Conversations

Latest Episodes:

Conversations Live podcast extra: Bruce McAvaney Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

Sarah and Richard give you a sneak peek behind the scenes of the Conversations Live Tour, Adelaide edition.

Legendary sports broadcaster, Bruce McAvaney was one of the special guests who appeared on stage to share some photos close to his heart, and the stories attached to them.

Further information

To see Bruce's photos for yourself, head to the ABC Conversations Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/abcconvos/

To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Conversations Live podcast extra: Gill Hicks Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

Sarah and Richard give you a sneak peek behind the scenes of the Conversations Live Tour, Adelaide edition.

London Bombing survivor, Gill Hicks was one of the special guests who appeared on stage to share some photos close to her heart, and the stories attached to them.

Further information

To see Gill's photos for yourself, head to the ABC Conversations Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/abcconvos/

20th Anniversary Collection: Surviving my dad's arrest and learning to thrive Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

Longtime TV casting agent, Kirsty de Vallance was 16 when Police searched the house and arrested her father on serious drugs charges. Throughout her teen years she had to navigate the complexity of having a parent in prison.

The family went into freefall and a short time later Kirsty's mother died.

Her two older sisters raised Kirsty and she stayed in touch with her father until his release from prison.

The effects on the family were far-reaching and devastating and as a result, Kirsty volunteers with children who find themselves in a situation like hers — with parents in jail.

For many years Kirsty ran a successful casting agency with her husband and together they found contestants for TV shows including Masterchef and Project Runway.

Further information

First broadcast June 2015.

2025 update: Kirsty continued working in TV casting up until recently, but now she and her husband focus on the wellbeing side of production.

Their company ‘Strength on Set’ looks after the health and wellbeing of cast and crew on shows like ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ and ‘The Bachelor’.

Kirsty has also returned to studying, and is completing a Diploma in Counselling.

Standout story – Nicholas Hammond

You can hear Richard's full conversation with Nicholas Hammond on the ABC Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/nicholas-hammond-the-sound-of-music-cinderella-julie-andrews/14069188

You can read all about the Conversations origin story on the ABC News website.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-03/richard-fidler-reflects-on-20-years-of-conversations/105495784

The Executive Producer of this episode of Conversations was Pam O'Brien.

This episode of Conversations explores parents in prison, kids with a parent in prison, drugs charges, heroin, early death, mentoring, prison, jail, Ireland, TV casting agent, Farmer Wants a Wife, Masterchef and Project Runway.

20th Anniversary Collection: The comic genius of Jennifer Saunders Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

The co-creator of Absolutely Fabulous says her remarkable career as one of the world's funniest women is all down to a series of happy accidents.

When she and her great pal Dawn French were making their first series, French & Saunders, they were given complete freedom by the BBC, including the freedom to fail.

Despite a few mishaps along the way and a battle with breast cancer, Jennifer now says that early freedom, risk-taking and random opportunities were the best things that could possibly have happened to them.

Further information

First broadcast in April, 2014.

Standout story – Timothy Spall

You can hear Sarah's full conversation with Timothy Spall on the ABC Listen App, or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also read all about the Conversations origin story on the ABC News website.

This episode of Conversations explores memoir, books, writing, TV comedy, Ab Fab, celebrity memoir, battling cancer, survival stories, breast cancer, British humour, dark humour, Black Books, the Comic Strip, Friends, Roseanne, Adrian Edmondson, Edina Monsoon, Joanna Lumley, Patsy Stone, Muppets, Spice Girls, Top Gear.

20th Anniversary Collection: Judy Sharp and the remarkable rise of Laser Beak Man Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

When Judy Sharp was told by doctors that her son would never communicate or learn to love, she refused to believe it and set about to secure a brilliant life for her neurodivergent son, Tim.

Judy's eldest son, Tim, was diagnosed with autism when he was 3 years old.

When Judy was told Tim would never communicate or be able to love she refused to accept those limitations.

As a mother, Judy took many risks to secure a good life for both of her sons, including escaping an abusive marriage.

Her risks paid off.

As a grown man, Tim became a renowned artist and his popularity continues to grow.

Laser Beak Man, Tim's cheeky cartoon super-hero, has taken Tim and Judy as far as Broadway, where he was the central figure of a musical.

Further information

First broadcast in February, 2016.

2025 update: Tim and his artwork have been included in the book celebrating 50 years of the Sydney Opera House, about 50 famous Australian artists.

Judy is now a sought-after speaker and spends much of her time speaking at conferences.

A film based on Judy's memoir is in development, hopefully starting production in 2026.

You can read all about the Conversations origin story on the ABC News website.

This episode of Conversations explores parenting children with autism, ADHD, neurodivergence, communication, Asperger's, mothers of sons, spousal abuse, brothers, ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Austin.

20th Anniversary Collection: How power and fear play out in the dentist's chair Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Sharonne Zaks is not your average dentist. After treating a patient named Anna, Sharonne saw the power relationship with her patients differently. She developed a new branch of dentistry to help care for survivors of sexual assault.

Sharonne grew up in a family of dentists, and when she too became a dentist, she developed an empathetic relationship with her patients, never judging them even if they'd avoided the dentist for years.

A patient named Anna profoundly changed Sharonne's understanding of a patient's experience in the dentist's chair.

Sharonne realised that for those who have been through a sexual assault or trauma, the extreme powerlessness of being treated at the dentist can be highly triggering.

Sharonne undertook study into the area, and began a new regime to treat survivors in her own practice.

She then began explaining what she'd found about the power dynamic between dentist and patient, to her own colleagues.

Further information

2025 update: Sharonne regularly presents on trauma-informed care to groups across the dental profession and beyond, including lawyers, nurses, doctors and carers.

Trauma-informed dental knowledge and skills have recently been made core competencies for all newly qualified dentists by the Australian Dental Council.

You can read all about the Conversations origin story on the ABC News website.

This episode of Conversations explores dentistry, Maxillofacial surgery, fear of the dentist, overcoming fear of the dentist, sexual trauma, power dynamics, tooth pain, tooth ache, root canal, medical industry, helping patients, fear of medicine, oral hygiene, avoiding the dentist, dental appointment, finding a dentist who cares, empathetic dentist, pain free dentist.

20th Anniversary Collection: A lion named Christian, and the men who loved him Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

In the swinging '60s, Anthony 'Ace' Bourke and John Rendall bought a lion cub from a luxury department store. They eventually released him to his natural habitat in Africa. Footage of their emotional reunion in the wilds of Africa nearly broke the internet, decades later.

In 1969, Anthony 'Ace' Bourke and John Rendall bought a lion cub for just under £300 from Harrods Department Store.

They named the cub Christian, and lived with him as a pet in their Chelsea flat, above a furniture shop.

Eventually, Ace and John met the renowned conservationist George Adamson, who agreed to introduce Christian to his natural habitat in Africa as he was quickly outgrowing their inner city pad.

Several years later John and Ace went to visit Christian in the wilds of Kenya.

The fully grown lion remarkably remembered the men, and was filmed leaping up to embrace them.

Some 40 years after that event, footage of their reunion was uploaded to YouTube, and brought the story to a whole new audience.

Further information

First broadcast April, 2009.

John Rendall continued to actively support the The George Adamson & Tony Fitzjohn Wildlife Trust until his death in 2022. Ace Bourke has been a committee member of Australian-based charity, Working for Animals for many years and is writing a memoir.

Standout story – Ken Wyatt

You can hear Richard's full conversation with Ken Wyatt on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also read all about the Conversations origin story on the ABC News website.

This episode of Conversations explores viral videos, conservation, charismatic animals, safari, wildlife trade, 1960s, Kora National Park, Kenya, East Africa, travel, animal welfare, epic story, unbelievable story, memoir, books, writing.

20th Anniversary Collection: Bryan Brown’s ticket from Bankstown to Palm Beach Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

Bryan Brown has played more than 80 roles on stage and screen. Raised in working-class Sydney, his talent, hard work, and unmistakable presence have been his ticket to the world.

Now in his late 70s, Bryan has had more film and television acting roles than he’s had birthdays, and is an instantly recognisable figure on screens around the world.

From Breaker Morant and Newsfront to Two Hands and Sweet Country, a huge number of classic Australian films feature Bryan, a testament to his talent, popularity and work ethic.

Bryan also spent a period working in America, starring most notably in Cocktail and Gorillas In The Mist, before ultimately choosing Sydney over Hollywood.

In the 1980s, working on the American-made series The Thorn Birds utterly changed Bryan’s life. He and British co-star Rachel Ward fell in love and married soon after.

Their creative partnership has been enduring and they worked on one of Bryan's most recent films, Palm Beach, together - with Rachel directing and co-writing, and Bryan also co-producing.

Palm Beach was inspired by a reunion of friends in later life, and a health scare that rocked Bryan’s confidence for several years.

Further Information

Originally broadcast August, 2019.

Standout story – Hank Harlow

You can hear Richard's full conversation with Hank Harlow on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also read all about the Conversations origin story on the ABC News website.

This episode of Conversations explores acting, Australian cinema, classic movies, Australiana, Australian kitsch, film history, fatherhood, love, rags to riches, Hollywood,, anxiety, mental health, amateur theatre, theater, Red Dog, men's mental health.

20th Anniversary Collection: the story of the unwitting woman behind cell research and 'immortality' Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

Henrietta Lacks was the first human being that we know of to get close enough to 'immortality' to touch it. She died more than 50 years ago but her cells live on.

'HeLa' cells were the first human cells to be grown for research, and have been vital in medical advances since the 1950s.

But what fascinated science major Rebecca Skloot the most about these cells, was how little was known about the woman behind the name.

So she set out to discover who Henrietta Lacks really was.

Further information

First broadcast in July, 2010.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is published by Picador.

Rebecca's book was turned into a film starring Oprah Winfrey.

You can learn more about Henrietta online.

Standout story – Helen MacDonald

You can also hear Richard's full conversation with Helen Macdonald on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also read all about the Conversations origin story on the ABC News website.

This episode of Conversations explores science, science communication, weird science, female scientists, modern history, medicine, medical history, medical research, cells, cancer, curing disease.

Wild — Story Collection Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

Adventurous spirits take us way out into the world's wild places — stories from across 20 years of Conversations. Travel high in the mountains with Kazakh eagle hunters. Join an endurance horse race across the Mongolian steppe.

Feel the edge of darkness, paddling a kayak solo across the Great Australian Bight.

These tales of wild landscapes and creatures, of courage and awe, invite you to share the adventure along with some of our many intrepid guests: Palani Mohan, Bonnie Hancock, Chris Watson, Campbell Costello, Sally Henderson and Andrew Harper.

This episode of Conversations was produced by Michelle Random-Hughes, Pam O'Brien, Jenna Koda and Meggie Morris. The Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. Story editing by Michelle Ransom-Hughes. Sarah Kanowski and Richard Fidler present.

To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

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