MID

Tina Arena & The Truth About "Difficult" Women Nov 18, 2024

Are you "difficult" if you speak your mind, or have you just grown into yourself?

Do you just finally know what you want and how to ask for it? We asked Tina Arena. She's a Gen X icon with immense success under her belt, who can speak and sing and win awards in four languages, who has lived all over the world, and who, in recent years, has been refreshingly open about everything from politics to parenthood and to ageism in the music industry.

Not everybody likes that. But as Holly learned in this conversation about standing up for yourself, speaking your mind, about the music industry, about her son moving overseas with his dad, about beauty and ambition and truth… is that Tina doesn’t mind if you disagree with her, she just wants us all to tell our stories fearlessly. She’s going first.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Thom Lion

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EXTRA: Jackie-O & The Addiction That Almost Ended Her Nov 16, 2024

Jackie O was deep into a years-long addiction to pills and alcohol until one phone call changed her life.

There’s a reason Jackie O kept her addiction to pain medication and alcohol a secret for so long: shame. But now, she wants to share her story of recovery and healing with the world and to help other people get the help they need - and so she’s sharing the hard truths of the years she spent struggling.

Jackie and her best friend Gemma sit down for a searingly honest conversation with Mia Freedman about how Jackie found herself at her low point and finally had to admit her addiction to Gemma - and how Gemma got Jackie to rehab without the press finding out.

This is a story about addiction and recovery, but it’s also a story of the life-saving quality of friendship.

You can hear part two of Mia's conversation here.

Jackie is donating the proceeds from the sale of her memoir to Odyssey House - you can learn more about them here.

You can find Jackie O’s memoir, The Whole Truth, here.

You can learn more about Besties - Jackie & Gemma’s project - here.

And if this episode triggered anything for you and you need someone to talk to, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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Listen to more No Filter interviews here and follow us on Instagram here.

Discover more Mamamia podcasts here.

Feedback: podcast@mamamia.com.au

Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.

Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review.

CREDITS:

Host: Mia Freedman

You can find Mia on Instagram here and get her newsletter here.

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Thom Lion

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nikki's Divorce Began With A Midnight Email Nov 11, 2024

Nikki Parkinson's husband kept assuring her that her suspicions about infidelity were all in her head. And then one day, she got an email in the middle of the night that changed everything...What happened next took Nikki's life apart piece by piece.

Six years on, former lawyer Nikki says she made so many mistakes during that time she never wanted other women to do the same. Now she's turned that into her work, becoming a Divorce Coach, Separation Strategist and Co-Parenting expert, and she wants us to celebrate the end of bad marriages as much as we celebrate the beginning of good ones.

This is a story of the hard-won expertise that only comes from lived-experience - no matter where you are on the relationship spectrum, Nikki’s story has something to teach you about self-preservation, smart preparation, and rising from the ashes of a life you thought was set in stone.

LINKS:

The Divorce and Separation Hub

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producers: Thom Lion

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EXTRA: Paulina Porizkova - The Supermodel Who Dared To Grow Old On Instagram Nov 07, 2024

For many years Paulina Porizkova was the most recognized face in fashion & beauty - from her iconic Sports Illustrated cover to being the face of Estee Lauder. When she married rock star Ric Ocastek from the iconic band, The Cars. From the outside looking in, it seemed like she was living the dream.

To look at her, she really did seem like the woman who had it all. But while Paulina was as visible as you could be…she didn’t feel like she was being heard. Not by the photographers and fashion people, not by producers and directors, and not by her husband, Ric.

But then, during COVID, she became known to a whole new generation of women for an unlikely reason…crying on Instagram. And as you’re about to hear - Paulina had a lot of really good reasons to cry. (But, she also gets the last laugh).

When Paulina hit her low point, she shared her grief and pain - and tears - with Instagram. As you’ll hear, Paulina had a lot of reasons to cry (and a lot of new reasons to laugh).

You can follow Paulina on Instagram here

You can order Paulina’s book, No Filter, here.

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Listen to more No Filter interviews here and follow us on Instagram here.

Discover more Mamamia podcasts here.
Feedback: podcast@mamamia.com.au
Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.
Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review.

CREDITS:

Host: Mia Freedman

You can find Mia on Instagram here and get her newsletter here.

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Thom Lion

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kasey Chambers Keeps A D*ckhead List Nov 04, 2024

It’s not an actual list of dickheads, although let’s face it, by this stage of life, we’ve all met a few of those.

No, this list is for Kasey Chambers herself. It’s a list that signals to her that she isn’t listening to her gut - something that, by now, many of us MIDs have learned is our secret weapon...

Kasey has built a career tuning into her gut - she calls it her little foghorn. The foghorn told her that her first album should be called The Captain, despite the suits thinking it was a terrible idea. The Captain went on to go platinum three times. The foghorn who pushed her to ask Ed Sheeran if he might like to sing with her, even though she was pretty convinced he might be… busy. (Spoiler Alert: He did).

The foghorn that told her to seek help for an eating disorder that brought her to her knees, to leave a marriage that was no longer working, to parent against the grain, and to step off the glamorous but arduous international touring circuit to get back to what she loved. She travelled around Australia, in a van, with her family, singing songs to people who wanted to hear them.

This conversation is an absolute gem because Kasey is. It’s dripping with hard-won mid-lessons, good advice and stories of times everything went tits up, many of them recounted in Kasey’s book, called - you guessed it - Just Don’t Be a Dickead.

LINKS:

You can follow Kasey here.

You can find Kasey’s book here.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producers: Thom Lion

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing 'But Are You Happy': What Missy Higgins Knows About Shame Nov 01, 2024

Welcome to this special episode of But Are You Happy.

In this episode, Clare Stephens sits down with one of her idols, Missy Higgins—the Australian musician whose emotive songwriting has deeply connected with so many people.

They discuss prioritising happiness over expectations, navigating a new phase of life, and how music can be therapeutic when processing pain. Missy shares how creating her latest album, The Second Act, has helped her heal.

Is Missy Higgins happy? You’ll have to listen to find out.

We released this episode on R U OK? Day, a day dedicated to encouraging connection and open conversations about mental health. You can find helpful resources here.

THE END BITS

Subscribe to Mamamia

Missy Higgins’ latest album is called ‘The Second Act’. Listen here.
You can find all the dates and information about her tour here.
Missy will be inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame on November 20.

GET IN TOUCH:

Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au to share your feedback about the show or to suggest a guest.

CREDITS:

Host: Clare Stephens

Guest: Missy Higgins

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Scott Stronach

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Screw 'Slimming': A Mouthful of Radical Joy Oct 28, 2024

Gen X can be funny about food. A lot of us were raised on a diet of Kate Moss, cigarettes and coffee. We were happy to talk openly about skipping meals, cutting carbs, and cabbage soup cleanses. We swam in a sea of celebrity diet tips, fads and…shame.

In today’s episode of MID, Holly is talking about food and the absolute necessity of small joys with Virginia Trioli. Virginia Trioli is one of the most highly-regarded journalists and broadcasters in Australia. She’s a two-time Walkley Award winner, and her voice, on radio, on television has lent authority and comfort to some of the most difficult moments we’ve lived through as a nation. And this has given her a lot to say about…joy.

That’s what her new book, A Bit On The Side, is about. Because for her - and for Holly - food is part of that joy. And allowing ourselves to lean into the small pleasures that make a life, without guilt or shame, is a radical act, really. Particularly for women, when we have been taught that self-sacrifice and deprivation are our life’s lot.

So please feast on this conversation between Holly and Virginia - talking about food, love, and hard-fought parenthood and step-parenthood and losing your parents and wisdom and age and work and friendship and pleasure and letting go - and those times when you just have to… grow up, apologise and eat a shit sandwich.

LINKS:

You can follow Virginia here.

You can find her book, A Bit On The Side, here.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producers: Thom Lion

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flooding, Panic & An Idiot Allergy: The Great Mid Hormone Surprise Oct 21, 2024

Welcome to our first MID episode about hormones & peri & meno…we meant to do it earlier, but, you know: brain fog.

For more than twenty-five years, Grace Lam lived and breathed the rarefied air of high fashion as a Vogue editor. Everything was going according to plan for the talented, organised, focused Grace until hormones entirely upended her tidy world. She’s going to tell you about exactly what that felt like. Fast forward a few years, and Grace has become a loud and important voice for women being messed with by their hormones. She’s just appeared before the Western Australian Senate Public Hearing on issues related to peri/menopause, presenting the practical changes we need our medical and government institutions to make to catch up with what we need.

Grace is sharp and funny and honest and no bullshit. Like you. I think you’re going like her. OH, and she’s sweary. So. Yes, you’re definitely going to like her.

Grace is also generous - and has opened up her Instagram Rolodex with some links to follow for more information and inspiration about perimenopause & menopause. As always - please do your own research, but this could be a good place to start.

LINKS:

You can follow Grace here.

Grace’s Suggestions Below:

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producers: Thom Lion & Leah Porges

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looking Change Right In the Eye Oct 14, 2024

To kick off Season 3 of MID we are bringing you a conversation that Holly says kind of changed her life. We think it will change yours, too.

Inspired by her book - and it’s really a very good book - We Are The Stars - we talk about all that loss, all those different seasons of life she’s lived through, from being a wild young girl with a baby bird in her pocket, mercilessly bullied at school, to being a starry-eyed raver at the peak of Sydney’s club scene, to being a survivalist who falls in love with a man from somewhere else, gets diagnosed with cancer at the very moment she’s about to become a mother, has three precious years with her baby girl before that sickness comes for her, too. And the woman who chose, in the aftermath of unimaginable loss, to change again, to live. And live big.

Gina Chick really does know how to look change right in the eye.

LINKS:

You can follow Gina on Instagram here.
You can find Gina’s book, We Are The Stars here.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producers: Thom Lion & Tegan Sadler

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ready For More MID? Oct 10, 2024

Season Three Of MID with Holly Wainwright will be back in your ears on Tuesday 15th October with more conversations for - and with - Gen X women who are anything but.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Tegan Sadler

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

But What Have You Done To Your Face Sep 23, 2024

It's the last conversation of MID, Season Two, with our guest Alison Brahe Daddo.

Ali was THE Australian model of the late 80s, on every magazine cover and on many a teenage girl’s wall. She had a huge career here and overseas, and then she married the equally famous and swoon-worthy Cameron Daddo, backed right away from the industry, settled in LA and raised a family. Now, as Alison Brahe Daddo, or Ali, as very many of us know her, she’s also become just the most honest, interesting voice about midlife and menopause and all the messy challenges it brings us.

But in this episode, we’re not actually talking about that. We’re getting deep about surface stuff. Beauty, whatever it means to us - and let’s be honest, there’s a sliding scale of how much any of us can ever claim to have felt beautiful, at any age - is a beast in midlife. Because how we wear our age on our face and our bodies can feel so important, so crucial to how the outside world sees us, even as we know it’s really the silliest of all our concerns. It often doesn’t feel that way.

Listen to Holly and Ali discuss how they’re feeling, what they’re doing about, and where they stand on the mistakes they’ve made in thinking and talking about our faces and our bodies as we move on through.

Welcome to Mid, Season 2, Episode 8. Beauty, with Ali Daddo.

LINKS:

You can follow Ali on Instagram here.
Find her books and other projects here.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Thom Lion & Leah Porges

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Day You Disappear Sep 16, 2024

You've heard about the incredible invisible women of MID. One minute we're there, the next we're unseen by the naked eye, our voices only audible to dogs. Well, what if there was a way to reappear? Jane Tara is a writer whose brilliant novel Tilda Is Visible follows a woman who - literally - begins to disappear, and how she brings herself back into view. Not just the world's, but crucially, her own.

When it comes to disappearing, Jane’s lived it. In the year she turned 50, life was hammering her - she'd been hospitalised with a significant health issue, lost her business and been dumped via text by her partner of a decade. So how did she bring herself back to life, and back into view? That's the subject of this conversation, between Jane and host Holly Wainwright.

Welcome to MID, Season Two, Episode Six: Invisibility.

LINKS:

You can follow Jane on Instagram here.
You can buy her book Tilda Is Visible here.
And you can buy Holly’s books here.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Thom Lion & Leah Porges

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're Best Friends. Shut Up. I Love you. Go Away. Sep 09, 2024

Welcome to MID, the podcast for Gen X women who are anything but.Today we’re talking with Gen X Aussie icons, Vika and Linda Bull, all about family, and sisters in particular, and how they hold you and shape you and give you something to push back against as you grow into mid.

If, like Holly, you don’t have a sister, there’s still plenty of things to find in this conversation, because the women in it are excellent. Frank and funny and no bullshit and full of stories formed by not only being sisters but sisters who have spent the best part of 40 years in a tour bus together, singing, fighting, harmonising, and getting around some big messes.

They spent years performing with the coolest and most successful of Aussie acts of a certain era. The genius songwriter Paul Kelly. The uber-cool Joe Camilierri. They toured the world and navigated the boys club and stepped out onto the main stage sometimes together, sometimes apart.

Across all those years, their sisterhood has seen them both through arguments and fights, divorce, addiction, loss and those endless trips in tour buses… the things of many a midlife.

And despite being deeply different people they are, still doing it, and living round the corner from each other and their parents, who are now in their 90s, making family the centre of their world. Like every episode of MID, it’s about them but it’s about you.

Welcome to MID, Season 2, Episode 5 - Sisters.

LINKS:

Follow Vika & Linda Bull on Instagram here.
Find their tour dates and learn more about Vika and Linda here.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Thom Lion

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liane Moriarty Has A Big Question For You Sep 02, 2024

Liane Moriarty sits down with Holly Wainwright for this episode of MID.

Holly and the best-selling author of Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall (and so much more) are talking about time. The thing we have too much of when we’re young and have learned all to well not to take for granted as we get older.

Liane’s new book Here One Moment, is, in large part, about mortality, time and what you would do if you knew exactly how much of it you had left. But Liane also talks with Holly about how some ordinary but extraordinary events in her own life - losing her father, and both she and her sister being diagnosed with breast cancer - inspired this brilliant new novel’s theme. Welcome to MID, Season Two, Episode Four: Time.

LINKS:

You can follow Liane on Instagram here.
You can buy her new book here.
And you can buy Holly’s books here.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Senior Producer: Christel Cornilsen

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Thom Lion

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suddenly Irritated By Absolutely Everyone Aug 26, 2024

Angry, much? Yep, we get it.

Today we’re talking to Jacinta Parsons about rage. The ABC radio presenter and author has written a sharp and clever book called A Question of Age. It’s not an angry book, but she writes brilliantly about one of the most common - yet surprising - things about midlife: The fury.

In this conversation, we talk about why anger might be a very rational response to many things about… life. Like many women, she lives with a chronic illness, is a parent, and has a big job, but now Jacinta’s done pretending that everything is fine, and has made some big changes – to relationships, to work, and to how she handles her health - to live a better midlife. We talk about all that, and why it’s so complicated, dealing with the transition from “young” to “old”.

So put down the mask, relax that forced smile, and join Holly Wainwright with Jacinta Parsons, for a peaceful chat about rage.

LINKS:

You can buy the book A Question of Age by Jacinta Parsons here
Follow Jacinta Parsons on Instagram
Follow Holly Wainwright on Instagram

If you feel overwhelmed by your rage and emotions - and you need some help, please call Lifeline at: 13 11 14

If you need additional support with depression, anxiety or your mental health, please call Beyond Blue at: 1300 22 4636

And if you need medical support or expert knowledge about perimenopause, menopause, and your health, please reach out to the Australasia Menopause Society: https://www.menopause.org.au/

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Thom Lion

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When MID Doesn't Come With Money Aug 19, 2024

Simmone Jade McKinnon was - and is, to many - Stevie from McLouds Daughters. She joined that iconic Australian show fresh from another era-defining TV moment, Baywatch, with a Hollywood star fiancé on her arm and a creative career in full flight.

And then everything changed.

Simmone and her son Madigan have been living in a caravan and then a shed in her family’s back paddock for the best part of a decade. She’s been making ends meet with carer’s subsidy, odd jobs like jillaroo and by starting her own small business. When she decided to step out of a dark time and back in front of a camera for a reality show earlier this year it was very clearly with one goal in mind - the prize money.

On this episode, the first MID conversation about money, you'll hear how all that's been going for Simmone. And you’ll hear what it was like to be on one of the biggest shows in the world and get fired for what you refused to do in lingerie on a beach. How she came back from crippling panic attacks during a high-profile break-up to film wedding scenes for our viewing pleasure and, most importantly, how she’s kept moving and dreaming and pushing on as she’s been parenting her son alone on a very minimal income.

Simonne is famous but she’s not rich, and we assume those things go together. Her story might not be yours, but there’s plenty of familiar territory here. Please enjoy MID, Season 2, Episode 3: Money, with Simmone Jade Mackinnon.

LINKS:
You can follow Simmone on Instagram here.
Find her clothing company here.
You can donate to the Council of Single Mothers here.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Thom Lion

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finding The Joy In A Pile Of Shift Aug 12, 2024

Kylie Gillies is telling Holly Wainwright about The Shift. You know, the moment when you realise things have changed - your children were tiny, and now they’re not. Your parents were giants, and now they’re not. You were the bold young thing in the office. And now you’re not.

Kylie has been in living rooms across Australia for 17 years as co-host of The Morning Show with Larry Emdur. Not only is Kylie an experienced, engaged journalist, but she's also a MID woman perfectly placed to talk about all that shifting - kids growing up, losing and caring for much-loved parents, reflecting on your career and working out what’s next.

It's a conversation about the joy and wonder of being properly grown-up.

Welcome to MID, Season 2, Episode 2: The Shift.

You can follow Kylie Gillies here.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Thom Lion

Content Manager: Talissa Bazaz

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From No Sex To Best Sex At 49 Aug 05, 2024

Overlooked, touched-out and too tired. That's how many MID women feel about sex. It's how Leslie Morgan felt, too. At 49, her marriage ended, and after not having sex for three years, she decided to change that. Over the next year, Leslie found five boyfriends and discovered her sexual self wasn't actually dead, she was just having a good lie down.

In this interview with Holly Wainwright, author and advocate Leslie Morgan discusses what women really mean when they say they no longer care about sex, why you should never cover your wrinkles to attract a younger man (if you want one) and how it feels to have the best sex of your life after 50.

Welcome to MID, Season 2, Episode 1: Sex.

LINKS:
You can learn more about Leslie and find her books here.
You can follow Leslie on Instagram here.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Thom Lion

Content Manager: Talissa Bazaz

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MID Has A Message For You Aug 01, 2024

Sex. Money. Sandwich.

Season Two of MID with Holly Wainwright is coming back to your ears and your hearts on Tuesday 6th August.

You're not going to want to miss these incredible conversations with (and for) Gen X women who are anything but.

Follow and subscribe so you don't miss a thing, wherever you listen your podcasts.

THE END BITS:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Content Manager: Talissa Bazaz

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I Am Woman, Hear Me Giving No Shits Jul 01, 2024

By MID, you've woven a big, beautiful, messy life. Some of it joyful, some of it devastating, some of it entirely unexpected.

Today's guest, the iconic Australian musician Christine Anu has woven plenty of stories about all these things. In this very frank conversation, she talks about rebuilding herself, her life, her relationship with her kids and her career after a divorce knocked her off her feet.

Now, about to release her new album, Christine is reckoning with how all the parts of her past have brought her to a place where she's making the music of her life, free of the expectations of an industry that can be unkind to grown-up women.

Welcome to MID, Episode 8: Everything.

THE END BITS:

Listen to Christine's new single Waku - Minaral A Minalay here

Get $20 off for our birthday. Click here to get a yearly Mamamia subscription for just $49.
Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Talissa Bazaz

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Your Children Aren't Children Jun 24, 2024

It goes so fast. Did you want to pinch the people who said that to you when your babies were small? And now you know it's true.

Welcome to the season of parenting when they're taller than you, they're eating the fridge and apparently, you've done your job right if they need you less and less every day.

This episode of MID is a reunion. Holly hosted This Glorious Mess with author, presenter and Australian icon Andrew Daddo for years. Her kids were tiny, his were teens and together they unpacked all the messes young families bring. Now Holly's are teens, Andrew's are young adults, but between the five of them, only one has actually flown the nest.

How do you navigate parenting children who are no longer children? What happens when you're not always right? And how does it feel when they actually... leave?

Welcome to MID episode 7: Really Big Kids.

THE END BITS:
Get $20 off for our birthday. Click here to get a yearly Mamamia subscription for just $49.
Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Talissa Bazaz

Audio Producer: Jacob Round & Tegan Sadler

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grief Has No Time For Your Bullshit Jun 17, 2024

By MID, you've likely lived through some loss.

You know grief has no time for fancy words and clever jokes. In fact, it hasn't a lot of time for words, full-stop. It's a full-body experience that can change you on every level.

No-one wants to talk about death, except for our guest: interfaith minister, author and death-walker Dr Jackie Bailey. Jackie has experienced a great deal of loss, and she spends her life walking others through it, helping people prepare for it, and acknowledging it when it happens.

And if you think that makes for a depressing interview, you'd be wrong. Jackie is insightful, wise and funny, full of both practical and emotional support for the grieving. She's the perfect person to help us through the hard parts.

Welcome to MID, Episode 6: GRIEF.
Links for Jackie Bailey:
Jackie's tips on writing a eulogy
Read Jackie's eulogy for her mum here
You can buy a copy of Jackie's beautiful book here
Helpful links mentioned in the show:
Advanced care planning website
A link to a printable advanced care directive wallet card here
The list of questions you can ask someone incase they become non-responsive
Palliative care help here.

THE END BITS:
Get $20 off for our birthday. Click here to get a yearly Mamamia subscription for just $49.
Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Talissa Bazaz

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't Tilt Your Head At My Midlife Body Jun 10, 2024

Your relationship with your body might be the most complicated one you'll ever have. So says comedian and podcaster Helen Thorn. And she'd know.

Helen has been performing onstage in a skin-tight gold spandex catsuit for years, at all sizes and shapes, as one half of the Scummy Mummies comedy duo. She says that she always felt "f*cking powerful" in it, and laughed off the patronising head tilts of those who declared her "brave".

But when Helen found out her husband was cheating on her, upended her marriage and headed into lockdown with a broken heart, her relationship with her body began to shift.

This is a story not about losing weight, but about a 'midlife' woman discovering her strength in every sense. What happens to your life, your health, your friendships when you go from living on wine and take-out to running marathons and lifting very heavy things? Well, as it turns out: a lot.

Welcome to MID episode 5: BODY.

THE END BITS

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Talissa Bazaz

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cure For Burn-Out Is Cooked Jun 03, 2024

Burn-Out, says author Katherine May, is what happens when you repeatedly ignore your own needs. Sound familiar?

The first signs are often that you can't focus. Can't read, maybe. Can't sleep, or sleep too much? Can't eat, or can't stop eating? You're Tired All The Time. You have that cold that just won't leave.The cure, everyone says, is simple: Slow down, Darl. But it's not so easy when everyone needs something from you.

Author and advocate Katherine May - creator of the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling books Wintering and Enchantment - thinks that the way we're taught to deal with burn-out is unrealistic for most women, particularly midlife women with overflowing plates. Waking up to meditate is not so easy when you've got lunches to make, work to do, life to live. And let's face it, a world that prioritises productivity hacks isn't exactly championing meaningful rest.

So how do you replenish, in 2024, when absolutely everyone's lost their charger?

Welcome to MID, Episode 4: Burn-Out

THE END BITS

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

Click here for a copy Katherine's brilliant books.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Talissa Bazaz

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Do I Know If I'm Drinking Too Much? May 27, 2024

Most Gen X-ers did not grow up idolising 5am-rising yoga girlies. For many of us, drinking "like the boys" was almost an act of feminist pride, and certainly the way we knew we were having a "good time".

Holidays, celebrations, milestones. Wine o’clock, and the witching hour and the glass (or two) that marks the end of the work day... Alcohol is woven into our social lives in an almost invisible way. So what happens when you realise that the habit you thought of as your little helper is actually making everything worse?

On this episode, we're talking to Shanna Whan from Sober In The Country about why Generation X women drink so damn much. Shanna says that 90% of the people who seek support from her peer-to-peer organisation are women aged between 40 and 60. That's us, friends.

So why do Gen X women drink so damn much? How do you know if you’ve got a problem? And if it isn't you you're worried about, how do you talk to people in your life about their drinking?

Welcome to MID episode 3: Alcohol.

If this episode raised anything for you, here are some incredible resources:
Sober In The Country
Hello Sunday Morning
Alcoholics Anonymous
Life Line
Drink Wise

Want to hear Shanna's interview with Mia Freedman on No Filter? Click here
Read more about Shanna's story here

THE END BITS

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Host: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Talissa Bazaz

Assistant Production: Sandy McIntyre

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mid Life Dating Pool Has Wee In It May 20, 2024

Grown-up dating is a bit like the middle aisle at Aldi - full of surprises, a few hidden gems and a whole lot of sh*t you don't need.

Generation X are getting around the apps and although they didn't exist when we were young, we're fast learners, resilient as hell and our bullshit detectors are unparalleled. So, what could possibly go wrong?

Cathrine Mahoney knows. She's been post-divorce dating for almost a decade and has the stories to match. Like the time the man she'd been walking past at the park for months finally matched with her on Bumble, the time the guy asked if he could bring his "bull", and what happened when she slid into celebrity dating app Raya and everyone was famous.

If you're dating, thinking about dating or just keen to peer into the world of your single friends...

Welcome to MID, Episode 2: Dating.

Love Cathrine Mahoney? Then you'll love our podcast 456 Club - listen here

THE END BITS

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Hosts: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Talissa Bazaz

Assistant Production: Sandy McIntyre

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't Call It A Breakdown May 13, 2024

Julie Goodwin has had an extraordinary ordinary life. And in the last few years, she has had an extraordinary ordinary wrestle with her mental health.

While you were buying Julie's cookbooks, watching her two stints on Masterchef and listening to her on the radio, she was taking care of everyone but herself (sound familiar?) and some issues she thought she'd successfully shoved in a low drawer spilled out and began to take over.

In this first conversation for Mid, host Holly Wainwright talks to Julie about the winding road back from a "breakdown" and what happens when you stop doing everything for everyone all at once.

Welcome to Mid, Episode 1: Mental Health.

If this episode brings up anything for you Lifeline is always there on 13 11 14.

Want to get yourself a copy of Julie's incredible book Your Tim Starts Now? Click here

THE END BITS

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here.

Want to go in the running to win a $50 voucher? Answer this short survey.

CREDITS:

Hosts: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Talissa Bazaz

Assistant Production: Sandy McIntyre

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MID... We're Anything But May 10, 2024

Welcome to MID the grown-up conversations women deserve.

Ever wondered what to do when your ducks don't all fit neatly into the row they're supposed to?

Over eight episodes we bring you handpicked compelling stories discussing relationships and wellness.

Fun, frank wisdom from an impressive line up of well loved names, in the second act of life who share it all.

MID goes deep on self-care with zero shame and rich experiences you can cherry-pick for wisdom to share, changes to make and attitude we can borrow.

In MID we're anything but!

THE END BITS

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Follow us on Instagram @mamamiaaus

CREDITS:

Hosts: Holly Wainwright

Executive Producer: Talissa Bazaz

Assistant Production: Sandy McIntyre

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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