The Briefing

Ilai Matangi was crowned Australia’s TikTok creator of the year in 2025, becoming the first man and first Pacific Islander to win the gong. 

Under his username, Havea676, he’s been dubbed Australia’s favourite girl dad and creates hilarious relatable content for his 1.8 million followers on Insta and nearly 3 million on TikTok.  

In this chat with Sacha Barbour Gatt, Ilai shares the importance of representation on stages like the TikTok Australia awards and why he’s not going back to stand-up comedy anytime soon.  

Weekend list with Sacha Barbour Gatt and Chris Spyrou

• TO WATCH: Burlesque
• TO DO: Pickleball
• TO SCROLL: WeRateDogs
• TO EAT: Biscoff cheesecake

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Birdwatching isn’t just for dads anymore; it’s booming, addictive, and drawing a new generation into nature. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by wildlife vet and host of Death by Birding, Dr César Puechmarin. Cesar reveals how spotting birds can connect us to nature, spark curiosity, and even transform the way we see the world around us. 

Headlines: The federal government will provide an extra $25 billion in public hospital funding, Sussan Ley has unveiled an interim liberal shadow ministry, there's been a double murder suicide in Perth, and screenings of the Melania documentary have been delayed in Australia. 

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Friday Headlines: Health funding and gun reforms set to dominate today’s National Cabinet meeting, Albanese defends Israeli president’s visit, Australia spends more on tax breaks for investors than affordable housing, health authorities closely monitoring Nipah virus, and the women’s finalists are locked in at the AO!

Deep Dive: The Australian Open has long been the most entertainment-driven of the world’s four tennis Grand Slams.  
 
But this year, as more influencers fill the stands and branded content fills our feeds – some fans are saying the spectacle has overtaken the sport.  
 
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with Ben Clare, Creative Director at social media agency We Are Social Australia, about the role of influencers at the AO and how they might be benefiting the sport rather than taking away from it. 

Further listening from the headlines:
Larissa Waters on Sussan Ley, One Nation, and the embarrassment of Aussie politics

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Australia’s political landscape feels bleak at the moment. From the coalition consumed by infighting to the brutal realities facing women in leadership, voters are frustrated. As trust erodes, support for protest parties like One Nation is rising, fuelled by cost-of-living pressure, culture-war politics and a growing sense that no one is actually listening.

In this episode, Natarsha Belling is joined by Greens Leader Larissa Waters. Larissa unpacks how economic anxiety is being weaponised, why climate change and household bills are inseparable, the controversial hate speech laws, and the failure of political leaders to offer unity or accountability. 

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Thursday Headlines: Perth bomb scare investigated as a potential terrorist act, PM to push states on gun buyback scheme, Trump threatens Iran as US fleet arrives in the Gulf, Telstra phone update leaves some customers unable to access Triple 0, and Djokovic and Sinner set up semifinal clash at the Australian Open

Deep Dive: OpenAI is introducing advertising into ChatGPT. 

The company says it won’t sell user conversations or allow ads to influence answers, but history suggests platforms rarely stay neutral once money enters the chat. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with senior lecturer in business information systems at the University of Sydney, Raffaele Ciriello about why these ads are more dangerous than others on socials and whether this is the beginning of the familiar slide from useful tool to profit-driven platform. 

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What happens when a trusted surgeon doesn’t listen to his patients? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by investigative journalist and author of Duty to Warn, Charlotte Grieve. Charlotte takes us inside her explosive investigation into one of Australia’s most controversial medical cases, and the powerful doctor at the centre of it. What began with an unsettling appointment involving her own father, spiralled into years of reporting, court battles, and a landmark defamation trial. 

Dr Munjed Al Muderis denies any wrongdoing and has launched an appeal against the defamation finding.  

Headlines: Nationals Leader David Littleproud will face a leadership spill next week. The chance of another interest rate cut has taken a major hit, and scientists have moved the doomsday clock to the closest it has been to midnight since its creation. 

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Wednesday Headlines: Bushfire threatens homes in Victoria after record-breaking heat, Perth man remanded in custody after allegedly throwing homemade bomb at Invasion Day rally, support for One Nation continues in latest poll, ABC reviewing security controls after news account hacked, and Alex De Minaur is out of the Aus Open.

Deep Dive: When Meghan Trainor announced the birth of her third child via surrogate, celebration from fans collided with accusations of exploitation - reigniting a familiar argument about whether surrogacy empowers women or takes advantage of them. 

The controversy comes as the Australian government reviews its own surrogacy laws and considers how, or if, they should change. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with Sarah Jefford - surrogacy lawyer and former surrogate to break down why this case has inflamed the debate, what’s being misunderstood and what reform could realistically look like. 

Further listening from the headlines: 
Could Pauline Hanson be our next PM

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Bail laws are under the spotlight after the alleged murders of three people, including a young pregnant mother in rural NSW. The alleged gunman, who is still on the run, was on bail at the time for domestic violence related offences. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Professor Julia Quilter, who breaks down how the bail system works and explains what magistrates are legally required to consider, and why predicting risk is one of the most challenging decisions in the justice system. 

Headlines: A 31-year-old man has been charged after an improvised explosive device was allegedly thrown into a crowd at an Invasion Day rally in Perth, A federal watchdog has found Services Australia deliberately broke the law for six years, a controversial British-Israeli influencer has had his visa cancelled, and Australia’s top ChatGPT searches have been revealed. 

If this discussion raised any issues for you, the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service can be contacted confidentially anytime at 1800 737 732, or by visiting 1800 RESPECT. 

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Tuesday Headlines: Australia Day and Invasion Day events marred by bomb threat and antisemitism, heatwave hits large parts of southeastern Australia, Trump says his administration is ‘reviewing everything’ after ICE shooting of Alex Pretti, calls to tradie mental health hotline soar, and the quarter finals of the AO get underway!

Deep Dive: Hackers are promising to release tens of millions of audio files they claim to have scraped from Spotify, in what’s been described as one of the most brazen digital heists of all time. 

It comes as global piracy rates continue to rebound after years of decline, prompting some to declare we’re living through a new “golden age” of piracy. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou walks us through what this new ‘age’ looks like and what role streaming services and governments have played in it. 

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Monday Headlines: Australian of the Year named, dingoes involved in Canadian backpacker’s death euthanised. calls for a full investigation after second fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis, heatwave to hit millions of Australians this week, and Alex De Minaur is through to the AO quarter finals.

Deep Dive: Patriotism in Australia is shifting, with once‑common symbols of national pride now bringing with them significant political and cultural baggage. 
 
From the anthem to the flag to January 26, the way we talk about and display national pride has changed, with some expressions now seen as ‘cringey,’ while others are viewed as outright racist. 
 
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with historian and associate professor at Central Queensland University, Dr Benjamin Jones, about how patriotism in Australia has changed and whether it can survive the 21st century.  

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