Josh Zepps
Josh Szeps (born 23 November 1977) is an Australian journalist, broadcaster, and podcaster recognized for his work in media, including hosting programs on ABC Radio and television, and for creating the "Uncomfortable Conversations" platform, which features discussions on politically sensitive and heterodox topics.
The son of actor Henri Szeps , whose parents were Holocaust survivors , Szeps grew up in Sydney and pursued a career in broadcasting after training in improvisational comedy . He gained prominence through roles at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, such as filling in across various radio slots and hosting Weekend Breakfast on ABC News, before transitioning to independent media production.
Szeps' podcast and YouTube series, Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps , established him as a leading interviewer in Australia , earning accolades including the Best Host award from Radio Today for fostering open dialogue on issues often avoided in mainstream outlets. As a Professional Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney , he continues to engage with public discourse, including debates on identity politics and critiques of institutional biases, reflecting a commitment to empirical scrutiny over ideological conformity.
His approach has sparked controversies, such as his abrupt departure from the ABC amid reported irreconcilable differences over content freedom and a provocative article questioning non-Israeli Jews' allegiance to Israel, which drew accusations of insufficient tribal loyalty. Szeps, who is married to Sean Szeps and father to twins born via surrogacy, has also shared personal experiences with postnatal depression, contributing to discussions on mental health in non-traditional family structures.
Josh Szeps was born in Balmain, Sydney , Australia , to actors Henri Szeps and Mary Ann Severne, who were married for 56 years. His father, a Polish-Jewish immigrant's son, was born in 1943 in a Swiss refugee camp to Holocaust survivors who had fled Nazi-occupied Poland ; Henri was fostered for eight years by a Lutheran family in Switzerland before immigrating to Australia in 1951 at age eight with his mother and older sister. Szeps' mother, originally a lapsed Catholic from New Zealand , converted to Judaism in the 1970s at a reformed synagogue in London .
Szeps grew up in an intellectually stimulating environment shaped by his parents' acting careers and his father's family history of survival and displacement, which instilled themes of resilience and secular Jewish traditions of philosophical questioning and self-scrutiny. He attended Fort Street High School in Sydney and underwent a bar mitzvah at Emanuel Synagogue under Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins, reflecting a cultural Jewish upbringing despite the family's secular leanings. This background, including intergenerational stories of Holocaust evasion—such as his grandmother's bribery of Swiss border guards in 1943—contributed to an early emphasis on critical thinking and historical awareness in his formative years.
Szeps was born in Balmain, Australia , and attended Fort Street High School in Sydney , where he received the Ladies Committee Prize for School Service in 1994. He described his childhood as highly intellectual, reflecting an early engagement with ideas and discussion.
Szeps pursued a Communications degree at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), graduating in 2000. During his first year at UTS, he edited the student newspaper, won the University Theatresports Championships, and reached the finals of the Australasian University Debating Championships in Manila, Philippines. These activities demonstrated early interests in journalism, improvisational comedy, and public debate.
His formative influences included admiration for American television personalities such as Jon Stewart , David Letterman , and Conan O’Brien, which sparked an interest in satirical broadcasting.
