Compiled by Jasper Baumann and Tess Connery
‘The audience is distilled into the people who want to be there’: 1000 episodes of Matt & Alex All Day Breakfast
Last week, LiSTNR’s Matt & Alex All Day Breakfast podcast hit a major milestone – 1,000 episodes. In 2020, former Triple J breakfast hosts Matt Okine and Alex Dyson made the jump into the world of podcasting, serving up episodes every weekday for listeners to get their brekkie fix.
With 1,000 episodes now under their belt, Okine casts his mind back to make the point that in the beginning, telling Podcast Week’s Tess Connery, “it almost didn’t happen.”
Okine: “Cast your mind back to a time when LiSTNR didn’t exist, the platform didn’t have a name yet and didn’t have any other shows. Sam Cavanagh said ‘hey, do you want to come and be a part of this?’ Then, of course, the pandemic happened, so suddenly we were wondering if it would ever happen.”
To celebrate the milestone episode, the duo hosted the 1,000th show live at Melbourne’s Comedy Republic, which Dyson runs with fellow comedians Rhys Nicholson and Kyran Wheatley.
Dyson: “When you tell the jokes on the podcast, it’s in a vacuum – you assume people are rolling around on the floor laughing barely able to contain themselves. But until you see it in person, it’s just a myth. Schrodinger’s laugh. So having people there is amazing, and also nerve-wracking.”
Okine: “When we were planning it we thought okay, 1,000 episodes, do we have this star-studded event where we pack it with all of our friends and people we’ve met along the way? We had ideas about getting actors up on stage to recreate one of our most liked segments word for word.
“The more we thought about it, the more we felt like it should really just be the essence of our show, which is two idiots who don’t know what they’re doing and flying by the seat of their pants. It was a really joyous occasion.”
One of the segments at the live show was the appearance of The Goat Goat – a character Okine voices which was introduced in episode 223.
Dyson: “I stitched Matt up by getting him to play that goat. But when I said, ‘we’ve got a special guest from one of 1,000 episodes backstage waiting’, someone in the audience yelled out The Goat Goat – I had to pretend to ignore them because they got it in one. That’s how well our audience knows us.”
Whilst the ability to correctly pick out the live ‘guest’ with 1000 episodes of material to choose from is certainly impressive, the podcast’s connection with its audience runs much deeper. “They’re really the whole show,” Okine said.
Okine: “I feel very proud of the audience that we’ve got for this podcast, because they’ve stuck by us for years. They’re unwavering in their dedication and the way that they interact with the show, and the things they know about the show. There’s no doubt that there wouldn’t be a show without them.”
Dyson: “One of the incredible things about having this on-demand breakfast show is that the audience is distilled into the people who want to be there. When you’re on the radio it’s a scattergun of people passing through, but with the podcast, they’re there because they enjoy the banter, the community, and getting involved. So you’ve got this extremely pure 24 carat listener base, who make it all the more funny. Everyone there is there for the same reasons and having a good time.”
Looking ahead, the pair have a lot of plans on the horizon, hinting at some major events and a tour. 1,000 episodes down they – probably – don’t have any plans to slow down any time soon.
Dyson: “We have a few things on the agenda, we might be doing something quite cool and personal around Mother’s Day coming up this year. We’ve also got some plans for the Olympics, which is one of our favourite events.”
Okine: “It has been 10 years of Matt & Alex. I don’t want to say anything is set in stone, but we’ve always done our live shows in Melbourne – because Alex owns a comedy club there and the rent is cheap – but it might be time for us to say g’day to one or two other places as well throughout the year.”
Dyson: “I thought 10 years meant long service leave! We’re going to have to go back to the drawing board, because I was about to book a holiday.”
[Listen to Matt & Alex All Day Breakfast here]
Going Behind the Edit with Yahoo Lifestyle
Can’t get enough of Married At First Sight? From inside scoops to exclusive interviews with former participants, Yahoo Australia’s entertainment journalists Lachlan Guertin and Tahlia Pritchard are here to bring you the latest on MAFS and reveal all the behind-the-scenes secrets you won’t see on TV.
Podcast Week’s Tess Connery caught up with Yahoo Lifestyle editor Lyndsey Rodrigues to chat all about the Behind The Edit podcast.
How did Behind The Edit come to be?
Rodrigues: “Last year, we ran a video series that was the first iteration of Behind The Edit where we invited past contestants from MAFS to come in and talk about what was happening on the show as it aired from an insider’s point of view. They could give a real perspective of what it was like in the moment, and how the scenes may have played out, and that was really successful.
“A podcast really seemed like the next natural step given that reality TV is one of our authority areas at Yahoo Lifestyle. We’ve gone all in on MAFS, we know that we have a highly engaged audience who is keen to hear these stories from a behind-the-scenes perspective. Both Lachlan and Talia are seasoned reality TV reporters with really solid industry contacts, so it just felt like the right time to capitalise on that.”
The reality TV space moves so quickly. How do you go about approaching each episode in an environment where things are completely different from day to day?
“We have current participants reaching out and saying that they want to come on the podcast because they don’t like their edit. We might have a guest already booked for a particular week from a past season, and then we’ll get a current contestant saying ‘I want to come on I want to share my story’. It’s a great problem to have, but it does move really quickly.
“The overarching approach to each episode is to look at the events of the week that happened on Married at First Sight, then pick out the biggest moments. Whether it was across Retreat Week or Intimacy Week, we’ll then go about figuring out who would be the best person to speak to about what those weeks are actually like.”
There are a few reality TV podcasts out there in the market. How do you go about standing out from the crowd with Behind The Edit?
“One of the biggest points of difference, I think, is that we’re quite neutral. Because our editorial coverage is not mean or slanderous, that is a reason why we get such great confessions and information from them, because they know that we’re not the meanies.
“The other thing that really stands out for us is that you don’t have to be a full-on fan of MAFS. You could just be a casual viewer, you could just be someone who’s interested in reality TV as the juggernaut that it is, and there’s something in there for you. It really is a fascinating deep dive into how the shows are made, and how contestants are chosen. You’re getting great insight into things that you just don’t see on camera and learning about how the show comes to be – and also why people continue to want to participate in them knowing that the court of public opinion is so brutal.”
For the people who are listening, what do you hope they take away from the podcast?
“One of the things we’re really keen to do is humanise the people that appear on this show, because, as I mentioned, the court of public opinion is really brutal. People see these reality TV stars and think it’s fair game, they can say whatever they want online because they went on this show – but they are human, and they have their sides to the story. Not everything is always as it seems.”
[Listen to Behind The Edit here]
From fungi to forensics: News Corp’s new The Mushroom Cook podcast
News Corp Australia continues to expand its True Crime Australia platform with the launch of its latest podcast series, The Mushroom Cook.
Led by the Herald Sun’s investigative team and journalist Brooke Grebert-Craig, ‘The Mushroom Cook’ delves into the incident surrounding what was seemingly an ordinary family lunch in rural Victoria, but ended with the tragic loss of three lives.
The series uncovers the background of the accused, Erin Patterson, who prepared the fatal mushroom meal, and provides an overview of the ongoing court proceedings as Patterson faces trial for murder.
[Listen to The Mushroom Cook here]
LiSTNR introduces Daytime Explorers, a podcast resilience toolkit for kids
Host Amy Taylor-Kabbaz, acclaimed Mindful Mama coach and mum of three, returns with a new season of Daytime Explorers, the sister series to Bedtime Explorers.
Each episode invites little listeners to take a walking meditation in their imagination. With each gentle step along a snowy path, in a leafy forest, or along a sandy beach, the podcast is designed for children to gradually slow down and let go of their worries.
“Over each of the 10 meditation episodes I aim to gently guide children to slow down, feel more calm and lower their anxiety, whenever they need to, wherever they are,” said Taylor-Kabbaz.
[Listen to Daytime Explorers here]
The Squiz’s NewsClub dives into Meta’s standoff with Australian news media
Kate Watson and Claire Kimball, co-founders of The Squiz, unpack the escalating tensions between Meta and Australian news media in a two episode series.
The episodes delve into Meta’s contentious decision not to renegotiate deals with Australian news organisations.
In episode one, they highlight how these changes will likely alter how stories and news are broadcasted and consumed. In episode two, they speak to Tim Duggan, founder of Junkee Media and chair of the Digital Publishers Alliance, to highlight public access to information and how future generations will navigate and comprehend the news landscape.
Toilet Paper Australia and DM Podcasts launch Talking Sh!t
Toilet Paper Australia is a satirical group dedicated to calling out nonsense in the media and politics. Their new podcast Talking Sh!t is hosted by the anonymous ‘Admin 1’ and ‘Admin 2’, who are the brains behind the Toilet Paper Australia social media accounts.
Featuring serious commentary, perspectives, and humour, the two hosts navigate the latest news and hypocrisy from the Australian political and media landscape.
Antony Stockdale from DM Podcasts said: “Unfortunately, Toilet Paper Australia will never run out of content, of issues big and small to cover. This show is everything we love about independent media and podcasting in 2024, and we are thrilled to be working with Toilet Paper Australia, to help bring their unique and important voice to life in a podcast.”
Equalution founder launches nutrition podcast
Founder and CEO of nutrition app Equalution Amal Wakim is set to debunk common food myths and simplify nutrition with her new podcast Chew On This.
The podcast caters to those looking to enhance their knowledge, optimise their health, and satisfy their curiosity about the fascinating world of nutrition.
“My latest venture aims to break down recent scientific research into easily digestible nuggets so that everyone can become more well informed about the ins and outs of what they eat,” said Wakim.
“Each episode will deliver a well-rounded perspective on nutrition and is packed with actionable tips for leading a healthier lifestyle. I am so excited to introduce listeners to our lineup of experts so they can learn about the latest trends and research in the field of nutrition.”
Chew On This is available from April 7.
