June 23, 2025 • 7 mins
You’d know Brooke Blurton from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and now she’s written a book for young adults.
Tackling issues like growing up queer and standing up for what you believe in Brooke told Rod and Gabi how autobiographical this book actually is.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Brook. Blurton was a star of The Honey Badger's season
of the Bachelor on TV, so much so they said
you should be the next Bachelor. Rat absolutely after she
walked out.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yeah, she was like the third Actually it's exactly the
same story as producer Chelsea Third in there's three girls left? Yes, yes,
she went you know what, No, this is not what
I want, So I'm going to walk away.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
She's on her way to Canberra on a book tour.
She's got the new book at the moment, Brooke, gooday, Hello.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Good morning Ronning Gabby.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
How are you very well excited to hear about this
book and the adventure ever since we saw you on
the TV. But I think Australia has been waiting to
ask the question. Perhaps I just haven't heard the answer.
When when you chose to walk out on the Honey Badger,
he famously then walked out on the last two girls.
Do you think had you stayed, he would have chosen you?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Oh my god, I think it's a beautiful thing. Yes,
I don't think.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So. We're talking way back in like twenty nineteen, right,
like it's a lot set time.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Actually yeah, yeah, very long time.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Ago, pre COVID does feel like decades ago, because it does. Yeah,
it is another world. How different is your life these
days as an author versus a TV star?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Ah, much better, a little bit more low key. I
can you know, I'm not behind the camera. I'm just
sitting behind my computer.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
But you're still doing a great podcast as well, though,
so you're still out there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I love I love my job honestly, like I have
such a great life. And you know, I am very
grateful for my time on the Bachelor, because I don't
think I would have had all these things if it
wasn't for that experience. So very very grateful.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Tapy read me an extract of your new book yesterday
and we were wondering whether or not. I mean, it's
I think it's officially fiction, but I wonder if it's
somewhat semi autobiographical. How much of yourself and your childhood
did you tap into for this story.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Well, I co authored with Melsayword, who's another First Nations woman,
and I think both of our experiences have been entwined
with different characters. So I feel like I'm a little
bit of Jamie and a little bit of Stella. And
she feels the exact same way for different reasons. But
I would say it's definitely fiction. But you know, this
is the best thing about writing fiction and like a
(02:19):
younger character, is that you can use your imagination and
kind of go to places that you probably couldn't in
like an autobiography obviously, So I'm much writer. I'm much
rather writing this one than my autobiography, if I'm being honest,
my memoir time for that. Yeah, Well, I'm loving the
(02:39):
premise of this book.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
It's called a Good Kind of Trouble, and it is
about a high school girl who actually gets in a
bit of trouble for standing up for what she believes in,
which sounds like such a feminist empowerment kind of move.
Is that what you were going for?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, I mean I wanted to always write something that
also reflective of my clear experience as well, like or
like you know, the confusion or the navigation of that.
So Jamie's navigating, you know, being clear. She's openly clear,
like everyone just sort of knows there's no coming out.
There's just like everyone just kind of accepts it and
just like kind of moves on. But there's this time
(03:18):
where she gets in trouble with the new girl, and
the new Girl is like the good kind of trouble.
So you know, I think there's so much more. There's
more messaging in this than I've ever read in any
other teenage fiction in my life, and I have read
quite a few. So yeah, no, I feel like I
just wanted to entwine like a bit of like justice,
(03:40):
a bit of like education around First Nations culture, a
bit of like you know, challenging stereotypes, challenging status quos,
et cetera. So yeah, there's a lot in it. Considering
it's a teenage fiction, I think a lot of adults
could learn from it.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
To be honest, well, I'm actually wanting to read it.
I think I can learn from it because there is
like a part of this that rodert I started talking
about after reading the excerpt from the book about how
the education system hopefully has changed a lot, but we
know it's definitely changed somewhat since we were in school
when it comes to teaching our history and the proper history,
(04:17):
not just the white history of Australia. So there's definitely
like a touch of that in the book as well.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Exactly. I mean not to give giveaway too much, but
it does challenge those education like these old educational views
on First Nations culture, and we all know the truth
telling well sometimes you know, some people don't want to
admit it or they deny it. So you know, Jamie's
challenging that. And I think seeing a young Nona girl,
(04:48):
you know, a young wa girl round fifteen or whatever age,
you feel like, you know, you resonate with Jamie. She
challenges that, and she stands up for what she believes in,
and they think that It's kind of what I would
hope for young people even just today. Like honestly, like
I was pretty strong with my views and my values
when I was younger, and I just wish I had
(05:09):
the courage as much as I put into Jamie as
I did as a kid.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
But it's interesting that this story that is part fiction
and obviously just taps into a little bit of your
life experience hopefully you know, gives that inspiration to kids now. Obviously,
the education system in twenty twenty five is dramatically different
to you know, the one that Gabby and I grew
up with. I know my cousins and my niece are
(05:37):
in First Nations leadership roles in their school because that
is normal now, but once upon a time it was
maybe a term in history class dramatically different. But the
more that stories like the one you're telling is being
read in schools or you're visiting schools, or even kids
are reading it independently and then just taking you know,
that experience of reading it into their schools, it hopefully
(06:00):
will become part of a normal part of the conversation.
It's incidental and not a big deal, sooner rather than later.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
That's exactly it. And I guess I've also played what
I play into with I guess Jamie's sexuality as well,
like it's not a big deal, Like she's just openly clear,
and I think there's a comfortability around the school and
her peers that they just accept it and it's not
like this big deal. And then when it comes to
the education, that's the big deal, because that's the real
problem in terms of like it doesn't reflect the truth,
(06:30):
It doesn't reflect her experience as a black dollar, like
you know what I mean, it's pretty much pointing out
what the things are, the things that are the problem
that's which is not it's truth, like it's misinformation and
you know, colonization, like full stop well done, Brooke.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
I tell you it's being busy. I know it's only
twenty eighteen since we were document meeting you, but yeah,
you're doing a tremendous job out there and we look
forward to you coming to camp. When do we get
to mate Brook for the book signing.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
And the eighth of July the National Library of Australia
which is obviously a free event because we love all
of our free establishments. Here in camera six am to
seven the game. You can Mate Brook there and get
your copy of your book signed. A fabulous book I
think every young adult should have.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
For sure, on excellent Brook. Really appreciate the time. Did
I travel safe from uy here and we look forward
to seeing you in the Capitol.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Thank you so much guys, see ya bye,
Brook. Blurton was a star of The Honey Badger's season
of the Bachelor on TV, so much so they said
you should be the next Bachelor. Rat absolutely after she
walked out.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yeah, she was like the third Actually it's exactly the
same story as producer Chelsea Third in there's three girls left? Yes, yes,
she went you know what, No, this is not what
I want, So I'm going to walk away.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
She's on her way to Canberra on a book tour.
She's got the new book at the moment, Brooke, gooday, Hello.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Good morning Ronning Gabby.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
How are you very well excited to hear about this
book and the adventure ever since we saw you on
the TV. But I think Australia has been waiting to
ask the question. Perhaps I just haven't heard the answer.
When when you chose to walk out on the Honey Badger,
he famously then walked out on the last two girls.
Do you think had you stayed, he would have chosen you?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Oh my god, I think it's a beautiful thing. Yes,
I don't think.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So. We're talking way back in like twenty nineteen, right,
like it's a lot set time.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Actually yeah, yeah, very long time.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Ago, pre COVID does feel like decades ago, because it does. Yeah,
it is another world. How different is your life these
days as an author versus a TV star?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Ah, much better, a little bit more low key. I
can you know, I'm not behind the camera. I'm just
sitting behind my computer.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
But you're still doing a great podcast as well, though,
so you're still out there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I love I love my job honestly, like I have
such a great life. And you know, I am very
grateful for my time on the Bachelor, because I don't
think I would have had all these things if it
wasn't for that experience. So very very grateful.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Tapy read me an extract of your new book yesterday
and we were wondering whether or not. I mean, it's
I think it's officially fiction, but I wonder if it's
somewhat semi autobiographical. How much of yourself and your childhood
did you tap into for this story.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Well, I co authored with Melsayword, who's another First Nations woman,
and I think both of our experiences have been entwined
with different characters. So I feel like I'm a little
bit of Jamie and a little bit of Stella. And
she feels the exact same way for different reasons. But
I would say it's definitely fiction. But you know, this
is the best thing about writing fiction and like a
(02:19):
younger character, is that you can use your imagination and
kind of go to places that you probably couldn't in
like an autobiography obviously, So I'm much writer. I'm much
rather writing this one than my autobiography, if I'm being honest,
my memoir time for that. Yeah, Well, I'm loving the
(02:39):
premise of this book.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
It's called a Good Kind of Trouble, and it is
about a high school girl who actually gets in a
bit of trouble for standing up for what she believes in,
which sounds like such a feminist empowerment kind of move.
Is that what you were going for?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, I mean I wanted to always write something that
also reflective of my clear experience as well, like or
like you know, the confusion or the navigation of that.
So Jamie's navigating, you know, being clear. She's openly clear,
like everyone just sort of knows there's no coming out.
There's just like everyone just kind of accepts it and
just like kind of moves on. But there's this time
(03:18):
where she gets in trouble with the new girl, and
the new Girl is like the good kind of trouble.
So you know, I think there's so much more. There's
more messaging in this than I've ever read in any
other teenage fiction in my life, and I have read
quite a few. So yeah, no, I feel like I
just wanted to entwine like a bit of like justice,
(03:40):
a bit of like education around First Nations culture, a
bit of like you know, challenging stereotypes, challenging status quos,
et cetera. So yeah, there's a lot in it. Considering
it's a teenage fiction, I think a lot of adults
could learn from it.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
To be honest, well, I'm actually wanting to read it.
I think I can learn from it because there is
like a part of this that rodert I started talking
about after reading the excerpt from the book about how
the education system hopefully has changed a lot, but we
know it's definitely changed somewhat since we were in school
when it comes to teaching our history and the proper history,
(04:17):
not just the white history of Australia. So there's definitely
like a touch of that in the book as well.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Exactly. I mean not to give giveaway too much, but
it does challenge those education like these old educational views
on First Nations culture, and we all know the truth
telling well sometimes you know, some people don't want to
admit it or they deny it. So you know, Jamie's
challenging that. And I think seeing a young Nona girl,
(04:48):
you know, a young wa girl round fifteen or whatever age,
you feel like, you know, you resonate with Jamie. She
challenges that, and she stands up for what she believes in,
and they think that It's kind of what I would
hope for young people even just today. Like honestly, like
I was pretty strong with my views and my values
when I was younger, and I just wish I had
(05:09):
the courage as much as I put into Jamie as
I did as a kid.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
But it's interesting that this story that is part fiction
and obviously just taps into a little bit of your
life experience hopefully you know, gives that inspiration to kids now. Obviously,
the education system in twenty twenty five is dramatically different
to you know, the one that Gabby and I grew
up with. I know my cousins and my niece are
(05:37):
in First Nations leadership roles in their school because that
is normal now, but once upon a time it was
maybe a term in history class dramatically different. But the
more that stories like the one you're telling is being
read in schools or you're visiting schools, or even kids
are reading it independently and then just taking you know,
that experience of reading it into their schools, it hopefully
(06:00):
will become part of a normal part of the conversation.
It's incidental and not a big deal, sooner rather than later.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
That's exactly it. And I guess I've also played what
I play into with I guess Jamie's sexuality as well,
like it's not a big deal, Like she's just openly clear,
and I think there's a comfortability around the school and
her peers that they just accept it and it's not
like this big deal. And then when it comes to
the education, that's the big deal, because that's the real
problem in terms of like it doesn't reflect the truth,
(06:30):
It doesn't reflect her experience as a black dollar, like
you know what I mean, it's pretty much pointing out
what the things are, the things that are the problem
that's which is not it's truth, like it's misinformation and
you know, colonization, like full stop well done, Brooke.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
I tell you it's being busy. I know it's only
twenty eighteen since we were document meeting you, but yeah,
you're doing a tremendous job out there and we look
forward to you coming to camp. When do we get
to mate Brook for the book signing.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
And the eighth of July the National Library of Australia
which is obviously a free event because we love all
of our free establishments. Here in camera six am to
seven the game. You can Mate Brook there and get
your copy of your book signed. A fabulous book I
think every young adult should have.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
For sure, on excellent Brook. Really appreciate the time. Did
I travel safe from uy here and we look forward
to seeing you in the Capitol.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Thank you so much guys, see ya bye,
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