The Pile-On

Josh Szeps has built a career on asking difficult questions and refusing to repeat the lines people want him to say. Today, he is known for pushing back against groupthink and hosting conversations most people avoid. But long before that was his public identity, Josh experienced his first pile-on the same weekend as his wedding.In this episode, Josh reflects on the online backlash that blindsided him in New York, the much bigger one that followed years later in Australia, and what it cost him to stay honest in a culture obsessed with picking sides.This is a conversation about marriage, media, tribalism and the personal toll of refusing to belong to any one camp.With thanks to Josh SzepsThe Pile-On is created and hosted by Clare Stephens.Produced by Lize Ratliff.For guest suggestions or feedback, message Clare on Instagram @clare.stephenssSubscribe to Clare’s substack NQR (Not Quite Right) here.Find her debut novel The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done - about a young woman at the centre of a vicious online pile-on here.Please remember you don’t have to go through this alone. Reaching out for help can feel difficult, but support is available 24/7. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

In early 2024, Married at First Sight alumni Domenica Calarco and her co-host were at the height of their podcasting success. Their show Sit With Us had built a loyal audience and strong partnerships, but one episode changed everything.After a controversial interview aired, Domenica found herself at the centre of a full-blown internet storm. Headlines, comment sections and brand partners turned against her, and within days, her life and career began to unravel.In this episode, Domenica opens up about what really happened, the toll of public scrutiny, and the moment she checked into a mental health facility to begin rebuilding her life.This is a conversation about resilience, recovery and what it means to survive a pile-on you never saw coming.With thanks to Domenica CalarcoThe Pile-On is created and hosted by Clare Stephens.Produced by Lize Ratliff.For guest suggestions or feedback, message Clare on Instagram @clare.stephenssSubscribe to Clare’s substack NQR (Not Quite Right) here.Find her debut novel The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done - about a young woman at the centre of a vicious online pile-on here.Please remember you don’t have to go through this alone. Reaching out for help can feel difficult, but support is available 24/7. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

In April 2025, Australian actor and content creator Kath Ebbs (they/them) found themselves at the centre of a global tabloid storm — one that had nothing to do with being on television, and everything to do with who they were dating.Their then-partner, pop icon and Celebrity Big Brother UK contestant JoJo Siwa, had spent weeks on camera forming what looked like much more than a friendship with fellow housemate Chris Hughes. Viewers dissected every glance, every late-night scene, and when the finale aired, speculation exploded. There was just one problem in that storyline — and that was Kath. At the after-party, they were blindsided and dumped.In this episode, Kath Ebbs talks about heartbreak, public scrutiny and what it costs to tell your story when the internet has already written it for you.With thanks to Kath EbbsListen to Clare's initial podcast interview with Kath here on Conversations with Kath. The Pile-On is created and hosted by Clare Stephens.Produced by Lize Ratliff.For guest suggestions or feedback, message Clare on Instagram @clare.stephenssSubscribe to Clare’s substack NQR (Not Quite Right) here.Find her debut novel The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done - about a young woman at the centre of a vicious online pile-on here.Please remember you don’t have to go through this alone. Reaching out for help can feel difficult, but support is available 24/7. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Tim Minchin knows what it’s like to have the internet turn on you for something you didn’t actually say.At the end of 2023, while touring An Unfunny Evening With Tim Minchin and His Piano, his mother Ros died unexpectedly. He was grieving, performing, and trying to plan a funeral when his phone lit up with a warning from his management: “You’ll get calls from numbers you don’t recognise. Don’t pick up.” A few nights earlier, he’d spoken onstage about empathy, nuance, and the danger of dividing the world into heroes and villains — but online, that message was twisted beyond recognition. Within hours, headlines accused him of taking sides in a global conflict, and strangers branded him a “supporter of genocide.”In this episode, Tim opens up about that week — what it felt like to be misrepresented while mourning, why he walked away from social media entirely, and how his song 15 Minutes of Shame captures the culture of outrage we’ve all helped create. It’s a conversation about grief, technology, and the cost of living in a world that rewards certainty over understanding.With thanks to Tim Minchin. Next week, Kath Ebbs joins us in studio.The Pile-On is created and hosted by Clare Stephens.Produced by Lize Ratliff.For guest suggestions or feedback, message Clare on Instagram @clare.stephenssSubscribe to Clare’s substack NQR (Not Quite Right) here.Find her debut novel The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done - about a young woman at the centre of a vicious online pile-on here.Please remember you don’t have to go through this alone. Reaching out for help can feel difficult, but support is available 24/7. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Sophie Cachia knows what it’s like to be piled on on the internet. She’s been sharing her life online for 13 years — first as a blogger, then an influencer and now an entrepreneur and author. Over that time she’s learnt to live with the constant criticism that comes with visibility: the comments about her body, her parenting, her relationships, her sexuality. But there was one message she couldn’t ignore. Heavily pregnant, Sophie opened a direct message accusing her of being a sexual predator — all because of the ten-year age gap between her and her partner, Maddie.That moment forced Sophie to confront just how far people are willing to go when they think no one’s watching. Because that message wasn’t isolated — it was part of an entire ecosystem of online forums dedicated to dissecting her life. In this episode, Sophie opens up about the toll of that scrutiny, the time she hired a private investigator to uncover her trolls, and the shocking truth that one of them was a family member. This is a conversation about betrayal, resilience, and what it costs to keep showing up when there are online communities determined to tear you down.With thanks to Sophie Cachia. Next week, Tim Minchin joins us in studio.The Pile-On is created and hosted by Clare Stephens.Produced by Lize Ratliff.For guest suggestions or feedback, message Clare on Instagram @clare.stephenssSubscribe to Clare’s substack NQR (Not Quite Right) here.Find her debut novel The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done - about a young woman at the centre of a vicious online pile-on here.Please remember you don’t have to go through this alone. Reaching out for help can feel difficult, but support is available 24/7. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Marlee Silva was 24 and on the cusp of a national book tour when her phone lit up—for all the wrong reasons. One accusation—branding her a “late-identifying” Aboriginal woman—ignited a vicious online pile-on. Overnight, friends fell silent, brands cut ties, and strangers dredged through her sister’s teenage Instagram posts, turning a few screenshots into a spectacle that almost destroyed Marlee’s career and sense of belonging.Five years on, Marlee has rebuilt and thrived: she’s now one of Australia’s leading voices in media and sport, a mentor to young women, and a presenter on Nine’s Wide World of Sports. But she has never spoken publicly about the toll those weeks took—on her mental health, her family, and her trust in community—until now. In this raw, unflinching conversation, Marlee reveals what it feeling ls like when the internet decides you don’t deserve your platform, how she clawed her way back, and why she still believes in the power of storytelling to heal.With thanks to Marlee Silva. You can find her podcast Marlee & Me here.Next week, business woman Sophie Cachia joins us in studio.The Pile-On is created and hosted by Clare Stephens.Produced by Lize Ratliff.For guest suggestions or feedback, message Clare on Instagram @clare.stephenssSubscribe to Clare’s substack NQR (Not Quite Right) here.Find her debut novel The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done - about a young woman at the centre of a vicious online pile-on here.Please remember you don’t have to go through this alone. Reaching out for help can feel difficult, but support is available 24/7. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.