Photography: Amalia Osborne.
Making her return to radio after 20 years away from the job has been a roller-coaster ride for Carolyn Taylor. Nerves? Definitely. Impostor syndrome? Always! Since she was last on the airwaves, a lot has happened to the former What Now star.
She has grown up, married, become a mother, and learned a lot. Co-hosting The House of Wellness on The Breeze suits her perfectly.
“We’re speaking to people who are at the top of their game and finding out what makes them tick,” says Carolyn, 45, who recently got to interview Dame Lisa Carrington about the morning rituals that help keep her grounded.
“I’ve always been interested in health and wellness, and I’m fascinated by high achievers, how they show up in their lives and work to succeed, so it’s greatto get access to such awesome people. It’s really inspiring.”
Her last radio gig, two decades ago, was co-hosting the night show on The Edge with Brad Watson. While she loved the work, she had to walk away abruptly following a traumatic experience that left her struggling. Carolyn stayed at a friend’s bach and found the front door unlocked. She woke up to find a stranger in her bedroom.
A terrifying intrusion
“I heard the sound of someone sneaking in and shutting the door behind them,” she recalls.
“I was still hazy and half asleep, but I saw the silhouette of a knife. I had the time to scream before he jumped on me. Then he was holding the knife to my neck, saying, ‘Shut up or I’ll kill you’. I couldn’t breathe because his hand was over my mouth to keep me from making a sound.”
In that split second, Carolyn knew this could be the end.
Refusing to be broken
“I promised myself that I was going to survive and, whatever he did to my body, I wouldn’t let him break my spirit,” she declares.
“He wasn’t going to be the boss of the rest of my life.”
Fortunately, her scream was heard and a friend came to her rescue before the man could do anything more. Still, Carolyn was deeply shaken.
A frightening encounter
“Something like that alters your sense of safety and your trust in humans as a whole,” she shares.
“After that, I stayed with my parents, and with friends I trusted and loved, because I couldn’t go to sleep by myself. Once I did move home, I had to ask my flatmate to leave all the interior doors open because the thought of opening one and not knowing what was on the other side just had me in a heap on the floor.”
Protective routines at work
At work, her co-host Brad would walk her to her car at the end of every shift and her dad would be there in the car park waiting.
“It was like a handover,” she admits.
“Dad would follow me home and make sure I got in the door.”
Making the tough decision
Finally, Carolyn realised working after dark in a mostly empty building was not helping with the healing she needed to do, so she made the decision to leave The Edge. Counselling has made a difference, and clinical psychologist Sara Chatwin has played an important role as a mentor and guide ever since.
If there is one lesson Carolyn would like other women to take from her experience, it is: “Lock your doors”.
he says, “You have no control over other people’s intentions, but something as basic as locking your doors can make a difference.”
A diverse career journey
After she left The Edge, Carolyn worked in sales and advertising, spent five years in Melbourne with Formula 1 teams, learnt all about TV at top production company Touchdown, appeared on Dancing With The Stars, and still works part-time in marketing and event management for the Parnell Business Association.
But she never lost her love of radio and always wondered, “What if?”
Returning to the Airwaves
With her son Jasper now four and going to kindy several times a week, the timing was right for a return to the airwaves.
“He’s my priority,” enthuses Carolyn.
“I’m a mum first, whatever opportunities I might have to give up, and that’s non-negotiable. But now he’s getting older, I have these little blocks of time free during the week and I work at night once he’s in bed.”
A miracle pregnancy
Diagnosed with premature ovarian failure at 36, the same age she got married, Carolyn believed pregnancy was not possible. Doctors told her and husband Wes Keep that she didn’t have enough eggs for IVF, so her sister donated some. The result was four embryos. But before they had a chance to use them, Carolyn discovered that by some miracle, she was pregnant.
“I’d been told I had a 1% chance of conceiving naturally,” she remembers.
“So it was extraordinary.”
Embracing every moment of motherhood
This has meant Carolyn relishes every single day of being a mum, even the tougher ones. Jasper is a high-energy adventurer, up at 5.45 every morning, ready for a pillow fight.
“But that’s cool – I love it,” she laughs.
“Having a kid later in life probably keeps me fit and active. I’d always choose to spend time with children over adults. They’re honest, unfiltered, fun, what-you-see-is-what- you-get humans. “That gets trained out of us as we get older. I love to play and feel like I’m an energetic person too. I’m really enjoying getting to know the person that Jasper is.”
Facing the realities of premature menopause
While Carolyn and Wes still have their frozen embryos, her premature menopause has meant she is unlikely to be able to use them.
“Because my body went through it all 10 years earlier than it should have, I’m dealing with things like bone-density issues,” she explains.
“I’ve been on HRT now for three years because of that.”
Carolyn feels grateful for their little boy, calling him the most determined person she’s ever met. Her focus is on creating a stable and happy home where Jasper can flourish.
“I’m lucky to have a work life that is so dynamic, interesting and fun,” she tells.
“But I’m not that ambitious, not really. I just want a calm, happy time for myself and the people I love.”
Listen to Carolyn on The Breeze’s House Of Wellness from 8am Sundays.
