It’s been 15 years since she became a household name and in that time Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan has gone on to forge a career as a singer, enjoyed a stint on I’m a Celebrity Get… Me Out of Here! and is soon to star in Chicago the musical. Speaking to WHO, the 30-year-old opens up about delving into her DNA on the SBS documentary Who Do You Think You Are?
WATCH: Casey opens up about dating and being catfished
WHO: How was your time on show?
CASEY: There were a few tears here and there but it was a great experience. It was very eye-opening and emotional.
WHO: What was the most surprising thing you learned about yourself or your ancestors?
CASEY: I guess the biggest thing would be the resilience of the women in my lineage, really. The women are very, very strong, on both sides of the family [which made me think] ‘OK, I can get through this …’ I can see where I get that strength. In the end it was about my questions being answered and being comfortable in my own skin.
WHO: In a lot of family units stories are passed on by the elders, but you got a full-on and technical take on everything your family has been through in the past.
CASEY: Absolutely. Growing up, I didn’t really get that. My parents divorced [when I was young]; I’ve always known I was half indigenous and where my family were from, but not to this extent. It was really [amazing] to meet people from my family and hear people’s stories and voices.
WHO: Do you consider having kids and passing on this information to tour kids in the future?
CASEY: Yeah definitely! I’ve got my own DNA! [In the test] It was very exciting to see Australia light up – not a lot of people can say that Australia is their home from a DNA perspective. And all the other places! I got places like Ireland, Wales and Sweden … I was like, ‘really?’
WHO: How many kids do you want?
CASEY: I would love kids at one point; how I get there is another story.
WHO: No! I’m single to mingle.
You can read the rest of the article in this week’s WHO Magazine