Seen podcast on SBS – Yumi Stynes returns for a second riveting season of Seen – the interview podcast that talks to inspirational Australians who have come from under-represented backgrounds and communities and made astonishing impacts on our culture.
Step into the amazing life stories of season two guests including Dr Amy Thunig, whose bestselling memoir chronicles growing up with a parent struggling with addiction, alongside drag royalty Kween Kong, AFL Women’s star player Darcy Vescio, domestic violence advocate Tarang Chawla, and others.
Host Yumi Stynes said:
“These are stories of triumph over voices of judgement, hate and doubt, of bravely taking up space, and finding the happiness you deserve.
“As an Asian, single, working mum, I think a lot about my own identity. I mean, I’m confident and work hard but still I grapple with motherhood, the maddening persistence of sexism, daily casual racism, gendered violence, death threats, and generational cycles that need to be broken.”
Poignant first-person stories include that of celebrity chef Khanh Ong, who was born in an overcrowded Indonesian refugee camp and arrived in Australia by boat, and Antonia Burke, who once wished she could scrub her dark skin white and now uses her professional knowledge to advocate for her Tiwi Islands community against big gas companies.
Exploring how perceptions of gender, queerness and cultural identity can create harmful stereotypes and hurdles, Seen deep dives into the impact of inequality and celebrates inclusion and diverse voices.
“I talk to some of the most inspiring people in the country. These are people who subvert the narratives of being the ‘model’ minority – they disrupt and they break cycles of trauma,”
– said Stynes.
This extraordinary group of people share their stories:
Kween Kong
Kween Kong, Pasifika New Zealander drag royalty, talks about her path from rugby and dance to the cult series RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under.
Dr Amy Thunig
Bestselling author Dr Amy Thunig talks about growing up with parents who struggled with addiction and incarceration, and how they have broken generational cycles.
Antonia Burke
Antonia Burke went from working for one of Australia’s gas giants, Santos, to being a key figure standing against them with her community on the Tiwi Islands to defend the rights of the Indigenous peoples.
Darcy Vescio
Now a star in the AFL Womens, there was a time when Darcy Vescio could not imagine they could turn their love of Aussie Rules into a career.
Debbie Kilroy OAM
Debbie Kilroy speaks about her experiences as one of the most invisible people in the world – a woman in prison, before gaining a degree in social work and moving into a career in law.
Khanh Ong
Khanh Ong fled Vietnam as a refugee with his family and has now built a career in television as one of Australia’s most recognisable chefs.
Tarang Chawla
After his sister Niki’s murder, Tarang became an advocate for victims of domestic violence, speaking passionately against the domestic violence crisis in Australia.
Tea Uglow
Visionary tech leader Tea Uglow shares her story of stepping away from a high-flying career at Google and coming into her true identity.
Listen to SBS podcasts at SBS Audio, the SBS Audio app on iOS and Google Play Store, LiSTNR, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other streaming platforms. SBS was awarded Podcast Publisher of the Year for the second year in a row at the 2023 Australian Podcast Awards in November last year.
Media Release – SBS
Seen podcast on SBS
Link to SBS Audio HERE
Seen podcast on SBS
TV Central SBS content HERE
