Tonksy Media Podcast

From the spotlight to the shadows… and back again. 🎤✨

In this week’s episode of the Tonksy Media Podcast, I sit down with former Australian Idol winner Kate DeAraugo (@katedearaugo_official) for one of the most raw and powerful conversations I’ve ever had.

Kate skyrocketed to fame after being crowned Australian Idol, but behind the bright lights came a battle with addiction, crime, and self-destruction. Her journey spiraled ...

In this episode of the Tonksy Media Podcast, I sit down with two incredible people whose story is as real and inspiring as it gets – Aidan and Grace Herbaut.

Aidan’s journey is one of pain, survival, and transformation. From growing up surrounded by addiction and chaos, to years lost in drugs, he hit a point where he knew his life had to change. Through faith, music, and resilience, he rebuilt himself from the ground up. Along that ...

In Episode 13 of the Tonksy Media Podcast, I’m joined by Dylan Meares — known in the hip-hop world as Mearsy. This is one of the most powerful and confronting conversations I’ve had to date.

Mearsy’s story is nothing short of extraordinary. At just four years old, he lost his baby brother, who was only one. That tragedy sent shockwaves through his family and left his mother emotionally absent. By the time he was eight, Dylan fou...

In this exclusive and emotional episode of the Tonksy Media Podcast, I sit down with Hope Richards — a familiar face across social media and a powerful voice in the addiction recovery space. But behind her viral reels and inspiring messages lies a story of unthinkable trauma, survival, and transformation.

Hope was born into chaos — both of her parents were addicted to heroin. From a young age, she was placed into foster care, wh...

In this incredibly raw and powerful episode, I sit down with Kellie Carter-Bell — a mother, grandmother, survivor, and absolute warrior.

From being gang raped between the ages of 11 and 13…

To living in a world of intergenerational trauma, growing up in the shadows of the gangland underworld…

To surviving decades of brutal domestic violence, including a near-fatal attack by her ex-husband with a filleting knife…

Kellie doesn’t ...

In this week’s gripping episode of the Tonksy Media Podcast, we sit down with Damian “Wildman” Duffy — a man who was quite literally born into chaos. His life began in the shadow of one of Australia’s most violent and infamous moments: the Milperra Massacre, a deadly shootout between the Comancheros and Bandidos motorcycle clubs. His father, a Comanchero involved in the massacre, was sent to prison for the first five years of Damia...

In this deeply moving episode of the Tonksy Media Podcast, host Braiden Tonks sits down with Mitch Currie, who, for the first time, publicly shares his experience of being sexually abused at the age of 10 by an older boy. Mitch opens up about the profound impact this trauma had on his life, leading to years of suppressed rage, violence, and addiction. Through candid conversation, Mitch discusses his journey toward healing, highligh...