hot seat

David Williamson, Australia's best-loved and most prolific playwright is retiring after 50 years. Typically writing a play every 12 months, this year he has been busy with his memoir. His most famous plays are The Club, The Removalists, Don's Party ... More

Jacqueline Feilich is an Elvis tribute artist who has been singing his music for 14 years. Her love of Elvis'music, and the fact that women rarely perform his songs, steeled her determination to succeed. Armed backing tracks and custom-made costumes ... More

Singer and actor Rachael Beck is performing at Carols at the Domain in Sydney on Christmas Eve (not actually held in the Domain this year). She has been singing and acting since she was 15, and has featured on Channel 7's It Takes Two as a coach. ... More

Sam Penny - together with his partner Helen Shadforth - established Cheese Therapy to support small cheesemakers affected by bushfires. When COVID-19 hit, the company became essential to their survival, and some of the cheesemakers he works with say ... More

Journalist Simon Garfield is the author of 20 books including the international bestsellers Just My Type (a book of stories about type fonts), On the Map , Miniature (covering the trends to big and then to small and back again) and Mauve (about the ... More

Former NRL player Denan Kemp started his sports network business in 2015 with the launch of his podcast The Locker Room, now one of Australia's top sporting podcasts. The catalyst for The Locker Room? Kemp felt he had insight into other players ... More

Ronni Kahn is best known as the founder of the food rescue charity OzHarvest. Born in South Africa, she lived in Israel for many years and came to Australia in 1998, starting an events management business. Seeing large amounts of food go to waste, she ... More

Naomi Simson is the lady in red. As an entrepreneur she founded online experience and gift retailer RedBalloon in 2001 with a $25,000 investment and ran it from her home, drawing on her marketing experience at KPMG, IMB, Apple and Ansett to make the ... More

Joe Foster was born into a family of shoemakers with a notable history in Britain. Through the 20th century, the business grew in fits and starts until it became Reebok - the global brand we know today. Foster has detailed his story of hard work, industry ... More

Pat Farmer was inspired to start running by 61-year-old farmer Cliff Young, who won the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon. At 18, Farmer was the youngest competitor in the race. Not able to make money from running, he won endorsements from ... More