Real Talk with Holly & Ali

Real Talk with Holly & Ali

By Holly Richards & Ali CromartySociety & CultureArtsPerforming Arts
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Real Talk with Holly & Ali episodes

  • LOVE STORIES | What’s Dating Like for Michael Theo? The Love on the Spectrum Star Busts Some Myths

    If you enjoy this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, make sure you pop on over and follow us on your podcast app of choice! Here we are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and even in full video on YouTube (wow!).

    About the episode:

    When Michael Theo first appeared on Love on the Spectrum, his quest to find a wife captured the hearts of audiences around the world. But while finding romantic love was the goal, the experience also taught Michael that love can take many different forms, from the friendships that sustain us to the family who accept us exactly as we are. 

    In this episode of Love Stories, Michael joins The Australian Women'’s Weekly host Tiffany Dunk for a candid chat about his evolving perspective on relationships, dating and what it really means to find the right person. He reflects on his first serious relationship, why he ultimately decided it wasn'’t the right fit, and how the experience helped him understand what he wants in a future partner.  

    Plus, Michael discusses growing up on the autism spectrum, the expectations doctors once had for his future, and how his mother’s unwavering support helped him become the person he is today. He also talks about embracing what makes him different, the importance of looking after your own needs, and how Love on the Spectrum led to his starring role in the television series Austin. 

    Moments you’ll hear: 

    • Michael's love languages and why quality time and physical touch matter to him 
    • The support from Michael’s mum that helped shape the person he is today 
    • The friendship he describes as having a soulmate without the romance 
    • How Love on the Spectrum opened the door to his acting career 
    • Why Michael believes being different is something to celebrate 
    • What his first serious relationship taught him about what he wants in a partner 
    • Michael's dream date: a romantic boat ride through the canals of Venice 
    • The very special gift he spent 11 years planning for a former girlfriend 
    • The qualities he’s looking for in a future partner 
    • Michael’s advice on self-acceptance, putting your own needs first and becoming a better partner 

    You can watch Season 3 of Austin on ABC & ABC iview. 

    Thank you for listening ❤️ 

    Before you leave... 

    🗣️ Get in touch 

    What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au 

    Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] 

    If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories 

    Subscribe to The Australian Women'’s Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽 

    Credits 

    Host: Tiffany Dunk 

    Edited by Leah Porges 

    Production by Leah Porges 

    With thanks to our wonderful The Australian Women'’s Weekly team 

    Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain 

    Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min
  • LOVE STORIES | From “The Uncoolest Kids” To Las Vegas: Human Nature’s Extraordinary Story

    If you enjoy this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, make sure you pop on over and follow us on your podcast app of choice! Here we are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and even in full video on YouTube (wow!).

    About the episode:

    Back in high school, Andrew and Mike Tierney, Toby Allen and Phil Burton were the self-described uncool kids who found their people through music. Nearly four decades later, Human Nature have become one of Australia’s most enduring musical acts, with platinum records, international tours and a long-running Las Vegas residency behind them.  

    In this episode of Love Stories, the four friends join Tiffany Dunk to look back on the journey that began in a Sydney school choir. They share how Andrew and Mike’s parents helped keep the dream alive, why they were determined to prove their critics wrong, and how the pressure of fame sometimes made it difficult to celebrate their own success. They also revisit extraordinary career moments, from touring with Celine Dion to performing with John Farnham, and explain how Smokey Robinson helped open the door to Las Vegas. 

    Plus, the band reflect on the impact of their move to the US, balancing their private relationships with life in the public eye, and the everyday work of staying connected after almost 40 years together. 

    Moments you’ll hear: 

    • How four high school friends found their people through music 
    • The parents who helped turn their dream into a career 
    • Hearing their first single on the radio and realising they were really doing this 
    • Touring with Celine Dion and sharing the stage with John Farnham 
    • How Smokey Robinson helped open the door to Las Vegas 
    • The criticism that made them question their place in the Australian music scene 
    • The pressure to keep their relationships private while building a public career 
    • How moving to Las Vegas changed life for the band and their families 
    • The friendship, trust and compromises that have kept them together for almost 40 years 
    • What the future holds for Human Nature 

    Buy your copy of Only Human: Harmony Through the Hits & Hard Times by Human Nature here. 

    Check out Human Nature’s tour dates here. 

    Thank you for listening ❤️ 

    Before you leave... 

    🗣️ Get in touch 

    What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au 

    Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] 

    If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we’re @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories 

    Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au  👈🏽 

    Credits 

    Host: Tiffany Dunk 

    Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace 

    Production by Leah Porges and Helen Smith 

    Our wonderful The Australian Women’s Weekly team 

    Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain 

    Learn More: The Australian Women’s Weekly website 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1 hr 5 min
  • LOVE STORIES | I’m Giving My Husband My Kidney: Emma Chow’s Incredible Promise To Enzo Lisbona

    If you enjoy this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, make sure you pop on over and follow us on your podcast app of choice! Here we are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and even in full video on YouTube (wow!).

    About the episode:

    When Emma Chow and Enzo Lisbona first met, they had no idea just how much life would ask of them. Married for 11 years and parents to two young boys, their relationship has been built on friendship, laughter and a deep commitment to each other. 

    But when Enzo was diagnosed with kidney disease, their future suddenly became uncertain. As his kidney function deteriorated and he was told he would need a transplant, Emma made the extraordinary decision to put herself forward as a living donor. Then came the news they had been hoping for: she was a match. 

    In this episode of Love Stories, Emma and Enzo join Tiffany Dunk to revisit their unconventional first meeting, a very public radio proposal, and the challenges that have tested their marriage.  

    They open up about the fear and uncertainty of Enzo’s diagnosis, the emotional weight of asking someone for a kidney, and the four-week wait to find out whether Emma could donate. 

    Moments you’ll hear: 

    • How Emma and Enzo met 
    • How Enzo proposed to Emma live on the radio 
    • The kidney disease diagnosis that changed their lives 
    • Why Emma decided to become Enzo’s living kidney donor 
    • The emotional moment they discovered Emma was a match 
    • How they navigated fear and uncertainty while raising two young boys 
    • The incredible response after sharing their story publicly 
    • What their journey has taught them about love, partnership and resilience 

    To learn more about organ donation, visit https://www.lifeblood.com.au/  

    Thank you for listening ❤️ 

    Before you leave... 

    🗣️ Get in touch 

    What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au 

    Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] 

    If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we’re @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories 

    Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au  👈🏽 

    Credits 

    Host: Tiffany Dunk 

    Edited by Leah Porges 

    Production by Leah Porges 

    Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team 

    Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain 

    Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    58 min
  • Author Heather Morris On The One Man Who Taught Her The True Meaning Of Love | LOVE STORIES

    If you enjoy this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, make sure you pop on over and follow us on your podcast app of choice! Here we are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and even in full video on YouTube (wow!).

    About the episode:

    This episode discusses mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder and perinatal loss. Support: Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7) | Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 (24/7) | PANDA 1300 726 306 (perinatal mental health support). 

    When Heather Morris met Holocaust survivor Lale Sokolov, she made him a promise: she would never stop trying to tell his story. That promise would eventually lead to The Tattooist of Auschwitz, the bestselling novel that changed her life. 

    On this episode of The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories, Heather joins Tiffany Dunk for a deeply moving conversation about the many forms love can take. She reflects on growing up in rural New Zealand, the great-grandfather who made her feel heard, her decades working in social work and the love she shared with her late husband, Steve. 

    Heather also reveals how she came to writing later in life, why she continues to tell the stories of ordinary people living through extraordinary times, and the remarkable true story behind her latest novel, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, about a woman who risked everything to protect a young Jewish girl during in Nazi-occupied Paris. 

    Moments you’ll hear: 

    • The great-grandfather who taught Heather the importance of listening 
    • The love story between Heather and her late husband, Steve 
    • What decades in social work taught her about unconditional love and grief 
    • The promise she made to Holocaust survivor Lale Sokolov 
    • How Heather became a bestselling author later in life 
    • The real-life stories behind The Tattooist of Auschwitz 
    • How The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse came to be 
    • The extraordinary story of a piano that helped a young girl survive the Holocaust 
    • Heather’s advice on following your dreams at any age 

    You can buy Heather’s newest book, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, here  

     

    Thank you for listening ❤️ 

    Before you leave... 

    🗣️ Get in touch 

    What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au 

    Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] 

    If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we''re @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories 

    Subscribe to The Australian Women’'s Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au  👈🏽 

    Credits 

    Host: Tiffany Dunk 

    Edited by Leah Porges 

    Production by Leah Porges 

    Our wonderful The Australian Women’'s Weekly team 

    Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain 

    Learn More: The Australian Women’'s Weekly website 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    51 min
  • LOVE STORIES | Forget $500k... Pia Miranda Says Finding Janine Allis On Survivor Was The Ultimate Prize

    If you enjoy this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, make sure you pop on over and follow us on your podcast app of choice! Here we are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and even in full video on YouTube (wow!).

    About the episode:

    Pia Miranda and Janine Allis went onto Australian Survivor with very different plans: Pia was determined to win, while Janine was looking for an adventure. Neither expected to find a lifelong best friend along the way. 

    After spending around 50 days together without phones, TV or the usual comforts of life, the pair formed an extraordinary bond; one built on humour, honesty, and complete trust.  

    Now, seven years after Survivor, Pia and Janine join Tiffany Dunk to talk about the friendship that changed how they see themselves, why they believe true friends should make you the best version of yourself, and how they stay close despite living in different states and having very different lives. 

    They also reveal their friendship's love language, their hilarious holiday rituals, why their husbands have accepted that they're basically each other's "wives", and the advice they'd give anyone trying to make meaningful friendships later in life. 

    Plus, Pia talks about her new ABC cooking show Recipe of the Year with Adam Liaw, the TV project she and Janine are developing together, and why they're both exploring spirituality and self-growth. 

    Moments you’ll hear: 

    • How Pia and Janine first met on Australian Survivor 
    • The moment Janine tried to vote Pia out and why it cemented their friendship 
    • What 50 days without phones, TV or creature comforts revealed about them 
    • How Janine helped Pia recognise her own strength 
    • How they built complete trust in a game based on paranoia 
    • How their friendship has changed the way they approach other relationships 
    • The moment Pia realised this was a lifelong friendship 
    • How they maintain a close friendship while living in different states 
    • Their theory of "friendship buckets" and why happiness can't come from just one person 
    • How to recognise when you've found "your people" 
    • Their advice for making new friends 
    • How they support each other through parenting, work, health and life 
    • The TV show they're developing together, exploring spirituality and self-growth 
    • Their ideal friendship date: surfing, walking, talking and good food 
    • Why they know they'll grow old together 

    You can find out more about Recipe of the Year, the new ABC cooking series with Pia Miranda and Adam Liaw here.  

    Thank you for listening ❤️ 

    Before you leave... 

    🗣️ Get in touch 

    What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au 

    Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] 

    If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories 

    Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽 

    Credits 

    Host: Tiffany Dunk 

    Edited by Leah Porges 

    Production by Leah Porges 

    Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team 

    Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain 

    Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    45 min
  • Love Stories | Two Comedians Met At A Bar... Inside Tegan Higginbotham & Paul Verhoeven's Lasting Romance

    If you enjoy this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, make sure you pop on over and follow us on your podcast app of choice! Here we are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and even in full video on YouTube (wow!).

    About the episode:

    Tegan Higginbotham and Paul Verhoeven's love story began with a very unusual first date: a lingerie football game, followed by a birthday party and their first kiss outside a drag bar. 

    Now married, the comedy creators join Tiffany Dunk to talk about their Paris wedding, the proposal almost derailed by a Cornish pasty, the ducks that interrupted their ceremony, and how they navigate working together on Stan's new comedy series, Gnomes. 

    They also share what they've learned about love, laughter, communication, and keeping a relationship strong through the highs and lows of two careers in entertainment. 

    Moments you’ll hear: 

    • Tegan and Paul's very unusual first date 
    • How their paths crossed several times before they finally got together 
    • Why making each other laugh is such an important part of their relationship 
    • Their "anxiety pav" and how food became their love language 
    • The proposal that was almost derailed by a Cornish pasty 
    • Why they decided to get married in Paris 
    • The ducks that dive-bombed their wedding ceremony 
    • How they navigated the ups and downs of two careers in entertainment 
    • What lockdown taught them about their relationship 
    • The "seven-year itch" — and why they were still going strong 
    • How Tegan and Paul learned to work together creatively on Gnomes 
    • Their advice for couples who work together 
    • What they hope their relationship looks like in another 13 years 

    You can find out more about Gnomes, the new Stan Original comedy series written by Tegan Higginbotham and Paul Verhoeven, here. 

    Thank you for listening ❤️ 

    Before you leave... 

    🗣️ Get in touch 

    What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au 

    Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] 

    If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories 

    Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽 

    Credits 

    Host: Tiffany Dunk 

    Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace 

    Production by Leah Porges 

    Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team 

    Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain 

    Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    55 min
  • Love Stories | Does Love Exist? Shaun Micallef & Son Gabe Have An Interesting Theory

    If you enjoy this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, make sure you pop on over and follow us on your podcast app of choice! Here we are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and even in full video on YouTube (wow!).

    About the episode:

    Shaun Micallef admits he approached fatherhood much like an IKEA flatpack: without reading the instructions. 

    Now his middle son Gabe is 26, and the pair have become colleagues, co-hosting Network 10’s Shaun Micallef’s Parents Evening, a game show that tests just how well parents and their adult children really know each other. 

    In this episode, Shaun and Gabe sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about what Gabe inherited from his dad, growing up with one of Australia’s best-known comedians and how their relationship has changed now that they’re both adults. 

    Plus, they reveal how the homemade movies they made together when Gabe was a child may have laid the groundwork for them eventually ending up on television together. 

    Moments you’ll hear: 

    • Shaun’s theory about whether love actually exists 
    • Why Shaun decided not to read the parenting books 
    • The simple childhood adventures Gabe remembers with his dad 
    • What Gabe inherited from Shaun 
    • The homemade movies they made together as a family 
    • What it was really like growing up with Shaun Micallef as your dad 
    • How Parents Evening brought father and son together professionally 
    • What Shaun and Gabe hope for each other’s futures 

    Watch Shaun Micallef’s Parents Evening on Network 10 and 10 Play. 

    Thank you for listening ❤️ 

    Before you leave... 

    🗣️ Get in touch 

    What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au 

    Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] 

    If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories 

    Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽 

    Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes. 

    You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice 

    Credits 

    Host: Tiffany Dunk 

    Edited by Leah Porges 

    Production by Leah Porges 

    Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team 

    Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain 

    Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    54 min
  • Adam Eckersley Always Knew Brooke McClymont Was "The One". It Took Her Longer To Catch On.

    If you enjoy this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, make sure you pop on over and follow us on your podcast app of choice! Here we are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and even in full video on YouTube (wow!).

    About the episode:

    Brooke McClymont rode her bike past Adam Eckersley 's house every morning on the way to school in Grafton. Most mornings he'd yell out that he was going to marry her one day. She'd yell back "in your dreams, mullet head." 

    Ten years later they ran into each other at the pub at Christmas. Adam was living in his van at Merewether Beach. Brooke had a record deal. They sat up all night over cabanossi and brie and eventually worked out that they were more than friends. Then they signed a six-month lease in case it didn't work. That was 18 years ago. 

    In this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, the country music couple talk to Tiffany Dunk about making a marriage work in an industry that pulls people apart: the three-week rule for time on the road, the morning shift Adam took for years so Brooke could sleep, and the six weeks he spent alone with two kids in lockdown while Brooke was on I'm a Celebrity. 

    They also go to the hard places. The COVID year when they were about to lose the farm, and the idea that saved it. The month Adam stopped getting out of the ute to play with his daughter at the bus stop, and what that told him. And the night he asked Brooke to book him in to talk to someone, because he knew he'd turn up if she did. 

    Their third album Souls on Show is out now, and one track, 'In and Out of Love', is the closest thing they have to a marriage manifesto: stay together while you fall in and out of it. Two decades on, Adam still says Brooke has the best female voice in Australia, and she still says he's the best songwriter she's ever written with. 

      

    Buy Souls on Show or book tickets to their show here 

    Email [email protected] with your date and accommodation preference to book Hang at the Wang 

    Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes Australia.  

    You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice 

    Moments you’ll hear: 

    • The teenage bike ride past Adam's house, the marriage proposal shouted from the front yard, and the two words Brooke yelled back
    • Why Adam says his eldest son, not Brooke, was the first time he ever felt love, and why he still barely says the word
    • Cabanossi, brie and an all-night talk: the least romantic "we're official" conversation you'll ever hear
    • Living in a van at Merewether Beach, and the night-time toilet runs that finally convinced Brooke to get a lease
    • A wedding on the Tamworth farm with Tom Gleeson on the mic, a mud-brown dress and a groom covered in scabies
    • The three-week rule that stopped touring from quietly ending their marriage
    • Six weeks alone with two kids in lockdown while Brooke was in the jungle, and the letter Adam sent in: "I'm a Parent, Get Me Out of Here"
    • Nearly losing the farm during COVID, and the 40-fans-at-a-time idea that saved it
    • The bus stop moment that made Adam realise he needed help, and why he asked Brooke to make the booking
    • Date night is a fire in the bottom shed, and 20 years from now it's a veggie patch with Brooke on a throne

    Thank you for listening ❤️ 

    Before you leave... 

    🗣️ Get in touch 

    What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au 

    Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] 

    If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories 

    Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽 

    Credits 

    Host: Tiffany Dunk 

    Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace 

    Production by Leah Porges 

    Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team 

    Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain 

    Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    54 min
  • LOVE STORIES: Before Jim Rogers Loses His Memories, His Daughter Millie Is Recording His Extraordinary Life

    We hope you enjoy this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories...

    Jim Rogers met his wife Lorna in a small English town. The two connected over a shared obsession with VW Beetles. They married, had three children, and moved to Perth chasing sunshine. Life was good until Lorna was diagnosed with melanoma and tragically died within a few years, leaving Jim a single father to three children under nine. 

    Eighteen months later, his parents sent him on a holiday he didn't want to go on. There, he met a man named Tyler. What followed was a relationship neither of them expected, kept quietly in the background of family life for years, and one that's now lasted 26 years. 

    In this episode, Jim and Millie sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about the process of writing Jim's memoir together: the hardest parts to put into words, what it was like for Millie to hear new stories about her mum and her dad's early relationship with Tyler, and Jim's more recent diagnosis of young-onset Alzheimer's, which he's chosen to speak about publicly rather than hide. 

    Plus, Jim talks about the podcast he co-hosts with Hamish MacDonald, Hold the Moment, and what he hopes it can do to de-stigmatise Alzheimer's and help people with the diagnosis feel less alone. 

    Moments you’ll hear: 

    • How Jim met Lorna, and the VW Beetle that started it all 
    • Millie's memory of the day her dad told her and her siblings their mum had died 
    • The holiday Jim didn't want to go on, and the man he met there 
    • Millie's first inkling that her dad's friend was more than a friend 
    • The proposal on top of the Empire State Building, and the surprise engagement at home 
    • Jim's young-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis 
    • Why Jim decided to write it all down, "warts and all" 

    Photo Credit: Rob Palmer 

    You can listen to Jim’s podcast, Hold The Moment, here. 

    Find Jim & Millie’s book, Holding on to Happiness, here. 

    Thank you for listening ❤️ 

    Before you leave... 

    🗣️ Get in touch 

    What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au 

    Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] 

    If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories 

    Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽 

    Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes. 

    You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice 

    Credits 

    Host: Tiffany Dunk 

    Edited by Leah Porges 

    Production by Leah Porges 

    Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team 

    Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain 

    Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1 hr 4 min
  • LOVE STORIES: Ally Langdon & Maryanne Larkin: The Friendship Behind R U OK? Day

    We hope you enjoy this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories...

    Content Warning: This episode discusses suicide, mental health issues, grief and the loss of a parent and child to illness. If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14. 

    Find more support services here: Need help? Support services and crisis helplines in Australia - The Australian Women's Weekly 

    In 2009, Gavin Larkin sat his wife Maryanne and their closest friends down at the dinner table and told them about an idea he'd been carrying since his own father died by suicide years earlier. It was a simple question that could change everything: "Are you okay?" 

    Allison "Ally" Langdon, a journalist and friend who was part of that conversation, knew instantly she had to help get the message out. What followed was R U OK? Day which has since grown into a national movement. But what followed was something that neither Ally nor Maryanne could have imagined. 

    In this episode, Ally and Maryanne sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about the early, uncomfortable days of getting a newsroom to even say the word "suicide," what it actually looked like for Ally to show up for her friend in the hardest years of her life, and the quiet, everyday ways two women have held a friendship together, and a legacy alive, for close to two decades. 

    Moments you'll hear: 

    • The dinner table conversation in 2009 that became R U OK? Day 
    • Why newsrooms wouldn't touch the word "suicide," and the pushback Ally got 
    • Maryanne on losing both Gavin and her eldest son Gus, and why moving into her late son's bedroom with her two younger kids helped them all grieve 
    • The small, practical ways Ally and their friend group showed up during the hardest years 
    • What it means to keep telling stories about someone you've lost 
    • Nearly 20 years on, what they still hope for each other 

    Visit the R U OK? Day website here. 

    Learn more about Ally and Maryanne's friendship in our exclusive interview here

    Thank you for listening ❤️ 

    Before you leave... 

    🗣️ Get in touch 

    What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au 

    Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] 

    If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories 

    Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽 

    Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin 

    Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au 

    Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now! 

    Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes. 

    You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice 

    Credits 

    Host: Tiffany Dunk 

    Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace 

    Production by Leah Porges 

    Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team 

    Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain 

    Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website. 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min

About Real Talk with Holly & Ali

From the publisher's feed

This is the pop culture podcast that says exactly what you're thinking but too afraid to say.

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