This week on Small Talk, Hannah is back in the guest seat to have one of our favourite yearly yaps: the biggest lessons 2026 handed us.

From the (mostly) work-related wake-up calls we didn’t see coming, to friendship lessons to relationship realisations, we each bring the reflections that have been sitting front of mind as the year wraps.

And… after years of recording at the studios Sarah worked at since she was 22, we’re officially wrapping up there, which means a very exciting announcement is coming (on socials!)

In Part Two, we hit the breaking point of 1975: the Senate blocks supply, the government runs out of money, and the Governor-General makes the most dramatic intervention in Australian political history. We unpack Whitlam’s iconic dismissal speech, what the Palace Letters later revealed about the Palace’s involvement, and why Cold War tension fuelled long-running rumours of CIA interference.

This week we cover Donald Trump’s chaotic meet-and-greet energy with Zohran Mamdani,  the “piggy” moment and the Epstein Files to be released. We then cover the ARIA awards and Olivia Dean calling out Ticketmaster. We discuss the UN approving Trump’s plan for Gaza and how Colleen Hoover has admitted she’s embarrassed to have written It Ends With Us. As well as the Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini breakup and Mary Fowler speaking out about discrimination she has faced.

This week, Sarah sits down with Jack Toohey, the content creator behind THAT viral housing-crisis video, author of Better Things Are Possible, and creative production lead at Teach Us Consent.

It’s a rare Small Talk moment: a man in the guest chair. So Sarah dives straight in.

They also dissect the pressure to be a “provider,” and why the real key to better conversations might be systems literacy.

Jack opens up about modern masculinity and the world men are navigating today.

With the 50-year anniversary of the Whitlam era having just passed, we’re diving into why this moment still has everyone talking.

In part one, we peel back the story of the man who tried to reshape Australia faster than the country could catch its breath and how that boldness created one of the most fascinating political rollercoasters we’ve ever had.

From Medibank to no-fault divorce, free uni to ending conscription, Whitlam arrives in 1972 and immediately begins rewriting the national script. But the pace, the ambition, and the battles with a hostile Senate set the stage for a showdown no one could have predicted.

This episode takes you from his historic 1972 win, through the reforms, all the way to the surprising snap election just 17 months later.

20,000 emails have been released  from Epstein’s estate - including one that indicates Vladimir Putin may have photos of Donald Trump having oral sex with Bill Clinton.

Ryan Murphy's new legal drama starring Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Glenn Close and Sarah Paulson has been panned by critics, many giving 0 stars.

The Liberal party scraps Net Zero.

The Wicked: For Good press tour and premieres are underway, we recap the headlines so far.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan is introducing sweeping criminal law reforms that could see children as young as 14 sentenced to adult life sentence.

This week we explore the power behind the power - the hidden figures quietly pulling the strings in the rooms where world leaders make history (but don't call them puppeteers though… they don’t love that).

This week, I’m joined by Phoebe Saintalin Stocks, founder of Missing Perspectives and author of the brilliant new book The Right Hand. What makes this book so extraordinary is that Phoebe sat down with the real chiefs of staff to some of the most influential leaders on the planet - from Jacinda Ardern, Kamala Harris and John Howard to Nelson Mandela, Tony Blair and Julia Gillard.

In our chat, Phoebe opens up about her own career journey and how she learned just how human our world leaders really are.

Perfect content for our fellow political nerds… or if you peaked early as your Primary School Vice Captain.

Sydney Sweeney Has Spoken Out About Her Controversial American Eagle Jeans Ad. Zohran Mamdani has won the race to be mayor of NYC. Actress Shay Mitchell Launches ‘Rini’, A Skincare Company for Small Children. Victoria’s Inquiry into women’s pain has confirmed what we already know, the health system was built around men. The 2026 Grammy Nominations are in, here are the best surprises and shocking snubs. Tasmania compensates those convicted under homophobic laws. 

Today I am joined by Lucy Blakiston, owner of the OG Instagram news account, Shit You Should Care About, which now has over 3.4 Million followers (& I can almost bet you've shared one of their tiles on your story before).

In this episode we not only talk about the origins of content creating, online performance activism and the conflicting feelings of sometimes being the only news source for people - but we decide to tackle a big question that I have been desperately wanting to cover on Small Talk for a while now, should we expect celebrities to speak on politics??

It's a question that both Lucy and I have gone back and forth on many times over the years (and in this episode) and we are so excited to hear your thoughts.

Julia Fox has found herself in the middle of a heated online debate over her Halloween costume choice.

It’s time for some hope, the election for NYC Mayor is upon us - and let’s hold hands in a circle for Zohran.

Australian singer Dean Lewis has issued an apology following multiple sexual misconduct allegations.

Victoria has become the first Australian jurisdiction to pass a formal treaty with Indigenous Traditional Owners.

On a hill that seems bizarre to die on, Podcaster and Creator Hallie Batchelor is standing by her thesis that using condoms are cringey.

It's being reported that Millie Bobby Brown has reported David Harbour for bullying on the set of Stranger Things.