Benny Drohan Podcast

Locky Tinhla grew up mixed-race with a violent, racist father before going on to fight bare-knuckle in Myanmar, inside the world’s most brutal combat sport.

He opens up about the impact that environment had on his identity and mental health, how early exposure to violence shaped his worldview, and the years of self-destruction that nearly broke him before he found something that gave him direction.

That search led him to Lethwei, the...

Nick “Special K” Kara is an OG fighting legend, a world-champion kickboxer whose journey from Melbourne street fights to the wild underbelly of Pattaya, Thailand, and the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter, is one of the wildest and jaw-dropping stories you’ll ever hear.

For the first time, Nick opens up about his violent past, addiction, near-death experience, redemption and faith, from starring in cult Muay Thai film Ong-Bak to landing on Mel...

At 14 years old, I woke up with a knife pressed against my throat as my older brother attempted to murder me and my entire family. That night changed everything. The next 30 years became a spiral of violence, addiction, self-destruction, and chaos that I could not escape. This is the story I have kept in the dark until now.

In this episode, I share the truth about that night, what led to it, and how surviving an attempted murder sha...

Something big is happening with the show.

This is not just another episode. It is the moment everything changes. We open up about why, what it means, and where we are heading next.

If you have ever supported us this is the one to watch.

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Paul Watkins set out alone into the Arctic wilderness.

No food. No shelter. No backup plan.

What started as an adventure became a near-death fight to survive.

Eight days. Frostbite. Starvation. Isolation.

Hallucinations so vivid he couldn’t tell what was real.

He saw trucks and workers that weren’t there.

He heard fighter jets that never came.

He believed a woman was following him the polar explorer “third man effect.”

👇 Here’s what’s ins...

He was a cannabis adversary.

Now he’s growing 5,000 kilos a year... and risked $14 million to do it.

Tom Varga went from corporate banker to cannabis farmer… and nearly lost everything trying to make it work.

Today he runs Biortica Agrimed, Australia’s fastest-growing medicinal cannabis company, leading a new era for medical cannabis nationwide.

This isn’t just a business story. It’s a wild ride from sceptic to CEO, from stigma to scal...

Dr John Tickell was told he had 18 months to live. Instead, he beat terminal brain cancer — then uncovered the brutal truth about Australia’s health crisis.From elite AFL doctor to best-selling author and longevity expert, Dr Tickell joins Benny and Pete to expose the lie that’s quietly killing millions — and the real solution he used to survive.This one’s part survival story, part wake-up call.

👇Here's What's Inside

• How...

Amanda Goff, known publicly as Samantha X, was once Australia’s highest paid escort.

After leaving a career as a respected journalist, she entered the sex industry and built a multimillion-dollar brand... before walking away from it all.

In this raw and revealing conversation, Amanda shares her story like never before. From the stigma and secrecy to the truth about clients, money, power, addiction, motherhood, and what she regrets mo...

Sam Brizzi is carrying one of Aussie boxing’s greatest legacies.

The Brizzi Brothers started their gym in a Preston shed 58 years ago. Cos has passed, but Benny Brizzi, a deadset living legend, is still holding pads nearly six decades on.

Sam grew up in that world, banned from boxing as a kid because of epilepsy, and now coaches Olympians, turns street kids into fighters, and, alongside his cousins and Uncle Benny, keeps the Brizzi B...

Isaac Butterfield is one of Australia’s most controversial comics, loved by millions, hated by plenty, and unapologetically himself.

From getting dragged before a Human Rights tribunal over an Aboriginal joke to being backed by Dana White and selling out theatres across the country, Isaac has built a comedy empire his own way.

👇 In this episode:

• The joke that nearly ended his career and why he refused to apologise
• How he turned ou...

He was taken to be executed. But somehow… he walked away.

This is the unbelievable true story of Gaz Wright... a feared enforcer who ran with Australia’s underworld until the streets turned on him. Snatched in broad daylight. Taken to be killed. Left for dead.

But Gaz didn’t just survive.

He came back and built the Hope Cartel... using 9D breathwork to help people process trauma and stop others from making the same brutal mistakes.

If ...

Arjun Paliwal was told he had two years to live.

Instead of shrinking back, he risked everything and built a multi-million dollar property empire.

This is one of the most powerful stories we’ve ever recorded.

In this episode, Arjun opens up about the moment he found out he needed open-heart surgery and how that diagnosis forced a choice that would change everything.

From surviving a near-death health scare to building one of Australia...

Bradley Dryburgh was told he wouldn’t live a full life. Born with cystic fibrosis, he’s spent years defying brutal odds.

From coughing up blood in his parents’ laundry sink to rebuilding his body and mindset... this is the story of a bloke who flat-out refused to give up.

Raw, powerful, and impossible not to respect.

👇 Here’s what’s inside:

• The day he thought he was dying
• How cystic fibrosis hits from the inside out
• The savage war...

Olivia Vivian was never meant to win.

She wasn’t the strongest.

She wasn’t the tallest.

And after being cut from Cirque du Soleil and dismissed by critics, she could’ve quit.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she became the most decorated woman in Australian Ninja Warrior history and one of the most respected athletes in the country.

🔥 In this raw, no-filter conversation, Olivia opens up about:

• The brutal cost of elite gymnastics — and what n...

From crashing on a couch with a box of porn tapes…

to becoming Australia’s most successful sex toy seller.

Rob built a $65 million empire out of thin air —

then tried to take on Australia Post.

This one’s unfiltered, wild, and completely unexpected.

You’ll laugh, you’ll be shocked — and you might just rethink what’s possible.

🔥 Here’s what’s inside:

• The true story behind 94 million orgasms
• How Rob got hired off a mate’s couch
• Growing L...

From the streets of Pattaya to international recognition, Sawasdee Lydia’s journey is unlike anything you’ve heard. Labelled a ladyboy from a young age, she faced judgment, rejection, and constant misunderstanding, but through it all, she found power in being herself.

In this raw, unfiltered conversation, she opens up about growing up trans in Thailand, working in the industry, and the moment she finally stepped into her truth.

One o...

He scored 13 goals in one game a world record and still never made the World Cup squad.

Archie Thompson is a straight-up legend of Australian football. A Socceroo icon, a fan favourite, and the man behind one of the wildest performances the game has ever seen.

But this episode goes way deeper than goals. Archie opens up about being overlooked, what it’s like to carry a record no one ever touched and still feel forgotten and the ident...

Michael Zerafa was #1 in the World... then one punch changed everything.

He backed himself. Took the shot.

And got knocked out on the world stage.

The backlash was brutal. The country turned. Tall poppy syndrome kicked in fast. But instead of disappearing, Zerafa rebuilt, quietly, ruthlessly, and fought his way back. Now he’s ranked #1 in Australia again… and hungrier than ever.

👇 Inside this episode:

• The world title fight that did...

James Bartle was on a surf trip in Southeast Asia when everything changed.

He saw a child being trafficked right in front of him, and it hit so hard that he knew he’d never go back to life as normal. What came next is one of the most powerful stories we’ve ever had on the podcast.

He came home, backed himself, and built Outland Denim, a global fashion brand created to fight trafficking and give survivors a way forward.

This episode is...