From listening to breakfast radio in my dad’s car on the way to school, to emailing Hamish and Andy for work experience (spoiler: I never heard back), consuming information and entertainment via the airwaves has always been a big part of my life growing up in Sydney. As a journalist, I’ve dabbled in hosting community radio, but not much else in that space until… podcasting came along.
Yes, the concept has been around for a while, but it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic when I noticed a rise in the number of people hosting podcasts, and a growing audience to match the new wave of content. What I love about podcasts is the way it levels the playing field. It’s become a media platform that’s just as easily accessible to create content on, as it is to listen.
It also means there’s so many podcasts out there, and if your Spotify queue is anything like mine, there are many you’re still waiting to hit play on. As a woman of colour growing up in Australia, I didn’t see a lot of women culturally diverse women hosting radio shows, and even podcasts for that matter, and I still think there’s a gap – though it’s slowly but surely getting filled.
Today, I’ve rounded up a list of podcasts hosted by at least one woman of colour, digging deep into everything from literature and pop culture, to food and community, corporate culture and wellness, and lots more.
Whether you’re a woman of colour or not, I believe there’s some valuable nuggets in each of these podcasts that will leave you inspired, informed and entertained. And of course, these are just a few of the many podcasts hosted by multicultural women in Australia and globally. If you have any recommendations of podcasts hosted by women of colour, I’m all ears. Send them through to [email protected]
Culture Capital
Launched in March 2026, Culture Capital digs deep into conversations around corporate culture, leadership and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion).
Hosted by human rights lawyer and corporate advisor Prabha Nandagopal and Mundanara Bayles, CEO of BlackCard and host of the Black Magic Woman podcast, it strives to fill a gap for leadership discussions in the podcast space, by presenting content “that leans less on PR polish and more on lived experience — particularly from First Nations and underrepresented voices”.
“Respect and inclusion aren’t optional anymore – they’re legal requirements and baseline expectations, particularly for younger generations entering the workforce,” Mundanara says in an official press statement. “We created Culture Capital as a space where leaders share not polished statements, but real stories, about courage, blind spots, mistakes, and accountability.”
Prabha says that Aussies want to know that leaders are taking DEI seriously. “We’re living through a time of deep political and cultural division, and that tension doesn’t stop at the office door. When leaders avoid the hard conversations or retreat into safe language, it creates a fracture between what organisations say and what people are actually experiencing.”
As part of the BlakCast podcast network and now joining the iHeartRadio network, you can expect 25-minute episodes from Culture Capital, with guests such as politician Linda Burney, Jacqui Kernot, Vice President at Thales Group, and more senior leaders.
Served With Rice
Only launched in January this year, Served With Rice makes for a fresh addition to your podcast subscription list.
Hosted by Aotearoa-based Asian writer and editor, Jackie Lee Morrison, and Australian Asian authors Emma Pei Yin (When Sleeping Women Wake) and Jacquie Pham (Those Opulent Days), this podcast pairs storytelling with food to explore identity, memory and culture. The trio advocate for authentic discussions around multicultural representation in the literary world, saying the goal of the podcast is “to deepen the discourse around books by writers of colour beyond tokenism and trend cycles”.
The first season features a pilot ep, plus seven in-depth conversations (around 45 minutes) with the following authors and publishing professionals: Tigest Girma, Chris Tse, Angie Faye Martin, Natalia Figuera Barrosso, Khadro Mohamed, Jane Yang and Damien Levi (Āporo Press). What’s more, every ep also features a dish created by host Jackie – who happens to be a former professional chef.
“Food isn’t just my passion, it’s what all the most important moments of my life have been framed around. What better way to talk about stories and shared culture than around a meal? It’s the perfect beginning for dialogue,” Morrison says in an official statement shared with Missing Perspectives.
Emma adds that “we’re tired of representation being treated like garnish. We’re interested in the full meal–the complexity, the texture, the contradictions that come with writing and existing in these spaces.”
Locatora Radio
Locatora Radio’s story is bold and inspiring, with hosts Mala Muñoz and Diosa Femme – two Instagram friends-turned-podcast partners, founding this series in 2016 as an independent podcast after noticing a lack of voices from their community discussing feminism, politics and sexual health and wellness.
In 2022, it was picked up by iHeartRadio, and continues to showcase the pair’s fun and engaging dynamic as they break down pop culture, current events, and feminism, and take the conservation forward through insightful interviews with Latinx creatives and artists.
IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson
A podcast that’s relatable, entertaining and filled with warmth – what’s not to love? It’s heartwarming to hear from Michelle Obama in a very personal light as she and her big brother Craig Robinson bring their unique perspectives to various listeners’ personal dilemmas.
“IMO sees the iconic First Lady at her most relaxed and honest,” according to the pod’s Spotify page, and to be honest, I’d agree.
Dropping weekly, the podcasts feature special guests who join the duo to help tackle audience questions related to various areas including dating and relationships, parenting and financial planning. You leave feeling inspired with some practical tips and the opportunity for self-reflection.
Earlier this month, IMO celebrated its one-year anniversary, and if we look at the first few months of 2026 alone, there have been some incredible well-known guests on the show including actors Halle Bailey and Regina King.
We Used To Be Journos
From the rise of social media to AI and misinformation, navigating the world of news media is becoming more challenging for all of us. In 2025, Aussie journalists Antoinette Lattouf and Jan Fran launched Ette Media, a platform that dissects widespread news coverage, media commentary, and online discourse. Their podcast, We Used To Be Journos, showcases more of their brilliant work in this space, complete with sharp insights and entertaining conversations between the longtime friends.
When Missing Perspectives previously interviewed the duo, Jan spoke about the responsibility that comes with having these discussions in the public eye.
“In terms of running Ette, the main thing that keeps me up at night is whether or not we’ve got all of our facts straight and iron-clad and whether or not we have been fair in our analysis,” she said.
“I stew over these two questions 23 out of 24 hours a day. It’s really important that if we are going to critique others for lack of fact or fairness, we best make sure we’ve got both of those things in abundance and must always, always be willing to accept critical feedback where we have failed.”
Black Girl Diagnosed
Intersectionality is at the core of Ayanna Sanaa Davis’ work, as she uses her platform to advocate for Black women, autism awareness and asexual visibility. Black Girl Diagnosed amplifies the voices of Black women navigating the intersections of neurodivergence, disability, and mental health.
Through each episode, the podcast is not only shining a light on important issues and personal stories, but building a strong sense of community amongst listeners too.
“This was the very first year of Black Girl Diagnosed, and we are beyond grateful for every guest who trusted us with their story and every listener who tuned in, shared, and supported,” the podcast shared on Instagram on New Year’s Day this year.
“This community was built on honesty, healing, and making space for Black neurodivergent voices—and because of you, that vision came to life.”
Culture Club
If you’re chronically online and looking for a deeper dive into internet trends, or very much the opposite and just after a rundown on the latest in pop culture and current affairs, Culture Club could be just up your alley. Writers and real-life besties Maggie Zhou and Jasmine Wallis break down the topics that have young people talking, ensuring the content is accessible but also entertaining at the same time.
Having run the podcast for half a decade, Maggie and Jasmine have been committed to keeping their podcast format fresh and engaging, as digital trends themselves continue to evolve.
“After five years and 200 episodes, we’re still here and continuing to analyse your favourite pop culture moments and decode the internet discourse that’s taking over your FYP,” they shared in an Instagram post in January. “We can’t wait to create more for you in 2026!”
Access Granted
Having been a journalist for many years, storytelling is where Lowanna Grant feels most at home. The interview-led series features the proud Wiradjuri and Western Arrernte host sitting down with influential figures. Once behind the mic, they dig deep into stories of resilience, representation and ambition – conversations rarely heard, until now.
“As a proud Wiradjuri and Western Arrernte woman, storytelling and sharing knowledge is in my blood,” Lowanna said when she announced the podcast.
“Access Granted was born from a deep desire to sit down with some of Australia and Aotearoa’s most influential voices and dive into conversations that go beyond the surface. This podcast is about breaking the façade and uncovering stories of resilience, representation and ambition and creating space for yarns that people may not have heard before.”
Since dropping its first episode in January 2026, Lowanna has chatted to the likes of Brooke Blurton, Allira Potter, and of course her famous mum and fellow journalist Karla Grant, plus many more.
Ladies, We Need To Talk
If your group chat has been lighting up with questions and candid stories around sex, pregnancy and wellness but you’re looking for an outsider perspective, this podcast is for you.
Hosted by Yumi Stynes, Ladies, We Need To Talk goes deep on women’s health and relationship issues without judgment, combining Yumi’s warm and witty conversational style with experts’ insights.
As the show’s profile says itself: “With sensitivity, personal stories from real women, and serious smarts, this show is for women who feel the squeeze between work, their private life, and their pelvic floor”.
Wrong Turns with Jameela Jamil
Just as she’s an open book on her social media platforms, Jameela Jamil is once again her unapologetic self in Wrong Turns. The actor, well known for roles in The Good Place and She-Hulk, gathers her friends for hilariously entertaining conversations where they share “their most mortifying and embarrassing stories”.
“Frankly, I’m tired of being inspired,” Jameela said in an official press statement when the podcast launched back in August 2025. “Enough podcasts are trying to make us better people. I wanted to make something that celebrates being a glorious mess, because that’s where the real fun (and honesty) lives.”
Episodes are just shy of an hour (around 45 minutes), and guests so far include New Girl star Jake Johnson, comedian and actor Katherine Ryan and lots more.
But Are You Happy?
Wellness apps, self-help books and FYPs are dedicated to every lifestyle topic you can think of nowadays. There’s a lot of resources out there, and to be frank, plenty of podcasts in this space as well. But Are You Happy features 30-minute podcast episodes presented by Aussie entrepreneur Ashani Dante and Clinical Psychologist Dr Anastasia Hronis “as they give you the no-bullsh*t self-development and mental health information you really need”.
Discussing universal issues such as procrastination, money pressures and grief, the content strikes a great balance between providing information that’s useful, but also filled with heart.
Booksmart
Of course, it’s no surprise that Booksmart makes this list. Hosted by our very own Sunny Adcock and Allie Daisy King from Missing Perspectives, the Booksmart podcast blends a book club format with in-depth conversations featuring some of the world’s most beloved authors.
Tapping into the heart of the cultural zeitgeist at a time when #BookTok and book-to-screen adaptations are thriving – think People We Meet On Vacation (episode 1 of the podcast!) – Booksmart is all about offering smart, funny, and nuanced takes on the stories shaping Gen Z and millennial women.
““People yearn for witty discourse about the things they hold dear, and to be validated in their adoration for women’s stories. That is where Booksmart comes in!” says Allie.
Sunny adds that “Booksmart is proud to centre women’s stories across a multitude of genres. Young girls and women dictate culture and support entire economies; our interests, passions, dollars, and stories matter”.
Unfiltered Chai… with Alicia Vrajlal
And finally, it’s a cheeky move… but I’m super proud of my podcast, Unfiltered Chai… with Alicia Vrajlal, so I’m giving it a shameless plug.
While Australia has many entertainment and pop culture podcasts, very few adopt an intersectional lens, let alone a specifically South Asian one. With many years of entertainment reporting under my belt, I started this podcast produced by Draw Your Box in 2025 because I believe entertainment and pop culture allow us to explore and learn so much about ourselves and the world.
Through Unfiltered Chai, you’ll hear candid chats I have with famous South Asians – including Jameela Jamil, Geraldine Viswanathan, Abhishek Bachchan and various MasterChef stars – where I ask them about everything from career success, to fame, to representation, community, identity and more.