Trigger Warning: This article discusses mental health and may be triggering for some readers.
After becoming the very first winner on the inaugural season of MasterChef Australia to making her debut on Dancing with the Stars, Julie Goodwin is clearly a woman of many talents.
On top of her widespread career as a cook, author, and radio and television presenter, Julie is also a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, and it’s her family that keeps her going through it all.
Julie met her husband, Michael Goodwin, in January 1989, in the weeks between high school ending and university beginning. Julie, who was just 18 at the time, joined her friend Chris at a new youth group he was attending, and that’s where she met Michael, who stood at 6.7 feet tall.
The two later married in 1995 and started their family together, raising three (very tall) sons: Joe, 28, Tom, 27, and Paddy, 25.
While she tends to keep their lives out of the spotlight, she loves to share rare insights into her life as a mother and a grandmother.
In July 2024, Julie shared a photo on Instagram of her NSW South Coast vacation with her husband, Michael, their three sons, and her three-year-old granddaughter Delilah. “Family holiday!” she captioned the post.
“Once your kids are all grown up it’s near impossible for them to all get time off at once.
“That’s why this week has been so precious; just hanging out, playing games, going for walks and of course lots of meals together. Delilah looked happier for the whole rest of the holiday than she does in this photo 😂.”
In a recent interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Julie described her sons as “kind-hearted, hilarious and good people… who are open-minded and kind and aware of humanitarian and social-justice issues” and revealed that her sons give her “hope for this generation of young men.”
However, Delilah, who is the daughter of Tom, holds a very special place in Julie’s heart as well…
Before coming in as one of the 24 contestants on MasterChef: Fans & Favourites in 2022, Julie admitted it was something she wasn’t so sure she’d do, revealing to The Australian Women’s Weekly that she “wasn’t in the best place” at the time.
The celebrity chef shed light on some tough times that had her hesitating, and how it was her granddaughter that helped push her through.
“In the midst of that really awful time I had decided that I was done,” Julie said, referring to a mental health breakdown that saw her admitted to hospital.
“I had nothing left to do, my work here was done. That’s where I found myself. That landed me in hospital a bunch of times.”
She added that Delilah was a massive part of what helped her realise that her life here is not done. “She’s a tiny little human who I want to be around for. But you know, I can’t live my whole life for her. And I’ve just got to work out what the rest of it is for,” she told the publication.
It’s clear to see just how important being a grandmother has been to her, however, she also revealed that her favourite part of being a grandmother is watching her husband Michael be a grandfather.
Along with Tom, Julie and Michael share sons Joe and Paddy, and Julie has previously confessed her eagerness for more family additions.
“I do hope I get more grandkids,” she told Woman’s Day in November 2021. “But Delilah’s such an enormous blessing, that if she’s the only grandchild I ever have, that will be what it is.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website.
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