Conversations

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Conversations

Conversations draws you deeper into the life story of someone you may have heard about, but never met. Journey into their world, joining them on epic adventures to unfamiliar places, back in time to wild moments of history, and into their deepest memories, to be moved by personal stories of resilience and redemption. Hosted by Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski, Conversations is the ABC's most popular long-form interview program. Every day we explore the vast tapestry of human experience, weaving together narratives from history, science, art, and personal storytelling. Conversations Live is coming to the stage! Join Sarah Kanowski and Richard Fidler for an unmissable night of unforgettable stories, behind-the-scenes secrets, and surprise guests. Australia’s most-loved podcast — live, up close, and in the moment. Find out more at the Conversations website.

  1. 18 HRS AGO

    Encore: Janty Blair is the BMW of standup comics

    After a lifetime of nursing and midwifery, Janty Blair discovered her funny bone in her late 50s, following a serendipitous Bumble date (R) Janty's father, Bob, was a staff sergeant in the Australian Army, and so she grew up moving around the country. Home for Janty, a Butchulla, Mununjhali and Woppaburra woman, was really Hervey Bay in Queensland, where she would go on trips every year to visit her aunties, uncles, cousins and grandparents, all of whom were stomach-achingly funny. While Janty loved performing in the school musicals, she was quite a serious child and didn't find her funny bone until later in life. Instead of following her childhood dream of becoming an actress, Janty became a nurse and then a midwife. But in her 50s, Janty went on a serendipitous date. Two days later, she was performing in her first stand-up open mic night, and just a few months later she was crowned the winner of the biggest First Nations comedy competition in the country. Further information You can keep up to date with Janty's tour schedule by visiting her website. Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website. This episode of Conversations explores NAIDOC week, comedy, black comedians, military life, the Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, Wayne Blair, hospital, medical profession, health industry, birthing, motherhood, military family, Aboriginal, Indigenous, First Nations, online dating, dating in your 50s, Byron Bay, bumble, Sapphires, Jessica Mauboy, deadly funny, blak humour.

    47 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    Leah Purcell's meteoric rise, from the Murgon meatworks to centre stage

    Leah Purcell grew up in a small town caring for her mum Florence. Her options after graduation were nursing or working at the meatworks. But after a push from her meatworks boss, Leah defied her own expectations for herself (R) Leah is now an acclaimed actor, playwright, and stage and film director. She grew up in the Queensland country town of Murgon. Although she came from a big family, it was just her and her mum for most of her childhood. Her dad lived in town, but didn’t acknowledge her as his daughter. Leah's mum Flo was well respected. For a time she was the only Aboriginal woman allowed in the lounge area of the pub, which was a whites-only zone. Leah grew up with her Aunties and Uncles yarning around the kitchen table, and became a vivid storyteller herself. When she left school, it was expected she would go to work in the local meatworks, or become a nurse. But one of Leah's bosses at the meatworks refused to give her a permanent position, because he'd seen her in the local high school musical.  When he told Leah she had a real talent, it helped change Leah's idea of herself. And so after her mum passed away, Leah left her small town. In Sydney she set off on her path to becoming an actor, a playwright and eventually a film director. Her first play 'Box the Pony' was inspired by her mother and grandmother's life story, and it became a huge hit. Today Leah is recognised as one of Australia's most important voices in the performing arts. Further information Leah was awarded an Order of Australia in 2021 for her services to the performing arts. She released her feature film, The Drover's Wife in 2022. Leah played the lead role and also wrote and directed the film. Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website. This episode of Conversations explores parentification of children, children raising parents, mixed families, racism, rural Australia, family dynamics, writing, books, plays, theatre, Andrew Denton, fathers and daughters, NAIDOC, Aboriginal, Indigenous, talent, film industry, acting, love, origin stories, life story.

    53 min

  3. 2 DAYS AGO

    How a boy from Balmain made caring cool

    Bundjalung man, Jack Manning Bancroft's scholarship to a prestigious Sydney University college showed him a rarefied world that shocked him, and he used his childhood grit to channel his energy into a world-changing project. Jack's mother is Bundjalung artist, Bronwyn Bancroft.  Growing up in inner-Sydney, he was intimidated by her artistic drive and threw himself into sport, because that was the only way a young Jack thought a man could have influence in the world. When he was ten the family moved to Bundjalung country to spend time with his mum's side of the family.  The local kids refused to accept that Jack was Aboriginal.  He escaped into fantasy books and wrote long letters home to his dad, Ned Manning, in Sydney. Jack received a scholarship to St Paul's College at the University of Sydney and vowed to use his opportunity to increase the number of Indigenous kids at university. The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) was born and Jack has since used his position to forge connections between communities to foster understanding across the world. Further information Watch Australian Story featuring Jack and his partner, Yael Stone on iview. Listen to Jack's dad, Ned Manning, on Conversations in 2022. This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. The presenter was Rudi Bremer. This episode of Conversations touches on Aboriginal culture, mentoring, changing the world, personal story, epic life story, family dynamics, Aboriginal excellence, grief, loss, depression, failure and painting.

    51 min

  4. 3 DAYS AGO

    A family secret unearths connection to country

    Yvonne Orley grew up on Aboriginal missions in NSW as the child of the matron and manager.  But it turned out that Yvonne had much deeper connections to the country, and the people, that she knew at the time. Although her mother had tried to hide this part of the family story, it turned out that Yvonne herself was a Kamilaroi woman and this was her mother’s traditional country. Yvonne’s life took another unexpected turn 25 years ago when her sister asked if she would allow a group of high needs mentally disabled adults move into her home, and Yvonne said yes. Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. This episode was produced by Jennifer Leake. This episode of Conversations touches on Aboriginal missions, migration to Australia, racial prejudice, grief, family secrets, family history, secrets, caring for people, supported accommodation, disability care, Aboriginal identity Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website.

    46 min

  5. 4 JULY

    Encore: Love, jail, Jesus, and pubs — a tangled tale of four very different parents

    Lech Blaine with the strange true story of his childhood, shaped by love, religious zealotry, and four wildly different parents. CW: descriptions of foster care and child removal.  Lech grew up in a big family in country Queensland, where his dad Tom ran pubs for a living.  He had six older siblings, who had come to the family as foster kids before he was born. It was a happy, knockabout, sports-obsessed childhood. But in the midst of all the love and warmth, Lech's mum Lenore lived with a creeping sense of dread. She knew that one day, the troubled biological parents of three of the children in the family would appear in their lives. Michael and Mary Shelley were Christian fanatics wandering from place to place, in and out of jail and psychiatric hospitals, and notorious for stalking politicians and judges. One evening, when Lenore was at home with some of the children, Mary Shelley knocked on her door, changing the family's life forever. This episode of Conversations explores family, origin stories, adoption, foster care, religion, Christianity, mental health, mental illness, family dynamics, parenting. Further information Australian Gospel is published by Black Inc. Help and support is always available. You can call Lifeline 24 hours a day on 13 11 14. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison and presented by Sarah Kanowski. It explores family dynamics, origin stories, adoption, foster care, religion, Christianity, mental health, mental illness, parenting, blended families, biological children, adoption, Australia, books, writing, journalism, memoir. Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website.

    52 min

  6. 3 JULY

    When a sea change collides with messy midlife

    For journalist Kate Halfpenny, moving to a beachside town during Melbourne's lockdowns seemed like the perfect way to unwind and escape her huge mortgage. Then she had to contend with the triple whammy of perimenopause, her husband's alcoholism and distance from family and friends. For the first time in her life, Kate had an empty house, no job commitments and no city life to distract her. She was able to indulge daily in her love of boogie boarding and surf-side walks with her dog, Maggie. One day at the beach, Kate saw her elderly father struggling in the surf. Kate's husband Chris was in the water next to him, but was acting strangely and couldn’t manage to haul him out of the dangerous water. That evening, Chris confessed his alcoholism to Kate and the couple faced the inevitable decisions they would have to navigate, together and apart. Further information Boogie Wonderland is published by Affirm Press. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website. This episode of Conversations deals with good divorce, Melbourne covid lockdowns, seachange, addiction, alcoholism, supporting an alcoholic, women in media, perimenopause, midlife, being alone, boogie boarding and relationships.

    53 min

  7. 2 JULY

    Hannah vs Disney, Lizzo and Beyonce

    Hannah Diviney made history in 2022 when she became the first person with a disability to film a sex scene for Australian television. Then she went viral when she confronted both Lizzo and Beyonce over an ableist slur in their song lyrics. When Hannah was growing up, the only people she saw on TV who used a wheelchair like her were Paralympians or in Road Safety ads. Hannah spent a lot of her childhood feeling lonely and left out, though she was sure she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. She was still at pre-school when she realised that names on the front of books belonged to the people who had written them. It was also around this time when Hannah became aware that her body didn’t work in the same way as her friends at childcare. Hannah has since started the Krazy Kosci Klimb, which supports young people with Cerebral Palsy to climb Australia's highest peak. Hannah always knew representation was important for young, disabled people like her to be reflected in pop culture and to belong. So she wrote to Disney, requesting they create their first princess who uses a wheelchair. That petition secured Hannah's first job in journalism with Mamamia — at the age of 15. She has since made history, becoming the first person with a disability to film a sex scene for Australian television. in 2022, Hannah went unexpectedly viral for confronting musician Lizzo about an ableist slur in her song lyrics. Several weeks later, Beyonce used the same slur, and Hannah realised she had to take on the biggest pop star in the world. Further information Hannah’s collection of autobiographical essays, I’ll Let Myself In is published by Allen & Unwin. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website.

    51 min

  8. 1 JULY

    Purity, hypnosis and hiding — how a gay teen survived Opus Dei

    Hollywood actor Tim Pocock was tricked by his dying, devout mother into undergoing gay conversion therapy. After she died, Tim finally learned how to be himself, without fear and self-loathing. Tim grew up under the thumb of his charismatic, pious mother. He went to a school with links to the controversial, secretive and conservative Catholic organisation, Opus Dei. There, he desperately tried to hide his sexuality, and was ruthlessly bullied for his musical and stage talents. Despite Tim's success in Australian opera, television, and in Hollywood blockbusters, he continued to harbour many secrets about himself and his family. One day his mother, who loved Tim deeply in her own way, and who was dying from ovarian cancer, convinced her only son to come with her to therapy.  Instead of finally being able to talk about his struggles, Tim found himself being tricked into gay conversion therapy. For the last few months of his mother's life, he went to be hypnotised by a 'Catholic psychologist' every week, until eventually she died, and Tim was set free to learn how live by and for himself. Further information The Truth Will Set You Free: Growing up gay in Opus Dei is published by Hachette. You can stream the Four Corners report into schools with ties to Opus Dei, which features Tim, on ABC iview. The Pared Foundation's full responses to questions from Four Corners can be read here. Opus Dei Australia provided Four Corners with this statement. Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris and presented by Richard Fidler. The executive producer is Nicola Harrison. This episode explores sexuality, LGBTQI+, homophobia, family dynamics, books, writing, mother-son relationships, shame, the Church, infidelity, cancer, death, grief, losing a mother, acting, a career in acting, memoir, epic life story, origin story, Marvel, Wolverine, Cyclopse, Dance Academy, Tangara, Redfield.

    53 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.4
out of 5
12,238 Ratings

About

Conversations draws you deeper into the life story of someone you may have heard about, but never met. Journey into their world, joining them on epic adventures to unfamiliar places, back in time to wild moments of history, and into their deepest memories, to be moved by personal stories of resilience and redemption. Hosted by Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski, Conversations is the ABC's most popular long-form interview program. Every day we explore the vast tapestry of human experience, weaving together narratives from history, science, art, and personal storytelling. Conversations Live is coming to the stage! Join Sarah Kanowski and Richard Fidler for an unmissable night of unforgettable stories, behind-the-scenes secrets, and surprise guests. Australia’s most-loved podcast — live, up close, and in the moment. Find out more at the Conversations website.

Information

  • Creator
    ABC listen
  • Years Active
    2005 - 2025
  • Episodes
    1.8K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All right reserved.
  • Show Website
    Conversations

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