Teen Beat with Danielle Fishel – Harry Jowsey (March 11, 2026)

Podcast: Teen Beat
Host: Danielle Fishel
Guest: Harry Jowsey
Date: March 11, 2026
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

Danielle Fishel, known for growing up in the public eye as Topanga on Boy Meets World, flips the script by inviting today’s young celebrities to crack open their own teenage diaries. In this episode, she sits down with reality star–turned–actor Harry Jowsey, famous from shows like Too Hot to Handle and Dancing with the Stars, to explore Harry’s rebellious upbringing, adolescence down under, family drama (including wild news stories and expat life), dating adventures, and how fame, grief, and adulthood have shaped him.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Childhood & Rebellion in Rural Australia

• Early Mischief:

  • Harry jokes about never having been “cool” in his youth, referring to himself as a “little sausage” (07:06).
  • He describes growing up in central Queensland, Australia (small town of Yeppoon), attending a rural school where “bull riding class” was on the curriculum (07:38).
  • Notorious for being a troublemaker; first suspended in grade 2 for throwing a desk/chair at a teacher (09:34).

    "I think I threw a desk at a teacher." – Harry Jowsey (09:44)

  • Admits to getting kicked out of multiple schools both in Australia and after being sent on his own to New Zealand (17:44, 20:58).

• Religion and Family Upheaval:

  • Harry’s parents, determined not to force any religion on their kids, inadvertently sparked controversy when a school insisted he participate in religious activities (11:01).
  • The fallout included being attacked in the media, receiving death threats, and eventually fleeing the country for Bali (11:39).

    “We actually had to leave the country because we started getting stalked.” – Harry Jowsey (12:00)

  • The incident became national news; the Prime Minister even commented (13:00).

• Formative Bullying:

  • Upon return, Harry and his brother were bullied for being “different” and not celebrating holidays (15:05–15:50).
  • His mother cleverly pivoted to post-Christmas sales, making Boxing Day a bigger family event instead.

2. School Antics & Sibling Contrast

• Harry’s brother was “perfect,” while Harry kept getting into trouble (20:45, 20:58).
• Anecdotes about homemade “towel fights” (teen fight clubs) — wrap hands in towels and box until one gives up (18:23).
  • “Most of the times I was pretty good…But this big, this big guy…He bounced my head off a wall…and then I dated his sister, so I was a real winner.” – Harry Jowsey (18:47–19:12)
• Sports injuries: Blew out his knee playing rugby at 17 (19:27).
• Punishments included farm chores – “pick up every rock and every stick on our property” (17:51).

3. Adolescence, Growth Spurts, and Family

• Tall genes run in Harry’s family – he’s 6’5”, mother is 6’, father was tall too (21:49).
• Multiple sisters described as “little and fun” (22:13).

4. Teen Romance and Dating

• First real crush at age 10 (“Imogen”), lost his virginity at 14 to “Jenny” (26:36–27:44).

  “I was 14, and that was who I lost my virginity to. Love her so much at 14.” – Harry Jowsey (26:36)

  • Humorous tale: Jenny critiqued his performance and jokingly told him to “come back after a few more girls” (27:52).
• Early dates in New Zealand were basic – “dinner, park, go for a walk” (29:04).
• Now prefers creative dates, e.g., flying to Catalina Island by helicopter, pre-writing a series of compliments for his date (29:37–30:23).
• Teenage brand dream deals would have included “Lynx” (Axe) deodorant and Colgate toothpaste (30:50–31:10).
• Described eating habits as insatiable – “the size of a horse” but “built like an asparagus” until his 20s (31:43–31:59).

5. Career, Fame, and Transition to Acting

• Danielle lists Harry’s transition: reality TV success (Too Hot to Handle, Perfect Match), Dancing with the Stars, eventual move to acting (The Wrong Paris, Horrified) and now his own Netflix dating show (Let’s Marry Harry) (03:57–06:28).
• Prefers acting for its collaborative nature and the satisfaction of being “an accessory to someone’s dream” (33:32–34:55).

  “I love acting because…the main essence of it is it’s someone’s dream and their idea, and I love being a part of someone’s dream.” – Harry Jowsey (33:32)

• Reality TV: Chaotic, unpredictable, sometimes “a menace” (e.g., stirring drama or feeding people mayonnaise at parties) (35:27–36:17).

6. Celebrity Encounters & Aspirations

• Grew up idolizing Justin Bieber, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt (37:27).
  • Hilarious, awkward Tom Cruise encounter: tried to bond over a mutual Pilates acquaintance (Glen Powell) (38:04).
• Celebrity crush: Angelina Jolie; attributes his reality show inclinations to the chaos of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (39:27–39:52).

7. Coolness & Gen Z Trends

• Harry dismisses the dirty-jeans trend for Danielle and commends her for being “cool” just by having a podcast (44:34).
• Goofy generational gap about Gen Z hand-heart gestures (44:50–45:16).
• Health and wellness: Both discuss trendy peptides and NAD, with Danielle noting cancer survivors need to be cautious (45:23–46:55).

8. Dealing with Fame, DMs, and Dancing with the Stars

• Harry reveals receiving DMs from fans even in their 70s and 80s – “some freaky older ladies…want a taste of the sausage” (47:09).
• Reflects on Dancing with the Stars: loved the experience, but was hurt by the “bubble” of relationships that faded after the season (47:42–50:25).

  “The biggest thing that upset me the most is when my dad had passed…No one had text me…It was horrible.” – Harry Jowsey (48:51–49:18)

9. Grief, Family, and Growth

• Harry opens up about losing his father; expresses gratitude for being with him at the end (50:48–54:22).

  “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced… watching him take his last breath. But that was such a beautiful thing…” – Harry Jowsey (50:48)

• Shares reflections on how grief reveals true friendships and how different people respond to death and loss (54:22–56:20).

  “If you text your friend, like, ‘hey, thinking about you…whatever you need, I’m here…’” – (56:07)

• His journey with religion is reignited by loss, now seeking his own beliefs as an adult (14:33–14:46).

10. Upcoming Projects: ‘Let’s Marry Harry’

• Netflix show produced by Alex Cooper (“Call Her Daddy”) – Harry promises “chaotic,” “vulnerable,” and “cringe-filled” moments, with lots of drama (56:20–58:12).
• Sia joked about joining as a contestant if everyone else was “a dud” (56:40).

  “A lot of stuff for my dad is going to be in there…which was really, like, I guess, vulnerable and opens me up more…” – Harry Jowsey (57:11)

11. Closing Reflections

• Danielle asks if Harry cringes at his old reality TV persona – Harry admits it’s hard to watch now that he’s focused on settling down (58:12–58:38).
• Tease for bonus content: voicemail segment on the Teen Beat feed.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “We had to leave the country because we started getting stalked…horrible threats on my mum…we ended up leaving the country, went to Bali…” – Harry (11:39)
• “I remember because I was like, oh, dad, there’s all these camera crews in our driveway. And my dad just walked outside naked…get out of here!” (13:00)
• “Kids are so mean…but it was…very formative.” – Harry (15:05)
• Danielle: “You don’t seem like a troublemaker.” Harry: “Me? Come on!” (17:48–17:51)
• “A helicopter to Catalina…pre-written compliments for her” – Harry on his “craziest” date (29:37–30:23)
• “I love being a part of someone’s dream” – Harry on acting (33:32)
• “I'm the spokesperson for the Dead Dad Club with all my friends…” – Harry (55:30)
• “If you text your friend, ‘hey, thinking about you…whatever you need, I’m here…’” – Harry (56:07)
• “I don’t have to compete with other guys for screen time or hide stuff in people’s rooms.” – Harry on Let's Marry Harry (57:27)
• “A lot of…embarrassing things that I’ve done…I’ll be watching through my fingers.” (57:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Harry’s Bio – 03:57–06:28
• Defining “Little Sausage” & Early Misbehavior – 07:06–09:46
• Religion, School Expulsion, and News Scandal – 11:01–13:00
• Bullying & Nontraditional Holidays – 15:05–16:12
• Fight Clubs, Rugby Injuries, School Transfers – 18:23–21:02
• Teen Relationships, Dating Stories – 26:36–30:23
• Brand Dreams & Snacking as a Teen – 30:50–31:59
• Reality TV vs. Acting Reflections – 33:32–36:17
• Meeting Tom Cruise & Celebrity Crushes – 37:27–39:52
• Coolness, Generational Differences, Peptides – 44:34–46:55
• Older Fans & Dancing with the Stars Fallout – 47:09–50:35
• Grief, Losing His Dad, and Friendships in Loss – 50:48–56:20
• ‘Let’s Marry Harry’ Netflix Show – 56:20–58:12

Takeaways

• Harry Jowsey’s wild, unruly adolescence was marked by resistance to authority, a nontraditional family approach to religion, and headline-making scandals.
• He experienced both the benefits and pitfalls of reality TV fame, with an evolving perspective on relationships, adulthood, and grief following his father’s passing.
• Honest about his evolution (and cringe over his reality TV “fboy” persona), Harry demonstrates self-awareness and emotional depth.
• Danielle’s approach—humorous, nostalgic, and empathetic—offers listeners an engaging ride through the messy, meaningful milestones that turn even the “coolest” young celebrities into relatable human beings.

For listeners:
If you enjoy hearing candid stories of growing up, forming identity, making mistakes, and navigating fame, don’t miss the bonus segment on the “Teen Beat” feed. Plus, send your own tales of teen cringe for Harry to react to on a future episode!