Episoder
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Maddy MacRae has over 3.5 million followers across her social media accounts, but surprisingly has spent years facing rejection and chasing acting gigs.
With $15k debt, multiple hospitality jobs, and a faltering passion for her acting career, she broke into the influencer space almost by accident.
In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Maddy explains how she turned her stomach into viral content, and what it was like when she finally landed a role in a TV series.
Weekend list with Helen Smith
TO DO: Send us your recommendations to try on insta @thebriefingpodcast TO DO: Running with a mate or joining a run club TO TRY: Countdown app for goal setting TO TRY: Brown eyeliner to you waterlineFollow The Briefing:
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Is Australia’s biggest reality TV show unethical?
Married at First Sight – one of Australia's most popular reality TV shows, currently in its 12th season – amasses millions of viewers each year. This season it has also garnered major controversy in its airing of toxic behaviour from various members of the show.
In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Alexandria Funnell, ex MAFS post producer and co-host of That’s Show Biz Baby, to unpack what really happens behind the scenes, if MAFS has crossed an ethical line this season, and if we should still be watching.
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Headlines: Peter Dutton holds rare press conference calling for inquiry into PM’s knowledge of explosives caravan, Trump restates plan for Gaza, ABC staff ‘disgusted’ by broadcaster’s handling of Antoinette Lattouf’s Federal Court case and 61% of you say you'll be voting for an independent candidate.
Deep Dive: Mastercard will remove the 16-digit number from their credit and debit cards by 2030 and replace them with tokenisation and biometric authentication.
The move is designed to crack down on identity theft and the fraudulent use of cards, with card fraud in Australia being over $868 million in the last financial year.
In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Gary Mortimer, a professor of marketing and consumer behaviour at the QUT Business School, to unpack what it all means.
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Are you satisfied with the Government right now?
If polls are anything to go by, Australians are increasingly getting over being led by majority governments on the left or the right. Labor and the Coalition are unsurprisingly not keen on sharing power with independents and minor parties – and have responded by pushing legislation through parliament to reform our national elections.
The Government says this new law would stop billionaires having too much influence on our elections – but independent MPs say it’s really aimed at making it harder for them, and new independents, to be elected in the future. It’s a battle over the future of the country. Who’s going to win, and what should you do about it?
Allegra Spender is the Independent Member for Wentworth, and Kate Chaney the Independent Member for Curtin. On this episode of The Briefing, they join Bension Siebert from parliament house in Canberra.
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Headlines: Labor agrees to minimum jail sentences for terror crimes, the world reacts to Trump’s Gaza plan, Sam Kerr’s trial continues, and 50,000 people say life feels best in the morning.
Deep Dive: Are Frequent Flyer programs, and supermarket loyalty programs, a scam?
If these airlines and big supermarket chains are constantly pressuring us to join up can that really be in our best interests?
On this episode of The Briefing, we dive deep into whether these programs are a genuine savings opportunity – and what mistakes you might be making if you’re trying to make your points convert to real life value. Bension Siebert chats to “points whisperer” and founder of I Fly Flat, Steven Hui, about the upsides and downsides of frequent flyer programs and the best strategies to save serious cash on an overseas trip.
Further listening from the headlines:
Yesterday's special breaking news edition following Trump's Gaza announcements is available on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts now. 'How to retrain your brain in 2025' is available on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Briefing:
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"The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too. We'll own it.”
US President Donald Trump has just announced his intention to expel all Palestinians from Gaza and claim ownership of the land for the United States.
To forcefully and permanently exile more than 1.7 million people to neighbouring countries would have huge implications for global community – and potentially Australia, as a key ally to the USA. Has the world just witnessed the end of the two-state solution?
In this special breaking news episode of the Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with Chair in Global Islamic Politics at Deakin University Greg Barton to get his immediate reaction, and explain what this means for the Middle East, the world and Australia.
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Headlines: Australia to ban DeepSeek from government devices, China hits back with retaliatory tariffs on US goods, FBI enlisted in case against Melbourne’s Pam the Bird graffiti artist and Putin moves to revive Soviet-era Eurovision rival.
You can catch last week's deep dive on DeepSeek on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts now.Deep Dive: How did Elon Musk become one of the most powerful men in the world?
The tech billionaire is best known for being the CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX. But his involvement in politics - and new position within the Trump administration - is turning heads in the tech world. But who is Elon Musk, really? What drives him, and what do you need to know about his past to understand his future?
In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Mike Isaac, a technology correspondent for The New York Times, to unpack who Elon Musk is behind closed doors.
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Learning a new language is famously very hard and usually takes years. Could all that be about to change?
While we now have apps like Duolingo to help, it’s still likely to take a long time and a lot of effort to be anything close to fluent. What usually helps is spending time in a country where everyone speaks the language you’re learning – but one group of Australian researchers says virtual reality and AI could step in for those who aren’t able to make the trip.
Brodie McGee from the University of Southern Queensland is one of them. In this episode of The Briefing Bension Siebert chats with the Australian teacher and researcher on how you could be supercharging the process of learning a new language.
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Headlines: Major parties rake in over $130 million in political donations last financial year, Sam Kerr faces UK trial over racially aggravated harassment, Trump pauses tariffs on Mexico amid possible “deal” with the country, and Beyonce finally takes home Grammy for Album of the Year.
Deep Dive: Have you ever spat in a tube and sent it off for testing?
In recent years it feels like everyone knows someone – friends, family, people all over the country and world, who have placed their precious DNA into a home testing kit to learn about their heritage, unknown history, or for just for a bit of home science fun.
But what if it’s all a massive exercise in exploitation? What happens to your DNA data – and what happens if it falls into the wrong hands? On this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by award-winning investigative journalist Claire Aird, host of LiSTNR’s newest exclusive podcast Secrets We Keep: Should I Spit?, to expose what happens when the DNA leaves you and heads out into the world.
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Politics is about to be back on for 2025.
You'd be forgiven for thinking government has already been in session this year – there’s been a bit on – but this week marks the first sitting of parliament for the year, and a major moment for the Labor government to get some legislative runs on the board before everyone starts fighting for your vote in the upcoming federal election.
What will be dominating the debate over the next fortnight – and is what is on the political agenda the same stuff that matters to you and your day-to-day? On this episode of The Briefing Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Nine’s National affairs editor, Andrew Probyn, to get his read on what will get the most (hot) airtime.
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Headlines: Labor imposes counter-terrorism sanctions on online neo-Nazi network for the first time, North Queensland floods update, trade war looming over Trump’s tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China, and The Grammys are on today.
Deep Dive: In the 2010s ISIS became one of the world’s biggest terror groups, controlling almost one-third of Syria and around half of Iraq.
Over the years the group has claimed responsibility for terrorist attacks across the globe, including those in Paris in 2015, Berlin in 2016, and Manchester at an Ariana Grande concert the year after. Since 2018 the group’s influence has felt quieter, claiming less responsibility for attacks but that has changed.
In 2024 we saw Russia’s deadliest terror attack in over two decades – which ISIS took responsibility for – and on New Year's Day, an ISIS-inspired attack killed 14 people and injured dozens more in New Orleans. So, is ISIS having a resurgence?
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Michael Ware, a man who witnessed the birth of ISIS firsthand and is the only western journalist to escape one of their beheading attempts, to explain how we got here, if he thinks ISIS is having a resurgence, and if Australia is ready for a possible terror attack from the group.
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Steph Claire Smith has always been a trailblazer - and the model turned business founder and podcast host with over 1.4million followers doesn’t stop.
The O.G influencer started Kic with her best friend Laura Henshaw. Since then, the pair have sky rocketed to global success, releasing product lines and joining the LiSTNR family with the KICPOD Podcast.
In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Steph opens up on how she's feeling about being an (almost) second time mum, her views of the 'Oatzempic' craze, and her obsession with chicken wings.
Listen to KIC POD here
Weekend List with Helen Smith
TO WATCH: Jubilee's surrounded series on YouTube TO LISTEN: Bad Hasbara - The World's Most Moral Podcast TO EAT: Congee rice porridge TO READ: Hot PilatesFollow The Briefing:
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2024 was full of comments, complaints and promises from politicians and companies over the cost of living - and so far this year we're looking likely to see the same thing.
Lowering your weekly groceries shop, scoring a discount or filling up the tank for less is something we all want, so how can we do it?
In this episode of The Briefing, we did the homework for you. Chris Spyrou is joined by The Briefing's Helen Smith to unpack which apps and tools can save you the most on fuel, food and fashion.
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A man diagnosed with sexsomnia has been found not guilty of having non-consensual sex with a woman in Sydney.
With the disorder now appearing as a key argument in trials across the country and the world, The Briefing wanted to bring you a previous explainer the team published on sexsomnia - what it is, how it works, what behaviours it can lead to.
In this bonus episode, Helen Smith is joined by Aleks Trkulja from the Pleasure Centre, and specialist sleep physician Dr David Cunnington, so you can catch up on just how common sexsomnia is, and what you need to know about it.
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In this morning’s deep dive, we spoke to consumer and money expert Joel Gibson about how Bunnings has monpolised the hardware industry.
When we reached out to the hardware chain for comment, they were keen to dispute our assertion that it holds a leading stake in the market and insists big brands don’t equal bad brands.
In part two of our look at Bunnings and how it’s managed to become cemented in Australia’s cultural zeitgeist, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by the chain’s Managing Director, Mike Schneider.
Listen to part one on LiSTNR, Apple or Spotify now.Follow The Briefing:
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Headlines: Greens to push for 50 cent public transport nationwide, no survivors after Washington plane and helicopter crash, Australians facing long-term homelessness surges 25% in five years and Donald Trump calls for Elon Musk’s Space X to “go get” stranded ISS astronauts.
Deep Dive: By all accounts, Bunnings is a true blue Aussie success story.
What started in 1907 as a sawmill in WA now boasts more than 300 locations across Australia and New Zealand and reported revenue in 2024 of $19 billion. On top of that, the hardware giant has managed to crack into the cultural zeitgeist. Who doesn’t talk fondly about a weekend snag and peruse of the paint aisle?
But amidst its praise and popularity comes quiet criticism about its monopoly over the Australian hardware industry, its mega profits, its sometimes sneaky marketing tactics and its ability to effectively wipe out the competition. So, why do we seem to love Bunnings, despite these things?
On today’s special two-part investigation, Sacha Barbour Gatt answers that question with money and consumer expert, Joel Gibson.
In part two, in your feed now, we ask Bunnings Managing Director, Mike Schneider, what he thinks of the answer.
Listen to part two 'Bunnings Responds' on LiSTNR, Apple or Spotify now.Follow The Briefing:
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We’ve all got a butthole, but why are we so afraid to talk about it without making a joke of it?
Professor Richard Hillman is one of the few specialists in Australia in anus cancer and he thinks it’s time we open up about the health of our rear ends.
In today’s episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with the professor about anal hygiene, the case for banning toilet paper and why we need to end the stigma and shame around out buttholes.
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Headlines: Caravan with explosives found in Sydney allegedly intended for antisemitic attack, lowered inflation rates open the door to April election date and Sweden charges man in first ever drink driving case involving a drone.
Deep Dive: Elizabeth Struhs was an eight-year-old girl, living with incurable Type 1 diabetes in regional Queensland. Instead of receiving the insulin she needed to live, her parents and other members of their fringe religious group, The Saints, withdrew her injections, believing the healing power of God would save her. She died of diabetic ketoacidosis in January 2022.
On Wednesday afternoon, in a bombshell Supreme Court ruling, 14 members of the congregation, including her parents, were found guilty of manslaughter. They included Elizabeth's father and the leader of the congregation, who had originally been charged with murder.
In this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert is joined by investigative journalist Richard Baker on the ground in Queensland to explain who The Saints are, why what happened to Elizabeth is manslaughter, and whether this case will have any impact on other fringe religious groups that reject modern medicine around the country.
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Our major political parties each have plans they say will make renting better and home ownership easier for young people. We’ll believe it when we see it.
But with a federal election coming up, are Labor, the Coalition and the Greens missing solutions that could save you serious money?
On this episode of the Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with McKell Institute Chief Executive Edward Cavanough about four ways to make renting or buying a house easier, and why most politicians aren’t talking about them.
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Headlines: Australia Day neo-Nazis face court in Adelaide, how Dutton’s promise to cut 36,000 government jobs could affect you, Trump signs orders to halt government grants and Happy Lunar New Year!
Deep Dive: Has China just won the AI arms race?
The United States has been the undisputed leader in the race for global AI domination – that was until this week, where everything changed. Meet DeepSeek - a little-known Chinese competitor to ChatGPT that has in one swift announcement wiped one trillion dollars off the stock market and smashed what we thought we knew about world’s most in-demand new technology.
Is it all over for ChatGPT? How is DeepSeek different, and why has it made such a major splash in the global community? Mark Pesce is a partner in AI consultancy Wisely AI and honorary associate in Digital Cultures at the University of Sydney. He joins Bension Siebert on this episode of The Briefing to explain what we know, and what it all means.
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- Se mer
