Exclusive: Dannii Minogue talks balancing mum life and work life
Successful recording artist, actress, TV host, model, designer... you name it, Dannii Minogue has tried her hand at it - and succeeded spectacularly.
But it's her role as mum to 8-year-old Ethan that gives her the most satisfaction. A single mother since 2012, when she split with partner Kris Smith, Minogue does the lion's share of parenting duties solo. And it turns out she's doing it just as tough as the rest of us.
"It's a juggle," says the 46-year-old, who chats to WHO between work commitments and school pick-ups.
“The hardest thing is the guilt, because there are times where [work is] intense, and you have got to ‘go for it’ for a short period, then come home and get into the swing of being a mum. You’ve got to be really organised and streamline stuff. You can’t do everything.”
Dance Boss lets people live out their secret passion for dance on TV—something you did at a much younger age.
Yeah, my secret passion was doing just that, and stumbling into TV and people letting me do that over and over. I said to the teams, “I started off on a show where I wasn’t professionally trained, I wasn’t the best dancer. The whole reason I got through and I’m still doing it today is because I love it. If you love it and have a good time, people will pick up on that.
Do you feel like motherhood is the hardest job you’ve had?
Yeah, it’s the hardest, and the one you have got to be absolutely responsible in every moment of every day and night.
How do you straddle the two worlds?
I was seven when I started working. Ethan came on set with me on Dance Boss. I have pictures with him on Australia’s Got Talent, The X Factor UK and The X Factor Australia, and I said, “You have to come on set and we have got to get our picture taken together.” So he sits on the throne chair with me, and I had this gush of, “At his age I was working professionally and banking cheques.” Like, unbelievable! So I walk him on set and I’m like, “Isn’t it amazing! Come and meet the dancers,” and he turns around and goes, “Mum, check out my Rubik’s Cube!”
Ethan’s dad, Kris, has announced he’s having a baby. How do you feel about Ethan becoming a big brother?
I am so excited for both of them. I could not be more happy. And Ethan is just beside himself. Any time he walks past a pram now, he’s like, “Aw, there’s a baby coming soon!” It just energises all of us.
Dance Boss starts Mon., Aug. 6, 7.30 PM on Seven.
Read the full interview in this week's issue of WHO, on sale now.
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