For 15 years, Lainey Wilson chased a dream that didn’t seem to want her back.

She was rejected. Overlooked. Living in a camper trailer in Nashville while the industry moved on without her.

Now she’s one of country music’s biggest stars.

In this episode of No Filter, Lainey reflects on the decade-and-a-half grind behind her so-called “overnight success” from auditioning for Idol and The Voice, to impersonating Hannah Montana for five years, to going viral in a way she never expected.

She talks about faith, exhaustion, ambition, meeting Miley Cyrus after years of portraying her on stage, and the advice from Keith Urban that reframed everything.

You can find Lainey’s latest music, tour dates and more at laineywilson.com. 

CREDITS:

Guest: Lainey Wilson

Host: Kate Langbroek

Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Executive Producer: Bree Player

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Video Producer: Josh Green

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1990s, Rachel Hunter was one of the most recognisable women in the world.

A Sports Illustrated cover star and defining face of the supermodel era, she went from a teenager in New Zealand to global fame almost overnight. She later married Rod Stewart, becoming part of one of the decade’s most talked-about love stories.

From the outside, it looked like the ultimate 90s fairytale.

In this episode of No Filter, Rachel reflects on rising to fame at 17, her whirlwind marriage to Rod Stewart, and what it was really like to live inside that cultural moment.

After recently appearing on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, she speaks candidly about motherhood, public scrutiny, and why the life everyone envied eventually wasn’t enough.

This is a conversation about identity, reinvention, and finding yourself beyond the spotlight.

CREDITS:

Guest: Rachel Hunter

Host: Kate Langbroek

Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Executive Producer: Bree Player

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Video Producer: Josh Green

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Michelle Burgess’ young son Leo became unwell while their family was on holiday in Tasmania, it initially seemed like a virus — something that would pass with rest and time. But within days, Leo lost the ability to move his body, was transferred between hospitals across two states, and was eventually placed into an induced coma while doctors tried to understand what was happening.

Leo was later diagnosed with GFAP astrocytopathy — an extremely rare autoimmune neurological condition that causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. What followed was months in hospital, intensive treatment, and the beginning of a recovery that is still ongoing.

In this deeply personal conversation, Michelle takes Kate Langbroek inside the terrifying early days of Leo’s illness — from the moment she realised something was wrong, to the long weeks spent sitting beside his hospital bed in intensive care, unsure whether he would survive. She shares what it means to advocate for your child when there are no clear answers, how she coped with fear and exhaustion, and the extraordinary resilience Leo showed as he slowly began to recover.

It’s an experience Kate understands in a profoundly personal way. When her eldest son was a child, he was diagnosed with leukaemia — an illness he survived — and she recognises the unique fear that comes when a parent is forced to watch their child fight for their life.

This episode is about motherhood, uncertainty, and the kind of love that refuses to give up — even when the future is impossible to imagine.

Michelle and Leo are sharing their story in support of the Starlight Super Swim which aims to raise $4.3 million to bring happiness to more than 110,000 sick kids in hospital. You can donate via superswim.au/NoFilter

If you find yourself needing to talk to someone after listening to this episode please call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

CREDITS:

Guest: Michelle Burgess

Host: Kate Langbroek

Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Executive Producer: Bree Player

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Video Producer: Josh Green

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is life really like inside one of the most famous in American pop culture?

In this episode of No Filter, Kate Langbroek sits down with Faith Ward, an Australian–New Zealand dancer who went from thinking an unexpected message was a scam to becoming a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

Faith takes us behind the uniform to talk candidly about what it actually takes to make it — and stay — inside the world’s most recognisable cheer squad. From the brutal audition process and constant scrutiny, to discipline, image control, and the realities of pay, Faith shares what the public rarely sees.

We talk ponytails, pressure, pay rises, and perfection — the details that reveal how much is demanded of the women who wear the uniform, and what it costs to belong to such a powerful global brand.

This is a behind-the-curtain conversation about ambition, sacrifice, identity and what happens when the glamour meets the reality.

CREDITS:

Guest: Faith Ward

Host: Kate Langbroek

Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Executive Producer: Bree Player

Additional Production: Coco Lavigne

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Video Producer: Josh Green

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than a decade, Kate Seselja lived a double life.

Outwardly, she was a well-spoken suburban mum raising six children. Privately, she was trapped in a devastating poker machine addiction that would cost her more than $500,000, push her family into overwhelming debt, and bring her to the brink of suicide.

In this deeply confronting episode, Kate takes us back to the years when gambling consumed her life — the highs of winning, the crushing shame of losing, the secrecy, and the relentless hope that the next spin would fix everything. She reflects on how poker machines are designed to hijack the brain, why addiction thrives in silence, and how stigma keeps people trapped for far too long.

Kate also speaks candidly about her rock-bottom moment while pregnant with her sixth child, what stopped her from ending her life, and the long road to recovery that followed. Now an advocate and founder of The Hope Project, she dedicates her life to helping others understand gambling harm as a public health issue and not a personal failure.

This episode is a powerful reminder that gambling addiction doesn’t look the way we expect it to and that it can happen to anyone.

If this episode brings up anything for you, support is available. You can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Kate Seselja, along with at GHLEE (Gambling Harm Lived Experience Experts) are calling for each state and territory to enforce loss limits on poker machines of $100 per day, $500 per month, and $5000 per year. This simple act will literally save lives. You can find out more information and sign their petition here.

CREDITS:

Guest: Kate Seselja

Host: Kate Langbroek

Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Executive Producer: Bree Player

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Video Producer: Josh Green

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angie Kent first joined No Filter back in 2019, she was fresh off The Bachelorette, newly in love, and stepping into a very public chapter of her life. A lot has changed since then.

In this episode, Angie returns with Kate Langbroek for an honest, deeply reflective conversation about what it means to choose a life that feels right, even when it doesn’t look the way you once imagined.

Angie opens up about her decision to become a solo mum by choice, sharing her IVF journey, the public reaction (both supportive and critical), and the internal certainty that led her here. She reflects on her search for love, the pressure women still face around partnership and timelines, and why companionship now matters more than financial stability, especially when so many women are finding men aren’t meeting them where they are.

This is a conversation about autonomy, motherhood, healing, and unlearning the scripts we’re handed. About trusting your instincts. About choosing yourself. And about what it really means to say, “I am the right person.”

THE END BITS:

Listen to more No Filter interviews here and follow us on Instagram here.

Discover more Mamamia podcasts here.

Feedback: [email protected]

Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.

Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review.

CREDITS:

Guest: Angie Kent

Host: Kate Langbroek

Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Executive Producer: Bree Player

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Video Producer: Josh Green

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan Van Ness is one of the most recognisable and beloved figures in pop culture today - but in this conversation, they open up about the chapters of their life few people truly understand.

Jonathan speaks candidly about addiction, relapse, sex addiction, and living with HIV, including the moment they realised contracting HIV ultimately saved their life by forcing them to confront a dangerous relationship with meth. With extraordinary honesty, Jonathan reflects on survival, recovery, shame, joy, and what it really means to heal.

We also talk about identity, coming out as non-binary, people-pleasing, impulse behaviour, and why healing isn’t a destination — it’s a lifelong practice. Alongside the heavy moments, Jonathan brings humour, warmth and deep compassion, sharing how movement, group fitness, love, and chosen family helped them rebuild a life they want to stay in.

This is a powerful, vulnerable and deeply human conversation about staying alive, finding joy after trauma, and learning how to come home to yourself.

For information about Jonathan's upcoming Hot and Healed Tour head here. 

THE END BITS:

Listen to more No Filter interviews here and follow us on Instagram here.

Discover more Mamamia podcasts here.

Feedback: [email protected]

Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.

Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review.

We’re giving away a Your Reformer Pilates bed (worth $3,400) Subscribe to enter.

CREDITS:

Guest: Jonathan Van Ness

Host: Naima Brown

Executive Producer: Bree Player

Audio Producer: Tina Matalov

Video Producer: Josh Green

Recorded with Session in Progress studios.

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a world of New Year, New Me promises, Celeste Barber has built a career on doing the opposite. She keeps it real—big knickers, unflattering angles, and a refusal to pretend life is anything other than messy.

Celeste built a global following by parodying celebrity perfection and making millions of people laugh on Instagram. But in this episode of No Filter, she steps away from the selfies and punchlines to talk about the parts of her life the internet rarely sees.

In this candid conversation with Kate Langbroek, Celeste opens up about the chaos of her childhood, her ADHD diagnosis, the burnout that nearly broke her, and the pressure of being the internet’s favourite funny woman. She talks honestly about her marriage to ‘Hot Husband’ Api, what it’s like raising kids under public scrutiny, and the work she’s done to decide which parts of her life stay private.

She reflects on what fame has given her, what it’s taken, and why resisting the urge to constantly “fix” herself has become an act of self-preservation.

Yes, she’s hilarious. But she’s also thoughtful, vulnerable, and still figuring it out—one small, imperfect win at a time.

This is the real Celeste Barber, beyond the selfies, the knickers, and the punchlines.

You can follow Celeste Barber and find tickets to her upcoming Australian regional tour Backup Dancer here.

THE END BITS:

Listen to more No Filter interviews here and follow us on Instagram here.

Discover more Mamamia podcasts here.

Feedback: [email protected]

Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.

Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review.

CREDITS:

Guests: Celeste Barber

Host: Kate Langbroek

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Senior Producer: Bree Player

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the speakers and do not constitute medical advice. Any references to medications, including Ozempic, are made in the context of cultural commentary only. This podcast does not endorse, promote, or recommend any prescription medicines or treatments. For personalised medical advice, please consult your healthcare professional.

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it's just Jess and David, everything is fabulous. But in public, Jess feels like a secret. David doesn't post photos of them, he hasn't introduced her to his family, and she barely knows his friends. Jess is left feeling like a "side piece," good enough for him, but not for his image.

In this session, a couple confronts the painful gap between their private connection and their public life. They’re facing different definitions of what constitutes cheating, a history of trust issues, and the raw feeling of being ashamed by the person you love.

Listen to the second part of Jess & David's session here

Resources (Australia-only)

• 1800RESPECT: The national domestic, family, and sexual violence counselling, information, and support service.
• Beyond Blue: For support with anxiety, depression, and suicide prevention.
• Lifeline Australia: For 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services.
• Motivated Minds: Learn more about host Sarah Bays’ practice.
• Relationships Australia: A leading provider of relationship support services for individuals, families, and communities.

The End Bits

• Want To Be On This Is Why We Fight? Apply here.
• Host: Sarah Bays
• Executive Producer: Naima Brown
• Studio Engineer: Lu Hill
• Audio production: Thom Lion and Jacob Round
• Production support: Leah Porges and Coco Lavigne
• Follow This Is Why We Fight on Instagram for sneak peeks and more relationship therapy content

Explore all Mamamia’s podcasts here.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By the time you’re listening to this, Tanya Hennessy will have welcomed her baby girl. So this conversation now lands in a very different chapter of her life.

Tanya has never shied away from letting us into her world. Behind the jokes and the videos that rack up millions of views, she has been open about living with endometriosis, navigating fertility treatment, and the long stretch of heartbreak that came with desperately wanting a baby.

In this episode of No Filter, Tanya sits down with Kate Langbroek to talk about the road that led her here. She reflects on the years of uncertainty, the emotional toll of trying to conceive, and what it was like to finally reach a moment she once worried might never come.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• Living publicly through infertility and endometriosis

• The fear, hope and vulnerability that shaped Tanya’s fertility journey

• What it meant to finally share her pregnancy after so many setbacks

• How humour helped her survive some of the hardest years of her life

Funny, emotional and deeply honest, this is Tanya Hennessy in full voice—open, unfiltered, and profoundly human.

THE END BITS:

Listen to more No Filter interviews here and follow us on Instagram here.

Discover more Mamamia podcasts here.

Feedback: [email protected]

Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.

Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review

CREDITS:

Guest: Tanya Hennessy

Host: Kate Langbroek

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Senior Producer: Bree Player

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Video Producer: Josh Green

Recorded with Session in Progress studios.

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She’s about to take centre stage at the Sydney New Year’s Eve countdown on the harbour, but before that, here is Melanie Chisholm (aka Mel C) for her most open conversation yet.

You know the name—Sporty Spice. But before the world tours, the crop tops and the legacy of Girl Power, Melanie was just a 20-year-old answering a flyer to audition for a girl band. In this episode of No Filter, Kate Langbroek speaks with Melanie in a rare, full-length conversation that goes far beyond the headlines and the pop mythology.

Melanie reflects on the real story behind the Spice Girls, what it was like to rise to global fame almost overnight, and the personal cost that came with it.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• The dizzying highs and private heartbreaks of being in one of the biggest girl bands of all time

• How sudden fame shaped Melanie’s mental health and sense of self

• The bond she still shares with her Spice sisters today

• Why she’s finally made peace with that chapter of her life

Honest, grounded and deeply reflective, this is Melanie Chisholm as you’ve never heard her before.

THE END BITS:

Listen to more No Filter interviews here and follow us on Instagram here.

Discover more Mamamia podcasts here.

Feedback: [email protected]

Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.

Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review

CREDITS:

Host: Kate Langbroek

Guest: Melanie Chisholm

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Senior Producer: Grace Rouvray

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.