Life Matters - Full program podcast
Life Matters - Full program podcast
ABC Australia
Don Spencer and Alex Papps celebrate Play School's 60th birthday and public displays of affection
55 minutes Posted Jun 24, 2026 at 11:00 pm.
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Show notes
Play School is celebrating a milestone birthday this year: it's Big Ted's diamond jubilee. For six decades, the show's beloved presenters have been singing, playing, telling stories and teaching generations of Australian children. Long-term hosts Alex Papps and Don Spencer join media researcher Jessica Balanzategui to discuss the secret to the show's success? 
A regimented focus on what you're eating. Big, rapid changes to your body. Constant monitoring of your weight. All these are signs of a potential eating disorder — but they're also things that happen during pregnancy. Research estimates 1 in 20 women experience an eating disorder during pregnancy. So if it's so hard to spot how do you do it, and how do you have a conversation about it if you're concerned? 
And in Social Studies with Professor Dan Woodman, we investigate an apparent decline in public displays of affection among Gen Z.