What It Was Like

In the early 90s, Paul Templer ran a business guiding clients down the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls. One afternoon, he was attacked by a hippo and found himself halfway down its throat. In this ep, Paul regales us with his wild story of survival, moment by moment.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2005, Malcolm Naden murdered two women and vanished into the Australian bush. For seven years he evaded police, until former detective Ricky Hennessy joined the case. In this episode, Hennessy shares how he helped track and capture one of Australia's most wanted men in remote wilderness.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John DeLorean was a star auto designer in the 1960s, but his own car company—the DeLorean Motor Company—never took off. When a cocaine deal offered a last-ditch lifeline, it ended in a dramatic arrest. In this episode, his daughter Kat DeLorean recounts the rise and fall of the iconic car—and how it found immortality in Back to the Future.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1976, 20-year-old Rob Hunter was a month into his first teaching job at a remote Australian school when an armed gunman abducted him and his nine students. In this episode, Rob recounts the harrowing night they spent as hostages—and their dramatic escape via a high-speed car chase.

Connect with Rob and book him to speak at your school at https://kidnappedteachertalks.com/.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, 23-year-old British porn star Lily Phillips announced plans to break the world record for the most sexual partners in a day—starting with a “practice run” involving 100 men. In this episode, she tells us what's motivating her, how her first attempt affected her—and why she’s still determined to go the whole way.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the mid-80s, producer Linda Gottlieb heard a friend’s story about “dirty dancing” at summer camp and urged her to write a script. Despite rejections, budget cuts, and on-set drama, the film became a surprise hit. In this episode, Linda shares why she believed in it from the start—and what she saw that others missed. 

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2024, Cass Taulaki fell pregnant to the man of her dreams—a 32-year-old engineer in the Australian Defence Force. Or so she thought. In reality, he was unemployed and wanted for impersonating military personnel and skipping out on multiple families. Cass' TikTok story went viral earlier this year—and now she's sharing the full saga.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early 2000s, musician Nathan Munn moved into a tiny, ornate apartment in Montreal. At first, he and his flatmates brushed off its strange energy—but the nightmares and disturbances wore them down. Now, Nathan believes the apartment just wanted to be noticed.

Check out Nathan's music on Spotify

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2012, a cruise liner named the Costa Concordia sank off the coast of Italy, killing 32 people. But Australian couple Rob and Tracy Elcombe survived and the disaster brought them closer.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Awá, an Indigenous group in Brazil's Amazon, had no contact with the outside world until recently. In 2010, BBC journalist Justin Rowlatt visited them in their new reserve, created to protect them from loggers. In this episode, he explores how modern pressures are impacting isolated tribes and what his ongoing friendship with the Awá has taught him about humanity.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2009, Kari Ferrell was outed by the media for writing bad checks and robbing trust fund babies across Manhattan. Dubbed the 'Hipster Grifter,' Kari served a year in prison and is now sharing her story. In this episode, she unpacks her motivations, her methods, and what she learned about the psychology of grifting.

Check out Kari's new memoir: You'll Never Believe Me.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first episode of our new What It Was Like series, SCAMMERLAND. It's based on an episode we did last year, looking at how online scams are run by people living in modern slavery. We start our story with Small Q, a young Ugandan rapper and singer who thought he was traveling to Thailand for a dream job. However, everything changed the moment he stepped off the plane.

Follow our new show SCAMMERLAND on Spotify, Apple and YouTube

Produced by Superreal

Hosted by Julian Morgans @julianmorgans

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on YouTube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2015, wellness influencer Belle Gibson was outed for pretending to have cancer. Now she's back in the headlines thanks to a new show on Netflix. In this episode we talk to a woman named Beckii Jones, who once considered Belle a friend. She ran a Facebook group for mothers in the early 2010s when Belle joined and even suggested the name for her infamous app, The Whole Pantry. Beckii reflects on the woman she knew and the parts of Belle that remain a mystery.

Follow our new show SCAMMERLAND. It's based on a two-part episode we did last year on What it Was Like about scammer farms and it's on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tornado chasing was a niche hobby when Tim Marshall started in the 1970s. But over time, he watched it grow in popularity and then explode into the mainstream with the 1996 release of the film Twister. In this episode, Tim reflects on the times he was lucky to make it home, the friends who didn't, and the "internetization" of his beloved past time.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie Lindahl always knew there was something different about her family. Her German grandparents had fled to Brazil after the war, but she didn't know why. Until she discovered her grandfather was in the SS—the elite guard of the Nazi regime, responsible for some of their worst atrocities. In this episode, Julie explores guilt, accountability, and why confronting the past is the key to healing.

Julie's book, The Pendulum, is available here on Amazon.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2014, Laurence Hearn was drinking too much and struggling to make ends meet. Then he accidentally got stuck in a washing machine. What followed was a series of unexpected events that would ultimately turn his life around. This is a one-of-a-kind tale of Australian larrikinism—told by the man who lived it.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1989, Melissa Fyfe was a high school student in Tasmania when her classmate killed his parents and younger brother. Shocked, the community buried the tragedy, leaving his motives a mystery. Now, Melissa shares what she uncovered when she finally started asking questions.

Trigger warning: this episode contains child abuse themes.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2019, a man named Fraser Harvey nominated himself 'Customer of the Week' at a Melbourne coffee shop. A woman named Harriett Noall retaliated and a game of oneupmanship arose. In this episode, we hear how a private prank accidentally became an internet sensation.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was June 1987 and an unknown person had murdered five campers in Australia's remote northwest. In this episode, we speak with Bob Brown, the former leader of Western Australia's Tactical Response Group. Bob and his team were flown into the Kimberley region to find and arrest the murderer. But, as you’ll hear, things didn’t go exactly as planned.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Edmondson was ranked 212th when he was invited to compete at the 1976 Australian Open. He was a 21-year-old with sideburns, juggling odd jobs to fund his tennis dreams. In this episode, Mark recounts the experience of defeating his idols to win—then accidentally dropping the trophy on the podium.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2003, a pizza deliveryman robbed a Pennsylvania bank with a bomb locked to his neck—a heist that ended in tragedy when the bomb exploded. The mastermind? Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, later sentenced to life in prison. In this episode, we hear from criminologist Kathryn Whiteley who befriended Marjorie behind bars and uncovers how and why this "evil genius" orchestrated such a bizarre crime.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Myah Morgenstern isn't famous. But when she met actor Tony Revolori, (Spiderman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Scream), she was ushered into a whole new world of red carpets, VIP parties and weird social dynamics. In this episode, Myah describes her real-life Notting Hill experience of dating a celebrity as a non-famous person.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the lead up to Christmas of 1980, three Woolworths stores were bombed around New South Wales. It's a crazy story involving Australia's largest supermarket chain, two larrikin crooks, and a $1 million ransom thrown into the Sydney Harbour. We'll hear about it from two people: Former police officer Allan Duncan who was injured in one of the explosions, and Forgotten Australia podcast host, Michael Adams.

This is a rerun from 2022 but it's one of our favourite Christmas throwbacks so we're giving it a second play. If you haven't already heard it, enjoy.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sandra Miller wasn't overly concerned when her therapist partner's client admitted to eavesdropping outside their window. Until this client started calling the house, relentlessly. In this episode, we dive into a real life version of 'Fatal Attraction' to learn what happens when a stalker invades a relationship.\

Check out Sandra's USA TODAY best-selling book Wednesdays at One. It's a great read.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julian Morgans, host of What it Was Like, gets parking fines all the time. In his own words "I could wallpaper my house with them." But instead of doing that, he's embarked on a scheme to get revenge, while learning a few things about the inner workings of the parking industry along the way.

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Narelle Fraser spent much of her career in Victoria's Rape and Homicide squads, placing her at the coalface of the epidemic of violence against women. In this episode, she walks us through the murder of Melbourne-mother Maria Korp, as a way to explore the mindset of men who perpetrate such violence.

Keep up to date with Narelle and find links to her podcast here

Find us on TikTok

Find us on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram

A Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.