August 6, 2025 • 24 mins
Perimenopause can be like tackling a ninja warrior course! Sometimes you feel like you’re navigating a mountain peak, other times you fall flat on your face. Someone who has run the course and won is Media Personality Rebecca Maddern. The star you see on the TV insists that nothing is ever perfect in life. She shares her lived experience with Pats.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, some women like in Peri Menopause to a marathon.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Others are Nai Ninja Warrior course and Rebecca Madden should know.
She was the host of Australian Ninja Warrior and she's
lived to tell the tale. We worked together in radio
over twenty years ago. Gosh was it two decades and
had the best long chat when we caught up, So
long in fact, that I've made it into a two
(00:23):
episode feature to round out Series two of Rage Against
the Menopause. Here she is media personality Beck Madden in
the Ninja Course. That is Peri menopause, menopause, It's coming
for you, no matter what.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Let's build a village of support. Why is it so
damn hot in here?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Menopause is so hot right now?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I think them only in menopause.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Women just want to feel heard.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Rage Against the Menopause Really excited for this episode because
I have a dear friend and someone who I am
so so proud of. Oh I am that's Rebecca Madden,
TV presenter and journalist. Beck and I We started working
together at Nova early two thousands.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, can you believe? Yeah would have been.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
And watching your growth and rise to stardom has just
been no stop. It has just been one of the
most joyful experiences.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Okay, I'm done.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Can I leave now? I'm happy?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I am cooked.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
So you're currently chief sports presenter for seven years Melbourne
my door seeing you on my screen each night.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
How are you enjoying it being in the big chair.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
It's great. I've done a lot of weekend work my
entire life, you know. And when I give talks a
lot to you know, young journos or just women or
wherever I'm talking, I do a lot of speaking engagements.
You know. When I say to them, the thing that
nearly makes them fall on the floor is when I say,
(01:57):
for the first twelve year years of my career, I
did not have a Christmas Day or a New Year's Eve,
or of this or that, or a public holiday or
this or are that so short answer? I am loving it.
I've moved to Monday to Friday, which is.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
God how refreshing to be normal.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I feel like I've won the lottery. Don't tell my
boss that he probably won't play me, but I feel
like I've won the lottery because Monday to Friday. While
it's a little bit more challenging with the school situation,
my little girls in grade one that just having a
normal existence schedule is wonderful, and also having a day
(02:37):
off with my husband because we were always ships that
are passing the night and while we're both busy, it's
beautiful to have I can plan things on the weekend.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah, but not only that.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
If Ruby, your little girl, who is adorable, she's probably
into a sport or a dance and it means that
you know the kids want you.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Yeah, they do, of course they do. They do. There
is a trade off though with that, in the fact
that I can't be there, but nothing's ever perfect. I
can't be there for school pickup. Yeah, I'm never there
for school pickup, I'm never there for dinner, and I'm
never there for after school activities. So that is the
trade off. Yes, but I explained to Ruby that you know,
we can do wonderful things on the weekend, whereas Mummy
(03:18):
would always usually have to go to work.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
So but think of the example that you're giving her
as well. Though Beck now.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Does she think she understands it?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Seriously, I used to think that with Audrey, who's fourteen now,
there's always that guilt of you know, Chris is there
in the morning and still is that's how we work.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And then I'm there in the afternoon brain dead mind
you and not.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Completely not functioning, And so that goes over in my
mind like a washing machine all the time of yes,
I'm there, but how much am I really there?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
And sometimes I'm grumpy and I'm tired, of.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Course, but that's normal. But even if you didn't work
betraying her that every mum that had four kids would
say exactly the same, Right, that's right. Nothing's perfect.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
No, it's not, it's not. But I think the example
that your begiving Ruby is just so so crucial and
it's brilliant. Do you love being a mum? It didn't come.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Easy for you? Oh my god, it didn't for me.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
No, it was probably that was the hardest thing I've
ever done in my entire life. Yeah, circumstances meant that
I sort of left it late. Wasn't planned. Anybody listening,
is it ever? Yeah, I know, but anybody listening ton'tally.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
It too late because it makes it really difficult.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
But circumstances, you don't know what's ahead of you, and
you know, some people can't fel pregnant at twenty two,
So who knows. Yeah, it was really difficult. I have
talked about it before, but you know, happy to briefly
sort of tell you the story, not that you don't
already know, but yeah, we tried for about two years.
(04:52):
Nothing was sort of working, although I kept on saying,
I don't think there's a problem. In my head, I
don't think there's a problem. My husband was traveling all
the time, which means he wasn't home exactly on the
right day, in the right hour. You know, when I
was doing I think I was doing breakfast hours back then.
You know, you're well aware of that. You're tired, you know,
you're getting up, your body clocks all out of whack.
(05:14):
We sometimes having an afternoon nap da da da da da.
So I didn't really think there was a problem. I
just used to think, oh, we're just never together at
the right time, et cetera, et cetera. And then yeah,
it didn't really work. And then I went to IVF
and then I that didn't really work. I wasn't getting
a lot of eggs at all. So it was like,
(05:35):
so I would do around and you know, I would
hear people say, oh, I got eight eggs around and
I'd be like, oh, they like they retrieved four and
then I had one good one, so it was just
one shot with me. And then I look back on
that and I'm like, but was it really good or
did they just say that?
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I know, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
I'm a bit skeptical. I was like, And then we
did you know, the transfer on day three, and then
we left it to day five and did all the
da da da. Anyway, it did not work. Short story,
short answer, it did not work, and we gave up. Yep,
and we had spent a lot of money, as everybody has,
and it is so draining, and I probably didn't add up.
Did you ever add up?
Speaker 1 (06:12):
No?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
I don't want to. No, I didn't add up because
it's just I notice that it's just.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Money, yeah, correct, And the bigger cost is just so much,
so much larger. Isn't it like it's money, it's it's irrelevant,
it's irrelevant.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
It's you know.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
So then it was just nearing my birthday and my
husband said, let's just get away, and I started googling
dogs as you do, as I do. I need a baby.
I'm gonna have a dog. I'm gonna have a fur
baby instead, and it's going to be great. And you know,
I had this conversation with myself. I had this conversation
with my husband that said, you.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Come to peace with it, don't you do?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
And I said, you know, I love my work, I
love you. It doesn't mean i'm I've got you know,
lots of nieces. They'll probably have children on Monday. I'll
be this great aunt in the war. You'll be the
greatest aunt in the world. And I will be very
fulfilled as a person. And I really became at peace
with that. Then we went to Koalia. We booked a
(07:13):
very very swanky and I just know this story so well.
So we went to Kualia and during IVF and trying
to get pregnant, I did everything like you know, fish slapping.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Over your back, I like taking this, taking that, doing this,
meditating everythinging bowls, yes, God, no, you throw it at me.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And I have done to do the moxie.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
No, that's where they burn like an incense stick over
your sort of.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
For your what You're not gonna get pregnant with an
incense stick for trainers?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Is that not what happens? Maybe that was the problem
when I wasn't getting pregnant but yeah, I know what
you mean.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
You would stand on your head or two hours a
day of fact, course, every possible.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I did crystals. You'll laugh at this.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Our local car dealership, right, I'd bought this car with
no no, it gets.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Sex in the back of the car. Come on, people
have been doing that forever the trainer.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
It's too good in for servicing anyway. I got servicing,
not for me, for the car anyway. The girl who.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Was working in the office said, oh, have you got children?
You know, just conversation.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
I said, oh, no, you know, we've actually been trying.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
You just landed that in her lap. She asked.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Anyway.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Her mother had just got back from Turkey and she
had brought back with her for her sister this sand
from a tomb, and it was this saint. And if
you collect this sand from the tomb and you plant
it in your garden and you water it, it's said
to give women who want a baby a baby.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
So that's how desperate eye was.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
You'd grow one in the garden, cabbage patch baby anyway,
So that's how desperate I was. I'd go out with
a bucket and water this dam.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
You know what it is? Okay, sorry, sorry, it's having
hot What was Chris doing when you were watering the
patch of what?
Speaker 2 (09:11):
He was going right along with it. He was going
right along with it. I also remember I had a
bath filled with rosemary. So this clairvoyance said you need
to have a bath each night with fresh rosemary springs.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So it was going up.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
You would have been tasted like a rack of lamb.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Was itchy as hell. Let's just make my skin really itchy.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
But this is what we do. You know, of course
you do, of course you do. I went to meditate
all that sort of thing. Yes, what was what was
the question, So you're I'm at Kualia. That's right. I'm
at Kualia. Very expensive, but not as expensive as IVF.
That's true. Drop in the ocean's so, I said, you know,
I didn't drink. I didn't. Also, I didn't have coffee,
(09:53):
and I love coffee, so I didn't have coffee for
about probably four or five years. To be honest, I
didn't do anything. I didn't drink all that stuff. Qualia
swam in the pool, had hot paths ate so much seafood,
drank myself stupid, you know, all the stuff. I got bregnant, obviously,
(10:15):
I didn't know naturally. Did you not know this? No?
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I thought Ruby was ivy F.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
No, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
The ords was natural in the end as well. So
when we gave up.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yes, but it's sort of irritating, you know what, because
people say, oh, you just relax, Oh you just need
a holiday.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
I want a holiday.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
You just relaxed. But it's like I was relaxed for
the two years. So anyway, so she was wow, Yes,
so I will always remember, Actually I haven't been back.
Maybe I should go back. She's ten and leave her
at home, but.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
I won't be getting pregnant again, as that shit SD
isn't that great?
Speaker 1 (10:55):
I think it is.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
I was the same, like you, you do give up,
but then you think if I just unnecessarily put us
through all that grief of IVF and like you don't care,
like it's irrelevant. Really, you've got your baby and she's perfect,
and that's all that all that matters, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
She is the best thing in my entire life, also
my husband. She's just I you know, I was sitting
down with her last night and we were doing some
reading and I was just staring at her. Oh my gosh,
I'm gonna cry, and I was just staring at her
and I was like, you are everything.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Yeah, they are. They put everything into perspective to me. Yeah,
And then I think, oh god, if I didn't have her, Yeah,
but then I would You don't know what you don't know.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
So I'm sorry tears. But she's just perfection. Yeah, yeah
she is. And what a great mum she's got as well.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
I noticed something on your Instagram recently which was really funny.
You're up to that stage with rubes about the birds
and the bee.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
So what happened? Tell me, did she come home from school?
Speaker 3 (12:04):
No, she's just sort of been asking. So she is
an animal lover, right, and she watches documentaries like every
day she watches Dorilliant. She watches documentaries about lions and
tigers and cheetahs and Da Da dah the world and
dinosaurs and fifteen million years ago, because mummy, when was
fifteen million years ago? I'm like, well, I wasn't alive,
(12:26):
you know. She loves that. And I sort of thought,
by watching these documentaries because obviously it's the circle of life,
that she would have sort of worked it out for herself.
But I could bypass this conversation. No such luck. But no,
so she is at the stage and I'm oh, I
feel terrible because I've still put it off. I've just
(12:48):
keep putting it off. I say, it's a very long conversation,
or if I tell you the truth, it could be
very short because honestly.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
But you know what, we don't give them enough credit
because I think I've done this with Audrey.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
I have no bouty of it where you think they
don't know, but guess what they know so much.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
She's only did.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
But she's an intelligent little girl. Look at you as
she's not an idiot.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
I know that. But honestly, Petraya, when you say it
out loud to a seven year old, it's disgusting, it's disgusting.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
No, but no, but you call bodybits the body bits?
Don't you like their proper names and stuff?
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Yes, but not if we're saying like if we're saying,
did you wash your whatever? Whatever? Yeah, like we might
have a little nickname, but she clearly knows them.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Look, I think, just what about where did I come from?
That's what we did with the words. It's a brilliant book.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Excuse me, I googled it because I google where did
you come from? Have you seen it?
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Yeah, I've got it at home.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
But the mum and daddy getting into the bar, it's
like the third page. I'm like, that's time to get
in the bar together. And then there's got so much
buby air everyone.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Well there's a published bab the seventies, so it's a.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Bit outdra Anyway, I've got a lot of advice on Instagram.
I do like Instagram. And when I'm going to order
a couple of the more modern books without the excess
pubic care because people will be like, what is that?
Speaker 4 (14:18):
It's really good funny and dad's got like a beer
button stuff.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Or transcend better shape than that? Can we say exactly?
Speaker 3 (14:27):
And and I will have that chat but it's scary?
Did you find it scary? Am I just totally whim No?
Speaker 1 (14:35):
No, totally?
Speaker 3 (14:36):
What do you say?
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Do you always think that you're doing it wrong? You
always think that you're.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Doing we're good with it? Like she gets the egg
and da da, DA's yes, but she understands. Yeah, She's like,
but how does it grow? Why doesn't it grow?
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Now?
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Good question?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
And I'm just like, oh, you dis close your eyes
and wish. Initially, Rebecca U Audrey.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Initially sort of looked at Chris like, oh you did
what what I mean, you're too a foul But she's
probably gonna think that anyway, you know, like, let's speak,
we don't want to think about our parents having sex.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
No, I know that was the embarrassing thing when I
said to my parents, and still at the age of whatever,
I was just nearly forty, I said, I'm pregnant. Now
don't know I've had sex.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Isn't that weird? I know, I was a saying.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
I mean goodness, I was ashamed to tell them it
was the first time. Listen you used to host Australian
Ninja Warrior.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Yes, I was only thinking about that the other day.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
How does that compare to like the ninja course that is?
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Perimenopause didn't help train you for that?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Oh, the ups and downs are falling off from me unexpected,
and the highs and lows exactly the same. Yeah, pretty
much exactly the same. It's funny, I don't I don't
feel old enough to be talking about Yeah. Yeah, it's
so stupid, isn't it. But I literally feel like, you know,
having a baby, and then getting through all that. I've
(16:10):
sort of combined all of it, and it's not supposed
to be mush. Yeah, it's not supposed to be like this.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
You're supposed to.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Have your baby sort of you know, late twenties, thirties,
and then you're supposed to have a bit of a
break to get back to normal. But I've just sort of, yeah,
put it all together, which probably is not advisable. It's
been really interesting. I don't think I have suffered like
some women. I think some women just just dealt an
(16:40):
really unfair hand. Although I had endometriosis really badly and
that's one of the reasons I couldn't feel pregnant, and
I've had terrible period pay my whole life. So I
feel like maybe someone's looking after me, and maybe I'm.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Going to give you end Yeah, you think you'd hope, So.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I don't know. But yeah, it's been a really interesting one.
I have been quite aware of it. I think just
my background being a journalist, I'm very inquisitive, very inquisitive.
I ask a lot, I listen a lot, I read
a lot. At work. A lot of people call me
(17:15):
doctor Beck because I seem to have an answer forever
I think I think I missed my calling. I'm like,
you really initiate. It might be this. It might be
I don't know why they always go what do you
think of with children or whatever? I'm like, oh, I said,
don't take my word for it. However, I think it
might be his having never seen the child, never seen
the thing, I'm habit of diagnose you. So, yeah, the
(17:38):
menopause thing was interesting. I think it sort of snuck
up on me. I have a great relationship with my
GP Mark. I really love him, Mark Carrington. I'll give
you a shout out because I think he's great. He's
very understanding. So for the last sort of, you know,
five years, every time I've gone to the doctor, as
I said, oh, hey, what about do you think I'm
dada da da da? And I don't know if he's
(18:00):
got a thick sixth sense, but he sort of looked
at me and goes, N, I don't think you no,
you're not quite no. I don't think so like, you're
not quite there yet, And I'll be like no, But
you know the other day he goes, no, that's just
normal crazy behavior, not crazy crazy behavior.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
There's a difference to differentiate because We do blame a
lot for on perimenopause. We think it's that, and it
may not necessarily because the symptoms are just so wide.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
Exactly well, that's actually, to be honest, with a lot
of women's not that this is an illness, but with
a lot of women's illnesses or conditions we go through.
Like you know, you see with fifty things you can have.
It's your headaches, weight gain, tiredness. I'm like, yeah, tic tick,
tic tick tick every day, So you know, so I
(18:44):
think it's snuck up on me. To be honest, I
sort of remember going to the doctor about twelve months earlier.
I'm saying, oh, I sort of think I'm closed. I
think I'm perimenopause or don't. He's like, ah, anyway, he's
more trained than me, even though so it's like anyway,
So it was pretty much this time last year, to
(19:06):
be honest, I was getting ready for a function, a
very big function. It's a Grand Final Eve luncheon, massive huge,
there's like fourteen hundred people and predominantly men at Crown.
So I've hosted it for a couple of years with
Hamish McGlocklin. So I'm getting it and it's a very
busy week for me, Grand Final week. There's so many
(19:27):
things on, there's extra commitments, lots happening. So I was
getting ready for this luncheon and I committed one of
my sins which I don't usually do, and that's not
being prepared. The night before. I had left it till
that morning.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
That's not like you.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
No. I had left it till the morning to print
out my notes, etc. I'd done my prep. I knew
what I was doing, but it was quite complex. The
hosting gig was quite complex. There was I had guests
on stage. I was throwing to vision, old vision of
them playing football. Da da da da dah. You know,
fourteen hundred people men Crown Palladium noisy, noisy my boss
(20:08):
and is when I say my boss, I mean Kerry
Stokes is in the front row. It's a big luncheon.
But to be honest, I don't get very stressed or
nervous these days about those types of things because I've
done them. And that's not being arrogant. It's just that
I've done it a lot. So yes, I like to
be prepared. I am always prepared. Anyway. This morning Trent
(20:28):
was home. I don't know why I was home, but
he was home, and I couldn't get the printer working.
I mean, that's normal, and that's enough to send anybody
over the edge, but I could not get so I
had the information on my phone, but I couldn't print
it from my printer.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
School like me, Yeah, I've got to have a bit
of paper hand.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
And it wasn't It was stupidly. I could have got
my notes when I arrived, but I like to have
my own and I like to do my own work
and highlighting. And I'm old school. I use a pan.
So I was trying to get this printer and nothing
was going right in the morning. I don't know, it
just it just felt really bad. Really, I felt really off,
(21:09):
really really off. I was trying to get the printer working.
I was having an absolute meltdown because time is yeah,
it's I gotta be there.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
You're a real stickler for time. I'm a real stick
early for the internet.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Today. I knew you would be. I'm a real stickler
for time because I'm news and if something's happening at
six oh one, it's happening at six oh one, like
we're on the TV. You can't be late. You know
for the news that starts at six o'clock you are there,
so yes, I'm a stickler for time. So I was
having a fight with a printer. It would not print.
Usually I would just work it out. I was having
(21:45):
a complete meltdown. I was crying. I just had my
makeup done. I was crying, very unusual for me. Trent
was going, what is happening. I said, I can't get
this printer working. Da da da da da. He was
so he did, and usually he's really good. He couldn't
get it working either, and he could see the state
I was in, so he just quietly left and went
(22:06):
to office works to try and get a lead to
print from this to this to make it easier rather
than going through the bluetooth. Because the bluetooth wasn't connected.
He was trying to print, he couldn't print it. I
was standing there in my dress and I felt like
I was melting into the floor. I was hot. I was.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
God like, full on panic attack.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
I've never had a panic attack, but I think that's
what a panic attack feels like. I was sort of shaking,
which is very strange. Never had that feeling before. I honestly,
it was an outer body experience, melting into the floor, shaking, sweating,
crying so hot, could not think. I thought, something is
(22:59):
so wrong with me. I don't have time for this.
I've got to be on stage in front of fourteen
hundred men at Crown Casino in about forty five minutes.
Finally something happened, Trent, I got something. I got something.
It wasn't perfect, but I got something. And then I
had pantyhose on and I leant over. Yeah, hot, but
(23:22):
I leant over to try so I got my script.
I was not very good. I had to walk into
the bathroom, look at myself in the mirror and say,
get yourself together. You've got to be on stage very soon.
What is happening. Whatever is happening, we will deal with later.
I don't have time for this now. I leant over
to put my shoes on, and I had some little
jewels on my top of my thing. I leant over.
(23:45):
The jewel got stuck in my stocking and ripped the
most enormous hole in my stocking.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
I'm like, did you just want to go back to bed?
It's like, let's have this day another day. Nothing was going.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Nothing, and I know these I know these things sound trivial.
The printer didn't work, and I've got a ladder in.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
My stocking thing after the next Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
So I was late then so that I had another
pair of panty hose, but they were two light. So
then I had like white legs, and I wanted brown leaves.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
You hadn't tanned, God forbid.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
But it gets worse, ending Part one with Rebecca Madden
on a cliffhanger. What happens next? Does she get herself
together and smash her corporate hosting gig or does perimenopause
win out in the end. Be listening to part two
of My Chat with Rebecca Madden to find out that's
the final episode of season two of Rage Against the Menopause.
(24:46):
I'm Petrina jiants Rage Against the Menopause.
Well, some women like in Peri Menopause to a marathon.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Others are Nai Ninja Warrior course and Rebecca Madden should know.
She was the host of Australian Ninja Warrior and she's
lived to tell the tale. We worked together in radio
over twenty years ago. Gosh was it two decades and
had the best long chat when we caught up, So
long in fact, that I've made it into a two
(00:23):
episode feature to round out Series two of Rage Against
the Menopause. Here she is media personality Beck Madden in
the Ninja Course. That is Peri menopause, menopause, It's coming
for you, no matter what.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Let's build a village of support. Why is it so
damn hot in here?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Menopause is so hot right now?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I think them only in menopause.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Women just want to feel heard.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Rage Against the Menopause Really excited for this episode because
I have a dear friend and someone who I am
so so proud of. Oh I am that's Rebecca Madden,
TV presenter and journalist. Beck and I We started working
together at Nova early two thousands.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, can you believe? Yeah would have been.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
And watching your growth and rise to stardom has just
been no stop. It has just been one of the
most joyful experiences.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Okay, I'm done.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Can I leave now? I'm happy?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I am cooked.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
So you're currently chief sports presenter for seven years Melbourne
my door seeing you on my screen each night.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
How are you enjoying it being in the big chair.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
It's great. I've done a lot of weekend work my
entire life, you know. And when I give talks a
lot to you know, young journos or just women or
wherever I'm talking, I do a lot of speaking engagements.
You know. When I say to them, the thing that
nearly makes them fall on the floor is when I say,
(01:57):
for the first twelve year years of my career, I
did not have a Christmas Day or a New Year's Eve,
or of this or that, or a public holiday or
this or are that so short answer? I am loving it.
I've moved to Monday to Friday, which is.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
God how refreshing to be normal.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I feel like I've won the lottery. Don't tell my
boss that he probably won't play me, but I feel
like I've won the lottery because Monday to Friday. While
it's a little bit more challenging with the school situation,
my little girls in grade one that just having a
normal existence schedule is wonderful, and also having a day
(02:37):
off with my husband because we were always ships that
are passing the night and while we're both busy, it's
beautiful to have I can plan things on the weekend.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah, but not only that.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
If Ruby, your little girl, who is adorable, she's probably
into a sport or a dance and it means that
you know the kids want you.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Yeah, they do, of course they do. They do. There
is a trade off though with that, in the fact
that I can't be there, but nothing's ever perfect. I
can't be there for school pickup. Yeah, I'm never there
for school pickup, I'm never there for dinner, and I'm
never there for after school activities. So that is the
trade off. Yes, but I explained to Ruby that you know,
we can do wonderful things on the weekend, whereas Mummy
(03:18):
would always usually have to go to work.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
So but think of the example that you're giving her
as well. Though Beck now.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Does she think she understands it?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Seriously, I used to think that with Audrey, who's fourteen now,
there's always that guilt of you know, Chris is there
in the morning and still is that's how we work.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And then I'm there in the afternoon brain dead mind
you and not.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Completely not functioning, And so that goes over in my
mind like a washing machine all the time of yes,
I'm there, but how much am I really there?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
And sometimes I'm grumpy and I'm tired, of.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Course, but that's normal. But even if you didn't work
betraying her that every mum that had four kids would
say exactly the same, Right, that's right. Nothing's perfect.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
No, it's not, it's not. But I think the example
that your begiving Ruby is just so so crucial and
it's brilliant. Do you love being a mum? It didn't come.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Easy for you? Oh my god, it didn't for me.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
No, it was probably that was the hardest thing I've
ever done in my entire life. Yeah, circumstances meant that
I sort of left it late. Wasn't planned. Anybody listening,
is it ever? Yeah, I know, but anybody listening ton'tally.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
It too late because it makes it really difficult.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
But circumstances, you don't know what's ahead of you, and
you know, some people can't fel pregnant at twenty two,
So who knows. Yeah, it was really difficult. I have
talked about it before, but you know, happy to briefly
sort of tell you the story, not that you don't
already know, but yeah, we tried for about two years.
(04:52):
Nothing was sort of working, although I kept on saying,
I don't think there's a problem. In my head, I
don't think there's a problem. My husband was traveling all
the time, which means he wasn't home exactly on the
right day, in the right hour. You know, when I
was doing I think I was doing breakfast hours back then.
You know, you're well aware of that. You're tired, you know,
you're getting up, your body clocks all out of whack.
(05:14):
We sometimes having an afternoon nap da da da da da.
So I didn't really think there was a problem. I
just used to think, oh, we're just never together at
the right time, et cetera, et cetera. And then yeah,
it didn't really work. And then I went to IVF
and then I that didn't really work. I wasn't getting
a lot of eggs at all. So it was like,
(05:35):
so I would do around and you know, I would
hear people say, oh, I got eight eggs around and
I'd be like, oh, they like they retrieved four and
then I had one good one, so it was just
one shot with me. And then I look back on
that and I'm like, but was it really good or
did they just say that?
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I know, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
I'm a bit skeptical. I was like, And then we
did you know, the transfer on day three, and then
we left it to day five and did all the
da da da. Anyway, it did not work. Short story,
short answer, it did not work, and we gave up. Yep,
and we had spent a lot of money, as everybody has,
and it is so draining, and I probably didn't add up.
Did you ever add up?
Speaker 1 (06:12):
No?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
I don't want to. No, I didn't add up because
it's just I notice that it's just.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Money, yeah, correct, And the bigger cost is just so much,
so much larger. Isn't it like it's money, it's it's irrelevant,
it's irrelevant.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
It's you know.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
So then it was just nearing my birthday and my
husband said, let's just get away, and I started googling
dogs as you do, as I do. I need a baby.
I'm gonna have a dog. I'm gonna have a fur
baby instead, and it's going to be great. And you know,
I had this conversation with myself. I had this conversation
with my husband that said, you.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Come to peace with it, don't you do?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
And I said, you know, I love my work, I
love you. It doesn't mean i'm I've got you know,
lots of nieces. They'll probably have children on Monday. I'll
be this great aunt in the war. You'll be the
greatest aunt in the world. And I will be very
fulfilled as a person. And I really became at peace
with that. Then we went to Koalia. We booked a
(07:13):
very very swanky and I just know this story so well.
So we went to Kualia and during IVF and trying
to get pregnant, I did everything like you know, fish slapping.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Over your back, I like taking this, taking that, doing this,
meditating everythinging bowls, yes, God, no, you throw it at me.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And I have done to do the moxie.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
No, that's where they burn like an incense stick over
your sort of.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
For your what You're not gonna get pregnant with an
incense stick for trainers?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Is that not what happens? Maybe that was the problem
when I wasn't getting pregnant but yeah, I know what
you mean.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
You would stand on your head or two hours a
day of fact, course, every possible.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I did crystals. You'll laugh at this.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Our local car dealership, right, I'd bought this car with
no no, it gets.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Sex in the back of the car. Come on, people
have been doing that forever the trainer.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
It's too good in for servicing anyway. I got servicing,
not for me, for the car anyway. The girl who.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Was working in the office said, oh, have you got children?
You know, just conversation.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
I said, oh, no, you know, we've actually been trying.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
You just landed that in her lap. She asked.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Anyway.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Her mother had just got back from Turkey and she
had brought back with her for her sister this sand
from a tomb, and it was this saint. And if
you collect this sand from the tomb and you plant
it in your garden and you water it, it's said
to give women who want a baby a baby.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
So that's how desperate eye was.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
You'd grow one in the garden, cabbage patch baby anyway,
So that's how desperate I was. I'd go out with
a bucket and water this dam.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
You know what it is? Okay, sorry, sorry, it's having
hot What was Chris doing when you were watering the
patch of what?
Speaker 2 (09:11):
He was going right along with it. He was going
right along with it. I also remember I had a
bath filled with rosemary. So this clairvoyance said you need
to have a bath each night with fresh rosemary springs.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So it was going up.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
You would have been tasted like a rack of lamb.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Was itchy as hell. Let's just make my skin really itchy.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
But this is what we do. You know, of course
you do, of course you do. I went to meditate
all that sort of thing. Yes, what was what was
the question, So you're I'm at Kualia. That's right. I'm
at Kualia. Very expensive, but not as expensive as IVF.
That's true. Drop in the ocean's so, I said, you know,
I didn't drink. I didn't. Also, I didn't have coffee,
(09:53):
and I love coffee, so I didn't have coffee for
about probably four or five years. To be honest, I
didn't do anything. I didn't drink all that stuff. Qualia
swam in the pool, had hot paths ate so much seafood,
drank myself stupid, you know, all the stuff. I got bregnant, obviously,
(10:15):
I didn't know naturally. Did you not know this? No?
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I thought Ruby was ivy F.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
No, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
The ords was natural in the end as well. So
when we gave up.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yes, but it's sort of irritating, you know what, because
people say, oh, you just relax, Oh you just need
a holiday.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
I want a holiday.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
You just relaxed. But it's like I was relaxed for
the two years. So anyway, so she was wow, Yes,
so I will always remember, Actually I haven't been back.
Maybe I should go back. She's ten and leave her
at home, but.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
I won't be getting pregnant again, as that shit SD
isn't that great?
Speaker 1 (10:55):
I think it is.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
I was the same, like you, you do give up,
but then you think if I just unnecessarily put us
through all that grief of IVF and like you don't care,
like it's irrelevant. Really, you've got your baby and she's perfect,
and that's all that all that matters, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
She is the best thing in my entire life, also
my husband. She's just I you know, I was sitting
down with her last night and we were doing some
reading and I was just staring at her. Oh my gosh,
I'm gonna cry, and I was just staring at her
and I was like, you are everything.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Yeah, they are. They put everything into perspective to me. Yeah,
And then I think, oh god, if I didn't have her, Yeah,
but then I would You don't know what you don't know.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
So I'm sorry tears. But she's just perfection. Yeah, yeah
she is. And what a great mum she's got as well.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
I noticed something on your Instagram recently which was really funny.
You're up to that stage with rubes about the birds
and the bee.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
So what happened? Tell me, did she come home from school?
Speaker 3 (12:04):
No, she's just sort of been asking. So she is
an animal lover, right, and she watches documentaries like every
day she watches Dorilliant. She watches documentaries about lions and
tigers and cheetahs and Da Da dah the world and
dinosaurs and fifteen million years ago, because mummy, when was
fifteen million years ago? I'm like, well, I wasn't alive,
(12:26):
you know. She loves that. And I sort of thought,
by watching these documentaries because obviously it's the circle of life,
that she would have sort of worked it out for herself.
But I could bypass this conversation. No such luck. But no,
so she is at the stage and I'm oh, I
feel terrible because I've still put it off. I've just
(12:48):
keep putting it off. I say, it's a very long conversation,
or if I tell you the truth, it could be
very short because honestly.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
But you know what, we don't give them enough credit
because I think I've done this with Audrey.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
I have no bouty of it where you think they
don't know, but guess what they know so much.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
She's only did.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
But she's an intelligent little girl. Look at you as
she's not an idiot.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
I know that. But honestly, Petraya, when you say it
out loud to a seven year old, it's disgusting, it's disgusting.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
No, but no, but you call bodybits the body bits?
Don't you like their proper names and stuff?
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Yes, but not if we're saying like if we're saying,
did you wash your whatever? Whatever? Yeah, like we might
have a little nickname, but she clearly knows them.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Look, I think, just what about where did I come from?
That's what we did with the words. It's a brilliant book.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Excuse me, I googled it because I google where did
you come from? Have you seen it?
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Yeah, I've got it at home.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
But the mum and daddy getting into the bar, it's
like the third page. I'm like, that's time to get
in the bar together. And then there's got so much
buby air everyone.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Well there's a published bab the seventies, so it's a.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Bit outdra Anyway, I've got a lot of advice on Instagram.
I do like Instagram. And when I'm going to order
a couple of the more modern books without the excess
pubic care because people will be like, what is that?
Speaker 4 (14:18):
It's really good funny and dad's got like a beer
button stuff.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Or transcend better shape than that? Can we say exactly?
Speaker 3 (14:27):
And and I will have that chat but it's scary?
Did you find it scary? Am I just totally whim No?
Speaker 1 (14:35):
No, totally?
Speaker 3 (14:36):
What do you say?
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Do you always think that you're doing it wrong? You
always think that you're.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Doing we're good with it? Like she gets the egg
and da da, DA's yes, but she understands. Yeah, She's like,
but how does it grow? Why doesn't it grow?
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Now?
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Good question?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
And I'm just like, oh, you dis close your eyes
and wish. Initially, Rebecca U Audrey.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Initially sort of looked at Chris like, oh you did
what what I mean, you're too a foul But she's
probably gonna think that anyway, you know, like, let's speak,
we don't want to think about our parents having sex.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
No, I know that was the embarrassing thing when I
said to my parents, and still at the age of whatever,
I was just nearly forty, I said, I'm pregnant. Now
don't know I've had sex.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Isn't that weird? I know, I was a saying.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
I mean goodness, I was ashamed to tell them it
was the first time. Listen you used to host Australian
Ninja Warrior.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Yes, I was only thinking about that the other day.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
How does that compare to like the ninja course that is?
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Perimenopause didn't help train you for that?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Oh, the ups and downs are falling off from me unexpected,
and the highs and lows exactly the same. Yeah, pretty
much exactly the same. It's funny, I don't I don't
feel old enough to be talking about Yeah. Yeah, it's
so stupid, isn't it. But I literally feel like, you know,
having a baby, and then getting through all that. I've
(16:10):
sort of combined all of it, and it's not supposed
to be mush. Yeah, it's not supposed to be like this.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
You're supposed to.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Have your baby sort of you know, late twenties, thirties,
and then you're supposed to have a bit of a
break to get back to normal. But I've just sort of, yeah,
put it all together, which probably is not advisable. It's
been really interesting. I don't think I have suffered like
some women. I think some women just just dealt an
(16:40):
really unfair hand. Although I had endometriosis really badly and
that's one of the reasons I couldn't feel pregnant, and
I've had terrible period pay my whole life. So I
feel like maybe someone's looking after me, and maybe I'm.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Going to give you end Yeah, you think you'd hope, So.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I don't know. But yeah, it's been a really interesting one.
I have been quite aware of it. I think just
my background being a journalist, I'm very inquisitive, very inquisitive.
I ask a lot, I listen a lot, I read
a lot. At work. A lot of people call me
(17:15):
doctor Beck because I seem to have an answer forever
I think I think I missed my calling. I'm like,
you really initiate. It might be this. It might be
I don't know why they always go what do you
think of with children or whatever? I'm like, oh, I said,
don't take my word for it. However, I think it
might be his having never seen the child, never seen
the thing, I'm habit of diagnose you. So, yeah, the
(17:38):
menopause thing was interesting. I think it sort of snuck
up on me. I have a great relationship with my
GP Mark. I really love him, Mark Carrington. I'll give
you a shout out because I think he's great. He's
very understanding. So for the last sort of, you know,
five years, every time I've gone to the doctor, as
I said, oh, hey, what about do you think I'm
dada da da da? And I don't know if he's
(18:00):
got a thick sixth sense, but he sort of looked
at me and goes, N, I don't think you no,
you're not quite no. I don't think so like, you're
not quite there yet, And I'll be like no, But
you know the other day he goes, no, that's just
normal crazy behavior, not crazy crazy behavior.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
There's a difference to differentiate because We do blame a
lot for on perimenopause. We think it's that, and it
may not necessarily because the symptoms are just so wide.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
Exactly well, that's actually, to be honest, with a lot
of women's not that this is an illness, but with
a lot of women's illnesses or conditions we go through.
Like you know, you see with fifty things you can have.
It's your headaches, weight gain, tiredness. I'm like, yeah, tic tick,
tic tick tick every day, So you know, so I
(18:44):
think it's snuck up on me. To be honest, I
sort of remember going to the doctor about twelve months earlier.
I'm saying, oh, I sort of think I'm closed. I
think I'm perimenopause or don't. He's like, ah, anyway, he's
more trained than me, even though so it's like anyway,
So it was pretty much this time last year, to
(19:06):
be honest, I was getting ready for a function, a
very big function. It's a Grand Final Eve luncheon, massive huge,
there's like fourteen hundred people and predominantly men at Crown.
So I've hosted it for a couple of years with
Hamish McGlocklin. So I'm getting it and it's a very
busy week for me, Grand Final week. There's so many
(19:27):
things on, there's extra commitments, lots happening. So I was
getting ready for this luncheon and I committed one of
my sins which I don't usually do, and that's not
being prepared. The night before. I had left it till
that morning.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
That's not like you.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
No. I had left it till the morning to print
out my notes, etc. I'd done my prep. I knew
what I was doing, but it was quite complex. The
hosting gig was quite complex. There was I had guests
on stage. I was throwing to vision, old vision of
them playing football. Da da da da dah. You know,
fourteen hundred people men Crown Palladium noisy, noisy my boss
(20:08):
and is when I say my boss, I mean Kerry
Stokes is in the front row. It's a big luncheon.
But to be honest, I don't get very stressed or
nervous these days about those types of things because I've
done them. And that's not being arrogant. It's just that
I've done it a lot. So yes, I like to
be prepared. I am always prepared. Anyway. This morning Trent
(20:28):
was home. I don't know why I was home, but
he was home, and I couldn't get the printer working.
I mean, that's normal, and that's enough to send anybody
over the edge, but I could not get so I
had the information on my phone, but I couldn't print
it from my printer.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
School like me, Yeah, I've got to have a bit
of paper hand.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
And it wasn't It was stupidly. I could have got
my notes when I arrived, but I like to have
my own and I like to do my own work
and highlighting. And I'm old school. I use a pan.
So I was trying to get this printer and nothing
was going right in the morning. I don't know, it
just it just felt really bad. Really, I felt really off,
(21:09):
really really off. I was trying to get the printer working.
I was having an absolute meltdown because time is yeah,
it's I gotta be there.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
You're a real stickler for time. I'm a real stick
early for the internet.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Today. I knew you would be. I'm a real stickler
for time because I'm news and if something's happening at
six oh one, it's happening at six oh one, like
we're on the TV. You can't be late. You know
for the news that starts at six o'clock you are there,
so yes, I'm a stickler for time. So I was
having a fight with a printer. It would not print.
Usually I would just work it out. I was having
(21:45):
a complete meltdown. I was crying. I just had my
makeup done. I was crying, very unusual for me. Trent
was going, what is happening. I said, I can't get
this printer working. Da da da da da. He was
so he did, and usually he's really good. He couldn't
get it working either, and he could see the state
I was in, so he just quietly left and went
(22:06):
to office works to try and get a lead to
print from this to this to make it easier rather
than going through the bluetooth. Because the bluetooth wasn't connected.
He was trying to print, he couldn't print it. I
was standing there in my dress and I felt like
I was melting into the floor. I was hot. I was.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
God like, full on panic attack.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
I've never had a panic attack, but I think that's
what a panic attack feels like. I was sort of shaking,
which is very strange. Never had that feeling before. I honestly,
it was an outer body experience, melting into the floor, shaking, sweating,
crying so hot, could not think. I thought, something is
(22:59):
so wrong with me. I don't have time for this.
I've got to be on stage in front of fourteen
hundred men at Crown Casino in about forty five minutes.
Finally something happened, Trent, I got something. I got something.
It wasn't perfect, but I got something. And then I
had pantyhose on and I leant over. Yeah, hot, but
(23:22):
I leant over to try so I got my script.
I was not very good. I had to walk into
the bathroom, look at myself in the mirror and say,
get yourself together. You've got to be on stage very soon.
What is happening. Whatever is happening, we will deal with later.
I don't have time for this now. I leant over
to put my shoes on, and I had some little
jewels on my top of my thing. I leant over.
(23:45):
The jewel got stuck in my stocking and ripped the
most enormous hole in my stocking.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
I'm like, did you just want to go back to bed?
It's like, let's have this day another day. Nothing was going.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Nothing, and I know these I know these things sound trivial.
The printer didn't work, and I've got a ladder in.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
My stocking thing after the next Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
So I was late then so that I had another
pair of panty hose, but they were two light. So
then I had like white legs, and I wanted brown leaves.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
You hadn't tanned, God forbid.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
But it gets worse, ending Part one with Rebecca Madden
on a cliffhanger. What happens next? Does she get herself
together and smash her corporate hosting gig or does perimenopause
win out in the end. Be listening to part two
of My Chat with Rebecca Madden to find out that's
the final episode of season two of Rage Against the Menopause.
(24:46):
I'm Petrina jiants Rage Against the Menopause.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.