Sarah Roza
‘Married at First Sight’s’ Sarah Roza on freezing her eggs and tackling motherhood on her terms
She laid her heartbreak bare for all to see on Married at First Sight this year, detailing the devastating break-up of her previous relationship and the subsequent miscarriage of her twins. It was a tough listen, but Sarah Roza’s story struck a very real chord with viewers, who were desperate for her to “find love” and get her “happily ever after.” Viewers hoped Nine’s reality dating show would be the gateway for all those good things, but, sadly, it wasn’t meant to be. Just a few months after cameras stopped rolling, her relationship with MAFS spouse, Telv Williams— one that had felt so genuine and so promising to so many viewers—imploded very publicly and it was back to square one.
Fast forward six months and Sarah is still single but she has not given up on her chance for happiness just yet. On the cusp of 40, the Melbourne-based radio presenter has paid a visit to a fertility specialist to freeze her eggs; step one in the journey to a fulfilment fans wish for her. “People say they want that for me—and I do, too,” she exclusively tells WHO. “I am at the point where I had to do something, and it was super important for me to be able to take control of this one section of my life—and do it on my
terms.” Now she opens up to WHO about her future plans and why she is excited to be doing it all her own way. You’ve been outspoken in the past of wanting kids of your own. So are congratulations in order? Are you pregnant? No, I am not pregnant. I have taken the step to freeze my eggs. I have done it with a company called Genea Horizon, which is a niche company that looks after women like me—professional women looking to take charge of their own destiny. What made you decide to go down this route? Well, I am nearly 40. I will be 40 in January, and basically, I thought, “My gosh, I have tried pretty much everything love has to offer out there in the world.” And I wanted to take out an insurance policy. We have insurance policies on our cars, our houses and our health, but our fertility—i wanted to have something for myself that I could go back to when I needed it. Was it daunting to make the decision to freeze your eggs? Or was it a natural progression? It was very much a natural thing. I am someone that loves doing my research. Once I had done my research and done all my facts
and figures, I contacted them and set up a time. Because it’s really in-depth, actually. It’s a great thing I’ve decided to do and I’m really proud I’m doing this for myself.
Tell us about the process. That photo you put on Instagram, was that your egg?
No, it’s not me. But that photo is very indicative of what happens. The process is very similar to IVF.
Was it painful?
It’s the same as going through IVF so I had to inject myself every day. And it’s something that does take a serious level of commitment. But I’m serious about my future and very serious about wanting kids. It may still happen the old-fashioned way—with a partner—where I meet some lovely bloke and we have a romantic time together and a baby happens naturally. But just in case I don’t find that guy, I wanted to really look after myself, and have that option available for me.
Would you use a donor?
There are a lot of options available to me. So I still want love, and would love the “traditional” family—meet a guy and have a family…
And you are obviously still fertile... Do you know if you can still have kids?
Yes. I am at that point where I had to do something. All of a sudden it could stop, so I feel very fortunate to be able to say, “Right, I know myself enough with what I want, I really want a family one day and to have a child.”
Would you be willing to go it alone and be a single parent? Is there a timeline?
There is no hard-and-fast timeline. It’s something I thought was a great insurance policy for me to do. I’m all about empowering myself and I know my story inspires a lot of other women. It purely was for me. The reality is, I can’t make my life some fantasy and wind back the clock—it is what it is. And I either do it, or I don’t do it. And I would rather do something and say, “Oh, I may never use the eggs I have frozen,” and then I will decide further down the track. At this point, [the eggs] are on ice, ready for mummy to make a decision. When I went there, I kissed the tank and said, “Goodnight!”
Is there someone special in your life at the moment?
My main man is Frankie, my dog!
On the show you shared your story of miscarrying twins. Everyone connected so deeply to this but was it hard to reveal? And then relive when it went to air?
It’s a painful experience, and I would never wish that on my worst enemy. It was just horrific. My miscarriage took place in April 2016. I lost one of the twins at about two-and-a-half months and the other was at three months. At the time it happened, I didn’t speak to anyone about it. I was so insular. I withdrew myself. I literally just was in a fog. But, thank goodness, I dragged myself out of it. And once I started talking, the tension started to lift, and it started to ease. The silver lining is it makes you appreciate life and love so much more. I feel like people do relate to me because I talk to them as if I am talking to my best friend.
And the reaction was so positive!
Yes. It’s so important to keep bringing up issues I have gone through. Because you know what, that lady down the road has gone through it, and the woman at work. The more I speak about issues I’ve gone through, the more it normalises it, and makes people understand that it’s OK.
Everyone wanted a happy ending for you.
And they still do. And so do I. I have all sorts of people reaching out to me and it’s not just women. The men are messaging me, too, saying, “My partner is going through this and I wanted to share…” I think it’s a taboo subject. And it shouldn’t be, because it happens in one in four pregnancies. And that’s the thing, you would never wish that on anybody. So it is something I went through, I came out the other end, much stronger and more resilient, and more determined to carry on. It hasn’t deterred me at all. Sometimes people might think after that you might not want to try because it’s too painful. I’m the opposite and that’s where the fascination comes from. When I posted that picture [about my fertility news], it’s “Step One” in my journey. So that image is of an egg they’ve frozen, it’s not actually one that has been inseminated. I am not at that stage.
You also faced a public break-up.
I think for anyone—public or not public— having your heart broken is a very awful thing. But thank God, I’m somebody that’s quite a positive person, and always looking to the future, thinking “What can you take out of this experience?” Being on a reality-tv show about love, it was a crash course in growth. And, for me, out of everything, I got some wonderful friendships.
Who do you still see from the show? Ashley?
Occasionally she will fly down, because she’s an air hostess. I get the call up, usually on the day, and it’s like, “Let’s catch up and have a chat.” It’s always good.
And what about Charlene? Who else is in Melbourne?
Charlene is in Melbourne and Carly is in Melbourne. We all catch up.
And the only people who’ll ever understand what you’ve all gone through …
Yes, and it’s not something that is easy to explain. We are not “trapped in a house,” but we are in an experiment. But I was very fortunate to come out the other end and still
be OK, and still be very happy.
So this really is a new phase of life for you!
Yes. For me, if I die tomorrow, not having kids would be my only regret—not becoming a mum. I don’t need to be on a yacht. I don’t need to be a certain type of person. I’m happy with my friends and family. What really took me by surprise—i thought people would just say, “Poor girl, look what she went through.” I never thought that actually people would come back and say, ‘ You’re a role model, we look up to you. Thank you for talking about this, thank you for wearing your heart on your sleeve.”
“I never thought people would say, ‘You’re a role model’ ”