The best Australian and New Zealand podcasts, according to the Fashion Journal team

“It’s easy listening and feels like you’re on the phone with your two best friends chatting away. Plus, it’s co-hosted by two former Fashion Journal interns.”

I’m a sucker for a good podcast. Really, I’m pro anything that can make the tedious parts of life (like cleaning and cooking) slightly less tedious. If I can learn something along the way, be it the grisly details of a cold case murder or a new way to meditate, even better.

Whether you listen to them while folding a mammoth pile of washing or you’re one of those psychos who soundtracks their runs with a podcast (as an avid runner, I can’t condone anything other than loud, fast-paced music), you’ve probably got your go-to shows.

Interested to hear how others navigate the world? Head to our Life section.

But if there’s anything I know to be true, it’s that good podcast recommendations are like hen’s teeth (which means they’re very rare!!). So if you’re in a podcast rut, you’re in luck. Below, I’ve corralled the FJ team into sharing their all-time favourite Australian and New Zealand podcasts.

Kate Streader, Fashion Journal contributor

Tender

Podcasts with sensitive or intense subject matter can be really emotionally taxing and often don’t make for easy listening, though Tender approaches each episode with a lot of thought and gentleness, without compromising its message. Created by Madison Griffiths, Beth Atkinson-Quinton and Roia Atmar, Tender explores the aftermath of abusive relationships from a personal perspective, detailing navigating the systems designed to protect survivors, the unexpected aspects of the healing process and the misconceptions associated with domestic abuse.

Listen to it here.

Cait Emma Burke, Fashion Journal’s Editor

Rats in the Gutter

I listen to a lot of self-improvement podcasts (and read a lot of that type of content, be it books or long-form articles), but sometimes I don’t want to improve. Sometimes I just want to luxuriate in my own filth. For me, this looks like rotting in my bed with a debilitating hangover, a vape in one hand and something greasy in the other while Season Five of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills plays all the way through.

There’s not much content out there that really leans into this type of chaos, but Rats in the Gutter does it with aplomb. Hosted by New Zealand comedians and creatives Johanna Cosgrove and Sam Te Kani, this podcast sees the duo dive headfirst into the messy parts of life, exploring sex, partying, friendship and making art in a time period where everything’s going to shit.

Listen to it here.

Pretty Hard

I was interviewed for an episode of Pretty Hard, the debut podcast by Melbourne beauty brand Fluff, so feel free to call me biased. But as a beauty-obsessed individual, I’ve found the way hosts Erika Geraerts, Fluff’s founder, and Ellen Jenkinson, Fluff’s Head of Brand, explore our incredibly complex relationship to makeup, skincare, self-care and the beauty industry fascinating. In conversation with a different guest from the fashion, beauty and media industries in each episode, they unpack how our lives are shaped by beauty, and how we can discover a version of it that feels most authentic to our inner selves.

Listen to it here.

Georgi Woolcock, Fashion Journal’s Partnerships and Campaign Coordinator

The Psychology of your 20’s

Although I tend to gravitate towards silly, light-hearted podcasts that resemble a conversation with my own friends rather than something educational, every now and then I prefer to listen to the latter. Hosted by Sydney-based psychologist and fellow 20-something Jemma Sbeg, The Psychology of your 20’s deep dives into the psychology behind relatable twenties phenomenons. Nothing is spared in the realms of relationships, friendships, mental health and common adulting dilemmas, answering many of our common questions and providing some much-needed reassurance.

Listen to it here.

Culture Club

Hosted by 20-something media slashies Jasmine Wallis and Maggie Zhou, Culture Club keeps you up-to-date with everything pop culture, internet happenings and current affairs in a way that’s intellectual and considered, but incredibly witty and humorous. It’s easy listening and feels like you’re on the phone with your two best friends chatting away. Plus, it’s co-hosted by two former Fashion Journal interns, and our current Branded Content and Features Editor, so naturally we’re including a shameless plug.

Listen to it here.

Izzy Wight, Fashion Journal’s Editorial Assistant

Benevolent Forces

The only way I would ever listen to a finance podcast is by accident, which is exactly how I became a religious listener of Benevolent Forces. Hosted by Sydney friends Lucy White, Gigi Perry and Ben Ilobuchi, Benevolent Forces is a weekly conversation about fashion, culture, relationships, food and spending money on all of the above, even when you shouldn’t. With the cozzie livs imminent and our financial future looking bleak (particularly for those who live in Sydney), Benevolent Forces is refreshingly unserious and just very good.

Listen to it here.

Maggie Zhou, Fashion Journal’s Branded Content and Features Editor

Shameless

Whipsmart and funny, Shameless is rightfully one of Australia’s most popular podcasts. Hosted by two Melbourne-based writers, Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald, I tune into its weekly recaps of the celebrity news cycle and its Scandal series, which dives into a specific pop culture event from our past.

Listen to it here.

The Bittersweet Podcast

Wintana Kidane and Rahel Davies are the hosts of The Bittersweet Podcast – a show that began in 2021 with the mission of elevating and expanding the representation of Black Australians. You can find the two Melbourne-based friends chatting about life, relationships, culture and pop culture alongside the occasional special guest. The pair are excitingly opening up a studio space at the end of March too!

Listen to it here.

Mel & Sam

Melbourne comedians Mel O’Brien and Samantha Andrew are known for their hyper-local and utterly hilarious cabaret shows together. Now, they’ve started their own podcast where their chaotic energy and nostalgic throwbacks can shine every week.

Listen to it here.

Katie Gaston, Fashion Journal intern

Flopstars

If you’re as keen on frivolity in your playlists as you are in your wardrobe, make sure you pop this one in your queue. The weekly episodes centre around Australian radio DJ Nic Kelly and Australian writer Sam Murphy as they use their experience in music journalism to delve into albums from “our favourite popstars in our hearts who can’t quite compete on the charts”.

They’ll also keep you updated on news from the Australian and global pop music spheres, with their additional ‘Pop In’ episodes every Tuesday. Nic and Sam’s friendship infuses the show with warmth as they break up their analysis with the silliness of episode-specific games like ‘Album review or Ikea furniture review’. It’s a comforting and familiar yet whimsically offbeat listen that’ll have you devouring past episodes between their weekly drops. 

Listen to it here.

The Imperfects

A podcast that has several different formats, The Imperfects hones in on the benefits of finding solace in one another and reflecting on valuable advice “we can apply to our own imperfect lives”. Hosted by resilience teacher Hugh van Cuylenburg, his brother Josh and comedian Ryan Shelton, the trio chat with a host of well-known guests about their struggles. Their seamless transitions between thoughtful, curious conversation and playfully ribbing one another make for a podcast that will have you grinning one moment and crying the next. 

Listen to it here.

For more podcast recommendations, try this.