The Dead Can't Sue

About The Dead Can't Sue

Serious academics. Dead subjects. A bit of gossip. Is it appropriate for historians to gossip about the dead? Associate Professors Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher aren't afraid to find out. In The Dead Can't Sue, they poke around in the entrails of Australian history, dishing up the best dirt and juiciest scoops on our nation's dead. Each week, you'll join us for the best dinner party conversations you've ever overheard, as Alecia and Leigh bring you their unfiltered takes. There'll be big names you'll get to know in new ways, as well as names you've never heard of, with jaw-dropping stories. Rebels, divas, convicts, heroes, scoundrels and everything in between.

Publisher

ABC Australia

Category

history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jun 2026

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

15 of 18 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Daisy Kwok: From Sydney to Shanghai to shovelling shit

   Host Alecia Simmonds interviews historian Sophie Loy-Wilson about Daisy Kwok's extraordinary life navigating racism and revolution from Sydney to Shanghai.

2. 

   5 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Joh Bjelke-Petersen:  The ‘hillbilly dictator’ goes down (part 2)

   Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher explore Joh Bjelke-Petersen's controversial reign and downfall in this interview episode.

3. 

   28 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Joh Bjelke-Petersen: The 40-year-old virgin enters politics (part 1)

   Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher explore Joh Bjelke-Petersen's controversial rise from humble beginnings to Queensland premier, revealing his early political journey.

4. 

   21 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Faith Bandler: Exposing CSR & Australia’s slave trade, aka 'Blackbirding' (part 2)

   Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher explore Faith Bandler's fight against sugar giants profiting from Australia's slave trade, connecting historical injustices to modern farming.

5. 

   14 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Faith Bandler: The ‘gentle’ activist with an ASIO file who changed the constitution (part 1)

   Host Alecia Simmonds interviews historian Leigh Boucher about Faith Bandler's pivotal role in changing Australia's constitution through activism.

6. 

   7 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Nellie Melba: How a facelift downed our diva (part 2)

   Hosts Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher explore Dame Nellie Melba's rise to stardom and her mysterious death in this interview episode.

7. 

   31 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Nellie Melba: How the prima donna dodged her sh*tty husband to find fame and fortune (part 1)

   Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher explore Dame Nellie Melba's journey from domestic abuse survivor to global opera superstar, revealing her complex life beyond the famous dessert.

8. 

   24 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Miles Franklin: Our feminist hero flirts with fascism (part 2)

   Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher explore Miles Franklin's complex journey from feminist activist to her controversial political leanings, revealing a surprising duality in her life.

9. 

   17 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Miles Franklin: The flirty bush girl behind My Brilliant Career (part 1)

   Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher explore the temptations and multifaceted lives of literary icon Miles Franklin beyond her famous novel in this interview.

10. 

    10 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

    Harold Holt: The tragic demise of a people-pleasing PM (part 2)

    Host Alecia Simmonds and historian Leigh Boucher explore Prime Minister Harold Holt's political struggles and the conspiracies surrounding his disappearance in this interview.

11. 

    3 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

    Harold Holt: How a kid called 'Puss' conquered Canberra (part 1)

    Leigh Boucher and Alecia Simmonds explore the intriguing early life and unconventional relationships of Australia's 17th Prime Minister, Harold Holt.

12. 

    27 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

    William Buckley: How an escaped convict spent 30 years with an Indigenous group

    Host Leigh Boucher investigates the incredible 30-year survival story of escaped convict William Buckley among the Wathaurong people, revealing his adopted life and debunking convict myths.

13. 

    20 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

    Chopper: The Christmas card that changed his life (part 2)

    Host Alecia Simmonds and guest Mark "Chopper" Read explore his surprising transformation from criminal to celebrated author and entertainer.

14. 

    13 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

    Chopper: The making of

    Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher explore the complex life of Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read, dissecting his notorious reputation and the man behind the legend in this interview.

15. 

    6 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

    Tilly Devine: 'The Worst Woman in Sydney'

    Hosts Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher explore the life of Sydney's notorious underworld figure Tilly Devine, examining her rise as a mob boss and Australia's fascination with outlaws in this interview.

16. 

    1 Jul 2026

    Matthew Flinders: The death of a cat daddy (part 2)

    Alecia and Leigh explore Indigenous explorer Bungaree's vital role in Matthew Flinders's circumnavigation of Australia and his beloved cat, Trim.

17. 

    29 Jun 2026

    Matthew Flinders: Erotic letter writer (part 1)

    Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher explore Matthew Flinders' potentially queer relationship with George Bass through an erotic letter, offering a new perspective on historical figures.

18. 

    16 Jun 2026

    INTRODUCING — The Dead Can't Sue

    Historians Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher explore the scandalous lives of Australia's deceased figures, revealing secrets that can't be sued over in this interview.

Inside a recent episode

Daisy Kwok: From Sydney to Shanghai to shovelling shit

Published 12 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] So how does she feel growing up in this world, do you think? So that sentiment, I think, increases in its sharpness over the first decades of the 20th century, right? And Daisy experiences that in her everyday life. She's going to a local primary school and she goes to a local Sunday school and she actually ends up deciding to leave that sunday school because of the racism that she faces name calling um and i've got a quote from her from her memoirs here yeah one day the headmaster came to find out what was wrong my mother answered the doorbell i followed her to the door and when i saw who it was i hid behind her when i heard his complaint i stepped forward and told him I was not going to attend Sunday school as long as I was being called names. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.7 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

53 ratings

Contact The Dead Can't Sue

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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