Meshel Laurie's Nitty Gritty Committee

Twenty years on, the case of JonBenet Ramsey's murder remains unsolved. Her mother, Patsy, died in 2006. Now John Ramsey, and his son Burke, are possibly the only two people alive who know what happened to this 6-year old. My interview with John Ramsey goes deep. Into the night when it all unfolded. Into his memories of Jon-Benet as a normal little girl.  To memories of Patsy, and how this mother, and wife, ever managed to move on with her life. How he has no doubt in his mind that there was a killer in their house that night, but it wasn't her brother Burke. It's a fascinating insight into a man, who 20 years on is still coping with the world's ongoing obsession with his families tragedy.Leave comments on my facebook pageAnd my twitter is herePlease leave a review and a rating for this show in itunes so more people can know about it.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When Luke Williams moved in with junkies to research addiction to crystal meth, he had no idea it would go so wrong. He became an addict himself, and his story became one of psychosis, delusions of grandeur, and murderous plots. From the true frontline of the crystal meth epidemic, Luke Williams shares stories from the throes of addiction and his attempts to reconstruct reality. This is part one of the interview with Luke. Look out for part two, which delves into Luke’s experience in Pattaya Thailand, the sex capital of the world.Luke Williams is a freelance journalist and author of The Ice Age: a journey into crystal meth addiction. Leave comments on Meshel's facebook pageAnd her twitter is herePlease leave a review and a rating for this show in itunes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What makes a murderer? Ask Emily Webb. The true crime writer has been fascinated with murder since she was a kid, and now, she spends her days inside libraries, researching the stories of missing persons and strange deaths. From the woman who chopped her husband's head off and cooked it in a pot, to a nurse whose shift was dubbed "the death shift", she's written for years about the chilling dark heart of Australia. We delve deep into the stories that shocked a nation, the still unsolved murders in quiet Aussie suburbs, and how true crime can sometimes be stranger than fiction.Buy her books, Murder in Suburbia, Suburban Nightmare and Angels of Death here.Leave comments on Meshel's facebook pageAnd her twitter is herePlease leave a review and a rating for this show in itunes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Atypical anorexia nervosa. Bulimia nervosa. Binge-eating disorder. Purging disorder. Night-eating syndrome.No matter what name you put on it, says Meshel Laurie, everyone with an eating disorder is fighting the same demons. They're just using different tools. On this episode of Nitty Gritty Committee, Meshel talks to a woman who battled debilitating anorexia. J was in denial until she received a call from a surgeon that made her realise: 'this is going to kill you.' Leave comments on Meshel's facebook pageAnd her twitter is herePlease leave a review and a rating for this show in itunes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

UPDATE: Brendan Dassey, the teenage "accomplice" of convicted murderer Steven Avery has had his conviction overturned. Dassey, who was a 17-year-old with learning difficulties at the time of his imprisonment, must now be re-tried or walk free within 90 days. On the back of this news, Meshel checks in with Ken Kratz, the "villian" of the Making a Murderer documentary. Ken Kratz, the prosecutor who convinced a jury to find Steven Avery guilty of the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach. Kratz, who is now writing a book on the case, is still determined that Avery's conviction should stand. Show notes:The Nitty Gritty Committee is hosted by Meshel LaurieTell her your thoughts on her facebook page  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you heard of gay conversion therapy?It's the thriving industry built around the idea that you can "cure" people of their sexuality. There are hundreds of testimonials online from people who say they once were gay and are now very grateful that that is no longer the case.We don’t hear much about gay conversion therapy in Australia, but it’s definitley happening here. In fact, a friend of mine, Anthony, a comedian and producer, has his own story with gay conversion, right here in Australia...Leave comments on Meshel's facebook pageAnd her twitter is herePlease leave a review and a rating for this show in itunes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You might have heard of David Icke. He is a former British football player, a BBC presenter, and arguably the world's most famous conspiracy theorist. He calls himself a full time investigator into who, or what, is really controlling the world. He has written 20 books. And he has some pretty incredible theories about what is really going on in the world. Like that the moon is a hollowed-out alien space station and that Hillary Clinton is actually half reptilian. So take a deep breath. Relax. And come with me on a journey of a very curious mind. Follow David Icke on Twitter here.Leave comments on Meshel's facebook pageAnd her twitter is herePlease leave a review and a rating for this show in itunes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is rape ever funny? Can you ever joke about violence and abuse? Are there good rape jokes and bad rape jokes? Those are the questions Meshel Laurie wants answered, and in the process, she speaks to Ray Badran, the comedian who was at the centre of a storm about exactly that earlier this year, when a heckling incident at his comedy show went viral.  Leave comments on Meshel's facebook pageAnd her twitter is hereThanks to Ray Badran and Peter Blankeron and Rhys Nicholson. Please leave a review and a rating for this show in itunes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This Winter, there's a group of Australians who are trying to get arrested. For Melbourne's homeless population, living on the street can be so brutal at this time of year that they would rather be locked up, just to be warm and dry and have some food. In this extraodinary episode of The Nitty Gritty Committee, Meshel Laurie went to the village that recently sprung up around Melbourne Town Hall to talk to people who understand the realities living on the streets. She visits Enterprize Park, the site of an infamous murder of a homeless teen by a private schoolboy, and she talks to people working on the front line of services in Melbourne. And, of course, she tells us what those of us lucky enough to have a roof over our heads can actually do to help those who are caught up in Australia's growing homelessness epidemic. Leave comments on Meshel's Facebook pageAnd her twitter is herePlease leave a review and a rating for this show in itunes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

WARNING: THIS PODCAST CONTAINS VIOLENT AND EXPLICIT CONTENTMichael Ware was taken by ISIS and survived.The foreign correspondant has been held at gunpoint more than once in his career. He’s seen people killed in front of him. Been almost beheaded and reported on issues that most of us could not comprehend.And he’s come out the other side, through years of PTSD, to tell his story. He joins me to talk about his career, the future of warfare with ISIS and what it was like in the moments he thought he was about to be beheaded.This conversation is quite a ride. It's content is brutal at times, at others it's playful, fascinating, combative and unhinged, but to be honest, it's exactly what I expected from a man who's pushed himself to the limit and survived.It's definitely not for the faint-hearted, or for children's ears. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.Leave comments on my facebook pageAnd my twitter is hereThanks to Michael Ware, his documentary is Only The Dead.Please leave a review and a rating for this s

He's the big bad boy of radio, known for his controversial on-air stunts and offensive comments. But beneath it all, Kyle Sandilands has imposter syndrome and just wants to go to bed early.  In this interview he tells me about his difficult childhood, why he doesn't drink, what happened when he first met Jackie O and how he subsequently engineered them to be the nations most powerful radio duo.  Plus, there's sex, drugs, rock 'n roll, and farm animals. Because this man is nothing it not surprising.Leave comments on the facebook pageAnd my twitter is hereThanks to Kyle Sandilands from KIIS 1065Please leave a review and a rating for this show in itunes.The music on this show is from Sydney musician Brendan McLcean. Its called Hugs Not Drugs (Or Both) and it's available on itunes and Soundcloud.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For 17 years he was one of Victoria's big chiefs; a top homicide detective who investigated over 300 suspicious deaths.He solved murders. Captured serial killers. Investigated baffling disappearances, and knew a dangerous amount about the Melbourne gangland.So what does it take to be a criminal investigator at the highest level?He sits down to talk, in intriguing detail, about some of his most memorable cases including the Melbourne Gang War, Serial Killers Peter Dupas and Paul Denyer, pedophile Mr Cruel and more.And he details the challenges of his latest posting, as Senior Integrity Advisor for Greyhound Racing Victoria. The job? Stamp out animal cruelty. It's a fascinating interview with a fascinating character.Show notes:The Nitty Gritty Committee is hosted by me, Meshel LaurieTell me your thoughts on my Facebook page, or via Twitter.You can find out more about Charlie and his book here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever seen a man as awkward as Luke McGregor? It was always his calling card as a comedian, but turns out it was a theme that ran through his whole life. Especially, his love life.  He was a 25 year old virgin who would pretend to his friends that sex was something that was regularly going on in his life. But prior to exploring his sexuality on his six-part ABC iview documentary ‘Luke Warm Sex,’ he had actually only had sex twice. Ever. Luke talks to me about the connection between anxiety and mojo (or lack thereof), orgasmic meditation and plush toy vaginas. He also gives a lot of insight into how his love life has changed since filming finished. Spoiler alert: there's girlfriend talk. Whooo!Show notes:The Nitty Gritty Committee is hosted by Meshel LaurieTell her your thoughts on her Facebook page, or via Twitter.You can contact Luke McGregor on Twitter here.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let's get one thing clear. Jordan Raskopoulos is not a unicorn. Although, hey, she has no judgement if you are.But Jordan is sometimes treated as a unicorn, because she is a transgender woman, AND a member of one of Australia's most successful comedy acts, The Axis of Awesome, who tour worldwide and have had 100 million YouTube hits.Jordan has been in Axis since before, during and after her transition. Jordan talks about how her life has changed since transitioning, how it has affected her role in one of Australia's favourite comedy acts, what cisgender means, and she brings us a new understanding of the term "gender dysmorphia."It's a conversation worth hearing.Show notes:The Nitty Gritty Committee is hosted by Meshel LaurieTell her your thoughts on her facebook pageAnd if you love this show, please leave a review and star rating in itunes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's the comedy of life with some of the funniest fellas I know. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is underway and I’m more nervous about this festival than I have been since my first festival. To ease my nerves, I’ve organised some chats with a couple of members of my #squad. Tommy Little, Tripod, Al Murray, Peter Helliar, Wil Anderson, Greg Fleet and Dave “Hughesy” Hughes. This year I’m producing a show for someone else which I’ve never done before. It’s the first festival show for a brilliant lady called Shiralee Hood who won the Deadly Comedy award for Indigenous comedians a few years ago. Please enjoy, and then PLEASE book tickets to Shiralee’s show! http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/shiralee-hood-rock-the-boat-victoria-hotel-melbourne-vic/venueartist/156199/2199688  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Susan Carland was raised in a similarly Christian, white bread, Anglo environment to mine, so how did she get from there to here?She's married to Waleed Aly. She has two children. And a PHD. So how did she become one half of Australia’s pre-eminent Muslim power couple?In a very honest conversation, Susan speaks about converting to Islam at 19, marrying Waleed and why she chooses to wear the Hijab. Show notes:The Nitty Gritty Committee is hosted by Meshel LaurieTell her your thoughts on her facebook page or via twitter @meshel_laurie  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

He was the villian of the Making a Murderer documentary. Ken Kratz, the prosecutor who convinced a jury to find Steven Avery guilty of the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach. But is the documentary a reasonable account of the case? Kratz unveils evidence left out of the Netflix documentary and says, the other side of the story needs to be told. Show notes:The Nitty Gritty Committee is hosted by Meshel LaurieTell her your thoughts on her facebook page  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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Domestic Violence is Australia's biggest problem that we try to ignore .It ruins relationships, families, lives and can impact our next generation.Sarah Ferguson is a journalist who has been researching what goes on in Australia's home. The results are saddening, shocking and most of all disturbing.Andrew is a former abuser. He is guilty, he knows he is but he is also racked with guilt, or is that just the sign of an abuser?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Annette and Stuart Baker and Frank and Alley Barret are members of a terrible club.  Both families lost teenage children to suicide.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.