Podcast Week: Four big questions answered by new podcast, 'Dear Rachelle' reignites case, Mel Hopkins finds light in crisis
Nova launches a new show with Tim Blackwell and Joe Hildebrand, true crime podcast Dear Rachelle drives real-world impact, and Mel Hopkins opens up.
Joe Hildebrand & Tim Blackwell on the record with four big questions
Nova Entertainment has launched a new podcast titled Four the Record, hosted by broadcaster Tim Blackwell and journalist Joe Hildebrand.
Each episode will drop Thursday mornings within the existing Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel podcast feed, and will explore current affairs through four key questions, offering a straightforward, commentary-driven format designed for time-poor audiences.
For The Record - Nova
How ‘Dear Rachelle’ captivated Australia and reignited a cold case
Australia’s appetite for true crime content is more than a passing trend; it’s a cultural phenomenon.
The leading media trade publication in Australia.
Get our top stories straight to your inbox daily by signing up to our Newsletter
According to the 2024 Australian Podcast Report by Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) and Triton Digital, true crime ranks among the top three podcast genres, with over 3.75 million average monthly listeners.
Amidst this backdrop sits News Corp Australia’s (NCA) ‘Dear Rachelle’ podcast.
The series investigates the unsolved 2001 murder of 23-year-old Rachelle Childs, with journalist Ashlea Hansen leading the inquiry alongside retired detective Damian Loone and Rachelle’s sister, Kristy.
Since its release, the podcast has garnered over 2.1 million downloads. The renewed attention has prompted police to reopen the investigation and apply for an increased reward for information, currently set at $200,000.
Uncomfortable Growth® Uncut. Season 3, Episode 3: Mel Hopkins
What happens when your biggest breakdown leads to your deepest breakthrough?
In this raw and powerful episode of Uncomfortable Growth® Uncut, Mel Hopkins shares the emotional journey that followed a sudden psychiatric hospital stay and redundancy from her high-profile role at Seven West Media.
Forced to confront who she was without work, Mel began the hardest, and most important, work of her life: learning to love herself.
Hear the whole chat with Mel here:
[embed]https://open.spotify.com/episode/3fdzb3wLqt7ljabjmncrpX?si=jrnbDp-xRICFC61wGTXpmA[/embed]
Australian’s devour true crime according to latest podcast ranker
Podcast listening in Australia continues to grow, with the latest figures showing 100.5 million downloads in May and weekly listenership holding steady at seven million.
That matches the record-breaking high reached in March 2025, according to the official Australian Podcast Ranker released by Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) and Triton Digital.
The results reflect a strong appetite for on-demand audio and an increasingly competitive podcasting landscape, as both media publishers and independent creators vie for audience share across genres.
