From The Front: How we made the smash-hit Sick to Death podcast
3/13/202621 min
Two years, 500 gigabytes of audio, and more than 200 voice actors. The Australian’s podcast adaptation of Hedley Thomas’ best-selling book Sick to Death is nearing its conclusion. It’s the story of the havoc wrought on the Queensland medical system by the incompetent surgeon Jayant Patel 20 years ago – and there’s still more to come.
In this episode of The Australian's daily podcast The Front, Hedley and our production team get together to discuss this epic project – and why it still resonates in 2026.
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First 90 secondsKatie Page0:00
I'm Katie Page, CEO of Harvey Norman. Since 2018, Harvey Norman has been a key partner in The Australian's investigative podcasts, such as Sick to Death, Bronwyn, Shandy's Story, The Teacher's Pet, and The Night Driver. Harvey Norman are proud sponsors of The Australian's podcast investigations and their award-winning journalism.
Claire Harvey· Host0:21
[upbeat music] From The Australian, here's what's on The Front. I'm Claire Harvey. It's Friday, March 13, 2026. Don't look down your nose at patriotism. That's the blunt message to Labor from one of its own stars, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas. He's seeking re-election at the March 21 state election, where One Nation is polling strongly, and Malinauskas says Labor must respect voters with fears about housing and immigration. Two years, 500 gigabytes of audio, and more than 200 voice actors. The Australian's podcast adaptation of Hedley Thomas' bestselling book Sick to Death is nearing its conclusion. It's the story of the havoc wrought on the Queensland medical system by the incompetent surgeon Jayant Patel 20 years ago, and there's still more to come. Today, Hedley and our production team get together to discuss this epic project and why it still resonates in 2026.