Laura Byrne and Brittany Hockley are one of the great success stories that came from The Bachelor. After being chosen by bachelor Matty J in the 2017 season, Laura and Matt have built a life together with three daughters. Meanwhile, Britt is married to Swiss footballer Benjamin Siegrist and lives overseas in Italy.
In their professional worlds, however, Laura and Britt’s friendship has spilled into a highly successful podcast, Life Uncut. After making its debut in 2019, the LiSTNR podcast has grown to be one of Australia’s most popular podcasts and is currently sitting at number five on the Australian podcast chart.
So, what’s their secret? Here, the duo invites us behind-the-scenes on what goes into the podcast. And what they have planned for their future…
Q: Life Uncut is having a huge surge with Australian audiences. In what ways do you think the podcast has evolved from when it first started to now?
Laura: Thank you! The show has grown monumentally, it’s been incredible to see. We have added and adapted episodes over the years and now do four a week. Each episode is very different to the other. We’ve always just stuck to our original plan of being open, raw and unfiltered, making women feel seen and less alone and speaking about the things that matter – and a lot of things that also don’t matter but will give you a laugh!
The most amazing part of the podcast is the community it has created and a part of the growth we have had is because we listen to the community, on what they are loving, what they don’t like, and what they want to hear more of.
Q: How would you describe your work methods? What’s the dynamic between you as both friends and colleagues?
Britt: We are very different in some ways, and similar in others. We both work autonomously in our parts of the business, and we have an amazing little team that works alongside us. Laura is a perfectionist, in a good way, which is incredible for business. She likes to have a plan most of the time. I am more of a, “let’s just say yes and work out how later!”, I don’t do as well with a plan, I personally like to be off-the-cuff and working things out in the moment. Although, I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s worked out ok so far!
We are almost more like sisters than friends and colleges at this point. For a few years there, we saw each other more than our partners.
Q: You’ve had so many discussions on the podcast. What’s one conversation or guest that has stuck with you?
Britt: Oh gosh, that’s almost like asking who’s your favourite child! We have had literally thousands of conversations together and with incredible people all over the world. It’s an impossible question because everyone impacts us in some way; they’ve inspired us or made us feel and question things, or has left us asking ourselves deeper questions.
We have spoken with kidnap survivors, domestic violence survivors that deeply affect me, and we have spoken with members of our own community who have been facing some unfathomable things.
Laura: One of those women was Shonel Bryant, who was not only a member of our podcast community but an incredible woman; a mother of two, a wife and an immensely strong, creative and funny woman. She was dying of breast cancer, and with only a few weeks live and almost unable to speak full sentences, she so generously gave us her time to speak about her illness and hopefully make a difference to someone’s life. It was deeply impactful, so generous of her time, so inspirational and she helped to bring awareness to a terrible illness. That stays with you.
Q: Who is on the wish list to chat to?
Britt: I would love to chat to Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Anniston, Michelle Obama, Drew Barrymore, Elizabeth Smart; there’s really so many.
Q: Britt, you moved overseas to be with husband Ben. How do you all manage the podcast from long distance?
Britt: It’s actually been amazing! Laura and I are lucky that we know each other so well and have worked together so closely that distance doesn’t change anything! The biggest thing for me is just working on Australian time zones, so it’s often a very early start or a very late-night start for me. We are very lucky that podcasting can be done from anywhere in the world, so if we go away, we just take our equipment with us!
Q: When it comes to the FIFA World Cup Britt, who are you cheering for?
Britt: Australia, of course! But we’ve been watching lots of different matches, and I’ve finally learned the offside rule [laughs]! World Cup time is such a vibe, and it’s definitely different when you can watch different teams and know some of the players. It creates a different atmosphere.
Q: Laura, your husband Matty J has his own podcast. Is there any friendly rivalry in the house? And how do you feed off each other in terms of work and producing?
Laura: Ha! No rivalry, but we do sometimes laugh about the fact that Matt once upon a time tried to discourage me from starting Life Uncut. When Britt and I started the podcast, I was eight months pregnant with Marlie, and starting a new business sounded wild. Matt asked me if I was really sure that staring a podcast “was a good idea”. He even went so far as to say, “nobody really listens to podcasts”! Seven years later, podcasting is now a huge part of both our lives. I love that we are able to bounce ideas off each other and how we both understand the industry.
Q: There’s a lot of podcasts out there and it’s hard to cut through. What advice would you give anyone looking to go down that road?
Britt: Firstly, don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s as easy as just jumping behind a microphone and uploading! It’s a full-time job for us, but one we love. The biggest advice is to just find a topic you’re passionate about, do your research and go for it. It’s a slow start to build your community, so don’t give up if it doesn’t skyrocket straight away.
Laura: Stay true to yourself and your beliefs and listen to feedback from your community. If you’re able to outsource and get help from people whose job it already is, do that. It’s definitely a learning curve, but one we love.
Q: We know and love you both from The Bachelor. Would either of you ever host it if they wanted to bring it back?
Britt: Oh, I would love nothing more! TV hosting is definitely where I see myself in the future and something I have always wanted to do. I spent many years at acting school, and I just love the world of entertainment. I’ve experienced so much of it now, so I’d love to host a dating show and help people find love!
Q: The TV WEEK Logie Awards are celebrating 70 years of TV in 2026. What would be in your top three shows?
Laura: Kath and Kim is an absolute classic that it is hard to go past. I was such a huge Offspring fan. But the last few years has produced some absolute bangers, including Boy Swallows Universe, Mr Inbetween, Bump and Colin From Accounts.
Britt: I’ve just had a show I created optioned [for TV]. I can only hope to, one day soon, bring it to life and become a part of Australia’s incredible television landscape!
Life uncut is available now on LiSTNR, Apple and Spotify
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