Maria Thattil joins us for the second time on KICPOD (listen to her first ep here) and this time things get juicy! Maria is many things - an opinion writer, speaker, TV personality, diversity activist, digital creator, and former Miss Universe Australia. But above all else, she is 100% unapologetically herself, and paves the way for so many young people to feel comfortable and confident to explore their own identity. After being crowned Miss Universe Australia in 2020, she spent some time in the African jungle on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here where she came out as bisexual on national television. A year and a half on, Maria isn't afraid to share the intimate and personal details of her sex life - and today's episode is no exception! So what is the difference between dating men vs dating women? How did she even know what to do the first time? And what does she say to certain homophobic family members who hear her speak so openly about these topics? All is revealed in this ep, along with so many take away moments.   Be sure to check out Maria's book 'Unbounded', and her recent episode on the Audible podcast Power Talks.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Steph & Laura's catch up today, they revisit something from a few weeks ago where Steph opened up about an insecurity that stemmed from childhood. We hear from Steph's mum about how this made her feel as a parent listening to that episode, and she shares some really beautiful words that got us all emotional. Plus, we open our Kicmail which includes some cheesy pick up lines and what "good evening" and "good night" really means!   SPECIAL SHARES: Laura – The Daily Aus; bite size daily news podcast Steph – Bared Footware; slippers Kic UPDATE: Sign ups to our Halfway Hustle Challenge are now open! If you’ve got the Kic app you can sign up now and choose your challenge - Pilates with Kika or Strength with Danny - 18 workouts over 6 weeks, or go for the ULTIMATE hustle with a Strength & Pilates combo hitting 30 workouts over 6 weeks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

* TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses abortion. For support, contact Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 * If you've been a KICPOD listener for a while, you may have heard the unbelievable story of two sisters Rachel & Hannah who escaped attempted human trafficking back in 2016. In today's KICBUMP episode, Hannah shares her incredible story of how her frightening pregnancy diagnoses ended up giving her the beautiful gift of her now 3 year old daughter Vienna. During her pregnancy, Hannah's baby was diagnosed with Amniotic Band Sydnrome, and despite doctors suggesting multiple times that she shouldn't follow through with the pregnancy, Hannah stuck to what she knew was right. In this episode, she speaks about what it was like hearing the news that her baby would be born without her right arm, how she came to the decision to go ahead with her pregnancy, and how she wants to raise her daughter to feel empowered rather than limited by her disability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not even kidding - Steph Claire Smith IGNORED Leonardo DiCaprio's text when he asked her out! That's not how a hall pass works, Steph! In our catch up today, find out when/what/where/how this happened, plus find out the CRAZY thing Laura does that she thinks is normal. Hint: it's disgusting 🤢 Also in today's episode, we have a D&M about what to do when your friends are all having kids but you choose not to - how do you maintain the friendship?   SPECIAL SHARES: Steph – Ancient Apocalypse, Netflix film Laura – Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter, foundation available at MECCA   KIC UPDATE: Join our 'Kic Halfway Hustle' mid year challenge! 6 weeks, 3 challenges, choose your hustle out of: Strength by Danny (lower body focus), Pilates by Kika (full body focus) or if you’re up for the ULTIMATE Hustle, strength and pilates with Danny & Kika! Challenge sign ups open next Monday 29th of May.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may know the bloody hilarious and wonderful Toni Lodge from being one half of the hugely successful 'Toni & Ryan' podcast. She joins us on today's episode of KICPOD to not only make us nearly wee our pants with laughter, but also to share some incredible wisdom and life lessons she has learnt. We speak with Toni about why listening is sometimes better than fixing a problem, why honesty can get you so much further in life than people pleasing, and how to speak to someone who is grieving... but then we also speak to her about arguably just as important stuff like lasering your pubes, semen flavoured lipgloss and the extremely offensive Harry Potter sorting hat Toni gave Steph! And oh boy she wasn't happy. If you'd like more of Toni Lodge, check out her book 'I Don't Need Therapy', and of course her amazing podcast 'Toni & Ryan' on Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've been following us on socials, you may already be aware of this hugely exciting news for Kic - otherwise you're about to find out all the details in today's episode! Also, Steph had a moment where she was made to feel... wait for it.. YOUNG! Usually it's the opposite when you're approaching 30! Plus, Laura tells a wild story from her modelling days that was quite terrifying.   SPECIAL SHARES: Steph – The Late Late Show with James Corden - final episode Laura – Wild, film with Reese Witherspoon   Kic UPDATES: Tomorrow, from 8am, in partnership with the Butterfly Foundation, we’re launching a limited edition merchandise store to wear your support, where 100% of the profits from T-shirt sales will go towards The Butterfly Foundation. If you would prefer to donate without purchasing a t-shirt, this week we will also match all donations made up to $10,000 AUD via this specific link.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Em Rusciano wears just about every hat - she's a comedian, podcast host, writer, TV presenter, singer and former radio host, but on top of all of that she's also a mum of 3. All of her children happen to be neurodiverse, and she herself was recently diagnosed with ADHD and Autism. Em has shockingly faced public criticism for opening up about her diagnosis, with people claiming that it's for attention. In today's episode, we discuss why this is ludicrous and why we should be normalising the topic, helping mums of neurodiverse children feel more supported and also feel more comfortable getting tested themselves. For more of Em Rusciano, check out her podcast Emsolation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

* TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses disordered eating. If you need support you can contact The Butterfly Foundation on 1800 ED HOPE * In Steph & Laura's catch up today, they revisit last week's topic of toxic wellness rules that many of us once lived by, and one particular extremely restrictive rule was sadly one of the most common ones sent in, so the girls find out the dangers involved and ways to have a more balanced approach to eating. For more info, you can read some of Liv's advice in this KIC blog post. On a much different note, they also revisit a little something Steph revealed in a recent episode titled 'Some extremely personal details about our sex lives, with Rachel Baker' where she said there's 'one specific position' that is.... the most enjoyable. Today, we find out what position that is! We also hear some insane nightmare neighbour stories. Buckle in, today's ep is a wild ride!   SPECIAL SHARES: Laura – Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, book by Gabrielle Zevin Steph - Good Will Hunting, 1997 film   KIC UPDATE: You can now share your KIC workouts on socials, and you can also schedule your favourite masterclasses to have your whole week planned out! If you haven't joined KIC, we have a 7 day free trial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

* Trigger Warning: This episode discusses disordered eating. If you need support, contact The Butterfly Foundation on 1800 ED HOPE * If you've got the KIC app, you may have already noticed the fantastic Sami Rose is one of our brand new trainers. Sami's story is one many of us can relate to - having gone through highly restrictive eating, focusing solely on aesthetics and living quite a miserable lifestyle, to then turning it around to be her happiest and healthiest self. In today's episode, Sami explains how she shifted her mindset and became a counsellor and coach for anxiety, binge eating and body image, and she shares the tools you can implement to maintain a healthy approach to food and exercise. If you'd like to try one of her masterclasses, download the KIC app for a 7 day free trial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Steph & Laura's catch up today, they address some of the horribly toxic "wellness" rules that have been floating around for years, that sadly many people still live by. Steph shares her own personal experience about what she avoided in order to "not get bulky", and Laura speaks about what she avoided in fear of this thing making her put on weight. Also in today's episode, we open our KICMAIL hearing some of the hilarious stories you have sent in, or comments you've made about previous segments.   KIC UPDATE: Let's be more Mindful in May! Throughout the month of May, to help you reduce stress and promote calm in your mind you can try our range of meditations in the KIC app.   SPECIAL SHARES: Laura: NOT the Barbie movie with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling Steph: Desperate Housewives on Disney PlusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.