‘I WANT TO TAKE MORE RISKS’ Kate Ritchie on motherhood and a return to acting
Kate Ritchie gets candid with WHO about ageing, setting the best example for her daughter and a return to acting
Growing up in front of a nation would no doubt be a daunting experience, but for former Home and Away star Kate Ritchie, the journey has been nothing short of humbling. “I have people come up to me and they’re always friendly,” she tells WHO. And why wouldn’t they be? The homegrown beauty greets us with a smile, orders a tea and gracefully takes her time to answer every question despite a hectic schedule as the ambassador of Jockey’s new bra campaign.
After playing lovable character Sally Fletcher for more than 20 years, Ritchie has gone on to forge an impressive career in radio, working on Nova FM’s drive show Kate, Tim and Marty – which she says is essentially a dream job. Here, she reveals how, at the age of 41, she approaches health, parenting and embracing new adventures.
You look amazing in the shots with Jockey; do you find it confronting doing underwear photo shoots?
Years ago, when Jockey asked me to be their ambassador, I had to think about it and wonder what that meant and whether I would feel comfortable, but the experience has been so enjoyable and we’ve been receiving such lovely feedback. I think that confidence comes with age though, as well. I spoke to someone about this the other day. I think that I’m just much more comfortable in my own skin now – more than I ever have been. Personally, a lot of that confidence has come since having my daughter because I think you start to realise that your body is mighty and a powerful thing. I pay it a whole lot more respect than I used to.
Do you always feel confident? Subconsciously we all have things we could change, but in the whole scheme of life those things are so insignificant and I think they become less important as you mature. The world is a little kinder these days, too. We’re not all trying to conform to one person’s idea of what we should look like. So those happy thoughts are the healthiest space to be in. Absolutely, not everyone looks like Gigi Hadid.
Exactly right. And we can admire these women [supermodels] in the
wider community, but we don’t necessarily want to be them. We can respect them but also respect ourselves.
Do you worry about body image when you’re raising a little girl?
Yes. And I think we have to set an example. I think one of the great things that Mae has taught me is that I’ve had so much negative self-talk in the past. I appreciate there’s another set of ears listening now! I have to silence some of that negative chat and then turn it into a positive voice and stay calm [around her]. Do you feel a difference between your 20s and your 40s? You figure out the stuff you have to sweat about and the stuff you don’t need to sweat. It doesn’t mean we’re all always 100 per cent, but [being in my 40s] is a much nicer place to be. I’m happy where I am … I mean one day I’ll be trying to tell myself to take risks and be brave and do things in life, so I don’t have regrets. And maybe that’s because I’m traditionally quite conservative.
You’re Australia’s sweetheart, right? [Laughs]. That’s what they say! As you age you start to realise that this is my one shot and not everything’s going to be right, but I’m proud of my accomplishments. On a professional level, [as an actress and ambassador] I start to think, ‘What can I do? Why can’t I represent an enormous part of the population?’
You’ve mentioned you want to take more risks. Do you think that you will step back into acting at all?
I miss it desperately. I guess I did things after I left Home and Away – which was 2007 that’s insane! – I did other bits and pieces, but now it’s really just waiting for the right project to come along. And I don’t even really know what that is. I just think I’ll know it when it’s presented. Would you leave radio?
The tough thing for me is even though my heart is in acting, I’ve really enjoyed working on the radio and learning a new set of skills. But also, the lifestyle that it allows me to have! This [afternoon show] schedule means I can actually support my daughter – I can take Mae to school, I can do Pilates if I feel like it – my life is too good sometimes. Some people have young children on their own, and I think, ‘Oh my goodness, if I was getting up every day at 5am and had to be at Palm Beach it would be hard!’ Anyway, the juggle for me is a good one. So, I made a big decision – radio has been such a gift and I’d be crazy not to turn up.
And you’ve got such a great dynamic with co-stars Tim Blackwell and Marty Sheargold as well.
I have, and the show is mostly me whining. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it! But at the moment radio allows me to do a bit of everything. Then I just have to wait until something comes up. I’ve always trusted in the universe – it brings things along [when the time is right].
Do you think of having more kids?
All the time. I have siblings – I know how awful it is, but it also has positives – it makes you who you are, it’s probably made me as competent as I am in the studio with Tim and Marty because I’ve had two sisters from a very young age. Yes of course I’ve thought about that, but once again I’ve always just trusted in what has unfolded for me.
“I miss TV desperately”