Matty Acton was only 18 when he met Esther and her three-year-old son, Ethan. What began as an unlikely spark on a Toowoomba dance floor turned into a marriage, two more children, and a life that has never once followed the traditional timeline. 

In this episode of The Australian Women's Weekly Love Stories, Matty and Esther join Tiffany Dunk to reflect on the rocky early years of their relationship, the loss of Matty's father and the advice he gave his son about loving a ready-made family, as well as the moment Ethan first called Matty "Dad”. 

They also open up about becoming grandparents so early in life, the surprising parallels between their own whirlwind beginnings and their son’s early marriage, and why they've started sharing their story more widely through their own podcast, Underage Grandparents. 

This is a conversation about love that doesn't follow a script, blended families, and finding something beautiful in circumstances that don't look the way you expected. 

Moments you'll hear: 

• Why Taylor Swift's ‘Cardigan’ and Jack Johnson's ‘Better Together’ are the soundtrack to their relationship
• Meeting through a mutual friend and their first kiss at the Tatts Hotel in Toowoomba
• What it was like dating as an 18-year-old whose girlfriend was already a mum
• The outside pressure that fuelled their early breakups, including a six-week split that nearly ended things for good
• The advice Matty's dying father gave him about loving Esther and Ethan without fear
• Ethan meeting Matty for the first time in a Woolworths car park
• Moving to Sydney, getting engaged after seven years, and Matty's blindfolded proposal
• The conversation about Ethan calling Matty "Dad"
• Choosing to have children of their own, and welcoming Xander and Eden
• Becoming grandparents to granddaughter Illyria before Matty turned 40
• Why they started their own podcast, Underage Grandparents
• Their message to anyone whose life hasn't gone to plan 

You can listen to Matty & Esther’s Underage Grandparents podcast here. 

Watch more of Matty here. 

Catch Matty on Stav, Abby & Matt on B105 Brisbane 6-9am weekdays. 

Thank you for listening ❤️ 

Before you leave... 

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Credits 

Host: Tiffany Dunk 

Edited by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace 

Production by Helen Smith 

Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team 

Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain 

Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website