Prevention Australia – June – July 2017

that as being my time and I’m very protective of it.

I rarely go out to lunches or anything like that.”

“I love an afternoon sleep and the other Sunday

afternoon I thought, ‘Well, I should get up and empty

the dishwasher and put the washing on’. And then I

thought, ‘Stuf it! I’m going to lie in bed all afternoon!’ ”

Speaking on behalf of many women, she says, “We

need to grant ourselves permission to do these things!”

A

manda knows that for all these challenges,

she has a lot to be grateful for: she is currently

riding high on a media career that has lasted

for more than 30 years.

“When I was a teenager and I thought of my 50s,

I would have pictured an old woman like Whistler’s

mother, in a rocking chair with a blanket over her

knees. I couldn’t have imagined what job I would

be doing. And then Jana Wendt came along and we

all wanted to be her!”

So now, having arrived at midlife with a successful

career, a happy marriage and two teenage sons, what

advice would she give to her 30-year-old self if she

could go back in time?

Amanda’s eyes mist over. “It makes me emotional...

but that I actually would have kids.” She blinks hard.

“I had years of IVF and I think that... I wish I could

have told myself that it was going to be okay.

“I’ve actually got a vase here, with a picture of a man

and a woman and a dog and it says, ‘Blue skies ahead’.

And I bought that as my message to me... that if I

didn’t have a baby it would still be okay.”

She wipes away tears.

“In the end I had these two incredible kids. But that

vase was the sign to me that life would still be alright...

I wish I could tell my 30-year-old self that it’s going to

be okay, regardless.”

“My boys are such an addition to our lives. And for

years I hoped I would have the good grace to accept

life without them... And here I am! So lucky.

“Now, I’m really aware that as my boys get older

they’ll be needing me less and less and I’ll be needing

them more. I’m at the point where I’m almost nostalgic

and quite sookie that the years are slipping through my

fi ngers. I can see why people have a hundred children.

The thought of them disappearing makes me feel sad.”

Happily for Amanda, she has the comfort and

support of a wide group of girlfriends. “We’re all at

dif erent phases of relationships and lives, some with

children, some without. And when we’re together no

one talks about work, we talk about books, about life,

we laugh until we wet our pants. And that – separate

to family – is a sign of a life well lived.”

As Amanda walks me to the door she is a bit

emotional “Ahhh!” she sighs deeply – the talk of

family and fulfi lment has been quite cathartic. “Best

interview for ages!” she laughs. And with that she’s of ,

unapologetically, to bed for her afternoon nap.

LAUGHING

ALL THE WAY

Amanda has had

a fun-i lled career

TEAM PLAYER

Amanda worked with Andrew

Denton at Triple M, along with

Mikey Robins and Peter Berner.

TALK SHOW

Amanda has many a giggle with

Barry Du Bois, Chris Brown and

Miguel Maestre on The Living Room.

PARTNER IN CRIME

Amanda and TV producer

husband Harley Oliver have a life

(and house) i lled with laughs.

MAKE-UP LOLA DENNIS. AMANDA WEARS: JUMPER BY MAJE AND JEANS BY COUNTRY ROAD.

COVER STORY

JUNE/JULY 2017 PREVENTION 69