About this podcast
The big and the small – all in one place. Because loving pop culture doesn’t mean you don’t understand politics.
Tuesdays we unpack the headlines you need to know.
Thursdays we talk to the people you want to hear from on the topics you care about.
And every month, we deep the stories from the past that you’ve been dying to understand.
Hosted by Sarah Jane Adams and Hannah Ferguson. Find us at @bigsmalltalk_pod for more.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 289 episodes
- Blame It on Saturn Return · 37 minIf you're in your late twenties and feel like your entire life is being turned upside down, you might just be in your Saturn Return. Breakups, career changes, friendship shifts…
- Democrats Win, Russell Brand Jailed & Taylor and Karlie Are Back? · 1 h 1 minWell well well. It’s a new week and a whole new world that we’ve woken up to. First up, Hannah explains what happened in the U.S. mid-terms. The Democrats won BIG and we want to…
- The Feminine Urge to Become a Witch · 39 minFrom WitchTok and tarot cards to manifestation and etsy witches - it seems women are embracing their witchy side more than ever. But whats the darker history of witches? For…
- U.S Midterms, Sexiest Man Alive & Israel votes · 56 minHello!!! The U.S. midterm elections are a week away (a.k.a nerd Christmas) and boy do we have the segment for you. Hannah walks us through the stakes, the key races, and the all…
- Are We All Becoming Bad Friends? · 41 minEveryone wants a village, but nobody wants to be a villager. It’s the phrase taking over the internet, and it raises a pretty uncomfortable question - have we become so obsessed…
- The Rise and Fall of Elizabeth Holmes PART TWO · 40 minIs Elizabeth Holmes a bad person? Or is she a person who did bad things? We’re back for part two of our series on Elizabeth Holmes – the Silicon Valley darling-turned-fraudster…
- The Rise and Fall of Elizabeth Holmes PART ONE · 44 minEveryone is talking about Elizabeth Holmes. She’s the star of Nathan Fielder’s buzzy documentary, You Can See Everything. Consider this month’s Big Talk your pre-show guide –…
- Megan Markle, Glee reboot & Brazil’s shock election · 1 h 5 minHello hello. Do we have an episode for you this week or what! First up, Hannah talks us through the latest allegations against Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Apparently…
- Stop The Wedding!!!! With Ashe · 29 minAshe is a huge US based singer-songwriter, a collaborator of FINNEAS (Billie Eilish’s brother and creative partner), and now the voice behind 'Stop the Wedding!', the viral song…
- Helen Haines’ Attack, Sally Rooney & Victoria Secret Runway · 1 h 6 minHi everyone. This episode is coming amidst some tragic developing news: independent federal politician, Helen Haines, is in a critical condition after a man purposefully drove…
- The World Is Getting Meaner. Why Are We Still Playing Nice? · 57 minIs 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…
- Olivia Dean, US Execution Livestream & Selma Blair Arrest · 58 minHello hello! If you had any doubt before, you can now say for certain that we are living in a dystopian hellhole because the U.S. has announced it will livestream the execution…
- How Well Do You Understand Your Hormones? With Dominique Elissa · 49 minWe 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…
- The Cornell 7, Pete Davidson & Greens New Leader · 1 h 5 minProsecutors have reopened an investigation into an alleged rape at Cornell University after public outrage and mounting questions over how the case was handled. Then, the New…
- Daisy Edgar-Jones & Esmé Creed-Miles: Big Sister Advice · 25 minDaisy 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…
- Watergate: Nixon, Vietnam & The Pentagon Papers PART ONE · 35 minWelcome back to Big Talk! It’s the political scandal so infamous that, 50 years later, we’re still adding “gate” to the end of every controversy. But Watergate didn’t begin with…
- Watergate: Nixon, Vietnam & The Pentagon Papers PART TWO · 42 minRichard 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…
- Taylor Swift’s Encore, OpenAI Hacks Medicare & The VMAs · 1 h 5 minAUDIENCE SURVEY LINK HERE!!!! THANK YOU ILY: https://forms.gle/dc9iXh7BEwntMuiW9 On the show this week, OpenAI hacked a Medicare portal months ago, and we’re only just hearing…
- Trial By TikTok With Amber Heard's Lawyer, Jen Robinson · 56 minThis 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…
- Lena Dunham's Surrogacy, Channing Tatum & Joanna Howe · 1 h 9 minHey BSTies! On the show this week – anti-abortion activist Dr Joanna Howe and her husband James have come under fire after he said that he doesn’t “do consent”. Then, the girls…
- How Do You Build A Beauty Empire In 2026? With Conserving Beauty · 47 minThe 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…
- Macklemore, Sydney Sweeney & Trumps 5K Promise · 1 h 0 minThis week, Donald Trump is promising every American adult $5,000 if Republicans win the midterms - yes, really. Then, NFL star Aaron Rodgers has opened up about his breakup with…
- We’re Running 24 Hours Late · 2 minFor 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…
- Are You Ready to Fix Your Feed? With Chanel Contos · 34 minOur friend Chanel Contos is on the podcast, and she’s casually changing Australia again! Chanel is the activist behind Teach Us Consent, the campaign that helped change consent…
- Earle Meets World, Lindsay Clancy & The 'Feminisation' of Schools · 1 h 0 minNationals leader Matt Canavan is blaming the ‘feminisation’ of schools, consent education, and female teachers for the online radicalisation of young men, and Hannah is… not…
- What Do You Do When Life Falls Apart? With Gretta Ray · 46 minAt some point, you'll probably face what we on the pod call a Diabolical Quarter -- a time in your life when everything falls apart and you just can't catch a break…
- Olivia Rodrigo's Festival, Dolly Parton & Meta's $17b Settlement · 58 minGuyyssss Olivia Rodrigo threw a festival raising money for women’s health, safety and reproductive rights and THE WORLD IS HEALING. Sarah kicks off this episode talking all…
- How To Fight Back with Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina · 34 minThere’s a good chance that you’ve heard of Pussy Riot – the punk band from Russia that has made global headlines for speaking out against Vladimir Putin. Maria Alyokhina was just…
- Pauline Hanson & the Rise of One Nation PART ONE · 49 minAs whispers of the next federal election swirl, one name keeps coming up: Pauline Hanson. Hanson and her party are rapidly rising in popularity. Polling over the last few weeks…
- Pauline Hanson & the Rise of One Nation PART TWO · 46 minWe are back for part two of our series on Pauline Hanson, and things are not looking good. It’s 2003, the authorities have come knocking, and Pauline is staring down a criminal…
- Lindsay Clancy's Trial, The Sydney Swans & VMA 2026 Snubs · 56 minSarah kicks us off with a breakdown of the Lindsay Clancy trial unfolding in the US right now - who she is, what happened, the evidence we’ve heard in court and the reality of…
- What Career Advice Should We Stop Giving Women? With Pip Northeast · 35 minPip Northeast is the breakout star of Netflix’s My Brilliant Career, currently one of the Top 10 shows in the world. But forget everything you’ve been told about getting ahead at…
- Hayden Panettiere, Phoebe Gates & One Nation 'Gayest' Party · 1 h 1 minFirst up, Hannah takes us through reports that three teenage boys from one of Sydney’s most expensive private boys schools – The Scots College – were arrested on charges of…
- Do We Need To Pop The AI Bubble? With Cory Doctorow · 54 minEveryone has an opinion on AI. Some say it's the inevitable future. Others think it'll take our jobs, fuel misinformation, and hand even more power to Big Tech and billionaires…
- Open AI Hosts Influencer Retreat, Sydney Towle & The Celebs Are In LOVE · 53 minFirst 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…
- Do Men Find Party Girls Intimidating? With Lucy and Nikki · 39 minWhen did women become expected to grow out of having fun? This week, Sarah is joined by Happy Hour hosts Lucy & Nikki to chat about dating as a party girl, whether men are…
- Ariana Grande, AI goes rogue & Nara Smith is NOT a Trad Wife · 1 h 9 minBSTies – it’s been a week! Sarah talks about Ariana Grande’s new album (which has sparked intense online debate around her appearance), as well as her decision to step away from…
- Why Is There Moral Panic Around Sex? With Dr Esme Louise James · 42 minThis week, Sarah sits down with historian, author and educator Dr Esme Louise James, creator of Kinky History, to explore the fascinating history of sex, desire and shame. Esme…
- The Last Romanovs: The Story of Anastasia PART ONE · 1 h 28 minIf you grew up watching Anastasia, chances are you believed there was always a chance the youngest Romanov princess escaped. But the true story behind one of history's most…
- The Last Romanovs: The Story of Anastasia PART TWO · 42 minThe mystery isn't over !!! In part two of our VERY special The Hot History Podcast crossover, we unravel the century-long question that captivated the world: did Princess…
- Hannah Ferguson Runs Against the PM, The Odyssey & Matty Healy's Wedding · 1 h 3 minIt's good to be back!! Hannah has officially announced she's running against the Prime Minister at the next federal election. The girls chat about what she'll be campaigning for…
- The Pressure To Be Extraordinary In Your 20s. With Jemma Sbeg · 48 minHave we accidentally created an impossible definition of success? This week, Sarah is joined by Jemma Sbeg, host of The Psychology of Your 20s, one of the world's biggest…
- What Does A Pop Stars Wellness Routine Look Like? With Kita Alexander · 39 minThis week, Sarah is joined by pop star Kita Alexander. ARIA-nominated, a collaborator of Fisher, started out with Dua Lipa (who she opened for on the Radical Optimism tour), Kita…
- What Would You Say To Your 16-Year-Old Self? With Jessica Mauboy · 49 minThis is a really special episode. Jessica Mauboy has one of those rare energies that instantly makes you feel at ease, and this conversation is such a genuine reflection on a…
- Taylor Swift's MSG Wedding, Dua Lipa Library & Karlie Kloss · 1 h 10 minThe Taylor Swift Wedding has happened. It's the biggest pop culture story of the year (probably) and we have plenty to unpack. We chat about the venue, Adam Sandler officiating…
- Your Frivolous Questions, Our Hot Takes. · 42 minIt's time for hot takes over tea. How do you navigate personal relationships when your job is having opinions on the internet? Have we ever felt lost in our careers? How do we…
- Karl Stefanovic, Taylor Swift Wedding Rumours & Jack Schlossberg · 1 h 9 minIt's been a BIG week and, honestly, one of our most interesting episodes yet. We kick things off by breaking down why Karl Stefanovic was axed from Nine, his viral "I'm free"…
- Is It Time For A Mid-Year Money Reset? With She's On The Money · 56 minThis week, Sarah is joined by award-winning retired financial adviser, best-selling author, and host of Australia’s number one finance podcast, She’s on the Money. In this…
- BIG TALK: Julian Assange & WikiLeaks PART TWO · 32 minChelsea Manning has leaked hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, including the infamous Collateral Murder video. The fallout is immediate: governments…
- BIG TALK: Julian Assange & WikiLeaks PART ONE · 30 minBefore WikiLeaks became one of the most controversial organisations in the world, Julian Assange was a teenage hacker from Australia with a fascination for secrecy. In this…
