It's a funny thing what we miss. It can be the littlest things, you know, and for me it's
having that family time at the dinner table. It's like that used to be my favourite part of the day.
So I don't have that now and I think I will get that back. But as I said, I want to wait,
you know, a little bit longer and then maybe down the track I will fall in love. That would be nice.
Hi, I'm Jess Rowe and this is the Jess Rowe Big Talk Show, a podcast that skips the small talk
and goes big and deep. From love to loss and everything in between, I want to show you a
different side of people who seem to have it all together in these raw and honest conversations
about the things that matter. I don't know about you but in this time of social isolation I really
crave connected conversations so I'm going to dig deep to give you a new window into the souls
of the people we're curious to get to know and understand. There might be tears as well as laughter
as we celebrate the real-life flaws and vulnerabilities make us human.
My guest for this episode is media superstar Jackie Oh, one of the most powerful women on
Australian radio. She reveals intimate snippets of her life to her audience every morning and
I've been lucky enough to have been interviewed by her over the years. Now it's my turn and I'm
excited to discover what motivates this remarkable woman away from her sparkly microphone.
Oh, Jackie, I'm so excited. Yay, we get to chat at last. I know and we can talk for as long as we
want about anything we want. It's so good. I've been looking forward to this. Oh, so have I because
I'm a massive fan of yours. Likewise. Not of me, I'm a fan of you. Do you know what that means?
Or are you supposed to say back at ya? Well, you've got more of the cool speak than I do.
You've got much more street cred than I do but you do. I marvel at you, Jackie, because you're
this beautiful, down-to-earth, gorgeous, generous-hearted woman but you are also,
you are, but you are also one of the most powerful and influential women on Australian radio.
Yeah, God. Sometimes when I get told that I'm like, am I?
You are. I try not to think about it too much. I just try and go in and have fun every day and
yeah, I think as you get older and you have a daughter, like you would notice, some things
start to change in your mind about what you shouldn't be saying. Back before Kitty, I used
to say anything. Now I'm a bit more mindful because she's in year five and she has friends
that are listening so even though she doesn't listen, because I don't want her to, she will
hear things from friends and so far it's been fine but oh God, just when she gets into an older year,
like say year eight or nine, I don't know, I'm just dreading that. I'm dreading what her friends
might Google and what they might hear and anyone who's ever been on a TV show written about,
it's our worst nightmare, our kids Googling us because as you know, God, the media have printed
stories that aren't correct in the past and you just don't know what they'll find.
I agree and it's a tightrope, isn't it, that you walk because I think what is so lovely about you
is that you have been so open about parts of your life and that's why people connect with you because
they sort of say oh yes, that's me or I've been through that but I think there's nothing wrong
with also saying I've changed, I'm a mum now so the sorts of things that I will share or talk about
are going to change. I think people accept that. I think so and you know that has happened before
where I've said no, no, I'm not going to talk about that because I can just imagine how that
headline will read and if that ever got back to Kitty, no thank you but I also explained to her
that this is my job and my job is to be as open and honest as I can with the audience because
they've spent 20 years listening to us and that's what they like about it and it's been good because
she's been coming into work a little bit here and there and I've really been saying to her you need
to get into Radio Kitty, like let's make a plan, what are you going to do and at first she had no
interest in radio and I'm like why not, it's fun and so anyway just by default she came in for
different reasons and she's loving it. She loves the energy of radio which is what I fell in love
with. I just remember I'd gone from temping in Canberra because I'd followed love so I met
with Phil, who's ugly Phil, we were in a relationship but we met when we were on the
Gold Coast so we moved to Canberra and I didn't have a job there so my job was temping and let
me tell you for anyone who's temped, it's not the most fun job because you never ever get to
have friends, you know, you're always in and out of an office that's already got a click going
so you feel like a real loner in that job. All you're doing, you know, if you're filling in for
someone for a day, all you're doing is just getting their coffees and doing typing up documents,
nothing, you know, with meat in it so it wasn't a fun, you know, job that's for sure and I remember
by the time we got to Adelaide I started helping out on the phones and I just fell in love with
the energy of radio, of how much fun everyone was having in the office and that was it. I just knew
oh my god, these are my people, this is a job that I could do and love and I think that's what
Kitty's been experiencing with the little, you know, bits of time she's come in, she's like mom,
you just have the most fun job so I think as long as she can learn to understand that there are parts
of my job that I'm going to say that hey it might not be something you'd want to hear but I can't
completely shut down to my audience so it's making her understand that this is part of the gig as
well. And it's what you do and I love what you say about finding your people and finding your
passion and energy because that is a privilege in a sense that a lot of people spend their lives
trying to find who they are, where they fit in and you did but also I think, you know, with Kitty
she must be really proud of you though to actually go oh my goodness I'm seeing my mum in this
different light because often, you know, as a mum and you're doing all the mum kind of stuff and
then you step into your professional role, for her to see you like that she must be proud.
She was, I mean, before Masked Singer she hadn't, I don't think she'd come into the radio and if she
did she was young and it was a very quick trip so the first season of Masked Singer which we filmed
in Sydney was the first time she's ever really seen me work and wow what a thing to see your
mum do, you know, you're there for like two hours getting your hair and makeup done and then you've
got like all these glittery outfits that you can choose to wear and wearing the nicest heels and
jewels and then you're on TV and there's these performances and she's just watching it going
oh my god my mum does this. I got brownie points big time when she was on Masked Singer because
yeah for her it is, she's super proud. The other day I was looking at her her screensaver picture
and then she doesn't have an account on TikTok but she is allowed to have this account but doesn't
put anything up so she can watch other people on there and her profile pic is her and me as well
and I'm like oh you put me in your profile pic. You know how big a deal that is when the mum goes in
the profile pic. It is, I reckon there is no higher praise for a mum, is there? There isn't because
even for us we take a lot of time in deciding what's going to be our profile pic. We're no
different, we're scouring through all our photos but to see her put me up as her profile pic I
was reached the pinnacle of mum status right there. I love it because my eldest daughter,
she's so cheeky, Allegra, she has me like when I ring her birth giver comes up as the name and
I'm like Allegra and I'm not sure I'm trying to think is that a compliment but I don't really
think it is. She's quirky and quite witty, I love it. That's excellent. Oh it is but how I've sort
of, I don't want to say got back at her but I'm on TikTok and it's quite a new thing for me to do
and it is quite embarrassing for my daughters and there's a part of me that revels a little
bit in that because I think you know what, you've got to have fun and embarrass them. Of course
you do, don't you reckon? Yeah, yeah you do. Yeah I remember one time I had friends come over,
very rarely does this happen mind you, the team, the team came over so they can be a bit rowdy
and Kitty was there and you know this is when I was with Lee and you know we just we carried on
drinks back at my place and then Kitty came out and she saw me twerking and oh my god I've never
lived it down, I swear she's never been more embarrassed of her mum than she was in that
moment and I can't do any kind of dance that might resemble Cardi B in any way.
I get her point too, I wouldn't want my mum doing Cardi B moves at a party. Oh but you know what,
I do think go for it and speaking there about mums, what is your relationship with your mum like?
Mum and I grew up extremely close, you know she's one of those mums that has always said to me
I'd rather you tell me than not tell me so if you are going to do something like smoke or you know
lose your virginity I would rather you include me in those conversations than exclude me
and she gave me quite a lot of freedom, I mean looking back too much but it didn't affect me
though, thankfully I didn't get myself in trouble, she let me go to clubs really young
and I just don't know how, I think it was just a different time and thankfully I was always
with friends and I always had to call her so as I got older into those sort of teen years
I think she was tearing her hair out because that's just what parents do, once kids have a
bit of freedom and they're out with their friends you're sick you know until they come home you feel
sick you can't sleep and that's what my mum went through for you know a good two years when I was
about 13, 14 and it's never wavered, we've never had a falling out and to this day we're still
really close, you know I don't call mum as much as I should because I know when I talk to mum it's
going to be a two-hour call and you know what that's like, you're like you look at your phone
you go I see a text from mum, see she texts me while we're literally talking now, she says
can you ring me you aren't answering my texts I want to know how you got on with your jab yesterday
that's the needle guys I'm not getting lucky in the bedroom and so there's these texts and I feel
bad because I'm like oh I don't sometimes I don't have two hours in the day to dedicate to this
phone call that we do so I feel guilty when I don't you know call her when she asks every time but
yeah takes up a lot of time Jess. Of course it does but I think too guilt is not a useful emotion
because it means you've done something wrong and you haven't done anything wrong you're busy and
sometimes although we think about our mums we love them it isn't the time to have the discussion or
fill them in on everything because I've got a thing with my mum she'll say oh you look tired
and I'm like that is not a nice thing to say she thinks it is useful to say to me oh
mums do yes a bit tired you know you're looking after yourself and the worst thing though is it
will often be when I think I look great and I'll be like oh yeah am I am I tired am I not quite
right what's wrong I mean is there things like that that your mum might do absolutely I mean
you know my mum is the hardest person to please when it comes to my outfits on Masked Singer
but she's always like I don't know why you hate no no I don't like that one no mum actually asked
this year and I should have because this was before lockdown started she said I'm gonna come
and I'm gonna watch Masked Singer and hang around with you on set and I said mum please don't don't
I said I've got enough stress on that show trying to guess people and I don't need
for you to go I don't think this stress suits you I don't want that comment before I'm going
on stage mum but nobody else will tell us the truth except for our mums wholeheartedly and you
know a lot of guilt runs in our family so my mum she will feel guilty for things and that's come
on to me I feel guilty for think little things that I don't need to and I can see that coming
through in Kitty as well so she might accidentally slip out a naughty word well gosh I mean we're
there for the next 10 minutes with her in tears feeling so guilty that she accidentally did
something like that and I can just see it running through the generations it must be in our DNA for
god's sake it is the worst no one should feel guilt unless you've actually done something wrong
but it also at the same time does make you very empathetic towards other people and you don't want
to let people down see that's our thing in our family we don't ever want to let people down
we probably really need needy and need approval but isn't that I think that is fascinating
because often as women and I don't want to generalise but I will we do feel like we need
to seek approval that we need people to say to us yes that's good well done you're enough this
is great well done but you are someone Jackie that from the outside I mean you've achieved so
much you are smart you are funny you're a genius at what you do but you still have that sense of
oh do I need approval where where does that come from I think the approval side comes from the
family and it's not you know I need my dad's approval because it's nothing like that it's
just I think we just don't want to let people down in our family and that's the same with me
like I just don't want to let people down and I don't want to hurt someone's feelings so I'll
probably go and do something that you know I don't I didn't really want to do but I'm doing it because
I don't know I can't say no but at work you see a completely different me and that's the me that
is not apologetic for you know anything that I might feel I don't feel guilty it's a job
and you've got to put your job hat on and you've got to do the job as best you can and so different
rules apply there I don't know it's it's seeking approval is something maybe I used to do I tell
you what I do now and the more shows you do and the more time you spend in this business people
don't ever want to give you feedback and they're too scared to give you feedback and I hate that
part of the industry so whenever I step into a new job like the Masked Singer I said to my EP
please tell me if I'm ever doing anything that you think looks funny on screen because he said to me
you naturally like scowl a little bit so you you don't look like you're having a good time and I am
it's just that my botox ran out in my forehead so I'm desperate for mine goodness me can you get me
an appointment I still can't get in um and I I said to him Sean thank you so much for saying
that and please say things like that because I always want to get better and even if I've
done something wrong on air correct me I want to know because you that's the only way you learn
and so the only disappointing thing about being in this industry is sometimes people just don't
give you feedback because they think it's not their place to give it to you and that's the one
thing I do love is I love always bettering myself and if I'm doing something that's not coming across
well or that is maybe I'm unaware of I do want to know that so you know I think it's like this
balancing act right oh it is and also too you want the feedback but you want it to be constructive
so okay yeah how can I take this on board and give a better performance but another thing I
was wondering as well with you as you get older is there more of a merging of you know jackie
behind the scenes and and that work hat of perhaps being gentler on yourself and actually
thinking you know what I am enough I'm amazing I am proud absolutely I'm proud of where I've
started and where I've come and I am yeah I don't think I need to sort of you know pep talk myself
up all the time because I have a low self-esteem I don't think I have a low self-esteem I just don't
ever want to think I'm all that you know just always remain grounded you know better than anyone
else but yeah I think it doesn't what was the question no this is what I do I know but it's
me getting deep and meaningful jackie you see these are the conversations I love having you
love this yeah with my husband and my kids and they roll their eyes and do exactly what you did
like what what what are you asking what are you talking about what was the question but essentially
I suppose what I'm trying to get to is that almost the the two two sides to you this confident
amazing woman but then also the side of you like when I know you've recently become an ambassador
for ww otherwise known as as weight watchers and I think you're gorgeous always and there was a
part of me when I was reading some articles when you said losing the weight it's made you feel so
happy and I just I wanted to give you a big hug then because I wanted to say yeah you know what
you're fabulous and beautiful and glorious however you are thanks jess and and look I have always had
a issue with my body it's just something that I think even nick who is your producer she's worked
with me and she's seen it I look back at pictures and I'm a size eight but I would always order a
size 12 because I wouldn't believe I was a size eight um and I'd always want things that were
baggy because I didn't think you know I was skinny enough now these were my days in the 20s and um
now that I get older I look I lost that weight for ww where I wanted to just because I was the
heaviest I'd been and honestly no one's seen the pictures of how heavy I was um but it it just I
wasn't me jess and it wasn't I had no energy and I should have had this outlook of like yeah
whatever curves are great you know but I I really wanted to feel better about myself and have more
energy and when you work breakfast radio you need to feel kind of somewhat fit because if you don't
it makes the job 10 times harder if you're not healthy and and fit doing this job you will you
know struggle so I wanted it for that reason but I have for a long time had body dysmorphia and
when I look back on on photos of me you know in my 20s and 30s I just want to cry because I think
how could you possibly thought that you were you know big in any way or too big for tv and I just
I did it really was a body dysmorphic thing it must have been I never got it I don't want to
say I've been officially diagnosed with something that I haven't but it was pointed out to me many
many times by people that you honestly must have body dysmorphia because I'm telling you
you don't need the size up this is your size and you know as I get older I am a lot more comfortable
with whatever my weight may be and I really thank a lot of women out there for flying the flag to
say you know bigger is beautiful thin is beautiful all sizes are beautiful when I was growing up it
was just the supermodels who were beautiful and they were you know 5'10 and flawless and skinny
and now everything's changed you've gotten you know whether you put down the Kardashians or you
love them one thing I will say is they've really some of them have really kind of flown the flag
for curves and how curves can be sexy and then you've got Bibi Rexha you know she's curvy and
she really flaunts it and Lizzo and these women they love their bodies they're not ashamed and
that is so inspirational and that's giving me inspiration and that's making me go yeah why
do I care about what's supposed to be beautiful in society just work on you feeling beautiful
and everything will come from there I realise how important it is to send that message out there to
young girls growing up because you know they need to see it's not all Photoshop and filters
and I've noticed a trend on Instagram where people aren't putting filters on anymore and they are
posting the real them and it's so good to see a little bit of a change there
the other day we were watching a movie it was Bride Wars Kitty and I and I don't know if you've
seen Bride Wars oh yes many times with my girls I love it yeah we loved exactly so I knew she would
probably like this anyway they got to a point where they were really like Anne Hathaway and
Kate Hudson were really hurling insults at each other and the final like insult that was the real
supposed to be the real corker of the insult was Anne Hathaway telling Kate Hudson that your
wedding's going to be huge just like your ass and Kitty turned to me and she goes wait but mum that
one was a compliment and I was like oh see there you go Kitty now sees huge asses that's a compliment
like it's changing already like she saw all these insults but no the huge ass is definitely not an
insult it's a compliment because they're growing up around different body shapes now and let's hope
she doesn't get bum implants I mean that would be going too far but at least she at least she
you know understands that there's all shapes and sizes out there and that must make you feel good
though Jackie in the sense that she's starting to have a different sort of dialogue about
about body shape and her body yeah as opposed to the one that you've obviously grappled with over
the years correct and I hope that for her she doesn't feel the need to be a particular
body shape as she grows up there's no you know pressure on that I mean that's maybe a little
way off but we're getting there and I think it's just really good to see all shapes and sizes out
there for our young girls and and young guys you know seeing different bodies because as you grow
up that's what you think is what you should be and that can be dangerous and that's why a lot
of the time parents don't want their kids on social media just picking up on a point you're
mentioning about the Kardashians I'm new to the Kardashians I'm a late adapter I mean I know late
exactly just now or what I know where have I been but it was because for so long I was adamant with
my girls no they're not good role models and then I thought actually I've never seen their shows this
is a bit rich of me to be saying this and during our most recent lockdown my girls made me watch it
with them and I have come on board the Kardashian train in the sense of as you say different body
shapes but the other part that I have really warmed to them is they love each other they
support each other come what may and and probably do because one of my daughters thinks I'm a bit
like Kris Jenner again I don't know if that's a compliment that's a compliment we love Kris
Jenner yeah love her because how would Kitty describe you as a mum um she always says um
because she's written me a million cards that describes me as a mum so I should recite them
she she thinks she knows we're both sensitive um we have a lot well she says you're so kind
and caring she says I'm the coolest mum she knows we have such a good relationship and we
it's a fine line between mother and bestie it's it's somewhere in between there because we do
hang out a lot and we do get on really well and we're similar in our personalities so we have a
lot of fun together like we've already made plans it's probably will never happen but we've already
made plans that when she's 18 we're gonna build a house and we'll have I'll have one side and
she'll have the other side but it'll be one house and that's just my way of you know keeping her
with me forever that's so beautiful and then you've got privacy to do your twerking in peace
yeah so it's a really really beautiful relationship it we're super close and she
tells me everything I mean she doesn't get embarrassed about one thing which astounds me
because at that age they are you know things are happening and changing with them and she
doesn't care she she and she's like that with her dad as well so she has a really really good
relationship with both of us well what an amazing job obviously Jackie that that you've both done as
parents to create this this beautiful little soul yeah I have to hand it to Lee as well like
I'm so lucky that I have an ex-partner who has the same kind of morals and you know idea of how
we co-parent you know we kind of are all really on the same page and we're very respectful
if one says I don't really want her doing that or oh I don't want her to get her ears pierced the
other will be like fine that's so yeah we won't do it until we both agree and then you know we
just it's it works it works really easily but you've got to have both parents I think being
you know working pretty well together for that to happen most definitely and having that same
moral compass I do I must ask you to about love Jackie yeah where you see yourself in terms of
do you want to have another relationship or for now you're over blokes and just want to have a
break and let's sort of see what unfolds over the next few years what are your thoughts my
thoughts are that I have been in a relationship since I was 16 every time it's been like maybe
a month in between and then on to the next boyfriend that sounds like I've had a lot of
boyfriends but it's actually long-term relationships I've had um and so I've never I reckon I was
single for all of maybe four or five months once and that's the longest I've ever been single
and when I was I was desperate for a boyfriend like I just needed to be in a relationship oh
I didn't want to be lonely I didn't want to be at home on my own so I was always searching for like
the next relationship and this time I've just gone okay have some time to yourself who are you
you know just be with your friends be with your daughter be with the people who really matter to
you and who have supported you through this because when you separate or go through a divorce it's
so so difficult so I really wanted to spend time with my daughter and really really nurture
her because my biggest fear was that she would suffer as a result that was the fear both Leigh
and I had you know we knew that we had come to an end but a lot of people stay together for the
sake of their children because they don't want to ruin their children's lives if it goes pear
shaped if it if they suffer from a separation and you know if they can't get past it it can
really change their confidence everything and so afterwards I just really wanted to make sure that
I gave her all of my energy made sure she was happy and well you know that she was going to
come out the other side well adjusted and still remain who she was which was you know the happiest
girl always happy and she still is thankfully and I feel like you know I've got a bit of time
I can wait I'd rather just this small little window I have with her before she's off with
her friends I'm going to make the most of and I don't think I want to complicate it with someone
coming into my life just yet and that makes such good sense and and you know something that I think
about too my parents split up when I was nine and yeah I can say it's the best thing they ever did
yeah because and I say that because the relationship I now have with them as individuals
the people that they have become has had such an impact on me and if they'd stayed together just
for the sake of me there's no way I would be the person I am and my sisters wouldn't be the people
that we are so it's as you say it's a hard thing but I actually think it's the best thing that you
can do I think you've just got to listen to your gut and yeah say okay would they be better off if
we stayed together or would they be better off if both parents are happy they're not fighting
they're co-parenting really well and your children or child sees them happy and they're not in you
know that then is that better for them I thought it was because I just didn't want her growing up
you know I want us I want her to see a couple that she lives with whether it be mom and dad
mom mom stepdad or dad and stepmom that who are really in love and show that and show them what
love means and what a relationship means what a healthy relationship means I think that's
more important and they get more from that going into future relationships when they're older
about what to expect and what they will you know stand for and won't stand for if you're unhappy
and you don't think the relationship is healthy and they're witnessing that it could be more
detrimental I don't know I'm no expert on this I just only know what I feel and what I felt was
the right decision for us and it was because it it's working for you we all deserve to be happy
yeah I think so and it's possible too you know it is for anyone out there who is like oh gosh I
I'm going to stay because of the kids or but I'd be so much happier in my life if you know we
separated if you're thinking about it my advice would be to obviously do whatever you feel is
right for you but just know that you will be okay you know I spoke to someone the other day who had
also split from his wife and we had you know split around the same time so it had been about
two years for both of us we reckon it's about 18 months to two years before you start to
get yourself back you know you I'm not gonna lie it's two years of shit and then you come out the
other side much better and so you come out that other side much better what else Jackie have you
discovered about yourself in this time I think the fact that I'm happy in my own company I've
never thought that that was me before it's one thing to say you're happy in your own company
when you're in a relationship because you might have your partner go out let's say with his mates
and you've got the night to yourself and you think oh I'm so happy in my own company I love this
that's different because you know he's coming home and you know you're going to still have a
relationship at the end of it because though in the back of your mind you're not alone you're
just alone for maybe four hours so you can do whatever you want to do but genuinely being alone
and not having a partner that's where you realize am I okay with that or not what kind of person am
I and what I learned was that I'm very much okay in my own company knowing no one's going to be
walking through the door at the end of the night or at the end of the day and I'm okay with that
now and that's one thing I really have always wanted to get to in my life I mean I didn't go
into a marriage thinking this would end so it wasn't like a long-term goal it's just that it
was one of those things that I'd never been able to do before and now I can and that is empowering
to be able to say you know what yeah I like me I love me and yeah and hey I enjoy hanging out with
myself I do I really like it and now I'm starting to think I don't want someone cramping my style
and I don't want to fight over what to watch on TV I just know that I want to watch this and this
is what we're watching I've become very selfish I think you know um but it's nice why not why not
be selfish for a couple of years in your life and just do you and I don't think it is being selfish
I think it's actually looking after yourself which is what all of us need to do and I just want to
finally ask you Jackie about friends about friendship and I imagine because of sort of
who you are everyone knows who you are how hard it can be sometimes to have really really close
friends or do you have just one or two people that you hang out with and trust have you navigated
that I have probably about outside of any kind of work I would say I have about four really close
girlfriends ones that I would trust my life with any secret with we're talking the true true friend
you know you can have other friends but you know you wouldn't tell them your deepest darkest secret
and I feel lucky that I've that I have the three to four that I have and they're the ones that you
know they keep me company and we'll always make plans to go out or have some of them are kids so
we do play dates but beyond that sometimes I find it hard to it takes me a long time to build a
friendship which is probably one of my downfalls you know I like being I guess to a degree
sometimes sociable although when you work in breakfast radio we're all pretty anti-social
um it's just a thing that comes with the gig I don't know why we end up as really anti-sociable
people well it's because you've got to get up so early you've got to go to bed early and you're
working at a time or getting up at a time where most people are in their deepest darkest sleep
and I think you talk so much that by the end of it you don't want to talk to anyone you know
that's how you feel you feel um you're mentally drained from it and so after that I'm kind of
like oh I can't be bothered you know socializing I'm not going to go out to this thing tonight
because I you know I don't have the energy for that but I don't really need new friends if I'm
honest yeah I think you get to an age where you're like oh if I get a new friend that's great but
I'm really happy with the friends that have been there for me for like 20 years plus and
I could ring them up any time and they'll be there for me and that's what it's about I think
to me when I think about my close friends it's it's not a whole bunch of people I could count
them on one hand but they're the ones who get me who who laugh with me who let me be silly
and are there for you as you say they show up oh totally you know it would be so much easier
if I was a lesbian honestly I wish I was because I'd just hook up with one of my best mates
because I love hanging out with them more than anyone you know and they're all females so
what does that say but yeah it is what it is you never know no I'm not I don't know am I I don't
know and I know I said before last question but this really will be Jackie I wonder for you
what is next I mean you're at such a pinnacle in your career and at life what do you yearn for is
there something apart from you know living with with your beautiful kitty when she's 18 having a
house together but what do you yearn for in your life oh this is going to sound like such a
contradiction to everything I have just said but I will say that once Kitty's a little bit older
and you know she's off doing her own thing what I would really love is to it's a simple thing and
it's nothing to do with career at all I'd love to find a partner because I'd just love to sit
at the dinner table with someone and have dinner that's what I yearn for and that's the thing I
miss most about my oh my old life you know that's sorry oh darling yeah oh I'm giving you the
biggest hug Jackie and but it's a funny thing what we miss it can be the littlest things you
know and for me it's having that family time at the dinner table it's like that used to be my
favourite part of the day so I don't have that now and I think I will get that back but as I said I
want to wait you know a little bit longer and then maybe down the track I will fall in love that
would be nice and I could travel it would be nice to travel I didn't really travel it unless it was
for work because I started work so young so doing something like that might be the next phase of my
life oh well Jackie I am just giving you the biggest hug because I think you are such a special
soul and I hope you know how beautiful and wonderful you are how much you give to people
every morning but you do you give so much of yourself and and you deserve to have that
given back to you and thank you but you do and you know what you will and it's about I just think
there are times in our life where we just have to dig in and it's hard and there are those little
slivers of moments of joy but it is still hard and you just keep plugging on and I know with
those beautiful big blue eyes of yours you're going to be sitting gazing into the eyes of
someone gorgeous across the dinner table and sharing your day and sharing your life that is
ahead for you because you are far too special and unique to do it on your own but where you're at
now is right for you right now exactly that's exactly right like I need to be on my own now
just to I think I'm I need it and then down the track I very much look forward to that happening
as well as a part of my life so thank you Jess you're so so beautiful this is why I wanted to
do this podcast because I love you so much you're just so sweet you really are darling
well you know what I love you too and I know over the years we've talked and but I've always just
felt you're very special and I've always wanted you to know that and sometimes when you're in
sort of in such a public sort of domain yeah you can forget that and get lost in all of the other
stuff around you and totally yeah yeah yeah that can happen but you're amazing and and I send you
all my love and and I know as you say you don't like to go out much but maybe one day soon when
we can we can have a glass of rosé together oh sounds amazing Jess I'd love that and a hug
because you're just you're bloody wonderful you really are oh no thanks Jess like I said back at
you love you beautiful love you thanks bye bye oh Jackie is so open and honest about her life
and I want to thank her for her beautiful vulnerability the Jess Rowe big talk show
was presented by me Jess Rowe executive producer Nick McClure audio producer Nicky Sitch
supervising producer Sam Kavanagh until next time remember to live big life is just too
crazy and glorious to waste time on the stuff that doesn't matter listener