Staying Home: Comedian and podcast host Meshel Laurie finds her groove in isolation

Staying Home is a series of interviews with well-known Australians to learn how they are dealing with isolation and social distancing.

As one half of the hugely popular Australian True Crime podcast, Meshel Laurie is getting ready to bring these stories to the stage via a streamed event in May.

The media personality and comedian, who was meant to tour the podcast around Australia with co-host and journalist Emily Webb, will now interview detectives Narelle Fraser and Ron Iddles in a theatre without an audience for this pay-per-view event.

Australian True Crime has more than 1.4 million listeners a month and has certainly kept Laurie busy while working from home. It’s where she records other podcasts and is working on a new book.

“I’ve mostly worked from home over the past three years, so being home isn’t that new to me, but nor is trying to do it with my 10-year-old twins at home either,” says Laurie.

“With the live show now cancelled, we figured this is the next best thing to keep audiences engaged.

“The kind of true crime I am interested in is the storytelling of the families and those of the investigators. It’s not from the perspective of the perpetrators,” she adds.

Laurie, who is a practising Buddhist, says her faith has taught her great listening skills.

“The podcasts are all about listening to how people cope and we discuss their feelings, it fits neatly with Buddhism so I’m less about the crime itself and more about the context around it,” she says.

Favourite room

It’s a toss up between my bedroom and my office. I share my office with my kids at the moment, which is hard but just how it is. I have a large monitor for my computer in there, and it’s great to actually see the screen clearly. But I also love my bedroom with my pets and to watch a bit of television. I have two dogs and four cats. We foster them too – so there’s around 10 cats in total at the moment. They sit and watch the television with us.

DIY project

I removed a rangehood by myself. It’s been broken for two years. I watched a YouTube tutorial and did it successfully. I am not confident enough to install a new one, though. I have also painted some kitchen cupboards, which has been very satisfying.

Where do you relax?

My bedroom. I have found it much harder to relax in these times, though. Initially, I was frightened by the whole pandemic, and I couldn’t relax to the point where I wasn’t able read a book or take anything in. Now I can read at nighttime and it does feel good.

What are you reading?

I read a lot of fiction and it’s thanks to advice I took from Madonna. She always reads fiction at night because non-fiction overstimulates her. I’ve just read Long Bright River by Liz Moore.

Baking

I do like the kitchen and normally don’t have time to cook so the isolation period has been good for that. Some family favourites are tacos, baked potatoes and roast pork – lots of comfort food.

What are you planning?

We’re planning more online events for the podcasts; it’s about taking an adverse situation and seeing an opportunity to do it another way. It wouldn’t be possible with the creative vision of Dainty Touring.

Latest home purchase

A rangehood and a new washing machine. Things broke down in the first few weeks at home and I initially felt everything was breaking down around me. I was also scared to get things delivered in those early days, having someone in my house. But we needed a washing machine.

An isolation survival tip

Live on the school timetable if you can. It’s been a saviour knowing my kids’ school has a strict timetable – they’re doing Zoom at 8.45am and can’t be in their pyjamas. We all snack at 11 to 11.30am and then lunch at 1pm and school until 3.15pm.

App you’ve downloaded

Audible is ideal when doing housework.

Favourite time in isolation

When the kids are in bed! By 8.30pm they’re still squealing away and I have no energy at that point to do any more. That’s when I decide I am done.