Madeleine West has lived many lives— from Neighbours’ Dee Bliss to Underbelly’s Danielle McGuire, she’s been a fixture on Australian screens for decades.

Beyond acting, she’s also an advocate, a survivor, and now, at 47, she’s stepping into a surprising new chapter... motherhood for the seventh time.

What she first thought was menopause turned out to be an unexpected pregnancy, something that took time to embrace. But that’s not the only battle Madeleine has faced. Just a few years ago, she made the courageous decision to help police uncover a pedophile—the man who abused her as a child.

In this deeply personal and powerful conversation, Madeleine opens up about:
How she came to terms with becoming a mother again at 47
The media storm that forced her to announce her pregnancy before she was ready
The darkness she had to push through to become the woman she is today
The moment she wore a wire to confront her abuser

This is a story of survival, strength, and reclaiming your own narrative - no matter how impossible it may seem.

If you or anyone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

THE END BITS:

Listen to more No Filter interviews here and follow us on Instagram here.

Discover more Mamamia podcasts here.

Feedback: podcast@mamamia.com.au

Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.

Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review

CREDITS:


Host: Kate Langbroek

Guest: Madeleine West

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Senior Producer: Grace Rouvray

Audio Producer: Jacob Round


Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Madeleine West has lived many lives&mdash; from Neighbours&rsquo; Dee Bliss to Underbelly&rsquo;s Danielle McGuire, she&rsquo;s been a fixture on Australian screens for decades.
Beyond acting, she&rsquo;s also an advocate, a survivor, and now, at 47, she&rsquo;s stepping into a surprising new chapter... motherhood for the seventh time.
What she first thought was menopause turned out to be an unexpected pregnancy, something that took time to embrace. But that&rsquo;s not the only battle Madeleine has faced. Just a few years ago, she made the courageous decision to help police uncover a pedophile&mdash;the man who abused her as a child.
In this deeply personal and powerful conversation, Madeleine opens up about:
<ul data-stringify-type="unordered-list" data-list-tree="true" data-indent="0" data-border="0">
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0">How she came to terms with becoming a mother again at 47</li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0">The media storm that forced her to announce her pregnancy before she was ready</li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0">The darkness she had to push through to become the woman she is today</li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0">The moment she wore a wire to confront her abuser</li>
</ul>
This is a story of survival, strength, and reclaiming your own narrative - no matter how impossible it may seem.
If you or anyone you know needs support, call&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/">Lifeline</a>&nbsp;on 131 114 or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/">Beyond Blue</a>&nbsp;on 1300 224 636.
THE END BITS:
Listen to more No Filter interviews&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/no-filter/">here</a> and follow us on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nofiltermamamia/">here.</a>
Discover<a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/" data-stringify-link="https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">&nbsp;more Mamamia podcasts here</a>.
Feedback:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcast@mamamia.com.au" data-stringify-link="mailto:podcast@mamamia.com.au" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-haspopup="menu">podcast@mamamia.com.au</a>
Share your story, feedback, or dilemma!&nbsp;<a href="https://help.mamamia.com.au/en-US/send-a-podcast-voice-note-467960" data-stringify-link="https://help.mamamia.com.au/en-US/send-a-podcast-voice-note-467960" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Send us a voice message</a>, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.
Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review
CREDITS: 
Host: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/katelangbroek/?hl=en">Kate Langbroek</a>
Guest: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/msmadswest/?hl=en">Madeleine West</a>
Executive Producer: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/naima_brown_official/">Naima Brown</a>
Senior Producer: Grace Rouvray
Audio Producer: Jacob Round 
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Riveting stories. Fascinating lives. Australia’s #1 interview podcast, with Kate Langbroek.

Riveting stories. Fascinating lives. Australia&rsquo;s #1 interview podcast, with Kate Langbroek.

No Filter

Madeleine West On Confronting Her Monsters And Motherhood At 47

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/3ea926be-9be7-482a-8ac3-a44f016e43d1/clips/e6fec20a-ddf2-4c39-887b-b2b30001bc2e/transcript

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