“I never anticipated how amazing the studio space is for these conversations to unfold,” Kumi Taguchi, the host of SBS’s flagship current affairs show, Insight, says about her first impressions of stepping on set. “The magic that unfolds in a room when people who have a common lived experience and are willing to talk about that in front of other people who have a similar experience – it was something I hadn’t imagined.”
Insight has been on air for more than 25 years and over that period has cemented its reputation for telling powerful first-person stories with a live studio audience, often leading to rousing debate.
Taguchi took over from Jenny Brockie as host of the show 12 months ago. Insight deals with a number of tough and moving topics, and learning to keep her emotions in check was something Taguchi had to work on.
“It’s been a huge privilege to have people trust us with their stories and be willing to be so open in that studio. I’ve had to find ways to really manage my emotions in that space and stay connected. And also know my job is to let them be emotional and let them be invested. It’s been a really interesting skill set to hone over the year.”
Taguchi says she knew she would find a story on coercive control really challenging. So she called on a former colleague for advice on how to manage her emotions when conversations on the show got especially tough.
“I asked him: ‘How do I hold it together but still be empathetic and do my job and not break down?’”
He told her about a paperclip technique he used, which Taguchi now uses herself.
“In really challenging episodes I hold a paperclip in my hand, though you will never see it, and I twist it around so I can shove my thumb into the point of the paper clip. What it does is it redirects your immediate emotional response. It really works.
“It’s important to hold it together but also work through your feelings. I deconstruct things after the show with my EP [executive producer] and with anyone else there, and we talk it through. I’m also a big believer in tapping into the counselling service we have at work … the after-care is really important.”
Insight has a history of providing a comfortable and safe space in which people can share deeply personal stories, which is something that’s important to Taguchi.
“We don’t have ‘caught ya’ moments. We don’t catch people out. We never push people to talk about something they don’t want to talk about. It’s a relationship you build with people over quite a long period of time and that’s done by an incredible team who you won’t see on air but who work behind the scenes.
“They make people feel supported and looked after, and build a level of trust so they know they are in safe hands. I come in at the end and it’s then a matter of me making them feel safe in the studio space.”
One of the ways Taguchi focuses pre-show is by listening to music.
“I do this ritual where I listen to a playlist for half an hour and I tune out anyone else in the office. I close my eyes and think about the people coming into the studio and why they want to tell their story. And I go right back to the beginning of why we wanted to do that story in the first place and why we thought it was important. I have to really reset, which is vital for me.”
Insight has a long history of addressing taboo or underreported topics. In the past 12 months the show has tackled a number of issues, including celibacy, adult ADHD, narcissism, the experience of having or being a favourite child and coercive control.
The Adult ADHD episode was memorable for Taguchi. “That was a great one. I loved recording that because of the honesty in the room and the men talking about mental health.”
The episode looked at the impact of being diagnosed with the condition later in life and treatment options for adults. SBS On Demand views of the episode are still climbing.
One of the guests, Jessica from Bendigo, made an impact on Taguchi, and the Insight audience. Jessica revealed she was diagnosed at 22, and that helped her understand herself and the world around her better.
“She was so wonderfully honest. So many people contacted us after the program asking about her. There was something about her that really resonated with me.”
On Favourite Child, Rhett Hutchence opened up to Taguchi about how he felt that his famous brother, Michael, was the favourite in their family. “That was another great one because it had such a wonderful balance of humour and also seriousness,” Taguchi says. “And the celibacy one I enjoyed doing because it’s a taboo topic and people don’t talk about it. I loved that program because you think it’s going to be a certain way but it ends up being something so much more intricate and detailed and fascinating.
“You hope the audience comes away thinking, ‘I think a little bit differently about this than what I thought’. The narcissism episode did that really well. To have it actually defined as a medical condition, a mental health disorder, and then to have people talking about that and unpacking it in a way I’ve never really heard.”
Toughest of all was the Intimate Terrorism episode, which took a first-hand look at coercive control – a term used to describe intimidating behaviours used to control, most often women, in a relationship. It was also the show that defined how Taguchi sees Insight progressing.
“Intimate Terrorism was such a challenging topic and there were such emotional and intense stories. And there was a difference in opinion of how to handle this awful situation that we have in society. But it was done in such a respectful way. And I thought, that’s the level of debate I want to see unfold in this room.”
Taguchi is excited about Insight’s future and what’s coming up in the new year – including exploring the personal fallout of conspiracy theories, catfishing, the impact that first loves have on our relationships, and happiness. Importantly, with Covid restrictions easing, the show will be able to bring back bigger studio audiences.
Taguchi is backing herself as host. “I feel like I’ve found my feet in the studio space and I feel confident with who I am in that space and that influences the program well before we even record. I go into that space knowing this is who I am and this is how Insight is going to be under my stewardship.”
Stream every episode of SBS Insight free any time on SBS On Demand.
