According to Jason Donovan, everybody needs good neighbours, but not everyone needs to be reminded of their ex from Neighbours!
The former soap actor turned international popstar opened up about the toll constant comparisons between his wife, Angela Malloch, and his ex-girlfriend, Kylie Minogue, took on their marriage.
In a candid discussion with host Jamie Laing on his podcast Great Company, the Australian star spoke about fame, nostalgia, and the emotional side of carrying a legacy that fans can’t seem to let go of.
What did Jason Donovan say about his break-up with Kylie?
“The relationship was owned by the world,” Jason said, admitting that their eventual break-up was difficult. “And then you break up, which was tough.”
Decades on, he says the legacy of that relationship still follows him, and by extension, his wife. “For the rest of your life, when you go on Instagram or imagine even for someone like Ange- it’s hard,” he explained.
“All they talk about is the wedding and she’s thinking ‘I’ve spent 30 years of my life with this man.'”
What does Jason Donovan think about fans bringing up Kylie?
Despite building a long and committed life together, Jason acknowledged that the past is repeatedly brought back into focus. “[The previous relationship] gets pushed in your face all the time,” he said, revealing that even now, the topic comes up in everyday situations.
“Everytime I get into a cab now they ask, ‘How’s Kylie?'”
How does Jason’s wife Ange feel about the Kylie comparisons?
Asked how Ange has handled the constant comparisons, Jason was honest about their relationship. “I think initially it was pretty hard, I hope she won’t mind me saying that.”
The couple have been together for more than 30 years and share three children, but he admitted that living in the shadow of such an iconic pop culture moment isn’t always easy- particularly when public nostalgia overlooks the life he and his wife have built together.
What did Jason say about his past drug habits?
The conversation then turned to Jason’s past drug habits in the 90s and why he decided to quit drugs altogether.
Host Jamie asked: “You said that at that period of your life, you were consuming three grams of cocaine a day,” to which Jason responded: “Sure, there were days, weekends that would begin on Thursday and sometimes not end until the following Tuesday or whatever.”
What led Jason to quit drugs?
However, the Aussie explained that it was not a constant everyday habit as work often forced him to clean up his act.
Asked how he managed this, Jason responded: “I’m quite disciplined, I’m a bit of an all-or-nothing kind of guy. I also kept very fit, I have done all my life and that’s the little thing that knocks on your door.”
Speaking about what spurred him to quit drugs, Jason revealed that meeting his wife and the birth of their daughter, Jemma, brought forward the realisation that he “could get out now,” and he had “enough time for the body to repair.”
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