Hello, and welcome to Something to Talk About the Stella Podcast. I'm Sarah Lamarquin to your host and Stella's editor in chief. Every week I sit down with some of the biggest names in the country, and today's guest is definitely just that, having gone from reality TV show contestant to one of the most well known women in Australia. It's been just over a year since I last sat down with Abby Chatfield and when you look at what's happened in her life and career since then, well, to use three words
all but trademarked by Abby herself, it's a lot. The past twelve months have seen her walk away from radio, but continue to host her hit podcast, take her one woman show on the road with a national tour, and film her second season as host of f Boy Island Australia. She also continues to generate headlines by using her social media platform to speak out about serious political issues, and she's very famously found love in the arms of Peaking
Duck musician Adam Hyde. Like I said, it's a lot, and on today's episode is Something to talk About Abby and I get into all of it and then some Abby Chatfield, Welcome back to Stella and Something to talk about.
Hi, Sarah, thanks having me back. It's lovely to have you back.
The last time you and I sat down was ahead of the launch of f Boy Island Australia and you were on the cover of Stella and on Something to talk About. It was May of last year. Show was just about to launch. It's coming back soon for season two, which we'll talk about in a moment. But whole new pressure trying to launch an unheard of show in Australia, especially when the name alone has everyone clutching. Yes, said Pearls. It was a gorgeous cover. It really was, as is
the one today. And rather than do an Instagram post saying you know, glad to be on the cover Stelle or here I am or what you know, buckle up if Boy Island coming soon, you spoke about how you'd really struggle that day shooting the cover. You said that you had taken breaks outside between shots to go outside to cry. You were very generous about saying I love the photos. Team at Stella are some of the best
in the country. So it wasn't any of that, you know, It wasn't any of that, like, oh, you know, I hate being in front of the camera.
I don't look good.
It wasn't any of that. It was very profound. And I know it's always a bit weird when people read your words.
Back to you.
But you said a lot of you will say have a break, as my GP E and T psychologists and psychiatrist have all said. But it simply isn't possible. My commitments don't allow me a break. My voice right now is so painful when I speak that I cry from the pain. Sometimes I had three days of vocal rest. It didn't help. I'm on the verge of tears all the time. If one thing goes wrong, the floodgates open. I have so much pressure on me all the time to be fun or entertaining or at the very least
have something of value to say. It's draining physically and mentally. I'm not trying to get sympathy, I guess I'm just trying to say this is maybe not what you think. This industry, I love it, and I love all my jobs. This is Sarah interjecting here to say Abby. At the time, for some context, of course, you were hosting your podcast about to launcheff Boy Island. You were also on radio every night at the time with your National Show and twos.
There was a lot going on.
Yeah, back to Abby, I love it and I love all my jobs, but that's kind of the issue. It's addictive and intoxicating and fucking fun until it isn't and you are commodifying parts of you and there isn't much left just for yourself. About fifteen months later, how does it feel reflecting on those words, Well.
I quit radio, thank god. That's was the biggest issue that I was having was radio. For sure. I feel like I'm still very burnt out and very exhausted. I think that period of time was when just before I decided to quit radio, and then it took me a few months to actually do it because I had a break a bit after that because I kind of said
that I can't, I can't do this anymore. This is yep, this is very It's not conducive to anyone having a good outcome, like good content, me being happy, anything, but obviously that sentiment still stands, having to be like happy and excited and have something interesting to say, and it's very exhausting. When I mean you, I'm sure you feel the same. When I used to have a nine to five, and obviously I love the job that I have now
so much. When I had nine to five, if I had my period or a migrain, or if I had a really bad mental health week or a few months, I could just sit in front of my computer because I did Like I was in red estate commercial real estate, I was an analyst, so I could just literally be like, no one talk to me, and then just get my work done and go through the motions. But with this job, as you know, you can't really just go through the motions because you have to be like sparkly and exciting,
and particularly hosting a show or doing a podcast. It's from my personal perspectives, there's not a chance to switch off so at that time, particularly because with radio, something
that people don't speak up publicly. I don't think, but a lot of radio hosts speak about this is that your life gets consumed by radio because every single day, like you're hoping that you'll get the wrong scone at the cafe so you can do it thirteen ten sixty, when if you've got the wrong right, like every single part of your life, every bit of media I ingested. I'm writing notes for what I can do for radio. Every single conversation that I have, I go like writing notes.
So that was when work was encompassing my entire life, my entire being. Since putting radio, I'm much happier, much happier, like much. Avia can't believe it, but would say that I'm still reeling from the effects of radio. So it's getting better for sure, but I still have a bit of burnout definitely.
It is interesting what you say about the radio because we have had a couple of people touch upon it and Rossiano Bianca, die Amanda Kella recently, all in different things. There is that component where you have to mine your life, Jackie, Oh, I've spoken about it before, and then it becomes, I imagine, Abby, something that you also have to navigate as someone as you who's so high profile. Also in the social media landscape, where do you turn the off button on? When you
told us this? Why can't you tell us that? So I imagine there's elements of it still that exist just through social media.
One hundred percent. Another thing was also where to designate which content went where with the podcast, socials, collabse tour and radio thinking you know this thing's happened in my life, how do we speak about it? And which platform is the best? So every part of your life becomes commodified, but also becomes analyzed in a way of Okay, well this is long form stories. It a short form story.
So it's really it's a strange thing to do and you don't realize that you're doing it until it's been six months or a year and you sat your bit a bit bonkers with it. But yeah, it's really exhausting and it's hard for me. Like recently, I've obviously hard launched my new relationship with Adam from Peaking Doug. I
posted about it on TikTok a lot books. People were asking about whether they're like a version was inspired by me, and I was like being funny and posting about it with him like next to me or me is saying, am I going to post this? This is so cute this video? And someone commented saying, this, this feels you see manic because this feels too much too soon. And I made a video saying, well, I've known him for two years, it's not it's actually the slowest relationship you've ever had.
I've been dating like basically for six months now. Since getting more closer friends for two years before them. So I'm not sure how you think that you know that it's too soon because from your perspective, yes, two weeks, yes, but I haven't met him two weeks ago. There's videos of us two years ago, met interviewing him when I met him. So yeah, it's like people not only want more from you, but they also think they know everything,
if that makes sense. They they it's this contradictory feeling of we know everything about your life, but also what are you hiding? And I'm not actively hiding anything. It's just I don't have a go pro on my head.
You're not. Actually, yeah, every moment in chronological exactly.
So yeah, it's it's it's but I'm being much better at it. I'm much better with boundaries and my therapists. And I think I may have said this to you last time. I can't remember, but I think it was to you, but maybe even off Mike. But I have to process things before I speak about them publicly. I have to go through my therapist too, Yes, have it. I'm real understanding of how I feel about things that I want to announce or speak about or which is so important.
Yeah, have you become better at that skill just as a person, not even necessarily as a public figure, because I think it's something that a lot of us struggle with, that impulse and especially if you are neurodivergent. I have ADHD. You have ADHD. That also is something where we know, even if you don't necessarily have the impulsivity part of the diagnosis that stop think about it is something that a lot of people with ADHD have to second guess.
Has that helped you having to have that professional discipline to sit on things a bit in your just personal life for you be the person.
I wish should be going, oh shit, Probably probably should have, shouldn't it? But no, I don't think so. I think the issue was as well that like I just yap all day every day. I'm sure you're similar. I mean, that's why we have these jobs.
That's why these podcasts will run for three hours and hopefully yeah, I'll let it down.
Sorry, And all these female podcast hosts in the country all have ADHD. It's not because we're faking, it's because these are the professions were drawn to. Are we yap and yap and yap to say? But everything we can talk to anyone so I think that it actually hasn't, although maybe I should go on therapy about that, because I think they're definitely my my friendship circles I have a I won't say they're quite small, I guess, but I don't all my friends. I would say my best
friend friends. That makes sense, friends from ten years ago, friends where I see all the time. So me over speaking about things isn't really an issue because I've known them for so long and I know them so well so and I don't really go out much to talk to strangers so like because I'm too anxious. So yeah, I always.
Hate when somebody asks the question of you, or if I ask a question and it's more like a curiosity thing or has that changed you? Or do you think about that? And then it sounds or you feel like, oh I don't do that, and then you feel like not not defending, but oh so there was certainly no judgment at all.
Just curiosity. That's a good point, because I really do think that. I mean, maybe I have not realized it, but I honestly in the past, speaking of this burnout post, since quitting radio, I've made a conscious effort to do less in general, and I was also in a quite horrific relationship last year, so that made me speak about things less in a bad way, not in a oh, I'm going to keep this to myself. It was I'm
ashamed of this relationship. So I think that that's I feel like I've been in a bubble since the last time we spoke, really and not done as much work, not seen as many people, and just been getting through life until today.
Well, you mentioned Adam and this of course, as you say, Peking Duck front man Adam Hyde. I don't remember if the soft launch or the hard launch came first, but it made quite the splash on social semisoflach tell me. Last year when we spoke, as you say, there was obviously you were in a different chapter of your life and things obviously were not going so well on a multitude of fronts, but including on the relationship front. And
you said that you weren't necessarily keen on dating publicly. Again, I don't think I've got the capacity to be with someone publicly if they're in this industry. It causes so much. Again, there's no judgment in me speaking your words back to you. Obviously something has changed.
Yeah, I think that previously, the relationships that I've had, I've been nervous to share because even if they're casual flings or whatever, if these people in the public eye, even though we're friends, I go, I don't want I guess I'm avoiding finding out something shady about someone, or I don't want people's opinion about it because I feel
like the relationship can't handle it. And being with Conrad and then breaking up with Conrad a few years ago, I just didn't like the way that it was handled in the media, and it was, Yeah, there were a few weird things that happened there. So I guess with Adam as well, it's different because I do really trust the strength of relationship. But also we've been friends for two years, so us hanging out isn't some big new thing.
It's like we've been paying out publicly for years. So we were kind of like, well, it's just another photo of us. We're kissing this time instead of being at his gig or me interviewing him, or him doing a favorite for me, or him coming to I came to my live show. You know. It was in the audience of my live show a year before we got together, when I still believed he didn't like me, which is very funny. But yeah, so I think it's different because
our relationship is so good. I already know him, and everyone already knows we know each other, so it isn't like some other people that I have had flings with. People would be like, how do you even how is that even connected? Whereas with Adam we've been friends. And I also was gonna sound a bit I know wanky, but I just he's had a bigger career than me, so I don't think he's using me for anything. You know, he's very successful in his own right, is an amazing musician,
and it's an amazing person, so I don't. Yeah, I admire him more than anything, you know, like I think I'm getting I'm cool for being with him rather the way around.
Well, it's great because you mentioned earlier how he's wild to me. People feel that they can comment on someone else's relationship that they don't even know, And as you say, you've had people pontificating about too much, too soon and all of this like nobody's business. But there's also been lots of lovely feedback. But on that note, some social medias have said that his role as a professional musician has been diminished by being referred to as your partner.
Now I've never met Adam Hyde, but I loved him for saying this. His rebuttal was to people in the comments, thank you for the concern, but I'll happily be labeled Abby Chatfield's boyfriend any day. Love that. So to your point, there's obviously none of that unease that I think everyone in the public eye, certainly at that level of fame, and to be honest, you really are one of the most breakout stars of the last ten years. You are one of the most well known women in the country.
Anxiety, So as far as I'm good to my careers over. In my head, I had that doom every month, so you know, yeah, yeah, every month. I think it's always with my period. I go, right, yea, my life of my career is over. But sorry's interrupting part of the night.
Yeah, well, it definitely is not over. I can tell you that if you think that's just a little hormonal fluctuation, but that's right. That level of success or fame, it can bring with it that a level of ourn ease. Any high level success I think can Well, what is this person, not just in a romantic relationship, but you do start to worry that things I have a transactional component to totally.
I think even not pupaic eye. You wonder why someone's with you, and people say people are using you for whatever whatever reason. But the great thing is about Adam and I that what you always kind of laugh about your oh fuck, like we have money, we both have careers, like we don't have to worry about that at all,
which is wonderful. But I do think the response to being called Abby Chapuld's boyfriend is so funny because it's men are finally seeing how women are spoken about constantly in the media and they're outraged that young women who are my core demo would call Adam like I'd be called Adam's girlfriend to Picking Duck fans and we laugh
at our demos are like completely separate circles. We think, so, maybe some crossover, but I think eighty m Picking Duck fans aren't really listening to a feminist podcast in general. There might be some crossover, but we're in different worlds in Australia, I think, so, yeah, it's funny them getting so upset. Yet I'm sure those same men will call women wags very freelance and and so and so complete accessory.
Yeah, exactly plus one.
Exactly so I think, And that's why everyone in my comments is now calling him Abby Chatfeld's boyfriend, and because they all get it. But yeah, in terms of transactional relationships, it's really nice to know that he's not. Oh no, it just was really easy. Honestly, Sarah. It's just like we've been friends with so long and there's just no
hang ups and everything is just so in sync. Like we recently spoke about moving in together and both of us were like, we're seventy percent yes, thirty percent No, these are out concerns about it, these why we want to do it, and we just consistently at every step have been so aligned. So it doesn't feel like it's fake or transactional. It just feels nice and silly and like a fun relationship, which I don't feel that I've really had ever.
Does that then bring a pressure with it? Obviously again a little bit like what we're saying, any kind of success then has that expectation pressure becomes higher knowing that so many people then have become invested in the relationship how do you navigate that in terms of what people's expectations would be, And you've got to make decisions for yourself, and so does he.
Yeah, I mean, I guess the thing is with Adam. I think because I've known him for so long. With every other relationship, I've been really scared about pressure. But I've known him for so long and we've had such a strange journey to get together, so I think we're just sort of able to brush it off. Although there have been a lot of comments that I got upset about this morning that were saying, you know, oh, I hope this goes well, but I'm sure we'll end in tears.
I can see the manic episode after the breakup coming now. And I told Adam he was like, we're sitting in a fucking dog park. He's like, it's fine to be upset about that, but just look around. We're a dog park with the dogs sitting in the sun. We had a great night last night. I love you. You love me, Like, if you break up, okay, but I'm not dumping you. So just have a breath. And who gives a fuck
about who? Someone random person from you know Orange comments about like you know, or like, you know about our relationship. So I think ordinarily, I'm sure there will be moments where you feel that p but right now we're just having so much fun and we've already navigated a lot over the past, you know, a couple of years and on each other, so I think, yeah, it should be I'm very optimistic, which I never am. I'm never optimistic.
Usually I'm like, no relationship questions about my current partner because I'm embarrassed. But now I'm like, I'll be fine and if I'm not whatever, you know that is.
That is the attitude in life with everything, isn't it I'll be fine but whatever. Yeah, I just wanted to ask a question. It was so lovely. I think when you know someone for a long time and then if it develops into something romantic, then there's those moments. So you mentioned earlier, oh, like he didn't think I liked him,
or I didn't think that he liked me. Have you done that thing where you're then breaking down moments from the last couple of years and you find out what the other person was thinking.
Yes, And it's actually, I mean, it's more me being convinced that he could not stand me. But it's just it's very funny in hindsight. For example, Peking Ducks like a version they did Fall Your Feet by Credit House, And the first date that Adam and I had, I was singing Credit House at him until five in the morning, very adhd of me, and he loved it, and so that was kind of inspired by me. And at the time I was like, oh no, like he disliked the song.
And then even you know, he's invited me over the last New Years, like three weeks before we had started kind of seeing each other properly, he asked me to go to balley with him, and I thought it was to feel sorry for me. I was like, he must be doing out of sympathy. I went to his gig once and then he was like, come to the after party with me, and I was like, no, I won't get in the car with you because you don't want
to be around me in my head. And I was like, oh no. Then I'm getting the car and we're going through all these moments together and he's very secure and very not like me, Like he was like, I just saw you a bit of an ice queen, and I thought you were kind kind of like doing a bit of a game, like I thought you were doing a little because publicly, I guess the perception of me is that I'm some like man eater and it's just not
the case at all. So he said, oh, I knew you weren't trying to be awful, And I didn't mind that we didn't sleep together for the first you know, two years of flirting and dates or whatever. But I just wondered, like, are you doing this as like a joke,
Like are you like you know what's happening here? And last night he put together a dog crate for my dog with me, and he was laughing because last year he came to my house and moved a like two hundred kilo coffee table for me, and we had a date and it was great, went home, made out, and then he moved his coffee table for me, and then I was like, okay, bye, get out of the house.
And he was like, I actually thought that you were like you were playing some sick and twisted game with me, Like he wasn't insecure about it, but he was like, as it cool that we didn't have sex. I don't mind, but I don't know what the deal was because you were making me do all this physical labor around your.
And that screened coffee tables.
And then screaming crowdited house at me, and then savage Garden, and then we got on a date. It would last twelve hours and we had the best day of my life every time, and then you wouldn't talk to me for a week afterward. It was like I'd asked you. I'd ask you to hang out the next day, and you'd always say yes during the night and then know
the next day. And it's funny because I was so insecure that he wouldn't like me, because I liked him so much the whole time that I would self sabotage and not go to these things and not hang out with him. And if I saw him at a gig, or if I went to his gig, I would leave after without saying anything to him. Not because I didn't like him, but because I liked him so much that I thought, you know, even like him coming to my live show, and he was mentioned in my live show
and he was fine with it. I don't know how I didn't see the sign. So I'm like, in a hindsight, it's insane.
I love that side, though, don't you think one you can unpackle those things and clear up. Yeah, moments. It's like a really nice part of a relationship if you've known someone for a long time.
I think, yeah, it's been really beautiful and really funny. And he keeps calling me the ice Queen in a joking way because I'm obviously not that with him, but he's like, oh, fucking ice queens, shit again, or like, who has been to hang out here? Like a bet? Your cancel even now? Is it about? You're cancel out before? And I go, shut the fuck. Oh. So it's it's been really fun, it's really cute.
Coming up, what we can expect from the new season of F Boy Island, and Abby's thoughts on the future of reality TV. All right, let's talk about f Boy Island now. When it launched last year, became Binge's biggest reality premiere to date, and it got nominated for twenty twenty four Best Reality Program at the Actor Awards.
It's not bad. Didn't win, know, didn't win?
That's all right, That's that's why I said it.
Was nominated. It's swiftly past that one. The nomination is amazing.
Other actors you are at the helm for a season to what can we expect that's a little bit different or is it the same same? What are the biggest shifts in energy between season one and two?
Well, I think that a huge I mean it's always looked amazing. But I was telling you before we started this conversation that the opening scene of episode one, it's such high quality, it's like Game of Thrones, and the way that's been filmed and shot and edited is just the next level. And it was already incredible in season one. Those producers are some of the best in the country. The camera, the camera guys, hair, everyone is some of
the best crew in the country in my opinion. I love them so dearly and they do amazing work as well, so it looks insane, but also the women, the leads are they were incredible last year, the gorgeous girls, and two of them are still together.
I know it's not very high like ratio success, right.
We were laughing about it the other day with the producers going we accidentally did like not that we don't want them to find love, but.
Yourself that test necessarily, Yeah, it's one.
Of the like if you do numbers and I and if you know two of these couples stay together. It's doing better than like Bachelor, I'm once a wife maths the ratio is crazy, so but no, the leading ladies are so beyond incredible. I really loved them all a lot. They are really different to the women last year. I think as well, they have the advantage of understanding the show this year and being able to call things out
and see more red flags. And they're a bit stronger, but also very silly, like they're very silly girls, and they kind of were just there obviously with the chance to find love. But again, I think seeing last season, they were sort of like, so, yeah, this goes to be funny, and we all had a really good rapport and I really enjoyed enjoyed filming with them. So they're incredible. Last finale I was almost convulsing with excitement because of how wild it was, and this finale was just a reference.
I mean, it takes the finale. I think it took like two hours, which is a long time for maybe twelve minutes of on screen time, and usually it does take a longer time than on screen obviously, but it was a long record because of all the drama that kept happening, unplanned drama that I ended up being like sit down, everyone like sit down, because it was just like continue. It was never en. I was like does anyone else have anything to say? Because it was just
never ending And the storylines are wonderful. The guys were a bit sillier this year, again, not because the guys last year or the girls last year were not silly, but they get it this year, and I'm really excited for everyone to see it because I just think it's I think it's better than season one in my opinion. It's crazy and we have some return figures. Oh yes, as a tease, Yeah.
How was experience for you? Then? Because hosting well, you've obviously had worked on TV before, obviously came through on the Bachelor, but you had been one of the judges on Mass Singer, but hosting a show in your own right, and not just that, but launching your show. Like I said at the start, it does bring with it a big pressure. I don't think I banged on about that too much last year because that would have been really helpful, wouldn't it.
You're like, there's a lot on your shoulders right now, exactly?
Yay? Go And then everyone's trying well.
Thank thanks, But.
As I just said, hugely successful first season. Ultimate Accolade, of course is always getting the green light, isn't it. You know, people aren't gaslighting you when they actually back it in and clearly very high production values because as he said, it looks amazing, so they're really talking with their money, which is very helpful and a really positive sign. So for you, did you also have that sense of maybe having a bit more fun and feeling a bit more relaxed. Yeah.
I was definitely way more relaxed this season. We knew what we were doing. I already knew the producers from Bachelor because it's the same crew essentially that was working with me on Bachelor, so I already knew them, but
we knew each of them more in this context. I felt like there was more I don't say control, but we were way more collaborative, I guess this season because all of us understood the format and I understood what my role was and I could say things to the girls like last season this and I think then the you know, the crew more relaxed, the cast more relaxed. Everyone was just literally just like coming to work, laughing, filming and then laughing afterwards. It was incredible. But I
do feel less pressure for sure. But yeah, I think it's interesting the perception of me being at the helm of this show. People seem to think that I'm casting it, producing it. I wish it was my former I've been making a lot more money, let me tell you that. But yeah, there is a lot of pressure on me being a public figure for other things, and then also with social media the amount of I guess conversation that I had with my followers often I'm not this kind
of distant figure. Puts a lot of pressure on me for the show to be not only entertaining and good, but also aligned morally with me. But the producers themselves align with me, so I have no worries about that. But it's a lot of pressure in general as well as making it sound fun and exciting but also morally aligned. But also it's called Foy Island. Then it's like a sill the reality show, and then it's a satire. Then it's like a lot to deal with. But I'm very excited,
and yeah, let's pressure for sure. This year much more chilled.
Because there is that gender politics and those values that are in alignment with your values and your public brand as well. I had the joy privilege of hosting the F Boy Island Australia launch last year and interviewed you on stage, and we talked a lot about that because, as I say, May last year, people were still a bit like F boy, Like what what's an F boy? Bosh?
You know this is not your mum and dad's reality TV. Yeah, and it was very much about the women having agency and as I say, things that you really were the natural pick for. And it was a bit of a changing of the guard, I would say on the Australian reality TV landscape and even people that you and I both love, like Osha for instance. But The Bachelor has now been confirmed that it won't be coming back. Was that a bit a sweet moment for you?
Yeah? I was really sad because obviously I know Osha personally working with him on The Master Singer and from Bachelor, and and I know that he'll get a job any any moment. It's Ochigensburg. I mean, you know, what can we expect? But it is sad to see I guess a cornerstone of Australian television that I was on that I've sown memories on good and bad, a lot of bad, but I'm very connected to I think the biggest thing actually is that the crew and everyone involved in the
show is out of work. I mean, the Australian television landscape is one thing in terms of, oh, this show isn't entertaining anymore, isn't isn't happening anymore? Or you know, oh Mars Singer isn't back, what are the kids going to watch? I'm sad about that, and obviously I'm sad it selfishly not having a job, a fun job that I love, like Mars Singer is the most fun ever.
But the bigger thing that a lot of us are speaking about is Australian TV really not having consistent work for a lot of people who've had consistent work for years and year. I mean, you know, reality TV shows used to be filmed in months and now it's in a matter of weeks. And when you think about you know people who have been for example, if you're a camera person on that show, you've gone for having a year full with three or four shows to needing ten
fifteen shows. So a bigger concern is more the amount of shows getting canceled and therefore crew who are amazing at their jobs losing work because of this kind of this flattening of the Australian TV industry. And I don't know where it's going to go from here because it seems only getting smaller and smaller.
Such a good point and every headline that we see, oh, this show's not coming back or so and so out of work, What people seeing those headlines don't realize is that there's dozens, often hundreds of crew members now out of work. And as you say, if that work is going away, where is their next paycheck?
Totally from isn't even just I think people think that TV is just camera guys, sound guys, producers and crew. It's there's so many people. There's the people in the offices that are doing all the admin. There's the receptionist I Warner Brothers for example, but there's also the runners. There's the there's the minders, there's the you know, the hair and makeup, there's styling, there's directors. There's even the
venues that we rent out. They aren't getting the money like there's it's a huge economic injectionity economy hugely and for that to all go Away is really concerning, particularly in terms of it is stifling the Australian television industry because all those runners that would have gotten an inn like most people on sets started as runners, most producers, most camera guys, most sound like, most sound like they're all starting off as an entry point of being a runner.
And when they have to cut down on runners and not use runners because there isn't money in Australian TV as much as it was obviously, or shows getting canceled, then we lose out on finding incredible crew that will become seenior one day, and it kind of disincentivizes people from even wanting to, you know, learn how to do audio or to be a producer, because how would you even get in if there's no productions happening. So from that, I really worry about how we're going to save Australian
TV in general, particularly reality TV. Selfishly because I love reality TV and I think Australia has some absolute kirks that should be on reality TV and make great television. But it, yeah, it concerns me in terms of if we're not allowing them in the industry now, not by
anyone's fault, just the economy. Then we're going to stifle potentially amazing creatives in the future that will do amazing work that will put Australian television on the map and continue to keep it on the map and interest international viewers. And it really yeah, it's it makes me, I fact, I want to cry. It makes me really anxious. So they really care about Australian music and Australian television because we have such talent here, and then when that money
goes away, all those shows are canceled. My issue isn't that I'm out of a job. I'm very fortunate with the work that I have and I think it's funny, Like you said, people kind of almost troll me, going haha, you have no job. I'm like, that's not funny. It's to me. You can laugh at me. But for crew seeing that who schedule their lives around these TV shows may be happening not happening, it's really that trumental, not only to them as people, but also the industry as
a whole. And I think it's gonna We're gonna see a huge shift in the next few years in terms of where Australian TV will be. But they're still amazing things being made. It's just hard when they're giving less budget, less time and less people like like I say, Foy Island,
the producers. The fact they can make such an amazing show, the entire an amazing show out of no time to film it is beyond So yeah, that's my little it's me or my little, my little rounded to talk about Australian TV that I have every day with a different person that will listen.
No, it's great because I think I've heard a lot of actors talk about it in terms of the impact when a show gets acted or is discontinued or not commissioned for another season. That it's often the actors people will talk about. If you look at something like Neighbors, when that was acted, everyone will be talking about the high profile people that are starring in it. But what a lot of the actors would point out is all of those people who had built their lives and their
livelihoods behind the scenes. And then, as you've discussed Abby, all those skills that are cultivated and if that all goes away, what happens Because.
You've got to learn on the job for these things. You can't you can go to UNI. Obviously, and they're very valuable as degrees. But a lot of the things, particularly in reality of what I see reality TV, it's hard to understand until you work on it, and that's how people learn, and it's reality TV is about people and understanding people. So how can you learn in a degree how to produce reality Well, you can learn the basics,
but you can't until you're on set. And if everyone junior can't get jobs anymore, where does that leave potential talent in the future to create great reality TV or documentaries or dramas or anything that's Australian Australian made. So yeah, it's also people in terms of the economy and the state of TV. Things are being green lit really late
as well. So not Foy Island because but like some things I've heard up, things getting green lit and then suddenly going you know, a couple of months later from when people know that it's happening, and people are giving up other jobs to potentially get another job that doesn't get green up, that that gets canceled because it's maybe happening, and then it's people are scrambling for jobs and no one has any work, and then everyone quits and you know,
stops pursuing their dream of working in television because there's not only lack of work, there's also completely unstable work. People get offer jobs that are amazing and they turn them down because they want to do Folan for example, because they love it and we get green lit yay. But if it wasn't green lip, they've turned something down for that. Makeup artists even in terms of if they want to book weddings. It's like it's a very hard thing to navigate when you're giving up your life, like
when we're on set. I'm sure actors have said this as well. When you're on set, you give up your life for months at a time. You're not just like popping in and popping out and you can't work any other jobs, and it just yeah, it's really concerning and I really hope that Australians engage more in Australian made TV. I saw a pedestrian article recently that said, what's happen into Australian TV? You know these three show has been canceled like Mark Singer, Bachelor, and I think something else
was canceled. I don't know it was something all in one day, it all came out I wanted to comment being like duh, like none of you, like you're not watching free to ATV, which is fine, obviously it's up to bit. I would really love people to give new reality formats a chance. I guess, like The Hunted, that was an amazing show. I don't think it's come back. There are amazing shows being made, and our go to is to go to Netflix and the front page of Netflix. And I'm guilty of it as well. I mean, I'm
currently in the middle nin day fiance on Binge. But yeah, I think there needs to be conversation around a change in how we what media we ingest. Yeah.
Absolutely, there's a responsibility on all of us as consumers, and we're all guilty of it, as you say, But if we complain when something isn't there, we have to see it. It's the same with a film even like, yes, you know, if a film is directed by a female director, which is still unusually Hollywood statistically, I was like, just go out and see it. I'm not saying you have to sit through a terrible four hour ardhouse film that should never have been made just because it's a female
director before people come for me. But you've got to put your support behind things, because, as you said, the ultimate accolade for f Boy Island season one is that it comes back for season two. Yes, so we've got to vote with our feet, with our money, with our eyebowls, bombs on seats, whatever it takes.
And even music, even all the festivals being canceled. It's I mean, it's hard to find new music and it is hard to find new TV as well because there's
so much out there. But if anyone listening wants to know what I would do to find new TVs, like go through the actinoms and see how like go through actinoms and look through and see who's nominated, and like when I go to those ceremonies, the best thing that I get from it is be like, oh I should watch that, and writing in my notes, going that looks amazing.
Why haven't I heard of that? It's incredible. So with music as well, people aren't buying tickets to festivals because it's local it's mainly local acts because they don't know the local acts. But it's kind of like self filling prophecy in this cycle of we don't know the acts, we won't go, we won't go because we don't know the acts, and the acts aren't getting shown because it's Yeah,
I think it. I would love to see Australians, including myself and you, and like I'm consumer lo of American media to try and focus on homegrown stuff if it tickles their fancy, not just because it's Aussie, but I think there's so much amazing stuff out there, music, TV, production, films, dramas, everything, it's great.
After the break, Abby and I go deep on speaking up about political issues on social media and whether it's fair to call people out for staying silent. I want to change gears in quite a remarkable way. Now. I actually wanted to talk to you about the causes and the issues that you choose to speak out on. And when I said, we couldn't get further from gold loging nominations, award ceremonies in a privileged country like Australia, then the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Abby, you have been very vocal
about that situation in recent months. Last time you and I spoke was certainly before anything had happened in the Middle East. Again that obviously October of last year, everything flared up in the worst way imaginable in that region.
But you were.
Talking about how you learned to be a bit more guarded about what issues you take on. Why did you decide this was something that you really wanted to be very public with the position.
Well, the genocide in Gaza is obviously horrifically sickening. It didn't really take much thought obviously at first, because when October seventh happened, I was very ignorant to what was happening in what was happening in Middle East occupation of Palestine, and my producer is a Palestinian woman, and we'd never spoken about it, and that's completely my fault for not knowing the details of what was happening. And when October seventh happened, I didn't understand what the causes were of it.
But within a week or so I understood in full and I'd spoken to a few people as much as I could, not in full much as I could, And there were images coming out of Gaza and reporting him out of Gaza, and I just didn't want to be silent on something that was so horrific. And I think as time has gone on, despite being you know, I've had legal threats from groups that are anti Palestinian. I've been in newspapers being called a g Hardist. I've lost
a few jobs. I have suspicions that one of the jobs that I lost, Yeah, it was because of that, a big one that I really cared about. Ah, But it doesn't really matter when there's that much her atrocity is happening in another country and we're seeing it, and every day is becoming clearer and clear and clearer and
clearer clearer that it is. It really is a cut and dry issue, and there's so much civilian death and so much pain being done to Palestinians, not only in Gas of it all from the West Bank and through interview people like Basi Musuf and Antonette Latouf and speaking with my producer about what her family has endured, and she's even coptaite from my listeners and my followers. It's yeah, it becomes very clear every day that remaining silent on this is not really an option for me.
What about the issue of some people, not simply for Gaza, but for any issue, who don't want.
To speak out about something.
Because there has been a feeling at probably being actually articulated by a lot of people globally, not just here in Australia. I think Gaza has brought it a bit to a head where silence is being complicit that everybody has to come out with the public stance. What's your view on that, Gaza or otherwise if somebody with a public profile or not necessarily even a huge profile, a private citizen chooses just not to comment on that, do you feel that that is a problem and we should call out silence.
I think when it comes to the genocide in Gaza, yes, because it is a very timely issue. I recently was posting about fundraisers for families in Gaza to get them out of Gaza, and every minute that passes without that money, without that funding to get them out of Gaza, they could be murdered, they could be part of a number
in a genocide. And so for Gaza, I do think people should speak about it if they have a public platform, because it's happening in front of our eyes, and we have all of the evidence and it's a very it's very clear now. If you're privately yelling to your friends about it at dinner, like it would be nice to also do it publicly. I think that's where the like where the difference is. But with genocide, I think it's
a very different thing. But those who think that they're a political or want to be a political I don't. You can't really be a political living in the world. If you're affected by the rental crisis, that is a political issue. If you're affected by abortion bands, that is a political issue. If you don't want to choose either Albanezi or Peter Dutton, that's a political issue. If you care about climate change, it's politics. So every thing we do during the day is part of a political landscape.
And I think that while not everyone needs to speak on every single thing, because I also don't want to encourage people that I don't agree with. I chose my words very climon stella on the Fancy Podcast. But people who I don't agree with to just post about every single thing because they want to get interaction on social media or get attention. I do think that if you care about something, it's very easy for social media to find resources to share just even to hopefully educate one
other person. Because there's no way to be a political in this in this world.
This is going to sound like a random go question, but have you ever seen the film Team America World Police. It came out in two thousand and four. It's from the creators of South Park, so it's animated, and it was created not long after the Iraq War when George W. Bush was President of the US and it is it was about many different things and from the creators of South Park. A lot of it is absolutely fascical. I mean there's robot sex, for instance, Like it's pretty crazy
puppet sex, I should say. But a big part of that film, it's twenty years old this year, was they were really mocking and ridiculing celebrities including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Tim Robbins, a lot of big, high profile people that are still famous today and were at the time. And there were lines in the film where they were like, I read an article in the New York Times, and so now I'm going to come and tell you all about it, because I'm an actor and so I really
know everything. So I really didn't like that film. I'm old enough to have been there when it came out, Like I was in fact reviewing films at the time, and I'm going to name drop you. But it is only in the context of George Clooney relevant where I interviewed him about a year later and I asked him about and he had a real good natured stick where he said, that's fine, like you just you know, I love the South Park guys. Yeah, they went after me, but you've got to, you know, take take your lumps,
I think, he said to me. And we got into a really good conversation where I said to him that it's actually very conservative because what we're actually saying two actors and anyone in the public eyes, you can really only talk if you're campaigning for an oscar, if you're talking about how I got ready for this red carpet event, or something quite light and silly about my two year old did this cute thing today, And anytime we're talking about issues of substance or value, you're being mocked, and
we actually really engaged on it. Twenty years on, I've been thinking a lot about that because now I feel that the cultures flipped a bit and we've gone from mocking and ridiculing and demonizing celebrities for speaking out, and now I just wonder if we're at a point where it will become the expectation, and does that then bring with it the risk of some of what I think those South Park guys I would say, unfairly, we're going after celebrities where you're not informed, but you just think
I've got to say something, So I'm going to say something. So here's an article I read, and now I'm going to tell everyone what I think and what they should think.
Yeah, I totally, I totally do see that happening. And I think people also with social media and the spread of misinformation, not in the right wing trump way, but genuine misinformation also AI and a real lack of media literacy. I think in with everyone around me seems to have very wobbly media literacy. Not my personal friends, but people on the on the on the net, you know, when they're surfing the net. No, but I do think that
it would be it is. It is a It is a risky thing because if everyone's just sharing things they see and they go about sounds about right put on my stories, then they could be spreading this information. They could be aligning themselves with even like an account they don't actually agree with it and actually know, but they've seen some infographic that looks good and looks legitimate, and it's then sharing it. So I do see a lot of danger in that, but I think that it's up
to I think it's up to individuals. But I would just love to see people aligning themselves publicly with what they do privately, because a lot of the time I know a lot of influences who a very left wing who would actually benefit from posting about things, but they don't are too scared to lose sponsors. But answer your question, I think it's a real risk. I don't know what to say to h minimize that because I think it
is a real, real issue. But we also have the benefit of doing a quick little google the see of things legitimate. We have Snopes, we have the ability to fact check things, and if you read one article in full, even the ones with the bullshit headlines, you see the reality. So but I also, like I said, I don't think that anyone can be really apolitical. I don't think anyone can say, oh, I don't know where I stand an abortion,
I don't know where I stand on climate change. I don't know, because I think that it makes up for a lot of our conversations. So I think, like just transparency, but it is risky with misinformation I don't know. I don't know what to stand with that.
Sarah, No, it's just a I think it's just a fascinating conversation and a time. And it's, like I said, it's a bit weird that I'm bringing this al into it, But I have been thinking about it a lot over the last eight to nine months because I think, like I say, I felt really strongly that it's important that people should speak about things that they feel strongly about and they shouldn't be penalized and they shouldn't lose jobs
for it. And I think there's a real risk of that becoming an expectation and that I think becomes a breeding ground for ignorance and quickly formed opinions. Because anytime we expect something from everyone, whether it's silence or you speak up, then I think if there's a one size fits all, in my mind, that's where the problems.
I totally agree, and I wonder I have no idea how to even mitigate that, because I'm on the side of I'd rather more people speak up. But you're you're totally right. It does. It's a breeding ground for misinformation and people just posting what they think they're well posting things assatiate their followers, I guess, rather than posting things because they believe them, and then how do you tell the difference? And you can't, So right, that's the thing
to the consumer again, to find their own information. So I don't know, maybe even if if just that it's maybe even making people look into things more, But then I fear that they don't. They won't because of like immediate literacy. It's a big cycle. The world is ending.
I see only glad it came. I just like throwing all these things.
It's amazing. It's a really good thing to think about.
We'll have to pick it up another time, you know, at the f Boy Island season too long. I mean, what else are we going to talk about there, Abbey Collus, We're going to talk about geopolitics and you know, opinions and Abbey, it has been such a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you so much for coming in today. And you can see Abby Chatfield on f Boy Island Season two. I had the laun cheer. I don't have the t X. I'm just going to ramble on here and say lots of wonderful launches.
August five.
Episodes dropping weekly, Yes, there we go.
I love it. Thank you so much so I always love talking to you.
You can see more of Abby on f Boy Island Australia Season two, which will be streaming on Binge from August five, with episodes dropping weekly, and you can stream the first season on Binge now. If you've enjoyed this episode, then make sure you're following us because we'll be back with another exclusive guest on Something to Talk About next week