After being made redundant from his dream job as an investigative journalist, Bension Siebert turned to sex work to make money and surprised himself by how much he enjoyed it. In this ep, Bension chats to Dee about ‘coming out’ with his new profession, the reaction online and what he’s learnt about the industry. SHOW NOTES: Bension’s Cheek Article - https://cheekmedia.substack.com/p/how-sex-work-saved-my-investigative Bension’s IG - https://www.instagram.com/bensionfindsout/    DM us your thoughts, questions, topics, or to just vent at @triplejthehookup on IG or email us: [email protected] The Hook Up is an ABC podcast, produced by triple j. It is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.

We all know the phrase but does dating someone who’s completely different to you actually work? In this ep, we hear your stories of dating people who are opposite in lifestyle, interests and core values, compared to people who’ve dated similar - and find out if compatibility can work both ways. SHOW NOTES: Why Do Opposites Attract? https://www.verywellmind.com/is-it-true-that-opposites-attract-in-relationships-5194818 Global study on opposites do not attract: https://www.psypost.org/why-opposites-dont-attract-a-global-study-reveals-the-true-rules-of-romantic-compatibility/ https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/why-opposites-dont-always-attract-a-global-study-of-41606-people-across-74-countries-found-shared-values-matter-most-while-believing-your-partner-is-kinder-and-more-attractive-predicts-happier-relationships/articleshow/132179722.cms?from=mdr   Perceived similarities in couples: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02654075251349720?utm_source=chatgpt.com Effects of similarity of life goals, values, and personality on relationship satisfaction and stability: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2012.01417.x?utm_source=chatgpt.com     DM us your thoughts, questions, topics, or to just vent at @triplejthehookup on IG or email us: [email protected] The Hook Up is an ABC podcast, produced by triple j. It is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.

Going through heartbreak can be one of the most painful experiences and sometimes those break up scars don’t leave - when you start dating again. So in this ep, we chat to Dr Marny Lishman about the walls we put up after being hurt, how to heal and trust in love again.  SHOW NOTES: Break Up Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac0wdFkrIUA  Dr Marny Lishman - https://www.marnylishman.com.au/  Only You: The Unexpected Gift Of Being Alone - https://www.marnylishman.com.au/books      DM us your thoughts, questions, topics, or to just vent at @triplejthehookup on IG or email us: [email protected] The Hook Up is an ABC podcast, produced by triple j. It is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.

We can all agree that break ups are a universally shit experience, whether it’s a long term relationship or situationship. In this episode we’re unpacking all the challenges and questions you have - should you go no contact? How long should you wait before hooking up with someone new? Are my friends sick of hearing about my heartbreak? And can a break up actually be a good thing for ~personal development~? SHOW NOTES Breakup Glowup - https://www.tiktok.com/@yourfree_therapy/video/7534079578067750164 Rebound - https://breeze-wellbeing.com/blog/what-is-a-rebound-relationship/ Marie Claire Glow Up - https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/science-behind-glow-ups-669161    DM us your thoughts, questions, topics, or to just vent at @triplejthehookup on IG or email us: [email protected] The Hook Up is an ABC podcast, produced by triple j. It is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.

There are millions of posts on TikTok all about ‘spicy books’ and someone who’s become famous for reviewing them is author and content creator Tierney Page. In this ep, she chats about why she thinks there’s been a massive rise in people reading and posting about romantasy and smut, her fav tropes and genres and her journey to becoming an author.  SHOW NOTES: watch our romantasy ep with Esme Louise James here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXKoC94haC4  Tierney Page TikTok here - https://www.tiktok.com/@tierney.reads?lang=en    DM us your thoughts, questions, topics, or to just vent at @triplejthehookup on IG or email us: [email protected] The Hook Up is an ABC podcast, produced by triple j. It is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.

Whether you have or haven’t read books like Heated Rivalry, A Court of Thorns and Roses or Fourth Wing, you can’t deny the rise in smutty literature. In 2025 romantasy and sports romance experienced triple-digit growth.   But there’s been some criticism around how DR and romantasy books often glamourise SA and are too accessible for young readers. In today’s episode Dee is joined by guest co-host Esme James, a sex historian and author, to discuss why we’re all so obsessed with fantasy smut.    SHOW NOTES:   https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/article/2026/feb-2026/romance-revival-why-we-love-stories-about-love?utm_source=chatgpt.com    Why romance novels thrive on tiktok - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-27/why-romance-and-romantasy-novels-are-so-popular-on-tiktok/103198518?utm_source=chatgpt.com    Esme’s book! https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Esme-Louise-James/244716193    Dr Esme Louise James IG - https://www.instagram.com/esme.louisee/?hl=en      DM us your thoughts, questions, topics, or to just vent at @triplejthehookup on IG or email us: [email protected] The Hook Up is an ABC podcast, produced by triple j. It is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.

Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, or gambling - addiction can be one of the hardest things to navigate in a relationship. In this episode we chat to clinical psychologist Donna Stambulich about her experience with amphetamine addiction, the impact it has on relationships and how to best support your partner or loved one.  SHOW NOTES: Lifeline - 13 11 14  Donna Stambulich - https://nppsych.com.au/our-psychologists  Recode Me -  https://recode-me.com.au/  Episode with Luke Bateman on Gambling - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTl8Royc2rU&t=16s    DM us your thoughts, questions, topics, or to just vent at @triplejthehookup on IG or email us: [email protected] The Hook Up is an ABC podcast, produced by triple j. It is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.

What’s the bet you or someone you know has been affected by gambling? Probably pretty high. Around 3 million Australians experience some sort of gambling harm each year. And 1.2 million Australians are affected by someone else's gambling. And it can have a real impact on your dating or love life.  In today’s episode we speak with Luke Bateman, ex-NRL star turned author, about his past addiction and tips on reaching the other side.    SHOW NOTES:   Lifeline - 13 11 14   Gambling Helpline - 1800 858 858 Gambling Help Online - https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/    Luke Bateman IG - https://www.instagram.com/lukebateman_/?hl=en   Luke Bateman Australian Story - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-27/turning-the-page-luke-bateman/106963436    Compulsive Gambling - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/compulsive-gambling/symptoms-causes/syc-20355178    The Psychology of Gambling Addiction: https://equilibriapcs.com/the-psychology-of-gambling-addiction-why-the-brain-craves-the-bet/   Gambling Disorder Psychology: https://www.reachlink.com/advice/general/gambling-disorder-psychology/

Who has the right to tell queer stories and profit off them? That’s the main theme author Josh Silver explores in his latest book Fruit Fly. The book follows a writer who befriends a young gay addict so she can use his story to write a best seller.  In this ep, Dee chats to Josh about his own story as an ex addict, the world of chem sex parties, and why it’s important to share perspectives of gay pain and trauma. SHOW NOTES:  Lifeline: 13 11 14 QLife: https://qlife.org.au/  Josh Silver IG: https://www.instagram.com/joshsilverauthor/?hl=en  Fruit Fly: https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/fruit-fly-9781836432395/  Melbourne event: https://www.wheelercentre.com/events-tickets/season-2026/josh-silver-fruit-fly Brisbane event: https://bwf.org.au/2026/brisbane-writers-festival/josh-silver-fruit-fly   DM us your thoughts, questions, topics, or to just vent at @triplejthehookup on IG or email us: [email protected] The Hook Up is an ABC podcast, produced by triple j. It is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.

Have you ever felt pressure to have a certain kind of sex?  Sex positivity has been an incredible movement which has normalised and destigmatised adventurous, kinky and casual sex. But has that come at a cost? In this ep, we’re joined by guest co-host psychologist and sexologist Laura Lee to unpack whether sex positivity and hook up culture has created a new type of pressure and expectation to perform. SHOW NOTES: A women’s right to say ‘meh’ - https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/10/sex-positivity-sexuality-ambivalence-feminism  How sex positivity lost its way: https://katemanne.substack.com/p/how-sex-positivity-lost-its-way  How Sexual information (CONT) : https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9825060/  5 ways to have better sex in a relationship - https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/experimentations/201710/5-ways-have-better-sex-in-relationship Couples’ sexual communication and dimensions of sexual function: A meta-analysis \https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6699928/  Fetish 101: Vanilla - https://www.hudapp.com/blog/fetish-101-vanilla  How the sexual revolution changed the world https://youtu.be/VdDERcyouWs?si=9icswXNioUtwZ3g0 The canadian journal of human sexuality https://utppublishing.com/doi/full/10.3138/cjhs.2017-0017