Elizabeth Gilbert's 2006 self-help memoir Eat Pray Love turned the writer into a pop culture phenomenon, championed by Oprah. She became an emblem of white woman spiritual fulfilment/enlightenment/liberation.

Almost two decades later, Gilbert is back with a new memoir titled All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation. But as she herself admits, the Gilbert we come to know in this latest book is far from the "nice lady who wrote Eat Pray Love".

 It focuses on 18 turbulent months in Gilbert's life, after she gets together with her best friend Rayya who has a terminal cancer diagnosis. Both women are addicts and Gilbert goes into detail about the love and dysfunction that unfolds between them.

 Hannah and guest host Jen Wong ask: Where does the book's brutal revelations leave the acolytes living Gilbert's Eat Pray Love lifestyle? Do we now know too much about Elizabeth Gilbert? And why did she publish those poems?

Show notes:

The Conversation All the Way to the River review: Wealthy, whiny and wildly tone deaf: Elizabeth Gilbert's new memoir exemplifies 'priv-lit'

Jennifer Wong's upcoming events: Events — Jennifer Wong

We're chuffed about a new Australian sequel and a pop culture podcast that delves into the lives of c-grade celebrities.

Hannah's sharing a long time listen; Who? Weekly, a pop culture podcast that delves into the celebrities you probably haven't heard of, reality contestants, YouTube stars, the "who?'s" of the world. 

And writer and film critic Jared Richards is chuffed by Top End Bub, a series sequel to the 2019 rom-com Top End Wedding, starring Miranda Tapsell and Gwilym Lee.

Show notes:

Who? Weekly podcast: https://www.whoweekly.us/

From Twilight to the new War of the Worlds offering from Amazon and every bit of slop (AI or human) served up on social media, we're devouring it — but why?

Hannah's joined by writer and film critic Jared Richards to try to understand why we can't look away from the unsavoury content being delivered up by our algorithms. Are we seeking it out for the feeling of superiority, the draw of the grotesque or simply the communal bonding experience of viewing and commenting on the obscure?

Also, we sidebar on the Emmy Awards winners, snubs and highlights this year.

Show notes:

Kirbpiemayo mixes chicken with ice cream: https://www.tiktok.com/@kirbpiemayo/video/7463141724605451526?_r=1&_t=ZS-8zd4IG2Z61g

The Princess Ayesha instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DM_WO0cz1Q7/

We're chuffed by two shows that have gone a bit under the radar on the streaming platforms.

Hannah can't look away from the Netflix series Sirens: Survive the Island, the Korean reality series that drops teams of women onto a deserted island featuring fortified bases and rugged terrain as they battle to capture their opponent's flag.

Guest critic Clare Rawlinson LOL'd nonstop watching In the Know, a stop motion comedy series, set in an American public radio station that feels a little too real.

And Hannah and Clare share a couple of their picks for the Radio National top 100 favourite books. Don't miss out on having your say in Australia's favourite books from the 21st Century.

Tell us what's got you chuffed. Write to [email protected]

Show notes:

Radio National 100 favourite books: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/radionational/countdown/top100books

The creators of The Office (US) have returned with The Paper: a new series set in a struggling local newspaper. We put it to the test to see if it can match the magic of the original.

Hannah and guest critic Clare Rawlinson also share their experiences in a contracting media landscape and local newspapers, and how The Paper taps into the erosion of news coverage occurring worldwide.

Plus, we sidebar on the best moments from the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, arguably the least serious yet most fun of all the awards nights.

Show notes:

Vote in Radio National's 100 favourite books: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/radionational/countdown/top100books

We're chuffed by the expansion of the sci-fi horror franchise Aliens and the relaunch of a popular parenting podcast.

Hannah's watching the new Disney + series Alien: Earth which has all the familiar hallmarks of the original; face huggers, dark spaceships and creepy eggs but with an expanded world and moments of chaotic humour. And Clare's chuffed by the funny and smart conversations about parenting dilemmas in the relaunched Mamamia podcast, Parenting Out Loud.

Get in touch: What's got you chuffed? Write or send a voice note to [email protected]

Show notes:

PARENTING OUT LOUD: The Third Kid Dessert Analogy & FFS, Please Stop With The Texts: PARENTING OUT LOUD: The Third Kid Dessert Analogy & FFS, Please Stop With The Texts

We’re talking about two princesses of pop culture after the release of a new season of With Love, Meghan and Taylor Swift’s engagement photos.  

The Duchess of Sussex is back sharing her kitchen with celebrity cooks and TV stars, sprinkling dried flowers with abandon and dishing up tartines (aka fancy toast). But... why? 

Hannah and guest co-host Clare Rawlinson also unpack how the engagement of TnT (Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce) plays into princess fantasies, and the reaction from Taylor’s global fanbase. 

Get in touch: write or send a voice memo to [email protected]

Show notes: 

Daniela Elsa's review of With Love, Meghan: https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/meghan-markles-new-big-budget-netflix-show-cant-hide-one-major-issue/news-story/0d23ecbec34e78436e21d29edbc4596c 

Taylor Swift's engaged: https://www.instagram.com/taylorswift/

This week Hannah and Bev are chuffed by the stuff that reminds them of their culture. 

Hannah’s chuffed by Long Story Short, Netflix’s time-jumping animated series about the Jewish-American Schwooper family, and Bev’s chuffed by Left-Handed Girl, a feature about a woman and her two daughters making a living in a Taipei night market, from Taiwanese-American director Shih-Ching Tsou, co-written and edited by Sean Baker. 

Tell us what’s got you chuffed: write to [email protected]

The Stop Everything! celebrity book club is in session for a dissection of Gwyneth: The Biography by author and journalist Amy Odell, who also wrote the New York Times-bestselling biography about Vogue’s Anna Wintour. 

“Confident” and “oblivious” are two words the author uses repeatedly to describe the Oscar-winning actress turned Goop CEO. But what other life experiences propelled Gwyneth’s pivot from movies to wellness influencing? Hannah and Bev have got the goss. 

Get in touch: write to [email protected]

Chuffed is stuffed this week! Hannah and Bev are hosting a potluck feast of recommendations, and everyone's brought something to share — from KPop Demon Hunters to Pedro Pascal and even more real estate reality shows to watch — there's lot of chuffing going on!

Tell us what's got you chuffed. Write to [email protected]

Show notes:

Hannah's chuffed

@shaiie_foeva judges potluck dishes: https://www.tiktok.com/@shaiie_foeva/video/7537804410823380246?_r=1&_t=ZS-8yzn5mib0Vu

Bev's chuffed

Pedro Pascal on Fresh Air: https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/g-s1-82589/fresh-air-for-aug-14-2025-actor-pedro-pascal

Sheng Wang Sweet and Juicy: https://www.netflix.com/search?q=sheng%20wang%20sweet&jbv=81276951

Hetty McKinnon's mushroom miso sausage rolls: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025932-vegetarian-miso-mushroom-sausage-rolls?unlocked_article_code=1.fU8.dmh1.biBlNxRfrij7&smid=share-url

More real estate reality shows

Phil Spencer: Secret Agent: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/phil-spencer-secret-agent/series/1

My Lottery Dream Home: https://www.9now.com.au/my-lottery-dream-home