Romantically Challenged

Is it easier to date if you have a public profile? TV presenter Richard Reid chats to host Sami Lukis about misreading flirting signals from fans, feeling invisible in your 40s and why he thinks men like to date younger.

Would you date someone because they said you were destined to meet?  Miki Kanamaru did, and it wasn't the fairy tale she hoped it would be. Miki tells host Sami Lukis how one ill-fated ‘date with destiny’ inspired her to launch a dating coaching service for men, and she explains some of the things we can all do to achieve dating success.

As a TV Producer for reality dating shows like MAFS, First Dates and The Bachelor, Shannon Weir has interviewed thousands of hopeful singles looking for ‘The One’, to find out what they're looking for in an ideal partner. In this episode, Shannon reveals to host Sami Lukis what she's learned along the way and whether or not this intel has helped her in her own quest to find love.

Divorced dad Patrick teaches host Sami Lukis about the art of the perfect ‘virtual date.’ Patrick has been embracing social-distance dating and he has even been enjoying it! He shares his tips on how to make a virtual date feel as real as possible.

Single mother of three Wendy chats to host Sami Lukis about why she needed to take a dating time out, overcoming self-doubt in her 50s and the strategies she's designed for taking back the power in her romantic life.

Newsreader Ron Wilson chats to host Sami Lukis about re-entering the dating scene as a widower. Ron talks about grief, guilt,  why he can’t stand the term “I’m glad to see you’ve moved on” and why he thinks it’s better  to date a widower than a divorcee.

Single mum and businesswoman Tory Archbold made the decision to start dating again after a near death experience. Tory tells host Sami Lukis how she adapted a no-fuss approach to online dating, how she set herself a challenge to ‘win a guy in 5 dates’ and how she ultimately manifested her now-husband into her life.

Despite never wanting or having kids of her own, Kylie dated and fell in love with a man who already had a child. Kylie chats to Sami Lukis about the challenges of dating a dad and what you really need to know about the dynamics of the parent/child relationship, if you're about to become a stepmum.

Therapist Rachel Voysey joins Sami Lukis to discuss how people are affected by toxic relationships, the red flags to look out for in the early stages of dating and how to know if you're truly compatible with someone.

Dating after a marriage ends can be a seriously scary experience, especially if you've never really been single before. Anna talks to Sami Lukis about why launching straight into another relationship after her divorce was a mistake, what she has learned about herself through dating and why as a single woman in her 40s, she’s now having the time of her life.

Feng Shui Master Carolyn McCallum chats to Sami Lukis about how the processes of Feng Shui and “space clearing” can help to remove the energy of past relationships from your home and allow for new love to flourish. Carolyn explains which items in your home could be creating negative relationship energy and and why you should never have family photos or mirrors in the bedroom.

Sami Lukis asks sexologist Dr Nikki Goldstein some of the questions she's received from podcast listeners – including tips for reclaiming a lost libido, how to handle being slut shamed in your 50s and how to enjoy oral sex.

Sexologist Dr Nikki Goldstein has an intimate chat with Sami Lukis about some of the issues relating to sex and dating when you’re over 40 - including Viagara, how Menopause affects your sex life and tips on how to have good sex with a condom.  

Adam shares his experiences of dating, as a gay man, with Sami Lukis. They trade stories to see whether gay and straight singles are facing the same struggles when it comes to modern dating.

Sami chats to “Tech Evangelist” Tomer Garzberg, who created his own data-driven dating system to build the perfect dating profile so that he could find his perfect match. What Tomer has learned while trying to build this profile might just make you question everything you thought you knew about looking for love.

Sami gets a dating tutorial from Summer Maughan, a professional matchmaker, who thinks that blind dates are still the way forward and that people just don’t know how to use online dating correctly. 

Geoff doesn't believe in the concept of 'The One' and thinks that looking for that one person to 'complete' us is making us unhappy. Geoff Jowett speaks to host Sami Lukis about why we should appreciate the process of looking for a partner more and start to recognise the value short term relationships can bring to our lives.

Kate, from regional Victoria, talks to host Sami Lukis about the struggles of being single and dating in a small town, where everyone knows everyone else's business. They discuss man droughts, finding new single friends and just how far is too far to travel for love.

Sami Lukis chats to Todd, a man she recently went on a date with. What starts out as a conversation about his deal-breakers quickly turns into an awkwardly honest feedback session about what they thought of each other on their date.

Sarah Swain has been writing articles about her dating life for more than a decade but is still none the wiser as to why she is single. Sarah speaks to host Sami Lukis about how Aussie men compare on the international dating scene, the effectiveness of 'Dating Coaches' and whether we owe it to ourselves and our dates to give each other feedback about why it didn’t work out.

Divorced Brisbane dad of 3, Mike, opens up to Sami Lukis about the challenges he's faced on the dating scene over the last 15 years, why the game-players aren't doing single men like him any favours, and why he thinks most women over the age of 40 are really bad at dating.

Therapist Katie Eden Todd says you should never choose a partner out of fear that you're 'not enough' on your own. She believes many people fall into toxic relationships, which she refers to as 'Cellmate' relationships, because they're trying to heal the wounds of their inner-child. In this episode, Katie explains her cellmate/soulmate theory to host Sami Lukis and provides some valuable tips on how to find your Soulmate.

Mark and Sami made a pact that if they were both single at 50, they would give up the search for romantic love and grow old together. Now that 50 is creeping closer, Sami Lukis catches up with her old friend Mark to chat about the pact and whether a platonic friendship is a realistic option for long term companionship?

Liz is 56 and done with dating and relationships, but not because she has given up, it's because she has realised that she is 'enough' on her own and that there are many types of love that make her feel fulfilled, not just romantic love. Liz chats with host Sami Lukis about this addiction to finding another person to complete you.

Lisa Stephenson had her first date at 35, after the shock breakdown of what she thought was the perfect marriage. Executive Coach Lisa Stephenson chats to host Sami Lukis about how tough the decision was to put herself out in the dating world again, the perception of being an 'intimidating woman' and how to be resilient through the ups and downs that life throws at you.

John can go on up to 5 dates a week spending up to $1000 a week on dating. He sees this as a necessary investment when searching for his next partner. John speaks to host Sami Lukis about learning to date after his divorce, finding a new singles' social group and multi-dating becoming the new norm.

Jo Thornely is an identical twin. Her twin sister is married and has children, Jo is happily unmarried, without children. Jo chats to host Sami Lukis about how the sliding doors moment of seeing her sister go down the family route freed up Jo to be honest about what she wanted for her own future.

Why does rejection hurt so much? Psychologist Rachel Voysey's answer might surprise you. Rejection is an inevitable part of dating so Sami Lukis chats to Psychologist Rachel about how we can get better at dealing with it...and the answer involves Tim Tams.

Megan Holgate dated a narcissist, and he nearly ruined her life. But how can you tell a selfish person from a narcissist?Megan opens up to Sami Lukis about the warning signs she ignored, the damage it did to her self esteem and how she built herself back up after the relationship.

Bachelorette winner Stu Laundy is a reluctant single who finds modern dating (and modern women) terrifying. Sami Lukis debates with Stu whether or not his assessment that women nowadays are "too sexually aggressive" is fair.

How do you know if you're ready to date again? News presenter Jacinta Tynan took 2 years off dating after the breakdown of her longterm relationship. Jacinta opens up to Sami Lukis about finding herself again and the exact moment she knew she was ready to date again.

Sami Lukis chats with author Kerri Sackville about the hilariously misguided things people say to you when you're single, Kerri's experience of online dating and the positive things about being single and dating in your 40s.

Peter is a divorced dad in his 50s looking to settle down again. Sami Lukis chats to Peter about what his experience of dating has been, what kind of women he encounters and what his perception was of Sami the first time he saw her.

Before her divorce Cassie thought she wasn't 'That girl', the girl who has casual sex. Then after her divorce she tried it and liked it! Sami Lukis chats to Cassie about what it's like being a larger lady in the modern dating world, how casual sex has empowered her and why she won't date a man who has a fishing picture on his profile.

Katia Loisel is a relationship and body language expert who admits that it's tough out there! When she found herself single again after her divorce, she realised just how different and difficult modern dating can be. Sami Lukis and Katia chat about the judgement people passed on her for being divorced dating expert, how you'll know if you are ready to date again and tips for reading your date's body language.

Samantha X has had plenty of raw, honest chats with men about love, sex and relationships in her line of work. As Australia's highest paid escort she says that the sex industry is the only thing not driven by sex because the sex is guaranteed. Sami Lukis chats with Samantha X about how men view sex and intimacy, the types of women her clients want and Sami learns some tricks of the trade from Samantha X

Nadia Bokody is a sex positive journalist who focuses on encouraging women to embrace their sexual needs and desires. Sami Lukis and Nadia discuss having sex with someone new after being with a long term partner, the orgasm gap and changing sexual trends.