In the space of four years Julia Morris has watched her world turn upside down. On screen, the presenter and comedian is a staple of flamboyancy and cracking humour – traits that have now earned her four consecutive TV WEEK Gold Logie nominations – and she’s inherently honest “about 80 per cent of the time,” she says. But, away from the cameras, Julia has been on a private journey of self-reflection in the wake of multiple life upheavals.
During our candid interview with TV WEEK as she celebrates Australian TV’s biggest honour, the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! co-host reveals she has finally emerged from the pain and self-doubt of divorce and grief. Now, she’s stronger than ever.
“I’m definitely the happiest I’ve ever been, but I didn’t know I’d feel like that when I stepped into this journey four years ago,” Julia, 57, tells TV WEEK.
“I have an incredibly private life. I don’t share my children online and we generally keep to ourselves. But, in terms of myself, I am honest. If I’ve had anything happen, you’ll know about it – maybe not on the day but, like any trauma, it’s easier to talk about later.”
After ending her 16-year marriage to British comedian Dan Thomas four years ago, the stress of solo parenting her daughters, Ruby, 18, and Sophie, 16, along with the strain of work, was further compounded by the death of her father in 2023.
“In the past few years my marriage broke up, I lost my dad and Dr Chris resigned from the jungle [Dr Chris Brown was Julia’s I’m A Celebrity co-host from 2015 to 2023]. All my guys! But that’s the ebb and flow of life, isn’t it?” Julia goes on. “You have to sit in it; there’s no fast track. You can’t play the blame game. Be a little self-reflective and make personal changes.”
To add social media insult to injury, Julia was hit with a barrage of upsetting comments when it was revealed that 21-year-old conservationist Robert Irwin would replace Dr Chris on I’m A Celebrity in 2023.
“Weren’t they insulting?” she says of the reaction. “People were asking him how he was going to keep me at a distance. I didn’t want to rag on about it but I’m not a one-trick pony.
“The Doctor [Chris] and I had a very different rhythm and I didn’t know him when we started. I’ve known Robert for years; he’s been doing this a long time.”
Instead of engaging in the comments, she let I’m A Celeb speak for itself. And, in 2024, they were both nominated for the coveted Gold Logie – a rarity for co-hosts of the same show.
“We had to show it,” she says of her and Robert’s dynamic. “We sell fun but I’m very serious about my work. People are shocked when I tell them we do 13-hour days in the jungle.”
After 11 seasons of the South Africa-based show, Julia hasn’t ever considered leaving.
“Never,” she confirms. “I was always waiting for it to be recommissioned. And there were a few seasons where we lost our way, when we realised that cohesive relationships in the jungle blossom a lot more than fighting.”
Although Julia’s resilience has been tested at times, her rapport with the Australian public is no fluke and she finds herself, once again, nominated as Most Popular Personality on Australian Television.
“Isn’t that crazy?” she laughs. “I’m not even [popular] in my own house – and there’s only three of us!”
That popularity reaches back to her breakout role on sketch comedy Full Frontal in the 1990s. She then embarked on stand-up tours around the world, before returning to Australia to be nominated multiple times for her role in drama series House Husbands.
Is it now time for the Queen of the Jungle to take the Logies throne?
“I’m definitely still surprised about this,” she says of this fourth Gold Logie nomination. “Because sometimes you think it’s someone else’s turn.
“In the early days I was whinging because I wanted a nomination and then, when you do, it’s: ‘Oh God!’ It’s a lot to take in.
“It didn’t hurt [when she didn’t win in previous years],” she adds. “But I’ve been through stages when I thought I deserved it, for sure. Then I look around at the field and everybody is working two jobs, or more. On a lot of levels I’ve already won!”
This year’s six other nominees are all – aside from “heavenly human” LEGO Masters host Hamish Blake – women.
“It shows change is on the move,” Julia says. “It showcases that we have had strong women in this industry for a long time – and there’s a certain amount of gratefulness that anybody would still notice! We’re lucky enough to do this as a job – that’s the award.”
Julia’s latest project is a comedy series that will live exclusively online. The new venture came with the realisation that a new generation of talent is looming and, while she’s ready to welcome them in, she’s also not ready to consider retirement.
“Working hard agrees with the rhythms of my brain,” she says. “Whenever the day comes that the jungle goes, I will have started to build other works in other spaces.
“I also want to make something that will make people say: ‘I didn’t know she had that in her.’”
The road to this level of happiness hasn’t always been smooth, but Julia notes with a smile that some of her greatest life lessons have come from the recent hardship.
“I’m standing on my own two feet… in trainers!” she says with a laugh. “It took a long time to get here – and no one has stopped me from getting here, except for me.
“But happiness is leaking out of me now. People say, ‘Have you met someone?’ and I say, ‘Absolutely not – and that’s why I look so great!’”
So, does Julia hope to find love again?
“Absolutely not! I have no desire to meet anyone, ever!” she laughs. “I had a lot of life before I got married – too much, to be fair – and then I married at 35 and had a different life. Now I get to have another life all over again.”
It looks like this third act could be her best yet.
“Third act? I’d say we’re only at the interval!” she retorts with a laugh.
“Why wouldn’t this be the year? At 57, there’s plenty still to come.”
The 65th TV WEEK Logie Awards airs August 3 on Channel Seven
