Begin Again with Davina McCall - Jason Donovan on The Price Of A Fame & How Fatherhood Changed Everything

Episode Date: April 9, 2026

What does fame at 17 really do to you? In this episode of Begin Again, Jason Donovan opens up about growing up in the spotlight and what happens when success comes before you’ve had time to understand yourself. Thrust into fame as a teenager on Neighbours, Jason shares what it was like navigating a world where everyone thought they knew him, while he was still figuring out who he was. Behind the success, there was pressure, confusion, and a lack of guidance that led him down a path he struggled to control. He speaks candidly about the reality of those years; the partying, the expectations, and the feeling of having to navigate it all alone. At a time when mental health wasn’t openly talked about, Jason reflects on how difficult it was to process everything he was experiencing. But this is also a story of change. Jason shares how becoming a father became a turning point giving him purpose, grounding, and a reason to rebuild. He reflects on the lessons he’s learned, what he knows now that he didn’t then, and how he’s found a way to balance creativity, family, and peace. At its core, this is a conversation about fame, identity, and what it takes to take back control of your life no matter where you started. 🌟 Follow for more powerful conversations about resilience, growth, and beginning again. Follow us here: 📸 www.instagram.com/beginagain 🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod ✨Begin Again Newsletter: https://linkly.link/2g2xx (00:00) Intro (02:36) The Face Magazine Outing Scandal (14:38) Jason's Upbringing And Relationship With His Parents (20:34) Saily Ad (21:30) Bloom & Wild Ad (22:32) Jason's Relationship With His Father And Stepmother (27:01) The Beginnings Of Jason's Career & Working With Kylie (28:47) Jason On Neighbours And Meeting Kylie (31:10) Spirituality And Getting Older (35:07) Paramount + Ad (36:23) Begin Again Newsletter (37:17) Jason's Wife Angela And The Buzz Of Performing (41:37) Drug Addiction And Mental Health Battle (47:24) Recovery, Meeting His Wife And Becoming A Father (52:41) A Letter From Jason's Father (55:23) What's Next For Jason And What Else He'd Like To Do Sponsored by: Saily - Download from the app store and use code DAVINA at the checkout for 15% off  Bloom & Wild - use code DAVINA for 15% off at https://www.bloomandwild.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=begin_again Paramount+ - Episodes 1-3 of The Madison are available to stream on Paramount+ now: https://www.paramountplus.com/gb/shows/the-madison/ Episodes 4-6 will be available to stream from 21 March Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome aboard via rail. Please sit and enjoy. Please sit and sip. Play. Post. Taste. View and enjoy. Via Rail, love the way.

There's something else here now. Something new. From exclusively on Paramount Plus, it's the series Stephen King calls Scary as Hell. Everything here is impossible, but it's also real. Sci-Fi Vision calls it the best. Show streaming right now. We're running out of time

and we still don't know the rules. Don't miss what the movie blog calls something you need to watch. Saving those children is how we all go home. From Binge All episodes exclusively on Paramount Plus. I want to talk about you and Kylie

17 years old neighbors. It was a difficult one for me though. People saying, how's Kylie today? I loved it when you married to... I wasn't married to Carly. Can we talk about that? Sure. I always say, the good news is your Jason Donovan, the bad news sometimes is your Jason Donovan. When I was 16, I auditioned for a TV show called Neighbys.

And let's be honest, actors are pretty selfishly actory people. So get to 91, 92, which is sort of where the whole drug thing for me started to happen. But you throw fame in there as well. And how do you process Jason Donovan at the age of 21, 22? There's no manual. In what way? Speculation had always surfaced about the blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid. What got my nerve was a doctored photo, and the words on the front were Jason Nonimate Queer's.

The issue really came down to the article itself suggesting that I was lying about my sexuality. It snookered really my next sort of career, and I struggled a bit with that. I'm a believer in nothing bonds better than the tug of war you have with life. Is there anything that you want to do? do that you haven't done yet. Well, listen, I... Jason Donovan. DeVille.

You know what I love? Do you love? That we've known each other since before I was famous. I was like... Doorbitch. You were? On the nightclubs. YMCA.

Rour in the basement. Billion dollar babes. Billion dollar babes. On a Saturday night. Oh my God, it was such a good club. What was the name of the promoter? Graham. Graham.

I mean, they were great days. They were great days. I can't remember a lot of. I can't either. But I have to say, Binion Dollar Bays was one of those sort of eccentric, beautiful clubs Saturday night. And I still have visions of those little rooms upstairs. Yes, the rock room.

What was what year? Was that 93? That would have been, yeah, 91, 92 even quite early. 1991, 92. I used to park underneath. Yes. We used to, we used to, you were so famous. We had to like usher you in and out of side doors, I remember.

We were like, quick, you can get chosen out this way so he doesn't get hassled. Yeah. We wanted to take good care of you. You were such a proper billion dollar baby. It was a difficult one for me, though, Davina at the time, because that was also coming off the back of when I'd see the face. and I think there was a lot of hostility. Can we talk about that? Sure.

I mean, we'll just start here. I don't like to, you know, yeah, I'm happy to talk about the facts. I'm happy to talk about the facts. I think it's important to talk about it because it was a big thing at the time for you. And I don't know whether it was the right decision, but it wasn't the wrong decision either. I was just wondering, would it be all right if you just subscribed? Thanks. They did something, Terrily.

I think. They superimposed. Well, they didn't. No, they didn't. Oh, they didn't. So they reported, what happened was, you know, to contextualize the whole thing was that outing was a campaign that really began in America, New York, specifically by militant activists sort of wanting to out prominent politicians specifically who were legislating against gay rights.

at the time. Fair enough. Fair enough. And, you know, set the board sort of equal. I think it sort of shifted focus to include celebrities like Tom Cruise, Whitney Houston. It went across the pond. And, of course, Jason Donovan, Joseph, London Palladium, quite an easy target, coat, speculation had always surfaced about the blonde-haired

blue-eyed kid, you know, which is probably sort of my fault sort of in a way by trying to keep my private life private, but it was my sort of decision. What became sort of, the thing about that which sort of really got my nerve was a doctored photo I'd taken in the 80s in Australia, in a white t-shirt, in good faith for some, I think it was actually for a photographer's exhibition, actually, was then put into a news agent and used by these campaigners, and it was doctored. And on the words on the front were Jason Donovan queer as fuck.

And out put on it. And that poster was strategically put throughout London, specifically near newsagery, outlets so that those journalists would walk past it and go, wow, what the hell is that? And again, this was to try and raise the profile. Fast forward to the face, the face sort of full victim, fell victim rather, to that and then decided to report on it. Now, a lot of tabloid newspapers, you know, avoided it like the play because they knew it

was litigious, you know. The face had the option to contact me. they decided not to contact me. And the issue really came down to the article itself suggesting that I was lying about my sexuality, and I wasn't. And they printed the picture without me giving me the option to at least have my say.

The judge rightly said, they said, well, we couldn't get in contact. He went, give me a fucking break. You know, he's in and out of the stage door. you know, you send a letter. But it was a tough one for me because, you know, I felt, you know, I felt empowered in the sense that, you know, whether you're gay, straight, black, white, whatever you are, no one has the right to publicize their ideology,

or not ideology, the ideas using you as bait when they don't really have your permission. or support. And with a doctor photograph which seems incredibly unfair. You know, do I feel about, you know, I think it was Nick Logan,

who was the publisher, Cheryl Garrett was the journalist. You know, do I feel good about what probably I put them through? Not really, but I guess at the end of the day you have to really stand up for your. right and what you believe is right, they felt they didn't do anything right.

And there was the sort of the problem. I see it could have been fixed beforehand. Yes. But it wasn't. And I had a manager at the time, Richard, who, you know, felt that this was something that needed to sort of be pushed. And I sort of went for it, you know. I didn't quite know how deep I was going, you know.

But what I didn't do, sorry, just to interrupt, is once I won the libel and an award, I didn't take the award. Yeah, and when you say award, you mean money. You want quite a substantial amount of money. You didn't take it. I didn't take it. But they had to pay costs. And that's where going back to you and I, Roar, Billing Dollar Babes, Graham,

YMCA, nightclubs, raising the price of the face. Boy George on the front cover of the edition after my court win. Love Sees No Color. A little pun towards Joseph, you know, which I was in at the time. That sort of, you know, was, well, someone said to me, it was maybe the beginning of sort of canceling. Do you know what I mean? It was pretty harsh.

And also at the time, I was mixing in those sort of circles. Yes. I mean, the thing is, is that you were not homophobic in any way, but you were made out to be so. Or perceived as a bit. Yeah, I was. I guess the tabloid version of that. As somebody in your business or our business of being well known,

I sued a couple of times, but it was a line. that I needed to draw to say, look, you can say kind of whatever you like about me that's not true and I get that all the time but when it's something bad that I'm really upset about

I will say something or I will take action and then I think it sets a precedent that people go, actually we'd better not say that or we can go we can say something that he won't really mind that's not quite true but I think that difficult thing for you was that often it would be a tabloid paper and everybody's used to them being

but this was the face. On the edge, yeah, it was. And it snookered really my next sort of career. Whether I was ready to sort of grow up and move into the face, you really need the product probably to be able to go from smash hits to the face. You know, I struggled a bit with that. But it didn't help my mental health. Well, I bet it didn't.

Yeah, because. Because I, you know, I had, as we were talking about before, I had, you know, friends in entertainment and the modeling world and club world. And, you know, I'd sort of missed out on that period because I'd worked my ass off. Yes, you'd work nonstop. So get to 91, 92, which is sort of where the whole drug thing for me started to happen too, was, I just, as I keep, I just want that fucking great time. You know what I mean?

And I started to, and I started to, and I, and I, and I took this action, and it sort of bit me a little bit. But my intention was for those people to stand up, for those people, you know, who didn't want to be misrepresented and didn't have the public profile and the money. And to go, no. No, that's not right. That's not fucking right. And I was right. I went through pain and suffering because now that wouldn't happen.

No. It just would not happen. No. But in those days, it was still, it's like a cat trying to get its, you know, it was still trying to. It was the Wild West. It was the Wild West. And gay rights and legislation and, you know, pink paper and. And I hope now the world in some parts is very different.

It's better for the gay community for sure. Definitely. But in some parts the world, it's not. Yeah, but in the UK we've made great advances. And maybe, hopefully, maybe, maybe, maybe I might have made a tiny little bit of a contribution in a sort of weird way to that. Maybe. Can I ask you, how did you, in the end, make peace with the gay community? Because there was, you know, Boy George on the cover directly after.

But then after that, you really did manage to re-engratiate yourself with the gay community. But how did you do that? Well, I think, honestly, they saw through it. Yeah. Honestly, they saw through it. They knew exactly what I was doing. And, you know, I would argue that within the gay community, there are sectors as well. Do you know what I mean, that probably agree and don't agree with certain things?

I mean, the name Jeremy Joseph comes to mind, you know, because he, I think, really helped push me into some clubs in the 90s. But, but, I mean, at that point, I just sort of put my hands up and went, you know, if this was what's happening and, you know, then so be it, I'll left. had run its course. I don't think I was, I said, cancelled before, I don't think I was completely cancelled. It was just, you know, it was edgy. And I wanted to make the next move. And I think there were two sides to the camp, the face camp and my camp. But I genuinely believe people with any sense of moral compass and responsibility,

whilst they would appreciate the face's point of view, realized why I did what I did. You didn't do it for the money. I didn't do it for money. And I think people would have great respect for you. Yeah, I didn't do it for the money. A cabby after I got into the cab, and it was on the front page of the evening stand and said,

Jace, can you lend me a tenor? It became sort of a bit of a... And of course, all the... And, you know, all the theater worlds, you know, musicals, I was at the top of the tree. Yes. You know, a bit like, gone, what's he doing here? You know, this is our community. God, I hadn't thought about that.

That was a hard. I hadn't thought about that. I bet it was. But genuinely, I feel they saw through it. Yeah. I think they saw through it. And do I think ultimately the face, you know, were they, they reported on. on the facts, but they sort of didn't really report on the fact.

They didn't give my voice to it. So, you know, they would just fell into the trap, I think. And they were the, yeah, that's where I went. I want to go back to your, I want to start at the beginning, because we kind of started in a little. And I really, really, I talked you a bit about. this before we started about identifying with you on such a deep level. And I had no idea.

And when you think about our life trajectory and how similar in a way it was, I didn't start in show business as young as you, but the feelings, it started with your parents splitting up. Do you remember anything about your parents being together? Not really, no. No. I do remember. The breakup?

No. No. I was four, five, you know, I can't really. What's your first memory back then? Well, I'm sparked a few by few pictures, you know. Yes, it's interesting how pictures will do that. Yeah, pictures will spark. You know, we lived in Melbourne, Malvern, you know, dad, actor.

You know, I remember being, I do remember once going to kindergarten. I'm crying so much that they just took me out. And I don't think I even went back. I also remember a lot of separation and anxiety from my dad. Dad would go away for months. Yes, acting, yeah. It's like so different. Yeah.

And I was left with my dad's mom. he'd always have good people in place. How old were you when your mum left? Probably about five, 1972. Not in 172. Mad, right? Fuck, you know. Are you 67?

I'm 68. So, yeah, listen. Davina, there are two sides to every story, you know. I don't really wish to get into who work. who was right and who was wrong about it because that sort of, you know, both are alive and well, which is wonderful. I have a relationship with my mother, but my dad, I have an extraordinary, you know, friendship and, and he's 91.

Is he? Yeah, he's good genes. Yeah, he's good genes. He's got good genes. He's, you know, he's a very honest character, my dad. He's been very present in me. He's, you know, he's always been a very fit and active. Unfortunately, that's tough for him at the moment.

You know, he's been compromised a lot with that. But he has a partner. But, yeah, I just spend a lot of time with my dad, you know. I just don't really, I can't honestly tell you to do. I don't feel not loved, you know. because a lot of people will go, well, we know why that and this went there. And I sort of go, yeah, okay, maybe if you're looking deep down, I don't know, I've never really sat on a couch and had an epiphany moment where I've gone,

oh my God, that's it. But, you know, maybe, I'll tell you what it has made me work on is my own family and then success of my own relationships. Yeah, singular. I mean, I've got to say, I've got to say that is that not the greatest thing ever? Like, I sometimes call it for me in my experience. My life was a bit different. My mum was quite complicated.

She left. But my dad was the same for me. Why did she live? My dad and my grandmother would granted custody of me, which, which, which, which, So... Brothers? Rare, only child. Right.

God. So similar. Jesus. No, like no full siblings. I had half siblings, but no full siblings, a bit like you. Right. And so I feel like an island. Yeah.

Yes. I feel like nobody understands me but me. Yes. Yes. I consider myself to be Formantera. Yeah. Which is not the island. It's not, it's not, it's, yeah.

So it's like Ibitha. I know Fulmenta. I know Formantara. Wow. Yeah. Right. Not New Yorker? No.

Not a big Ballerix experience. No. Small. Payaella, maybe. Yes. Yeah. A bit of that. Prong with garlic.

Yes. Lots of that. Let's do it. Rose. Roseados. I don't drink anymore. You don't? 30.

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Yeah. At all. At all. Fuck, that's insane.

Yeah, it's really nice. And how does that feel? So, so good. I tell you what, after last weekend, I was thinking exactly. Exactly the same thing. You know what? I have no desire anymore either. Yeah. Yeah.

Wow. It is incredible. I love not drinking. And I love this idea that somebody could call me and go, could you pick me up now? And I could do that at 24-7. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, you've got the energy, DeVina, too, you know. And you've got the, you know, you know, I did see something that some artists talk about not drinking. And drink was never a problem for me. But I did hear an artist say the great thing about not drinking is you're sort of on it all the time at any time. Oh, that's interesting. You're not constantly going, or I'll have a few drinks this weekend, but I won't be able to be on telly on Monday or Tuesday because I'll still be a little bit blurry.

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and I want to get a flow with you here. But when you and your dad, you were thick as thieves, he meant the world to you. He was going away a lot. Yes. So separation and anxiety. But in a funny kind of way, those separations make the time that you get with them

all the more precious. Yeah. Did you find it hard to share your dad? Yes. I did. I'm into. Yeah, because when my, when my, when my, when my, when my, when my, when my, when my, when my, came, came along, you know, I remember we did a trip to Hawaii.

Um, and I was just really, really distant. But, you know, Miles, Marlene. That's your stepmother. Yeah, she's, she's, she's, she's sort of, and they're not together anymore, but, but, um, but she became a really big part of, of my life. life and sort of, not sort of still is, you know. And what was, what was special about her? Why did she become such a big part of your life?

Why, it's a good question. I think it came at the right time as I was growing 12, 13, you know, and becoming not a boy anymore. And, you know, Miles' world was exciting, the people and her friends. She was a model, right? Melbourne, she was a model. You know, I was a young boy, and it was fun, you know, and it was a good circle. And, you know, it's through her connection and her world that probably a lot of my

Aussie, Melbourne history got really established, notwithstanding, you know, neighbours and the whole hit that had. But, you know, I mean. She gave you roots. And they were really cool roots, you know. I mean, some fun time, Sydney, Melbourne, that scene. Yes. That was a scene.

And that was probably what I originally loved her for. But what was that? Well, they had a child, Paul. So that changed the whole thing as well. How did you feel about that? I can't really remember. No. I know how she.

She felt because she threw a plate at me once because I wouldn't do so. I can still remember ducking and this plate going behind my head. She'll openly talk about that now. She was just coming off, you know. Hormones, home, man's. Yeah, Hormones. And I wasn't doing something in the house. Also, she changed, she changed dad, you know.

Suddenly the linen was a little bit more comfortable. Do you know what I mean? Suddenly the crockery changed. Suddenly, she softened. She softened. Well, I don't know that softened here. But she certainly softened the house. You know, it had a vision.

It had a future where it was just two guys. You know, she used to make it beautiful. She has Egyptian, Italian background, great cook, salmon, you know. I mean, Melbourne culinary, you know, restaurants, food is just, I'm sorry, the best. It's culturally amazing. The world. Coffee is like, it's on a, it's, you know, you have to go to university to make a coffee at Melbourne. It's, it's serious shit.

So, you know, and so that sort of, you know, that inner Melbourne sort of, yeah, just the world opened. you know, it wasn't just me and my actor dad. And let's be honest, I'm an actor, but fucking hell, you know, hardcore. In what way? Well, you know, actors, you know, are pretty selfishly actory people, you know. Dad was thinking about his career. What must have he been? He must have been in his 40s, 30s, 40s, 40s probably.

I mean, you were, what, 11 when you got into neighbours? I was, no, I was 11 when I did my first professional job. I was 17 when I landed next. Oh, okay. Yeah. So what was your first professional job? My first professional job was either a thing called I could jump paddles or more famously was a TV series called Skyways in which Kylie played my sister.

Yes, of course. So, of course. Literally, I'm a little sort of chubby and she's got the two T's. And we played sort of brother and sister bizarre, isn't it? Were you constantly cast at the same time from then on?

You know, the ABC had a lot of sort of, you know, family type of shows going on. I had a good agent through Dad. Again, you know, because I was shadowing him on a lot of sets and a lot of TV shows His dad was in one TV show, sort of late 70s, early 80s for six years called Copshop. He was in another one in the 70s for seven years, you know.

Wow. And also my mum was on television. She did the thing called Adventure Island, which was like a kids' TV show on the ABC. So it was a funny thing now. I don't know again the psychology behind that. but she used to read the news on the ABC for a while. In fact, she read the news the day I won the libel case here in the UK in Australia. That's a great piece of footage.

Wow. Really interesting. I want to talk about you and Kylie, 17 years old, neighbours. What was that like? The NABIS story is a great story because when I was 16, I auditioned for a TV show called NABUS that was going to be commissioned at a network called Channel 7 in Australia. And I got the job to play a character called Danny Ramsey. Oh. So I then had a predicament because I needed to finish one more year of school.

But everyone said you're going to have to leave school. So I went and asked all my teachers, they said, leave. My dad said, you're fucking crazy. It'll come around again. He said, don't leave. You'll never go back and do your last year of school. You know, why would you leave? I took his advice.

I took his advice. It was tough. It wasn't so tough when I looked at the waitings coming out at Channel 7 and it just went down and down and was axed. It lasted about 10 months. And then Channel 10 came along to what was Grundy's, now Fremantle, at the time, and said, we think this bad boy's got some life, you know. So I got a phone call.

Can you come in an audition? And it was a different character called Scott Robinson, who was originally in the Channel 7th. version, I got the part. I met Kylie in the bus on probably the fourth or fifth month into shooting in 1986. Wow. And had I taken the part of Danny Ramsey, I would have been her brother. Wow. But because of that year, sliding door, I was, you know, from a different family. Do you go back and walk over all the sliding doors moments in your life? I mean, I don't really think about, like, sliding door moments.

I guess when you look back, I'm not quite a, you know, I believe what comes around goes around. I believe the world is circle for a reason. I'm not a believer in, I think, I'm not a believer in God. I'm, you know, I guess you'd probably call it atheist, but I, I'm open to it, But I just, you know, I'm a bit more science-orientated. You know, but I understand why people need to believe in things. And again, not closing a door, but that's just the way.

I'm a bit more of the Buddha sort of, you know. Have you looked into Buddhism? Not really. No. I've got, I bought Buddhism for beginners. Oh, really? For idiots. My book that landed on the, um, uh,

the Coochardess was, you know, overthinking. She's just given me a book on overthinking. I do tend to overthink things. In what way? As I get older, there's, you know, there's more webs and more spiders and more connections and more things to think about. I thought it was going to get easier.

It sort of gets harder. You're processing. Yeah, more stress, more. I'm suddenly becoming, you know, higher up in the, not the chain, but, you know, it's more responsive. abilities more, you know, sometimes I just, you know, I wish I could simplify it, but there's a part of me that doesn't want to simplify because I'm like, you know,

I've still got a lot more to do and to go and, ah, you know, it's the curse of aging. It is probably the curse of aging. The thing, though, that makes me feel happy, DeVina, each day is when I go for a swim and a steam, you know, And then when I go and sit down and have my coffee and just for five minutes, I don't worry about a lot. I'd like to take something back that I just said, the burden of getting old. I don't mean that. I don't see it as a burden.

I see it as a gift. Yeah. How do you see it? Today it's been tough. You know, today it's been tough. I've always been very honest, you know, I can't help but be honest, you know. Today it's been tough. Why?

Oh, it's just, you know, just the web, you know, just... Of life? Just life and, you know. With a, yeah. It's not a, it's definitely not an emotional thing, but it's just, you know. I'm taking some weight. Oh, wow. On the sad.

You don't know this, Ravion. Don't you? I'm very old friends. Oh, my God. it's nice to hug that connection thank you yeah

listen it's not it's not a disaster today but it's just one of those days it's just one of those days it's just one of those days yeah I get that I mean I definitely

I definitely have this I think what I meant but for me is I care less I'm less self-obsessed but you've been through It's been exhausted.

Yes, I have. Yeah. Now I haven't. Help me a lot. Yeah. I haven't really been through that to the edge of that. You know, I had a few issues a few years back with my voice that really started to worry. Oh shit.

That would be all. Yeah. But I sort of worked it all out. You know, I sort of worked out. In fact, I worked on the tension. Actually, better and strong. longer, really, there than I've ever been in my entire life. Yeah, it's about being happy, you know.

It's about trying to find sort of that camelot between your inner and your outer sort of world, you know. Our sponsors, Paramount Plus, have sent me a peek at their new original series, The Madison. Press play, Jeremy, I'm so excited. Go. You know, at night. Look at the scenery. The bull elk come down to the river and bugle. And it drives the lady elk.

Oh my God, already. Stop. Kurt Russell still got it. Michelle Fyfer looks epic. She looks so good. The worry is what you do next. I know you are pretty good. Wait, stop. I'm going to cry a lot, aren't I? I think it's going to be one of those ones.

I'm going to be howling. I have a very small window to feed this. Yes, that's how I feel. Yes, Michelle. You know one of those dramas where you just go, yes, at the television. It's going to be that. I can tell already. If you like Begin Again, you're going to like this, because there are life stories that we will all recognise and be able to relate to.

I'm scrapping all my plans for tonight. I'm going to watch this non-stop because the Madison is streaming right now on Paramount Plus. Get on it. Okay, guys, I need you in my Begin Again gang. Listen, it's the most funnest, most awesome club in the whole world and I want you to be part of it. So when you sign up to our newsletter, you get all the bits that I don't share anywhere else. Things that I'm loving, what I'm reading, my favourite outfits, some of the most gorgeous Begin Again stories that you've sent in. I actually really love reading those.

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From rolling countryside to cobblestone streets. Begin your next chapter. Book your seat at westjet. or call your travel agent Westjet, where your story takes off. Can I ask you something as well? Because going out with being married to someone famous is difficult. And we can't do anything. We can't unfamous ourselves.

Like it's done. The deed is done. But Angela, she sounds amazing, by the way. But it's difficult you talking about Angela. Or I was thinking I was just asking about Kylie. That's a bloody nightmare. It's an ex-girlfriend from bloody ages ago. And I've said that before in the past.

I'm sure she's, you know, she's at times, you know, struggled with that. And I hope she doesn't mind me saying that. But that, you know, it's a big, big thing that. And also, I guess the problem is is that both of you were famous. So it's of public interest. For being. A couple. A couple.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And being married, but not married. You know, people are saying, you know, I loved it when you married to, I wasn't married to Kylie, you know, those were very formative years and, and, you know, meant a hell of a lot to me. But, you know, there is 30 years with her and three children and, you know, it's, you know. Look, Ange is very downworth. You know, I think the difference, you know, probably the fame thing, she's not interested in it at all. No.

Not interested in it. I mean, that's a good thing. Yeah. Doesn't give her shit. Yeah. She sounds incredibly down to earth. Yeah. Sort of just practical.

She saved your life at the beginning. Well, she did. I mean, you have to, as we know with a dick. you have to want to change. Of course, yeah. So I would argue that, yes, she was part of that, a big, the big part of that. She came at the right time. She came at the right time, you know, it was at the right time.

I think probably what she struggles more with me is my creative fucking, you know, because I'm, you know, I am a creative, you know, I am. But why are you annoying? Because like, because I go up, I go up and down, you know, like even coming off a tour last week. And, you know, I'm not, you know, there's different variants of currency to fame and creativity and artists. Some of the struggles I have in my life are, have what I done is it significant? Is it not, do you know what I mean? Do I care?

I don't care. Do I not this day, I do care next day. And, you know, I come off a tour last week. suddenly you're at it and you're just dropped into sort of normal life. Now, I'm not being catered for on my tour. I'm not really being, I'm a pretty, but it's still, you know, I walk out. It's a bus, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's a big one. It's addictive, mate. It's a drug. It's a drug. It's a drug. I understand that. And also what I do is my life for some reason has gone into the live, sphere. I do a lot of

live theatre. I do a lot of live which I love. I'd like to have done more telly, more film, but that was the course that's happened for me. You know, eight shows again, it's adrenaline.

It's a drug. So you're coming off drugs, you know, to clarify off theatre of the theatre high, you know, off that audience, I'm sure when you've done this morning or you're sitting here doing a podcast now, you know, it's, you feel great, you've done it, it's been a great day, you feel really good, you've got underneath that guy's, you know, and you've got some good stuff and what have we got? I thought that was a good, you know, it's the same bars, except mine's fucking, you know, singing his song.

Now, music is magic because music has a, I always called it mood, daughtering, like. Yeah, music, and to sing is therapy. that's another whole podcast and therapy thing that I've found singing to be when I'm singing regularly I'm happy I'm up I'm up I want to talk to you about drugs yeah we both did them

and God I mean we knew each other back then like that's quite mad really but I'm quite interested in where did you where did you get to and how did it happen? Because I started very young and I felt like you were a bit older. I'll start at the end. The end says the good news is I now know what I don't want to do with my life.

Great. So that's where I always say, let's start there. What do you not want to do with your life? I don't need to be snorting cocaine and, you know, smoking weed and doing all the other bits and pieces that go along with that. To go back, you know, my, and I'll be. honest, my dad loved a drink. I didn't like my dad drinking. Maybe that was part of the separation of my parents, you know. Dad, you know, he's a fiery character, you know, but you've got to look

at his past. He was born very working class England. You know, he had three brothers, you know, middle sex. He had to fight. They lived above a pub, you know. He was the, it was the 40s, the 50s, it was England. He moved to Australia for a better life, you know. But dad, You know, dad's, dad's, you know, dad's just, when he drinks, he changes, you know, and, you know, it's, I just looked at that. And I couldn't control it because I was the kid and I needed him and, you know, and so I sort of, as, you know, as a young kid, I started to smoke weed and actually, everyone was really nice and chilled and it wasn't a bunch of actors talking at you about their careers, You know, which is all my dad's friends. I wasn't sitting at some Sunday lunch going, dad, you know, they're all having, ah, it's fine, you know, it's, you know, I've always said I'd rather, at times in my life,

I'd rather walk into a room of people who are chilled and smoking a joint than a room full of a pub. Yes. Also, as you get famous. Yes. There's another whole. Yes, angled. And listen, you know, just one thing.

sort of led to another and you know and cocaine became sort of a part of that what did you like about it at that time because I think there is a time in your life where suddenly it just seems like the greatest thing ever but like I look back now and I just think not in a gazillion years this idea of taking something and the minute that you've taken it you're looking around to see if you can see anybody passing a packet to anybody to see who you've got to go and be friends with to go get another one. That kind of addiction where it's making you think ahead to when can I get my next one. You're not even enjoying the bit that you're on now.

That's where I got to. Yeah, I agree. It was horrible. I've also become very, very insular and very selfish and very, and chasing. It's like a dog chasing its own sort of tail. And, yeah, you know, it was pretty, you know, I was a bit of a more of a binge taker rather than, yeah. So you wouldn't do it all the time, you just, but when you did it was. When I did, it was on, you know.

But also, I was, you know, I will also say to counter that, um, I'd done a lot of work. I'd work my ass off. I'd played the game. I'd done everything. And since you were a kid. And I got to that 92, 93, I was, I didn't drink until I was in my, 30s. Need 30s.

Wow, because you're a bit nervous around it because of your dad. I just didn't like it. Yeah. Didn't like what alcohol did. I didn't like it. I didn't drink. I took drugs instead. Yeah, but that's, that's, because my mom was a drinker.

There you go. Yeah. But, but I always had, always had, again through my dad, physical fitness. You know, I always had that knocking on my door as a reminder of life could be like. A natural endorphins. And so, you know, I think in a way that's what sort of balance me up. But you throw fame in there as well in that little pot. You know, you throw drugs.

You throw, you know, living in the UK, you throw probably what happens with the face. Phone tapping. You know, and how do you process Jason Donovan at the age of 21, 22? There's no manual. In today's world, mental health is such a big part of it. I was... Nobody cared about anybody's mental health. They didn't give a...

They didn't give a... They didn't care about what I'd be through. You're just a guy who made a lot of money and was hugely famous and, you know, you're on neighbours, you're married to Kylie, you know, even there you go, shouting at people, how's Kylie today for, you know, I mean, you know, so I don't blame myself in any way. I just, you know, I had to navigate my own ship for a long time. And I think, you know, luckily, luckily I had the physical.

activity, sorry, the idea of, you know, physical health helps your mental health. There's no doubt about that. It still does in my life. I completely and utterly agree. Still does. Still does. And I just, look to within the 90s, it just got boring. It's so boring.

So you were ready. See the same people and, you know, and, oh, dull. And then Ange got pregnant. And how did, wait, wait, how did you meet? A Rocky Horror Show. So, yes, so she was the stage manager. Yeah. And you two liked each other then.

Yeah. And like, got, but she got pregnant, like, early doors or? Early. Yeah. And she sort of said that that's, we'd actually split up. But I got, and again, she doesn't mind me saying it, but I got a letter from her. It's public knowledge to say that, that, um,

she was going to, you know, have the baby and I'm not going to be half a dad. That's what I decided. I didn't want to be half a parent. So I embraced it. And then that sort of got us back together. And then so Gemma was born. And it was really at that moment that I started to wake up a lot. You know, that was about 2000.

What was 2000? So you knew the importance of being a father then? Yeah. Yeah. And how much it had mattered to you. Yeah, maybe, maybe, maybe. And you wanted to deliver that for your kids and the way you were, that wasn't going to happen. Well, if I was going to get out, timing in life is everything.

Yeah. You know, I'm really a fundamental belief. Sliding door. Timing is everything. You know, you don't create luck in life. You know, you have to work at being lucky. Yes. But timing is, again, going to.

back to knowing when the timing is right. And you said you sit in a room sometimes and you can think about things and you know what is going on. Time is just a reoccurring sort of thing. So I changed, you know. I'm not straight away, it took a while. In fact, I remember seeing you in Chiswick. Yeah.

I know. In the early 2000. I think. Yeah. Probably 2003. Were you in Chiswick at that point? Yep. Yep.

Yep. On the high road. Yeah. God, how funny. I remember seeing you. We talked. We talked. Yeah, we talked.

Yeah, but I mean, I feel I've, what's weird is I don't really know you. No. But I really feel like I know you. Yeah. Likewise. It's quite odd. It's a lot feeling. It is.

I want to ask you what that feeling of becoming a father for the first time and the second time, because they were only a year apart, right? Mm. What was that like for you? Well, I was still dealing with the demons, but it was just, it felt comfortable. It felt, it felt, I was scared about the responsibility. Yeah, I was scared about the responsibility.

It's a lot, isn't it? It's a huge deal. Yeah, it is a huge deal. It's the best thing I've ever, ever done becoming a parent. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's, when it happens to you, you're like, wow. Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, it's a long time ago now. Yeah, me too. And I'm a believer in nothing bonds better than the tug of war you have with life, you know. And kids throw that tug of war in, you know, the sleepless nights and the worrying. And that's the problem as they get older is. It gets more. Oh, God, their dreams and aspirations come true, and I hope they're healthy, and I hope they don't have an accident.

You know, there's a whole other. But it's that tug of war. I've always loved a challenge, you know. Never, never shied away from a challenge. And that was the next part of my story, you know. So I embraced it. One of the things I love is the things kids teach you. like about yourself.

Yeah. It's so brilliant and they might have differing opinions to you and how brilliant it is to sit and listen to someone you love so much and the respect that you have for their opinion and how you can have big, difficult conversations that in another arena might be really complicated to have

and we have really respectful It's so great. Well, some people fall out with their kids. I don't think I could ever do that. Some people, you know, and also when you start to bring other people into the mix and, you know, it gets, it's complicated. That's what I'm talking about this, you know, I'm not saying specifically me, you know, any specific situation. I'm just saying that's what I'm talking about the complication is the world as you get older. It doesn't get.

You know, when they're at school, it's easy. Yeah. It's just send them off and their dreams are managed, you know. But, you know, the other thing is you've got to let. Life. Let them go. Yeah, of course. Like, sting.

Yeah. Set them free. Yeah. I want to show you something. Oh, Jesus. Oh, God. I'm sorry to do this to you, Jason. Is it a good thing?

Have a look. Would you read it for us, please? Sure. I feel like I'm on long-lost family or something. I'm handing you the letter. Please, could you read it to us? Music's going to start. Is this, this is your life reimagined moment?

Is someone going to walk through the door? Yeah. No, they're not, don't worry. They're not. No, I'm not. Oh, Jesus. What's in here? Fucking hell.

Watching my son, Jason, and grow has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. From a young man attending Dela High School, interested in art and music, to moving across the world to pursue his dream of being an entertainer, headlining, headlonged theatres in the Western, he's come so far on the shift. So Joseph's hard work, resilience and talent has evolved to a truly successful career. That said, I believe his biggest accompaniment is his beautiful family. The way he is with his three children is Waka Angela makes me so proud of the man he has become.

Family is the real success. It doesn't matter what you do in life as long as you have a lot, have the love of others around you. That is what makes it. So is that my dad? Did he write that? Wow.

Can I just say, it doesn't matter what you do in life as long as you have the love of others around you. That's what makes you successful. I love you, Jay. Your dad wrote that. Did he really? Now, why are you so surprised about that?

Because he's 91. And he's sort of very, he's very... Has he never spoken like that before? No, dad's pretty good, you know. Yeah. Love you, Jay. Well, that's my dad. I'll keep that.

Thank you. It's a pleasure. Yeah. That's pretty wild. Yeah. Wow. I mean, well done. Thank you.

For being the man. I try. That your dad says... Set out. Yeah, listen, I think, you know, he... Yeah, I think I'm a good son. He's been bummed. You're a good son.

Yeah. You're a good dad. Yeah. You're a good husband. Yeah. You're a fucking great performer. Thank you, Jason. Can I ask you one other thing, like, where are you going?

Like, what have we got to look forward to? Play in Australia. I don't want to say what he is here. In Australia? I'm coming to Australia. It's in Melbourne, Melbourne. Melbourne, I'll come. What else would you love to do? Is there anything that, like, you want to do that you haven't done yet?

Do you want to do more musical theatre? Can I say something? I feel like we haven't even touched on, and I don't want to keep you here for our... We might have to come back and do part do. But like you left neighbours and you went and started a pop career with PWL. And, you know, it was a machine. So you left a machine of like you had to be Scott. Yeah.

Then you went into another machine where you had to be pop. Yeah. Like you had no option of what you sang. Could you choose what you sang? From Scott to Pop. Scott to Pop. And there was no choice. But really, I hear, tell me if I'm wrong, that you wanted to be a rock star.

Is that true? Well, listen, I was, when I grew up, I listened to The Cure. Yeah. I listened to New Order. Me too. I was, you know, Heaven 17. Yes. You know, Susie in the Banshees.

Yes. You know, that was my, that was my mixtape, mate, you know. But then I used to do nightclubs to make extra cash on the side when, I was playing Scott Robinson, and I suddenly went to all these discos, and, you know, Rick Astley's never going to give you up, came along. Kylie was seeing a little heart out in the car that we were driving around town, you know, and she then got a recording contract, locomotion, went through the roof, and I thought, shit, I need to do something here.

And, you know, that's sort of where I landed. You know, a rock star, well, I say about the Rocky Horror Show, you know, I did the two, 25th anniversary. I've just done the 50th. The thing I love about that show is that I get to be a rock star. Yeah. I mean, it's so good. And Michael, Michael White, have you ever heard of Michael White? Yes. Who was the only person in the club scene, particularly in the 90s, Browns I'm talking about and those sort of things, who was part of that theater world that's, that was also part of pop, stroke film, you know, and understand. my sort of

trying to balance between the two. Look, musical theatre's been good to me. I never really set out to be a musical theatre star. I guess it's just being, you know, it's just been something that's, do I want to do eight shows a week? Would you ever, like, think, I'm going to go and do some gigs on my own with a guitar

and sing songs that I love and go and do cure covers or new order? covers or... Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Yeah. I like Chet Baker these days.

Oh, I love Chet Baker. You know, you probably see me doing, you probably see me doing a Chet Baker record before you'd see me doing a Robert Smith cover. Great. Something like that, you know. But what else would I do? I just want to be able to be simple and happy and maybe, you know, just, you know, love to have done a little bit more film work.

And I think by deciding to become a pop artist, by taking the root that I did, by wearing that coat and the loincloth, I always say, the good news is your Jason Donovan. The bad news sometimes is your Jason Donovan. It has a lot of good things about it. Yeah, yeah, I get that. But there's a lot of things for people to get their head around. And I haven't had that, you know, John Travolta moment in, you know, pulp fiction.

Yes. But I think you still could. Yeah. I think I could totally see you acting in a movie. Yeah. I can see it. I'm a bit of a nutter, Devina. I remember.

I can be a little bit of a nutter. I'm quite good at it. You are? The problem is I'm Jason Donovan. No. And everyone sees a loincloth. and a fluffy coat. Can just quickly, I mean, this is really the end,

but I just want to ask you this because, no, because. Shit, I'll hold on to this. Because I, because I worked in a nightclub in Melbourne. Did you? When I was 18, do you remember? The Chevron. Inflation.

You know, I remember inflation. Very well done. So I was a barmaid, an inflation. Marina, I, my, and King Street. Yes. On a Wednesday. night, you know, this is, that's listen, that's my history, man. And, and did you go to the underground?

I was in a band of musicians who got together when they weren't in their bands with Kate Sobrano, Phil Sobrano, and a couple of other people called The Way Back Five. I think I remember that. And one night, Michael Hutchance came and sang with us. Yeah. Hatch. I was in a band with Hutch. When I was like 19 and I'd lied to get into the band

I told them that I was recording a demo in London and I was about to release my album and I'd sung with Phil And they said oh come and sing with us at the thing I'd completely lied through my teeth Yeah but it worked What um well inflation But they'd go you's going on inflations tonight

They'd put an ass on the end of everything Use a use gun on inflations Is am I really bad Is it really bad accent. It's not, it's not authentic. Shall we say, it's, it's pretty unauthentic. But listen, you know, I can't do, you know, an accident, an accent from, from, um, um, West London. A bottle of water? Um, Jason. Yes.

I fucking love you. Honestly, we go back. Right? Come on. Right. Right. Jason. Donovan, everybody. So just in case you missed this episode here, if you love this episode, I know you're going to love that.