About this season
Putting the "real" back into reality television, Australian Story is an award-winning documentary series with no narrator and no agendas — just authentic stories told entirely in people's own words.
Episodes (37)
1. Unfiltered - Celeste Barber
Aired 3 February 2025 • 31 min
Celeste Barber went from unemployed actor to social media sensation for her celebrity parodies. But behind the hilarity is a story of struggle and self-doubt.
2. Outspoken - Jacinta Nampijinpa Price
Aired 10 February 2025 • 33 min
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is a rising political star who helped defeat the Voice referendum. The former singer and TV host reveals the private pain that shaped her polarising views and why she's unapologetic.
3. Heartfelt - Colin Clausen and Laura Aisbett
Aired 17 February 2025 • 31 min
When Col and Laura met, they were both grieving the sudden death of a cherished spouse. They soon had to confront a thorny question - when is an appropriate time is to find love after loss?
4. Second Innings - Bharat Sundaresan
Aired 24 February 2025 • 31 min
On the brink of death in India, Bharat Sundaresan turned to cricket, gathering millions of followers. But it's now in Australia that the colourful commentator has found true acceptance.
5. Home Truths - Vincent Fantauzzo
Aired 3 March 2025 • 30 min
When celebrated artist Vincent Fantauzzo first appeared on Australian Story, he held something back about his past. Now he's ready to reveal all.
6. Hooked - Dave Hughes
Aired 10 March 2025 • 30 min
Comedian Dave Hughes thought his struggle with addiction was over when he gave up alcohol in his 20s, but his obsession with work and fame has been harder to navigate.
7. Born to Run - Cliff Young
Aired 24 March 2025 • 30 min
The enduring legend of Cliff Young, the 61-year-old potato farmer who became an accidental hero when he shuffled his way to victory in the 1983 Sydney to Melbourne ultramarathon.
8. The Shoot Out - Race Around The World
Aired 31 March 2025 • 31 min
Untold stories from behind the scenes of Race Around the World, the show that launched John Safran and become one of the '90s unlikeliest TV hits.
9. Class Wars - Murat Dizdar
Aired 7 April 2025 • 31 min
Murat Dizdar is a proud working-class man who's made it his mission to win back private school students to the public education system.
10. Herding Katter - Bob Katter
Aired 14 April 2025 • 32 min
A portrait of maverick MP Bob Katter, the eccentric 79-year-old TikTok star who could soon even hold the balance of power.
11. Duped - Donna Nelson
Aired 28 April 2025 • 31 min
How an online love scam landed West Australian grandmother Donna Nelson in solitary confinement in Japan, leaving her five daughters fighting for her freedom.
12. Birds of a Feather - The Twinnies
Aired 12 May 2025 • 31 min
Quirky identical twins Paula and Bridgette Powers were in the process of sharing some exciting news with Australian Story when the 'Twinnies' suddenly became a global sensation.
13. Better Angels - Samuel Johnson
Aired 19 May 2025 • 31 min
Actor Samuel Johnson has led a rollercoaster life, dealing with successive tragedies and a self-destructive streak. But a cause close to his heart helped him overcome his demons.
14. Missing Pieces - Sue-Yen Luiten
Aired 26 May 2025 • 30 min
Adopted by an Australian couple 50 years ago, Sue-Yen Luiten is cycling through Vietnam with DNA kits in a last-ditch effort to find family.
15. Game Of His Life - Ange Postecoglou
Aired 2 June 2025 • 33 min
At the peak of his career, legendary Australian football manager Ange Postecoglou speaks exclusively to Australian Story about Tottenham Hotspur's stunning Europa League victory and says he's still dreaming big.
16. Nick Cave with Leigh Sales
Aired 9 June 2025 • 30 min
In an encore screening, rock legend Nick Cave talks candidly about grief, addiction, religion and why he's still making challenging music in his 60s.
17. Forget Me Not - Jim Rogers
Aired 16 June 2025 • 30 min
Jim Rogers has always been a big personality so when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 55, he wasn't going to keep quiet. Now he's become 'the poster boy for dementia', determined to speak out while he can.
18. Break It Down - The Raygun Phenomenon
Aired 23 June 2025 • 32 min
Rachael "Raygun" Gunn broke the internet with her Olympic routine, sparking countless memes and vitriolic abuse. A year on, Australian Story asks what the hell was that all about?
19. The River - Franklin River Rescue (Part 1)
Aired 30 June 2025 • 31 min
When Lithuanian rafter Valdas Bieliauskas became trapped in rapids on the Franklin River, it set in train a perilous 24-hour rescue mission that presented rescuers with a terrible choice.
20. The River - Franklin River Rescue (Part 2)
Aired 7 July 2025 • 33 min
The dramatic conclusion to Australian Story's two-part account of the extraordinary 24-hour rescue effort to save Lithuanian rafter Valdas Bieliauskas from rapids on Tasmania's Franklin River.
21. Common Ground - Liz Heggaton and Tim Baker
Aired 14 July 2025 • 30 min
Sheep farmer Liz Heggaton and surf writer Tim Baker should never have met, but a shared experience put them on a mission to highlight the potentially deadly side effects of a commonly prescribed cancer treatment.
22. Making a Scene - Claudia Karvan
Aired 21 July 2025 • 30 min
Actor and producer Claudia Karvan speaks openly about how an unconventional childhood fuelled her brilliant career. An encore screening of one of our most popular episodes.
23. Gut Instinct - Jane Dudley
Aired 28 July 2025 • 31 min
When Jane Dudley used an unapproved and icky treatment to cure her crippling depression, it grabbed the attention of the medical world, paving the way for large-scale clinical trials.
24. Momentum - Dr Mohammed Mustafa
Aired 4 August 2025 • 31 min
Mohammed "Dr Mo" Mustafa might only be a junior doctor from Perth but he's got the ear of leaders from around the world as he tries to turn his dream of a children's hospital in Gaza into reality.
25. To Bilo and Back - The Nadesalingam Family
Aired 11 August 2025 • 31 min
They were once the most famous refugee family in Australia. We check in with the Tamil family from the small town of Biloela who were at the centre of one of the country's biggest people-power movements in recent years.
26. Dark Star - Alex Lloyd
Aired 18 August 2025 • 32 min
In 2001, Alex Lloyd broke through with his massive hit Amazing, a song that led to the best and then the worst time of his life. Now he's getting his life back on track.
27. Small Wonders - Eden Tiny House Project
Aired 25 August 2025 • 31 min
It was the offer of a lifetime. Provide land and around $40,000 and get your own tiny home. The catch is, you have to help build it. Three vulnerable women took up that challenge and transformed their lives.
28. Say My Name - Louisa Ioannidis (Part 1)
Aired 1 September 2025 • 31 min
When Louisa Ioannidis was found dead in a creek, police found no suspicious circumstances. But Louisa's brother had his doubts and with a private investigator has exposed serious flaws in the police case.
29. Say My Name - Louisa Ioannidis (Part 2)
Aired 8 September 2025 • 32 min
The gripping conclusion in the mysterious case of Louisa Ioannidis, who was found dead in a creek in 2011. Intrigued by a podcast's revelations, a legal team has discovered new evidence and is pushing to re-open the case.
30. All Consuming - Kate Reid
Aired 15 September 2025 • 30 min
Kate Reid's croissants have been called the world's best. But how did a Formula 1 engineer battling a near-fatal eating disorder end up perfecting pastry?
31. Only Fifteen - Sarah Kopp
Aired 22 September 2025 • 31 min
When a charismatic sports teacher arrived at Sarah Kopp's school, the talented student's life was upended. When she finally sought justice, she faced a near-impossible choice.
32. Striking A Chord - Astrid Jorgensen
Aired 29 September 2025 • 31 min
When Astrid Jorgensen started Pub Choir in a small Brisbane bar, she never imagined she would be filling halls across the world eight years later.
33. Dog Gone - The Hunt for Valerie
Aired 6 October 2025 • 31 min
How the hunt for runaway sausage dog Valerie fired up the Kangaroo Island community and sparked headlines around the world.
34. Jelena Dokic with Leigh Sales
Aired 13 October 2025 • 29 min
In her first in-depth interview since her father's death, former tennis star Jelena Dokic opens up about the years of abuse she suffered at his hands and how she rebuilt her life.
35. Ride Of Her Life - Saya Sakakibara
Aired 20 October 2025 • 31 min
BMX golden girl Saya Sakakibara dreamed of sharing Olympic glory with her brother Kai. When a racing accident almost took his life, Saya had to overcome crippling fear and ride for both of them.
36. Against The Odds - Lauren Huxley
Aired 27 October 2025 • 31 min
Lauren Huxley was given little chance of survival after a brutal attack. Twenty years on, she and her family reflect on her miraculous recovery and the fact her attacker could soon be back on the streets.
37. It's My Party - Kirsha Kaechele
Aired 3 November 2025 • 31 min
She's flamboyant, provocative and brave. She's also married to David Walsh, founder of the Hobart-based MONA gallery. So why does artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele feel she's not taken seriously?