Episodes

Ep: 97 Chelsea Finlayson

Ep97: Chelsea Finlayson, and The Zodiac Killer

This episode was supposed to be about the Banana Wars — a wildly fascinating chapter of history involving empire, corporations, military intervention, and the strange dark comedy of how bananas became tangled up with power. That was the plan. Then special guest Eddi Dąbrowska arrived, brought absolute chaos to the table, and the episode took several sharp turns off the historical highway. So, caveat: this is not the tightly researched Banana Wars deep dive we intended. It is, however, a very f...

Ep95: Acoustic Kitty What happens when the CIA looks at a cat and thinks, “That could be a spy”? This week on Oldmate & Josh, we dig into Acoustic Kitty — one of the strangest Cold War intelligence projects ever attempted. The idea was simple, if you ignore every obvious problem: surgically turn a cat into a listening device, send it near targets, and let espionage happen. Because apparently microphones, wires, batteries, animal behaviour, roads, hunger, fear, and the basic personality of cat...

Dezi Freeman... Criminal mastermind? A convenient suspect? Or a man whose reputation eventually became bigger than the evidence itself? In this episode, Oldmate and Josh unpack the life, crimes, allegations, investigations, and enduring mystery surrounding one of Australia's most controversial criminal figures. We dive into the facts, the rumours, the media narratives, and the questions that continue to spark debate years later. As the story unfolds, we explore how public opinion is formed, h...

In 1962, at the height of the Cold War, the United States launched a nuclear weapon into space and detonated it 400 kilometres above the Earth. No, seriously. What started as a military experiment became one of the strangest moments in human history. The explosion lit up the Pacific sky, created artificial auroras, disrupted electronics in Hawaii, damaged satellites, and left scientists scrambling to understand what they'd unleashed. In this episode, Oldmate and Josh dive into the incredible ...

From Pubs to Private Jets, It started in crowded pubs, pints in hands,, smoke-filled terraces and working-class towns. Today it's a global empire worth billions, watched by hundreds of millions and owned by some of the richest people on Earth. How did English football become the Premier League? What was gained? What was lost? And is the world's most popular football competition still the beautiful game, or has it become something else entirely? This week, Oldmate and Josh trace the rise of th...

North Korea is often treated like a punchline — strange haircuts, military parades, and impossible propaganda. But behind the spectacle is one of the most controlled societies on Earth. In this episode, Oldmate & Josh dig into Without You, There Is No Us by Suki Kim, a rare inside account of teaching the sons of North Korea’s elite. What begins as a story about a classroom becomes something much bigger: truth, loyalty, fear, hunger, surveillance, and what happens when the state doesn’t just con...

Did Silver Chair Predict it? Or Orchestrate the whole thing?

What does a lifetime around conflict, chaos, and the unexplained do to a person? This week on Oldmate & Josh, we sit down with Stephen Lockwood for a raw, funny, and surprisingly deep conversation about his career, the moments that shaped him, and the stories that still stay with him long after the job ended. From high-pressure situations to the strange side of human nature, Stephen shares the kinds of experiences most people only ever hear about second-hand. The episode moves between heavy mome...

What happens when war doesn’t end… even after the battlefield goes silent? In this episode, we sit down with Stephen Lockwood to dive into chilling, first-hand accounts of paranormal encounters tied to real military history. From haunted outposts and ghostly soldiers still on patrol, to eerie moments that defy logic and refuse to be explained — these stories blur the line between history and the unknown. Are these just stress, trauma, and coincidence… or something far stranger? This one gets ...

Ally Dent joins us to unpack the real journey from shaky open mics to confidently owning the room. This isn’t the polished highlight reel—it’s the grind behind it. We get into bombing on stage, learning how to read a crowd, finding your voice, and sticking it out when most people quit. Ally shares what actually changes between your first set and your best one—and why that gap is where comedians are made. It’s honest, funny, and a proper look behind the curtain at what it takes to build som...

Todd Gray joins us to unpack the world of greyhound racing—what it is, how it works, and why it sparks such strong opinions. From the speed and spectacle to the questions people don’t always ask, we dig into the reality behind the track. Is it misunderstood, outdated, or something in between? We go there—with laughs, curiosity, and a few moments that might change how you see it.

Ally Dent joins Old Mate and Josh to unpack complex PTSD — because apparently plain old trauma wasn’t enough. Based on the book, this episode gets into survival mode, childhood damage, emotional flashbacks, and the darkly funny reality of trying to become a functional adult when your nervous system is still acting like it’s under attack. Instagram: theallydent https://www.instagram.com/theallydent?igsh=MXU0aGdhYmx4ZTU3dQ== X: theallydent https://www.threads.com/@theallydent?igs...

This is a no-culture-war, solutions-first deep dive into why boys and men are quietly falling behind — and why it matters for everyone. Using Richard Reeves’ Of Boys and Men, Oldmate & Josh unpack the education gap, the “working man blues,” dislocated dads, class and race pressure-cookers, and what happens when purpose disappears and resentment moves in. Then we get practical: what fixes actually look like (including the spicy “redshirt the boys” idea), how men can heal, and how to build better ...

Our resident political correspondent Nick Shaddegg drops by to talk local politics, global headaches, and how close we really are to solving absolutely none of it.

Women are done staying quiet. This week, Em Rusciano joins Oldmate & Josh for a brutally honest, funny, and deeply real conversation about perimenopause, cultural pressure, female anger, identity, and the stuff women have been expected to endure in silence for far too long. From sharp comedy to raw truth-telling, this episode dives into why more women are speaking up about midlife, hormones, and the systems that have ignored, dismissed, or minimized their experiences for decades. ...

On September 11, 2001, U.S. airspace shut down. Thirty-eight planes were diverted to a place most passengers had never heard of — Gander, Newfoundland. Population: 10,000. Unexpected arrivals: nearly 7,000 strangers. For five days, this small Canadian town doubled in size overnight. No preparation. No warning. No playbook. In this episode, we unpack the real story behind The Day the World Came to Town — not as a feel-good legend, but as a case study in crisis response, infrastructure, lead...

This episode is a no-culture-war, solutions-first deep dive into why boys and men are quietly falling behind — and why it matters for everyone. Using Richard Reeves’ Of Boys and Men, Oldmate & Josh unpack the education gap, the “working man blues,” dislocated dads, class and race pressure-cookers, and what happens when purpose disappears and resentment moves in. Then we get practical: what fixes actually look like (including the spicy “redshirt the boys” idea), how men can heal, and how to build...

This week, we step back into one of the most haunting child disappearance cases of our lifetime — the search for Madeleine McCann. Is this case a dinner frozen in time? Or when a child vanishes, maybe time doesn’t freeze. It corrodes.

Local comedian and movie obsessive Thomas Bode (Strange Carl) joins us to answer one question: Why does this movie feel like it’s arguing with itself? Is it: • A self-aware masterpiece? • A rebellion disguised as a sequel? • Or the most expensive inside joke ever made? We debate the red pill mythology, nostalgia traps, and whether this film was designed to break fans on purpose. Warning: This episode may unplug your childhood. @bode7651 https://www...

Adelaide comedy legend Fabien Clark drops in and turns the studio into a full-on storytelling clinic. The bloke spins yarns like it's oxygen - rapid-fire, ridiculous, and somehow always true. And yeah... a couple of these chapters involve time spent behind bars. Hit play, settle in, and enjoy the ride - this one's a belter. Fabiens Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/fabienclark?igsh=cjk1czlqbTR4d2Ex Put the wrong fuel in your car? CALL CON! Wrong Fuel Adelaide ...

What if countries had competitors? What if borders were negotiable? And what if exit mattered more than protest? This episode starts with a joke about buying Greenland… and ends somewhere much darker (and more realistic). We break down The Network State, the idea that nations of the future won’t begin with land or flags — but with people, infrastructure, and leverage. From Trump and Greenland to Bezos, Musk, and the rise of “exit engineers,” this is a conversation about power, sovereignty, a...

This week, comedian Marc Ryan — aka The Beautiful Bogan — joins us for a brutally honest conversation about mental health, suicide, and why staying silent nearly cost him everything. It’s raw, vulnerable, and exactly the kind of chat people avoid… until they need it. Marc Ryan, The Beautiful Bogan socials. Insta: The beautiful Bogan. https://www.instagram.com/the_beautiful_bogan?igsh=MTAzYjh0cXd1eGsxMQ== Threads https://www.threads.com/@the_beautiful_bogan?igshid=NTc4MTIw...