What does a day in the life of two podcast hosts actually look like? This is what you don’t see.

Thanks to our brand partner, Škoda

Laura Brodnik and Em Vernem are the hosts of Mamamia's daily entertainment podcast The Spill. They regularly receive an influx of messages from listeners asking what their (seemingly) glamorous jobs really entail. So, in order to dispel the rumours (or just start new ones), here's what a day in their lives as podcast hosts really looks like.

Laura's Day

The first thing I do in the morning is break every rule that leads to a healthy and balanced life.

I reach for my phone before my eyes have even had a chance to open and immediately start devouring content in a bid to catch up on everything that happened in those few hours I recklessly spent sleeping.

It's all part of hosting a daily entertainment and culture podcast.

I have a whole show planned, all my emails answered and the world's largest cup of coffee devoured well before 8am each day. Sometimes I leave for work and make my way past the remnants of a makeshift studio in my living room, where I had to interview a movie star in the middle of the night (we love that time difference with the rest of the world) or I step over the high heels lying on my kitchen floor that I kicked off the night before after staggering home from a premiere.

Laura Brodnik and Em Vernem are the hosts of Mamamia's daily entertainment podcast The Spill. Image: Supplied.

I dream of being a person who mediates, exercises or even eats breakfast before I leave my home, but alas, a balanced life is just not for me.

The only part of my day that has been stress-free lately is my journey to and from the office, thanks to the Škoda Elroq I have been trialling.

I head to the office each day with the same amount of stuff that most people would pack for a long weekend. I need a pair of heels for events, comfortable flats for the midday lunch run, hot hair tools to coax my thin hair back to life between podcast records, a make-up bag for pre-filming touch-ups, my laptop and a glitzy outfit for whatever event I need to run to that night once I finish work.

The Škoda Elroq has a spacious boot big enough to hold my many items and handy hooks to place my bags on, so nothing goes flying as I weave through the streets of Sydney. This car is a dream to drive and features a 13-inch touchscreen with a rearview camera that allows me to easily slip into any reverse parallel park in Sydney without fear that other drivers are judging me.

The car also features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so I can listen to some soothing Broadway tunes before I spend my day speaking rapidly into a microphone. There's also dual-zone climate control and heated front seats and steering wheel that make this car feel like a little oasis of comfort in this unpredictable city.

Testing out the Škoda Elroq. Image: Supplied.

My work day is then a blur of podcast recordings, where Em and I dissect celebrity news and talk all things film and TV, offering up new recommendations and interviewing the people who star in our favourite new releases. Then comes a sea of meetings, writing and editing articles and planning for the week ahead.

From an outsider's perspective, it might look like we have time to lounge about and carefully do our hair and makeup before attending the glamorous events that fill our calendars. Yet the reality is closer to putting on lipstick at your desk with one hand while typing with another or brushing your hair in an elevator while your colleagues shoot you looks of annoyance mixed with concern.

There was one day this week when we skipped the premieres and red carpets for a night and took the Škoda Elroq for a drive that ended with a relaxing afternoon out by the sea.

Technically, I was the driver, but with the way this car drives, and all the heavy lifting the navigation system does, I ended up feeling like a Passenger Princess the entire time.

Laura's shopping safe in the back of the Škoda Elroq. Image Supplied.

Em's Day

People always ask what a day in the life of a podcast host looks like.

I think they imagine us rolling into the office at 10am, having a quick goss over a microphone and then heading off for a long lunch. I hate to burst that glamorous bubble, but it's…not quite that.

My alarm goes off at 6:30am, which feels offensive. I drag myself out of bed for a long walk to trick my body into thinking I'm a wellness person, before getting ready for the day. I'm a city girl through and through, which means I'm blessed with a 15-minute walk to the office, giving me just enough time to listen to a podcast before I have to… make a podcast.

Once I'm in, the day kicks off with pitching stories for our daily entertainment show, The Spill. After we've landed on our topics for the day, I dive headfirst into research and scripting.

Today, my chosen subject is something I'm deeply, deeply passionate about: Brooklyn Beckham's cooking career. Honestly, the dude is the pop culture gift that keeps on giving, and I will not rest until everyone knows about his ongoing ventures.

After recording the episode and getting some social promotion out into the world, I switch gears and put my writer hat on to pump out an article for Mamamia. It's a full-on day, and lately, it feels like the days have been bleeding into one another.

Laura and I have been working together A LOT lately, with a bunch of interstate travel thrown in for good measure. So, we decided we needed to escape the city and you know, touch some grass. We planned a mini road trip to a park and then the beach to just… breathe.

About to take the Škoda Elroq on an adventure. Image Supplied.

Laura's been trialling the new Škoda Elroq for a few weeks now, and let me tell you, I have never felt more like a VIP.

As she drove, I felt like I was being chauffeured in absolute luxury. I, of course, came prepared with my giant handbag and a thousand bits and pieces, and was genuinely shocked that there was a designated spot for everything. My lip gloss, my giant emotional support water bottle, my sunnies — this car has a place for EVERYTHING.

While Laura navigated the roads, I took on the very important task of playing with the interior lighting and of course, I landed on pink. I was prepared and ready to fulfil my role as co-pilot and navigator, but the Elroq's navigation was so easy to use and understand that I was basically a redundant passenger. Which, to be honest, is my favourite kind of passenger to be.

It was the perfect little escape from our chaotic work lives, in the perfect car.

Visit Škoda's website to book a test drive or find out more about their new electric range.

Feature Image: Supplied.

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