Over the Back Fence

Welcome to our Summer Series where we're replaying some of our most popular episodes over the last 3 years so you can discover episodes you haven't heard before or re-listen to some fan favourites. In this episode, Nicola and Di chat with the hilarious Vince Sorrenti. Vince is one of Australia’s most successful and popular comedians, with a career that has spanned over 4 decades. As well as his incredible work as a stand-up comedian, Vince has an enormously long list of radio and TV credits and has written 2 feature films, including an award-winning environmental documentary. He’s also a big family man, and we get a glimpse into what life is like at home with his beautiful wife Kate and their 4 children. 

In this conversation we chat about how comedy has changed over the years and whether political correctness and wokeness has gone too far. Vince shares why comedy is essential and why he believes that comedy is the answer to a lot of the challenges life throws at us. 

We hear the story of how it all started for Vince - as an architecture student at Sydney University, he began doing skits in uni revues and fell in love with comedy and the stage. Vince talks about his first stand-up gig in the 80s and how he’s never looked back. We also spoke about Vince’s creative process - where he gets his ideas from and how he puts together a show. 

Vince shares a couple of stories from his latest stand-up show I’m Offended, and we were in stitches. There’s nothing quite like a good belly laugh, and we were so lucky to have a bunch of those in the studio with Vince. We hope you laugh as much as we did.  

Find out more about Vince and his work here

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Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to our Summer Series where we're replaying some of our most popular episodes over the last 3 years so you can discover episodes you haven't heard before or re-listen to some fan favourites. In this episode, Nicola and Di chat with the uplifting and inspiring Steffani LeFevour. Steff is one of the world’s top happiness coaches, a best selling author, international speaker and master at manifesting. She’s also a wife and mother of two kids.  

In this conversation Steff shares some really practical tips for how you can manifest your deepest desires, as well as why she believes so many people are caught up in manic manifesting, which ultimately doesn’t work. Steff gives us some powerful mantras that anyone can use to bring great things into their life. 

We hear some incredible stories of the things that Steff has manifested, including how she met Oprah and many other influential spiritual leaders she looked up to. Steff also shares some great tips for how you can change your thoughts when you find yourself stuck in negative thinking, and what the five toxins are that we all need to be aware of and stop doing.  

Steff opens up about the loss that she’s faced in her life and shares some beautiful thoughts about grief and how she has personally moved through it. 

We were so grateful to Steff for joining us from her home in Chicago and being so generous with the tips and guidance she shared. If you’re looking for practical ways to start changing your mindset, this is the episode for you. 

Follow Steff on IG here

Find out more about Steff and get her free happiness resources here

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to our Summer Series where we're replaying some of our most popular episodes over the last 3 years so you can discover episodes you haven't heard before or re-listen to some fan favourites. In this episode, Nicola and Di chat with the energetic and vivacious Susan Bratton. Susan is an intimacy expert to millions and has been helping people improve their intimate relationships and sex life for the past 2 decades. Susan has written thousands of magazine and website articles, as well as over 40 books and programs to help people experience shame-free, frequent sexual pleasure, which she believes is a vital element of being alive. Susan also regularly appears on TV and podcasts from all over the world. She has been married for over 30 years and has so much to share. 

In this conversation Susan talks about how she got started as a sexpert, as a married woman in her 40s who was deeply unhappy with her sex life and wanted to do something about it. As Susan and her husband started going to therapy and attending sex workshops, they learnt so many skills and became closer than ever, which made Susan passionate about teaching everything she was learning to others. She went on to create a media company, and write dozens of books and programs that have helped millions of people.  

Susan shares so many juicy tips with us in this chat - it is full of ideas for how you can improve your love life, including a sex bucket list and what Susan likes to call hot sex dates. We hear about Susan’s desire dozen - the 12 things you can do to increase your pleasure and get more from your relationship. 

We also talk about how Susan is feeling now that she’s in her 60s - the good news is, she’s absolutely loving it and having the best sex of her life! 

We had so many laughs in this episode because it’s full of cheeky chat, but it’s also super informative and helpful. We hope you have a giggle along with us and get as much from this conversation as we did. 

Follow Susan on IG here 

Download Susan’s FREE Sex Life Bucket List here

Download Susan’s FREE Sexual Soulmate Pact here

Get Susan’s Tips, Videos and Articles here 

Find out more about Susan’s work here

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Nicola and Di this week as they reflect on 2025 and their favourite moments and highlights from some of the incredible guests they’ve had on the podcast this year. They’ve been lucky enough to chat to psychics, actors, comedians, journalists, authors, Olympians, world champions, psychologists, entrepreneurs, and the list goes on. It’s true what they say, variety really is the spice of life. Share in some laughs and stories, as we remember some of our favourite moments from Season 3. 

We want to thank all of our guests for sharing their stories (and their hearts), our team at DM podcasts for their constant support, and most importantly our listeners - we love creating this show for you and we’re thrilled that you tune in each week. We wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season and we can’t wait to be back in 2026 with even more amazing conversations for you to enjoy. Thanks for being part of our Over The Back Fence community. 

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or [email protected]

Shop in-store or online at danmurphys.com.au. Lowest Liquor Price Guarantee. T&Cs apply. Choose to Drink Wise. 

Donate to the Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter Christmas Appeal here - https://nbws.supporterhub.net.au/donations/christmas-appeal-2025

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the incredible Mary Coustas. Mary is one of Australia’s most loved actors and comedians, best known for her character Effie Stephanides. She’s been performing and entertaining audiences for over 35 years, and became known as part of the groundbreaking stage show Wogs out of Work in the 80s, which led to the sitcom, Acropolis Now. Mary also has one of the most amazing personal stories of determination, persevering through 23 IVF attempts with her husband George, before finally giving birth to her daughter at the age of 49. Mary wrote about this in a beautifully honest book, All I Know, and her most recent book Mary Pause, is a funny physical memoir about menopause. 

In this episode, we chat to Mary about what it was like growing up as a Greek Australian in the 70s, and how she turned her cultural background, which had been a liability at school and the source of a lot of bullying, into an asset and created one of the most iconic characters on stage and screen in Australia, Effie Stephanides.

Mary also shares about her incredible journey to motherhood, which took 23 IVF attempts, a miscarriage and a stillborn, before she finally got her miracle baby girl at the age of 49. This story is like nothing you’ve ever heard and Mary tells it with such openness and honesty - there were plenty of goosebumps and tears in the studio that day. 

We also chat to Mary about her latest book Mary Pause, which is a hilarious memoir about Mary’s experience with menopause. Mary wants to give everyone more knowledge about what menopause is really like, as well as help them with access to excellent care - which is why she’s set up the telehealth platform UnPause to provide Peri and Menopause care across Australia. 

We cannot wait for Mary’s next stage show, Frigid to Feral, where Effie is going through Peri! 

This was such an amazing conversation with Mary, who generously shared about so many parts of her life with us. We cried, we laughed and were enthralled by her stories. We hope you love this episode as much as we did.  

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or [email protected]

For more on UnPause (Mary’s Peri and Menopause Care platform) go here - 

https://unpause.com.au/

To buy tickets to Mary’s next show and for more on her work go here - https://www.maryandeffie.com/

Buy Mary’s latest book Mary Pause here - https://unpause.com.au/marypause

Buy Mary’s book All I Know here - https://www.maryandeffie.com/books/all-i-know

Follow UnPause on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/unpauseposse

Follow UnPause on TikTok here - https://www.tiktok.com/@unpauseposse

Follow Mary (Effie) on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/effiegoodthanks/

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di are back with an end-of-year Christmas episode of Over The Money Fence with Roger Montgomery. This series aims to help you take control of your finances with clarity and confidence. Roger is the Founder and Chairman of Montgomery Investment Management, has over 30 years’ investing experience and is a highly respected financial commentator featuring on various ABC programs, as well as his popular column in The Australian newspaper. He is also the author of best-selling investment guidebook Value.able.

In this episode, we take a look at what really shaped investment markets in 2025 and what we should all think about as we head into 2026. We chat about the impact that Trump has had on the world of finance and what the main themes were from the year - the big one being artificial intelligence (AI), along with increased interest in Gold and Bitcoin. 

Roger talks about the impact that AI technologies have had on the markets, and why he believes there isn’t enough money to provide a return on the amount of investment being funnelled into AI, so the bubble will either burst or gradually deflate over time. 

We also wrap up the key takeaways from the 6 episodes of Over The Money Fence this year, answer some listener questions, and talk about what may be in store for investors in 2026. 

As always, we loved having this conversation with Roger in the studio. We are so grateful to have found someone that makes us feel safe and relaxed to talk about our finances and empowers us with the tools to take control and feel more confident. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did and we can’t wait to welcome Roger back to Over The Money Fence in 2026.

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or [email protected]

Find out more about Montgomery Investment Management here - https://montinvest.com

Find out more about Montgomery private credit funds here -    https://www.montinvest.com/privatecredit

Learn more about Roger and read his articles here - https://rogermontgomery.com

Buy Roger's book Value.able here - https://rogermontgomery.com/valueable-book/

Follow Roger on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/rogerjmontgomery/

Follow Roger’s YouTube channel here  - https://www.youtube.com/user/rogerjmontgomery

Follow Roger on X here - https://x.com/rjmontgomery

Follow Roger on Facebook here - https://www.facebook.com/montgomeryroger/

Follow Roger on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogermontgomery/

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Follow Nicola and Di on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with an internationally recognised expert on imposter syndrome, Alison Shamir. Alison is a former tech exec turned global speaker, coach and author. She has a clear, science-backed approach to help you recognise, understand and overcome imposter syndrome and we loved chatting through the tools in her book, Conquer Your Imposter, in this powerful episode. 

We chat to Alison about what imposter syndrome really is, the differences between imposter syndrome, masking and self-doubt, and understanding why these things may show up in our lives. We learn how 70% of people are affected by imposter syndrome, so if this conversation resonates with you it’s because you’re certainly not alone!

We also hear Alison’s personal story of what it was like to be a high-achieving tech executive in her 30s, being overwhelmed by imposter syndrome, having panic attacks and feeling like a fraud. Alison’s research into uncovering what was going on for her and why she was struggling, is what led to her fascination with imposter syndrome and giving people the tools they can use to overcome it and be able to realise their own worth and unlock their true potential. 

We talk about the power of language and the words you say to yourself and we go through the simple 3-step process you can use to conquer your imposter - you’ll want to tune in for this! 

We were blown away by Alison’s knowledge on this topic and the way she shared such practical tips for anyone who may be challenged by feelings of imposter syndrome or self-doubt. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did. 

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or [email protected]

 

Follow Alison on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/alisonshamir/

Buy Alison’s book Conquer Your Imposter here - https://www.amazon.com.au/Conquer-Your-Imposter-undermines-potential/dp/1925452972/

Find out more about Alison’s work and coaching here - https://alisonshamir.com/

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the warm and charming Nelson Aspen. Nelson is one of the most popular and well-known entertainment reporters, having spent three decades on morning television shows around the world, bringing the latest in entertainment, celebrity news and pop culture to millions of viewers. He has interviewed just about everyone in Hollywood, from Robin Williams to Merryl Streep, Lady Gaga, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Joan Rivers and the list goes on and on. Nelson is also a talented cabaret performer and the author of 10 books, including his latest book Kindred Spirits: A Titanic Tale. 

In this episode, we get to hear about some of the more memorable moments from Nelson’s career as a Hollywood reporter - including the stars who were rude and disrespectful, his favourite celebrities to interview, what it was like to interview Robin Williams, and why Nelson loves older stars in their 60s, 70s and beyond! We also hear the incredible story of how Nelson got his start on breakfast television - it involves teaching step aerobics to Princess Diana!

We talk to Nelson about his funny obsession with Titanic, including his podcast, his latest book Kindred Spirits: A Titanic Tale, and a trip he took to Belfast to visit the Titanic museum, which has now turned into Nelson leading a tour of Ireland next year. 

We also chat to Nelson about his cabaret career and he treats us to a little sing-a-long!

We had so much fun chatting to Nelson and hearing all of his Hollywood stories. He’s so friendly and such an entertainer and we hope you love this episode as much as we did. 

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or [email protected]

Follow Nelson on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/nelsonaspen/

Buy Nelson’s book Kindred Spirits: A Titanic Tale here - http://www.nelsonaspen.com/KindredSpirits/

Travel with Nelson to Ireland in 2026! - http://nelsonaspen.com/TravelWithNelson/

Brekky with Nelson on line, Wed Feb 4.  9-10am

Register here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/dd394281-dc0d-489d-b25f-2f933fde48b9@d1a98fdf-2a28-4e76-892d-6aefaf259c79

Nelson's Steamy Semi-Autobiographical Series (Adults Only!)

Dancing Between the Raindrops - http://nelsonaspen.com/dancingBetweenTheRaindrops/

Dancing Between the Raindrops: The Hollywood Years - http://nelsonaspen.com/DancingBetweenTheRainDrops-HollywoodYears

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the fearless trailblazer, Ita Buttrose. From Cleo to The Australian Women’s Weekly and beyond, Ita has shaped media, championed women, and inspired a nation. In her new memoir, Unapologetically Ita, she shares her incredible story. At just 23, Ita became editor of the Sunday Telegraph and The Daily Telegraph. At 30 years old, she launched Cleo magazine and at 33, Ita became the youngest ever editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly. In her extraordinary career, Ita has won countless awards, including Australian of the year In 2013, the highest national honour, Companion of the Order of Australia, along with AO, OBE, 3 honorary doctorates, a place in the Australian Media Hall of Fame, and an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement award for excellence in journalism. She served as Chair of the ABC and is also a passionate advocate for dementia awareness, brain health, HIV education and macular eye disease. Not only that, Ita is also a proud mum of 2 and grandma of 5.

In this episode we get to hear some of the most extraordinary stories from Ita’s career. We go all the way back to when she got her start in journalism at just 15 and how she was determined to dream big and go after those dreams. We chat to Ita about what it was like to work alongside the biggest names in media - Sir Frank Packer, Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch - and what she learnt along the way. 

We hear the incredible story of how Cleo magazine got started almost by accident, after the Packers lost the rights to Cosmopolitan magazine to their rivals. We talk about how Cleo broke so many boundaries, including the first nude centrefolds and Ita shares who her favourite centrefold was. 

Ita talks about her time as Chair of the ABC which she found quite challenging and we also talk about the really important work she’s doing for dementia awareness, brain health and macular eye disease. We get to hear another side of Ita too when she opens up about how much she loves being a grandma. 

Ita has some great life advice and tips for us all and she is truly a role model and inspiration. We were so honoured and thrilled to get to speak with Ita and we hope you love this episode as much as we did. 

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or [email protected]

Buy Ita’s book Unapologetically Ita here - https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/Unapologetically-Ita/Ita-Buttrose/9781761428739

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the entertaining and genuine Ben Fordham. Ben is one of Australia’s most well-known media personalities, hosting the incredibly popular Breakfast Show for 2GB. Ben started working in radio when he was just 15, and he’s built an incredibly successful career over the past 30 years, with no signs of that stopping. In 1997, Ben became the youngest reporter in history to win a Walkley-Award double in the same year, for his coverage of the Thredbo landslide disaster and excellence in journalism. Ben’s also known for his work on TV, including for Sky News, the Today Show, A Current Affair and Nine News. When he’s not working, Ben is a huge family man, married to his beautiful wife Jodie and proud father of their 3 kids, Freddy, Pearl and Goldie.

In this episode Ben tells us so many great stories from his career and family life. We hear how Ben started in the industry as a work experience kid, and always found great mentors to help him in his career. This is one of the reasons why Ben loves doing the same for young people entering the industry - he talks about some of the amazing people who’ve started as work experience kids for him, including Nicola’s daughter, Gabriella, and the way he continues to mentor them and loves seeing them succeed. 

We find out about the time when Ben was the most nervous interviewing someone, and the bombshell that he dropped in that interview, not knowing how his guest was going to react. He also shares the behind-the-scenes details of one of the most difficult stories he’s ever had to cover.

Ben opens up about his family life, the incredibly close relationships he has with his mum and siblings, and the fact that not once, but twice, his family members shared a back fence. And you’ll need to stay tuned to hear the advice Ben gave to his son Freddy about dealing with a school bully - it’s gold! 

We also hear all about Ben’s relationship with the late John Laws, some of the funny lunches they shared in recent years as well as Lawsie’s last words to Ben. 

As Nicola says in this episode, Ben is one of the greatest storytellers around, and this chat was so much fun - Ben kept us entertained and enthralled the entire time! We hope you love it as much as we did. 

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or [email protected]

Follow Ben on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/benfordham9/

Listen to the Ben Fordham Live podcast here - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/ben-fordham-live-on-2gb-breakfast/id157670116

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.