It's 2026 and a new seasons of MAFS is upon us!

This episode was recorded last year, and I’ve been holding onto it ever since - because I knew the right moment would come. And with the new season of Married at First Sight airing this week, it feels like perfect timing.

Today on Pop Therapy (The Curious Life Podcast when this was recorded), I’m joined by former MAFS bride Carina Mirabile, for a conversation that’s warm, honest, and far more reflective than you might expect from the world of reality TV. Carina opens up about who she was before the cameras, her love of travel and new experiences, and the deep family values that have shaped her. We talk about connection, relationships, and the quiet ways we grow in our twenties and thirties - especially when life takes an unexpected turn.

We get into the Paul of it all - if you recall, it was a big moment on Australian TV and started a lot of conversations about family violence and red flags.

This is a conversation about self-discovery, love, and stepping into a new chapter… even when you don’t know what the next page will hold.

Follow Carina on IG at @carinamirabile

Check out her biz at @by.mirab

Follow the show at:

Pop Therapy

IG: ⁠@jana.firestone⁠

Website: ⁠www.janafirestone.comYouTube: ⁠POP THERAPY PODCAST

TikTok: @janafirestoneWork with our brilliant audio engineer Sam Talbot at www.samtalbot.com.au!

In this episode of Pop Therapy, we are joined by one of our faves, Dana Regan The Bravo Investigator, for a sharp, fast-moving unpack of the biggest pop-culture moments right now.

We dive into Brooklyn Beckham’s shock statement and the very public separation from his famous family - what it signals, what it exposes, and why it’s landed so loudly. We then turn to the Amanda and Kyle split on Summer House - the slowest relationship unraveling reality TV has ever normalised - and what Amanda’s honesty around mental health reveals about emotional labour in public relationships.

We touch on The Traitors and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, before ending where Bravo is getting it right. The Valley: Persian Style gets its flowers as one of the most exciting new additions to the network - rich cultural context, real relational stakes, and dynamics that feel lived-in rather than produced.

Pop culture, with the therapy lens firmly on.

Follow Dana Regan / The Bravo Investigator
Podcast: The Bravo Investigator Podcast
Instagram: @thebravoinvestigator
Patreon: www.patreon.com/thebravoinvestigator

Follow Pop Therapy
Instagram: @jana.firestone
Website: www.janafirestone.com

Listen & subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

Thank you to the brilliant Sam Talbot for audio engineering and production support. Work with him too at www.samtalbot.com.au

This is an Above Deck x Pop Therapy mashup!

The incredible team, Sarah Goldman and Kelli Busby invited me to be a guest aboard their brilliant pod, Above Deck, to chat all things Below Deck, Bravo and beyond. You can watch the ep in full on the Hurrdat Entertainment YouTube Channel or listen here or via Above Deck on Apple Pods or Spotify.

Warning: This episode includes a frank discussion about suicide - please listen with care and reach out to The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (988) if you need help. In Australia, reach out to Lifeline on 13 11 14)

Sarah and Kelli talk to Jana Firestone from the Pop Therapy Podcast. Topics include: Favorite Bravo podcasters, BravoCon, her therapy background, what makes Below Deck a unique reality show, her trip to LA, her time with Joe Bradley, internet trolls, Rachel Zoe’s return to Bravo, RHOBH, It’s a Brad, Brad World, Juicy Scoop, her love of Craig Conover, how tall most Bravolebs are, Salley and Venita, the horrible episode of The Viall Files with Austen Kroll, The Valley: Persian Style, how to watch Heated Rivalry.

A bonus episode of Above Deck is out now! Follow us on Instagram: @abovedeckpod

Get in touch: abovedeckpod@gmail.com

Get ya some Above Deck merch: https://shop.hurrdatmedia.com/collections/above-deck

If you’re struggling and think you’d benefit from a therapy session, go to betterhelp.com/Abovedeck or choose Above Deck during signup and get 10% off your first month of therapy.

Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and tell a friend!

Resources:

https://988lifeline.org/

instagram.com/jana.firestone/

Pop Therapy on Apple Podcasts

Pop Therapy on YouTube

So Bad It's Good With Ryan Bailey

Reality Life with Kate Casey

https://decider.com/2026/01/13/nick-viall-wife-natalie-joy-owe-austen-kroll-apology/

This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or the Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!