Big Small Talk

Is our obsession with being nice is actually part of the problem? This week on Small Talk, I'm joined by one of Australia's most respected political journalists and authors, Amy Remeikis, to unpack why playing nice might be getting us absolutely nowhere. Amy is the Chief Political Analyst at The Australia Institute, a contributing editor at The New Daily and is known online as Pyjama Politics. Amy is able to make the complicated world of politics accessible without losing any of its nuance. And her latest book, Screw Nice, makes a compelling case for why it's time to rethink our relationship with politeness. We talk about why women are conditioned to be agreeable, the difference between being nice and being kind, and why the people causing the most outrage seem to face the fewest consequences. Big Small Talk Instagram Sarah-Jane’s Instagram This ep was produced by Sarah Jane Adams See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We spend years learning about our bodies through trial and error because no one ever really taught us how our hormones work. Model, founder of Selfdom and creator of the bestselling gratitude journals, Dominique Elissa returns to the pod this week to discuss her new journal 'Flow State' and why understanding your hormones has completely changed the way she lives. From the four phases of the menstrual cycle and learning to work with your body instead of against it, to her fertility journey and now expecting her first baby, Dominique has an honest conversation about reconnecting with your bodySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles on in studio with us? Consider this Sarah’s pinch-me moment. The girls join us to talk about their new film, Sense and Sensibility, which by the way, is perfect cinema. You’ll know Daisy of course from the cult classic, Normal People, as well as Where the Crawdads Sing, Fresh and Twisters, and Esmé from Hanna, The Doll Factory and Silver Haze. Together we're talking Jane Austen, big sister energy and why a story written more than 200 years ago still understands our dating lives so well. From sibling-order theory and family dynamics to a bestie dating an absolute flop and an ex wanting a second chance, we get into the advice we all need through the eyes of Elinor and Marianne.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Nixon wins re-election in one of the biggest landslides in American history. Less than two years later, he becomes the first and only U.S. president to resign. So, how did it all fall apart? In Part Two, we get into Nixon’s growing paranoia, the creation of CREEP, the increasingly unhinged schemes of the people around him, and the break-in at the Watergate complex that started the unraveling. We take you inside what actually happened that night, before following the investigation, the secret White House tapes and the cover-up that ultimately reached all the way to the President. This is the break-in, the cover-up and the bitter end of Richard Nixon’s presidency.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Sarah sits down with renowned human rights and media lawyer Jen Robinson, whose career has taken her from Julian Assange’s legal team and the Murdoch phone-hacking scandal to representing Amber Heard. Jen unpacks how defamation laws can be weaponised to silence women, survivors and journalists, and the enormous legal and financial risk that can come with telling your story. We also get into the rise of trial by TikTok: how viral clips, algorithms and bot campaigns can distort high-profile court cases, what Jen witnessed during the Depp v Heard saga, and why we should be far more sceptical of what lands on our feeds. Plus, the global fight at the centre of Jen’s documentary Silenced, and what needs to change to protect the right to speak.Silenced Film Instagram Jen Robinsons Instagram Sarah-Jane's Instagram Big Small Talk's Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The beauty industry is worth more than $450 billion globally. So what actually makes us buy one product over another? Sarah sits down with Natassia Nicolao, founder and CEO of Conserving Beauty, to unpack what it really takes to build a beauty brand in an industry obsessed with virality, celebrity launches, dupes and the next “must-have” product. From creating the world’s first dissolving makeup wipe to getting stocked in MECCA, Natassia reveals how science and sustainability became her competitive edge, why 12-year-olds are suddenly using actives, and just how much of a product’s success comes down to clever marketing or genuine innovation. Plus, she takes us behind the scenes of building a business from scratch, the education that helped her get there, and what she’s learned about taking the leap before you feel completely ready. This episode is brought to you by Deakin University. Big Small Talk Instagram Sarah-Jane's Instagram  Hannah's Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time in almost three years, your Tuesday episode is running a day late! A perfect storm of sickness, international travel and terrible timing has thrown us slightly off course — so Sarah is jumping into your feeds with a tiny update. The good news: we’ll be back TOMORROW (Wednesday) at 5pm with a VERY big Big Small Talk. And trust us, there is a lot to talk about this week. Thanks for bearing with us xx  Big Small Talk Instagram Sarah-Jane's Instagram  Hannah's Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First up, Hannah unpacks the ABC’s apology to Gina Rinehart over comments made during its new Gen Z-coded show, Race Around the World. What’s really upsetting people here – the fact the public broadcaster said sorry OR who it is saying sorry to? Sarah talks about the OpenAI luxury influencer brand trip (yep you read that right). The theme? Eco-friendly summer camp. Think farm-to-table meals, beekeeping, and cognitive dissonance. The girls how TikToker Sydney Towle changed the way we see cancer, and why Abdul El-Sayed’s monumental Michigan Senate nom could shake-up the Democratic party. Plus, Role Model loves Dakota Johnson, Olivia Rodrigo’s normie finance boyfriend, and Gracie Abrams has Phoebe Bridges’ sheets!? Big Small Talk Instagram Sarah-Jane's Instagram  Hannah's Instagram  This ep was co-produced by Sarah-Jane Adams and Justine Landis-Hanley See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.