Hosted by Australian firefighters Josh Alpen and Jason Anderson, Behind the Badge is a podcast about life in service — beyond the uniform, beyond the job, and beyond what most people see.
While the conversations are grounded in frontline experience, the themes are universal — pressure, identity, adversity, and growth.
Whether you’re in the job or not, the goal is the same:
To provide honest perspectives and real-world insights that help people perform better, think clearer, and navigate challenges more effectively — both on and off the job.
Todd Maguire never planned on becoming a police officer.
A conversation over a few schooners changed that — and began a career that would eventually take him deep into Queensland's undercover policing world.
But Todd's story is about much more than police work.
After the sudden death of his partner Karen, Todd found himself struggling with grief, guilt and a pain he didn't know how to process. Not long afterwards, he stepped into a new identity as undercover operative “Donny” — a world of crooks, drugs, weapons and high-risk operations that offered an escape from everything Todd was carrying.
In this episode, Todd joins us for a raw, funny and remarkably open conversation about policing, undercover work, loss, reckless behaviour, PTSD, nervous-system regulation, vulnerability and what he has learnt about himself along the way.
We also explore why lived experience matters, the conversations men often struggle to have, and Todd's simple idea of talking shoulder to shoulder rather than face to face.
This is a conversation about what happens when the job gives you somewhere to run — and what it takes to eventually stop running.
You can find out more about Todd and his book here:Donny - A raw Australian memoir by Todd Maguire (https://toddmaguire.com.au/)
Music thanks to:
These Four Walls - Hard Rock Band Gold Coast QLD (https://thesefourwallsband.com/)
Improve sleep, performance and wellbeing with GOAT:
The Greatest of All Tapes - Sleep Better. Perform Better. – The Greatest of all Tapes (https://thegoatco.au/)
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22 Aug 2026
038: What the Job Takes - Keith Banks
What does a career spent running towards danger eventually take from you?
Keith Banks spent decades in policing, including some of the most demanding and dangerous roles imaginable.
In this episode of Behind the Badge, Keith takes us from the experiences that first drew him towards policing through a career that would include tactical operations, undercover work, violence, adrenaline and years spent operating in a heightened state of awareness.
But beneath the extraordinary stories is a much bigger conversation about what prolonged exposure to the job can do to the person wearing the uniform.
Keith speaks openly about identity, hypervigilance, PTSD, policing culture, the difficulty of recognising when something isn't right, and the process of eventually understanding the impact his career had on him.
It's also a conversation about purpose — why people are drawn to service, what keeps them there, and the importance of building the awareness and tools to look after yourself along the way.
An honest conversation about service, trauma, identity, recovery — and what the job takes.
Music thanks to:
These Four Walls - Hard Rock Band Gold Coast QLD (https://thesefourwallsband.com/)
Improve sleep, performance and wellbeing with GOAT:
The Greatest of All Tapes - Sleep Better. Perform Better. – The Greatest of all Tapes (https://thegoatco.au/)
Discount code 'BTB15'
You can keep up to date by following us here:
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/behindthebadge_podcast/)
We hope you enjoy the show, please subscribe & leave a rating.
7 Aug 2026
037: Two Years Behind the Badge - Jase and Josh
Two years. Thirty-six episodes. Countless conversations.
In this special anniversary episode, Josh and Jase take a step back to reflect on the journey so far—why they started Behind the Badge, the lessons that have stayed with them, and how those conversations have shaped not only the podcast, but their own lives.
From practical tools and proactive wellbeing to identity, purpose and life beyond the uniform, this episode revisits the themes that continue to surface across conversations with frontline workers, veterans, psychologists, athletes and leaders.
Whether you've been listening from the beginning or have only recently joined the journey, this episode is a reminder that meaningful conversations—and the small actions that follow them—have the power to change lives.
Music thanks to:
These Four Walls - Hard Rock Band Gold Coast QLD (https://thesefourwallsband.com/)
Improve sleep, performance and wellbeing with GOAT:
The Greatest of All Tapes - Sleep Better. Perform Better. – The Greatest of all Tapes (https://thegoatco.au/)
Discount code 'BTB15'
You can keep up to date by following us here:
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/behindthebadge_podcast/)
We hope you enjoy the show, please subscribe & leave a rating.
Who has been a guest on Behind the Badge
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Dr Ian Dunican
Shaun Kober
Dr Nikki Jamison
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
24 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 21 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
23
Social presence
91
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
Contact Behind the Badge
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Behind the Badge?
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