PODCAST · society
What a Stranger Told Me
by Tim Reid & Jon Coghill
Storytelling meets human connection in this intriguing Australian podcast. Hosts Jon Coghill (Powderfinger) and Tim Reid (award-winning podcaster) travel around chatting with strangers of all ages & backgrounds - uncovering their raw, unique, and very personal stories. Take a break from the everyday, and dive into lives of people you’d never otherwise meet.And if you’ve got a story you’d love the world to hear, then call us on +61 489 272 286.Or maybe you'd like us to chat to strangers in your town, or maybe you’ve got a conference you’d like us to podcast from, then contact us at What a Stranger Told Me.Credits ...Made & Hosted by Tim Reid & Jon CoghillMusic Supervision by Dennis FelettoPhotography by Andy McColl & Will Reid
Episodes
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She Perved First – Then He Declared “We’re Gettin’ Married” | A Romantic Stranger Story
Meeting the girl of your dreams started with mutual perving and a bold “We’re gettin’ married”. Sammy’s cheeky love story – nail gun accident, Valentine's magic, young romance – is funny, sweet, and full of butterflies. Hit play and feel the spark. Ready for some stranger stories? Personal…
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Cantankerous Bloke Speaks His Mind (Then Some) – A Strangely Blunt Chat
Picture a cantankerous bloke who speaks his mind about everything from new bridges to staying active after 70 – he did Everest Base Camp at 69, plans Annapurna at 71, and doesn't let bad knees stop him. Meet an ex-South African Aussie granddad with a no-bullshit vibe and big goals. This bluntly...
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Willy The Busker Spreads Happiness Like It’s His Full-Time Job | A Strangely Joyful Chat
Willy the busker spreads happiness like it’s his full-time job – because for him, it basically is. One minute he’s blasting Latin beats in Pitt Street Mall, the next he’s healing sick strangers in Chile and Israel with energy work, then finishing with an Elvis duet that turns strangers into…
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Abattoir Butcher Stories ft. Nude Knife Belt Wearing | A Strange Chat
Abattoir butcher stories can be wild – and this 50-year legend has them all. From playing Tom Jones for the ladies to watching school kids chew raw bones, surviving horrible accidents, and the guy who walked in wearing nothing but his knife belt. His abattoir butcher stories are funny, gruesome,...
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Frenchie Dumped Her Boyfriend, Quit Work, and Moved to Australia at 33 | Another Strangely Curious Story
She always knew she’d quit her job and move to Australia before turning 35. At 33, a breakup became the catalyst: she quit her job, moved to Australia, sold everything, and bought a one-way ticket. Now living in her car and chasing a childhood dream, this French woman’s story of quitting her job...
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How to Get Over a Breakup (From a Stranger Living It) | A Heartbreaking Stranger Story
Ever wondered how to get over a breakup when it's mutual but still stings? Meet Mitch, a 24-year-old support worker who swaps a planned couples' trip for a solo escape to Byron Bay after his first relationship ends. This raw street chat dives into incompatibility, self-reflection, and finding...
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British Lad Plans Bali Tattoo Extravaganza | Another Head-Scratching Story
Ever wondered what it's like getting tattoos in Bali from a total stranger's perspective? Meet Aaron, a scaffolder from Plymouth who's turned his three-week Bali escape into an epic ink mission – think full-leg Egyptian designs, astronaut vibes, and heartfelt memorials. This short, hilarious…
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Retired Criminal Lawyer Creates an Unusually Slow Life | Another Stranger Story
In Episode 20 of the What a Stranger Told Me podcast, Tim meets Simon – a retired lawyer who's traded courtroom chaos for Byron Bay's slow rhythms. This storytelling podcast uncovers honest moments from everyday lives. After 17 years as a cop and decades as a barrister, Simon moved to the coast…
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Bali Bombings Burns Unit Nurse Reflects On The Chaos | Another Stranger Story
In Episode 19 of What a Stranger Told Me, Tim pulls up a chair at the Gympie Muster beside Jane Turner (not Kath!) – a veteran burns, ICU and emergency nurse who has spent decades on the absolute frontline of human suffering, and is now finally kicking back with a cold beer and a good book. Ready...
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Vision-Impaired Guy Survives Horrific Boating Accident | Real Stories from Strangers
In Episode 18 of What a Stranger Told Me, Jon meets Richard at the Gympie Music Muster — a man who is laughing, drinking, dancing, and living louder than most sighted people, all while being almost completely blind. Listen in to hear what it's like to be living life blind. Fifteen years ago…
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Romantic Designer Outsmarts His Stutter – Real Stories from Strangers
In Episode 17 of What a Stranger Told Me, Jon meets Hugh, an 18-year-old industrial design student who’s found clever, practical ways of living with a stutter while chasing his creative dreams. Waiting three hours early for a uni tutorial (after dropping off his girlfriend), Hugh opens up about...
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Homesick Train Driver Shares Reality Of His Job - Another Stranger Chat
In Episode 16 of the What a Stranger Told Me podcast, Jon sits down with a Perth-born train driver who now calls Sydney home, though his heart never really left the west. Dragged across the country years ago by an ex-wife who hated WA, he stayed for the job he genuinely loves. “If I could drive...
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Passionate Soundy Protects Ears Like Gold - Another stranger chat
In Episode 15 of What a Stranger Told Me, Jon meets Chris, a passionate sound engineer and tour manager for the ARIA-winning Indigenous duo Electric Fields, grabbing a quick chat in Glenelg before his dad's birthday dinner. This storytelling podcast uncovers honest moments from everyday lives....
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Quitting Smoking After 40 Years – Another Real Story from a Stranger
In Episode 14 of What a Stranger Told Me, Jon meets an anonymous health worker on her lunch break — a rare pocket of calm in a high-stress job. She’s been smoking for 40 years, quit once using hypnosis and medication, and now finds herself back at three to four cigarettes a day. This isn’t a…
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Sleep Coach Searches For Peace & Quiet - Another Stranger Story
In Episode 13 of the What a Stranger Told Me podcast, Jon meets Anna—a sleep coach on a working holiday, helping CEOs, trauma-affected kids, and exhausted parents learn to sleep well again. This storytelling podcast uncovers honest moments from everyday lives. Escaping Sydney’s “head down, butt…
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A Frustrated Magician On Holidays - Real Stories From Real Strangers
Today we catch up with a Sydney magician on day two of a two-week holiday—and he's feeling a little punchy. As always, the What Stranger Told Me podcast uncovers honest moments from everyday lives. Twenty years making kids gasp with colouring books and vanishing silks, he’s traded the stage for...
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Young Butcher Chooses The Simple (Slightly Hectic) Life - Another Stranger Story
Today you'll meet Rhys in Episode 10 of What a Stranger Told Me - a 20-year-old qualified butcher who’s already lived a lifetime in boots and blades. This storytelling podcast uncovers honest moments from everyday lives. Apprenticed at 16, he’s sharpened knives that shave hair, run bandsaws…
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Inside a Huge, Loving Country Family - Real Stories from Strangers
Let's meet Emma—one of six siblings from a sprawling beef cattle clan, now bridging country roots with coastal life. The What a Stranger Told Me podcast uncovers honest moments from everyday lives. Growing up, family stretched beyond blood: a tight-knit rural community where everyone leaned in.…
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Two Cowgirls Cling To Their Country Roots - Real Stories From Strangers
In Episode 9 of What a Stranger Told Me, Jon pulls up a chair with Lucy and Eliza—two young women whose cowgirl roots run deep, even in the suburbs. This storytelling podcast uncovers honest moments from everyday lives. Raised on cattle properties across Queensland and New South Wales, they grew…
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Tough Guy Retires Wealthy at 36 - Another Story from a Real Stranger
It's time to meet a tattooed tough guy who retired wealthy at 36 after turning a tiny disability care business into a burgoning empire. This storytelling podcast captures raw stories from everyday people. From housing trust violence—drug-addict parents, 11 schools, out of high school by year...
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(Part 2) Fear Mastered in a Haitian Tunnel - Real Stories from Strangers
In Episode 7 (Part 2) of What a Stranger Told Me, Jon's chat with the humanitarian filmmaker plunges deeper into fear, trauma, and triumph. This storytelling podcast captures raw stories from everyday people. Six years after crawling through a 50-metre tunnel in Haiti’s earthquake rubble—sawing...
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(Part 1) Machete Escape in PNG Chaos - Real Stories from Strangers
In Episode 7 (Part 1) of What a Stranger Told Me, Jon meets a former humanitarian filmmaker who's dodged so many 'bullets' that he's now enjoying a well-earned sea change. This storytelling podcast captures raw stories from everyday people. Once a San Francisco commercial photographer, heartbreak...
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A homeless granddad prepares for a family day out - Another real story from a stranger
In Episode 6 of What a Stranger Told Me, Tim meets Paul, an excavator operator who lives in his car, and has a warm heart and a ready smile, as he prepares for a day out with his granddaughter and Bluey! This storytelling podcast captures raw stories from everyday people. Living in his Holden…
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A Lolly Lover’s Sweet Transformation - Real Stories from Strangers
Today, meet Jackie, a mum transformed by weight loss surgery (40KG lighter!) and her newfound joy in mixed lollies. Ready for some stranger stories? Personal stories of love, resilience & daring unfold in this loveable podcast, as story-collectors Tim Reid & Jon Coghill wander the streets of...
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A Young Waiter Battles Anxiety - Real Stories from Strangers
Next, meet Alec, a 25-year-old on a bold rebuild from the depths of anxiety, for a riverside chat that radiates courage and hope. Ready for some stranger stories? Personal stories of love, resilience & daring unfold in this loveable podcast, as story-collectors Tim Reid & Jon Coghill wander the...
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Perimenopausal Mum Runs Away From Home - Real Stories from Strangers
Next, a perimenopausal mum of three teenage boys who's escaped for mental health walks with girlfriends, feeling like an “alien in a house of men.” Ready for some stranger stories? Personal stories of love, resilience & daring unfold in this loveable podcast, as story-collectors Tim Reid & Jon...
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Dad finds hope in his daughter’s autism journey - Real Stories from Strangers
Next, Ben, a devoted Dad, reveals his favorite times of the day – solitary mornings and joyful times with daughters aged five and two (plus a son in Heaven). Ready for some stranger stories? Personal stories of love, resilience & daring unfold in this loveable podcast, as story-collectors Tim…
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A Gothic Artist’s Tale of Honouring Life & Death - Real Stranger Stories
A young, Gothic artist on holiday honours life through dead animals, loves drawing and family. Ready for some stranger stories? Personal stories of love, resilience & daring unfold in this loveable podcast, as story-collectors Tim Reid & Jon Coghill wander the streets of Australia, microphone in...
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What a Stranger Told Me [Trailer]
Storytelling meets human connection in this loveable Australian podcast. Hosts Jon Coghill (Powderfinger) and Tim Reid (award-winning podcaster) travel around chatting with strangers of all ages & backgrounds - uncovering their raw, unique, and often very personal stories. Take a break from your...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Storytelling meets human connection in this intriguing Australian podcast. Hosts Jon Coghill (Powderfinger) and Tim Reid (award-winning podcaster) travel around chatting with strangers of all ages & backgrounds - uncovering their raw, unique, and very personal stories. Take a break from the everyday, and dive into lives of people you’d never otherwise meet.And if you’ve got a story you’d love the world to hear, then call us on +61 489 272 286.Or maybe you'd like us to chat to strangers in your town, or maybe you’ve got a conference you’d like us to podcast from, then contact us at What a Stranger Told Me.Credits ...Made & Hosted by Tim Reid & Jon CoghillMusic Supervision by Dennis FelettoPhotography by Andy McColl & Will Reid
HOSTED BY
Tim Reid & Jon Coghill
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does What a Stranger Told Me have?
What a Stranger Told Me currently has 29 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is What a Stranger Told Me about?
Storytelling meets human connection in this intriguing Australian podcast. Hosts Jon Coghill (Powderfinger) and Tim Reid (award-winning podcaster) travel around chatting with strangers of all ages & backgrounds - uncovering their raw, unique, and very personal stories. Take a break from the...
How often does What a Stranger Told Me release new episodes?
What a Stranger Told Me has 29 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to What a Stranger Told Me?
You can listen to What a Stranger Told Me on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts What a Stranger Told Me?
What a Stranger Told Me is created and hosted by Tim Reid & Jon Coghill.
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