1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: And Amanda jam Nation. Our next guest is a national treasure. 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: She's entertained us for decades with her, with her wisdom. 3 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 2: Her courage. 4 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 1: She's a trailblazer, she really is. And she's released her 5 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: memoir Lies My mirror told me. I was lucky enough 6 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: to get an advanced copy, and I've read it this song. 7 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: Hello Wendy Harmer, how are you? 8 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 2: And she is, Yeah, Hello. 9 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 3: Come on copy all just women women women? 10 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 2: Yes, I know, well we've heard that. We've heard that 11 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: for years on Brooks. 12 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 3: There should be more men on radio. 13 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, you know, I remember I wanted to do 14 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 2: a show, a breakfast show with another woman, and radio 15 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 2: executive said, you've got to understand what it's like for 16 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 2: the blokes. And when they get they go home and 17 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 2: they get nagged by their wives and they turn on 18 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 2: the radio and they get nagged by two women. Why 19 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 2: women can't work to get on there? It was you. Now, 20 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 2: I just got a little tex from my husband there. 21 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 3: Hello Brendan. 22 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 2: And where is the where is the wheel of tickets? 23 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 3: What is our major tactic? 24 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 2: What's he after? He said, I should take it hostage 25 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 2: and only give it back in exchange for two Taylor 26 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 2: Swift tickets for now. He's he's got you know, he's 27 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 2: right on it. 28 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: Okay, well we'll see if we can get him mixed. 29 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 4: I shouldn't be given away the plan, didn't, you know, 30 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 4: because you know next you'll be saying, we don't take 31 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 4: the tenth caller because you know all the secrets and 32 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 4: we you know we actually we're up against you in. 33 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 3: When you're over today for him, and then when you're 34 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 3: at the ABC. This is a big deal, like where 35 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 3: you've come. You've come full circle with the book. 36 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,759 Speaker 2: Now, well, yeah, I mean I think it was a 37 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 2: I got the advance for the memoir about eight years ago, 38 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 2: so I thought, Cricky, I better write it or have 39 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 2: to give the money back. So when I finished over 40 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 2: at the ABC, I thought, now is the time to 41 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: write it. And it's been really interesting to look bad 42 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 2: and see. Look, I was there when all these women 43 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 2: comedians found their voices. You know, there was the Comedy 44 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 2: Company and Fast Forward and the d Gen and the 45 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 2: big gig of Horse and the women were really at 46 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 2: the forefront there and this was the first time we'd 47 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 2: seen all these women comedians, and I thought that that 48 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 2: was a really interesting time to document. And also I 49 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 2: guess the change in breakfast radio over the time that 50 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 2: I've been doing it, because at two Day, my then boss, 51 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 2: Brad March, he said he'd been listening to watching Oprah 52 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 2: Winfrey and he thought, oh, wow, chicks, here's a concept. 53 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 2: And so he put me on radio as sort of 54 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 2: the center of a radio program because he wanted a 55 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 2: program that was more skewed towards the women. And it 56 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: is incredible to think, Amanda, that there was a time 57 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 2: in radio, in morning radio, where women weren't really at the. 58 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 1: Fourth run, and where stories weren't encouraged, that there was 59 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: no content in terms of stories. 60 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 2: So you brought all that. I think, well, I mean, 61 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 2: I do remember the time they even did float the 62 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 2: idea of having a lottery about when I go into labor. 63 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 2: I went, you know, I don't think. 64 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 3: Right, that is great. 65 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: But there was so much in your book too that 66 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 1: that I cried over and just you. 67 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 5: You know, you're a bit of a blood a completely 68 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 5: with a little kitten and all that, but with like 69 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:44,119 Speaker 5: your upbringing and as you document here your changing face. 70 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: Your parents gave you tough love. Do you think that 71 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: was the right thing to do for you, because look 72 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: how it's forged you. 73 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 2: But at what cost. Well, I don't know, you know, 74 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 2: I think you've got to have I mean, I suppose 75 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 2: you've got to have the rights of temperament in the 76 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 2: big because I mean half of its sort of nature 77 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 2: and half of its nurture. I couldn't do the same 78 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 2: to my kids. I mean, the title of the book 79 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 2: comes from what happened to me when I was eight 80 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 2: years old, and I didn't have all the reconstructive surgery 81 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 2: for my cliff lip and palette till I was in 82 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 2: fifteen years old. Now it's done at a child's like 83 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 2: first birthday. So I had this sort of you know, 84 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 2: what do you call it, disfigured face for a long time. 85 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 2: And I was about your eight years old, and I 86 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 2: came home and I said, oh, the boys in the 87 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 2: at school have been picking on me and call me 88 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 2: flatface and eagle beak and Wendy the Witch. Would you 89 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 2: believe that? Then Alan Numan released the book on Halloween. 90 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 2: I thought that anyway, whatever, So my mother said to me, 91 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 2: you go and stand in front of that mirror, and 92 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 2: when you can find something to complain about, you come 93 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,679 Speaker 2: out and tell me. Well, I looked in that mirror, 94 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 2: and I'm here to tell you there was a lot 95 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,480 Speaker 2: to complain about. I've only had little stumps of teeth 96 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 2: that kind of went sideways, and you know, my lip 97 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 2: was sort of you know, mangulated and have a very 98 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 2: flat nose. And I just looked at myself and I 99 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 2: and I just went out and said I've got nothing 100 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 2: to complain about, and my mum said good and on 101 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 2: we went. I don't think I could do that with 102 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 2: my kids. Sixty years after that, I've been talking with 103 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 2: my mum and she says, yes, that was brutal. That 104 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 2: was and I know now I should have been softer. 105 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 3: But we are better parents now, don't you think, than 106 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 3: what our parents were. And surely, and that's not pretting 107 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,559 Speaker 3: any blame on my parents. It's just a different time. 108 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 3: Well you're probably more closer to your kids these days. 109 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 2: That's right, what happened? Yeah, Well, I think dads have 110 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 2: changed great deal. It was always you bring up your dad, 111 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 2: you go, well, how's that car of yours going? You know, 112 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:51,280 Speaker 2: and that'd be about the moment you can get out 113 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 2: of Christmas Day and all. Yeah, and yes, I think 114 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 2: you know, men spend more time with their kids. I mean, 115 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 2: you know, it gets up. We all know about helicopter 116 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 2: parenting where you can be over protective. But yeah, I mean, 117 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 2: I mean you're having that kind of upbringing and and 118 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 2: that kind of toughness. I mean, yeah, they were well. 119 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 2: As I say, for some kids, probably like me, it worked, 120 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:23,280 Speaker 2: but I imagine for a lot of kids it wouldn't work. 121 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 3: You don't know anything else to. 122 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 2: You, really else. 123 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: But you know, for all the strength you had to have, 124 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: you've got such a softy heart. Really, you've come out 125 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 1: the best of all worlds. You have. 126 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, well, I'm really really lucky to have Brendan, 127 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 2: who's listening, not this this. 128 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 3: I'm always listening. I'm always listening to you. 129 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 2: You're always talking, He's always listening. But I am incredibly lucky. 130 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 2: And I mean, you know, you'll both know this that 131 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: you can't do this job without that backup and support 132 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 2: at home and Amanda, you and I mums. I mean, 133 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 2: you know, Brendan was the house husband for the. 134 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: Whole time, and Harley changed his job as well so 135 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: that he could be there at home while I was 136 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: doing these hours. You can't both be going full tilt 137 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: with this, can you. 138 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 2: You absolutely cannot, you know, and because you know, you 139 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 2: go to bed at eight pm and then you're out 140 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 2: the door to the four in the morning, and I remember, 141 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 2: you know, sometimes I just creep off very quietly and 142 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,559 Speaker 2: just punch the air, knowing that Brenda would be awake 143 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 2: with the kid. I was always glad I could close 144 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 2: the door and go, yes, yes, that was the most part. 145 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 2: I know. That's true. 146 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 3: Well when it's always great to told you. And of 147 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 3: course you're the one that gave us Beat the Bomb 148 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 3: and Battle of the Sexes. All different names now. 149 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 2: Are like it's should I stay or should I go? 150 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 3: There's another one, nook. 151 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 2: Here's the thing about radio. Once you get the name 152 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 2: like traffic and weather together, it just still falls in 153 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 2: the flow. After that, it's easy. You've got them all. 154 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 3: Lies. My Mirrorate is available from all good bookstores. 155 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 2: Wendy Hamma, thank you, thank you, and Luis you've been 156 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 2: on coming up to eighteen years. Yes, yes, thank you 157 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 2: very much. Jo On had eighteen thousand fights. Thank you 158 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 2: so much.