A candid friendship rule coined by two Australian podcasters has unexpectedly ignited a nationwide party movement, encouraging women to ditch the pressure of the male gaze and embrace uninhibited fun.
The 'Ugly Friend' Theory Explained
Podcast hosts Lise Carlaw and Sarah Wills have shared the brutally honest concept at the heart of their bond, which they've dubbed the 'ugly friend theory'. Speaking to Stellar Magazine, Lise Carlaw explained that the idea centres on every woman deserving one completely unfiltered friendship.
"We have this theory that every woman deserves what we call an 'ugly friend', in the sense that you need one friendship in your life where the other person will see you at your ugliest," Carlaw said. She described this as encompassing everything from the worst angles on a video call to going braless or having neglected eyebrows. For her, that person is co-host Sarah Wills.
Bottling Friendship Energy for the Dance Floor
This raw, judgement-free dynamic has become the foundational energy for Disco Club, the pair's wildly popular women-only party series. Events are selling out across Australia as they create a safe space for women exhausted by traditional club culture.
Sarah Wills noted that for many attendees, a Disco Club night represents a significant first. "This could be, for some women, the first time they've been on a dance floor with solely their girlfriends," she said. She contrasted this with the past purpose of clubbing, which often centred on the male gaze, involving dressing to attract attention and scoping out the venue.
Reclaiming Nightlife and a Genius Parenting Hack
Disco Club deliberately flips this script, giving women permission to show up exactly as they are. "When you give women permission to wear whatever they want, they shed those prior experiences with clubbing," Wills added. The focus shifts from who you might meet to the pure joy of moving without judgement, surrounded by throwback anthems and glitter.
With tickets continuing to sell out and more dates planned for next year, Carlaw and Wills are urging women to make 2026 the year they dance like no one is watching.
In a separate but equally relatable revelation, Lise Carlaw recently stunned fans by sharing a genius parenting hack involving her teenage son. The former radio host revealed she purchased a $10 wireless doorbell from Bunnings to communicate with her son, Remy, who often wears a gaming headset.
The Arlec Premium doorbell, with one button in the kitchen and the chime in his bedroom, stopped her from constantly yelling. "Calling out to him all the time was starting to grate on my last nerve. I'm sick of the sound of myself," Carlaw explained on their TikTok, @liseandsarah_.
