You Can't Ask That

Breaking down stereotypes and offering genuine insight into the lives of people who live with labels. The series gives an unmediated platform to some of the most misunderstood or marginalised people in our country: short statured, wheelchair users, transgender, Muslims, ex-prisoners, fat, Indigenous, sex workers, terminally ill, and people in polyamorous relationships.

Talk

Seasons

1. Short Statured

Air Date: 2016-08-03

Setting the record straight about what it's really like to be short statured, find out the answers to the questions Australians wanted to ask but were too embarrassed or afraid to ever ask in person.

2. Wheelchair Users

Air Date: 2016-08-10

Misunderstood, marginalised Australians answering anonymous, online questions. Insightful, irreverent and moving, this episode sets the record straight of what it's really like to be a wheelchair user.

3. Transgender

Air Date: 2016-08-17

An insightful, irreverent, moving and unpredictable episode that sets the record straight about what it's really like to be transgender.

4. Muslims

Air Date: 2016-08-24

Muslims answer the questions Australians wanted to ask but were too embarrassed or afraid to ever ask in person.

5. Polyamorous

Air Date: 2016-08-31

Polyamorous Australians, people in a relationship with multiple partners, answer the questions Australians wanted to ask but were too embarrassed or afraid to ever ask in person.

6. Ex-Prisoners

Air Date: 2016-09-07

Ex-prisoners are invited to answer the questions Australians wanted to ask but were too embarrassed or afraid to ever ask in person

7. Fat

Air Date: 2016-09-14

This episode sets the record straight about what it's really like to be judged as fat, find out the answers to the questions Australians wanted to ask but were too embarrassed or afraid to ever ask in person.

8. Indigenous

Air Date: 2016-09-21

Insightful, irreverent, moving and unpredictable, this episode sets the record straight about what it's really like to be an Indigenous Australian.

9. Sex Workers

Air Date: 2016-09-28

Insightful, irreverent, moving and unpredictable, this episode sets the record straight about what it's really like to be a sex worker.

10. Terminally Ill

Air Date: 2016-10-05

Insightful, moving and unpredictable, this episode sets the record straight about what it's really like to live with a terminal illness.

1. Blind People

Air Date: 2017-04-06

In this episode, blind people bust stereotypes as they answer the questions viewers asked.

2. Down Syndrome

Air Date: 2017-04-12

People with Down syndrome are often faced with a world that believes they don't have much to contribute. In this heart-warming & challenging episode, we give them a chance to speak for themselves.

3. Suicide Attempt Survivors

Air Date: 2017-04-19

In this episode, we gain an unprecedented insight into the minds of people who have attempted suicide & survived.

4. Recent War Veterans

Air Date: 2017-04-26

You Can't Ask That asks recent war veterans the awkward, inappropriate or uncomfortable questions you've always wanted to know the answers to, but never had the guts to ask.

5. Facial Difference

Air Date: 2017-05-03

In a world obsessed with appearance and fitting in, it's hard to imagine what it would be like to live with an extreme facial difference. In this brutally honest episode, we talk to people who face this challenge daily.

6. Refugees

Air Date: 2017-05-10

Not many groups of people in Australia are more feared or misunderstood than refugees. In this episode we hear from refugees about their experience of Australia. The people, the culture and their new home.

7. Ice Users

Air Date: 2017-05-17

Over the past few years, Australia's 'war on drugs' has turned its attention largely to ice. We talk to ice users, both past and present, to find out what the attraction to this drug is all about.

8. Children of Same-Sex Parents

Air Date: 2017-05-24

You Can't Ask That asks children of same-sex parents the awkward, inappropriate or uncomfortable questions you've always wanted to know the answers to, but never had the guts to ask.

9. Centenarians

Air Date: 2017-05-31

You Can't Ask That asks centenarians the awkward, inappropriate or uncomfortable questions you've always wanted to know the answers to, but never had the guts to ask.

10. Gambling

Air Date: 2017-06-07

You Can't Ask That asks gambling addicts the awkward, inappropriate or uncomfortable questions you've always wanted to know the answers to, but never had the guts to ask.

11. S&M

Air Date: 2017-06-14

You Can't Ask That asks S&M (Sadomasochism) enthusiasts the awkward, inappropriate or uncomfortable questions you've always wanted to know the answers to, but never had the guts to ask.

12. Homeless

Air Date: 2017-06-21

You Can't Ask That asks homeless people the awkward, inappropriate or uncomfortable questions you've always wanted to know the answers to, but never had the guts to ask.

1. Survivors of Sexual Assault

Air Date: 2018-07-11

Women and men tell their deeply personal stories of sexual assault, sharing what happened, how people reacted, whether they got justice and what they did to recover. These are voices and insights you won't hear anywhere else.

2. Ex-Reality TV Stars

Air Date: 2018-07-18

Is the idea of fame and fortune all it's cracked up to be? Ex-Reality TV stars tell all about what's it's like to jump head first into the world of reality TV and come out the other side. This is the reality of reality TV.

3. Former Cult Members

Air Date: 2018-07-25

An unprecedented glimpse into the complex lives of eight Australian former cult members - how they joined, what they were subjected to on the inside, and how they ultimately escaped.

4. Eating Disorders

Air Date: 2018-08-01

With almost a million Australians currently living with an Eating Disorder, this is a subject that affects many but is still largely misunderstood, this episode of You Can't Ask That puts a human face to eating disorders.

5. Swingers

Air Date: 2018-08-08

Speaking with jaw-dropping honesty and eyebrow-raising descriptions, nine swingers leave no question unanswered, with no detail off limits. This episode of You Can't Ask That is a swinging romp... without the clean-up.

6. Schizophrenia

Air Date: 2018-08-15

This episode provides a platform for eight unique Australians to set the record straight about what living with schizophrenia means to them.

7. Drag

Air Date: 2018-08-22

This episode de-frocks the world of Drag: drag queens, drag kings and drag in-between. Featuring eight unique drag performers, the show explores gender, sexuality, dressing up and living life fabulous.

8. Priests

Air Date: 2018-08-29

Representing various denominations, eight priests talk about doubting their beliefs, whether or not they have a sex life and drinking holy wine.

1. Domestic and Family Violence

Air Date: 2019-04-03

Eight survivors of domestic and family violence share empowering reflections of their experiences living in violent, abusive and controlling relationships.

2. African Australians

Air Date: 2019-04-10

A diverse mix of African Australians are asked outrageous questions about racism, poverty, gangs, and hair. Their answers are anything but black and white.

3. Intersex

Air Date: 2019-04-17

A subject that is still widely misunderstood, secretive and rarely spoken about in detail, eight individuals reveal the complexities of being born with an intersex variation.

4. Carnies and Show People

Air Date: 2019-04-24

Travelling show people, or carnies as they are colloquially known, have a reputation that precedes them. What is life on the road really like for these Aussie nomads?

5. Ex-politicians

Air Date: 2019-05-01

What is it actually like to put your hand up, be elected and serve the nation in the House of Representatives or the Senate? Eight former politicians go off-script and share their candid opinions.

6. Alcoholics

Air Date: 2019-05-08

What happens when drinking habits become problematic? Eight former alcoholics open the lid and share their sobering truths.

7. Deaf

Air Date: 2019-05-15

What does being deaf feel like? What do deaf people wish they could hear? Through sign and speech, eight profoundly deaf Australians give a unique insight into their lives.

8. Disaster Survivors

Air Date: 2019-05-22

Eight survivors from eight different disasters go back to the moment of impact, recalling exactly what happened, how they survived and ultimately where their lives are now.

1. Firefighters

Air Date: 2020-03-18

In the season premiere of You Can't Ask That, you'll meet nine firefighters from around the country who'll give you their raw, personal, unfiltered insights into fire, fear, heroism and more.

2. Nudists

Air Date: 2020-03-25

No topic is off limits in this funny and heart-felt look at body image, self love and what it means to chill in the nude.

3. Killed Someone

Air Date: 2020-04-01

What does it do to someone, ending a life? In this episode each of the people you'll meet woke up one morning feeling like an ordinary person, and went to bed forever changed.

4. Autism Spectrum

Air Date: 2020-04-08

By the end of this episode, you'll have met eight remarkable people on the autism spectrum, and been given eight unique windows into a world we rarely, if ever, hear about.

5. HIV Positive

Air Date: 2020-04-15

Eight people talk about what it's really like to live with HIV. While the disease is no longer life-threatening — or even contagious — with the right medication the fear and stigma it still carries for many is life changing.

6. Olympic and Paralympic Gold Medalists

Air Date: 2020-04-22

In this episode we ask six Olympic gold medalists and one Paralympic gold medalist about winning. Is it all it's cracked up to be? What does it take to be the best in the world? Determination? Obsession? Money? Sacrifice?

7. Public Housing

Air Date: 2020-04-29

We speak to eight Australians who live in public housing to ask them the tough questions such as "Why do you get a house for doing nothing?"

8. Kids

Air Date: 2020-05-06

In this funny, heart-warming and revealing episode, we speak to kids from around Australia - from the city to the country - about families, friendships, screen time, bullying, sex, death and the internet.

1. Cheaters

Air Date: 2021-04-28

70 percent of Australian marriages will experience an affair, according to Sexual Health Australia - but not all will be found out. This group bravely take a seat to face some harsh questions sent in from the public.

2. Ex-Football Players

Air Date: 2021-05-05

Ex-Footballers Willie Mason, Ian Roberts, Dean Widders and Dan Jackson join Todd Carney, Brock McLean and Jude Bolton to shed the media-trained responses and get real about the game they love - with all its complexities.

3. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Air Date: 2021-05-12

According to SANE Australia, roughly 1 in 50 Australians have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. People with OCD want others to know it's so much more than washing hands or keeping a clean desk.

4. Amputees

Air Date: 2021-05-19

These eight amputees all have remarkable stories to share about perception and embracing a new version of themselves - the challenges they've faced and what they've gained through their limb loss.

5. Families of Missing Persons

Air Date: 2021-05-26

There are over 2600 Australians listed as long-term missing persons, according to the National Missing Persons Coordination Network. Is it better for someone you love to be missing or dead? Their answers might surprise you.

6. Lesbians

Air Date: 2021-06-02

We meet nine empowered women who talk about what it's like to be a lesbian, the fascination and fetishisation of what they do in the bedroom, and what life is like when your world isn't centred around men.

7. Chinese Australians

Air Date: 2021-06-09

Despite over 200 years of migration history, many Chinese-Australians continue to feel othered, still having to prove that they belong. We meet 8 Chinese-Australians, all with very different stories.

8. Adult Virgins

Air Date: 2021-06-16

Opportunity, rural life, religion, asexuality - there are plenty of reasons for people to be virgins into their adult life. These Australians explore social milestones, pressures, hopes, dreams and the need for intimacy.

1. Bogans

Air Date: 2022-05-25

With a discourse that spans from mullets and tracky-dacks to the difference between patriotism and racism, this episode on Bogans strikes at the heart of old fashioned Australiana.

2. Postnatal Depression

Air Date: 2022-06-01

An emotional You Can't Ask That episode on Postnatal Depression, where eight parents explore the shame, public and family pressure, plus the personal guilt that surrounds this often misunderstood and taboo topic.

3. Gay Men

Air Date: 2022-06-08

In this episode, gay men re-examine the definition of masculinity, explore the ins-and-outs of sex between men, and talk about what it's like to find your place in a predominately straight world.

4. Models

Air Date: 2022-06-15

From the pitfalls of 'pretty privilege', to teenage exploitation, unrealistic beauty standards, and mental health issues, eight models share the unvarnished truth about one of the most desired & least understood professions.

5. Prescription Drug Addiction

Air Date: 2022-06-22

'Is your prescription pill addiction a dirty little secret?' is one of the questions the interviewees answer when they talk openly about addiction, doctor shopping, rehab and who is to blame for prescription drug dependency.

6. Porn Stars

Air Date: 2022-06-29

Game for anything, our Aussie Porn Stars answer some very eye-opening questions in this episode of You Can't Ask That, as they take us on the journey of what it's like to be involved in porn, and the ethics of the industry.

7. Juvenile Detention

Air Date: 2022-07-06

This episode looks at Juvenile Detention and questions how we deal with some of the most damaged kids in society. What happens when a child is told they are bad, and can there be rehabilitation in detention?

8. Dementia

Air Date: 2022-07-13

This episode features people living with dementia. Their all too common - though no less exceptional - stories take us through some complex philosophical terrain There will be laughs, tears, and some mind-altering insights.

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Rating

7.5/10

Release Date

2016-08-03

Episodes

62 (7 seasons)

Status

Returning Series

Cast

Videos

Production Companies

Australian Broadcasting Corporation