Spicing things up: How Mitch Churi is leading the shift to video podcasts

Mitch Churi and Sporty Spice. Image: LinkedIn

Hosting a chat show was Mitch Churi’s childhood dream, and one which he accomplished. But unlike Rove Live – the show he stayed up late to watch as a kid – it didn’t end up being on TV. Or radio, for that matter.

With an ever-shrinking pool of options for one-on-one celebrity interviews, podcasting has become the go-to destination for long-form conversations, and creators like Churi are leading the shift from audio-only to video-led podcasts.

When TV shows like The Project went by the wayside, Churi – through The Mitch Churi Chat Show – identified and seized a gap in the Australian market for long-form and visual interviews with some of the world’s biggest stars.

His most recent guest? None other than Sporty Spice, with Mel C joining Churi in the new Sydney studios of Acast – which hosts, distributes and monetises the podcast – for an in-depth chat.

This week, NOVA Entertainment announced a major expansion of its own content offering with the launch of the network’s first-ever video-led series – Nikki Osborne’s Bush Deep.

Churi believes it’s something commercial radio networks as a whole could and should be doing.

It’s now almost two years since Churi emotionally announced on air that he was leaving ARN and its KIIS Network programs The Pick Up and The Night Show – a decision he said was not his.

Since then Churi – who this month will co-host the inaugural Australian Audio Awards alongside Bianca Dye – has flourished in the podcasting realm.

“It’s great to see independent creators not just succeed but also thrive,” Acast AU/NZ Managing Director Henrik Isaksson said onLinkedIn.

“Not gonna lie- it’s also great to have members of Spice Girls in the office.”

The Mitch Churi Chat Show is available wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the full video on YouTube.

The inaugural 2026 Australian Audio Awards will be held in Sydney on Thursday, May 28.