By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
"Food has always been at the heart of storytelling for me,” Suzy Michael says. "I grew up in Australia with Egyptian parents who migrated here in the 1960s and our kitchen was the place where culture, memory and identity came alive. Cooking Egyptian dishes connects me to my heritage and allows me to share the flavours and traditions that shaped my childhood.”
The veteran presenter, who has been a familiar face on Australian screens for nearly 30 years, has built a career on connecting with people through culture, travel and everyday life. In her new series ‘Lifestyle Diaries’, food takes centre stage.
The debut episode asks what Suzy describes as the simplest - and biggest - question: how does food create communities?
"At its heart, my inspiration is simple: cooking is about connection. It connects us to our past, to our health, to our communities and to each other. Every dish in ‘Lifestyle Diaries’ tells a story of where we’ve come from and where we’re going and I feel privileged to share those stories with the world.”
It’s this cross-cultural lens that makes her cooking segments so compelling. From the fragrant Lebanese spreads of Al Aseel to the warmth of traditional Turkish dishes, Suzy believes that dining delivers beyond what is simply served for dinner every night.
"These cuisines are not just about recipes - they’re about history, family and the joy of bringing people together. When I sit with Chefs and families in these communities, I see food as a living story that carries generations of resilience and love.”
She also shines a light on food as wellness - whether that’s fresh, healthy cooking or the soothing ritual of medicinal teas.
"Equally, I’m passionate about healthy cooking and medicinal teas because they remind us that food is also medicine. I’ve always been inspired by how ancient cultures used herbs and spices for healing, balance and wellness. In ‘Lifestyle Diaries’, I wanted to celebrate this by showing audiences that food nourishes not only the body, but also the soul.”
However, ‘Lifestyle Diaries’ isn’t just about food. Each episode blends travel, culture and wellness with the same warmth Suzy is known for - from cooking alongside Sicilian grandmothers to finding a moment of mindfulness in a busy New York park. The show promises swoon-worthy shots of global destinations, but its real flavour lies in Suzy’s ability to uncover the people and traditions that give life meaning.
"I’ve always believed television is about connection,” she explains. "This is my way of sharing the beauty of our world through its people, their traditions and the moments that truly matter. Now I get to bring those stories to a global audience.”
That global stage is no small thing. This month, ‘Lifestyle Diaries’ launched in the United States on Amazon, Roku and Apple TV - making Suzy one of the few Australian lifestyle hosts to break into the hyper-competitive American streaming market.
It’s a big win not just for her, but for Australian storytelling more broadly, proving that our blend of humour, honesty and heart translates anywhere.
Ultimately, by leading the series with a food-focused first episode, Suzy brings something distinctively Australian yet universally relatable to American audiences. With ‘Lifestyle Diaries’ now crossing borders, her belief in the power of connection through food is set to inspire kitchens and conversations well beyond home.
As Suzy sums it up: "Every dish in ‘Lifestyle Diaries’ tells a story and I feel privileged to share those stories with the world.”
