Life Academy

Alicia Banit & Dena Kaplan

On screen frenemies to real life besties, so of course we started a podcast! Stay tuned for your weekly questionable life lessons from Dena Amy Kaplan and Alicia Banit. Class is in session!

  1. 3d ago

    Off-Campus, Some Of Our Hardest Days And Favourite Finds | Life Lately

    Cuteness alert!! Teddy is taking over the studio today 🐶🩵 This week we’re launching a brand new monthly segment: Favourite Four 💌 aka the four things we’ve been obsessing over and aggressively sending to each other all month long. And trust us… this lineup is GOOD. We’re talking the chicest dog products from Mochi and Michi (Teddy is now booked and busy as their newest ambassador 🐶), a skincare find from Serasilk that genuinely shocked us, the most gorgeous pieces from Francesca Jewellery, and the unexpected fashion era Kmart is currently having that we cannot stop talking about. Basically prepare to leave this episode wanting to do some retail therapy 💅🏼 Todays’ episode gets a little vulnerable 🤍 We chat mental health, chronic pain flare ups, relationship tension and why postpartum depression still isn’t talked about enough. Naturally in true us fashion we switch gears to DEVOURING Off Campus, Brett Goldstein's new movie with J-Lo?? 👀, and the wild moral dilemma of Margo's Got Money Troubles. Chaotic, warm and very very us. Love you dAlings SO much 1:00 — Dena opens up: mental health struggles & chronic pain flare ups 7:35 — Tension in relationships and what chronic illness really does to a relationship 17:45 — Real chat about post natal depression 23:49 — Dena’s show obsession: Off Campus & the hottest cast 26:07 — Brett Goldstein manifested a rom com with J.Lo & we are OBSESSED 32:20 — Margo’s Got Money Troubles: Elle Fanning, OnlyFans & what would YOU do? 35:28 — Book club chat & why we need one on the Facebook group 38:25 — FAVOURITE FOUR LAUNCHES! Inner Healing matching mum & daughter jewellery 41:55 — Mochi and Michi: Teddy models the harness, poop stash & stunning dog bowls 47:10 — Seresilk: the exfoliator that genuinely shocked us both 50:30 — Francesca Jewellery: the locket with Alex & Maya inside 53:10 — Kmart: the slay era neither of us saw coming! Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Recs/Homework: Mochi and Michi — Australian made, female owned dog brand. Harness, collar, poop stash & stunning bowls. Use code LIFEACADEMY20 for 20% off https://mochiandmichi.com/ Seresilk — The pure silk exfoliating cocoon that makes zero sense but leaves your skin unreal. 100% biodegradable, sensitive skin approved, lasts 2 years https://seresilk.com.au/ Francesca Jewellery — Custom lockets with your favourite people’s photos inside. The most beautiful gift you can give or ask for Kmart — $14 dresses. $59 trenches. Bomber jackets. Need we say more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 1m

  2. 6d ago

    Losing His Daughter, His Childhood And Nearly His Life | Harrison James

    ⚠️ Trigger warning: The following podcast episode contains topics which may be distressing to some viewers. “There is no happy ending. But there is a hopeful ending.” - Harrison James. This is one of those episodes that stays with you long after it ends 💙 Harrison James is a survivor, an activist, and one of the most extraordinary humans to ever walk into the Life Academy world. Abused by his stepmother from ages 13 to 16 😔 Forced into silence for years. Brought to his knees at 19. And yet, he took every single piece of that pain and turned it into real, tangible, legislative change 🙏 Today, he’s passed laws in four Australian states. He’s written a book. He’s about to become a father again. And he sat down with Alicia to share ALL of it: the abuse, the silence, the legislation, the healing, and what it actually means to transform pain into purpose. This is not an easy listen. But it is an essential one. Please share this with someone in your world who needs to hear it 💙 We are so grateful Harrison trusted us with his story. 🚨 If you, or someone you know, is in need of support, please contact LifeLine on 13 11 14 or visit Beyond Blue at http://www.beyondblue.org.au. 📱 For emergency crisis support, call 000 1:47 — Where it all began — Harrison opens up about his childhood 😔 4:12 — His father saw what was happening and said nothing 7:20 — The conversation with his mum in the passenger seat of a car 🥹 24:50 — "I didn't want to be here anymore" — the plan, the dream, and the decision that saved his life 29:38 — The "Your Reference Isn't Relevant" campaign — changing how courts treat convicted offenders 34:33 — Four states down, four to go — what real change looks like 🇦🇺 40:49 — Writing the book — and the toll it took to tell the whole truth 48:23 — Meeting Bella on Instagram, a first date in Italy & choosing peace 🥹 58:30 — The numbers that can't be ignored — and why silence is the real epidemic 1:06:55 — What's next: choosing contentment over the fight 💙 1:13:19 — Dreamwork: Healing Through Unsent Letters — Harrison's exercise from Chapter 1 Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 22m

  3. May 20

    Dance Academy Cast Rewatch S1E5 | We Need To Talk About These Looks 😭

    You know what time it is… it’s REWATCH time babyyyy 🎭💅 This episode had EVERYTHING — chaos opinions about the opening credits (still tragic 💀), deep dives into Jewish cultural pressure and academic expectations, and some really honest, personal storytelling from Dena about growing up in that environment. We also get some amazing behind-the-scenes tea about bringing Tom and Jeff into a real Shabbat experience 🕯️🍷, Patrick continuing to be outrageously talented on screen, and Kat & Christian serving chemistry that honestly should’ve come with a warning label 🔥 Plus lots of nostalgia, confusion (because why don’t we remember our own show?), and plenty of laughing at ourselves the whole way through 😂 If you’re rewatching with us or just here for the stories, we love you heaps 💛 1:00 - Dena’s "Unnecessary" Hate for the Opening Credits 3:29 - Growing up Jewish: The Pressure to be a Doctor or Lawyer 7:02 - Behind the Scenes: Taking Tom & Jeff to Synagogue 9:16 - Christian at the Cemetery (Alicia is watching this blind!) 11:15 - Sammy’s Dad & The Perfect Hebrew Prayers 14:44 - The "Sexy" Chemistry Between Kat & Christian 16:11 - Alicia’s First Ever Scene & "White Purple" Lips 20:15 - Alicia’s Comfort Watch & Depression Era 22:09 - Why Episode 5 was "Boring" Without Abigail and Kat Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    23 min

  4. May 15

    The Real Story Behind Miranda Priestly Is Messier Than We Thought

    Pop culture girlies are HERE and we are NOT holding back 💜😭 We went to The Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere in Sydney and it was boujee, chaotic and honestly one of the most fun nights 🎬✨ We got told to "move along" off the red carpet because there was "actual talent" arriving 😳 The movie though? An absolute 10! Meryl, Emily, Anne, all back and better than ever. And the fun fact that Meryl Streep based Miranda Priestly on egotistical MALE directors and not Anna Wintour?! We cannot 👏 Then things get juicy. Lena Dunham's bombshell new book Famesick is out and Dena's love affair with Adam is officially over (😭 RIP). We've also got Harry Styles and Zoë Kravitz's engagement, all our Met Gala hot takes including whether bleached eyebrows are a vibe or a crime, Rihanna hinting at new music, Taylor Swift's Love Story origin story which is genuinely hilarious, and the Oscars finally putting their foot down on AI 👏 Another week, another chaotic pop culture debrief, dAlings 💜 00:54 The Devil Wears Prada 2 Sydney premiere recap 03:58 Getting moved along on the red carpet 06:25 Devil Wears Prada 2 fashion facts & Anna Wintour influence 10:16 Meryl Streep says Miranda wasn’t really based on Anna Wintour 11:46 Sydney Sweeney’s cut Devil Wears Prada 2 cameo 13:29 Harry Styles and Zoë Kravitz engagement rumours 15:33 Met Gala fashion reactions 17:39 Lena Dunham’s Famesick and Girls nostalgia 19:14 Jack Antonoff, Lorde rumours & Adam Driver stories 22:03 Rihanna new music rumours & Fenty confusion 23:41 Coachella headliner rumours 24:13 AI-generated work banned from some Oscars categories Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    26 min

  5. May 12

    Life Lately: Living with ADHD as a mum is more exhausting than people realise

    It’s Life Lately and honestly… your girls are not okay, but in a very iconic way 😭💜 Dena is tired, overwhelmed, running late, and deep in her “why is my ADHD brain like this?” era 👀 Meanwhile Alicia has had an absolutely unhinged week — late to teach at Thomas Lacey’s dance school, scraped her car on her own fence, and came home to find poor Muddy had fully destroyed the house. Like… walls were involved 💀💀💀 But in between the disasters, things got really beautiful 🥹 Dena saw The Drama on date night and broke down crying over Alex, unconditional love, and the kind of love that makes you want to tattoo it. Plus toddler birthday planning, spiritual practices, and some VERY spicy pop culture tea for next week 👀 Please tell us we are not alone in this chaotic era dAlings!!! 💜 1:47 — ADHD, we see you: time blindness, alarms, and mum-life chaos 👀 6:38 — Alicia’s first fail: 30 minutes late to teach acting 12:36 — Girls’ night chaos: wrong time, rushed outfit, and the car scrape 💀 20:21 — The baptism was cute… then Muddy destroyed the house 😭 24:45 — Alex vs Maya’s pink ball: the toddler meltdown we all saw coming 33:08 — Self-care has left the chat: Bali, uni, volunteering, and burnout 38:00 — Spiritual practices, oracle cards, and magical women ✨ 47:30 — New studio, same chaos — plus this week’s recs/homework 54:15 — Spicy pop culture homework: Lena Dunham, Adam Driver, and next week’s tea 👀 Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Recs/Homework: Oracle or affirmation cards — Alicia’s homework is to sit down, pull some cards, and let a little magic back in ✨ Ditto PMDD supplements — Dena says she’s genuinely noticed a difference with her PMDD symptoms. Honey’s Gummies Cunnies Gummies — Creatine, but make it sour lolly vibes. Pop culture homework — Watch The Drama and read up on the Lena Dunham / Adam Driver tea before next week 👀 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    58 min

  6. May 5

    Life Lately: How to handle toddlers saying difficult things like saying “I don’t love you”

    We are BACK dAlings and honestly… we've had a week 😔💜 Some weeks you're absolutely smashing it. Other weeks your car gets towed mid-facial, you reverse into a stranger's car, and your toddler looks you dead in the eyes and says "I don't love you." This is one of those weeks for Dena...😭😭😭 Alicia's not doing much better 😅 Health anxiety has been quietly taking over her nights, and this week it got bad enough that she left a dinner party before the mains even arrived. She also opens up about the International Women's Day speech she gave at Queen's College, Melbourne Uni — and how writing it all down reminded her of just how much she's actually survived 🥹 Plus: the au pair conversation Dena's been too scared to have publicly (YES and don't judge her!!), why resilience is sometimes just exhausting, and the parenting repair moment that hit different 😢 This is the episode for anyone who's ever felt like they're failing at everything all at once, and needed someone to remind them they're not. Love you dAlings SO much 💜 1:52 — Dena's disaster week: towed car, a free facial, and a $680 bill 8:00 — "I don't love you" — Maya's bedtime rejection and Dena's ADHD trauma spiral 13:22 — Alicia's mum guilt: yelling at Isla for an accidental wee (and the repair) 19:55 — Alicia's Queens College speech — resilience, rejection and the women who lifted her 30:32 — Learning to receive compliments & knowing your own worth 32:45 — Health anxiety spiral: how Alicia talked herself out of a dinner party 38:30 — Dena opens up about having an au pair — $300/week and why it saved her family 44:43 — Recommendations: home organisation, Gemma La Prê lip stains & more 47:57 — Life Academy hits 1 million downloads + exciting things coming for you dAlings Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Recs/Homework: Au Pairs Australia: Search the Facebook group to find your match. Do your due diligence: police checks, working with children's card, trials! Organised Abode (Belle): Melbourne-based home organiser who will change your life. Can't get Belle in? Clear out your wardrobe and donate. Best feeling ever ✨ Gemma Lepre French Kiss Lip Stain: The lip stain that does NOT budge. Find them on Instagram 💋 Therapy: Alicia's finally committing. Don't wait, dAlings 🙏 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    48 min

  7. Apr 28

    Dance Academy Cast Spills the Tea: First Day Secrets & Why Dena HATED the Intro! | Rewatch S1E4

    Okay DALINGS… the rewatch chaos continues and WOW this one unlocked some very vivid memories 😂 This ep was one of the very first things we ever filmed, so naturally we’re roasting ourselves the entire time – from the questionable outfits (who approved those??) to trying to figure out our bodies on camera for the first time 🫠 On top of that, we get into the friendship dynamics and unpack why poor Kat honestly deserved so much better in this episode 😭 There’s also plenty of behind-the-scenes moments, including Alicia getting absolutely pelted with a soccer ball (multiple times), Dena going full chaos mode between takes, and a certain HOT extra that we need you guys to help us find immediately 👀 We hope you enjoy this unhinged trip down memory lane. Love you! 💜 3:21 - Tara Lying Straight to Kat’s Face 5:59 - Spotting the "Hot Extra" (Adam, is that you?) 7:02 - The Raw Egg Throw Breakdown 8:14 - The Origin of "Clammy Sammy" 11:18 - Being Dressed by "Old Ladies" on Set 14:02 - Dena’s Very First Scene Ever Filmed 15:03 - Alicia’s Real Soccer Ball to the Face 19:10 - Dena’s Opening Credits Controversy 21:46 - The "Bloody Beautiful" Slow-Mo Ending Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    27 min

  8. Apr 21

    We Finally Got Dance Academy Producer Joanna Werner To Tell Us What Really Went On Behind The Scenes

    The producer of DANCE ACADEMY is here DALINGS!!! 💜💜💜 Joanna Werner – the legendary producer who created the show that changed all of our lives – is finally here. We're talking origin stories (she and Sam had the SAME vision at 3am after drinks!!!), the insane casting process where Alicia ate a banana while the whole class waited, why Dena was always Abigail, and the devastating decision behind killing Sammy. Plus Joanna gets real about IVF, being pregnant while filming the movie in New York, and how she built boundaries as a working mum in an industry that used to pretend families didn't exist. This episode is pure magic and we're so grateful she's part of our story 💕 2:13 The Origin Story – How Joanna met Sam Strauss at 3am 12:04 Alicia's audition – "If she can dance, she's in the show" 21:02 The final callbacks – Who would be Kat? 24:06 The banana incident – Alicia stopped the whole audition to eat 31:19 DENA ARRIVES – Car troubles but she made it! 32:48 "She's Abigail. Go." – Joanna always knew 40:46 Thank you for Dance Academy – The gift that keeps giving 50:28 Why we killed Sammy – The truth behind the decision (it was nearly Ben!) 57:00 Dance Academy season 4? – What would it take? 1:00:18 Alicia's rec – Go to the dentist! 1:01:50 Dena's rec – Imperfect Women on Apple TV + chocolate coconut water 1:03:53 Joanna's rec – Audiobooks! James, Scar Tissue, Anna Karenina Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Recs/Homework: Go to the dentist: Joanna's root canal exploded after Dance Academy – don't wait! Imperfect Women: Apple TV series starring Elisabeth Moss – Dena's obsessed. Chocolate Coconut Water: Coca Bella brand, icy cold – Alicia hates it, Dena loves it. Audiobooks (Audible): James by Percival Everett (Booker Prize winner), Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis, Funny Story by Emily Henry, Anna Karenina (the 28-hour classic!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 7m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

On screen frenemies to real life besties, so of course we started a podcast! Stay tuned for your weekly questionable life lessons from Dena Amy Kaplan and Alicia Banit. Class is in session!

Information

  • Creator
    Alicia Banit & Dena Kaplan
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Explicit

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