Nova Podcasts signs parenting hit Two Doting Dads

NOVA Entertainment has added parenting podcast Two Doting Dads to the Nova Podcast Network, bringing hosts Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson and Ash Wicks into its growing slate of original and partner shows. 

The move also marks a return to Nova for Johnson, who began his radio career with the network.

Launched in April 2023, the weekly comedy-led parenting podcast has built a loyal following across 247 episodes by tackling the chaos of family life with humour and honesty. 

Ahead of joining the network, the podcast has already secured OMO and Vegemite as inaugural brand partners through Mindshare and Starcom Australia, respectively, highlighting its commercial appeal to advertisers targeting Australian families.

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Coming home

Johnson said that joining Nova Podcasts would help the pair continue to grow the show while reaching more Australian parents.

“Ash and I started this podcast because we realised there wasn't enough honest conversation about what parenting is really like. It's messy, chaotic, rewarding and hilarious all at once,” he said.

Johnson said that joining Nova Podcasts will help the pair continue to grow the show while also bringing Johnson back to the network where he got his start in radio.

“For me, it also feels like coming home. NOVA gave me my first opportunity in radio, so returning feels a bit like walking into your childhood house where everything is familiar, except you’ve got a few more greys, three kids and a chronic sleep deficit."

Co-host Ash Wicks said the response to Two Doting Dads had exceeded the pair's expectations, with many parents telling them the podcast makes them feel "seen and understood". 

He said joining Nova Podcasts represented an exciting next chapter for the show as it looks to reach even more listeners, adding that that Nova Podcasts is "like the organised parent who has dinner on the table by six, colour-codes the family calendar and never forgets a birthday", while he and Johnson are "more like the rogue uncle who overshares at Christmas and somehow outstays his welcome by three hours". 

"It’s a match made in heaven!" he said.

Another audience play for Nova

The addition bolsters Nova Podcasts' parenting slate while bringing in a creator-led show that has already built a loyal audience and attracted major brand partners.

Rachel Corbett, Network Director of Nova Podcasts, said the pair had created something that was increasingly difficult to achieve in the crowded podcast market: a genuinely engaged community.

"They've built an incredibly engaged community around the show, and that's not easy to do," Corbett said.

She said the pair's combination of "honesty, vulnerability and comedy" had struck a chord with listeners by making them laugh while reminding them that "nobody has this parenting game figured out".