The Imperfects

Hannah Diviney is one of the most powerful people in pop culture.

At just 25 years old, the author, advocate, and actor hasn’t just called out Lizzo for using an ableist slur—she also took on Queen B herself. And she succeeded on both fronts.

Which, once you get to know her, isn’t surprising at all.

In our Vulnerabilitea House, Hannah reflects on the questions: “How do you see yourself? Is it the s...

Today, Dr Emily talks about hope.

And in a world where things can feel a little bit hopeless, this really couldn’t have come at a better time.

In contrast to all of our understanding up until this point, hope is not an emotion.

Expertly defined by Dr Emily, hope is a belief. And most significantly, it can be learned, and it can be cultivated.

Psychological mic-drop.

This episode delves into strategies for creating both a sens...

Matthew Murphy, front-man of the iconic UK band The Wombats, joins us in our first VulnerabiliTea House of 2025.

In this episode, Murph answers one of life’s most terrifying questions, “In what ways do you fear you could negatively impact your children?”

He also shares his experience with panic attacks, anxiety and depression and is extremely honest detailing how alcohol became a crutch.

Becoming sober, which Murp...

It’s time for Announcement Number Three! A brand-new Imperfects Live Show (!!!!!!).

That’s right, we’re going on the road again. In October, November, and December of this year (2025), we’ll be performing a brand-new stage show, around the country!

It’s gonna be bigger, it’s gonna be better, and we promise we won’t let Hugh (or Chat GPT) write the show. All responsibility will ...

Psychologist Maria Ruberto is back to talk about one of the most important parts of our day: sleep.

Starting off with the biology of sleep, Maria takes us through how we get to sleep, what happens when we sleep, and why we desperately need to sleep for good health and longevity. With metaphors galore to make the science as relatable as possible, we discuss the role of melatonin, the impact of screens on our suprachiasmatic nucleus ...

The stoke level is pretty high this week because we are joined by three-time world champion surfer, shark attack survivor, and maybe the nicest guy we have ever met, Mick Fanning.

We had high expectations for this chat (we mean, it’s Mick Fanning), but he absolutely blew us out of the water with his humanity, compassion, empathy, and positivity in the face of incredible tragedy.

Mick, we’ll definitely take you up o...

Well, well, well. We’re (officially) back for 2025, baby!

On Hugh’s agenda for today’s episode: nugatory chat, ghosts, general excitement for the new season and we also reveal THE SECOND BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

That’s right, The Imperfects are bringing you a new show.

A Little More Imperfects, which can be found on Patreon, is bonus fortnightly episodes featuring everything that you know and love (Josh going ...

It’s our last episode of Summer School, and today we welcome back clinical psychologist (and “clinical cousin” of Hugh and Josh), James van Cuylenburg.

In this episode, James tells us EVERYTHING we need to know about our relationships… well almost everything…there’s a lot to cover.

From attachment styles, to breaking trust, to learning how to own your feelings and navigating coupledom through l...

In this episode of our Summer School, we are joined by Sophie Walker, creator, and host of Australian Birth Stories.

With over 17 million downloads, and 500 episodes, Australian Birth Stories podcast has been accredited by the Australian College of Midwives and has been instrumental in educating and empowering both people who are giving birth, as well as birthing partners.

Hugh shares the incredible trauma and fear involved with hi...

B b b bonus episode!

We proudly present to you My Imperfect Life: a novel journal written by you. That’s right, we’re releasing a book, but making you do all the work.

With 100 questions inspired by episodes from 2024 on The Imperfects, My Imperfect Life is an introduction to vulnerability, allowing you to unpack your own imperfect life and be more vulnerable with yourself (because we know vulnerability with o...

There will come a time for all of us (unless we REALLY make some improvements with bio-hacking) where we are faced with our own mortality.

Who is at your hypothetical bedside? Are you happy with how you’ve lived? Do you have any regrets?

In this Summer School edition of the Academy of Imperfection, we are joined by Bronnie Ware.

Bronnie found herself in palliative care, caring for, and listening to, the dying. And boy, are we...

Quick heads up: Little Boy Christmas has a tenuous relationship with his parents, and therefore, this episode isn’t suited for kids.

Have you ever wondered about Little Boy Christmas, the forgotten son of Santa and Mrs Claus?

Nope, neither had we.

That’s probably why he’s forgotten.

Looking like an unbelievably shredded Dickensian orphan (you’re going to want to watch the YouTube for this one), Little Boy Ch...

You may know Michael from Love on the Spectrum, or his podcast Mr A+, or even his appearance on Ellen – he’s done it all and has gained an incredible amount of wisdom on his journey so far.

We’ve been doing this show for six years, and no-one has ever summarised it as well as Michael Theo: trying to be perfect is a wild goose chase.

In this episode, Hugh, Ryan and Josh chat to Michael about how he found his voice ...

Today we welcome into the studio 7 time world champion surfer, and all-round legend, Layne Beachley.

Layne, who had the self-described ‘compassion of a tiger shark’ during her competition days, has lived an incredible journey to learn how to love others, and more importantly, herself.

Upon discovering that she was adopted, Layne internalised a fear of rejection and intense need to prove herself.

What’s one way to ...

Johann Hari is a prolific author, deep thinker, and seasoned guest of The Imperfects.

In this episode, Johann takes the guys on a deep dive into the Western food system, and how processed food has completely derailed our nutritional wisdom.

Our relationship with food is a very personal one, and Johann and Josh get vulnerable about how they have used food to manage emotions. They discuss how vanity comes into play, the plethora of r...

Today we are introducing you to Jim Rogers, who, in amongst a wild and vibrant life, has been diagnosed with younger-onset dementia.

So generous, and such an amazing storyteller, Jim tells us the three acts of his life, so far.

The grief of losing his first love, the surprise of his second, and the shock of a dementia diagnosis at 55, this conversation left Hugh, Ryan, and Josh with an invigorated sense for the preciousness of life...

How long have you been holding on to that grudge? Are you picturing that person or moment right now? Have you ever considered what a step towards forgiveness might look like?

These are BIG questions, and thank God, Dr Emily, our resident psychologist, is here to talk us through it all.

In today’s episode, Dr Em begins by acknowledging that resentment is a normal human emotion. Phew.

However, holding on to resentment for prolo...

You may know Peter Bol as the 800m runner, who came fourth in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and second in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Or, if you’re Hugh, you may have hundreds of photos of Peter training.

Wherever you are on the Peter-obsession-meter, we think you’re going to love this episode.

Our chat with Peter starts in Sudan, where Peter and his family moved as a unit, through Egypt, before settling in Australia. They w...

In this long-awaited Academy of Imperfection, we chat to psychologist Janelle Booker, who specialises in ADHD and Highly Sensitive Person trait.

There is SO MUCH to learn (and love) about an ADHD brain.

We learn how ADHDers are often extremely creative, innovative, and talented, and in the right conditions, absolutely thrive.

However, ADHDers may struggle with executive functions such as time keeping, organisation and emotional reg...