The Best Podcasts in Australia to Listen to in 2024

We can’t imagine what life was like before podcasts. Yes, we know the radio exists, but they’re two completely different ballparks, right? While you’d throw on any radio station when you’re in the car and have to listen to whoever’s talk show was playing, choosing a podcast to listen to is something of an art form. But with so many categories to choose from, spanning the likes of beauty, news, comedy, fashion, self-help and more, it’s so easy to get caught up and overwhelmed by how saturated the podcast world is. 

Thankfully, we’re here to help tidy up your listening laundry list. We’ve broken down the best podcasts 2024 has to offer, including both Australian and international shows. Get your headphones ready and clear your schedule - or slot these podcasts into it - because you’ll be bingeing these for hours on end.

Life Uncut

Life Uncut navigates anything and everything. Love, life, dating and relationships are just some of the topics ex-bachelor contestants Laura Byrne and Brittany Hockley divulge in their thrice-weekly podcast. This iconic duo aren’t afraid to get down and dirty, and there’s nothing left unsaid by the end of each episode - the good, the bad and the ugly are all explored with the perfect level of humour and comedy integrated throughout - which is why we think this is one of the best Australian podcasts that you need to listen to

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartPodcasts

She’s on the Money

Ever asked a finance bro for advice, only to wince in regret as they immediately begin droning on and on in a condescending, ‘you-should-really-know-this’ tone? Yeah, it seems to be a universal experience. Less mansplaining, more beneficial financial advice, please and thank you!

If that’s exactly what you’re thinking, Victoria Devine is the solution to all your problems. Her podcast, She’s on the Money, is all about inspiring and educating others so that they can achieve financial freedom. She explains money, investing, assets, saving, and more on her show - and not in a way that’s impossible to understand! No matter what stage in life you’re at, or where you are with your money management skills, you will definitely benefit from giving this podcast a listen.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartPodcasts

Everybody Has a Secret

This podcast knows that everyone holds at least one secret that they’ve never shared with anyone - not even their closest friends. But this Shameless Media podcast is all about uncovering them. Everybody Has a Secret is a juicy podcast that not only spills secrets, but also provides much-needed advice to the people writing into the show’s confessional - as well as some much-needed comedic relief. Host Annabelle Lee is joined with a guest co-host every week, and now also a regular face (and voice) to keep her company! Friend of the show Louis Hanson has come on as a permanent co-host, providing his humorous jokes and insights for your enjoyment.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

It’s a Lot

You may know her from The Bachelor, but Abbie Chatfield is so much more than just a Gemini. Her conversation-driven podcast, It's A Lot, tackles everything from dating and sex, to current affairs and pop culture, in the same way you would chat about it with your friends. Super engaged with her listeners, she regularly does call outs for questions and topics via Instagram, and invites guests and experts onto the pod that can shed a light on the topic du jour. On Fridays, Abbie and her producers Lem and Oscar unpack the listeners’ gruesome, hilarious and inappropriate stories, which they like to call ‘nightmare fuels.’

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible and LiSTNR

Shameless

Billed as the podcast for “smart women who love dumb stuff”, listening to Shameless is like catching up with two of your sharpest, most clued-in besties. Melbourne journos Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews cover anything and everything, from the Bachelor and Taylor Swift to Drake and the latest drama unfolding on social media. They tackle each topic with humour and a keen eye, often linking pop culture phenomena to bigger societal issues such as fame, feminism, prejudice and body image.

Their podcast is released twice a week, with Monday’s ‘Scandal’ diving into a different notorious celebrity scandal each week, and Thursday’s ‘Pop Culture Wrap,’ where they talk about “the week that was in pop culture.” They also recently released ‘Shamemore,’ a subscription service which gives paying listeners bonus episodes, all scandal series episodes dropped at once, ready to binge, and other good stuff. Shameless continually sits amongst the top end of podcast charts, proving its popularity as one of the best Australian podcasts you need to listen to in 2024.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Mamamia Out Loud

This podcast feels exactly like you’re sitting in on a conversation with your three best friends. Holly Wainwright, Mia Freedman and Jessie Stephens host Mamamia Out Loud, and they discuss anything and everything that’s under the sun that’s top of mind. Whether it’s a deep dive into politics, pop culture, motherhood or fashion, there’s no stone left unturned - and it’s all done in a fun, lively way.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

After Work Drinks

Journalists and Editors Isabelle Truman and Grace O’Neill have teamed up to host the perfect post-work poddy, After Work Drinks. Pour yourself a glass of wine, kick up your feet and pop on this twice-weekly podcast that dives into all things popular culture. These two funny gals sure know what’s going on in the world, and know how to deliver it with humour.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Hamish & Andy

Hamish & Andy are simply the quintessential comedy duo, there’s no other way to put it.  Explaining their podcast is kind of impossible, as they cover everything from extremely niche, specific talents, a reverse podcast subscription wherein they give you $1 or a bow if you see them in public, crocodile tour wars, and so much more. They’re Australia’s favourite duo – other than maybe Kath and Kim – and listening to them is the auditory equivalent of eating the perfect bowl of mac and cheese. Comforting, delicious and with a 100% hit rate.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the LiSTNR app

The Inspired Unemployed

If you want to feel inspired, and have a good laugh at the same time, The Inspired Unemployed is for you. Former tradies turned comedy podcast duo, Jack Steele and Matt Ford, have an unmatched larrikin sense of humour and know how to bounce off each other with banter that makes you smile to yourself. Similar to Hamish & Andy, they discuss pretty much anything and everything, and take you along with them on unusual, unique adventures, such as ghost house tours and marathons. Their infectious personalities are impossible not to love, which is why they have one of the best podcasts in Australia.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Happy Hour with Lucy & Nikki

Happy Hour with Lucy & Nikki explores anything and everything related to living in your 20s, as well as Lucy and Bikki’s journey starting and owning a business (fun fact, they’re the brains behind Jagger & Stone), all about their relationships and their crazy party stories. The best way to describe this podcast is that it feels like catching up with your girlfriends for wild stories shared over cocktails - and we’re obsessed with it.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Australian True Crime

Get a behind the scenes look at the dark side of Australian life in Australian True Crime, presented by true crime author Emily Webb and self-confessed true crime obsessive Meshel Laurie. These two women take listeners on a journey through some of the most mysterious and disturbing cases to have ever taken place in our towns and suburbs, exploring our nation’s underbelly via interviews with writers, victims, investigators and even perpetrators. It’s a bone-chillingly thrilling listen.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast

I Catch Killers

Gary Jubelin spent over 25 years working as a Detective Chief Inspector, and is now sitting behind the mic, opposite whoever he is interviewing for the week. His guest rotation includes anyone and everyone from police officers to criminals, victims to lawyers, all sharing their crime-related stories. Life, death and the justice system are all topics Gary doesn’t shy away from, instead discussing them in great detail with all of his guests. I Catch Killers is one of the best podcasts in Australia in 2024, frequently hanging around the top numbers of 

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audible

Sweet Bobby

Okay, this may not be an Australian podcast, but it’s just too good not to include. Sweet Bobby is a rollercoaster of emotions, and it has taken the world by storm, racking up millions of downloads as everyone learns about Kirat Assi and how her life was destroyed by an eight year relationship that was entirely a lie (not a spoiler, we promise). Podcast host, Alexi Mostrous guides the listener through the tumultuous eight years Kirat has gone through, how she fell in love with Bobby and how it all went so awfully wrong. Sweet Bobby explores the world of catfishing, how the culprit got away with it for so long, and trust us when we say that your jaw will drop when you find out who’s responsible.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and Tortoise Media

7am

Start the day with 7am, a daily news podcast from Schwartz Media, the publishers of the Monthly and the Saturday Paper. Some of Australia’s best reporters unpack the big stories of the day and expertly explain who's involved, what it means and why it matters. Whether it’s politics, science, economics, climate, industry or crime, each topic is covered with expert journalistic integrity and storytelling panache, making it a news show that’s both trustworthy and approachable. 

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Acast

Background Briefing

Background Briefing is essential listening for any Australian after daring, in-depth narrative journalism, and one of the best podcasts to listen to when you’ve got your full attention to spare. Each week, award-winning reporters forensically uncover the stories at the heart of our nation’s biggest issues, exposing injustice, holding those in power to account and illuminating stories that deserve to be heard. 

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the ABC Listen App

Big Small Talk

For the guys and gals who want to know what’s going on in politics, but also what’s happening in the world of popular culture, this is the podcast for you. Cheek Media Co founder and CEO, Hannah Ferguson, and podcast producer, Sarah-Jane Adams, have come together to talk about all things serious and unserious. Big Small Talk perfectly encapsulates how you don’t need to be ‘too good’ to be interested in pop culture if you’re also interested in politics, and you can perfectly balance both.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

The Girls Bathroom

Every girl knows that on a night out, the girls’ bathroom is a safe haven for you to seek advice from complete strangers, gossip and get the pep talk you needed. That’s exactly what hosts Sophia and Cinzia are emulating on their podcast, The Girls Bathroom. Write in your most dramatic, messiest dilemmas for Sophia and Cinzia to spill on the podcast and offer up advice on all things boys, girls and everything in between. This podcast is outrageous, hilarious, and the stories sent in are absolutely mind-boggling.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Acast

Call Her Daddy

What originally started as an out-there, unconventional and extremely entertaining podcast that walked a fine line between entertainment and crossing boundaries with co-hosts Sofia Franklyn and Alexandra Cooper has drastically evolved into the show it is today. Now, sole host Alex (or ‘father’ as she likes to say) releases episodes twice a week wherein she interviews the world’s biggest celebrities in a casual, laid back manner, and goes on conversational deep dives. Call Her Daddy is a comforting, insightful podcast that allows everyone on it to express themselves.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Off Menu

A silver bullet solution for anyone who is missing travelling and restaurants, Off Menu is the podcast from British comedians James Acaster and Ed Gamble. Each week they interview a hilarious guest about their dream meals, their favourite starters, main, side courses and desserts. It’s an entertaining hour that will leave you walking away with plenty of restaurant recommendations around the world for when you jet off on your next international adventure.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast

Are your ears perked now that you've got an endless amount of listening hours to make up, thanks to all these new podcasts? Why not check out some more Sitchu picks while you listen away, from the products we're buying to make our lives easier to the beauty products worth trying this year.