Life Uncut

Hey Lifers! Welcome to Offcuts, your little weekend schneck! 

First up: Sydney is being absolutely swarmed by bogong moths right now, and Britt’s done a deep dive into the science of why (spoiler: it's a wind-blown migration, not the apocalypse).

Then, the big one: Taylor Swift dropped four new songs, and while Patient Zero is on repeat everywhere, her track Cleveland has copped brutal backlash online, with critics saying the lyrics read like they were run through AI. We get into whether the hate is fair, or if people just love piling on when she has one off-note.

We also open up a conversation sparked by a question in the Life Uncut Discussion Group: what are the actual rules around phone privacy in relationships? We talk through our own "open phone policy" boundaries, when snooping crosses a line, and why finding out about a messy relationship overlap years later can do more harm than good.

Then, a difficult but important one: we unpack the latest from Bonnie Blue, who has reportedly welcomed a baby and sold the naming rights for millions — and why bringing a child into her content raises concerns that go well beyond the usual outrage cycle.

We close out lighter, with a look at Instagram's new face-blur feature (less "soft launch tool," more "actually really useful for protecting your kids' privacy online").

Keep your questions coming! Slide into the Life Uncut DMs at @lifeuncutpodcast on Instagram

You can watch us on Youtube

Join us on tiktok

Or join the Facebook Discussion Group

Hosted by Britt Hockley & Laura Byrne

Produced by  Lachy Pugsley

Video Produced by Vanessa Beckford & Lachy Pugsley

Tell your mum, tell your dad, tell your dog, tell your friend and share the love because WE LOVE LOVE! Xx

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Lifers!

We have such a special one for you today. If it sounds a little different, that's because we recorded this in Benson Boone's room (yes, he invited us up!). And if you're wondering why Britt is flying solo for the intro, it's because Benson was SUCH a vibe that we spent half our time just chatting and laughing, the interview ran way over, and Laura had to sprint off for kid pick-up.

You know Benson from "Beautiful Things", the biggest-selling single on the planet in 2024 and now 12-times-platinum here in Australia. But nothing prepared us for how open, unhinged and genuinely lovely he is. Today he tells us a story he's never told publicly which ends with his pants fully around his ankles.

He also opens up about not owning a smartphone until he was 17, nearly becoming an architect, and how "Ghost Town" was literally the first song he ever wrote. He tells us about growing up with four sisters and his one and only celebrity crush (it runs in the family). Then he weighs in on a Lifer who's secretly dating two men at once, and answers the big one: would he ever date a fan?

Benson brings the Wanted Man Tour to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney this November. It's almost sold out, so get amongst it!

YouTube Timestamps
0:00 – Britt's solo intro: inside Benson's room and how a press junket actually works
3:56 – Accidentally Unfiltered: the shared bathroom, the pants-down tradition and the fan who walked in
7:45 – Why he didn't start singing until 17 (no smartphone and a plan to be an architect)
13:40 – His only ever celebrity crush, and why it runs in the family
16:01 – Ask Uncut: "Sally, you are the problem"
18:58 – Would Benson date a fan? Why he wants to do the chasing

Follow Benson Boone on TikTok and Instagram @bensonboone
Wanted Man Tour tickets via Frontier Touring

Keep your questions coming! Slide into the Life Uncut DMs at @lifeuncutpodcast on Instagram

Join us on Patreon for exclusive content and bonus episodes

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Hosted by Britt Hockley & Laura Byrne

Produced by Sophie Nathan

Video Produced by Vanessa Beckford & Lachy Pugsley

Tell your mum, tell your dad, tell your dog, tell your friend and share the love because WE LOVE LOVE! Xx

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Lifers!

Britt has come armed with content this week, and it might be the thing that finally gets her cancelled. A spontaneous detour to Centennial Park, a helpless baby bird, and a pet-napping scandal... Plus Laura has stepped off a four-day cruise and straight into the studio, still swaying. She tells us about sea legs, and sober 11am karaoke in front of the breakfast buffet crowd. (Yes we get podcast karaoke too).

Then the moment you've all been waiting for. The breadcrumbs are over, and we can FINALLY tell you our big news: Life Unlocked, our brand new subscription on Patreon! It's all bonus content, nothing is being taken away, and your four free episodes a week aren't going anywhere. For $6.99 a month you'll get at least two bonus episodes a month, first access to live shows and merch, polls, a direct line to us, and an exclusive Ask Uncut answer from Hamish Blake. Anyone who subscribes in the first four weeks goes into a giveaway too.

Your horror housemate stories did not disappoint. We've got a dick in the kitchen sink, a man literally living in the walls, a booger-wallpapered bedroom, a top-bunk vomiter, a five cent piece dusting trap, and a threesome shadow puppet show performed for a housemate AND her religious mother.

⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses sexual assault. If this is triggering for you, please skip from 33:05, or take care while listening. Support resources are listed below.

Then we shift gears to the Cornell Seven. A student alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven fraternity members after a message went out to the entire fraternity group chat. Two were expelled, five were told to attend a workshop and write an essay. After mass online outrage, New York prosecutors have reopened the criminal investigation. We talk about why survivors don't report, what happens to the bystanders who say nothing, when trial by social media helps and when it goes wrong, and what this means here at home. We close with a powerful message from an Australian headmaster to his students about what it really means to be a good man.

Everything discussed in relation to this case is alleged, and no charges have been laid at the time of recording.

On Friday, don't miss our interview with a forensic psychiatrist who has been following the Lindsay Clancy case closely.

Join Life Unlocked on Patreon: Life Unlocked

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Welcome back
• 00:47 Britt accidentally kidnaps a baby bird
• 06:31 The dog Britt "rescued" from its own front yard
• 08:36 Laura's sea legs & sober cruise karaoke
• 14:30 Our big announcement: Life Unlocked
• 21:11 Horror housemates: the kitchen sink & the man in the wall
• 33:05 ⚠️ CW: The Cornell Seven
• 49:33 Consent culture in Australia & a headmaster's message to his students

If you need support (Australia):

• 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 or 1800respect.org.au (24/7 national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling)
• Full Stop Australia: 1800 385 578 (24/7 trauma counselling for people affected by sexual, domestic or family violence)
• Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)
• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25)
• If you are in immediate danger, call 000

Keep your questions coming! Slide into the Life Uncut DMs at @lifeuncutpodcast on Instagram

You can watch us on Youtube

Join us on tiktok

Or join the Facebook Discussion Group

Hosted by Britt Hockley & Laura Byrne

Produced by Sophie Nathan

Video Produced by Vanessa Beckford & Lachy Pugsley

Tell your mum, tell your dad, tell your dog, tell your friend and share the love because WE LOVE LOVE! Xx

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Lifers! Welcome back to Ask Uncut, where we answer your deepest, darkest and most burning questions!

Something is coming… and for two people who have NEVER teased anything in seven years (we're too disorganised and do everything last minute), we're officially in our breadcrumb era. We've dropped one very Matilda-coded hint, and all will be revealed on Wednesday, so make sure you're listening!

Vibes of the week:

Laura – Rachel DeSalvo ceramics (handmade letters, ring dishes, vases… all stunning. Go follow her on Instagram)

Britt – Beef Season 2 on Netflix (you don't need to have seen season one!)

Bonus – The Gentlemen Season 2 on Netflix

Then it's into your questions!

Q1: MY FRIEND IS SUPER LAZY AT WORK AND EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT HER BEHIND HER BACK. DO I TELL HER?

I've worked with my colleague in the medical field for seven-plus years, and we've become very close friends. The problem is she has always been lazy at work. She avoids tasks by looking busy, hides when there's something difficult to do, and chats about her social life and kids when it's flat out. Lately it's got way worse, and I've found out every other colleague talks about her laziness behind her back and doesn't want to be paired with her. My husband says I should tell her because she's a good friend, but I hate conflict. Should I just leave it, since she'll eventually find out herself anyway?

Q2: HE WON'T STOP TALKING ABOUT HIMSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON

I started talking to a guy I've known for a few years, and our first date is in a month's time. We live in different states, so we've been on the phone and texting a lot, and everything is going great. However, he often refers to himself in the third person: "Steve got a little too drunk last night," "Steve was really busy today." It's giving me the ick hard. It's giving me reverse fanny flutters. I know it's not a new thing, but now that I'm interested in dating him, it's become a serious problem for me. Am I being too nitpicky, or is this actually gross? And how do I ask him to stop without hurting his feelings?

(Producer Soph has lived this one, and she will never recover from the words "Steve's turn for little spoon" whispered by a 6'5" man.)

Q3: MY NEW COLLEAGUE ASKED ME FOR COFFEE. IS IT A DATE OR NETWORKING?

I'm a happily married teacher, and a new colleague has joined our school. I haven't spoken to him much, but I just got this email: "Hi, I hope you're well. Just wanted to ask if you would like to go out for coffee or something sometime." Is he asking me on a date, or is this networking? Networking usually happens at conferences, not within the school. I also don't usually wear my wedding ring because I play sports and I'm constantly taking it on and off. How should I respond?

Q4: MY HOUSEMATES HIDE THEIR FOOD AND CLEANING PRODUCTS IF WE USE EVEN A MORSEL

My partner and I didn't know our housemates before they moved in; we thought living with friends was too risky. They told us they were full-time students who'd get jobs once uni started. Eight months in, neither has a job, so they're always home. We both work full time and we're out most of the time. All the furniture, crockery and TV subscriptions are ours, and we pay almost $150 more a week for the master bedroom and car park. But if we use even a bit of their pepper, it's hidden away the next day. I can see it all stashed in their bedroom and bathroom when the doors are open, lol. Is it normal to have your own of everything in a share house, or are some items fair play?

Laura has been the victim of a very tight housemate who asked her to replace a banana (the night after she'd cooked him dinner). Now we want YOUR housemate horror stories! What's the most unhinged, deranged thing a housemate has done to you? Send them in and we'll revisit it next week.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 — Intro: we have something to announce (and a Matilda breadcrumb)
2:31 — Unsubscribe: AirDrop codes (and the Great Barrier Reef porn ferry)
4:37 — Vibes of the week: Rachel DeSalvo ceramics, Beef S2 & The Gentlemen
8:27 — Q1: My friend is lazy at work and everyone's talking. Do I tell her?
18:24 — Q2: He won't stop talking about himself in the third person
27:02 — Q3: My new colleague asked me for coffee. Date or networking?
34:46 — Q4: My housemates hide the pepper if we use a morsel

Keep your Ask Uncuts coming! Slide into the Life Uncut DMs at @lifeuncutpodcast on Instagram, or post anonymously in the Facebook Discussion Group.

You can watch us on Youtube

Join us on tiktok

Or join the Facebook Discussion Group

Hosted by Britt Hockley & Laura Byrne

Produced by Sophie Nathan

Video Produced by Vanessa Beckford & Lachy Pugsley

Tell your mum, tell your dad, tell your dog, tell your friend and share the love because WE LOVE LOVE! Xx

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Lifers! 

Welcome to Offcuts, your little weekend snackkkk!

This week, Laura's seven-year-old daughter Marlie Mae has started writing her debut novel… working title: Sweet or Death… and we try to figure out whether we should be concerned or proud.

Then, we're forced to confront a horrifying truth: we are, technically, in our midlife. A viral Instagram list has us running through the tell-tale signs of a millennial midlife crisis and debating whether it's a crisis, or just a glow up.

We also unpack a new workplace survey on the most annoying office habit (spoiler: it's "pinging" people instead of just talking to them), and get into whether Gen Z really deserves the reputation they get for turning up late.

Then, Brené Brown's viral Marble Jar Theory has us divided: is tallying up every good and bad moment in a friendship a healthy way to check in, or the fastest way to make every relationship feel transactional?

We close out with a very serious deep dive into New York's new 10-minute timed public toilets, and the horror stories that come with them (fair warning: there's a pants-around-the-ankles moment in Hyde Park you will not forget).

Keep your questions coming! Slide into the Life Uncut DMs at @lifeuncutpodcast on Instagram

You can watch us on Youtube

Join us on tiktok

Or join the Facebook Discussion Group

Hosted by Britt Hockley & Laura Byrne

Produced by Lachy Pugsley

Video Produced by Vanessa Beckford & Lachy Pugsley

Tell your mum, tell your dad, tell your dog, tell your friend and share the love because WE LOVE LOVE! Xx

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Lifers!

Currently, 874 million women worldwide rely on modern contraception to prevent pregnancy. So today we're asking the question so many of us have had: why is that responsibility shouldered so heavily by women, and where are the men?

We're joined by journalist and documentary filmmaker Billie JD Porter, whose new documentary It's Different For Girls looks at why contraception has been treated as almost entirely a woman's responsibility; from the invention of the pill and the autonomy it gave women, through to the decades-long delay on a male alternative.

We chat:

• The wild, gendered history of how the pill was first marketed - not to women, but to doctors
• The three sexist caricatures used to sell birth control to women in the 60s and 70s
• Tubal ligation vs vasectomy & the enormous gap in how often each is performed
• The 1970 congressional hearing into the pill's safety that didn't invite a single woman to testify
• Why male contraceptive research that started in the 1950s got shelved
• Inside the clinical trials for the male contraceptive gel
• Whether men can actually be ‘trusted’ with contraception

This conversation is intended to be informational and exploratory, and should not be taken as medical advice. If you have questions about contraception or reproductive health, please speak to your doctor or a qualified professional.

Find out more about Billie's documentary It's Different For Girls: Streaming now on Kinema 
Follow Billie: https://www.instagram.com/billiejdporter/?hl=en

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Lifers! Happy Wednesday! Before we even get going, Britt's got something that she’s been holding on to just for the pod and it’s got us all nervous… Then it's into an Accidentally Unfiltered for the ages: a Lifer accidentally sends the least sexy nude in human history and it’s even worse than you could possibly imagine.

We get into the internet's latest obsession, an account called "Bidness_Nonya" that only follows Channing Tatum, only compliments Channing Tatum and allegedly throws shade at his exes. Is it actually him? We revisit our own Raya walks of shame along the way, plus a confession or two about our own ex-stalking burner account eras.

Then the big one. Off the back of cancelling on one of her closest friends' birthdays this weekend, Laura opens up about something that's been sitting heavy: the realisation that in this season of life, the thing quietly losing out is friendship. It’s a bit of an emotional one, very open and vulnerable, and we ask what else are we sacrificing in life to just stay afloat?

Also this week: we got a billboard! An actual, real, just-us billboard, and we're flying to Melbourne to go stand in front of it. Plus Suck and Sweet, including a very validating one-year-old niece situation.

YouTube Timestamps
0:00 — Intro: Shoe redemption, Laura's latest "I'm moving to the Gold Coast" spiral
3:52 — Accidentally Unfiltered: the double bush pic sent to the same guy twice
8:01 — Beach day chaos with three kids and a mouthful of sand
13:36 — We got a billboard! Flying to Melbourne to see it
16:14 — Our Raya walks of shame: Channing Tatum & Lewis Capaldi
19:50 — Is Channing Tatum really running his own burner account?
31:13 — Laura on cancelling on her best friend and failing at friendship
52:08 — Suck and Sweet

Keep your questions coming! Slide into the Life Uncut DMs at @lifeuncutpodcast on Instagram. You can watch us on Youtube. Join us on tiktok. Or join the Facebook Discussion Group. 

Laura's Spotify Birthing Playlist: HERE

The Podcast about Soph's Finger: HERE

Keep your questions coming! Slide into the Life Uncut DMs at @lifeuncutpodcast on Instagram

You can watch us on Youtube

Join us on tiktok

Or join the Facebook Discussion Group

Hosted by Britt Hockley & Laura Byrne

Produced by Sophie Nathan

Video Produced by Vanessa Beckford & Lachy Pugsley

Tell your mum, tell your dad, tell your dog, tell your friend and share the love because WE LOVE LOVE! Xx

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Lifers! Welcome back to Ask Uncut where we answer your deepest, darkest and most burning questions! Britt kicks things off fresh from a stranger's wedding, yes, she crashed one for work and cried the whole way through (obviously). Before the girls get into their vibes of the week and then straight into it: Naked sleepers with questionable bathroom habits, a boss who won't stop stealing the credit, a plane seat stand-off that has the group chat divided, and the etiquette minefield of ditching your friend's new beauty business.

Vibes of the week:
Britt – The Dropout on Disney+ (rewatch this before the new Elizabeth Holmes doco drops!)
Laura – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Blur Concealer

Then it's into your questions!

Q1: MY PARTNER SLEEPS NAKED AND DOES A 2AM POO THEN GETS BACK INTO BED
 My partner sleeps naked, I do not. That's absolutely his choice and I'm fine with it. But he has a middle-of-the-night routine where he needs the bathroom for a poo, most nights around 2-3am, and then he gets straight back into bed with his bare bum on the sheets, post-poo. Is it ridiculous and immature for me to feel grossed out by this? Do I need to just get over it?

Q2: MY BOSS KEEPS TAKING CREDIT FOR MY IDEAS
I think my boss takes credit for my ideas in meetings. I've pitched two big ideas this year that got genuine traction, and both times my manager has presented them to senior leadership as his own thinking, with me sitting right there. I'm early in my career and don't want to torch the relationship, but I don't want to spend the next five years being invisible either. Do I talk to him about it, or go over his head?

Q3: WOULD YOU GIVE UP YOUR WINDOW SEAT FOR A PREGNANT MUM WITH A TODDLER?
On a flight from Sydney to Queenstown, myself, my husband and our 17-month-old (plus 31 weeks pregnant me) had two seats between the three of us, while a woman in front had an entire row of three to herself. I asked if she'd swap so we could have the row while she kept an empty seat beside her, she said no, she wanted the window. Were we entitled for even asking, or have we lost the instinct to simply help someone out?

Q4: MY FRIEND STARTED A BROW BUSINESS BUT I DON'T LIKE IT AND WANT TO GO BACK TO MY OLD GIRL
A very good friend of mine recently started a small beauty business from home and I am so proud of her, but I don't actually like the way she does my brows. I gave her another chance recently because I want to support her, and I still don't love the results; I feel it's undoing years of work from my usual brow girl. How do I go back to my old place without hurting her feelings or making her think I don't support her?

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 — Intro: Britt crashes a stranger's wedding (and cries, obviously)
3:09 — Vibes of the week!
9:13 — Q1: The naked partner dilemma
15:16 — Q2: My boss keeps taking credit for my ideas
22:52 — Q3: Would you give up your window seat for a pregnant mum with a toddler?
33:13 — Q4: My friend started a brow business... but I don't like it

Keep your Ask Uncuts coming! Slide into the Life Uncut DMs at @lifeuncutpodcast on Instagram, or post anonymously in the Facebook Discussion Group. Tell your mum, tell your dad, tell your dog, tell your friend and share the love because WE LOVE LOVE! Xx

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Lifers! Welcome to Offcuts, your little weekend snackkk to get you through to Monday! 

Quick update from the 30-day, six-second kiss challenge: it is... not going well (Matt has strong feelings about morning breath and mid-cereal ambushes).

Then it's round two of your petty revenge stories, and Lifers, you did not disappoint. From graffiti-ing a horrible ex-roommate's number on public bathroom walls, to a decade-long silent feud that ended in a very unhygienic doorstep delivery, to a groomsman's pants meeting an untimely end days before a wedding. We run through the best (and most deranged) of what you sent in.

We also unpack a viral 15-point bridesmaid contract that's been doing the rounds, covering everything from banned weight gain to mandatory sobriety, and try to figure out if this bride is joking… or dead serious.

Then, the story that has completely taken over our algorithm this week: a High Rocks world champion who had a full, uncontrollable bowel accident mid-competition — and kept going to take out the win. We get into the internet's brutal reaction, whether the rules needed to change, and if a title is really worth it at the cost of your dignity.

We close out with the viral "plane breastfeeding" video that sparked outrage worldwide… before it turned out to be completely fake. We talk about rage bait, media literacy, and why fake outrage does more harm than good to real conversations.

Listen to our Wednesday Ep where we spoke about our 30 Kissing Challenge 

Listen to OffCuts where we spoke about petty revenge

Watch the Breastfeeding Mother on a plane video

Keep your questions coming! Slide into the Life Uncut DMs at @lifeuncutpodcast on Instagram

You can watch us on Youtube

Join us on tiktok

Or join the Facebook Discussion Group

Hosted by Britt Hockley & Laura Byrne

Produced by Keeshia Pettit Soph Nathan

Video Produced by Vanessa Beckford & Lachy Pugsley

Tell your mum, tell your dad, tell your dog, tell your friend and share the love because WE LOVE LOVE! Xx

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Look who's finally made his way into the Life Uncut studio! It's the man, the myth, the tea-towel-on-his-head legend himself, Ash Wicks, co-host of Two Doting Dads and honorary work-husband of Matty J. Ash joins Britt and Laura for this week's Guest Ask Uncut, and before they get stuck into your dilemmas, he opens up about his brand new children's book, The Secret Ingredient (out now).

We also dive into a refreshingly honest and deep chat about his journey giving up alcohol. What it felt like to "lose his best friend," the moment that made him hold himself accountable, and how it changed his marriage to April. Naturally, he also shares the pettiest hill he'll die on (and this could be a make or break in the marriage). 

In this episode, we cover:

• Ash's brand new kids' book, The Secret Ingredient, and the very relatable daycare-app rage that inspired it
• Why family dinners matter more than we give them credit for
• Ash's pettiest hill: being called out to another room instead of someone just... walking in
• Going alcohol-free: what pushed Ash to stop drinking, and why summer was the "dumbest" time to start
• The moment Ash realised how much of himself he wasn't giving his family
• Grieving alcohol like "losing a best friend," and why sobriety is a daily fight, not a finish line
• How going public and being held accountable changed things — and how it's impacted his marriage

Then it's time to solve some life problems: 

Q1: "I found out my husband hasn't surfed in two years, but he still says he's going for a surf." Every Saturday for two years he grabbed his board and disappeared for three hours… Turns out he's just sitting in the car park drinking coffee and scrolling on his phone. Should I tell him I knows, or catch him out?

Q2: "My husband didn't cry during our wedding vows." I expected at least a little emotion walking down the aisle ( he cries at every movie where an animal dies) but didn't shed a tear on their wedding day. Am I overreacting?

Q3: "I found out my boyfriend goes to a specific cafe,  not for the coffee, but because of the hot waitress." I’m the only one in the friend group who didn't know. Should I bring it up, and how?

Q4: "My husband is addicted to screens and it really bothers me." Married ten years, three kids &  if it's not the PlayStation, it's the iPad, phone or computer. How do I  handle this without ending the relationship?

YouTube Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome back & introducing Ash Wicks

01:44 – Ash's new book, The Secret Ingredient

06:58 – Ash's pettiest hill: being yelled at from another room

09:19 – Going alcohol-free: Ash's sobriety journey, one year on

21:01 – Q1: "My husband says he's surfing, but he's just sitting in the car park"

29:21 – Q2: "My husband didn't cry during our wedding vows"

36:00 – Q3: "My boyfriend's cafe has a hot waitress"

42:14 – Q4: "I think my partner is addicted to gaming"

Follow Along:

Ash Wicks

Two Doting Dads podcast

Get Ash's book, The Secret Ingredient

Keep your questions coming! Slide into the Life Uncut DMs at @lifeuncutpodcast on Instagram

You can watch us on Youtube

Join us on tiktok

Or join the Facebook Discussion Group

Hosted by Britt Hockley & Laura Byrne

Produced by Sophie Nathan

Video Produced by Vanessa Beckford & Lachy Pugsley

Tell your mum, tell your dad, tell your dog, tell your friend and share the love because WE LOVE LOVE! Xx

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.