Something To Talk About

Bridey Drake has built a career as one of Australia's biggest content creators, from her childhood bedroom on the NSW Central Coast. Since first posting in 2019, she's amassed millions of followers, launched her pyjama business Night Sweet Thing, won Australian TikTok creator of the year and taken home back-to-back AACTA audience choice awards for favourite Australian digital creator. On this episode of the Stellar podcast, Bridey opens up about growing up online, the burnout that forced her to set boundaries, and why she still sees herself as "your Aussie girl next door". She also shares the story behind her self-funded documentary Pure Average, renovating homes with her dad in Broken Hill, and navigating love and life in the public eye. You can follow Bridey on Instagram here.  Watch the full episode with Bridey Drake here. Something To Talk About is a podcast by Stellar, hosted by Sarrah Le Marquand  Find more from Stellar via Instagram @stellar or stellarmag.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a 16-year-old Jessica Mauboy stood on a makeshift stage in the middle of the desert for her Australian Idol audition, she was just a shy kid from Darwin with a massive voice. Within a few years, she was catapulted from the Top End to the top of the charts. Earlier this year, Jessica returned to the Australian Idol stage – this time as a mentor, stepping in to fill Kyle Sandilands’ empty chair. But she hasn't forgotten the hurdles she faced or the comments about her body, which she now sees through an entirely different lens. In this episode of the Stellar podcast, she explains how Kyle’s bluntness helped her develop thick skin at a young age, what was behind her decision to leave her long-time record label and become her own "boss lady", and how her husband Themeli Magriplis and their 14-month-old daughter Mia keep her grounded through it all.Watch the full episode with Jessica Mauboy here Find more information on Jessica’s suncare brand Desert Rose here Something To Talk About is a podcast by Stellar, hosted by Sarrah Le Marquand Find more from Stellar via Instagram @stellar or stellarmag.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thirty years ago this July, a catchy song called ‘Wannabe’, sung by a then-unknown pop group called the Spice Girls, hit radio airwaves – and a global phenomenon was born.  For Melanie C, who was just 22 at the time and one-fifth of the group that brought “girl power” to a new generation, the sudden blast of “Spice mania” was intoxicating, intimidating and ultimately short-lived.  Three decades later, Melanie is a successful solo artist who has also found her groove touring the world as a DJ, she is a coach on The Voice Australia, and she remains close to all of her former bandmates. On this episode of the Stellar podcast, Melanie opens up about what really goes on in group chats with her fellow Spice Girls, explains how her upcoming album and world tour hark back to her early days as a raver, and explains how finding love with an Australian helped her grow more comfortable with work/life balance. Plus, she answers the eternal question: could the Spice Girls someday make their way here for their first-ever Australian shows?   Watch the full episode with Melanie C here. Something To Talk About is a podcast by Stellar, hosted by Sarrah Le Marquand  Find more from Stellar via Instagram @stellar or stellarmag.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than a decade, Rove McManus was one of the most familiar faces on Australian TV. Rove Live helped launch the careers of some of Australia's brightest talents – including Carrie Bickmore, Peter Helliar, Hamish Blake and Andy Lee – it attracted some of the biggest stars on the planet, and created viral moments before internet virality even existed.  In 2026, after 25 years on our screens, the comedian is reliving the best, worst and most controversial moments from the TV hit in his new live comedy show.  On this episode of the Stellar podcast, he shares the reason he first hired Carrie Bickmore, and the strangest complaints the show ever received, plus he reflects on why a show like Rove Live couldn’t exist today.  Rove is currently touring Australia with his new comedy show Tonight’s Guest: Rove McManus (Tales From The Talk Show Trenches). For tickets and more details, visit comedy.com.au Watch the full episode with Rove McManus here. Something To Talk About is a podcast by Stellar, hosted by Sarrah Le Marquand  Find more from Stellar via Instagram @stellar or stellarmag.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might know her as Ivy Forrester on The Bold And The Beautiful, the long-running soap opera that has been broadcast around the world for nearly 40 years. That role marked Ashleigh Brewer’s breakout in the US, after she first came to notice working in Australian children’s shows like The Sleepover Club and H20: Just Add Water, before joining the cast of Neighbours at the age of 18.    But as you’ll hear in this episode of the Stellar podcast, at 35, Ash has lived just as many lives as a character on a soap opera. Last December, she got married, and as she reveals for the first time in this interview, she is entering her third trimester as she prepares to welcome her first baby. All this has coincided with a time when Ash has never felt more comfortable in her own body, because as she also explains, she struggled with an eating disorder for several years.   Candid, raw and reflective, Ash also opens up on how she pulled together her low-key, no-fuss wedding day in just nine days, why sobriety was a key part of her recovery, and how how finding support from a strong circle of fellow Aussie expats and actors including Phoebe Tonkin, Samara Weaving and her one-time housemate and Neighbours co-star Margot Robbie helped her to heal.    If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, visit Butterfly at butterfly.org.au You can find out more about Ash Brewer on Instagram here. Watch the full episode with Ash Brewer here. Something To Talk About is a podcast by Stellar, hosted by Sarrah Le Marquand  Find more from Stellar via Instagram @stellar or stellarmag.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ricki-Lee was just 18 when she became a household name on the second season of Australian Idol in 2004.  Thrust into the spotlight at a time when famous women’s bodies and choices were the subject of intense media and public scrutiny, Ricki-Lee was able to block out the critics and build a formidable career as a recording artist, performer, TV presenter and radio host.  Now in 2026, she’s the host of the show that kickstarted her career and she’s about to take over Nova’s breakfast time slot with her longtime drive co-host Tim Blackwell.   In this episode of the Stellar podcast, Ricki-Lee reveals what her Idol colleague and soon-to-be radio rival Kyle Sandilands is really like behind the scenes, plus she explains why she thinks people were so uncomfortable with her decision to be child-free, and how she deals with the constant comments about her body.    Nova 96.9’s Sydney breakfast show Ricki-Lee & Tim can be heard weekdays from 6am-9am starting Monday, February 9. National listeners can also tune into the show across the Nova Network every weekday from 6pm-7pm, stream the show live or catch up with the daily podcast on the Nova Player.   Watch the full episode with Ricki-Lee here. Something To Talk About is a podcast by Stellar, hosted by Sarrah Le Marquand  Find more from Stellar via Instagram @stellar or stellarmag.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarah Abo was just four years old when her parents moved her and her younger sisters from Syria to Australia in search of a better life.  Growing up in Melbourne, and rarely seeing people like her on TV, Sarah became determined to change that as she built a successful journalism career at SBS and then 60 Minutes.  Then, in 2023, she was thrown into the deep end when she became the co-host of the Today show, alongside Karl Stefanovic.  On today’s episode of the Stellar podcast, Sarah tells us how she’s navigated the intense media scrutiny that comes with the job, why she sees Karl as a “loving but annoying older brother”, and what it means for Australia’s diverse migrant community to see someone like her in their living rooms each morning.    Watch the full episode with Sarah Abo here. Something To Talk About is a podcast by Stellar, hosted by Sarrah Le Marquand  Find more from Stellar via Instagram @stellarmag or stellarmag.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erin Holland first stepped into the spotlight at the age of 24 when she was crowned Miss World Australia.  In the 12 years since, Erin has built a career in which she wears many hats: classical singer, model, television presenter, brand ambassador and cricket commentator.  It’s a workload that saw her board more than 130 flights last year, travelling not only the world but jetting between Sydney, where she’s based most of the week, and Brisbane, where she spends weekends with her husband of four years, Australian cricketer Ben Cutting.  In today’s episode of the Stellar podcast, Erin opens up about her unconventional living arrangement, how she’s navigated the "old boys" club’ of cricket, and why she decided to open up about her fertility journey – even while she’s still in the middle of it.  For support or information about pregnancy loss, visit miscarriageaustralia.com.au. You can follow more of Erin’s story on her Instagram.  Watch the full episode with Erin here. Something To Talk About is a podcast by Stellar, hosted by Sarrah Le Marquand  Find more from Stellar via Instagram @stellar or stellarmag.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.