You know Mary Coustas as one of Australia's funniest women: the brilliant mind behind the big-haired, iconic character Effie who has graced our screens and stage for over 30 years. But in this episode from the archives, we're bringing you a different side of Mary.

In this No Filter conversation with Mia Freedman, Mary talks about her unfaltering desire to become a mother, the unimaginable loss of enduring 23 IVF attempts, and the absolute joy of finally welcoming her daughter at 49. It’s honest, unflinchingly raw, deeply moving, and a chance to get to know this beloved icon a whole lot better.

This episode originally aired on No Filter.

NO FILTER CREDITS:

Host: Mia Freedman
Producer: Elissa Ratliff

THE END BITS:

Follow No Filter and Unleashed on Instagram.
DM us thoughts, feelings and questions @unleashed.show
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SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY: Win the books we’re obsessed with. 12 books total, one winner. Subscribe to Mamamia here to be automatically entered. Already a subscriber? Don't sweat it, you're already in. T&Cs apply.

You know Mary Coustas as one of Australia's funniest women: the brilliant mind behind the big-haired, iconic character Effie who has graced our screens and stage for over 30 years. But in this episode from the archives, we're bringing you a different side of Mary.
In this No Filter conversation with Mia Freedman, Mary talks about her unfaltering desire to become a mother, the unimaginable loss of enduring 23 IVF attempts, and the absolute joy of finally welcoming her daughter at 49. It&rsquo;s honest, unflinchingly raw, deeply moving, and a chance to get to know this beloved icon a whole lot better.
This episode originally aired on&nbsp;No Filter.
NO FILTER CREDITS:
Host: Mia Freedman Producer: Elissa Ratliff
THE END BITS:
Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nofiltermamamia/?hl=en">No Filter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unleashed.show/">Unleashed</a> on Instagram. DM us thoughts, feelings and questions&nbsp;@unleashed.show Love the show? Hit follow on Apple or Spotify &mdash; it helps other Gen X women find us.
Get access to Very Peri, Mamamia's exclusive perimenopause series, for just $59. 25 world-leading experts, over 20 on-demand sessions, available now. We&rsquo;ve sorted through the noise so you don't have to. Go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://veryperi.com.au&amp;sa=D&amp;source=calendar&amp;ust=1783817057800137&amp;usg=AOvVaw1OqjXjPeyY1DxRiElQsfps">veryperi.com.au</a> and join me today. You hot? Same.
SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY: Win the books we&rsquo;re obsessed with. 12 books total, one winner. Subscribe to Mamamia here to be automatically entered. Already a subscriber? Don't sweat it, you're already in. T&amp;Cs apply.

For Gen X women who need a laugh right now.

For Gen X women who need a laugh right now.

Unleashed

EXTRA: Mary Coustas Was 49 When She Became A Mum

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/3ea926be-9be7-482a-8ac3-a44f016e43d1/clips/b729ecd8-9d4c-4eaa-afb1-b4600034201f/transcript

Sally's ex sent an accidental message that has us all cringing, and now she has to decide if bailing him out of humiliation is still her job. Ginny puts the whole midlife supplement stack under the microscope, plus the "Enhanced Games" scam nobody saw coming. There's also a proper gut-punch listener dilemma this week: what do you do when your dead mum's estranged family wants a separate goodbye? Grace has some very personal advice to share on that one. And Cath may finally be getting the school formal she never had (decades late, taffeta mandatory).

In your ears today: Cath Mahoney, Sally Hepworth, Ginni Mansberg and Grace Lam.

Would you come to Cath's formal?! Messsage us! 

Check out our Unleashed music playlist for some feel good throwbacks!

The End Bits:
Follow us on Instagram, DM us thoughts, feelings and questions @unleashed.show
Love the show? Hit follow on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Gen X women find us.

This show was produced and created by Mia Freedman
Created and developed by Executive Producer Monique Bowley
Senior Producer and Audio Editor is Tina Matolov
Social Media Producer is Coco Lavigne 

Did you know some of our shows are now in video on the Apple Podcast app? Make sure your phone is up to date and check it out here!

Get access to Very Peri, Mamamia's exclusive perimenopause series, for just $59. 25 world-leading experts, over 20 on-demand sessions, available now. We’ve sorted through the noise so you don't have to. Go to veryperi.com.au and join me today. You hot? Same.

SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY: Win the books we’re obsessed with. 12 books total, one winner. Subscribe to Mamamia here to be automatically entered. Already a subscriber? Don't sweat it, you're already in. T&Cs apply.

Sally's ex sent an accidental message that has us all cringing, and now she has to decide if bailing him out of humiliation is still her job. Ginny puts the whole midlife supplement stack under the microscope, plus the "Enhanced Games" scam nobody saw coming. There's also a proper gut-punch listener dilemma this week: what do you do when your dead mum's estranged family wants a separate goodbye? Grace has some very personal advice to share on that one. And Cath may finally be getting the school formal she never had (decades late, taffeta mandatory).
In your ears today: Cath Mahoney, Sally Hepworth, Ginni Mansberg and Grace Lam.
Would you come to Cath's formal?! <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/newsletter/caths-formal-petition/">Messsage us!&nbsp;</a>
Check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4mXHAmMk9GD8nCOxheEDmQ">Unleashed music playlist</a> for some feel good throwbacks!
<ul></ul>
The End Bits: Follow us on Instagram, DM us thoughts, feelings and questions @unleashed.show Love the show? Hit follow on Apple or Spotify &mdash; it helps other Gen X women find us. This show was produced and created by Mia Freedman Created and developed by Executive Producer Monique Bowley Senior Producer and Audio Editor is Tina Matolov Social Media Producer is Coco Lavigne&nbsp;
Did you know some of our shows are now in video on the Apple Podcast app? Make sure your phone is up to date and check it out&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/channel/mamamia/id6442502456">here</a>!
Get access to Very Peri, Mamamia's exclusive perimenopause series, for just $59. 25 world-leading experts, over 20 on-demand sessions, available now. We&rsquo;ve sorted through the noise so you don't have to. Go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://veryperi.com.au&amp;sa=D&amp;source=calendar&amp;ust=1783817057800137&amp;usg=AOvVaw1OqjXjPeyY1DxRiElQsfps">veryperi.com.au</a> and join me today. You hot? Same.
SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY: Win the books we&rsquo;re obsessed with. 12 books total, one winner. Subscribe to Mamamia here to be automatically entered. Already a subscriber? Don't sweat it, you're already in. T&amp;Cs apply.

Mad Mabel Is A Real Woman And We Have So Many Questions

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/3ea926be-9be7-482a-8ac3-a44f016e43d1/clips/94e36d52-14e3-4922-9c73-b48e001f8f06/transcript

Or keep your mouth shut and wait for the whole thing to implode? Mary learned that telling the truth can come back to bite you. Meanwhile, Cath went heavy petting in a 12th-century graveyard and Grace got caught mid-pash with her knickers around her ankles and a pack of wild dogs closing in. Bruna makes adult dramas but can’t stop watching teenage ones, and Mary's worried we've lost the art of small talk.

Plus, can two sisters grow up in the same house and remember completely different childhoods?

In your ears today: Cath Mahoney, Mary Coustas, Bruna Papandrea and Grace Lam.

Would you come to Cath's formal?! Messsage us! 

Check out our Unleashed music playlist for some feel good throwbacks!

The End Bits:
Follow us on Instagram, DM us thoughts, feelings and questions @unleashed.show
Love the show? Hit follow on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Gen X women find us.

This show was produced and created by Mia Freedman
Created and developed by Executive Producer Monique Bowley
Senior Producer and Audio Editor is Tina Matolov
Social Media Producer is Coco Lavigne 

Did you know some of our shows are now in video on the Apple Podcast app? Make sure your phone is up to date and check it out here!

Get access to Very Peri, Mamamia's exclusive perimenopause series, for just $59. 25 world-leading experts, over 20 on-demand sessions, available now. We’ve sorted through the noise so you don't have to. Go to veryperi.com.au and join me today. You hot? Same.

SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY: SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY:
The Out Loud hosts have handpicked their all-time favourite reads and one subscriber is winning the entire 12-book stack. Subscribe to Mamamia to be automatically entered to win. Current subscriber? You're already in the draw. T&Cs apply. 

Or keep your mouth shut and wait for the whole thing to implode? Mary learned that telling the truth can come back to bite you. Meanwhile, Cath went heavy petting in a 12th-century graveyard and Grace got caught mid-pash with her knickers around her ankles and a pack of wild dogs closing in. Bruna makes adult dramas but can&rsquo;t stop watching teenage ones, and Mary's worried we've lost the art of small talk.
Plus, can two sisters grow up in the same house and remember completely different childhoods?
In your ears today: Cath Mahoney, Mary Coustas, Bruna Papandrea and Grace Lam.
Would you come to Cath's formal?! <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/newsletter/caths-formal-petition/">Messsage us!&nbsp;</a>
Check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4mXHAmMk9GD8nCOxheEDmQ">Unleashed music playlist</a> for some feel good throwbacks!
<ul></ul>
The End Bits: Follow us on Instagram, DM us thoughts, feelings and questions @unleashed.show Love the show? Hit follow on Apple or Spotify &mdash; it helps other Gen X women find us. This show was produced and created by Mia Freedman Created and developed by Executive Producer Monique Bowley Senior Producer and Audio Editor is Tina Matolov Social Media Producer is Coco Lavigne&nbsp;
Did you know some of our shows are now in video on the Apple Podcast app? Make sure your phone is up to date and check it out&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/channel/mamamia/id6442502456">here</a>!
Get access to Very Peri, Mamamia's exclusive perimenopause series, for just $59. 25 world-leading experts, over 20 on-demand sessions, available now. We&rsquo;ve sorted through the noise so you don't have to. Go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://veryperi.com.au&amp;sa=D&amp;source=calendar&amp;ust=1783817057800137&amp;usg=AOvVaw1OqjXjPeyY1DxRiElQsfps">veryperi.com.au</a> and join me today. You hot? Same.
<a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe/?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=unleashed&amp;utm_content=mmol-book-giveaway">SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY: SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY:</a> The Out Loud hosts have handpicked their all-time favourite reads and one subscriber is winning the entire 12-book stack. Subscribe to Mamamia to be automatically entered to win. Current subscriber? You're already in the draw. T&amp;Cs apply.&nbsp;

Do I Tell My Friend Her Partner Sucks?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/3ea926be-9be7-482a-8ac3-a44f016e43d1/clips/b20789b3-ae68-4f72-bd74-b48100b942bb/transcript

In a time before social media, before camera phones and before anyone could prove anything, one of us had a toilet-line kiss with Robbie Williams. And somehow, that is not even the funniest celebrity story in this episode.

Sally says there is a childhood trend directly linked to her declining mental health. Mary once thought she was pregnant at eight years old. Bruna takes aim at the myth that women vanish after 40. And a very spicy problem involving an affair, a soulmate and one dinner table nobody wants to sit at.

Plus... Cath never went to a formal, so should we throw her one? If you're keen, let us know on Instagram @unleashed.show !

In your ears today: Sally Hepworth, Mary Coustas, Bruna Papandrea and Cath Mahoney

Would you come to Cath's formal?! Messsage us! 

Check out our Unleashed music playlist for some feel good throwbacks!

The End Bits:
Follow us on Instagram, DM us thoughts, feelings and questions @unleashed.show
Love the show? Hit follow on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Gen X women find us.

This show was produced and created by Mia Freedman
Created and developed by Executive Producer Monique Bowley
Senior Producer and Audio Editor is Tina Matolov
Social Media Producer is Coco Lavigne 

Get access to Very Peri, Mamamia's exclusive perimenopause series, for just $59. 25 world-leading experts, over 20 on-demand sessions, available now. We’ve sorted through the noise so you don't have to. Go to veryperi.com.au and join me today. You hot? Same.

SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY: The Out Loud hosts have handpicked their all-time favourite reads and one subscriber is winning the entire 12-book stack. Subscribe to Mamamia to be automatically entered to win. Current subscriber? You're already in the draw. T&Cs apply. 

Did you know some of our shows are now in video on the Apple Podcast app? Make sure your phone is up to date and check it out here!

In a time before social media, before camera phones and before anyone could prove anything, one of us had a toilet-line kiss with Robbie Williams. And somehow, that is not even the funniest celebrity story in this episode.
Sally says there is a childhood trend directly linked to her declining mental health. Mary once thought she was pregnant at eight years old. Bruna takes aim at the myth that women vanish after 40. And a very spicy problem involving an affair, a soulmate and one dinner table nobody wants to sit at.
Plus... Cath never went to a formal, so should we throw her one? If you're keen, let us know on Instagram @unleashed.show !
In your ears today: Sally Hepworth, Mary Coustas, Bruna Papandrea and Cath Mahoney
Would you come to Cath's formal?! <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/newsletter/caths-formal-petition/">Messsage us!&nbsp;</a>
Check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4mXHAmMk9GD8nCOxheEDmQ">Unleashed music playlist</a> for some feel good throwbacks!
<ul></ul>
The End Bits: Follow us on Instagram, DM us thoughts, feelings and questions @unleashed.show Love the show? Hit follow on Apple or Spotify &mdash; it helps other Gen X women find us. This show was produced and created by Mia Freedman Created and developed by Executive Producer Monique Bowley Senior Producer and Audio Editor is Tina Matolov Social Media Producer is Coco Lavigne&nbsp;
Get access to Very Peri, Mamamia's exclusive perimenopause series, for just $59. 25 world-leading experts, over 20 on-demand sessions, available now. We&rsquo;ve sorted through the noise so you don't have to. Go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://veryperi.com.au&amp;sa=D&amp;source=calendar&amp;ust=1783817057800137&amp;usg=AOvVaw1OqjXjPeyY1DxRiElQsfps">veryperi.com.au</a> and join me today. You hot? Same.
SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY: The Out Loud hosts have handpicked their all-time favourite reads and one subscriber is winning the entire 12-book stack. Subscribe to Mamamia to be automatically entered to win. Current subscriber? You're already in the draw. T&amp;Cs apply.&nbsp;
Did you know some of our shows are now in video on the Apple Podcast app? Make sure your phone is up to date and check it out&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/channel/mamamia/id6442502456">here</a>!

I Pashed Robbie Williams But I Have No Proof

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/3ea926be-9be7-482a-8ac3-a44f016e43d1/clips/d6814867-6011-4633-98b6-b47800591508/transcript

EXTRA: Mary Coustas Was 49 When She Became A Mum

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