The Imperfects: inside the perfectly imperfect worlds of Hugh and Josh van Cuylenburg and Ryan Shelton

When Grant Denyer was interviewed on The Imperfects podcast he spoke openly of his past addiction to painkillers, reflecting on lows he hadn’t shared publicly before.

Funnyman Glenn Robbins revealed moments of impostor syndrome across his celebrated comedy career.

Theatre actor Christie Whelan Browne opened up about the aftermath of a high-profile criminal and subsequent defamation trial following sexual assault allegations she made against a fellow actor.

The central premise of The Imperfects would be the stuff of nightmares for those who shudder at the thought of flexing their vulnerability muscle.

Its name might offer a few clues, but the Australian podcast — which is downloaded more than a million times each month — is described as a celebration of vulnerability and connection.

Each episode sees a guest join hosts (and brothers) Hugh and Josh van Cuylenburg, and their friend and comedian Ryan Shelton, to open up about their imperfections and struggles. They often divulge stories they’ve never spoken about in a public forum.

For the aforementioned guests — the three listed above are conversations the hosts say left a lasting impact on them — not to mention the podcast’s wider guestlist of actors, advocates, chefs, athletes, presenters, comedians and medical experts, the process of sharing is cathartic.

“Friends will often question ‘how did you get them (guests) to say such vulnerable things?’” Josh says.

“We’re not trying to get people to do that — even though that’s what ends up happening. It’s more that we get guests who want to talk like that or want to tell that story.

“We’re not digging for a story or grabs. If a guest was ever to say ’I don’t feel comfortable’, it (the episode) would never go out.”

Despite honesty being at the core of the podcast they’ve been nurturing for the past six years, Josh admits they’re still surprised by the willingness of their guests to bare their souls.

“I know it’s the premise of the whole show . . . it’s never felt more real to me than seeing that he (Grant Denyer) is a really fragile, beautiful and wonderful person who is dealing with so much stuff,” he says. “Everyone is.

“I also realised that I’m too quick to judge people in general, and put people in a category or box — that’s the funny guy from TV or whatever it is. To be able to remind myself that there is a person that’s so similar to me in all the fragility underneath it all, I find it so moving.”

There is no real rhyme or reason when selecting guests, no boxes to check or rules to follow, though reflecting on the back catalogue, Josh realises there is a trait they all share.

“The attributes in people (and our guests) that I find inspiring is the humility to be honest about what you’re going through and the curiosity that is attached to that humility to find out more,” he says. “To learn more and be comfortable that you don’t always know the answer.”

Much like their diverse array of guests, each host brings their own unique talents and life experiences to the podcast studio.

Hugh is the founder of The Resilience Project, a program that engages schools, sports clubs and businesses to deliver evidence-based mental health strategies. Josh is a freelance filmmaker and photographer, while many will recognise Ryan’s face, and voice, from his time on Australian screens and airwaves.

The trio practise what they preach by readily sharing how perfectly imperfect they are, with episodes detailing their own struggles among some of the most popular in the back catalogue.

Hugh’s raw conversation with his wife Penny on the mental load resonated with its audience, particularly women. Shelton buried his pride to address the topic of friendship jealousy head on with Hugh and their shared mate, Hamish Blake. Josh has also spoken openly about his own impostor syndrome.

“We’ve just got this voice in our head that says ‘don’t show weakness’ and I think when you do, you find a deeper connection with people, or new connections, and it can change a lot for them,” reflects Ryan.

And despite having 75-ish of Australia’s most beloved personalities in the hot seat — Myf Warhurst, Osher Gunsberg, Chrissie Swan and Steve Hooker to name a few — there have been plenty of knockbacks too.

“When people say no, I think yeah of course, that makes sense,” Ryan laughs.

“There are a lot of people, understandably, who aren’t ready to talk about what they’ve struggled with and may never be ready — and that’s obviously fine.

“It’s such a big ask, we’re a bit desensitised to it now because it’s our sixth year.”

The secret to their ongoing success — Ryan notes the podcast could go for the next 50 years thanks to their ever-growing wish list of guests — is to remain open, authentic and curious.

The latter point was particularly important in a recent episode with Dr Louise Newson on menopause, a conversation which has since gone viral.

The episode with the popular, and a little polarising, GP and menopause specialist was eaten up by women across Australia: the podcast’s social media comments are lined with praise and gratitude for exploring the topic that has for too long felt taboo.

“Certainly menopause is traditionally an issue that has been a women’s issue, to a degree,” says Josh.

“It’s also something that touches everyone, and it’s not spoken about at all. With that (conversation) all I felt was curious and that I wanted to learn . . . In the theme of the show, it’s about being completely honest and vulnerable with what I don’t know or don’t understand.

“So acknowledging how naive I am was a good start for a conversation.”

Another element Hugh explains is part of the reason they thrive as a trio is the structure of the conversations. He comes into the episodes with a loose set of questions to help shape the interview, while Ryan and Josh are more reactionary to the answers.

“It just feels like a conversation you’re eavesdropping on,” Hugh says.

As close to professional conversationalists as you can get, the group bounce off one another and have each other’s backs, to ensure they’re not talking over anyone or sitting through awkward silences.

“We’ve never discussed it, but I think the three of us are always so in awe or admire the guest, and are so grateful, the more our audience hears from them, the better,” Hugh says.

“They don’t need to hear from us right now when we have someone like Christie (Whelan Browne) or Glenn (Robbins) in the studio.”

Fans will be able to see the trio as well as a selection of guests in all their vulnerable glory during their 2024 Encore live show tour across Australia and New Zealand.

They say it’s not just a podcast on stage, though the audience will feel, learn and laugh in the same way they do when listening. There is also a rumour of some singing and dancing being squeezed in.

“We hang around after the show to meet the audience, which makes for a long night, but it’s so overwhelmingly beautiful the stories we hear from people about what the podcast has helped or accompanied them through,” says Hugh. “You never know who is listening or the impact that it’s having.

“Whatever we do in the future, we want to be as good as we can be in the present moment with the belief that things will take care of themselves if you perform really well in the moment you’re in.”

The Imperfects Encore tour is at Perth Concert Hall on April 28.