Program: Background Briefing

Latest Episode

Presented by

Thomas Oriti

Background Briefing brings you true stories not everyone will want you to hear.

Airs Sunday at 9am Repeated: Sunday 11pm and Tuesday 2pm

Episodes

Sorted by latest

03 Before and After | Under your skin

The injectable industry is booming, but behind the glossy ads and plump looks, some patients are discovering filler that doesn’t dissolve. This week reporter Gina McKeon reveals the hidden risks of chasing an Instagrammable face.

Published: FriFri 28 Nov 2025 at 6:00pmwith Thomas Oriti

Duration: 36 minutes 54 seconds

02 Before and After | For a couple extra inches

For young men struggling with body image, social media offers a radical solution: get taller by breaking your legs.

Published: 21 Nov 2025Fri 21 Nov 2025 at 6:00pmwith Thomas Oriti

Before an After. Two men (one short, one tall) stand back to back against a measurement chart.

Duration: 32 minutes 55 seconds

01 Before and After | The cost of keeping your hair

Hair loss ads are everywhere. Telehealth clinics with thousands of five-star reviews promise fast consults and discreet delivery to your doorstep. But what happens when the treatment messes with your brain chemistry?

Published: 14 Nov 2025Fri 14 Nov 2025 at 6:00pmwith Thomas Oriti

Four-panel graphic showing a man's hair loss in the top row and regrowth in the bottom row, alongside e-commerce icons.

Duration: 37 minutes

Introducing... Before and After

Before and After is a new series by Background Briefing that exposes how medical hype spreads online, who profits, and who pays.

Published: 7 Nov 2025Fri 7 Nov 2025 at 6:00pmwith Thomas Oriti

Duration: 1 minute

The secret teacher blacklist

Kim saw a teacher’s aide laughing at a video of a vulnerable student and reported it to the principal. She had no idea it would come to define the next seven years of her life.

Published: 17 Oct 2025Fri 17 Oct 2025 at 5:45pmwith Thomas Oriti

Duration: 39 minutes 47 seconds

05 The Favourite - A Day in Court

After years of manipulation, Alliyah is determined to see justice done. When Kellie appears in the dock, what will she say? And how will the judge respond?

Published: 10 Oct 2025Fri 10 Oct 2025 at 5:45pmwith Thomas Oriti

The Favourite. Black and white sketch of a young person with yellow highlights

Duration: 32 minutes 15 seconds

04 The Favourite | Full Disclosure

Alliyah steps into a police station on the outskirts of Brisbane, and says: “I want to report a crime.” After keeping the so-called relationship with Kellie secret for almost a decade, Alliyah is finally ready to tell their story.

Published: 3 Oct 2025Fri 3 Oct 2025 at 6:45pmwith Thomas Oriti

Duration: 34 minutes 54 seconds

03 The Favourite | Alliyah's choice

A new job and a surprise encounter show Alliyah that another way is possible. Will they manage to slip out of Kellie's control?

Published: 26 Sep 2025Fri 26 Sep 2025 at 6:55pmwith Thomas Oriti

Duration: 40 minutes 13 seconds

02 The Favourite | A marriage proposal

When the principal discovers Alliyah and their teacher Kellie are exchanging secret messages outside class, Kellie is warned — but not fired.

Published: 19 Sep 2025Fri 19 Sep 2025 at 5:00amwith Thomas Oriti

Duration: 35 minutes 23 seconds

01 The Favourite | Secrets after school

12-year-old Alliyah’s clowning around in science class, testing the waters to see how the new teacher will respond. An unusual bond grows between them — and what starts with a death stare and a smirk, soon slips into a world of secrets.

Published: 12 Sep 2025Fri 12 Sep 2025 at 5:00amwith Thomas Oriti

The Favourite. Sketched illustration of a female teacher leaning above a blonde female student in a classroom

Duration: 30 minutes 44 seconds

Features

Concern filler doesn't break down even with hyaluronidase dissolver

As more people turn towards cosmetic injectable "journeys", Lana is sounding the alarm about the risks of developing long-term side effects.

Lana has bright blonde hair and sits on a black couhc looking out the window with ligth falling on her face.

Published: FriFri 28 Nov 2025 at 9:10pmby Gina McKeon and Rachel Clayton

The people paying tens of thousands to break their legs in the name of height

Videos spruiking limb-lengthening are targeting the insecurities of young men, promising the luxury of height. The bone-breaking surgery comes with huge risks, and some botched procedures are being fixed in Australia.

An illustration of a person researching information about leg lengthening.

Published: 21 Nov 2025Fri 21 Nov 2025 at 7:10pmby Emilia Terzon and Maddison Connaughton

Hair loss drug users say psychological side effects left them 'crumbling'

A vocal minority of finasteride users speak out about the long-lasting mental side effects of the hair loss drug, as telehealth ads for the medication surge on social media.

Andre sits on his couch leaning forward with his hands clasped together looking into the camera.

Published: 16 Nov 2025Sun 16 Nov 2025 at 11:23pmby Tynan King

Insecticide on berries found to exceed safe dose for children

The federal pesticide authority has updated how the chemical dimethoate can be used on berries after new data confirmed skyrocketing consumption has been putting young children over the safety limit.

A small hand holding a handful of blueberries

Published: 12 Nov 2025Wed 12 Nov 2025 at 9:35pmby Rachel Clayton

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