Content warning: This article discusses instances of child loss in a way that some readers may find upsetting.
Poh Ling Yeow has given her most personal interview to date since becoming a household name on Aussie television 13 years ago.
Speaking on Australian Story on Monday night, the MasterChef Australia Season 1 runner-up opened up about the very personal and heartbreaking experience of miscarriage.
The 49-year-old said she and ex-husband Jonathan Bennett became pregnant eight years ago, but lost the baby at 12 weeks.
“It was the day I was allowed to tell everyone,” she said on the ABC program. "It was really heartbreaking and I actually went through full labour at home and I saw the baby."
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The reality star and cook said she has chosen to speak up about her own experience because miscarriage is a topic that's still often considered taboo or not talked about enough.
"I'm bringing this up because I think it’s something people should talk about, and it’s this silent grief that women have to go through all the time," she said.
"I really like to confront my emotions upfront. I think it’s really healthy, I don’t like to bury anything. It was probably one of the most horrendous things I’d ever been through."
Yeow revealed in 2019 that she and Bennett had separated after 12 years together. Prior to that she had been married to ex-husband Matt Phipps for 10 years.
"Not to say that everything was easy when Jono and I first separated, but we’re amazing friends still," Yeow said in an interview with HuffPost last year.
"We love each other dearly and you can’t really ask for anything more. Of course, I miss him but we see each other often enough. For me, once I’ve dealt with the heartache, there’s always a surge of creative release coming out of relationships."
After first appearing on MasterChef Australia in 2009 where she finished as runner-up to Julie Goodwin, Yeow returned to the cooking show in 2020 for the Back: To Win season. She's now the host of Snackmasters which will be returning for Season 2.
If you or anyone you know has experienced the loss of a child and is in need of support, please reach out to The Pink Elephants Support Network or call the Red Nose Grief and Loss hotline on 1300 308 307.
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