Reality Life with Kate Casey

Every December, the same two songs return — playing in stores, homes, airports, and holiday parties around the world. Do They Know It’s Christmas? and Last Christmas have become so deeply embedded in our global celebration of the season that it feels like they’ve always been there. But they haven’t. 

In this episode, Kate takes a deep dive into the remarkable back stories behind two of the most iconic Christmas songs ever recorded, both released within days of each other in December 1984 — and both created under dramatically different circumstances. 

Reality Life with Kate Casey 

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Kate is joined by Patrick Hickey, co-host of Bad TV podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from Sean Combs to Real Housewives. Patrick shares his personal connection to Sean “Diddy” Combs and what it’s been like watching the conversation evolve in real time, especially in the wake of the Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning. They also discuss Taylor Swift, music industry strategy, documentaries, and Real Housewives. 

Reality Life with Kate Casey 

What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com 

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John Maggio, director of the HBO documentary Paul Anka: His Way, about the life and legacy of one of popular music’s most enduring figures. 

Paul Anka, born in 1941 in Ottawa, Canada, rose to fame at sixteen with the hit single “Diana.” Unlike many artists of his era, Anka maintained early control over his songwriting and publishing, a decision that enabled a career spanning more than six decades. In addition to his own recordings, he wrote songs for artists including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and Tom Jones, most notably “My Way.” 

Reality Life with Kate Casey 

What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com 

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Kate breaks down the shocking true story behind Hulu’s Missing Millionaires and the disappearance of Australian financial fraudster Melissa Caddick. 

Melissa Caddick appeared to be a successful Sydney-based financial advisor living an enviable life in one of the city’s wealthiest coastal neighborhoods. But in November 2020, as federal police raided her home for operating a massive Ponzi scheme, Melissa walked out for a morning run and never returned. 

Reality Life with Kate Casey 

What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com 

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Dana Bowling joins Kate to discuss Taylor Swift: The End of an Era on Disney+, and Southern Charm and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo. 

Reality Life with Kate Casey 

What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com 

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Kate discusses what to watch this week including Murder in Monaco (Netflix), The Secrets We Bury (ID Discovery), Breakdown: 1975 (Netflix), and Born to Be Wild (Apple TV). 

Reality Life with Kate Casey 

What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com 

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In this episode, Kate talks with Kim Huynh, whose family story spans continents, generations, and a lifetime of unanswered questions. Kim first caught Kate’s attention through an Instagram video where she revealed a stunning discovery: her father—born and raised in Vietnam—had finally found a biological relative through a genealogy site. The match confirmed what had long been whispered but never proven: his father was an American soldier in the Vietnam War, a man he never knew, and about whom his own mother gave no identifying information. 

Kim shares her father’s powerful origin story and the emotional impact of uncovering a history shaped by secrecy, war, and resilience. She also tells the story of how her parents met and married in Vietnam, and how, when she was four years old, they left their homeland to start again in Kentucky, building a life that blended Vietnamese heritage with Southern American culture. 

Reality Life with Kate Casey 

What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com 

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In this episode, Kate breaks down Meghan Markle’s new Netflix holiday special With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration with veteran TV producer and Fixing Famous People host Chris DeRosa. Together they unpack the highly curated Montecito setting, the wreath-making and hosting “how-to” segments, Meghan’s viral red-pajama moment, and why the special has become such a lightning rod for both fans and critics. Chris offers an insider producer’s perspective on what worked, what felt off, and how he would have shaped the project for more authenticity and impact. Whether you loved it or were left puzzled, this conversation reframes Meghan’s latest move in the streaming world. 

Reality Life with Kate Casey 

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Susan Powter joins Kate to discuss her new documentary Stop The Insanity: Finding Susan Powter on iTunes and Amazon. 

In the 90s, pop culture icon Susan Powter burst onto the scene with her signature bleach-blonde buzz cut and bold message of health and wellness. After conquering infomercials, becoming a New York Times bestselling author, hosting her own talk show, and seeing her face on thousands of products, she dramatically walked away from Hollywood. Crippling lawsuits with her business partners left her bankrupt, and for the past twenty years, she has lived as a total recluse, below the poverty line in Las Vegas. This documentary explores the meteoric rise and subsequent fall of Susan Powter, while asking what it will take to bring Susan back to audiences and whether her message, "Stop The Insanity, " is still as relevant and powerful today as it was in the early 90's. 

Reality Life with Kate Casey 

What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com 

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In this episode, Kate explores Charmed by the Devil, the haunting new Oxygen documentary built from journalist Laura Greenberg’s 40-year investigation into serial killer Douglas Gretzler and the more than 500 hours of intimate audiotapes she recorded with him. Through conversations with Co-Executive Producer Lauren Flowers and Laura’s nephew, actor Ben Giroux, they unpack how one of the deadliest killing sprees in American history quietly vanished from headlines, how Laura’s journalistic pursuit evolved into a deeply complicated relationship with Gretzler, and what it took to shape decades of material into a coherent, ethically grounded film. 

Reality Life with Kate Casey 

What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com 

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecasey 

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