Emsolation
Join multi-media maven Em Rusciano—writer, singer, comedian, producer, podcast princess, and disability advocate—and her best friend of 30 years, award-winning screenwriter Michael Lucas (Offspring, Party Tricks, Rosehaven, The Newsreader), each week for an unpredictable mix of deeply personal anecdotes, obsessive pop culture dissections, and truly unhinged movie and TV reviews. If you’re after a show full of humour, heart, and hot takes, we’ve got good news for you! We should also warn you: Emsolation isn’t just a podcast—it’s a community. A place where listeners feel seen, heard, and thoroughly entertained. Welcome to the family! We’re so happy you’re here. You’re now an official Emsolator.
Episodes
July 30, 2025 • 36 mins
Apparently sex sells, or at least Michael’s gutters are appealing enough to help the pod secure more subscribers. So look out, as Em and Michael ask you to suggest sexy attire for them to wear in an upcoming episode.
Then inspired by Michael’s gutter reveal, it’s onto the celebs revealing they are secretly fit during the week, like Sam Reid’s latest pic as ‘Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat’ for Season 3 of ‘Interview with the Vampi...
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July 23, 2025 • 37 mins
DO NOT Listen To This Episode with Children Present! But if you just pressed play and ignored the title and this description, it’s officially your fault mmmkay. Within this episode Em (fresh from cutting her own fringe) and Michael (freshly shaved whilst also rocking a gutter revealing crop top) will be discussing a new game Em stumbled on, that apparently happened at an alternative lifestyle festival in the UK called Swingathon. T...
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July 16, 2025 • 33 mins
After a fit check to start the show Michael reveals he got his first grey chest hair, this ushers in Em’s admission that she’s getting grey eyebrow hairs. Turns out the 90’s obsession with thin eyebrows and her noughties work around of microblading has delivered an annoying outcome, plus we compare and contrast Em and Michael’s beauty routines as well. There’s an update on Em’s book, then it’s onto the new Netflix game show ‘All Th...
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July 9, 2025 • 54 mins
Today Em sits down to chat with Aussie singer, songwriter, producer, performer, gamer, activist and former Eurovision contestant, Montaigne, aka Jessica Cerro about their first independent album ‘It’s Hard to Be a Fish’.
It’s being described as a strange, tender epic - a record about family, survival, disconnection and the slow work of becoming whole. Em described it as looking directly into the sun and one of the most beautiful ...
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July 7, 2025 • 36 mins
It’s the Netflix movie that’s taken over Em’s entire personality and you better believe we are gonna be talking about it A LOT - ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’. Michael’s seen it and is ready to give his feedback too.
Then after a full ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ gush, it’s onto Elio’s recent betrayal during a visit to the park and how it also inspired Em’s campaign against whoever created the centre seam on leggings. Plus Michael is keen to dis...
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June 25, 2025 • 29 mins
It's an Emsolation episode for the ages! Em and Michael are back in the studio and we're talking all things Rom-Coms with a deep dive (and some spoilers!) into Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans' new movie, ‘Materialists’. What happens when Em, Michael, his husband Adrian, and his mum Jo, rock up to a screening of the 2025 edition of a rom-com?
You’re about to find out as Em and Michael give you their full review, pl...
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June 18, 2025 • 14 mins
Here’s your exclusive sampler of what’s on offer inside our Sealed Section on our premium service Emsolation Extra this week. There’s MUCH to discuss, in fact there is so much to discuss that Em and Michael have to gloss over some of it, like J’Lo’s very high cut “tuck” for her performance at World Pride.
Then it’s onto Em’s latest obsession, Donald Trump’s military parade for his birthday, from how much it cost, to its lacklustr...
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June 5, 2025 • 38 mins
It’s the reunion we’ve all been waiting for since they connected and cried together during the ‘Wicked’ press tour. Now, with her brand new album ‘I Forgive You’ finally available to download and stream, Em reunites with one of her personal heroes, the one and only Cynthia Erivo.
Together they revisit the tears that somehow had the whole world crying (or weirdly in some cases seething with anger). There’s also chat about Cynthia’...
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May 28, 2025 • 38 mins
We begin this deep dive by analysing the recent American Music Awards hosted by Jennifer Lopez, aka J’Lo. There’s the sniff of MAGA about the entire show plus the obsession for famous women of a certain age, like J’Lo, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani & Janet Jackson, to not actually age. There’s a side quest into Lindsay Lohan’s restorative juicing routine, plus all the other AMA “moments” worth reflecting.
The ageless divas obsessi...
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May 21, 2025 • 28 mins
The whirlwind US tour won and done, Em and Michael are back on home turf at Down the Hill Studios and getting up close and personal whilst comparing bicep bulges…wait is this real life? Has this become a toxic bro podcast without us even realising it?
Speaking of toxic, the Weeknd has a new movie out called ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’, he wrote it, produced it and stars in it with Jenna Ortega. The Daily Beast called it a “feature length...
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May 15, 2025 • 43 mins
It’s the whirlwind tour of the US that we’ve all been hanging out for, now it’s time for Em and Michael to drop all the details on their most eventful holiday EVER! We begin with the original reason for the tour, Em’s tour of the Pixar Studios in San Francisco for their upcoming animated film ‘Elio’, in which Em voices the character of “Female Co-Worker A”.
From touring the Pixar Cafe and sampling their world famous bacon, throug...
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May 7, 2025 • 37 mins
On Monday night Em and Michael celebrated the 2 year anniversary of Emsolation going independent by doing a live stream of the podcast. Understandably not everyone could be there for it, so we’ve assembled some of our favourite moments from the full hour of hilarity for you to enjoy.
Inside Em and Michael chat about the election result and what Anthony Albanese needs to do next, and even what the future holds for the Liberal party...
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April 30, 2025 • 40 mins
Michael Paynter is one of Em’s best friends, they’ve worked together on her music, he also has mad singing skills (best believe that he is a SING-GER!) which he’s currently showing off 8 times a week, playing Jesus in the latest version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’.
Together they’ll discuss his awe inspiring take on the role of Jesus, from why he chose to accept the gig, the part Mahalia Barnes p...
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April 23, 2025 • 53 mins
She’s been the Beyoncé of the Rusciano household ever since she lost to Julie Goodwin on the first season of ‘Masterchef Australia’. Now the multi-talented Poh Ling Yeow is back as a judge on the new season of ‘Masterchef Australia: Back to Win’ premiering from 7.30 Monday April 28 on 10 and 10Play. Inside Poh discusses the upcoming season, how she’s navigated 2 divorces and managed to remain besties with both her ex’s, the expecta...
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April 16, 2025 • 45 mins
Is this real life? Apparently, it is, so we begin with a discussion on how wild all the topics are that we wanna discuss this week. We side quest into Em’s favourite corner of TikTok, the developing feud between Chinese luxury goods manufacturers and the Trump administration.
Then it’s onto Katy Perry and Gayle King’s 11-minute feminist statement to “take up space” on Jeff Bezos’s wang shaped rocket. We reluctantly follow that up...
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April 9, 2025 • 53 mins
(CW: Discussion of miscarriage)
This week, comedian, writer, and recovering lawyer Sashi Perera joins Em in the studio to reveal how she moved from being a refugee lawyer for the UN, to becoming a standup comedian. Sashi’s hilarious social media clips helped her go viral before her debut stand up show, that show then secured her a Best Newcomer nomination at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2023.
She’s also the onl...
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April 2, 2025 • 36 mins
This week comedian, TV and radio host, fashion enthusiast and actual friend of both Em and Michael, Joel Creasey joins the pod.
Having seen his new standup show ‘Thanks For Being Here’ Em and Michael were determined to get Joel in to talk about his hilarious new tour and reflect on his 15 years of doing standup comedy shows. There’s reminiscing about Em and Joel’s early days of comedy gigs and their specific after show ritual, ho...
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March 26, 2025 • 36 mins
‘Adolescence’ is the new Netflix drama series the world is talking about. Em is terrified to watch it, but Michael wasn’t, so he offers up his review on if Em would be able to cope with it. Then Em reviews the last two episodes of ‘The White Lotus’ from that revealing confession scene in Bangkok, and that problematic threesome between the two brothers as well.
Then we move onto another week of your Spicy Sunday Hot Takes starting...
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March 25, 2025 • 49 mins
Christine Anu has been a part of our lives since the early 90’s, in fact Em forced her dad Vincie to drive her directly to Brash’s to buy her debut album ‘Stylin’ Up’ after hearing her single ‘Party’ on the radio in 1995.
Today she sits down with Em to talk about her role as Hermes in Em’s favourite musical ‘Hadestown’ which is currently playing in Sydney and moves to Melbourne from May 8. Inside they’ll talk about how groundbrea...
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March 19, 2025 • 35 mins
In her biggest backflip since she revealed her sudden love of Crocs, Em opens this episode by revealing she isn’t into surprise wang being foisted on her anymore after having surprise appendage dropped uponst her eyes by Jason Isaac’s character Timothy Ratliff in last week’s ‘White Lotus’ episode.
Then Em and Michael chat about the preview screenings of the new live action remake of Disney’s ‘Snow White’. There was controversy ar...
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