What ever happened to Norman Gunston? Inside the VERY private life of iconic Australian comedian Garry McDonald with his glamorous actress wife after ‘little Aussie bleeder’ suffered crippling depression
By Mary Mrad For Daily Mail Australia
Published: | Updated:
He became a household name playing ‘little Aussie bleeder’ Norman Gunston and Arthur in the ABC series, Mother And Son.
But iconic Australian comedian Garry McDonald lives a very quiet life these days.
McDonald, 73, was diagnosed with anxiety and related depression in 1993 and now leads to a very private life with his actress wife Diane Craig.
What ever happened to Norman Gunston? Inside the VERY private life of iconic Australian comedian Garry McDonald with his glamorous actress wife after ‘little Aussie bleeder’ suffered crippling depression
The 73-year-old rose to fame thanks to his role in the legendary ABC comedy Aunty Jack in 1973 and his appearance in 1975 drama film Picnic At Hanging Rock.
His famous character Norman Gunston was born on the ABC series, Mother And Son.
He was eventually offered his own program ‘The Norman Gunston show’.
He’s interviewed the likes of Mick Jaggar, Ray Charles, Muhammad Ali, Paul Keating and Paul McCartney on his show and throughout his career.
The 73-year-old rose to fame thanks to his role in the legendary ABC comedy Aunty Jack in 1973 and his appearance in 1975 drama film Picnic At Hanging Rock. Pictured on stage during Guys And Doll
Garry is famous for daubing his face with small pieces of tissue paper and his trademark comb-over hairstyle.
He won the Gold Logie in 1976 for his work on The Norman Gunston Show and was also awarded the Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor in 1994.
After the reboot of his popular series was canceled in 1993, Garry was diagnosed with anxiety and related depression.
He told the ABC in 2015, he was ‘mortified’ at the show’s cancellation.
‘I was mortified that I was putting people out of work. But there was nothing I could do. I was a basket case,’ he said.
Garry became a household name playing the ‘little Aussie bleeder’ Norman Gunston and Arthur in the ABC series Mother And Son
Garry also revealed that, once diagnosed, he began cognitive behavior therapy which ‘changed his life’.
A staunch supporter of mental health awareness, Garry was awarded an Order of Australia in 2003 and is also an ambassador of Beyond Blue.
He returned to TV screens in 2012, playing Doctor Philip Noonan on Network Ten drama series Offspring.
Garry currently lives with his wife Diane in Berry on the New South Wales south coast.
The couple, who share are David and daughter Kate, met during production of Let’s Get A Divorce and tied the knot in 1971.
After the reboot of his popular series The Norman Gunston show was canceled in 1993, Garry (pictured here in 2012) was diagnosed with anxiety and related depression
Garry currently lives a quiet life with his wife Diane in Berry on the New South Wales south coast. Pictured: Diane and Garry in 201
Jesinta Franklin has recalled her battle with postnatal depletion following the birth of her two children in the space of one year.
The 30-year-old model welcomed her daughter Tullulah in 2020 and son Rocky, one, in 2021 with her husband Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin.
Jesinta told Women’s Health: ‘It felt like there were so many things that compounded in those two years that weren’t just me having two children.’
Jesinta Franklin has spoken about her battle with postnatal depletion following the birth of her two children in the space of one year
‘It was lockdowns and not being able to see my family, not being able to have the support, living in AFL hubs, having a husband that was on the road constantly and having to live under all these strict guidelines in order for him to continue to play football.’
The mother-of-two went on to say she felt ‘mentally and emotionally depleted more than anything else’.
‘It’s probably taken me till about now to come right,’ she added.
The 30-year-old model welcomed her daughter Tullulah in 2020 and son Rocky in 2021 with her husband Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin
The mother-of-two went on to say she felt ‘mentally and emotionally depleted more than anything else’. She is pictured here with her daughter de ella Tullulah
In December, Jesinta revealed that welcoming two children in the last two years has ‘tested’ her marriage to Buddy.
She confessed to Stellar that both she and Buddy have struggled to spend quality time together due to their duties as parents.
What is Postnatal Depletion?
According to Bellybelly.com, postnatal depletion is a condition that involves both physical and emotional fatigue.
It often involves:
– Intense fatigue and exhaustion – and falling asleep without meaning to
– Lethargy
-Hyper vigilance
– Difficulty concentrating
-Anxiety
-Poor memory
– Loss of libido
– Worsening of pre-existing medical conditions
– Poor immune function
‘A lot of people don’t talk about how hard it is on your marriage having children,’ she said.
‘We really haven’t had much time just us two without the kids, but we’re a very tight-knit family.’
She continued: ‘It’s definitely not perfect, but we try to focus on being a team and facing the challenges together,’ she said of herself and Buddy.’
Jesinta also praised her husband for being a proactive and doting father to their children.
‘Bud is so hands-on and supportive, and I really missed that when he was gone. I’m really lucky to have a partner who is such an amazing father,’ she said, referring when he was away for the footy season.
Meanwhile, the couple are reportedly planning to sell their luxury home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and relocating to the Gold Coast.
The rumors come amid reports Buddy is looking to either leave the Sydney Swans for a new club or retire from footy altogether, after he was asked to take a 50 per cent pay cut in 2023.
Jesinta, who hails from the Gold Coast, has also recently expressed her desire for the couple to live closer to family.
Rumors of the pair’s move to the sunshine state were published in The Daily Telegraph last week.
The publication contacted real estate Paul Biller from Biller Property agency, who listed the couple’s previous home in the affluent suburb of Rose Bay in 2020.
He sold their semi-detached property in an off-market deal for $3.8million and denied reports that the couple’s home was publicly listed.
Jesinta said she felt ‘mentally and emotionally depleted more than anything else. It’s probably taken me till about now to come right,’ she added
The Franklins currently live in a luxury ground-floor apartment located nearby, which they also bought off-market.
Jesinta sparked rumors of the move after she spoke to Body+Soul in May about her husband’s football career and the family’s future plans.
‘I think there’s still a lot of good football left in him, but it’s our dream, whether that’s in five years or 10 years or whenever, to be able to live closer to one of the grandparents and have quality time.
In December, Jesinta revealed that welcoming two children in the last two years has ‘tested’ her marriage to Buddy. She confessed to Stellar that both she and Buddy have struggled to spend quality time together due to their duties as parents
Jesinta’s interview with Women’s Health is out now
Married At First Sight’s Domenica Calarco reveals her VERY unusual remedy for anxiety
By Savanna Young For Daily Mail Australia
Published: | Updated:
Married At First Sight star Domenica Calarco has revealed the bizarre treatment she uses to manage her stress and anxiety.
Speaking during a Q+A segment on her podcast Sit With Us alongside co-star Ella Ding, the 29-year-old opened up about her struggle with mental health over the years.
‘I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression since I was 16 years old,’ she said. ‘I’ve got every trick in the book.’
Married At First Sight star Domenica Calarco (left) revealed the bizarre treatment she uses to manage her stress and anxiety. Speaking during her podcast Sit With Us alongside co-star Ella Ding (right), the 29-year-old opened up about her struggle with mental health over the years
‘Look it’s odd but whatever. Everyone’s got their own little thing.’
The makeup artist explained she carries Vicks VapoRub around no matter where she goes.
‘For me, when I smell Vicks, it instantly calms me,’ she explained. ‘So Vicks is like my safety blanket.’
‘It’s always in my bag. If I’m feeling a bit anxious before I get out of the car or I’ve got a meeting or something, I just smell my Vicks. I put some on the inside of my wrists or a little bit on my chest and it just calms my nerves.’
The makeup artist explained she carries Vicks VapoRub around no matter where she goes
Dom’s admission comes after her dramatic makeover following her split from her former talent manager.
Late last month, she unveiled her cropped bleach-blonde hair in a selfie posted to Instagram, after jetting to London for a working holiday.
‘Blonde, bra-less and in London,’ Dom captioned the photo.
‘Obsessed [with] this look!’ one fan commented, while another wrote: ‘Loving this icy blonde moment.’
Domenica recently debuted her stylish ‘breakover’ after splitting from her former talent manager. (Left: on MAFS, and right: in London on Wednesday_
Dom parted ways with leading celebrity agent Sharon Finnigan, who handles major TV stars including Karl Stefanovic and Natalie Barr.
The former makeup artist confirmed the split by updating her Instagram bio this week, removing all references to SF Management.
She is now on the hunt for an international agent and has lined up several meetings while she is in the UK, a source tells Daily Mail Australia.
Late last month, she unveiled her cropped bleach-blonde hair in a selfie posted to Instagram, after jetting to London for a working holiday
‘Domenica is determined to get her own reality show, and only cares about increasing her OnlyFans numbers, while Sharon had other plans of her’ the insider added.
According to the source, Dom thought Sharon ‘could help land her a TV gig since she works with top-notch clients like Karl Stefanovic and Natalie Barr’.
It follows reports her relationship with Sharon was ‘anything but harmonious’.
The pair went their separate ways because the OnlyFans creator’s expectations ‘exceeded reality’.
Dom parted ways with leading celebrity agent Sharon Finnigan, who handles major TV stars including Karl Stefanovic and Natalie Barr
Dom had enlisted Sharon to manage her fledgling career in April, following her breakout appearance on Nine’s Married At First Sight. Pictured: Dom (left) with MAFS partner Jack (right)
Daily Mail Australia understands Sharon decided to end their professional relationship early, despite being contractually bound until September.
Dom had listed her to manage her fledgling career in April, following her breakout appearance on Nine’s Married At First Sight.
They held a series of meetings in which Dom reportedly expressed her desire to launch her own podcast and makeup range.
She has since started the podcast with her co-host Ella Ding, and also collaborated with online retailer Showpo for a clothing line.
Since MAFS, Dom has since started a podcast with her co-star Ella Ding
There’s no doubt having a baby is a life-changing event and while it’s well known many mothers struggle with depression or anxiety, so can fathers.
Perinatal anxiety and depression, from pregnancy through to a child turning one, affect up to one in five new mums and up to one in 10 new dads, according to Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA).
A world-first online treatment program called Dadbooster aims to help fathers after their baby is born by reducing moderate to severe symptoms of postnatal depression.
A silent struggle
For Luke Rigby, the birth of his daughter Olive in 2018 marked the start of a mental health battle that left him struggling for almost a year until he was diagnosed.
Returning to work three weeks after Olive’s birth, the 27-year-old said he ignored early warning signs that something wasn’t right.
“I think I averaged a day off a week … I’d give myself a kick up the butt, but it would only last for probably a week or two and then it becomes like a self-replicating cycle,” he said.
His turning point came when he finally decided to visit his GP.
“I booked him for a 15-minute appointment, but I reckoned that lasted about 45 minutes,” he said.
“It was just me in his room sobbing and just the things that I was holding inside of me that I’ve never really said, even to myself, before they just came out … like a word vomit.”
Mr Rigby says he tries to spend as much quality time as he can with his four-year-old daughter.(Supplied: Luke Rigby)
Luke Rigby isn’t alone when it comes to dealing with peri- and postnatal depression and anxiety.
An increasing number of fathers report similar experiences.
Dadbooster to help fathers
Jeannette Milgrom, executive director of Melbourne’s Parent-Infant Research Institute (PIRI), said, through her research and development of treatment programs for women, it became apparent there was an obvious gap in treatment options for men.
“What we found is that this has not been addressed in the literature,” Professor Milgrom said.
“There have been some involvement of men and trials of providing education, but there hasn’t been any targeted treatment for depression in men.”
That’s about to change.
Jeannette Milgrom developed Dadbooster to help fill the void in treatment options for fathers with postnatal depression.(Supplied: Jeannette Milgrom)
Professor Milgrom and her team are working on a world-first specialized web-based treatment program for depressed or anxious fathers.
Dadbooster involves six sessions along with SMS messages, regular contact, advice and encouragement to keep motivated participants.
Changes in symptoms are also closely monitored.
Professor Milgrom said the treatment was comparable to face-to-face therapy and was modified to appeal to men.
“There’s similarities in the sense that the core treatment for depression is cognitive behavioral therapy… we’ve made it very easily accessible for men… it’s a very mobile, responsive program and it’s shorter and sharper,” she said.
‘Even rocks crumble’
Julie Borninkhof says more than one in 10 dads may experience perinatal depression.(Supplied: PANDA)
Australia’s mental health system to date has not been great at picking up on vulnerability in men, according to PANDA CEO Julie Borninkhof.
“Organizations like ours are really trying to break down the barriers and remind people that even rocks crumble,” Dr Borninkhof said.
“We don’t screen as readily and ask as many questions as we do of women… so the one in 10 is probably under-reported, because we also know that screening dads in the perinatal period is not as great as it is when we screen our mums.”
Dr Borninkhof said data collected through PANDA’s annual mental health checklist for expectant fathers had revealed some alarming data.
“There’s about 60 per cent of those that really do fear that they’re not going to be great dads,” she said.
Professor Milgrom said her research had identified the importance of giving a voice to the issue.
“Once men start hearing other men talking about it, it becomes very enabling to be able to share the experience and feel that it’s so common,” she said.
hanging out together
It’s a sentiment shared by Tom Docking, founder of Dads Group, an organization promoting positive parenting for men by combining dads, their kids, a cup of coffee and a playground.
Since establishing the Toowoomba chapter a few years ago, Mr Docking said getting fathers together with their children created a supportive environment.
Dads Group offers support to fathers around Australia.(Supplied: Tom Docking)
“From our research, it’s the presence of the child which helps to keep the focus on being better as a father, a partner, a community leader, and a benefit to himself and his own identity,” he said.
Mr Docking said the group was letting fathers know about Dadbooster and other services available.
“It’s important to realize that we can only do this together collaboratively to really address the needs of our community,” Mr Docking said.
For Mr Rigby, help from his GP and connecting with a local dads’ group gave him the support he needed.
Now, he shares his experience with others to raise awareness of perinatal and postnatal depression.
“My biggest bit of advice is to be radically honest with yourself … and ask the question about why you don’t feel 100 per cent and then go from there,” he said.
