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When Emma Chow and Enzo Lisbona first met, they had no idea just how much life would ask of them. Married for 11 years and parents to two young boys, their relationship has been built on friendship, laughter and a deep commitment to each other.  But when Enzo was diagnosed with kidney disease, their future suddenly became uncertain. As his kidney function deteriorated and he was told he would need a transplant, Emma made the extraordinary decision to put herself forward as a living donor. Then came the news they had been hoping for: she was a match.  In this episode of Love Stories, Emma and Enzo join Tiffany Dunk to revisit their unconventional first meeting, a very public radio proposal, and the challenges that have tested their marriage.   They open up about the fear and uncertainty of Enzo’s diagnosis, the emotional weight of asking someone for a kidney, and the four-week wait to find out whether Emma could donate.  Moments you’ll hear:  How Emma and Enzo met  How Enzo proposed to Emma live on the radio  The kidney disease diagnosis that changed their lives  Why Emma decided to become Enzo’s living kidney donor  The emotional moment they discovered Emma was a match  How they navigated fear and uncertainty while raising two young boys  The incredible response after sharing their story publicly  What their journey has taught them about love, partnership and resilience  To learn more about organ donation, visit https://www.lifeblood.com.au/   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  👈🏽  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.

This episode discusses mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder and perinatal loss. Support: Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7) | Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 (24/7) | PANDA 1300 726 306 (perinatal mental health support).  When Heather Morris met Holocaust survivor Lale Sokolov, she made him a promise: she would never stop trying to tell his story. That promise would eventually lead to The Tattooist of Auschwitz, the bestselling novel that changed her life.  On this episode of The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories, Heather joins Tiffany Dunk for a deeply moving conversation about the many forms love can take. She reflects on growing up in rural New Zealand, the great-grandfather who made her feel heard, her decades working in social work and the love she shared with her late husband, Steve.  Heather also reveals how she came to writing later in life, why she continues to tell the stories of ordinary people living through extraordinary times, and the remarkable true story behind her latest novel, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, about a woman who risked everything to protect a young Jewish girl during in Nazi-occupied Paris.  Moments you’ll hear:  The great-grandfather who taught Heather the importance of listening  The love story between Heather and her late husband, Steve  What decades in social work taught her about unconditional love and grief  The promise she made to Holocaust survivor Lale Sokolov  How Heather became a bestselling author later in life  The real-life stories behind The Tattooist of Auschwitz  How The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse came to be  The extraordinary story of a piano that helped a young girl survive the Holocaust  Heather’s advice on following your dreams at any age  You can buy Heather’s newest book, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, 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  👈🏽  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.

Pia Miranda and Janine Allis went onto Australian Survivor with very different plans: Pia was determined to win, while Janine was looking for an adventure. Neither expected to find a lifelong best friend along the way.  After spending around 50 days together without phones, TV or the usual comforts of life, the pair formed an extraordinary bond; one built on humour, honesty, and complete trust.   Now, seven years after Survivor, Pia and Janine join Tiffany Dunk to talk about the friendship that changed how they see themselves, why they believe true friends should make you the best version of yourself, and how they stay close despite living in different states and having very different lives.  They also reveal their friendship's love language, their hilarious holiday rituals, why their husbands have accepted that they're basically each other's "wives", and the advice they'd give anyone trying to make meaningful friendships later in life.  Plus, Pia talks about her new ABC cooking show Recipe of the Year with Adam Liaw, the TV project she and Janine are developing together, and why they're both exploring spirituality and self-growth.  Moments you’ll hear:  How Pia and Janine first met on Australian Survivor  The moment Janine tried to vote Pia out and why it cemented their friendship  What 50 days without phones, TV or creature comforts revealed about them  How Janine helped Pia recognise her own strength  How they built complete trust in a game based on paranoia  How their friendship has changed the way they approach other relationships  The moment Pia realised this was a lifelong friendship  How they maintain a close friendship while living in different states  Their theory of "friendship buckets" and why happiness can't come from just one person  How to recognise when you've found "your people"  Their advice for making new friends  How they support each other through parenting, work, health and life  The TV show they're developing together, exploring spirituality and self-growth  Their ideal friendship date: surfing, walking, talking and good food  Why they know they'll grow old together  You can find out more about Recipe of the Year, the new ABC cooking series with Pia Miranda and Adam Liaw 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 👈🏽  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.

Tegan Higginbotham and Paul Verhoeven's love story began with a very unusual first date: a lingerie football game, followed by a birthday party and their first kiss outside a drag bar.  Now married, the comedy creators join Tiffany Dunk to talk about their Paris wedding, the proposal almost derailed by a Cornish pasty, the ducks that interrupted their ceremony, and how they navigate working together on Stan's new comedy series, Gnomes.  They also share what they've learned about love, laughter, communication, and keeping a relationship strong through the highs and lows of two careers in entertainment.  Moments you’ll hear:  Tegan and Paul's very unusual first date  How their paths crossed several times before they finally got together  Why making each other laugh is such an important part of their relationship  Their "anxiety pav" and how food became their love language  The proposal that was almost derailed by a Cornish pasty  Why they decided to get married in Paris  The ducks that dive-bombed their wedding ceremony  How they navigated the ups and downs of two careers in entertainment  What lockdown taught them about their relationship  The "seven-year itch" — and why they were still going strong  How Tegan and Paul learned to work together creatively on Gnomes  Their advice for couples who work together  What they hope their relationship looks like in another 13 years  You can find out more about Gnomes, the new Stan Original comedy series written by Tegan Higginbotham and Paul Verhoeven, 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 👈🏽  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.

Shaun Micallef admits he approached fatherhood much like an IKEA flatpack: without reading the instructions.  Now his middle son Gabe is 26, and the pair have become colleagues, co-hosting Network 10’s Shaun Micallef’s Parents Evening, a game show that tests just how well parents and their adult children really know each other.  In this episode, Shaun and Gabe sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about what Gabe inherited from his dad, growing up with one of Australia’s best-known comedians and how their relationship has changed now that they’re both adults.  Plus, they reveal how the homemade movies they made together when Gabe was a child may have laid the groundwork for them eventually ending up on television together.  Moments you’ll hear:  Shaun’s theory about whether love actually exists  Why Shaun decided not to read the parenting books  The simple childhood adventures Gabe remembers with his dad  What Gabe inherited from Shaun  The homemade movies they made together as a family  What it was really like growing up with Shaun Micallef as your dad  How Parents Evening brought father and son together professionally  What Shaun and Gabe hope for each other’s futures  Watch Shaun Micallef’s Parents Evening on Network 10 and 10 Play.  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 👈🏽  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.

Brooke McClymont rode her bike past Adam Eckersley 's house every morning on the way to school in Grafton. Most mornings he'd yell out that he was going to marry her one day. She'd yell back "in your dreams, mullet head."  Ten years later they ran into each other at the pub at Christmas. Adam was living in his van at Merewether Beach. Brooke had a record deal. They sat up all night over cabanossi and brie and eventually worked out that they were more than friends. Then they signed a six-month lease in case it didn't work. That was 18 years ago.  In this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, the country music couple talk to Tiffany Dunk about making a marriage work in an industry that pulls people apart: the three-week rule for time on the road, the morning shift Adam took for years so Brooke could sleep, and the six weeks he spent alone with two kids in lockdown while Brooke was on I'm a Celebrity.  They also go to the hard places. The COVID year when they were about to lose the farm, and the idea that saved it. The month Adam stopped getting out of the ute to play with his daughter at the bus stop, and what that told him. And the night he asked Brooke to book him in to talk to someone, because he knew he'd turn up if she did.  Their third album Souls on Show is out now, and one track, 'In and Out of Love', is the closest thing they have to a marriage manifesto: stay together while you fall in and out of it. Two decades on, Adam still says Brooke has the best female voice in Australia, and she still says he's the best songwriter she's ever written with.  Buy Souls on Show or book tickets to their show here  Email [email protected] with your date and accommodation preference to book Hang at the Wang  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  Moments you’ll hear:  The teenage bike ride past Adam's house, the marriage proposal shouted from the front yard, and the two words Brooke yelled back Why Adam says his eldest son, not Brooke, was the first time he ever felt love, and why he still barely says the word Cabanossi, brie and an all-night talk: the least romantic "we're official" conversation you'll ever hear Living in a van at Merewether Beach, and the night-time toilet runs that finally convinced Brooke to get a lease A wedding on the Tamworth farm with Tom Gleeson on the mic, a mud-brown dress and a groom covered in scabies The three-week rule that stopped touring from quietly ending their marriage Six weeks alone with two kids in lockdown while Brooke was in the jungle, and the letter Adam sent in: "I'm a Parent, Get Me Out of Here" Nearly losing the farm during COVID, and the 40-fans-at-a-time idea that saved it The bus stop moment that made Adam realise he needed help, and why he asked Brooke to make the booking Date night is a fire in the bottom shed, and 20 years from now it's a veggie patch with Brooke on a throne 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 👈🏽  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 veteran mental health, alcohol use, and suicide. Support is available: Wounded Heroes Australia crisis line 1300 532 112 (24/7) | Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7).  On a 3am car ride home together, Mark and Cherelle Herewini discussed marriage – four weeks later they were husband and wife. Now, after nearly three decades and multiple East Timor deployments, they're still together. But the years right after Mark hung up his uniform were some of the hardest of their marriage.  In this episode, Mark and Cherelle sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about what deployment looked like for a new mum waiting by the phone, the sense of purpose Mark lost the moment he left the Army, and the drinking and distance that crept into their marriage once he was home.  They also talk candidly about what support really looks like for veteran families, why so many people don't reach out until it's a crisis, and how the work Mark does can support other veterans to find their way back to a sense of purpose.  To all veterans who may be watching or listening to this episode, we thank you for your service.  Moments you’ll hear:  The 3am decision that led to a wedding just four weeks later  Growing up an Army kid, and the promise Cherelle swore she'd never break  Racing home from East Timor and missing the birth of their daughter by 12 hours  The five-minute phone calls, and the letters Cherelle still has  Mark losing his sense of purpose the moment the uniform came off  The years of drinking and distance that followed, and how they found their way back  What Mark hopes people understand about veterans, and what Cherelle hopes for veteran families  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 website  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 website See 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.