You’re Gonna Want To Hear This

What happens when the person you loved, the person you trusted with your future, wasn’t who they said they were?
Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt sits down with author, advocate and marketing executive Tracy Hall, whose extraordinary story became known through the hit investigative podcast Who the Hell Is Hamish? Tracy was Hamish McLaren’s final known victim, after an 18-month relationship, she discovered that the man she knew as Max Tavita was in fact one of Australia’s most notorious con men. He had stolen $317,000 of her life savings.
Now, years after her story first captivated listeners, Tracy joins Georgie to tell the story in her own words. From falling in love with a man who appeared to share her values and ambitions, to discovering that almost everything she knew about him was a lie.
Tracy takes us inside the sophisticated manipulation that kept her from seeing what was happening, including the slow-building relationship, the carefully manufactured similarities, future promises and conversations about money that ultimately led to her investing her savings. She explains why romance scams aren’t about intelligence or naivety, why anyone can be vulnerable to manipulation, and why the shame should belong with the perpetrator, not the victim.
She also talks about The Last Victim, her memoir about the experience, and the work she is now doing to advocate for safer online dating, financial empowerment and a different way of talking about victims of scams. She explains why she believes dating apps need stronger identity verification, what happened when she discovered Hamish had appeared on a dating app again, and why she wants better safeguards in place before her own daughter enters the world of online dating.
And in one of the most timely parts of the conversation, Tracy explores the next generation of deception, AI scams, deepfakes and voice cloning and why “trust literacy” may become as important as financial and digital literacy.
This episode covers:
Tracy Hall’s role as Hamish McLaren’s last known victim
Her story as featured in Who the Hell Is Hamish?
Meeting Hamish, who she knew as Max Tavita, on a dating app
How an 18-month relationship was carefully constructed
The manipulation tactics and warning signs she missed
How $317,000 of her savings was stolen
Why intelligent, successful people can become victims of romance scams
The psychological impact of intimate fraud and betrayal
Rebuilding her confidence, identity and ability to trust
Becoming financially empowered after the scam
Writing The Last Victim
Victim blaming and the language we use around scams
Why dating apps need stronger safety measures
Hamish McLaren appearing on a dating app after his release
Dating again and learning to trust herself
“Trust literacy” and navigating deception in the digital age. AI scams, deepfakes and voice cloning
Why shame belongs with the perpetrator, not the victim
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What if being “nice” isn’t the same as being kind? And what happens when women stop making themselves smaller to keep everyone else comfortable?
This week, Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt is joined by political journalist, author and cultural commentator Amy Remeikis to unpack women, power, anger, civility and the pressure to be “good”.
The author of Screw Nice, Amy explores why women are often judged for being direct, angry or emotional, while the same behaviour can be interpreted very differently in men. She discusses the double standards behind labels like “difficult”, the expectation that women make themselves smaller, and why refusing to be compliant can be an act of power.
Amy also shares her own experiences of learning to speak up, including a childhood moment that made her question why the way a woman responds to injustice can become more important than the injustice itself. She explains how she approaches uncomfortable conversations with people whose political views differ from her own, and why asking “why?” can be more productive than immediately shutting down a difficult conversation.
Plus, Amy shares her advice for dealing with being called “emotional”, “hysterical” or “difficult”, why women should stop apologising unless they have actually done something wrong, and how walking away from an argument can sometimes be the most empowering response.
This episode covers:
The politics of being “nice”
Why women are labelled “difficult”
Anger, protest and speaking up
Grace Tame and the policing of women’s behaviour
Double standards for women in leadership
Political disagreement and finding common ground
Gaslighting and emotional dismissal
Why women need to stop apologising for everything
Taking up space and using your power
The difference between being nice and being decent
You can find Amy's book Screw Nice here https://www.hachette.com.au/amy-remeikis/screw-nice
Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram @marieclaireau
🎧 Listen to You're Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
👀 Watch and subscribe to You're Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips. https://www.youtube.com/marieclaire
Credits:
Host Georgie McCourt
Edited by Helen Smith
Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain
With thanks to our amazing team at Marie Claire
You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anine Bing has spent more than a decade building the kind of fashion empire most entrepreneurs dream of, launching ANINE BING from a Los Angeles garage and turning her signature blend of Scandinavian simplicity and LA cool into a global brand. But now, the designer, entrepreneur and creative is asking a different question: what success actually look like when it feels like it’s time to start again?
This week, Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt is joined by Anine for a deeply personal conversation about awakening, ambition, burnout, divorce, motherhood, creativity and the journey of finding her way back to herself.
At 43, Anine found herself questioning whether she was truly living her truth or feeling fulfilled. After years of building her global fashion brand while raising her children, she realised she had been so busy “building, building, building” that she hadn’t had time to sit with herself and understand how she really felt. What followed was a period of deep inner work, major personal change and, ultimately, a new sense of freedom.
Anine also talks candidly about divorce, starting again in her 40s and the unexpected happiness she found on the other side. From creating a new home on her own terms to discovering that she is genuinely happy being alone, Anine reflects on what freedom means to her now and why she feels she has finally come back to herself.
The conversation also explores the evolution of ANINE BING, from packing orders on the garage floor while pregnant to building a global fashion business, and the importance of staying in your own lane rather than getting distracted by what everyone else is doing. She shares her philosophy on personal style, buying less but better, and why the right clothes can change how you feel about yourself.
Plus, Anine opens up about music as a form of healing, her album Chapter Two, motherhood, raising teenagers, finding her voice and why she now feels an obligation to share her experiences if they might help another woman.
This episode covers:
Anine Bing on her awakening in her 40s
Finding your way back to yourself
The hidden reality of burnout and ambition
Balancing motherhood and building a global business
Learning to prioritise yourself
Divorce and finding happiness on the other side
Starting a new chapter on your own terms
The freedom of being alone
Staying in your own lane
Building a successful fashion brand
Buying less and better and finding your personal uniform
Fashion, confidence and how clothes make us feel
Music as therapy and healing and Anine’s new album, Chapter Two
Motherhood and raising teenagers
Being comfortable in your own skin
The power of starting over
Why you shouldn’t give up
Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram
🎧 Listen to You're Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
👀 Watch and subscribe to You're Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips.
Credits:
Host Georgie McCourt
Edited by Helen Smith
Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain
With thanks to our amazing team at Marie Claire
You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it really mean to find your personal style? Our bodies change. Our lives change. So why do we expect our wardrobes to stay the same?
In this special Style Issue episode of You're Gonna Want To Hear This, Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt and Deputy Editor Mel Gaudron take us inside the pages of the magazine's biggest fashion issue of the year, from Anne Hathaway's career renaissance to the messy reality of getting dressed in the morning.
They unpack what it means to find your own style after motherhood and through perimenopause, why comfort becomes increasingly important as we get older, and how major life experiences can completely transform the way we dress. They also explore the growing acceptance of grey hair, the power of dopamine dressing, and the unspoken fashion rules that make us question whether we're getting it "right."
The episode also looks beyond fashion, exploring the booming bumpfluencer economy and the way pregnancy and motherhood have become increasingly commercialised online. Georgie and Mel discuss the benefits and risks of monetising motherhood, the products being marketed to pregnant women, and why social media can make every stage of a woman's life feel like a commodity.
They also share the extraordinary story of Jess Denham, who survived horrific childhood abuse and has gone on to become an advocate for better mental health support and greater confidentiality for sexual assault survivors. Plus, they discuss Marie Claire's investigation into voluntary assisted dying in Australia, Leighton Meester on success, self-worth and beauty, and why style ultimately comes down to feeling confident enough to be yourself.
This episode covers:
Marie Claire Australia's September Style Issue and Anne Hathaway's cover story
Anne Hathaway's career renaissance, The Devil Wears Prada 2 and The Odyssey
Finding your personal style and the pressure to follow fashion trends
How motherhood changes the way women dress
Perimenopause, body image and dressing for comfort
Going grey and embracing ageing
Dopamine dressing and using colour as a form of self-expression
The "bumpfluencer" economy and the commercialisation of motherhood
Jess Denham's extraordinary story of survival and advocacy
Voluntary assisted dying and the personal stories behind the debate
Leighton Meester on success, self-worth and beauty
Why personal style is ultimately about confidence and being yourself
The September issue of Marie Claire Australia, starring Anne Hathaway, is on sale now.
Further reading from the September Issue:
Six Well-Dressed Women Share How They Found Their Style by Harriet Sim
Inside The Unregulated World Of Pregnancy Influencers by Madison Griffiths
Jess Denham Survived The Unthinkable. Now She’s A Voice For Other Survivors by Nina Funnell

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Credits:
Hosts: Georgie McCourt and Mel Gaudron
Edited and Produced by Helen Smith
Learn more at Marie Claire
You're Gonna Want to Hear this is a production of Are Media
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode covers violence, death and sexual assault. In Australia, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support, 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 for domestic, family and sexual violence support.
What does it mean to be a good man and what happens when we stop teaching boys that masculinity has to fit inside a box?
This week, Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt is joined by writer, speaker and anti-violence campaigner Tarang Chawla for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation about grief, masculinity, violence against women, the manosphere and what it means to create change.
Tarang is the founder of Not One More Nikki, an organisation named in memory of his sister Nikki, who was murdered by her husband in 2015 at just 23 years old. He opens up about Nikki’s life, the abuse and coercive control she experienced, the devastating impact of her death, and how grief ultimately became a catalyst for his work advocating for an Australia free from violence against women.
He reflects on the conversations we need to have with boys and men about power, empathy and accountability, and why “not all men” distracts from the more important question: what can men do to be part of the solution?
Tarang also explores the rise of the manosphere, and the online spaces drawing young men towards misogyny and unpacks the “Man Box” - the expectations that tell boys and men to be tough, dominant and unemotional.
Plus, Tarang shares the heartfelt message he would give to Nikki if she were here today, a deeply personal reflection on love, loss and the sibling bond they shared.
This is a conversation about grief, masculinity, accountability and what it takes to create meaningful change.
This episode covers:
Tarang Chawla on the death of his sister Nikki
Nikki’s story and the reality of coercive control
Turning grief into advocacy and action
Violence against women and men’s responsibility
Why “not all men” is a useless response
What men can do to be part of the solution
The rise of the manosphere and why young boys are drawn to online misogyny
The “Man Box” and expectations of masculinity
Accountability, bystander intervention and male friendship
Why “why doesn’t she just leave?” misses the point
Pauline Hanson’s comments on domestic violence
Challenging misogyny without turning away from boys and men
Grief, memory and living with the loss of Nikki
What Tarang wants men to understand about violence
Creating a healthier, more expansive idea of masculinity
If this conversation raises issues for you, support is available.
In Australia, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support, 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 for domestic, family and sexual violence support.
Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram
🎧 Listen to You're Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
👀 Watch and subscribe to You're Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips.
Credits:
Host Georgie McCourt
Edited by Helen Smith
Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain
With thanks to our amazing team at Marie Claire
You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.