Jessica Rowe has lived much of her life in the public eye.

As one of Australia's most recognisable television journalists, she reached the pinnacle of breakfast television when she joined the Today show in 2006. But what followed was one of the most brutal public takedowns in Australian media. Jessica was criticised for everything from her laugh to her appearance, became the target of relentless headlines, and was ultimately let go while on maternity leave.

In this deeply personal conversation with Kate Langbroek, Jessica reflects on that extraordinary period of her life and the lessons that came from surviving it. She speaks candidly about workplace sexism, being sexually assaulted early in her career, learning to raise her voice, the apology from Karl Stefanovic that helped her finally let go of years of resentment, and why she no longer believes in shrinking herself to make other people comfortable.

Jessica also shares why she's happier at 56 than she's ever been, the joy she's found in embracing imperfection, and the advice she hopes her daughters will carry with them into adulthood.

This is a conversation about resilience, reinvention, forgiveness and what happens when you finally stop apologising for being exactly who you are.

You can listen to Jessica Rowe's podcast; The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show here. 

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CREDITS:

Guest: Jessica Rowe

Host: Kate Langbroek

Executive Producer: Bree Player

Audio and Video Producer: Julian Rosario

Social Media Producer: Olivia Colman

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we have recorded this podcast.