Love Stories

Jim Rogers met his wife Lorna in a small English town. The two connected over a shared obsession with VW Beetles. They married, had three children, and moved to Perth chasing sunshine. Life was good until Lorna was diagnosed with melanoma and tragically died within a few years, leaving Jim a single father to three children under nine.  Eighteen months later, his parents sent him on a holiday he didn't want to go on. There, he met a man named Tyler. What followed was a relationship neither of them expected, kept quietly in the background of family life for years, and one that's now lasted 26 years.  In this episode, Jim and Millie sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about the process of writing Jim's memoir together: the hardest parts to put into words, what it was like for Millie to hear new stories about her mum and her dad's early relationship with Tyler, and Jim's more recent diagnosis of young-onset Alzheimer's, which he's chosen to speak about publicly rather than hide.  Plus, Jim talks about the podcast he co-hosts with Hamish MacDonald, Hold the Moment, and what he hopes it can do to de-stigmatise Alzheimer's and help people with the diagnosis feel less alone.  Moments you’ll hear:  How Jim met Lorna, and the VW Beetle that started it all  Millie's memory of the day her dad told her and her siblings their mum had died  The holiday Jim didn't want to go on, and the man he met there  Millie's first inkling that her dad's friend was more than a friend  The proposal on top of the Empire State Building, and the surprise engagement at home  Jim's young-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis  Why Jim decided to write it all down, "warts and all"  Photo Credit: Rob Palmer  You can listen to Jim’s podcast, Hold The Moment, here.  Find Jim & Millie’s book, Holding on to Happiness, here.  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes.  You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice  Credits  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Leah Porges  Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: This episode discusses suicide, mental health issues, grief and the loss of a parent and child to illness. If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14.  Find more support services here: Need help? Support services and crisis helplines in Australia - The Australian Women's Weekly  In 2009, Gavin Larkin sat his wife Maryanne and their closest friends down at the dinner table and told them about an idea he'd been carrying since his own father died by suicide years earlier. It was a simple question that could change everything: "Are you okay?"  Allison "Ally" Langdon, a journalist and friend who was part of that conversation, knew instantly she had to help get the message out. What followed was R U OK? Day which has since grown into a national movement. But what followed was something that neither Ally nor Maryanne could have imagined.  In this episode, Ally and Maryanne sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about the early, uncomfortable days of getting a newsroom to even say the word "suicide," what it actually looked like for Ally to show up for her friend in the hardest years of her life, and the quiet, everyday ways two women have held a friendship together, and a legacy alive, for close to two decades.  Moments you'll hear:  The dinner table conversation in 2009 that became R U OK? Day  Why newsrooms wouldn't touch the word "suicide," and the pushback Ally got  Maryanne on losing both Gavin and her eldest son Gus, and why moving into her late son's bedroom with her two younger kids helped them all grieve  The small, practical ways Ally and their friend group showed up during the hardest years  What it means to keep telling stories about someone you've lost  Nearly 20 years on, what they still hope for each other  Visit the R U OK? Day website here.  Learn more about Ally and Maryanne's friendship in our exclusive interview here Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes.  You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice  Credits  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ed Kavalee still remembers the exact moment he fell for his wife, and it happened on his TV screen, watching her compete as Angel on Gladiators.  In this episode, Tiff Hall and Ed Kavalee sit down with Tiffany Dunk (or podcast Tiff as Ed calls her) to talk about how a TV crush turned into an 18-year love story, including the radio interview Ed engineered just to meet her, the moment he got cold feet six months in, and the blender that won her back.  They also open up about becoming parents, Ed's own childhood without a father in the picture, and how that's shaped the kind of dad he wants to be. Plus, Tiff talks candidly about rebuilding her relationship with her body after having kids, and why she built a business helping other women do the same.  Moments you’ll hear:  The night Ed first saw "Angel" on Gladiators, and his friend's prediction  The interview Ed engineered just to meet her (and the second one he asked for)  Their first date, and the book Ed used to test her sense of humour  The moment Ed got cold feet, and the gift that won Tiff back  Their engagement story – including a secretly pre-planned visit to a very famous jewellery store  Ed opening up about growing up without a dad, and what it means to him now  Tiff's journey to rebuilding her relationship with her body after having kids  Find out more about Tiff’s self-defence classes here.  Check out Tiff's work with 28 by Sam Wood here.  Find Tiff Hall on Instagram here.  Keep up with Ed Kavalee on Instagram here.  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at www.womensweekly.com.au   Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media, please tag us @womensweeklymag and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin: real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes.  You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice  Credits:  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Leah Porges  Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before Big Little Lies became a global phenomenon, Liane and Jaclyn Moriarty were just two sisters filling exercise books for pocket money, dreaming of becoming writers.  In this episode, Liane and Jaclyn sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about the family that shaped them: a mother who fostered more than 50 babies, a father who paid them to write, and the safety of growing up as two of six kids who loved books more than television.  They open up about the year Jaclyn was published first, the private rage Liane admits she felt, and what it took for her to finally sit down and write her own first novel.  Plus, they reflect on the whirlwind of Big Little Lies becoming a Hollywood sensation, the sequel Big Little Truths, writing a role for Meryl Streep, and Jaclyn's newest release, Time Travel for Beginners.  Moments you’ll hear:  Growing up as two of six kids, and their mum who fostered more than 50 babies  Their dad’s pocket-money scheme, and the story that started it all  The rage Liane felt when Jaclyn was published first, and who it was really aimed at  Reading Jaclyn’s first manuscript, and the years it took to write her own  The moment Big Little Lies became a Hollywood sensation  Writing a role for Meryl Streep, and the text that made it real  What they'd write for each other, if they could  Check out Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty here.  Find Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty here. Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at www.womensweekly.com.au   Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media, please tag us @womensweeklymag and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin: real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes.  You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice  Credits:  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content warning: This episode discusses combat injury, traumatic limb loss and newborn emergency surgery. If it raises anything for you, support is available: Wounded Heroes Australia crisis line 1300 532 112 (24/7 for ADF members, veterans and their families); Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling 1800 011 046 (24/7) | Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7).  Curtis McGrath was searching for landmines in Afghanistan when the ground beneath him changed his life forever. Two years into their relationship, Rachel was 1500km away when she got the call.  In this episode, Curtis and Rachel sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about the day everything changed, the months of hospital treatment and rehab that followed, and the slow work of rebuilding a new normal.   They open up about a proposal on top of a mountain in Canada, the wedding that scraped in just before COVID-19 hit, and becoming parents to a son whose own fight for life began just days after he was born. Plus, there's an exciting announcement about the newest addition to their family.  To all veterans who may be watching or listening to this episode, we thank you for your service.  Moments you'll hear:  Rachel and Curtis' first meeting, and the door that got shut in his face  The blunt question Rachel asked Curtis before he deployed  The day in 2012 when everything changed  The moment in hospital that made Curtis realise what life looked like now  Meeting Prince Harry at the Invictus Games, and what Curtis really thought of him  The proposal: a Banff Gondola, lots of stairs and a beautiful sunset  A diagnosis days after their son Monty was born  An exciting announcement about the newest addition to their family  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...   🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au/love-stories-podcast   Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]   If you share your love story on social media, please tag us. We’re @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at magshop.com.au/LOVESTORIES 👈🏽   Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes Australia.   You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice   Need help now? Wounded Heroes crisis line 1300 532 112, 24/7, Australia wide.  Credits  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Leah Porges  Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn more: The Australian Women's Weekly websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: This story contains descriptions of drug use, addiction and death. Support is available: LifeLine.  Wendy Whiteley has spent more than 30 years protecting the legacy of a man whom she loved deeply. In this candid episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, the artist, gardener and first-time podcast guest joins Tiffany Dunk to reflect on her extraordinary life with, and after, Brett Whiteley.  Wendy shares how a blind date led her to Brett, becoming his muse, and building a bohemian life together across London, Florence and New York. She opens up about the addiction that consumed them both for over a decade, the arrival of their daughter Arkie, her later death from cancer, and the moment Wendy finally chose to get clean for good.  She also reflects on how she found out Brett had died, how she turned her grief into Wendy's Secret Garden, and how the loss of her daughter years later tested her all over again.  Plus, Wendy shares what she's still building today at the newly reopened Brett Whiteley Studio in Sydney.  Moments you’ll hear:  Wendy's unfiltered thoughts on love, hate and duality  What love looked like growing up, and ‘running away’ from home at 12  The blind date that led her to meet Brett Whiteley  Becoming his muse, and moving to Europe for their art education  Marrying at 21 and living on next to nothing as young artists  The arrival of daughter Arkie, and how it changed their relationship  How casual drug use in the 60s spiralled into over a decade of addiction  The day Wendy learned Brett had died, and how she channeled her grief into a garden  Rebuilding her bond with Arkie in London, and the sudden loss that changed everything again  Why she's spent over 30 years preserving Brett's studio exactly as he left it  What love looks like for Wendy today  Photo Credits: Brett Whiteley Studio archive, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales  This story contains descriptions of drug use and addiction. If you or someone you know needs support, contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline for free and confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1800 250 015. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at www.womensweekly.com.au   Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes.  You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice  Credits:  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Leah Porges  Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 2 of this heartfelt conversation, actress, author, TV host, and proud Larrakia and Tiwi woman Miranda Tapsell and her mum, Barbara, share the moments that shaped their extraordinary mother-daughter bond.  From the hilarious story of Barbara "testing" Miranda's now-husband James during his first visit to Darwin, to becoming grandmother and mother together, they reflect on how family evolves through every stage of life. Miranda opens up about raising children who are proud of their Tiwi and Larrakia heritage, why passing on culture matters, and the simple hope she has for the next generation: that they'll always know they're loved.  The pair also discuss Miranda's joy in hosting Portrait Artist of the Year, why her parents have suddenly become armchair art critics, and the beautiful lessons she's taken from her parents' 50-year marriage into her own relationship.  Moments you'll hear: Why Miranda and Barbara drifted apart when she moved to Sydney and how they found their way back to each other   The unforgettable family trip to the Cannes Film Festival that became a once-in-a-lifetime memory   The hilarious way Barbara "tested" James during his first visit to Darwin   How becoming a mother and a grandmother transformed their relationship   Why grandparents play such a special role in family life   How Miranda is raising her children to be proud of their Tiwi and Larrakia heritage   The touching story behind her children's Indigenous names   Why Portrait Artist of the Year has turned Miranda's parents into unexpected art critics   The beautiful lesson Miranda learned from her parents' 50-year marriage   What both women hope love will look like for the next generation  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes.  You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: https://www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice  Credits:    Host Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Our wonderful The Australian Women’s Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly Website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Miranda Tapsell has become one of Australia's most celebrated actors and storytellers, but behind every chapter of her remarkable career is the woman who taught her what love, family, and community truly mean: her mum, Barbara.  In this two-part episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, proud Larrakia and Tiwi woman Miranda joins host Tiffany Dunk alongside Barbara for a heartfelt conversation about the unbreakable bond between mother and daughter, the lessons that have shaped their family across generations, and the love that has carried them through life's biggest changes.  Together they reflect on Barbara's childhood as the eldest of eight children, meeting and falling in love with Miranda's father, Tony, raising a family in Kakadu in the Northern Territory, and Barbara's years supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Miranda shares how her mum's unwavering belief in her gave her the confidence to pursue acting, the extraordinary sacrifice Barbara made to help her through drama school, and the values she's now passing on to her own children.  They also open up about the realities of navigating the world as Aboriginal women, the work ethic and resilience passed down through generations, and why Barbara always taught Miranda that family doesn't stop at your front door.  Part 2 is available now, where Miranda and Barbara share the story of meeting James, the family "tests" every new member must pass, the joy of raising the next generation together, and why love, laughter, and culture remain at the heart of their family.  Moments you'll hear: Why Barbara has become a "mythical" figure in Miranda's life stories  Barara growing up as the eldest of eight children and learning responsibility early  The workplace romance that led to Barbara and Tony's 50-year marriage  Why Barbara waited until her 30s to become a mum  The family philosophy that "family doesn't stop at your front door"  Life growing up in Kakadu National Park and the village that raised Miranda  Barbara's extraordinary career supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and Miranda reflects on having her mum at school every day  The special role Miranda's grandparents played in her childhood  Miranda's very first performances and the early signs she was destined for the stage  The difficult transition from the Northern Territory to Sydney and studying at drama school, and the incredible sacrifice Barbara made to help Miranda finish NIDA  The life lessons Barbara taught Miranda about resilience, presentation, and work ethic as an Aboriginal woman  The family history behind those lessons and the policies that shaped generations  Miranda sees the next generation's performer beginning to emerge in her own daughter  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at www.womensweekly.com.au/love-stories-podcast/  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes.  You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice  Credits:  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Leah Porges and Helen Smith  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hannah Richell met Matt in a London publishing office in 2001. He had just walked in and taken the promotion she wanted, wearing jeans and Birkenstocks, and she was determined to hate him. Then September 11 happened, they sat by a canal with coffee the day after, and everything changed.  Thirteen years later, on a completely ordinary Wednesday in July 2014, Matt went for a morning surf at Tamarama Beach before a meeting. He was 41, the CEO of Hachette Australia, and the father of their six-year-old son and three-year-old daughter. He never came home.  In this episode of The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories, Hannah talks to Tiffany Dunk about the love story that came first, the day the police were standing in her front room, and the twelve years since. She describes grief as falling into a sinkhole. She explains why her very first feeling was shame. She shares what a child psychologist told her the day before she had to tell her children their father had died, advice she still calls a lifesaver.  She is also, unmistakably, still here. There is a new relationship, a blended family of seven, a candle lit every Christmas Day, and a memoir, An Ocean and a Day, that she describes as a small companion for anyone in the dark.  If you have ever wondered what to say to someone who is grieving, Hannah has a clear answer, and it is easier than you think.  The office rival she was determined to hate, the Birkenstocks that made it worse, and the canal-side coffee the day after September 11 that started it all  The proposal that never came on their last European holiday, the 24 hours they spent apart because of it, and the four words that fixed it: “I’m choosing you”  “Life would be pretty dull if it stayed just us”: the moment by Sydney Harbour that changed Matt’s mind about children  The phone call from Matt’s PA about a Bondi detective, and the run up the hill to a house that looked dark for the first time  Why the very first thing Hannah felt was shame, and the question underneath it: had they been too happy, too lucky, too in love?  What a child psychologist told her the night before she had to tell a six-year-old and a three-year-old, and why she calls it a lifesaver  Why the second year of grief can be harder than the first, and what happens when everyone else’s life goes back to normal  The single most useful thing you can do for a grieving person Lipstick, Prosecco and a colleague walking into the bar: the guilt of being a 39-year-old widow caught mid-laugh  The pub lunch six years later where two strangers cried together, and the blended family of seven she never saw coming Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you go…  🗣️ Got thoughts? We’d love to hear from you — we’re still growing this podcast and your feedback genuinely shapes it.  📬 Send us your love story (or just say hello): [email protected]  🌐 Join the Love Stories community: womensweekly.com.au/love-stories-podcast  📲 Share your story on social: @womensweeklymag | #AWWLoveStories  📖 Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly: magshop.com.au/LOVESTORIES 📚 An Ocean and a Day by Hannah Richell is published by HarperCollins Australia, August 2026. hannahrichell.com 💜 If this episode raises anything for you: Griefline 1300 845 745 | Lifeline 13 11 14 (24 hours) | Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 (24 hours) | Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (24 hours)  🙏 Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes Australia, the only national 24/7 crisis service for Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families. Every donation helps them answer the next call: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice   🙏 Special thanks to our partners Vixin — real results, simple skincare that’s a little bit fancy. Australian made, powered by plant stem cell technology. Use the code LOVESTORIES at checkout for 30% off: vixin.com.au  Credits: Host: Tiffany Dunk Edited by Leah Porges Supervising Producer Leah Porges Our wonderful The Australian Women’s Weekly team Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content warning: This episode discusses veteran suicide, family and domestic violence, PTSD, and severe financial hardship. If it raises anything for you, support is available: Wounded Heroes Australia crisis line 1300 532 112 (24/7, for ADF members, veterans and their families) | Open Arms — Veterans & Families Counselling 1800 011 046 (24/7) | Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7) | 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 (24/7).  When a veteran or their family rings Wounded Heroes Australia at 2am, the voice on the other end is Martin Shaw. As the charity's president since 2011, he knows how impactful the voice on the phone can be. The words he says every time are the same ones that helped his wife fall for him: "Don't worry, I’ve got you.”  Kim Shaw heard him say those words before she ever loved him. She was focusing on work and not looking for love. When he first asked her on a date, she initially turned him down. When he tried again, she said yes and they were married within 12 months – but Wounded Heroes remained a major focus. Martin even took a crisis call on their honeymoon, but Kim never flinched.  Theirs is a quieter kind of love story: two people who have built a marriage around holding other families together. And it’s the perfect place to begin our Acts of Service series, a new monthly limited series from The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories in partnership with Wounded Heroes Australia.   In this episode, Tiffany Dunk sits down with Martin and Kim to talk about the marriage behind Australia’s only national, 24/7, non-government funded veteran crisis service.  They explain what a $6.10 prescription, a $100 fuel voucher or a pizza delivered on Anzac Eve actually buys. Not a solution. A night. One in twenty Australian households has someone who has served. In 2023, suicide was the leading cause of death among ex-serving ADF members. Martin and Kim are two of the people who pick up when those numbers turn into a phone call.  And Martin makes the case that sits at the heart of this whole series: everyone who signs up to defend this country does it out of love. Their whole life, as he puts it, is actually built around love.  Moments you’ll hear:  The words Martin says to every veteran who rings in crisis, and why Kim calls them the most comforting thing she has ever heard.  “You’re a flirt, I’m not interested”: the knockback, the chase down the office stairs, and the wedding twelve months later   The $1,000 a soldier’s wife handed back, and the ten-year-old boy whose PTSD diagnosis changed the course of Martin’s life.    The night a veteran rang from a pizza shop with no wallet, no phone and no car, and what $6.10 fixed the next morning.  Anzac Eve in a house with no electricity, where a soldier had pawned his medals and his children had agreed to sell their PlayStation.  Why Martin has lent his own charity close to half a million dollars, including his own  superannuation.   The two times of year Wounded Heroes braces for: Christmas with New Year, and Easter with Anzac Day.  Martin on what love actually means here: “You don’t have to wear a uniform to be a warrior”.  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au/love-stories-podcast  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we’re @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at magshop.com.au/LOVESTORIES 👈🏽  Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes.  You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice  Need help now? Wounded Heroes crisis line 1300 532 112, 24/7, Australia wide.  Credits  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Leah Porges Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women’s Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women’s Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matty Acton was only 18 when he met Esther and her three-year-old son, Ethan. What began as an unlikely spark on a Toowoomba dance floor turned into a marriage, two more children, and a life that has never once followed the traditional timeline.  In this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, Matty and Esther join Tiffany Dunk to reflect on the rocky early years of their relationship, the loss of Matty's father and the advice he gave his son about loving a ready-made family, as well as the moment Ethan first called Matty "Dad”.  They also open up about becoming grandparents so early in life, the surprising parallels between their own whirlwind beginnings and their son’s early marriage, and why they've started sharing their story more widely through their own podcast, Underage Grandparents.  This is a conversation about love that doesn't follow a script, blended families, and finding something beautiful in circumstances that don't look the way you expected.  Moments you'll hear:  Why Taylor Swift's ‘Cardigan’ and Jack Johnson's ‘Better Together’ are the soundtrack to their relationship Meeting through a mutual friend and their first kiss at the Tatts Hotel in Toowoomba What it was like dating as an 18-year-old whose girlfriend was already a mum The outside pressure that fuelled their early breakups, including a six-week split that nearly ended things for good The advice Matty's dying father gave him about loving Esther and Ethan without fear Ethan meeting Matty for the first time in a Woolworths car park Moving to Sydney, getting engaged after seven years, and Matty's blindfolded proposal The conversation about Ethan calling Matty "Dad" Choosing to have children of their own, and welcoming Xander and Eden Becoming grandparents to granddaughter Illyria before Matty turned 40 Why they started their own podcast, Underage Grandparents Their message to anyone whose life hasn't gone to plan  You can listen to Matty & Esther’s Underage Grandparents podcast here.  Watch more of Matty here.  Catch Matty on Stav, Abby & Matt on B105 Brisbane 6-9am weekdays.  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes.  You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice Credits  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Helen Smith  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For almost four decades, Vika and Linda Bull have been one of Australia's most beloved musical duos. But long before the ARIA Hall of Fame, chart-topping albums and standing ovations, they were simply two sisters growing up in a home filled with music, faith and an unwavering sense of family.  In this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, Vika and Linda join Tiffany Dunk to reflect on the upbringing that shaped them, the unique bond of their "blood harmony", and the lessons they've learned from building a career side by side.  Together they share stories from life on the road, the challenges of navigating the music industry as women, the conflict that almost pulled them apart, and the family intervention that brought them back together.  Vika also opens up about her journey to sobriety, while both sisters reflect on why honesty, forgiveness and family have become the foundation of both their music and their lives.  Moments you’ll hear:  Why Vika and Linda say they "won the parent lottery"   Growing up in a home where Tongan and Australian cultures came together through food, faith and music   What "blood harmony" really means  Starting out in Melbourne's pub scene and breaking into the music industry   Touring with The Black Sorrows, Joe Camilleri and Paul Kelly   The boys' club culture of the music industry and learning to fight for equal pay   The conflict that led to three months without speaking and the family intervention that saved their relationship   Raising children while touring Australia and the world   Vika's decision to stop drinking and why sharing her story became so important   Why their greatest success isn't their career, but still having each other  Vika & Linda are touring their new album Where Do You Come From? nationally. Buy tickets or the album here.   Buy Vika & Linda's memoir No Bull here.  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes.  You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice Credits:  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: This content discusses mental health issues, suicide, and peri and post-natal depression, which may be triggering for some audience members. Help is available below.  Just over 25 years ago, Louise "Gidget" Cotton became a mother for the first time. Not long after, she died by suicide after experiencing peri and postnatal depression that those around her didn't recognise in time. She left behind a heartbroken family and an eight-and-a-half-month-old daughter.  In this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, Tiffany Dunk sits down with Louise's mum, Sue Cotton, her sisters Jacqui and Simone, who co-founded the Gidget Foundation, and her daughter Jasmine to reflect on the woman they lost, the family she left behind, and the extraordinary legacy that grew from unimaginable grief.  They share memories of the vibrant, funny young woman they knew as Gidget, the devastating aftermath of her death, and the moment they discovered there was nowhere to direct donations in her memory, sparking the creation of what has become one of Australia's leading perinatal mental health organisations.  They also open up about the realities of peri and postnatal depression, the importance of recognising the signs, and why they're determined to ensure more parents receive the support Louise never had.  Moments you’ll hear:  How a family's champagne-and-long-lunches bond set the stage for the conversation  How Louise and her husband Dave met at a party and became inseparable from their first date  Why Louise wore a red wedding dress inspired by Kerri-Anne Kennerley  How Louise fell instantly in love with motherhood the moment Jasmine was born  Why Louise's quiet plea, "What about me?", still haunts Sue today  The devastating morning Sue spoke to Louise for the very last time  The tragic way the family learned Louise had died  How Louise's nickname "Gidget" came from her bubbly, gullible charm  Why 200 people and $20,000 raised at the first memorial lunch proved how much this cause is needed  How The Gidget Foundation grew from one rented house to 45 (soon 50) locations nationally  The moment Dave finally told Jasmine the truth about how her mother died  Why Sue's letters to Louise became a source of healing over the years and how grief brought the sisters even closer than before  The family's tradition of eating Portuguese tarts and wearing red to remember Louise  Thank you for listening ❤️    If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised, help is always available. Gidget Foundation Australia offers free perinatal mental health support at www.gidgetfoundation.org.au or 1300 GIDGET (1300 443 438). Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14.  More support services can be found here: https://www.womensweekly.com.au/health/support-services/  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at www.womensweekly.com.au   Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Credits  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Supervising Producers Leah Porges and Helen Smith  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lucinda Light became one of Australia's most beloved reality personalities thanks to her warmth, humour and unwavering belief in love on Married at First Sight. But the foundations for that outlook were laid long before she stepped in front of the cameras.  In this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, Lucinda joins host Tiffany Dunk alongside her father, Michael Reilly, for an honest conversation about family, acceptance and the people who teach us how to love.  Together they reflect on Lucinda's adventurous childhood, the close-knit family that encouraged curiosity and creativity, and the values that continue to shape them today. Michael also reflects on a deeply personal chapter in his life, the acceptance he found within his family, and the love that has continued to bind them through every change.  Plus, Lucinda opens up about why she applied for Married at First Sight, what she learned from Celebs Go Dating and what she's really looking for in a life partner.  Moments you’ll hear:  How Lucinda's parents taught her that love should be adventurous, joyful and full of possibility   Why travel, dancing and laughter have always been at the heart of the family  Michael and Sue's remarkable friendship decades after their marriage ended   The family values that shaped Lucinda's optimism and emotional intelligence   Why Michael always trusted Lucinda to follow her unconventional path   The spontaneous decision that led Lucinda to apply for Married at First Sight   What really happened behind the scenes of MAFS and why she's grateful she took the leap   Lessons from filming Celebs Go Dating and why she's finished with dating shows  Michael's experience of coming out later in life and the unconditional support of his family   What Lucinda is looking for in love now and why she's happier than ever waiting for the right person  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at www.womensweekly.com.au   Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Credits  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They grew up in the same house, chased the same dream and spent two decades racing each other to the wall. Now, without any medals on the line, Cate and Bronte Campbell are sitting down to talk about the love story at the heart of it all: sisterhood.  In this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, Cate and Bronte join host Tiffany Dunk to reflect on two decades of shared sacrifice, rivalry and unwavering support. They share moments from their childhood in Malawi, what it felt like to stand on an Olympic podium and the private heartbreaks that tested them along the way.  Plus, they open up about what it really feels like to race your sister in front of the nation, how they held each other together when things fell apart, and the role their brother Hamish, who has cerebral palsy, has played in grounding them throughout their careers. And now with both in retirement, they talk about what it means to step away from a lifelong dream and the projects they're pursuing next.  Moments you’ll hear:  Growing up in Malawi with a big family How their love of swimming began  Their brother Hamish, who has cerebral palsy, and what he taught them about perspective  How they navigated sibling rivalry in the public eye  Qualifying for the London 2012 Olympics together  The message they received on the night of the closing ceremony; “Hamish is in ICU”  Cate’s reflection on her Rio 2016 Olympics performance   Life after the pool and what’s next  What each sister wants love to look like for the other  Listen to the Campbell sisters' podcast: Campbells & Co  Bronte's sustainable activewear brand: Earthletica  Bronte’s interview with The Weekly on her retirement: Women’s Weekly.  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at www.womensweekly.com.au.  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Credits  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emily wasn't sure she wanted to apply for Farmer Wants a Wife – until David's photo popped up on Facebook and changed her mind. Meanwhile, David had tried the apps, was living on his family farm and quietly hoping for something more.   In this episode of The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories, David and Emily sit down with Tiffany Dunk – with seven-week-old Willa in tow – to talk about the speed date where Emily was saved for last, the blind date that changed everything, and what it actually felt like to fall in love in front of the nation.  They open up about the post-COVID loneliness that led them both to the show, what it was like to watch friends and family celebrate their love at a big farm wedding, and how Emily navigated morning sickness on a 40-minute commute before she could tell anyone why.  David reflects on the moment he told his producer, “I feel so light, so happy around her,” and Emily shares why moving to the farm two weeks after filming wrapped never felt scary. Plus, the pregnancy announcement that happened in the middle of a backpacker dinner, the emergency C-section that brought Willa safely into the world, and the new venture that means their farm will soon be hosting other people’s love stories too.  Moments you’ll hear:  Why Emily applied for Farmer Wants a Wife after spotting David’s photo on Facebook – and the puppy she bought first.  The speed date where David’s producer saved Emily for last.  The blind date that was “no turning back” and how their feelings shifted from that moment.  What being filmed constantly and living together for eight weeks does to a relationship.  Emily moving to the farm two weeks after filming and finding a dance teaching job.  The Mudgee proposal: gin tastings, a fake photo shoot, a jetty – and the ring size Emily had handed over at breakfast that morning.  A 220-person farm wedding, a big tipi, and a dance floor people still talk about.  The pregnancy announcement in the middle of a chaotic backpacker dinner.  Emily’s morning sickness, a 40-minute commute, and keeping a big secret.  Baby Willa’s arrival.  Their new wedding venue, Lagnicourt, where others can celebrate love where theirs began.  Check out David and Emily’s new wedding venue, Lagnicourt Weddings and Events here.  Love Farmer Wants a Wife? Check out our coverage here.  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at www.womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Credits  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Rob "Millsy" Mills saw Georgie Tunny on ABC Breakfast in 2018, he did what any reasonable person would do: he Googled her, found their two mutual friends, and slid into her DMs.  In this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, Georgie and Rob sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about the message Georgie left on read for three days, the Harry Potter spoof play that became their first date, and why 'sober dating' (coffee and a walk around the Botanical Gardens) might be the secret to a strong relationship.  They open up about the realities of two demanding careers pulling them in different directions, the conversation with Georgie's mentor Virginia Trioli that helped her choose love over a job offer in Brisbane, and the unexpected gift of slowing down together while filming The Amazing Race Australia, which they won by just 43 seconds.  Georgie also talks about her debut novel Over to You, set in the high-stakes world of morning television. Rob also reflects on the lessons he's learned working on his own projects exploring men's mental health – including a simple piece of advice from an ex-military sniper that he's never forgotten. And yes, they finally answer the wedding question: four and a half years into their engagement, is a date on the cards?  Moments you’ll hear:  How Rob spotted Georgie on ABC Breakfast, googled her, and slid into her DMs - and why she left him on read for three days.  The Harry Potter spoof that became their first date, and the friend who convinced Georgie to go.  Why 'sober dating' – coffee and a walk, no alcohol required – helped them have the big conversations early.  The career-defining moment Georgie almost let slip past her, and the advice from mentor Virginia Trioli that changed her mind.  How they navigate long distances, competing careers and learning to communicate when it's hard.  Winning The Amazing Race Australia by 43 seconds – and the meltdown in Taiwan that nearly ended their run.  Georgie on her debut novel Over to You and the morning TV moment that inspired it.  Rob on the advice from an ex-military sniper that he still carries into his relationship.  What their future looks like, including the wedding that’s been almost five years in the making.  Over To You by Georgie Tunny is available now. Waitress: The Musical opens in Sydney in August. Find out more at waitressthemusical.com.au   Learn more about Rob and Georgie here: https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/rob-mills-partner/  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Our special thanks to our partners at Vixin  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Use the code LOVESTORIES for 30% off your order at Vixin now!  Credits: Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Charlie Potter Supervising Producer: Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly Website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Nas Campanella was sent to Bega to take over Tom Oriti's job, neither of them expected the handover to become the beginning of a life together.  In this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, Nas and Tom sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about the early days of their relationship, from nightly drives home and Italian family dinners to the very practical first gift that somehow said everything: a corkscrew.  They also open up about building a family together, the assumptions people still make about Nas as a blind mother, and why being visible as a family matters. Nas speaks with clarity about internalised ableism, disability and parenting, while Tom reflects on the casual comments and stares, they still encounter in public.  But this is also a joyful family story. Nas and Tom share the rituals, boundaries and humour that keep their home grounded: less screen time, more music, audiobooks, story time, silliness, emotional language and the kind of love that is said out loud, every day.  More in this Exclusive story from The Australian Women's Weekly: ABC journalist Nas Campanella introduces baby Lachlan and opens up about coping with other people’s prejudices Moments you'll hear  How a job handover in Bega became the start of a 14-year relationship.  The hilarious first gift Tom bought Nas when he realised she might be the one.  Why Nas once wondered whether anyone would want to have children with her, and how Tom responded.  The everyday ableism Nas and Tom still encounter when people assume Tom speaks for her.  Why Nas insists their family is seen out in the world, even during ordinary four-year-old chaos.  How Lachie is learning disability awareness, empathy and emotional honesty at home and at daycare.  The boundaries Nas and Tom use to protect their relationship, family time and mental load while working in news.  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription 👈🏽  Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy: vixin.com.au  Credits  Host Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Charlie Potter   Our wonderful The Australian Women’s Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly Website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Amanda Ferrari left Sydney for the tiny town of Trangie, she was told there were two eligible bachelors she should stay away from. But the moment she walked into the local pub and saw farmer Ross across the bar, she knew she'd be ignoring that warning completely.  More than 30 years later, Amanda and Ross Ferrari sit down with Tiffany Dunk for The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories to talk about the real life behind a country romance: becoming parents to premature twins, learning how to belong in a tight-knit town, supporting each other through drought, running a farming family, building community, and buying the very pub where their love story began.  This is a warm, funny and deeply Australian conversation about love, marriage, rural life, friendship, resilience and what it means to make somewhere your home.    Moments you’ll hear:  How Amanda first saw Ross across the bar at the local pub  The surprise pregnancy that turned best friends into a family  Why Ross is the steady “wood” to Amanda’s fire  The emotional and financial pressure of farming through drought  Amanda’s advice for anyone trying to find community later in life  How they bought The Imperial Hotel in Trangie to keep the town alive  Why regional life still has so much to offer people looking for home, connection and belonging  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media, please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription 👈🏽  If you loved hearing Amanda and Ross Ferrari’s story:  Farmer Wants a Wife https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/farmer-wants-a-wife-2026-farmers/   Country heroes: https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/real-life/rural-doctors/   Australian rural life: https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/carol-mudford-sheep-shearer-agrifutures-rural-women-award/   The Boarding School Collective Trangie, NSW  The Imperial Hotel, Trangie  🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:  Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy  Credits:  Host Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Charlie Potter and Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women’s Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly Website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlie Albone and Juliet Love’s love story started like a real-life rom com, although Juliet did not exactly leave their first meeting swooning.  When the Better Homes and Gardens pair first met during a screen test in Rushcutters Bay, Charlie was nervous, hungover and barely speaking. Juliet drove away thinking he was rude. Somehow, a silent car ride, an accidental work date and one very persistent invitation later, they were on their way to a marriage that has now carried them through fast romance, two children, long stretches apart, renovations, health scares and the everyday mess of real life.  In this episode of The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories, Charlie and Juliet sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about their early days, their South Coast wedding, what it is really like to work with your partner, how they navigate family life, and how Juliet’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis changed everything.  They also open up about anxiety, asking for help, why long-term love still matters, and what gardening has taught them about marriage: you cannot chase perfection, but you can keep tending to what matters.  Moments you’ll hear:  How Charlie and Juliet first met during a very awkward screen test  Why Juliet thought Charlie was rude  The accidental first date Charlie thought was romantic, and Juliet thought was work  Their fast engagement and South Coast garden wedding  How Juliet’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis changed their family life  How Charlie supported Juliet through illness and anxiety  What they have learnt about working together on Better Homes and Gardens  Why gardening, family and imperfection are such a big part of their love story  The lessons they hope their sons learn about love  Thank you for listening ❤️    Before you leave...    🗣️ Get in touch     What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we’re @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription 👈🏽  If you loved hearing Charlie and Juliet’s story:  The Living Edit  Charlie Albone  Better Homes and Gardens  Follow Charlie on Instagram  Follow Juliet on Instagram    🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:    Vixin real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy  Credits:    Host Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Charlie Potter   Consulting Producer Jessie-Lee Klass  Our wonderful The Australian Women’s Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly Website   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian, writer and professional tall girl Melanie Bracewell has built a career out of making strangers laugh  but the real love story starts at home, with a rescued Shih Tzu cross called Charles, his 'chaos goblin' sister Gigi, and a scrapbook full of tiny, hard won victories. In this episode, Melanie talks with Deputy Editor Tiffany Dunk about growing up as the lanky kid who felt like “too much” and “not enough” at the same time, and how comedy became the first place she was allowed to take up space. She opens up about being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, learning that disorganisation isn’t a moral failing, and the Netball Awards night that forced her to finally ask for help. There are love languages (acts of service and very chic travel chargers), primary school heartbreaks, The Cheap Seats live shows and the very specific kind of soul mate energy that exists between a person and her rescue dog  (with an underbite that melts a room). Mel shares how she “gamifies” life to survive a non‑linear career, why a bad gig can be grounding, and what she wants to tuck into her future scrapbook. This is an episode about chosen family, second chances, and the quiet bravery of letting yourself be seen. Moments to hear 💓 Love languages, but make it practical  Melanie’s case for gifts that solve a problem (and why the sexiest present she’s ever received is a neatly packed travel charger) 💓 Too tall to disappear  growing up the tallest kid in class, feeling like she had to be quiet because her body already entered the room first, and how school plays gave her permission to be loud 💓The Netball Awards breakdown the night a car parked in the wrong place turned into the turning point that led to her ADHD diagnosis 💓Is this hard for everyone, or just me? what changes when you realise your brain isn’t broken, it’s just wired differently and why medication gave her back a sense of control rather than “fixing” her 💓Charles, Gigi and the rescue romance  how a Maltese Shih Tzu with a complicated past re‑taught her what unconditional love looks like, and why rescue pets feel like op‑shop finds you’ll never stop bragging about. 💓 The wedding, the TV show and the guest list that may or may not include Jacinda Ardern what she wants the next decade to look like, onstage and at home. Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories and any feedback at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we’re @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at https://www.womensweekly.com.au/ 👈🏽  If you loved hearing Melanie's story:  Learn more about The Petstock Foundation’s Pet Adoption Month  a national campaign encouraging Australians to adopt rescue pets, donate or support local rescue groups helping animals find loving homes. To learn more or make a donation, visit the Petstock Foundation Read more about Melanie on our website:  Adult ADHD  Dogs and the impact on mental health Learn more about The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories at https://www.womensweekly.com.au/love-stories-podcast/  🙏 Our special thanks for making Love Stories our home:  Vixin, real results, simple skincare that’s a little bit fancy  🎧 Credits:  Host Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Charlie Potter Consulting Producer Jessie-Lee Klass  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Editor Sophie Tedmanson  Our wonderful The Australian Women’s Weekly team  💓 Learn More The Australian Women's Weekly Website: https://www.womensweekly.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deb Lawrie did not set out to become a symbol. She just wanted to fly.  By the late 1970s, Deb had the hours, the qualifications and the experience to become an airline pilot. What she did not have was the one thing Australia’s major airlines seemed to require: being a man.  When Ansett refused to hire her, Deb took on one of the country’s most powerful companies and won. Her landmark case made her Australia’s first female commercial pilot, and helped force open a door that had been firmly shut to women.  In this episode of The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories, Deb sits down with host Tiffany Dunk alongside her son Tom Lawrie, who would eventually follow her into aviation.  Together, they talk about the teenage flying lessons Deb (almost) hated, the public fight that gripped Australia, the women who quietly boycotted Ansett from behind office desks, and what it was really like to raise a son while flying around the world.  For Tom, Deb’s work was simply normal when he was a child. His mum flew planes. Sometimes he sat in the cockpit. Sometimes he was more interested in helping the flight attendants with the trolley service. It was only as he grew older, and became a pilot himself, that he began to understand what his mother had really done.  This is a story about a mother and son, a job that became a calling, and the kind of courage that can change a family long before anyone realises it.  Moments you’ll hear:  ❤️ Deb’s first flying lessons, and why she hated the first one  ❤️ The solo flight that made everything click  ❤️ How Deb built her hours flying opals across outback Australia  ❤️ Why Ansett tried to wait her out until she was too old to apply  ❤️ The sexist arguments used to keep women out of the cockpit  ❤️ How office secretaries helped boycott Ansett  ❤️ The day Deb won her High Court battle and passed her final flight test  ❤️ Tom’s childhood memories of having a pilot for a mum  ❤️ The moment Tom realised Deb’s job was extraordinary  ❤️ Why Tom followed his mother into aviation  ❤️ Deb’s advice for anyone who has been told no  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories and any feedback at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we’re @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at https://www.womensweekly.com.au/ 👈🏽  If you loved hearing Deb and Tom’s story:  Read Deb Lawrie’s memoir Touching the Sky  Learn more about The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories at https://www.womensweekly.com.au/love-stories-podcast/  🙏 Our special thanks for making Love Stories our home:  Vixin, real results, simple skincare that’s a little bit fancy  Credits:  Host Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace  Production by Charlie Potter and Jessie-Lee Klass  Our wonderful The Australian Women’s Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More The Australian Women's Weekly Website: https://www.womensweekly.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Katie Noonan’s 20-year marriage ended, it wasn’t a clean plot twist, it was the slow unravelling of the life she thought she’d be living forever: two boys, one family, a future she could name. In this episode of Love Stories, Katie chats with Deputy Editor Tiffany Dunk of The Australian Women's Weekly about her layered grief: losing her Dad, becoming suddenly single, and realising that the person you have to learn to love again is yourself. This isn’t a celebrity profile so much as an emotional recording of a songwriter who has gone through a lot of life. Katie goes back to the 90s - the disastrous eyebrows, the Gold Coast gigs, the share house full of actors - to find the younger self who started a band, fell in love and thought she’d cracked adulthood.  What happens when that version of the story collapses? Katie revisits the dark days she wasn’t sure she’d get through, how she's made mistakes along the way, and how music keeps dragging her back to the surface. Moments you’ll hear: Katie admits she sometimes bursts into tears just seeing a family with two young boys, because “that was my life, and it isn’t now." How she’s turning heartbreak into a new album: “There’s nowhere to hide, it’s just me and a piano” and why she released the most exposing song of her career even though it might be too much for her own kids to hear just yet. The quiet wisdom her mum offers as they grieve side‑by‑side: “Every day is a new day… just let yesterday be”; and how a Buddhist temple on the Sunshine Coast and tiny rituals of self‑care are helping them both keep going. Katie’s confession that she’s been “really hard” on herself, questioning her whole reality, and the small, almost boring word she’s learning to cling to: resilient. It’s a conversation about divorce, yes. But really it’s about what you build in the empty space afterward: a different kind of family, a different kind of faith, and a love story that starts awkwardly, imperfectly with yourself.  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 If you loved hearing Katie's story:  Katie Noonan singing 'Breathe In Now'  Alone But All One is released on June 26. Pre-order here Katie is touring around the country. Find tickets and venues here: https://www.katienoonan.com.au/shows Follow Katie on Instagram here  See More 👀:  Divorce Month Music news  🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:  Vixin  real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy Credits:  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Charlie Potter  Our wonderful The Australian Women’s Weekly team   Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly Website    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you grew up translating for your parents, working in the family business and quietly editing your dreams down to something “sensible,” this episode is for you. Actor Ana Thu Nguyen and her mum, Uyen, talk about going from a crowded boat and 17‑hour bakery days to a life where survival isn’t the only goal and why Ana finally stopped treating acting as a selfish fantasy and started seeing it as the point. This isn’t a guilt trip; it’s loud, joyful permission for anyone who’s ever thought, “That dream’s not for someone like me,” to want more anyway. In this episode of Love Stories Tiffany Dunk Deputy Editor of The Australian Women's Weekly, we uncover what it feels like to have the wildest dreams, the one you’re certain is “not for someone like you”is exactly the life you’re allowed to want? In this episode, actor Ana Thu Nguyen sits down with her mum, Uyen, to talk with Tiffany about how a family journey that began on a crowded boat and in an Indonesian refugee camp slowly, quietly turned into something else: a home built on support, softness and the loud joy of saying yes to a creative life. Ana grew up as the eldest daughter in a Vietnamese‑Australian family translating for her parents, helping in the bakery, watching them work 17hour days and convincing herself that law or a “proper job” was the only way to honour their sacrifice. Her escapism was always story: stacks of library books, school plays, and the moment she watched a production of Macbeth and literally saw herself on stage, years before Hollywood came calling Together, Ana and Uyen trace the love story underneath the hustle: the grandfather‑figure who opened his Sydney home to them, the weekends in Cabramatta keeping culture alive, the bakery that paid the bills and raised two daughters, and the small gestures of care a hug, a shared coffee, a home cooked meal that told Ana she was loved long before she was “successful.” And then they talk about the pivot: the moment Ana decided that choosing acting wasn’t a betrayal of her parents’ struggle but the purest use of it. This isn’t a trauma story; it’s a permission story. It’s for anyone raised on hard work and low expectations who now finds themselves pulled towards a life that looks nothing like what their family imagined and is scared of wanting it anyway Moments you’ll hear: Ana explaining the mental math of the eldest daughter: if she chose acting over law, she was sure she’d be “dishonouring” her parents and failing at the one job she’d given herself to pay them back. Uyen casually mentioning 17‑hour days in the bakery and “half a day off at Christmas”  The moment in a high‑school production of Macbeth when she looked at the stage and, in her words, “left her body” because she suddenly saw herself up there, not just as an audience member but as a possibility. How her mum’s quiet mantra “I can do this for my family, I can do this for my children” became the blueprint for Ana’s own leap into acting: if she loved it this much, surely she could do it too. A love language check‑in that reveals both mother and daughter are “touch people,” more interested in hugs and time together than gifts, even as the world tries to monetise every feeling via holidays and retail moments. The shift from survival to support: Ana realising that her parents hadn’t worked this hard so she could stay small and sensible forever; they’d worked this hard so she could stand in a life that fit her, even if it scared all of them a little. Thank you for listening ❤️  before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 If you loved hearing Ana and Uyen's story:  Meet Ana on threads Best Award Winning Films of 2026   🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:  Vixin  real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy Sarah Todd and Declan Cleary, Baby Claudia and Charlotte    Credits:  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Thomas Crnkovic   Our wonderful Australian Women’s Weekly team   Learn More: Womens Weekly Website     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On paper, Sarah Todd and Declan Cleary’s love story looks like a match made in heaven: two chefs meet on MasterChef Australia: Back to Win, he cooks the “marry me” barbecue fish, she makes the French bouillabaisse, and they ride off into the sunset with matching aprons. In reality, it’s messier, braver and far more interesting a story about second chances, blended families and a birth that almost broke them before their twins even took their first breath. In this episode of Love Stories Tiffany Dunk Deputy Editor of The Australian Women's Weekly, Sarah and Declan rewind to the beginning: the green‑room chats when they were “definitely just friends”, the weekend hangs that became a safe house from the pressure cooker of reality TV, and the exact moment in the elimination line when Declan, convinced he might never see her again, blurted out a date request while she was wearing the black apron. From there, they trace how a friendship forged under studio lights quietly turned into a relationship that had to make room for a child, a dog, two careers and the logistics of building a life in the real world, not just on camera. But the centre of the episode is the birth of their twin girls: an emergency C‑section that descended into 14 of the longest minutes of their lives, when both babies came out silent and Sarah’s health started to spiral. Declan talks about standing in a theatre full of doctors, thinking he might lose all three of them; Sarah remembers waking up to seizures she couldn’t control, trying to do skin‑to‑skin with cannulas up her arms while her body shook. It’s raw and precise and somehow still full of gratitude: for the surgeon who wrapped Declan in a hug and said, “your three girls are going to be all right,” for the NICU staff who moved mountains to get the twins to her chest, and for the fact that the story doesn’t end in that operating room. Moments You’ll hear: How two fiercely focused competitors went from “we’re just here to win” to admitting the butterflies that were there all alongand why Declan chose the most stressful possible moment to ask Sarah out. The realities of blending a family: what it meant for Sarah, as a single mum, to protect Phoenix’s world while letting someone new in, and how Declan approached being “a good bloke and a role model,” not a replacement parent. An unvarnished account of a birth trauma: silent twins, emergency interventions, nine days in hospital, and the complicated feelings that come with not being able to give your babies the “ideal” start you’d imagined. How they found their way back to each other afterward through fear, guilt, gratitude and the slow work of telling the story out loud until it felt like theirs again, not just something that happened to them. If you’ve ever looked at your own love story and thought, “this is too chaotic, too hard, too weird to be anyone’s happy ending,” this episode is for you. Thank you for listening ❤️  And just a heads up, this episode discusses birth trauma. If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the free services below: Griefline — 1300 845 745Support for anyone experiencing loss, grief or loneliness.Visit griefline.org.au Blue Knot Foundation — 1300 657 380Support for adult survivors of childhood trauma and abuse.Visit blueknot.org.au SANE Australia — 1800 187 263Support for people living with complex mental health issues and their families.Visit sane.org Mental health and emotional support services Lifeline — 13 11 1424/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. You can also chat online at lifeline.org.au Beyond Blue — 1300 22 463624/7 support for anxiety, depression and emotional distress. Webchat available via beyondblue.org.au 13YARN — 13 92 7624/7 national crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who are feeling overwhelmed or having a tough time. Staffed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis supporters who listen with understanding, without judgement, and in a culturally safe space. Visit 13yarn.org.au Suicide Call Back Service — 1300 659 467Free phone and online counselling for people at risk of suicide, concerned about someone, or bereaved by suicide. QLife — 1800 184 527Anonymous, LGBTIQA+ peer support and counselling from 3pm to midnight every day. Visit qlife.org.au NSW Mental Health Line: Call 1800 011 511 If you are outside Australia Find international hotlines and support services at findahelpline.com, a global directory of free crisis helplines. You are not alone Reaching out for help is a sign of strength. If you or someone you know needs support, please connect with one of the services above. The Weekly will continue to share stories of courage, recovery and hope, and we encourage you to take care of yourself while listening before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 If you loved hearing Sarah and Declan's story  Their Relationship in pictures  The Twins Girls See more Sarah Todd  and Declan Cleary    🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:  Vixin  real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy Sarah Todd and Declan Cleary, Baby Claudia and Charlotte    Credits:  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Thomas Crnkovic   Our wonderful Australian Women’s Weekly team   Learn More: Womens Weekly Website     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sensitive issues raised 💓 Love Notes bonus episode is part of our series of Love Stories -  short, quiet episodes from The Australian Women’s Weekly. With small reminders that love is something we practise, not just something that happens to us. In this Love Note, Charmaine Caldwell, CEO and founder of VIXIN   returns to discuss with Deputy Editor Tiffany Dunk the part of midlife we rarely see: a decade‑long menopause journey, running a business through what she calls “100 mental breakdowns,” and the quiet work of learning to be kind to herself again. She talks about choosing a mostly natural path through perimenopause, why education and connection sit at the heart of her brand, and the messages from women saying “you saved my skin” that helped her keep going. Charmaine also opens up, for the first time publicly, about surviving domestic violence and what it took to build a new life on the other side. You’ll hear her best practical advice on self‑love starting with how you speak to yourself, putting your own mask on first, and letting small acts of care snowball into something bigger. If you need a gentle reminder to keep going, or permission to start talking to yourself like someone you actually care about, this Love Note is for you.  Thank you for listening ❤️  before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories. Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 See More:  Menopause Symptoms No One's Talking About Naiomi Watts 'Menopause It's Not The End' If you loved hearing about Charmaine, you can follow her on Instagram and learn more about her products :  Learn More About Vixin VIXIN Instagram   🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:  Today’s episode is brought to you by VIXIN Beauty, high performance, Australian Made skincare built for real skin and real results. No complicated routines, no watered down formulas, just powerful actives that support your skin at every stage. Explore the range at vixin.com.au and enjoy up to 30% off bundles Credits:  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Thomas Crnkovic   Our wonderful Australian Women’s Weekly team   Learn More: Womens Weekly Website     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who loves you for the longest? Not in the dramatic, fireworks way but in the quiet “did you book your scan?” way. In this episode, we sit with Miss Universe Australia Lexie Brandt and her mum, Penny, in the kind of conversation that usually happens in hospital corridors or parked cars outside imaging clinics Lexie was 11 when Penny was diagnosed with high grade breast cancer on the same day Lexie started Year 6 and became a school captain. It’s the age when you’re meant to be stress crying about friendships and braces, not mammograms and mortality. Overnight, the roles between mother and daughter shifted: Penny became “the patient,” but she was still quietly choreographing everyone else’s feelings, telling Lexie, “This is sad, but we’re getting it fixed,” and turning terror into a family action plan. Tiffany Dunk Deputy Editor of The Australian Women's Weekly asks Penny and Lexie to take us through the journey, the GP visit Penny almost said no to, the waiting room that slowly emptied until there were only two women left, the phone call where Lexie half remembers 'something different was happening" and remembers asking for an ice block because kids still want snacks even when the adults are falling apart. They talk about how you tell an 11 year old you have cancer without breaking her, how you parent when you’re the one who can’t get out of bed, and what it means for a daughter to grow up with the C‑word as a constant, invisible third in the room. Moments You'll Hear:  How a routine 41st‑birthday check up one Penny initially tried to decline caught her breast cancer early and probably saved her life. Lexie’s memory of “the day Mum told me,” and how Penny’s language of action over despair became the moral she now lives by. The messy logistics of illness:  families, step siblings, proud partners who relish accepting a lasagne drop off, and the invisible admin women shoulder while they’re meant to be “resting.” What helped most: bringing “home” into hospital rooms with photos and soft pyjamas, letting friends drive the school run, and allowing themselves to accept help instead of performing strength The way cancer rearranged their bond but didn’t define it Lexie still sending outfit pics for approval, Penny still being the person everyone else orbits, and both of them now using their story to push other women towards early checks and being part of the strong community and event The  Mother’s Day Classic. If you’ve ever been the child trying to stay brave for a sick parent, or the parent editing your own fear so your kid can sleep, this one will feel uncomfortably, tenderly familiar Thank you for listening ❤️  before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 If you loved hearing Lexie and Penny's story see more  Support and be apart of the Mothers Day Classic  Lexie Brantt Miss Universe Learn about the Mothers Day Classic    🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:  Vixin  real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy Lexie and Penny and The Mothers Day Classic  Credits:  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Thomas Crnkovic   Our wonderful Australian Women’s Weekly team   Learn More: Womens Weekly Website     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever talked yourself out of something big because it sounded “unrealistic” on paper new city, new partner, new life and then spent years wondering what might’ve happened if you’d just gone with your gut? In this episode of Love Stories hosted by our Deputy Editor Tiffany Dunk, David and Lisa Campbell rewind to the moment they met by chance in Melbourne him in a musical with Magda Szubanski, her in a serious UK theatre production—and let us into the slightly unhinged decision that followed: three weeks of knowing each other, then a one‑way ticket across the world. With Magda playing fairy godmother, an email about “crumbs off love’s table” that changed everything, and a Neighbours‑era Angry Anderson cameo, it’s the kind of meet‑cute that should not have worked…and yet somehow absolutely did. They talk honestly about what came after the rom‑com montage: visas, no career safety net, tiny apartments, call‑centre jobs, homesickness, therapy and the pressure of knowing “I moved countries for you, so we really need to get this right.” There’s the mafia‑movie Yum Cha where Lisa faces the full Barnes clan, the moment David realises he actually likes himself more with her in his life, and the years of parenting that followed twins included that felt, in their words, like being strapped into a rapids ride together, just adding more people to the boat. You’ll hear: The full story of how Magda Szubanski became their accidental Cupidand why an email from her pushed Lisa to fight for something her head had already written off. What it’s really like to throw in your whole life for love in your 20s, and how they handled the resentment, money stress and identity loss that followed. The therapy tools that stopped their early fights from derailing the relationship, and how they still use them 20 years and three kids later. The “audition” Lisa had to pass with Mahalia Barnes and a table of soul singers, and how the Barnes and Campbell families ended up holidaying and living side‑by‑side. How they’ve kept their relationship feeling like a whirlwind romance, even as life has become school runs, work trips and the chaos of a big, blended clan If you’ve ever wondered whether you should listen to your head or your heart, or if you’re in the middle of your own scary leap and need proof it can actually work out, this is your episode Thank you for listening ❤️  before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 If you loved hearing check out their  Austenverse Podcast here Family life with Lisa and David Campbell   🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:  Vixin  real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy Lisa and David Campbell    Credits:  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Thomas Crnkovic   Our wonderful Australian Women’s Weekly team   Learn More: Womens Weekly Website     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories, we’re talking about the kind of love that pads down the hallway on four legs and leaves a paw-shaped crater when it’s gone. 🐾💓You’ll meet Ryan Wilson, a former SAS soldier whose life was literally saved by a military dog named Fax during a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan, and whose heart was later held together by Kenny, the clumsy, grinning working dog who became his shadow for 15 years.  Ryan shares the moment Fax sensed danger on the wind, found the hidden fighters waiting to kill them, and paid for that instinct with his life.  He walks us through the ramp ceremony they gave Fax, just as they would any fallen soldier, and why he’s certain the death toll in Afghanistan would have been far higher without dogs like him.Back home, Ryan turns that shock into devotion, retraining as a dog handler and being paired with Kenny, a Belgian Malinois who bolts the first time he’s let off lead and later becomes the unit favourite the dog who runs into trees, matches Ryan’s clumsiness, and still gives 110% every time he works.  We follow Kenny into retirement on the couch and down to the beach, but also into the quiet, awful reality of a working dog’s body breaking down: spinal damage, failing back legs, and the moment Ryan has to admit the pain is too much.If you’ve ever stayed up all night on the floor beside a pet, convincing yourself a tiny mouthful of food means they’re “doing better,” this conversation will feel uncomfortably close.  Host Tiffany Dunk shares her own recent goodbye to her beloved cat, and together she and Ryan sit in that specific, complicated grief: wishing the animal would slip away in their sleep instead of forcing you to make the call, bargaining with the small wins, and then living with the decision long after the vet’s car has driven away.  Ryan talks about how he got through the day he let Kenny go inviting 15 old comrades over to his house, telling stories, having a drink, and putting Kenny to sleep at home, surrounded by the people who knew what he’d done and who he’d been.This episode also peels back the curtain on what a “life of service” really means for military dogs once the missions end.  Ryan explains why these dogs so often retire with serious injuries, how common PTSD is in canine veterans, and why handlers are suddenly left to shoulder eye‑watering vet bills completely alone.  Out of that injustice came Working Paws Australia, the charity Ryan co‑founded to pay for the surgeries, medications, and ongoing care retired working dogs need so handlers no longer have to choose between their mortgage and their best friend’s pain.  We hear about the dogs they’ve already helped, the families who were on the brink of financial freefall, and why simply listing each dog’s tours of duty on the Working Paws website feels like its own kind of honour roll.Through it all, this is a story about unconditional love in its purest, least performative form: the dog who greets you the same way whether you’re your best self or your worst, who jumps out of helicopters with you and sleeps at your child’s feet, who doesn’t ask for anything back.  Ryan reflects on what dogs can teach us about love that humans often can’t manage loyalty without conditions, presence without judgment, and the quiet insistence that you are worth showing up for, every single day.  And in the space Kenny has left, Ryan is pouring that love into his young daughter and into every retired working dog his charity can reach.If you’re listening with a dog at your feet, or still reaching for a pet who isn’t there anymore, this episode is for you.Moments You'll Hear:   A war story where the hero has four legs, not a medal.The private, unvarnished reality of deciding it’s time to say goodbye to a pet you can’t imagine your life without.How it feels when your grief for “just a dog” or “just a cat” is so big you hide it from social media—and why it deserves to be taken seriously. The creation of Working Paws Australia and the families they’ve already pulled back from the brink of losing both their home and their dog.A gentle, raw conversation about the ways love doesn’t end when a life does—it just has to find somewhere new to go. Thank you for listening ❤️  before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 If you loved hearing Ryan's story find out more about the work he does with Working Paws and how you can support too.   🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:  Vixin  real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy Ryan Wilson  Kenny, Armani and all of our four legged furry friends 🐾   Credits:  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Thomas Crnkovic   Our wonderful Australian Women’s Weekly team   Learn More: Womens Weekly Website     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalist and TV host Narelda Jacobs and her wife, political strategist Karina Natt, join Deputy Editor of the Australian Women's Weekly, Tiffany Dunk on the Love Stories couch to share the very modern, very tender story of how friendship across state lines became a marriage, a baby and a whole new way of living. From a chance meeting in the ABC Q+A green room, through late‑night five‑hour phone calls and a WorldPride first date, to Karina packing up her life in Adelaide for Sydney, they talk about choosing partnership when you’ve spent years insisting you don’t “need” anyone.They open up about the quiet at home proposal that left them both in tears, why the word “wife” still matters for queer couples navigating a world that often fails to see them as a family unit, and how they landed on their daughter Sanna’s name (and the surprisingly fraught decision of which surname comes last). They also reflect on their experience with an Aboriginal midwifery program, the gaps in post‑birth hospital care and what it showed them about advocacy, privilege and the women who don’t have the same voice.Now on extended parental leave together, Narelda and Karina share what it’s like to build a blended family with their known donor “Daddy Mitch”, why they wrote a satirical picture book about queer parenting, and how visibility can be both a responsibility and a joy. They talk candidly about shutting out online “expert” pressure, trusting that Karina is the expert on Sanna, and what they hope to teach their daughter about love, ego, independence and emotional intelligence.Moments You'll Hear:  How friendship between two “strong, independent women” became a long distance love story  WorldPride, phone calls and the moment they realised they couldn’t get through the day without each other   Moving states, supporting the Voice referendum roadshow and building a life as a team   The at‑home proposal, why “wifey” turned into “wife”, and the power of language for queer couples  Conceiving Sanna with their friend Mitch, choosing her name and negotiating surnames  The importance of culturally safe, queer inclusive maternity care    Thank you for listening ❤️  before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 If you loved hearing Narelda and Katrina's story, you can follow him on Instagram and check out their new book:  Queers Weren't Meant To Have Kids - Book Narelda Jacobs website Narelda's Instagram  and Karina's Instagram 🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:  Vixin  real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy Narelda, Karina and Baby Sanna ABC    Credits:  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Thomas Crnkovic   Our wonderful Australian Women’s Weekly team   Learn More: Womens Weekly Website     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sensitive issues raised 💓 Love Notes bonus episode is part of our series of Love Stories -  short, quiet episodes from The Australian Women’s Weekly. With small reminders that love is something we practise, not just something that happens to us. In this Love Note, we sit with Charmaine Caldwell, CEO and founder of VIXIN and Deputy Editor Tiffany Dunk as she uncovers something special she calls her “why book”: a journal stuffed with handwritten messages from customers, friends, charities and, most of all, her son. She reads a note she wrote to herself 16 years ago a letter for the days when everything feels heavy, and quitting would be easier and explains why she carefully copies it into every new book she starts Charmaine talks about raising her son alone, walking through a decade of menopause “fog” while building a skincare brand for women who no longer recognise their own faces in the mirror, and the messages from customers that have kept her going including one woman with cancer who asked to be buried with her VIXIN products because they made her feel beautiful on her worst days. This is a 'Love Note' episode about the love we pour into other people and the love we’re still learning to offer ourselves: packing orders with intention, sticking Maya Angelou’s “they’ll never forget how you made them feel” on the warehouse wall, and trying, every day, to be kinder in the way we speak to ourselves than the world is. If you need a gentle reminder to keep going, or permission to start talking to yourself like someone you actually care about, this Love Note is for you.  Thank you for listening ❤️  before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories. Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 See More:  Menopause Symptoms No One's Talking About Naiomi Watts 'Menopause It's Not The End' If you loved hearing about Charmaine, you can follow her on Instagram and learn more about her products :  Learn More About Vixin VIXIN Instagram   🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:  Today’s episode is brought to you by VIXIN Beauty, high performance, Australian Made skincare built for real skin and real results. No complicated routines, no watered down formulas, just powerful actives that support your skin at every stage. Explore the range at vixin.com.au and enjoy up to 30% off bundles Credits:  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Thomas Crnkovic   Our wonderful Australian Women’s Weekly team   Learn More: Womens Weekly Website     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if your armpit smell, your birth control, and a dying octopus all had something to say about your love life? In this episode of Love Stories with beloved Dr Karl Kruszelnicki - Australia’s loudest shirt and sharpest science brain we pull apart the chemistry, hormones and fascinating questions behind who we want, why we stay, and when we should absolutely run alongside Deputy Editor of the Australian Women's Weekly, Tiffany Dunk. We start with the body: menstrual cycles, the pill, and how shifting hormones can quietly reroute your attraction, your moods, and even how “into” your partner you feel. Then we go down the rabbit hole of smell - yes, your armpit funk and whether your odour is secretly swiping right on your behalf, nudging you toward someone whose immune system is a good match, or away from someone who suddenly just smells…not quite right for you. From there, it gets even more real. We ask if your “butterflies” are actually your gut‑brain axis hitting the panic button, and how your fight or flight reflex can make you do objectively unhinged things in the name of “love”. Dr Karl advises "never have sex with someone who has more problems than you" : a thesis, a warning, and a t‑shirt. Moments you'll hear: We talk lust versus love the hot infatuation you feel in the early “honeymoon” haze versus the slower chemistry of long term attachment and how to tell whether you’re addicted to the drama, or actually building something with a new partner. What happens after you come out of honeymoon mode and realise you’re in a real relationship with a real human who leaves dishes in the sink? How do you keep going when the dopamine drops.Along the way, Dr Karl brings one of the wildest animal stories you’ll ever hear: the octopus mother who quite literally self‑destructs after laying her eggs. Then we ask: what can human parents learn from this about burnout, personal 'tradeoffs', and the quiet ways our love for our kids evolves over time?Because this is 2026, we can’t not go there: AI and modern love. People are not just flirting with chatbots anymore; they are forming real feeling relationships and emotional affairs with coding. We pull apart the psychology and neuroscience of why humans can bond so intensely with an always available, never arguing, perfectly attentive AI – and the big uncomfortable question: are we actually falling in love with AI, or with a mirror of ourselves?All of it is filtered through Dr Karl’s signature true style as Australia's Favourite Science Dad - rigorous, effervescent scientific communication and our favourite thing on Love Stories: messy modern mysterious love. In this episode, we ask:Is your armpit smell helping you fall in love  or warning you off?Can stopping the pill really change whether you fancy your partner?  Why do you get butterflies in your stomach, and when should you ignore them?How does fight‑or‑flight make us do wild, sometimes self‑destructive things in relationships?  Are you in love or in lust, and how do you tell the difference when you’re in deep?  What actually keeps a relationship going after the honeymoon phase evaporates?What can an octopus’s hormone‑fuelled death spiral teach us about heartbreak and parental burnout? Can a mother not be genetically related to her child, and what does that do to our idea of “real” family?Can you really mend a broken heart, or do you just grow around itHow does your love for your kids change as they grow and can science help you be kinder?Are we actually falling in love with AI, and what does that say about us?If you’ve ever stayed with someone because the sex was great but everything else was chaos, wondered why your partner suddenly smells “off” when you come off the pill, or found yourself crying over a chatbot at 1am, this episode is for you. You’ll walk away with a new way to see love – as chemistry and choice, hormones and history....all stories you will absolutely tell at your next coffe catch up.    Thank you for listening ❤️  before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories.https://drkarl.com/ Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 If you loved hearing Dr Karl, you can follow him on Instagram and listen to his podcast:  A Shirtload of Science: AI Episode A Periodic Tale Book    🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our home:  Vixin  real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy Dr Karl  ABC    Credits:  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Thomas Crnkovic   Our wonderful Australian Women’s Weekly team   Learn More: Womens Weekly Website     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sensitive issues raised. 💓 Before she was the first winner of MasterChef Australia, Julie Goodwin was a 19‑year‑old girl on Pennant Hills Road, in a car with a quiet boy who loved rock music. The Angels came on, “I Just Want to Be With You” started to play, and somewhere between the traffic lights and the chorus, Mick casually said, “This’d be my song for you.” For Julie, that was it. Her heart locked on. “This is my person. In this episode of The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories with Deputy Editor Tiffany Dunk , we meet Julie and Mick not as TV talent and “the husband”, but as two teenagers who grew up together through youth‑group blanket drives, three babies under three, sickeningly tight finances and one life altering car accident that broke both of Mick’s legs and quietly cemented Julie’s love.  Then life does what it does. There’s the global juggernaut of MasterChef and the strange disorientation of fame strangers kissing Julie in the supermarket, overseas trips, new opportunities and the pressure of becoming a “public person” overnight. There’s the reality of raising three boys while money was so tight that beer and pizza with friends feels like unthinkable luxury, and the dawning recognition that “the best cuisine comes from poverty” because you learn to make magic out of whatever is in the pantry. And then there is the crash you didn’t see on TV: the years of unrelenting standards, perfectionism and deepening mental ill‑health that Julie became expert at hiding – even from the man she calls her best friend. “I think my best energy was put towards making sure he didn’t know how bad I was,” she says. “He’s the person I wanted to let down the least, which of course means he’s the person I let down the most.” Mick speaks quietly about the guilt of not seeing, the anger at himself, and the moment he realised there was something much bigger happening than being “a bit stressed” Together, they talk about breakdown, hospitalisation, shame that “dies in daylight”, and the long, work it took of building a life back up, as a series of daily choices to stay, to love and listen and to sit in pain with someone you are devoted to. They describe their marriage as shoulder‑to‑shoulder, facing outwards: sometimes pulling in opposite directions, often resetting to remember that they still want the same point on the map. Along the way there are grandparent fart jokes, volunteer shifts in homeless kitchens, a caravan they’re restoring, and a promise to aim for 60 years together. What makes this conversation so affecting is not just what they’ve survived, but how ordinary it all feels  a love story that moves from school‑captain youth group meetings to national fame to ICU waiting rooms and back again, without ever losing the thread of “we”. Julie says she plans to keep falling in love with every iteration of Mick that comes next. Mick says this is simply “the life we signed up for”  the rollercoaster they agreed to ride, side by side If you’ve ever loved someone through a hard season, hidden your own unraveling from the person you trust most, or wondered how couples actually stay together when life goes sideways, this episode has something to say to you.    Thank you for listening ❤️  before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   For support: Contact https://www.lifeline.org.au/ free of charge 13 11 14 What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories. Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 If you loved hearing Julie, you can follow her on Instagram and read her book:  Your Time Starts Now    available now wherever you get your books.  Julie’s Tour dates and locations Julie Goodwin website   🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our new home:  Vixin  real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s nothing quite like that giddy the rush of first love. But while not every first romance will last the distance, for Samantha Harris her first love became her husband… and now the father of her newly arrived baby daughter Bella. In this intimate conversation with Love Stories host Tiffany Dunk – deputy editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly – new mum Sam talks to her journey from shy small-town teen to international supermodel to the latest member of the new mum club, with the sleepless nights, self-doubt and reflection that come along with that ride. This episode marks an exciting new chapter for The Australian Women’s Weekly as it steps beyond the page and the screen and into your ears, with stories now living across socials, the website, and this new podcast. It’s the same warm storytelling you know, now designed for your commute, your kitchen bench, and those late-night scrolls. Moments you’ll hear: The thrilling moment that, after months of disappointment, a pregnancy test finally “lit up like a Christmas tree” and began a whole new chapter for Samantha and her little family. Sam relives the moment the first boy she ever dated asked her out, her thrill at received her first Valentine’s Day rose and the low-key Maccas and KFC dates that fuelled her young relationship. Grab your tissue box as Sam reveals the heartbreaking loss that inspired her daughter’s special name. As sleepless nights set in, Sam unflinchingly talks about her new mum uncertainty, what sustains her and what she wants others in the same situation to know. And she talks about the importance of keeping your spark alive – an Listen now for a sweet and relatable journey of a girl who grew up in front of our eyes learning how to raise a daughter of her own – and keep her spark along the way. Thank you for listening ❤️  before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories. Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 If you loved hearing from Sam, you can follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sam_harris Sam has written a memoir with her mother, Myrna Davison. Role Model: Taking up pace in the fashion world is available now wherever you get your books.    🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our new home:  Vixin  real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love stories rarely look this cinematic in real life, but Jessica Rowe and Pete Overton make a strong case for the romcoms they both adore. In this intimate new conversation with host Tiffany Dunk Deputy Editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly, the long time couple pull back the curtain on 22 years of marriage, IVF heartbreak and joy, teenage daughters, rescue pets, and the small daily rituals that keep their love stubbornly, gloriously alive.  This episode marks an exciting new chapter for The Australian Women’s Weekly as it steps beyond the page and the screen and into your ears, with stories now living across socials, the website, and this new podcast. It’s the same warm storytelling you know, now designed for your commute, your kitchen bench, and those late night scrolls.  🎧Moments you’ll hear:   From a work experience crush at Channel Nine to a Logies night almost‑miss, Jess and Pete trace the slow burn origin story that became a lifelong partnership.  They relive the phone call that changed everything, when Jess decided to break the rules and ask him out herself  and why they now tell young women (and men) to “pick up the phone” and risk the yes.  Their wedding was unapologetically cat coded: a Tom Jones bridal waltz to “What’s New Pussycat,” feline themed cake, and cat cupcakes for guests.  Jess shares the raw reality of IVF  the repeated attempts, the car park phone call when “third time lucky” didn’t happen, and the Milan hotel room moment when Pete finally heard, “You’re going to be a father.  Pete reveals the story that broke his on‑air composure the murder of Hannah Clarke and her daughters and what it taught him about letting the audience see his humanity  Listen for a tender, funny, quietly radical love story  and a very Australian reminder that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is make the call, say the thing, pour the coffee and share an honest  conversation.     Thank you for listening ❤️  before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch   What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.auEmail us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected] If you share your love story on social media please tag us – we’re @womensweeklymag – and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories. Subscribe to The Australian Women’s Weekly at subscription  👈🏽 If you loved hearing from Jess, follow her on Instagram or listen to The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show podcast.  Peter presents Nine News Sydney nightly at 6pm https://www.9news.com.au/sydney    👀 See more  The Ying and Yang of Jessica Rowe and Peter Overtons relationship Putting Yourself First  Welcome to the Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories Podcast   🙏 Our special thanks for making 'Love Stories' our new home:  Vixin  real results, simple skincare that's a little bit fancy.   Credits:  Edited by Phoebe Zukowski -Wallace  Production by Thomas Crnkovic   Our wonderful Australian Women’s Weekly team   Learn More: Womens Weekly Website       See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s your love language? The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories is for the chronically curious about the strongest of our emotions. Hosted by Tiffany Dunk, this podcast swaps cliché romcom endings for real, messy, magnetic connections told by unforgettable voices from The Australian Women’s Weekly universe. From lifelong mateship to unexpected soulmates to finding love both within and beyond yourself, Love Stories is intimate, surprising and quietly empowering.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.