Whether it's scandals, true crime, celebrity drama, conspiracy theories, feuds or just some amazing stories, author and comedian Rosie Waterland and presenter Jacob Stanley have it all.
In their podcast 'Just The Gist', the duo give listeners the gist on all things juicy and entertaining, in easy-to-digest nuggets, and now they're taking their talent for talking to the stage, where they'll teach you things you didn't know and discuss the things you do.
Let's face it – in this crazy era, no one has time to be bogged down by boring bits – that's where Rosie and Jacob come in. More than 100 episodes (and an Australian Podcast Award) later, you could say they're pretty much experts at their craft. Want to know more about #FreeBritney? Maybe you're hooked on the latest 'Bachelor' drama, or you're neck-deep in conspiracies about mysterious murders. 'Just The Gist' covers all that good stuff and more.
So have you got the gist of what they'll be serving audiences in a live setting yet? Just in case you haven't, we sat down with Rosie Waterland to learn even more.
Tell us a little bit about your podcast ‘Just The Gist’.
We tell stories about anything and everything – history, celebrity drama, true crime, conspiracy theories. . . BUT, we give you 'just the gist' of each topic, so it's easy to digest and always fun to listen to. We say we give you just enough to sound interesting at a dinner party.
It began in 2019 and is already award-winning. How does it feel to have recognition like this?!
It's lovely! My last podcast ('Mum Says My Memoir Is A Lie') also won an ACRA (Australian Commercial Radio Award) for best podcast, so I feel like I've accidentally fallen into something I'm quite good at. It's not like podcasts existed for me as a kid to be able to say "when I grow up I want to be a podcaster", so it's certainly been an unexpected career direction. But I love it!
What’s your favourite thing to discuss on the podcast, and why?
I am a sucker for female scammers. Can't get enough of them. My favourite episodes are the ones we did on Belle Gibson and Elizabeth Holmes. Jacob tends to go a bit more left-of-field, like when he gave just the gist on the epic colour feud between artists Stuart Semple and Anish Kapoor.
And what about something you’ve not yet touched on but you’re super keen to get into?
I'd love to do an episode giving just the gist on Scientology, but I'm scared Tom Cruise will eat me.
Now, what can audiences expect from a LIVE version of the podcast?!
We are both drama school dropouts, so to have this chance in the spotlight is not something we're going to take for granted. There will be ridiculous dance numbers. There will be outrageous costumes. We are going to make an absolute spectacle of ourselves.
Tell us a bit about your co-host, Jacob Stanley.
I've known Jacob for almost 20 years. We met at drama school and have been laughing ever since. He also has the world's greatest natural tan.
What’s the biggest challenge about a live podcast event?
Jacob and I take it in turns giving just the gist of a topic on the podcast – he'll take the wheel one week and I'll do the next, which means our stories often go for almost an hour. And in podcast land, that's fine, but on stage, we're each telling a story and the show can't go over time, so we really have to keep things tight. Not a skill we're used to!
On the flipside, what’s the thing you’re most looking forward to about doing it all in front of an audience?
Being on stage is what we were trained to do! There's nothing like making a live audience laugh. As much as we love recording the podcast with each other, there's something special about being on stage and having an audience experience it in real time. Although, it's a lot more pressure – at least if a joke lands flat on the podcast we'll never know.
Describe ‘Just The Gist’ with a song lyric.
“My muffin top is all that, wholegrain, low fat. I know you want a piece of that, but I'm just here to dance.”
'Just The Gist' plays Astor Theatre 7 May (Perth Comedy Festival), and Factory Theatre 14 May (Sydney Comedy Festival).
