Amanda Keller was thrown an unexpected lifeline in midlife.
Holly and Amanda Keller explore the magic of midlife friendships. Why Naomi Watts is done being ashamed. And a brutally honest review: Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix's new Belle Gibson series.
Midlife. It's one of those phases when everything feels like it's shifting. Kids are growing up, careers are evolving, and bodies are changing. It can feel like a roller-coaster, full of twists, turns, and the occasional unexpected drop.
But what if there was a secret weapon to help you navigate it all?
According to Australian television and radio presenter Amanda Keller and her best friend Anita McGregor, there is, and it's a simple one: strong female friendship.
In the season four premiere of MID, Mamamia's podcast for Gen X women who are anything but, these two best friends shared how their decades-long bond has been a lifeline through life's biggest challenges.
When Anita first moved to Australia from Canada, she was overwhelmed by no longer having her "people".
"It's a scary thing. On one hand, I can be whoever I want, but on the other hand, it's like… nobody knows me,"Anita recalled. "Those friendships you have with people from childhood or uni — they come with this shorthand. And I didn't have any of that."
Then she met Amanda. They started socialising in a group but quickly formed their own little faction — long walks, deep chats, and showing up for each other through life's highs and lows.
It wasn't instant but rather a "slow burn", they both agree. But now, they've been best friends for nearly two decades, even launching their own podcast, Double A Chattery.
As they've gotten older, they've learnt to respect each other's energy, knowing when to check in and when to give space. It's this shared understanding that keeps their friendship so strong.
"I'm being more diligent with myself in protecting myself," Amanda said. "But I know I can say that to you… 'Sorry about that. I just feel like crap today.'"
And you know what? That's the beauty of solid friendships. Life gets busy, but the right people make it easier to prioritise the connection, even in the chaos…
🎧 Follow below to listen to brand new MID: Celebrating the power of MID friendships with Holly, Amanda Keller and her best friend Anita McGregor.
Read and listen to more
READ: Amanda Keller opens up about her husband’s Parkinson's disease
READ: Ever heard of a friendship "catch-up trap". You could be in one.
Naomi Watts is done being ashamed.
At the height of her fame, Naomi Watts was keeping a secret.
Yet, unlike other Hollywood secrets and mysteries, this one was devoid of scandal, infidelity, on-set feuds, disappearances or torrid romances.
Yet the actress lived for years with a deep sense of shame.
Naomi Watts was born in the UK and moved to Australia with her family when she was 14 years old. Her first career move was to become a model, but she soon discovered that a life posing in front of a camera was not what she was looking for, so she transitioned into working as a fashion editor at a magazine, as a way of fulfilling her need for creativity along with still pursuing a career in fashion. It wasn't until her twenties that Watts attended a drama workshop and fell in love with acting. After growing up as the daughter of an aspiring actress and dabbling in it herself over the years, she was then determined to pursue it full-time.
Watts' break-out role was in David Lynch's neo-noir film Mulholland Drive, which premiered in 2001 and has gone on to become a beloved cult classic, while also earning its leading lady international recognition and acclaim.
As is the case with most 'overnight' successes, Watts' industry breakthrough was the result of years of hard work and ongoing rejection. In the mid to late 1990s, Watts landed roles in the films Tank Girl and Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering, but it wasn't until she was 33 (young in reality but old by Hollywood standards) that she was cast in the role that would go on to change her life.
"It was not until David Lynch cast me in Mulholland Drive that I was known within the industry," the now 56-year-old told No Filter. "Then things kicked off pretty quickly after that. I remember at the time an agent said to me 'Well, it's all going to dry up at 40, so you better put the pedal to the metal and just go like gangbusters.'
"I just thought, 'Oh my God, what? Why is it all over? What do you mean? And they said 'That's what happens when you're seen as unf**kable'."
"When you're not producing babies, you're not f**kable. They don't want to f**k you. It doesn't sound right or fair, but it sat with me and I did work like crazy for that 10 years. I felt it looming."…
🎧 Follow below to listen to No Filter from the archives; Naomi Watts, Alison Brahe-Daddo & Dr Ginni Mansberg sat down with Mia Freedman to talk about the Bermuda Triangle of women’s health. The funny and the not so pleasurable, hot mess stuff.
Read and listen to more
NAOMI WATTS: 'I was told I would never work again if I admitted to being menopausal.'
LISTEN: Micropettiness & A Generation Of Try-Hards on Mamamia Out Loud
READ: We asked women to share their acts of micro-pettiness. Take notes
What are your acts of micro-pettiness?
👀 Release your pettiness by leaving a comment.
A brutally honest review of Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix's new Belle Gibson series.
Apple Cider Vinegar hits you over the head with its mission statement in the opening scene.
Actress Kaitlyn Dever, playing a defiant Belle Gibson, stares directly into the camera and clarifies that this is a true story based on a lie and that the real Belle Gibson received no money from the project.
"F**kers," she adds in at the end.
The new Netflix series, which was filmed in Australia, is based on the infamous story of Belle Gibson, an Australian woman who built an extensive online following (predominately through Instagram) after claiming that she had been diagnosed with a series of life-threatening medical issues, including brain cancer. Gibson claimed to have cured her terminal cancer through wellness practices like diet and exercise, and used this story to amass an extensive online following. Her success brought about new opportunities, and soon, she had published a successful book, and had her name attached to a popular wellness app. Her financial success all hinged on the idea that people could cure their own illnesses by following her magical advice.
Thanks to an investigation published by The Age, which was began after Chanelle McAuliffe (played by Aisha Dee) — a close friend of Gibson's at the time — discovered her deception. Soon, the truth was uncovered: Gibson had never been diagnosed with cancer. Furthermore, a substantial amount of the money she had claimed to be raising for charity had never actually been donated.
The story of Belle Gibson is one that Australians, in particular, have devoured furiously over the years. It's a story of a beautiful blonde woman who millions of people fell in love, only to be caught spinning an extensive web of global deceit.
Still, Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar takes Gibson's story and broadens it out, and the result is a series that will captivate you in a whole new way, ensuring you'll want to devour all six episodes in one sitting.
The series is based on the book The Woman Who Fooled the World, written by journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, and begins with a young Belle Gibson (wonderfully played by Booksmart's Dever, who has perfected her Australian accent) giving birth to her son while attempting to start an online business selling baby products. While many elements of the series are fictionalised and some names have been changed, the show does stick quite closely to Gibson's real-life story…
Read and listen to more
LISTEN: for more on Apple Cider Vinegar on The Spill
Belle Gibson: a decade on, she has a new life and name
LISTEN: Belle Gibson, a deep dive on Extrodinary Stories
THE SCROLL 📱
5 things to feed your mind and fill your soul.
1. 'I'm 54 and my skin looks better than ever. Here are the 5 products I owe it to.'
2. Gisele Bündchen found love in a self-defence class. Now, she's welcomed her third child.
3. 'My entire life, I had no childhood memories. Age 64, trauma came flooding back.'
4. 'I'm a cleaning expert and these are the 6 budget cleaning hacks I swear by.'
5. It would be different if she had a voice.
ICYMI 👀
Apparently leggings are over. Wait. What? Kyle Sandilands kept getting a headache. Now, he's going into emergency brain surgery. Many parents and teachers fear returning to school this year. There's one major reason why. Tradwives, 'femcels' and dating strategists: Meet the women rejecting feminism. Kanye West wants the world to know how he felt about Bianca Censori being nude at the Grammys.
MID-SPO STYLE 👗💄
We can’t get enough of style icon Linda V Wright. At 77, she has the cool kids on TikTok envious of her style. She loves to play with bright colours, has a knack for layering with different textures, and accentuating with accessories.
You can follow her on her Instagram for daily inspo, or see the deep dive below breaking down her style. We love her timeless, effortless and totally chic vibe.
Watch below ⬇️
Our pick of what’s new in beauty, home and style on Mamamia this week.
Pyjamas so nice you can get away with them in public.
'I've discovered the easiest 2-minute eye makeup, and it always gets me compliments.'
Turns out there's a hack for folding a fitted sheet (properly).
'I'm a dermal clinician. There are 4 things to know before buying an LED mask.'
We’d love your thoughts for a quick study, so we can get to know you better.
In return, you’ll go in the running to win one of four $50 gift vouchers.
Click the link HERE and follow the prompts – it'll take 10 minutes max, we value your opinions :)
Bet you know someone who’d get a kick out of MID. Time to share the love, don’t you think?
Before you go, did you know that you could be getting even more weekly marvels in your inbox from fan favourites Mamamia Out Loud, You Beauty and Nothing To Wear to name just three? Oh yes, friends, there’s more goodness just waiting to inspire, surprise and delight you.
We’ll be back in your box, same time next week ; )