Ant's Talk

Ruth Coker Burks has cared for hundreds of people dying from AIDS, many of them gay men who had been abandoned by their families. She buried more than three dozen of them herself, after their families refused to claim their bodies.

Mary Doyle grew up with a very abusive mother, she endured physical and sexual abuse, only to be fostered back and forth to her mother. She was also lied to about her birth father and only found out the reality when she appeared on the Jeremy Kyle Show. Tune in to hear her story.

Daryl Elliott Green was in the police force on a routine job when out of the darkness, a man rushed up to the open door of the patrol vehicle he was in and pointed at his face from less than a meter a .22 calibre rifle. He was shot in the head and in the shoulder. He managed to survive and tell his story. You can learn more about Daryl from his website, www.twiceshot.com

Brigette Mitchell and Lily Nova are powerhouses in the modelling industry. One has worked in the industry for over 30 years and has discovered some of the most familiar faces in the industry from Australia. The other has graced the cover of Vogue, Elle and Numero while also featuring for brands such as MAC and Anna Sui.

My next guest is from one of the oldest Royal Families in India and the first openly gay Prince in the world. He has appeared on the Oprah Show and the Kardashians, though his true life’s work is helping young gay youth though his charity Lakshya Trust. Tune in to hear my interview with Prince Manvendra.

Lisa Mahoney is the daughter of underworld figure Frank La Rosa in Western Australia. A convicted drug trafficker who won against the ATO, where the Federal High Court granted him a $220,000 tax deduction for a botched drug deal! Tune in to hear more of her story.

Anne and Renata have their very own show. Answering questions about love, work, and direction in life. Anne and Renata have the Naughty and Nice tarot show! Renata is a Psychic Medium and Anne owns Australia's largest online paranormal equipment store. They are not only extremely interesting but hilarious! Tune in for a good laugh.

Even though I am on a break currently, I just had to speak to a woman who analyses the Royal Families body language, voice and behaviour. Dr. Louise Mahler is an expert in body language, voice and emotion, I thought we would chat about the latest interview with Meghan, Harry and Oprah. Enjoy!

Dean Clifford cannot run yet alone walk without ripping skin off his body. He suffers from Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) Individuals with EB are born without one of the genes that glue your skin together. This affects their skin and for some, the mucous membranes inside their body. Any friction or rubbing of the skin can lead to large blisters and loss of skin. Tune in to hear more about his story.

My next guest is a singer songwriter who released his debut EP Nostalgia in 2017 and soon after received a precarious diagnosis. At only 24 he had developed a brain tumour that needed surgery and extensive rehabilitation. Here to tell us more of his story is Darro Chea.

Tom was a very successful commercial property builder and one day, he was standing outside one of the warehouses he was building and saw a woman crying while holding a large plastic bag leaving a nearby vet. The bag contained her dog who had passed away. He believed there must be a better way and decided to start Pet Angel Funerals. We chat more to Tom about this unique career path.

At only 44, Suzanne Razaq had suffered two strokes, had asthma and, at nearly 300 pounds, was morbidly obese. She was literally at death’s door when decided to have gastric sleeve surgery. Tune in to hear about her story.

My next guest went to the Supreme Court to determine the fate of his bands name. Unable to argue, testify or even be near his own attorney during the process. Simon Tam from Portland Oregon named his all Asian-American band the Slants. Most know the word is used as a racial slur for Asians, but Simon wanted to put a new spin on the word. After a long 8 years in the court case his story has been told in Rolling Stone and they finally got the result they wanted. Lets chat to Simon to hear more about his story.

In 2012 Donna Thistlethwaite attempted suicide by jumping off Brisbane's Story Bridge. Her life is now in a very different place and she have become a speaker and trainer in mental health. Donna feels passionate about helping people to thrive so that they can live their best life and minimise their chances of experiencing a mental health crisis. Her story has been featured on ABC's Australian Story and can be viewed at: https://www.abc.net.au/austory/the-bridge-opener/8779678. Donna also has six resilience strategies that she shares with audiences and there's a bunch of lessons that came from her experience.

Postnatal depression affects 1 in 7 women but that experience has been made worse for many young parents with COVID-19 taking a toll on new parents living in isolation and without support. Kat Deluca was fraught with anxiety when she had her son. Such was the severity of her stress she was hospitalised for six weeks at the Brisbane Centre for PostNatal Disorders, which only has ten beds. Kat was fortunate to receive the help she needed and her experience inspired her to connect with and reach out through social media to other women who were going through a similar struggle.

This week we chat to NIDA trained, Gabrielle Scawthorn who is an actress, writer and presenter who has amassed more than 20 professional acting credits during her career, which was kickstarted at the tender and impressionable age of 17 when she finished runner up on Channel V’s Fresh Meat competition in 2005. During this broadcast journey as a teenager, Gabrielle experienced first hand the long-term psychological impact the reality TV show experience can have weeks, months and even years later. It was also this personal experience that was the main catalyst for the launching of Back From Reality. We chat to Gabrielle and gain her thoughts on the reality of reality TV.

Talk Matiteyahu is a “recovering lawyer” who works as a product manager for a legal tech startup during the day then hustles to launch Blink, a dating app that will change the way people use technology to find and create meaningful connections, at night. The concept for Blink was created back in 2012, after she ate at a blacked out restaurant and befriending a couple she dined with. It was incredible to realise how much more open and vulnerable we were willing to be while when they were just voices in the dark. This compelled her to alongside Whitney, to create a place for much deeper connections.

Susannah is a mental health advocate, who has a lived experience of child violence and teen cat fishing, with an autobiography, podcast and movie in the making. We chat more about cat fishing and how it has increased dramatically over the last few years. Tune in!

Claire Ashman spent the first 36 years of her life in two very different but strict religious movements. Though the later group was a little more sinister. It was revealed that the leader of that group had been jailed for paedophilia, abusing his power and molesting young teenage girls.

Claire Summers went through five distressing life events, all within an eight-month period, the last of which nearly took her life. She created Gratitude Glass Jars as a visual tool to help her heal, by capturing daily notes of gratitude, that enabled her to rebuild herself and open her heart once more. While they were just a side project for her, she decided to take them to the New York Now Trade Show, where Oprah discovered her and got her on stage to share her story. Tune in to hear more!