on life support. They talk about growing up with her disability treated as…

Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click here to subscribe now. Liane Moriarty is one of the most successful authors in the world — the writer behind Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, Apples Never Fall and The Husband's Secret. Now, for the first time in her career, she's written a sequel: Big Little Truths, returning to Madeline, Celeste and the rest of the Big Little Lies world a decade on. In this conversation, Liane and Kate talk about why she avoided writing a sequel for so long, the pressure of returning to characters millions of readers already love, and the surreal experience of watching Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep bring her imagination to life on screen — including the story of how she wrote a role specifically for Meryl Streep before ever meeting her. They also get into Liane's family of writers (three of five sisters are published authors),…

Want to listen before everyone else? Mamamia subscribers get exclusive early access to No Filter from 6am every Saturday, a full two days before regular listeners. Click here to subscribe now. Harriet Dyer spent years chasing an acting career, navigating rejection, self-doubt and the uncertainty that comes with trying to make it in one of the toughest industries there is. Then she co-created Colin From Accounts with her husband, Patrick Brammall—and everything changed. In this episode of No Filter, Harriet joins Kate Langbroek for a candid conversation about building one of Australia's most successful television shows, why she and Patrick have chosen to end it while it's still at its peak, and the unexpected cost of creating something that consumed almost every part of their lives. Harriet also opens up about growing up shy, being rejected from NIDA twice, becoming a mother while writing and filming three seasons of television, the guilt of balancing work and family, and why she believes the best creative…

Amy Shark doesn't know how ended up here. Before the ARIA Awards, the platinum records and sold-out tours, there were years of cover gigs, day jobs, rejected demos and wondering whether it was finally time to give up. She came within days of walking away from music altogether before one song, Adore, changed everything. In this episode of No Filter, Amy joins Kate Langbroek for a deeply personal conversation about the fifteen years it took to become an 'overnight success', why she believes the universe had other plans for her, and what fame actually looks like once you've achieved everything you thought you wanted. She talks about growing up on the Gold Coast with young parents, the grandmother who believed in her before anyone else did, falling in love with her husband and manager Shane, navigating marriage inside the music industry, and the burnout that left her feeling as though she had nothing left to give. Amy also reflects on finding joy in songwriting again, making her fourth album Soft Pop, and why…

Rosie O’Donnell has lived almost every version of life in the spotlight. From her breakout in Hollywood alongside Tom Hanks and Madonna, to her groundbreaking daytime talk show that redefined television, Rosie was one of the most famous women in America. But with fame came ridicule, public feuds, and moments that cut deeply. She’s been celebrated, mocked, and at times turned into the punchline of her own story. And one of the most painful moments came when Ellen DeGeneres told the world they weren’t friends. In this conversation, Rosie is raw, funny and reflective. She speaks about growing up in the shadow of losing her mother, her shy first attempts at romance, the highs and lows of talk show success, and the very public feuds that made headlines. She shares what it was like to be blindsided by Ellen’s rejection, and why that moment stayed with her. And yes, she even talks about her recent return to our screens in And Just Like That. Rosie O’Donnell has lived a big, messy, fascinating life — and in this…

For more than three decades, Dave Hughes has made Australia laugh. But behind the unmistakable voice and self-deprecating humour is a man who's spent much of his life trying to understand what drives him. In this deeply personal conversation with his longtime friend and former radio co-host Kate Langbroek, Hughesy reflects on his childhood in Warrnambool, giving up alcohol and drugs at 22, the self-doubt that has followed him throughout his career, and why he now believes he's "been a narcissist all my life." He opens up about the need to be a hero, the surprising relationship between insecurity and success, the pressures of fame, his marriage to Holly, raising three teenagers, and the political opinions that have sparked headlines across the country. You can now watch our show in full length video on the Apple Podcast app - make sure your phone is up to date and we can't wait for you to see. CLICK HERE. What To Listen To Next: Listen: Harrison James: What Every Parent Should Know About Grooming Listen:…

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Bek Condello didn't choose the world she was born into. Raised inside the Geelong Revival Centre, a church she now describes as a cult, every aspect of her life was decided for her — what she believed, who she could trust, who she could marry, what she wore, and what would happen if she ever left. By the time she was an adult, she had never kissed anyone, never questioned the rules she'd grown up with, and genuinely believed the outside world was dangerous. In this conversation with Kate Langbroek, Bek explains why leaving wasn't the hardest part. The real challenge came afterwards: rebuilding an identity from scratch, grieving the parents she feels the cult stole from her, navigating a marriage that was never really her choice, and learning to trust her own instincts after a lifetime of being told not to. Bek also speaks candidly about the lasting impact of growing up in an environment where sex was framed as shameful, revealing how it contributed to a diagnosis of vaginismus after her wedding and the…

Please note: In this episode, Harrison James shares his personal account of childhood sexual abuse. The allegations discussed have not been tested in court, and no findings have been made against the individuals referred to. This conversation reflects Harrison's lived experience and perspective. What happens when a child doesn't realise they're being groomed? For years, Harrison James believed he was in a relationship. It wasn't until he was 19 that he began to understand what had happened to him as childhood sexual abuse. In this extraordinary conversation, Harrison shares the story he's carried for years. He reflects on growing up in a violent home before moving in with his father as a teenager, where he was groomed and sexually abused by his stepmother. With remarkable honesty, he explains why he believed he was in love, the shame and confusion that kept him silent, and the psychological reality of grooming that so many people misunderstand. Harrison also speaks about becoming a father while he was still…

Jessica Rowe has lived much of her life in the public eye. As one of Australia's most recognisable television journalists, she reached the pinnacle of breakfast television when she joined the Today show in 2006. But what followed was one of the most brutal public takedowns in Australian media. Jessica was criticised for everything from her laugh to her appearance, became the target of relentless headlines, and was ultimately let go while on maternity leave. In this deeply personal conversation with Kate Langbroek, Jessica reflects on that extraordinary period of her life and the lessons that came from surviving it. She speaks candidly about workplace sexism, being sexually assaulted early in her career, learning to raise her voice, the apology from Karl Stefanovic that helped her finally let go of years of resentment, and why she no longer believes in shrinking herself to make other people comfortable. Jessica also shares why she's happier at 56 than she's ever been, the joy she's found in embracing…

Earlier this year, Kate Langbroek sat down with Faith Ward, an Australian–New Zealand dancer who went from thinking an unexpected message was a scam to becoming a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. With the hit series now out on Netflix, we're revisiting this episode to give fans the scoop of what was really going on off-screen. Faith takes us behind the uniform to talk candidly about what it actually takes to make it — and stay — inside the world’s most recognisable cheer squad. From the brutal audition process and constant scrutiny, to discipline, image control, and the realities of pay, Faith shares what the public rarely sees. We talk ponytails, pressure, pay rises, and perfection — the details that reveal how much is demanded of the women who wear the uniform, and what it costs to belong to such a powerful global brand. This is a behind-the-curtain conversation about ambition, sacrifice, identity and what happens when the glamour meets the reality. Support independent women’s media and get our biggest offer of…

From Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz-Beckham to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, we've watched family rifts play out publicly. But behind the headlines is a dilemma many people face in their own lives: what happens when the person you love doesn't fit into the family you come from? This week, Kate Langbroek sits down with world-renowned relationship therapist Esther Perel to discuss one of the most emotionally complicated tensions of adulthood — choosing your partner while trying to maintain your relationship with your family. Why do some parents struggle to accept their child's partner? Why can falling in love feel like betrayal? And when family conflict erupts, how do you protect your relationship without losing the people who raised you? Together, Kate and Esther unpack family estrangement, difficult in-laws, loyalty, intimacy, and the relationship patterns we inherit from our parents — and whether it's possible to build a marriage that looks different from the one we grew up with. Support independent…

"When are you getting married?" It's the question Georgie Tunny and Rob Mills get asked more than any other. Closely followed by: "What about babies?" After seven years together and four years engaged, the couple sit down with Kate Langbroek to talk about the future they're building together, why they're in no rush to follow anyone else's timeline, and the DM that started it all. From Georgie leaving Rob on read for months to the first coffee date that changed everything, this conversation is full of the stories you've probably never heard before. They talk about ambition, career setbacks, long engagements, mental health, life in the spotlight, Georgie's debut novel Over To You, Rob's dream role in Waitress, and why the Paris Hilton chapter of his life is one they're both quite happy to laugh about now. Mostly, though, this feels less like an interview and more like sitting at a table with three friends catching up on all the gossip. Georgie Tunny's debut novel, Over To You is available now. See Rob in…

Grace Rouvray thought she knew what grief was. Then her best friend Katie died. In this deeply moving conversation with Holly Wainwright, Grace shares the story behind her memoir Is It Too Early To Bitch? — a love letter to the friendship that shaped her life, and the devastating loss that changed it forever. Grace and Katie met at drama school in 2009 and quickly became inseparable. Through awkward share houses, terrible dates, career highs, creative projects and countless late-night phone calls, they became each other's person. The kind of friendship that can feel every bit as profound, intimate and life-defining as a romantic relationship. Then, in 2021, Katie died suddenly at just 34 years old. Grace reflects on navigating unimaginable grief during lockdown, what it means to lose the person who knows you best, and the unexpected ways loss reshaped her understanding of friendship, family and herself. This episode explores the bond between female friends, the reality of life after loss, and why some of the…

Dr Jeni Haynes survived years of horrific abuse by creating what she describes as 2,682 personalities — voices and protectors who helped carry trauma, fear, and survival. In 2019, she became the first person in Australian legal history to have those personalities accepted as evidence in a criminal trial against her father. Now the subject of the documentary We Are Jeni, Jeni joins Kate Langbroek for an extraordinary conversation about trauma, memory, resilience, and survival. We Are Jeni premieres on Sunday 7 June 2026 at 7:30 PM on SBS or stream on SBS On Demand. Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of child abuse If you or anyone you know needs expert help, please contact Bravehearts — an organisation providing support to victims of child abuse. If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, you can get advice from the Child Abuse Protection Hotline (1800 688 009) or the 24-Hour Child Abuse Report Line (131 478). SUBSCRIBE here: Support independent women's media You can now watch our…

Sally Hepworth is one of Australia’s most successful and best-loved authors. Her novels are regularly top bestseller lists around the world. She’s known for writing darkly funny, page-turning stories about marriage, motherhood, secrets and betrayal. But in this episode of No Filter, Sally shares her own story — and it’s as layered and compelling as one of her books. Sitting down with Kate Langbroek, Sally talks candidly about ending her 20-year marriage, co-parenting with her ex, and why she no longer believes marriage is a good deal for women. She also explains why she’ll never live with a man again, how her family reacted to her decision, and why, despite the heartbreak, this next chapter might just be her happiest yet. THE END BITS: Listen to more No Filter interviews here and follow us on Instagram here. Discover more Mamamia podcasts here. Listen to the full episode of Well on pregnancy here. Feedback: podcast@mamamia.com.au Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our…

In this episode of No Filter, Kate Langbroek sits down with ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Kate Ceberano for a conversation that feels less like a formal interview and more like two women circling the biggest questions of identity, ambition, creativity and reinvention together. There’s also a deeply personal connection between them that slowly reveals itself throughout the episode, shaping the intimacy and honesty of the conversation in unexpected ways. Kate Ceberano reflects on growing up in Melbourne’s music scene, the chaos and excess she witnessed as a young artist, and the ways drugs and alcohol shaped — and destroyed — parts of the industry around her. She speaks candidly about feeling like an outsider for much of her career, navigating the boys’ club of Australian music, and the opportunities she walked away from, including a role in Strictly Ballroom that she still thinks about today. The conversation also moves into marriage, motherhood, ageing, creativity, identity, and what it means to still be…

British pop star Maisie Peters first came to Australia supporting her friend (and boss), Ed Sheeran. Since then, she’s released one of the most beloved breakup albums in modern pop, toured with Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, gone viral for reasons both good and brutal, and built a fiercely devoted fanbase drawn to her razor-sharp songwriting about love, heartbreak and, yes, “mid men”. Now, Maisie is back with a new album, Fluorescence — a record that feels softer, happier and more grounded than the chaos of The Good Witch. In this conversation with No Filter Executive Producer Bree Player, Maisie opens up about the “mid men” who inspired her biggest songs, the online backlash that followed her viral Eras Tour moment, what it was like recovering from serious vocal issues behind the scenes, and how falling in love changed the way she writes music. They also talk about songwriting as emotional archaeology, growing up online, why happiness is actually harder to write about than heartbreak, and the surprisingly…

In December 2019, Stephanie Browitt boarded a tour to Whakaari, also known as White Island, with her father Paul and younger sister Krystal during a family cruise through New Zealand. At 2:11pm, the volcano erupted. Krystal was killed on the island. Stephanie and Paul survived, but suffered catastrophic burns. Weeks later, Paul died from his injuries too. Stephanie spent months in hospital undergoing surgeries, skin grafts and rehabilitation, while her mother Marie faced the unimaginable reality of caring for her surviving daughter while grieving both her husband and youngest child. In the years since the eruption, Stephanie has spoken publicly about her recovery and become a powerful advocate for burns survivors and body acceptance. But Marie has rarely spoken in depth about what happened to their family — until now. In this extraordinarily intimate and emotional conversation with Kate Langbroek, Stephanie and Marie sit down together for their most extensive interview to date, speaking candidly about…

Kayla Jade didn’t plan to become one of the most recognisable women on Australian TikTok. She didn’t plan to become a sex worker, or a mum, or a viral sensation. But somehow, she’s all of those things and more. In this episode of No Filter, Kate Langbroek sits down with Kayla to talk about the story that wasn’t supposed to be told. The one that includes a man named Peggy Sue, an A-Lister who asked for too much, falling for one of her clients and that infamous meet up with Drake. It's deep dive into the wild, unfiltered life Kayla’s built - one storytime at a time. From her rise on OnlyFans to becoming a full-service sex worker, from co-parenting in the Gold Coast hinterland to managing fame, surgery, shame and survival, Kayla speaks with extraordinary candour about everything she’s lived through and what she’s still learning. And yes, we talk about the pegging story that may or may not have impacted the federal election. You can follow Kayla Jade here. If this conversation brought up any hard feelings for…

Sophie Smith thought she was about to become a mother to three baby boys. Instead, after going into premature labour halfway through her pregnancy, she and her husband Ash found themselves facing unimaginable heartbreak. Over the course of 82 days, they lost all three of their triplets; Henry, Evan and Jasper. In this deeply moving conversation with Kate Langbroek, Sophie speaks about those months of hope and heartbreak, the grief that followed, and the extraordinary way she and Ash channelled that pain into purpose by founding Running for Premature Babies — a charity that has since helped save the lives of thousands of premature babies across Australia. Sophie also opens up about the second devastating loss that would change her life forever: losing Ash to brain cancer in 2016, after years of treatment and remission, and what it meant to continue raising their two young sons while carrying such enormous grief. This episode is about motherhood, resilience, love, loss, and the ways we learn to keep going even…

You might know Patrick Brammall from Offspring, No Activity, the global hit Colin from Accounts, and as the voice of Uncle Rad on Bluey. Now, Patrick stars opposite Anne Hathaway in the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, a film with a global audience, a cultural legacy, and a level of attention he hasn’t experienced before. And to think he originally turned it down. In this conversation, recorded the day before the film’s release, Patrick talks to Kate Langbroek about the long road that got him here. From a childhood shaped by serious health challenges, to the uncertainty of an acting career, to finding his voice as a writer and creator. He opens up about building a life and a family with Harriet Dyer, becoming a father, and how that’s changed the way he thinks about success, ambition, and the opportunities he chooses. He also shares what it was like stepping into a franchise like The Devil Wears Prada, including the surprise of having a steamy scene cut from the final film. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is in…

Dee Salmin has spent years talking to other people about love, sex and relationships as the host of triple j’s The Hook Up. But behind the mic, her own dating life was far more complicated than you might expect. In her early twenties, Dee found herself stuck in a pattern — chasing men who were hot and cold, accepting behaviour she now knows she deserved better than, and constantly seeking validation that never quite stuck. So she made a radical decision. She stopped dating entirely. For nearly three years, Dee went “boy sober”, stepping away from apps, relationships and even casual flings to figure out who she was without men at the centre of her life. In this conversation with Kate Langbroek, Dee opens up about what that time taught her, the therapy that helped her understand her patterns, and the moment everything shifted. She also shares what it’s been like to find love again — this time in the public eye — and how she’s approached building a relationship on her own terms, without losing herself in it.…

Robin Bailey is one of Australia’s most recognisable radio voices. Warm, open, and deeply relatable, she’s built a career on making other people feel less alone. But behind that voice is a life shaped by repeated, unimaginable loss. In this conversation, Robin sits down with Kate Langbroek to share the moments that changed everything. From losing her father as a child, to the devastating death of her first husband, and later, the loss of her second husband to cancer, Robin speaks with a level of honesty that is at times breathtaking. She reflects on the moment she had to tell her three young sons that their father had died, and the decision she made about how they would face that grief together. She also opens up about the more complicated chapters of her life, including the choices she’s wrestled with and the long road back to herself. This is a conversation about grief, but it’s also about resilience. About motherhood, survival, and what it really takes to keep going when life keeps changing in ways you…

Lisa Wilkinson was one of the most recognisable faces in Australian media. Then, almost overnight, she was gone. In this episode of No Filter, she sits down with Kate Langbroek to unpack what led to that moment, and what came after. From her early career in magazines to the highs and pressures of breakfast television, Lisa reflects on the roles that defined her, and what it meant to lose them. She speaks candidly about not getting the chance to say goodbye, becoming the focus of intense public scrutiny, and navigating a period that forced her to reassess everything. At the same time, she was writing her most ambitious project yet, a book about Titanic survivor Evelyn Marsden, a story that became both an escape and a way through. This is a conversation about success, backlash, identity, and the reality of starting again. For more information on The Titanic Story of Evelyn by Lisa Wilkinson click here. SUBSCRIBE here: Support independent women's media You can now watch our show in full length video on the…

On this week’s episode of No Filter, Candice Fox joins Holly Wainwright for a conversation that goes beyond crime fiction and into the reality behind it. Candice is one of Australia’s most successful crime writers, with more than 20 books and collaborations with James Patterson. But her understanding of crime didn’t start on the page. She grew up surrounded by chaos; foster children, real-life stories, and a world where darkness was never far away. In this episode, she shares the moment that changed everything: coming face-to-face with a serial killer on death row, and what it revealed about fear, instinct, and human behaviour. She also explores why so many women are drawn to true crime — and what we’re really trying to understand when we listen. And then, the story she couldn’t let go of. A real-life cold case that stayed with her for decades, and became the foundation for her latest novel - a way of grappling with grief, justice, and the limits of storytelling. Redbelly Crossing by Candice Fox is out now.…

Natalie Bassingthwaighte has spent decades building a life in the public eye, but in recent years, everything changed. In this episode, she shares the moment that shifted her world, the quiet but undeniable turning point that led to the end of her marriage and a complete rethinking of who she is. She speaks openly about the confusion of that time, the impact on her family, and the courage it took to step into something new. Now engaged to her partner Pip Loth, Natalie reflects on finding love in a way she never expected and what it means to live more truthfully. Love Like This: A Memoir by Natalie Bassingthwaighte (Hardie Grant Publishing) is out now. SUBSCRIBE here: Support independent women's media SUBSCRIBE here to get 25% off an $89 annual subscription PLUS 25% off Nala. Your Mamamia discount will be applied at checkout. Then find your Nala code in the Subscriber Hub immediately after joining. Ends 1st April. CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS: Get 25% off Nala with your Mamamia subscription. Click here to get your…

For most of her childhood, Chloé Hayden felt like she didn’t belong. She was bullied at school, moved through ten different schools and struggled to exist in environments that didn’t understand her. When she was diagnosed as autistic at thirteen, there were almost no conversations about neurodivergence and no one she could look to who felt like her. Today, she has become that person for millions of others. Through her role as Quinni in Netflix’s Heartbreak High and her advocacy online, Chloé has become one of the most visible autistic women in the world. But becoming a voice for others comes with its own cost. In this conversation with Kate Langbroek, Chloé opens up about the pressure of representation, the emotional toll of advocacy and what it means to build a life that belongs to her, not just the movement she helped create. Heartbreak High Season 3 premieres globally on March 25, 2026 on Netflix. SUBSCRIBE here: Support independent women's media SUBSCRIBERS: Get 25% off Nala with your Mamamia…

After being crowned Jungle Queen and winning $100,000 for charity, Concetta chose to donate the prize to Full Stop Australia, the organisation that helped her family escape domestic violence when she was growing up. As a child, Concetta lived in a home where violence and fear were constant. Eventually, her mother made a secret call to a domestic violence hotline and began planning what the family would later describe as their escape. Concetta, her mother and her sister left their home, fled across the country and started again under new names. In this conversation with Kate Langbroek, Concetta speaks openly about the childhood she kept secret for years, the moment everything changed for her family, and the complicated journey of rebuilding a life after violence. She also reflects on the strange path that led her to comedy, the inner critic that still lives in her head, and the joy she has found in finally being able to live freely. If this conversation raises anything for you, support is available. Full Stop…

Rachel Ward recently went viral for a video filmed in a paddock on her farm. The internet had a lot to say about how she looked. At 66, the former Thorn Birds star suddenly found herself at the centre of a global conversation about ageing, beauty, and what people expect women who were once famous for their looks to look like decades later. In this episode of No Filter, Rachel talks to Kate Langbroek about the viral moment and why she believes the reaction had very little to do with her and everything to do with society’s discomfort with women ageing in public. Rachel reflects on her extraordinary life, from British aristocracy to international fame, from Hollywood film sets to regenerative farming on the mid north coast of New South Wales. She also speaks candidly about mental health, the “crumbles” that forced her to reassess everything, and the instinct she has learned to trust when it is time to leave one chapter of her life behind and begin another. CREDITS: Guest: Rachel Ward Host: Kate Langbroek Group…

For 15 years, Lainey Wilson chased a dream that didn’t seem to want her back. She was rejected. Overlooked. Living in a camper trailer in Nashville while the industry moved on without her. Now she’s one of country music’s biggest stars. In this episode of No Filter, Lainey reflects on the decade-and-a-half grind behind her so-called “overnight success” from auditioning for Idol and The Voice, to impersonating Hannah Montana for five years, to going viral in a way she never expected. She talks about faith, exhaustion, ambition, meeting Miley Cyrus after years of portraying her on stage, and the advice from Keith Urban that reframed everything. You can find Lainey’s latest music, tour dates and more at laineywilson.com. CREDITS: Guest: Lainey Wilson Host: Kate Langbroek Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown Executive Producer: Bree Player Audio Producer: Jacob Round Video Producer: Josh Green Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the…

In the 1990s, Rachel Hunter was one of the most recognisable women in the world. A Sports Illustrated cover star and defining face of the supermodel era, she went from a teenager in New Zealand to global fame almost overnight. She later married Rod Stewart, becoming part of one of the decade’s most talked-about love stories. From the outside, it looked like the ultimate 90s fairytale. In this episode of No Filter, Rachel reflects on rising to fame at 17, her whirlwind marriage to Rod Stewart, and what it was really like to live inside that cultural moment. After recently appearing on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, she speaks candidly about motherhood, public scrutiny, and why the life everyone envied eventually wasn’t enough. This is a conversation about identity, reinvention, and finding yourself beyond the spotlight. CREDITS: Guest: Rachel Hunter Host: Kate Langbroek Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown Executive Producer: Bree Player Audio Producer: Jacob Round Video Producer: Josh Green Mamamia…

When Michelle Burgess’ young son Leo became unwell while their family was on holiday in Tasmania, it initially seemed like a virus — something that would pass with rest and time. But within days, Leo lost the ability to move his body, was transferred between hospitals across two states, and was eventually placed into an induced coma while doctors tried to understand what was happening. Leo was later diagnosed with GFAP astrocytopathy — an extremely rare autoimmune neurological condition that causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. What followed was months in hospital, intensive treatment, and the beginning of a recovery that is still ongoing. In this deeply personal conversation, Michelle takes Kate Langbroek inside the terrifying early days of Leo’s illness — from the moment she realised something was wrong, to the long weeks spent sitting beside his hospital bed in intensive care, unsure whether he would survive. She shares what it means to advocate for your child when there are no clear answers,…

What is life really like inside one of the most famous in American pop culture? In this episode of No Filter, Kate Langbroek sits down with Faith Ward, an Australian–New Zealand dancer who went from thinking an unexpected message was a scam to becoming a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Faith takes us behind the uniform to talk candidly about what it actually takes to make it — and stay — inside the world’s most recognisable cheer squad. From the brutal audition process and constant scrutiny, to discipline, image control, and the realities of pay, Faith shares what the public rarely sees. We talk ponytails, pressure, pay rises, and perfection — the details that reveal how much is demanded of the women who wear the uniform, and what it costs to belong to such a powerful global brand. This is a behind-the-curtain conversation about ambition, sacrifice, identity and what happens when the glamour meets the reality. CREDITS: Guest: Faith Ward Host: Kate Langbroek Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown Executive…

For more than a decade, Kate Seselja lived a double life. Outwardly, she was a well-spoken suburban mum raising six children. Privately, she was trapped in a devastating poker machine addiction that would cost her more than $500,000, push her family into overwhelming debt, and bring her to the brink of suicide. In this deeply confronting episode, Kate takes us back to the years when gambling consumed her life — the highs of winning, the crushing shame of losing, the secrecy, and the relentless hope that the next spin would fix everything. She reflects on how poker machines are designed to hijack the brain, why addiction thrives in silence, and how stigma keeps people trapped for far too long. Kate also speaks candidly about her rock-bottom moment while pregnant with her sixth child, what stopped her from ending her life, and the long road to recovery that followed. Now an advocate and founder of The Hope Project, she dedicates her life to helping others understand gambling harm as a public health issue and…

Angie Kent first joined No Filter back in 2019, she was fresh off The Bachelorette, newly in love, and stepping into a very public chapter of her life. A lot has changed since then. In this episode, Angie returns with Kate Langbroek for an honest, deeply reflective conversation about what it means to choose a life that feels right, even when it doesn’t look the way you once imagined. Angie opens up about her decision to become a solo mum by choice, sharing her IVF journey, the public reaction (both supportive and critical), and the internal certainty that led her here. She reflects on her search for love, the pressure women still face around partnership and timelines, and why companionship now matters more than financial stability, especially when so many women are finding men aren’t meeting them where they are. This is a conversation about autonomy, motherhood, healing, and unlearning the scripts we’re handed. About trusting your instincts. About choosing yourself. And about what it really means to say, “I…

Jonathan Van Ness is one of the most recognisable and beloved figures in pop culture today - but in this conversation, they open up about the chapters of their life few people truly understand. Jonathan speaks candidly about addiction, relapse, sex addiction, and living with HIV, including the moment they realised contracting HIV ultimately saved their life by forcing them to confront a dangerous relationship with meth. With extraordinary honesty, Jonathan reflects on survival, recovery, shame, joy, and what it really means to heal. We also talk about identity, coming out as non-binary, people-pleasing, impulse behaviour, and why healing isn’t a destination — it’s a lifelong practice. Alongside the heavy moments, Jonathan brings humour, warmth and deep compassion, sharing how movement, group fitness, love, and chosen family helped them rebuild a life they want to stay in. This is a powerful, vulnerable and deeply human conversation about staying alive, finding joy after trauma, and learning how to come home…

In a world of New Year, New Me promises, Celeste Barber has built a career on doing the opposite. She keeps it real—big knickers, unflattering angles, and a refusal to pretend life is anything other than messy. Celeste built a global following by parodying celebrity perfection and making millions of people laugh on Instagram. But in this episode of No Filter, she steps away from the selfies and punchlines to talk about the parts of her life the internet rarely sees. In this candid conversation with Kate Langbroek, Celeste opens up about the chaos of her childhood, her ADHD diagnosis, the burnout that nearly broke her, and the pressure of being the internet’s favourite funny woman. She talks honestly about her marriage to ‘Hot Husband’ Api, what it’s like raising kids under public scrutiny, and the work she’s done to decide which parts of her life stay private. She reflects on what fame has given her, what it’s taken, and why resisting the urge to constantly “fix” herself has become an act of…