Five of My Life

From the Vault: #51 Hugh Mackay

29 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The ‘David Attenborough of Australian society’ - Hugh has studied Australians for over 60 years. Here he talks about his lifelong regrets, our com...

From the Vault: #67 Mary Chiarella

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mary Chiarella has been described as a modern day Florence Nightingale. Whether it be in her role as Chief Nursing Officer or as the first Professor o...

From the Vault: #30 Wil Anderson

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Comedian, Podcaster and TV host Wil Anderson spends time on the other side of the mic for a change, telling great stories via his 5 choices that lead ...

From the Vault: #24 Kate McClymont

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kate McClymont is Australia’s pre-eminent investigative journalist. Much awarded over her career she is probably best known for her series of articl...

From the Vault: #8 James Valentine

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Host Nigel Marsh speaks to James Valentine, a journalist, musician, author , television presenter and family man. As if all that wasn’t enough, in a...

#193 Sherilyn Shackell

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sherilyn Shackell is the founder and global CEO of the much lauded Marketing Academy - a unique non-profit organisation dedicated to developing leader...

#192 Shay Leighton

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Shay Leighton founded the Tough Guy Book Club to promote connection, community and decent conversations. It’s grown into a powerful movement - comba...

#191 Adam Morgan

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Morgan is a leading world expert on the Challenger Mindset. Author of one of the most influential business books of the last 50 years - Eating Th...

#190 Ant Duckworth

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ant Duckworth is passionate about building Dear Coco into the world’s next great coffee company. It’s well on its way — but the start hasn’t b...

#189 Tim Husband

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Husband is a global leader in improving animal care — designing and directing some of the world’s best Zoos. Not a future he could have imagin...

#188 Dr Marianne Jauncey

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Marianne Jauncey is the Director of the ground breaking Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Sydney. Her work providing people who inject drugs...

#187 Kylie Moore-Gilbert

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2018 Australian University lecturer Kylie Moore-Gilbert travelled to a routine conference in Iran. What followed is the stuff of nightmares. Detain...

#186 Gary Bell

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Gary Bell grew up in a slum the son of a penniless miner and sweet factory worker. His early adulthood as an uneducated convicted fraudster, violent...

#185 Dianne McGrath

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dianne McGrath trained, and was selected for, a one way trip to Mars. She also has completed a 40,000 nautical mile round the world yacht race. So it ...

#184 Sean Maloney

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sean Maloney is the voice of rugby. For years he has commentated on the game at every level - Super Rugby, The Rugby Championship, World Cups and Lion...

#183 Markus Zusak

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Book Thief author Markus Zusak has sold over 20 million copies of his books - in over 40 languages - around the world. A charming character and ...

#182 Gail Holmes

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The youngest of seven children, and only girl, Gail Holmes has lead a fascinating life. Whether it be flying a plane before driving a car, building a ...

#181 Anna Bryant

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"The 1980s put a whole generation of women into therapy”. Anna Bryant is one of Australia’s leading social researchers with decades of global ex...

#180 Tim Olsen

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Olsen is one of Australia’s most recognised and respected art identities. In his role running one of the country’s leading galleries he has nu...

#179 Katie Duncan

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Death is Katie Duncan’s business. As a certified Death Doula her passion is to better prepare and support people through their, and their loved ones...

#177 Maz Farrelly

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For years Maz Farrelly produced a number of the biggest shows on earth - Big Brother, X factor, Celebrity Apprentice, to name just a few. Discover the...

From the Vault: #68 Anthony Albanese

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this wide ranging conversation Anthony Albanese reveals, amongst other things, his mistakes, genuine passion for music, admiration for the Queen an...

#183 Peter Greste

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Peter Greste spent 400 harrowing days in an Egyptian jail on fabricated terrorism charges. An experience that is the subject of a major new ...

#176 Lucy Wark

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lucy Wark is the founder of Normal, a sexual wellness brand giving everyone the tools, information and confidence to explore sexuality without stress ...

#175 James Weir

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

James Weir is a national treasure. One of the country’s finest comedic writers his newspaper columns have been delighting fans, and setting reade...

#174 Jacinta Tynan

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jacinta Tynan has spent over 30 years in the media industry in her varied roles as a TV presenter, journalist, reporter and columnist. Also a successf...

#173 Top Ten: Song Choices

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I always politely decline when people ask me what my Five choices would be if I were the guest, not the host, of the show. However when asked by Vinyl...

#172 Paul Sinton-Hewitt

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Sinton-Hewitt’s parkrun is truly a global phenomenon. From humble beginnings in 2004 it has grown to be one of the world’s biggest - and most...

#171 Pip Courtney

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pip Courtney is an Australian icon. Her work on ABC’s Landline TV programme for over 30 years has made her a national treasure - her compelling a...

From the Vault: #64 Jacqui Lambie

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For Jacqui Lambie - Senator for Tasmania - no topic was off limits when she took The Five Of My Life challenge. Nominated by Jan Fran, Jacqui tells Ni...

From the Vault: #74 Naomi Mourra

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Leaving the Jehovah Witness church is always difficult, but even more so when you're a Lebanese Lesbian. Stand-up Naomi Mourra has taken her challengi...

From the Vault: #4 Osher Günsberg

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Host Nigel Marsh speaks to Osher Günsberg, one of Australia’s most recognisable and loved media personalities. Currently on our screens as the host...

From the Vault: #93 Holly Wainwright

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Holly Wainwright has had a long career as a journalist and editor, most recently as head of Content at Mamamia - Australia's only women's media compan...

From the Vault: #18 Dr. Charlie Teo

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The globally renowned neurosurgeon is named as one of Australia’s most trusted people for taking on the cases others class as hopeless and synonymou...

From the Vault: #107 Amanda Keller

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Amanda Keller is one of Australia's most successful and most loved media personalities. Whether it be hosting the nation's most listened to radio show...

From the Vault: #26 Matt Okine

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Crab fishing with his dad in QLD and a cheating girlfriend. Host Nigel Marsh unlocks the funny stories behind Matt Okine's success in comedy, writing,...

#170 Anita Jacoby

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Anita Jacoby is a legend in the media industry having enjoyed pivotal roles at every major network. Over her career she has produced a number of iconi...

#169 Sir John Hegarty

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Knighted for his lifelong service to creative industries Sir John Hegarty has been central to the global advertising scene for over six decades. His p...

From The Vault: #11 Richard Glover

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From The Vault: To honour Richard Glover as he hands over the reins to ABC’s Sydney Drive program we are reissuing Episode 11 - his wonderfully ente...

#168 David Gonski

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

David Gonski has been called ’The Chairman Of Everything’ - Coca-Cola, Hoyts, Film Australia, NIDA, The Australian Stock Exchange, The Sydney Thea...

#167 Paige Kennedy

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Paige Kennedy is an alternative pop artist who’s breakthrough single ‘Lingerie Model’ saw their online following explode and garnered rave revie...

#166 Joe Hildebrand

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Hildebrand is one of Australia’s best known journalists and media presenters. Creator and host of the News Show ’The Real Story with Joe Hilde...

#165 Kerri Sackville

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kerri Sackville is a prolific writer who, on top of her columns in the Sydney Morning Herald, Sunday Life and Melbourne Age, has published five bestse...

#164 Andy Miller

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As CEO of Heaps Normal Andy Miller has helped transform an entire industry: and changed Australian drinking culture. A fascinating , thoughtful charac...

#163 Sarah Bailey

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah Bailey is an impressive triple threat: successfully managing to combine writing a series of bestselling crime thrillers with running an award wi...

#162 Heather Mitchell

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The glowing global accolades Heather Mitchell received for her performance as Ruth Bader Ginsburg came as no surprise to her fans, as Heather has been...

From The Vault: #29 Chris Mitchell

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From The Vault: As the media landscape becomes relentlessly ever more simplistic, shouty and siloed I wanted to re-release this thoughtful and moving ...

#161 Jonathan Seidler

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Seidler is the bestselling author of ‘It’s a shame about Ray’ and ‘All the beautiful things you love’. His writing regularly featur...

#160 Mary O'Brien

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As a lifelong passionate advocate for , and expert in, the rural sector Mary O’Brien couldn’t stand by and accept the shockingly high rates of dep...

#159 Dr Stephen Rashford

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Stephen Rashford leads an elite team that is tasked with bringing the emergency room to the crash scene. In his 18 years as Medical Director of Que...

#158 Lexi Airey

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lexi Airey - CEO of Gateway Bank - is not your average Bank CEO. At an early age her life was transformed by the experience of being held up at gunpoi...

#157 Delvene Cockatoo-Collins

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Delvene Cockatoo-Collins is a Quandamooka artist who lives on Minjerribah. Her beautiful and stirring work embodies a rich connection to country, capt...

#156 Ashok Ferrey

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bestselling author Ashok Ferrey was sent away to boarding school in another country at an early age. Not only was he far from home he was also the on...

#155 Jon Owen

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jon Owen is CEO of the Wayside Chapel. A remarkable man who has dedicated his life to closing the gap on inequality - his response to the Five Of My ...

#154 Tracey Spicer

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tracey Spicer is a multi Walkley Award winning author, journalist and broadcaster, who was awarded the Order of Australia for her 30 years of media ...

#153 Robert Connolly

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Multi-award winning Robert Connelly is one of Australia's most acclaimed film makers, with an international career spanning over 30 years. Perhaps b...

#152 Brett Mason

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Former politician and diplomat, Brett Mason, was first elected to Australian Federal Parliament in 1998. Going on to enjoy a long and varied career, i...

#151 Tom Nash

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Nash is a quadruple amputee, giving him a unique view on life and how to make the best of it. His experience serves sharply to put ones own proble...

#150 Celebrating IWD with Wendy McCarthy

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To celebrate International Women's Day we are re-releasing this episode with the feminist icon Wendy McCarthy. Wendy is one of Australia's most revere...

#149 Michelle Stephenson

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michelle Stephenson has enjoyed high profile success across a wide range of international media roles. Perhaps best known for presenting the national ...

#148 Eddie Jones

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Eddie Jones is one of the highest profile rugby coaches the world game has ever seen - with controversial stints coaching the English, Australian and ...

#147 Maeve O’Meara

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Maeve O'Meara's whole life revolves around food. In this episode the much loved celebrity chef, author, journalist, and businesswoman takes us on a sa...

#146 Josh Szeps

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The first guest for 2024 is Josh Szeps. He is a well travelled Australian radio presenter, TV producer and presenter, founding host of Huff Post Live,...

#145 Sean Turnell

25 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sean Turnell is an economics professor who has recently published a book called 'An Unlikely Prisoner'. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said what Sean...

#144 ⏰ A Strategy to Help You Cope with Unwelcome Change - 5 Minutes with Nigel

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Each fortnight Nigel takes 5 minutes to reflect on the guests, community and thoughts that arise from the Five of My Life podcast. Contact Nigel and F...

#143 Doug Taylor

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Doug Taylor is the CEO of the Smith Family - Australia's largest children's education charity. In this open chat, he shares his facsinating, moving an...

#142 ⏰ Christmas Musings - 5 Minutes With Nigel

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Each fortnight Nigel takes 5 minutes to reflect on the guests, community and thoughts that arise from the Five of My Life podcast. Contact Nigel and F...

#141 Jamie Durie

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jamie Durie is one of Australia's most successful exports. Best known for his work as a television host of over 50 different design shows around the w...

#140 ⏰ How Do We Pick Our Guests? - 5 Minutes With Nigel

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week I explain the various ways that I choose the guests that appear on the Five of My Life and how much I love the suggestions that come from th...

#139 Chris Meredith

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Meredith is a 'sixer' - meaning he's a guest nominated by a previous guest. During this engaging chat with Nigel, Chris shares how he conquere...

#138 ⏰ Two Short Poems To Help You Through Your Day - 5 Minutes with Nigel

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Each fortnight Nigel takes 5 minutes to reflect on the guests, community and thoughts that arise from the Five of My Life podcast. Contact Nigel and F...

#137 Neil Mullarkey

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Nigel travels to London to sit with internationally renowned improviser Neil Mullarkey at his old haunt - The Comedy Store. Alongside...

#136 ⏰ Life Lessons From Improv - 5 Minutes with Nigel

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Each fortnight Nigel takes 5 minutes to reflect on the guests, community and thoughts that arise from the Five of My Life podcast. Contact Nigel and F...

# 135 Nance Haxton

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over her 20 year career, two time Walkley Award winning journalist, Nance Haxton, has always had a passion for justice. As the self-styled 'Wanderin...

#135 How to Use Five Of My Life When Dating 😍

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this weeks sneak peak episode, something a little different. An avid Five of My Life listener from the UK, Catherine, has adopted an unorthodox but...

#134 Brad Banducci

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Brad Banducci is the CEO of Australia's largest retailer. The company he heads, serves 24 million customers each week. Through the Five of My Life Cha...

#133 Sneak Peak: Brad Banducci

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Brad Banducci is the CEO of Australia's largest retailer. The company he heads, serves 24 million customers each week. I muse on the corporate world, ...

#132 Angela Catterns

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Angela Catterns is one of the nations most loved and respected broadcasters, with a voice as smooth as chocolate and a wit as sharp as a knife. Honest...

#131 Sneak Peak: Angela Catterns

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Five of My Life has a beautifully stealth way of eliciting intimate and wonderfully human moments from it's guests - via the format. This is demonstra...

#130 Ross Coulthart

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ross Coulthart is a five times winner of Australia's national journalism prize, The Walkley Award. Winner of a Gold Logie for Best Public Affairs TV R...