Shameless Podcast
The Australian pop culture podcast for smart people who love dumb stuff, hosted by two journalists dissecting weekly celebrity news and trends.
A co-hosted conversational podcast that unpacks the week's biggest pop culture stories. Episodes blend lighthearted gossip and recaps with deeper, more analytical discussions on the ethics of media coverage and celebrity influence. The hosts frequently read excerpts from articles and use personal anecdotes to ground their cultural analysis, as seen in their deep dive on the public conversation around Ariana Grande's body.
“Shameless's key distinction is its "high-brow/low-brow" approach, successfully mixing serious, nuanced cultural criticism with a genuine love for the "dumb" side of pop culture. The chemistry and well-researched perspectives of its two hosts, who have built a multi-faceted media company from the show, sets it apart from more casual chat-casts.”
Who hosts this show
Shameless is a weekly pop culture podcast hosted by Melbourne-based journalists and authors Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews. Launched in 2018, the show bills itself as being "for smart people who love dumb stuff," offering commentary and analysis on everything from celebrity drama to broader social media trends. The hosts, who met while working at the media company Mamamia, started the podcast independently after their initial pitch was rejected. It has since grown into the flagship show of their own company, Shameless Media.
Credentials & credits
- Journalists
- Co-Founders of Shameless Media
- Authors of "The Space Between"
- Authors of "4am: Answers to the conundrums that keep you up at night"
- Forbes 30 Under 30 (2024)
Other ventures
- Shameless Media (Production Company)
- The Shameless Book Club (Podcast)
- everybody has a secret (Podcast)
- Love etc. (Podcast)
- Style-ish (Podcast)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- Australia
- Region
- anz
When new episodes drop
- 01Revisiting Neil Patrick Harris's controversies...Jun 26, 2026 · 42 min
- 02Olivia Wilde reveals all on Call Her DaddyJun 24, 2026 · 49 min
- 03On Ariana GrandeJun 21, 2026 · 42 min
- 04TikTok knew their baby's name before they told the world...Jun 19, 2026 · 40 min
- 05Tyra Banks is suing Netflix over THAT documentaryJun 17, 2026 · 48 min
- 06Perrie Edwards and Jesy Nelson's five-year feudJun 14, 2026 · 46 min
- 07Tracy Morgan came for the wrong professionJun 12, 2026 · 35 min
- 08Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have split...Jun 10, 2026 · 38 min
Notable episodes
- 01On Ariana Grande
A representative example of the show's format, this episode blends a pop culture topic with a serious ethical debate, including a trigger warning and a host's personal story about disordered eating to ground the analysis.
- 02Olivia Wilde reveals all on Call Her Daddy
Showcases the hosts' ability to provide a detailed, chronological recap of a complex celebrity drama ('Don't Worry Darling'), combining media reports with their own commentary.
- 03Revisiting Neil Patrick Harris's controversies...
This episode highlights the show's use of archival clips and a mix of distinct segments, including discussions on sports media, TV show salary negotiations, and personal recommendations.
What you'll be asked on this show
This is not an interview show. The format is centered entirely on the conversational dynamic between co-hosts Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews as they analyze pop culture news.
This is a co-hosted conversational show, not an interview-based podcast. Hosts Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews have a dynamic, back-and-forth style, often building on or challenging each other's points. Episodes are structured around specific pop culture topics, frequently supported by reading long excerpts from news articles to provide context for their debates.
Signature segments
- · Monday Analysis
- · Thursday Quick & Dirty
- · Recommendations
- · So Old It's New Again
- · SCANDAL
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show does not feature traditional interview guests. Instead, "guests" are the public figures (celebrities, influencers, journalists) who are the subject of the hosts' pop culture analysis and discussion.
- Olivia Wildeon Olivia Wilde reveals all on Call Her Daddy
- Ariana Grandeon On Ariana Grande
- Neil Patrick Harrison Revisiting Neil Patrick Harris's controversies...
- Tyra Bankson Tyra Banks is suing Netflix over THAT documentary
- Perrie Edwardson Perrie Edwards and Jesy Nelson's five-year feud
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Estimated: The podcast attracts sponsors from a range of lifestyle, direct-to-consumer, and entertainment brands. Based on the evidence, this includes tech (Oura), travel (Airbnb), fashion (Elite Eleven), and streaming services (Prime Video), suggesting a focus on brands targeting a young, culturally-aware audience.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch this show
People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Shameless?
- The podcast is hosted by Australian journalists and authors Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews.
- What is the format of the show?
- It is a conversational co-hosted podcast. The hosts discuss and analyze recent pop culture news and celebrity stories. It is not an interview show.
- Is Shameless still releasing new episodes?
- Yes, the podcast is active and typically releases multiple episodes per week.
- What is Shameless Media?
- Shameless Media is the independent media company founded by hosts Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews, which produces 'Shameless' and several other podcasts and newsletters.
- Where can I listen to Shameless?
- The podcast is available on major platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, with full video episodes also published on YouTube.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Shameless Media Official Websiteshamelessmedia.com.au
- [02]Shameless (podcast) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [03]A Day In The Life With Zara McDonald + Michelle Andrews Of Shameless - The Design Filesthedesignfiles.net
- [04]Zara McDonald - Penguin Books Australiapenguin.com.au
- [05]Michelle Andrews - Penguin Books Australiapenguin.com.au
- [06]How Shameless Media Grew to 100M+ Downloads Without Investors - Female Founder Worldyoutube.com
- [07]Shameless Media founders sign with Venn Talent - Mediaweekmediaweek.com.au
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