Meshel Laurie's Nitty Gritty Committee

Author and journalist James Phelps talks about his book Australia’s Most Murderous Prison, Behind the Walls of Goulburn Jail, and we hear from a former inmate about the reality of living in the prison system.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Julia Watson is many things, a humanitarian, a mature age student, a published author, a mother, a wife.  Most recently though her life and her identity have been consumed by cancer.  In January of 2015 she was given 6 to 9 months to live, which she has happily surpassed, but there are no miracles on the horizon for Julia.    She’s written a book called Breakfast, School Run, Chemo, which is every bit as honest, confronting, brilliant and hilarious as she is.  Prepare to be dazzled by Julia Watson.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Camilla was one of the stand out personalities of Australian Big Brother.  She fell in love with the gay farmer, she was nomintated every week and she was at the centre of a scandalous scenario in which two of her fellow housemaites were kicked off the show.  She was a proper wild child, even after she had a child, and she's still got a few surprises up her sleeve, including a ripping Ed Shearan yarn.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Marc Maron is arguably the world's most influential podcaster.  He's also been doing stand up comedy for over 20 years, and this conversation wanders into some classic comedian territory of jealousy and low self-esteem.  We chat about the Louis CK "issue", which is fascinating, touching and awkaward as hell.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Justin Hamilton is the hardest working comedy man in showbiz.  He is also Australian comedy's most popular best friend.  What's really going on with Hammo?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Linda Buller's life has taken many twists and turns.  It's lead her to the selfless service of some of the mangiest creatures on Earth.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

15 years ago was addicted to John Edward's show "Crossing Over" in which he gave psychic readings to a live audience.  It was on daily on channel 10, and I didn't have much going on in my life!  I spoke to him ahead of his next Australian tour which happens in November 2015.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rachel Berger is one of the most influential comedians Australia has ever produced and every female comedian working today owes her a great debt of gratitude.  Rachel is also the child of Holocaust survivors which goes a long way to explaining her tenacity and anxiety.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Of course I love David Walliams' comedy, but I only recently discovered I love his kids books too!  This conversation was recorded live at the Atheneum Theatre in Melbourne in front of an audience of excited young readers.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Willy Lermer lived through some the most mind-bendingly awful acts ever perpetrated by humankind.  Will his story bore you?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Aamer Rahman has a certain reputation in Australian comedy circles.  What is it?  Is it deserved? What's he going to do about it.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

He used to give me roses... Kerry Tucker was a "normal" working mum living in Melbourne's leafy outer suburbs until she was arrested for stealing from her employers.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Just like a Federal Budget over-view, only interesting!  Where are we, where are we going and who do we want to be? Featuring former Queen maker Tony Windsor, economic visionary Stephen Koukoulas and comedian Aamer Rahman.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

80s dream boat, 90s leading man, millenial mainstay - Cameron Daddo should've been an overnight success, instead he's a bonafide journeyman, with more credits to his name than the entire Hemsworth family put together.  Cam is making it work and keeping the faith in the toughest talent pool on the planet.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Adam Richard is one of my oldest friends. We met on the stand up circuit about 21 years ago and in many ways our careers have travelled similar paths. One big difference is that Adam’s been known to dabble in the dark world of celebrity reality television, which I don’t understand frankly, although I do love hearing about it afterwards and there’s plenty of that in this chat. Who’d have thought “Celebrity Splash” would’ve lead to a life changing personal epiphany, but in this case it did!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's a life that's been punctuated by unlikeliness.   From his "discovery" in the school play, to the unreasonable frequency with which tragedy has come to call, when it comes to actor Samuel Johnson, it's always something, and yet, he considers himself lucky.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lex and Tyson are bona fide Aussie diggers. Lex spent most of World War 2 running a cholera “hospital” on the Burma Railway line as a prisoner of the Japanese. Tyson served in Afghanistan because joining the army and testing himself in battle was his dream. PTSD did him in, and he’s now a member of the mates4mates network that supports returned servicemen.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

These three dudes are Ronny Cheng, Nazeem Hussain and Andrew Saunders, (no link – man of mystery). They are funny, funny, funny and they joined me live onstage during the 2015 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. We talked about the process of becoming famous comedians, which all of them are living through right now, and the topic of racism was raised and deftly handled once or twice.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I spoke to Stephanie Hirst just six weeks after she’d announced to the world that she was a woman. She’d previously been a man named Simon, and had carved out a fine career for herself in radio. She’d actually started her career at the age of 12, making tea for announcers, and began pulling graveyard shifts on air at 16. She loved radio with all her might, and eventually created an enviable profile and career for herself, but she was tormented by her gender dysphoria. In late 2014 she risked everything to shared her true self with the world.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Comedian, actor, writer, father, music-lover and elusive chanteuse – Alan Brough is many things to many people. To me, he is a lovely old friend who can always be counted on for a an entertaining and evocative chat. Nobody converses quite like Alan. He’ll insist he has nothing to say, but he’ll say it all night long. He’s expansive and intimate all at once. He listens with the polite intensity of hungry owl. I think he’s the bee’s knees, and I very much enjoyed recording this podcast with him, by a big window in his lovely flat.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.