What would you do if a teacher said you couldn’t achieve your dreams because your hair and skin colour weren’t acceptable? When this became Pallavi Sharda’s reality she moved to India by herself and became the first Australian women to lead a Bollywood movie In this episode we meet Pallavi Sharda, a powerhouse actress, who grew up in Taylors Lakes, a suburban area in Melbourne’s west, who went on to not only clock Bollywood, but see tremendous success on screens in Australia, the UK and the US. ...
Apr 28, 2024•1 hr 33 min•Season 6Ep. 17
In this week’s ImperFIX, we revisit an episode from season 2 with Australian BMX racer, world champion and Olympian, Sam Willoughby. In 2016, Sam experienced a life-changing neck injury which left him a tetraplegic. In this snippet, we hear Sam describe the bike accident that lead to his injury and his incredible journey of recovery. Most importantly, he shares how meeting NASCAR crew chief, Booty Barker, inspired him to live life again. You can hear the full chat with Sam Willoughby here https:...
Apr 26, 2024•22 min•Season 6Ep. 16
Have you ever felt so elated, that in that very moment, you felt yourself and the world around you were in perfect harmony? That feeling is joy! But for many of us, ‘joy’ can seem elusive, almost impossible to experience, or an emotion that we feel we just don’t have time for. And for some of us, it may feel like we have lost the ability to experience joy altogether. In this episode, our resident psychologist Dr Em explores the experience of Joy. What is it and how we can tap into it. We learn h...
Apr 21, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 15
In this bonus episode of The Imperfects, Hugh, Ryan and Josh have an imperfect conversation about mens violence against women. To say it's a massive problem in Australia is an understatement. Violence and aggression can take many forms that span from small micro-aggressions all the way through to rape and murder. It effects ALL women, with the most vulnerable and marginalised in our community, at the greatest risk. We don’t have the answers to solve it. But we don’t want to remain silent. Throug...
Apr 18, 2024•32 min•Season 6Ep. 14
In this episode, Scottish comedian, Fern Brady joins us in the The Vulnerabilitea House. In pulling the card “how would your ambitions change if you only had one year to live?”, Fern shares a very recent story, after receiving a terrifying phone call from her doctor. Fern also discusses being diagnosed with Autism in her 30s, 20 years after telling a doctor she thought she was Autistic. Fern talks with with great insight and humour, not only about life since her diagnosis, but what it was like l...
Apr 14, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Season 6Ep. 13
Imposter syndrome and self doubt aren’t necessarily things you think when you think of Australian comedian Hamish Blake. However when Hamish visited us for a VulnerabilTea House in season 4, that’s exactly what came up. In this episode of The IMPERFIX, we revisit a vulnerable moment where Josh shared his very real self doubt about his role on the show. This evolves into a beautiful conversation about the self doubt we all feel in the work we do, and culminates in Hamish dropping one of the great...
Apr 10, 2024•11 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Imagine being falsely imprisoned, in a foreign country, where you barely speak the language, during a military coup, with no guarantee of a trial (fair or otherwise) and no idea whether you’ll ever be allowed home? That's what Australian economist Sean Turnell lived through for 650 days, when in 2021 he was arrested during a military coup over-throwing the democratic government of Aang san Suu Kyi. Sean is a remarkable person and a brilliant story teller who radiates positivity. In this episode,...
Apr 07, 2024•1 hr 33 min•Season 6Ep. 11
In 2018, writer, author & change advocate Jamila Rizvi was met with horrible news. She was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour and needed surgery. In this episode of The Imperfix we revisit Jamila’s story; the tumour and its varied complications, the surgeries and how Jamila and her husband communicated the news to their son. Jamila is an all round wonderful human being and this is an incredibly moving episode. You can hear the entire chat with Jamila here: https://apple.co/4icJmtx This episo...
Apr 03, 2024•23 min•Season 6Ep. 10
We’re not sure if podcasts can date. But if they could we would want to date Elizabeth Day’s podcast - ‘How to fail?’. (A proposition Hugh awkwardly put to Elizabeth in the final moments of the show). This conversation covers a lot of ground. Elizabeth vulnerably discusses her journey through infertility, IVF and her eventual decision to stop fertility treatment; we explore the role exercise and strength training can have in reclaiming one's connection to their body; Ryan and Elizabeth bond over...
Mar 31, 2024•1 hr 39 min•Season 6Ep. 9
In this episode of The Imperfix we revisit one of our most popular episodes ever and in it, a topic that is very close to Hugh, Ryan and Josh’s respective bones. The ongoing battle of Truth vs Harmony. Do you choose to live truthfully? Or harmoniously? And what does that even mean? And how does living ‘truthfully’ or ‘harmoniously’ affect us and the people around us? To listen to the full Truth Vs Harmony episode, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3IW3gbw To listen to Hamish Blake's Imperfects ep...
Mar 27, 2024•19 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Very few people have experienced Gary Barlow’s level of success and fame. He’s the lead singer of the nineties British pop band Take That, he’s won 6 Ivor Novello Awards for song writing & composing, sold more the 50 million albums and filled stadiums of screaming fans across the world! But despite all this, as we’ve come to learn, he’s one of the nicest, most genuine people going around. In this episode, Gary shares his experience of rising to such fame, and what happens when he lost it. He...
Mar 24, 2024•57 min•Season 6Ep. 7
In 2018, Christian O Connell was one of the most successful people in British Radio, he was on top of his world, and then…the panic attacks began. The attacks got so bad and so regular that he couldn’t perform live and it nearly cost him his career. In this episode, we revisit Christian’s experience, the physical and mental toll of his panic attacks as well as the societal pressures and expectations he felt as a man - his need to appear strong and provide for his family. And we hear how he event...
Mar 20, 2024•15 min•Season 6Ep. 6
“Get your butterflies in formation”. If you take one thing away from this episode, it’s how to handle the nervous, anxious, flutter of stomach butterflies that arises when we’re socially anxious. Social interactions can be challenging. You may believe that everyone else has all their shit figured out and can effortlessly walk into a social situation and just be themselves. But it turns out, we all, at some point, get social anxiety. In this episode, our resident psychologist Dr Emily, delves dee...
Mar 17, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Kate Langbroek, in our humble opinion, is a very special person. We absolutely love her, and we’re clearly not alone. Kate, has experienced decades of success on Australian TV and radio - whether it was every Wednesday night on The Panel; with her mate Hughesy on the radio; or in countless podcasts, and radio shows since. On this episode of The Imperfix, we revisit, when in 2022, Kate generously shared with us what it was like when her eldest son Lewis was diagnosed with Leukaemia, and how it im...
Mar 13, 2024•16 min•Season 6Ep. 4
World leading organisational psychologists, Adam Grant is this week's guest in The Academy of Imperfection and honestly, we can’t believe how much ground the brilliant man managed to cover in this episode. I mean, sure, you might expect him to touch on the value of embracing our imperfections. Or perhaps he might explore imposter syndrome & the importance in believing in others' belief in yourself. Or how procrastination can actually be a creative force. Or maybe even some tips for those of ...
Mar 10, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 6Ep. 3
In this inaugural episode of the imperfix , Hugh takes us back to our very first Academy of Imperfection, where special guest Ben Crowe explores what it actually means to define your purpose. We discuss Ryan, Hugh & Ben’s purposes, how they defined them, and how important they are in shaping their respective every-days. We also delve a little deeper into Josh’s seeming ‘lack of purpose’ and find that he might actually have a bit more purpose there than he realises. To hear the full episode, ...
Mar 06, 2024•19 min•Season 6Ep. 2
They say that by the time he retires, Pat Cummins could be one of Australia’s most successful cricket captains. And if 2023 is anything to go by, "they" might be right. Pat captained the team winning The ODI World Cup, The ICC World Test Championship and retaining The Ashes. And individually, he was not only named The ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year, but also signed a record-breaking contract to play in India in the IPL this year. So yeah, Pat wins a lot. But this episode isn't just about cricke...
Mar 03, 2024•1 hr 33 min•Season 6Ep. 1
We’re back… almost! As has become tradition, Hugh, Ryan and Josh catch up for a formal welcome back episode to chat about the season ahead. They talk about their brand new extra weekly episode called The ImperFIX, the show’s foray into YouTube, aaaand just build general hype around the exciting upcoming guests on the show. Oh. And Hugh demonstrates his brand new sleeping position. It’s so, so good to be back. To watch this episode on YouTube (and see Hugh's sleeping position), follow this link: ...
Feb 25, 2024•26 min
To look after our loved ones, we need to start by looking after ourselves. And according to parenting expert Lael Stone, that means looking back and showing compassion to our younger selves. In this b-b-b-bonus summer episode we’re very lucky to have Lael back for a third time (her previous episodes are linked below) as we prepare for a new year with new challenges. But don’t worry. You’ll be ready for anything after an hour with Lael Stone. To learn more about Lael and her work, follow this lin...
Jan 21, 2024•54 min•Season 5Ep. 49
Heads up: Mrs Claus is VERY close friends with comedian, Urzila Carlson. As such, this Special Christmas Episode is definitely not appropriate for kids. Last year, we were honoured to sit down with the one and only Santa Claus as he joined us in The Vulnerabilitea House. A big thank you to Glenn Robbins for organising that interview for us! Link below if you missed it. This year, Hugh, Josh and Ryan meet the woman who claims to be the brains behind the operation, Mrs Claus (or is it Ms Claus?). ...
Dec 17, 2023•32 min•Season 5Ep. 48
For some people, Christmas Day is the most wonderful time of the year. But for others, catching up with friends and family at this time of the year can lead to pain and sadness and as Dr Emily describes it, an overwhelming feeling of “not-enoughness”. In this special bonus episode, Dr Emily explains where this feeling comes from and why it pops up year after year. But as always she gives us some helpful advice on what we can do to address it and feel a little less alone this Christmas. So from u...
Dec 10, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 47
Dear Men, Please listen to this episode about consent and rape culture. Hugh, Ryan & Josh x On the face of it, this Academy of Imperfection with Chanel Contos may seem like a heavy episode. An episode about consent, rape culture and sexual violence might not seem like an episode that concerns you. That may be true, but if the #MeToo movement taught us anything, it’s that you probably know someone who’s either been raped or sexually assaulted in some way. We have a lot to learn about consent,...
Dec 03, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 5Ep. 46
Gina Chick grew up… different. She wasn’t like the other kids, and they let her know about it. But as an adult she learned to see her “different” as a strength, which led to her most well-known achievement, outlasting everyone else for 67 days in the Tasmanian wilderness to win ALONE Australia. But as you’ll hear, that’s only a part of her story - as is the fact that she’s very close friends with Hugh Jackman. After going through some of the lowest lows a human can experience, Gina learned the p...
Nov 26, 2023•1 hr 49 min•Season 5Ep. 45
As co-host of The Project, Hamish Macdonald has seen and done more than most journalists could ever dream to achieve in their entire career. Before The Project and a stint hosting ABC’s Q+A program, Hamish worked and reported around the world from war zones to natural disasters, winning a bunch of prestigious awards including a coveted Walkley Award in the process. But as he discusses with Hugh, Ryan and Josh, he’s also faced bullying throughout his life, whether that be from students during his...
Nov 19, 2023•1 hr 55 min•Season 5Ep. 44
Menopause, or THE Menopause according to our guest lecturer Dr Louise Newson, affects every woman at some point in her life. That’s 51% of the entire world! And even if you’re not a woman, chances are you know a few of them. Either way, the menopause IS coming. And you better be ready. Dr Louise Newson is a GP and Menopause specialist who is campaigning for better menopause care for all women. But despite her specialisation and regular lecturing on the subject, even she didn’t pick up on the sig...
Nov 12, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 43
We know, we know, we know. ‘Who Do You Desire? is a very click-baity title. But we’re pretty confident that if you DO take the bait (come onnnn), you’ll be nicely rewarded. In this episode, our resident psychologist Dr Emily talks with Hugh, Ryan and Josh about the concept of Mimetic Desire - the idea that whether we like it or not, pure originality is impossible. All of us are being influenced by someone. The question is, are we proud of the someones currently influencing us, or does our influe...
Nov 05, 2023•59 min•Season 5Ep. 42
Not many of us have won Olympic Gold. And even fewer of us have jumped over a 6m high bar. But Australian pole vaulting champion Steve Hooker has done both. And boy oh boy does he have a story to tell!? That was rhetorical btw, he definitely does have a story to tell. What would you do if you were the best in the world at something one day, and then the next day you suddenly couldn’t do that thing anymore?? At all. That’s pretty much what happened to Steve. And on this episode he tells childhood...
Oct 29, 2023•1 hr 39 min•Season 5Ep. 41
Lewis Hobba grew up idolising Triple J. But despite being chosen as Triple J’s drive-time co-host by the age of 30, and being selected by Andrew Denton as one of Australia’s most creative and talented young performers for the show Hungry Beast, Lewis never felt like he succeeded in anything. In this Vulnerabilitea House, Lewis tells Hugh, Ryan and Josh what it was like behind the scenes for him during this time and how he dealt with crippling anxiety on a daily basis until eventually seeking hel...
Oct 22, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Season 5Ep. 40
As Australian of the Year, Taryn Brumfitt is making a massive impact on an issue that effects people everywhere… BODY IMAGE. Not only is Taryn a body image campaigner, she’s also a documentarian, having made two docos encouraging us to EMBRACE our bodies, not matter what they look like. We highly recommend you watch them - links below. In this Academy of Imperfection, Taryn talks with Hugh, Ryan and Josh about her own body image journey, including a vulnerable Before & After image of herself...
Oct 15, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 5Ep. 39
Tim Minchin is an Australian comedian, actor, writer, musician, poet, composer, and songwriter. He’s probably best known for his music, his comedy, and well… his ‘Matilda: The Musical’… but has it really all been “luck”? Tim talks with Hugh, Ryan and Josh about so many different things in this fascinating chat about art and creativity, family, free-will, success, failure and the importance of taking life one level at a time. For tickets to Tim's new show, An Unfunny Evening with Tim Minchin and ...
Oct 08, 2023•1 hr 46 min•Season 5Ep. 38
