The Central Coast’s Julie Goodwin is set to embark on the next phase of her life in a spirit of optimism following several years of mental health struggles.
The first winner of Masterchef Australia released her new memoir, Your Time Starts Now, on April 22 and is now on a promotional tour of NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
Goodwin captured the hearts of the nation when she was crowned the first Australian Masterchef winner in 2009 and again when she returned for the Fans and Favourites season of the show in 2022.
In the intervening years she published a string of successful cookbooks, enjoyed a popular stint as a radio co-host and opened her own cooking school in Gosford.
She wrote a regular column for the Australian Women’s Weekly, was a presenter on Today and even braved the African jungle on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! In 2015.
But in 2019, the mental health problems which had plagued her since she attempted suicide as a teenager, triggered by a recurring memory of childhood trauma, and at various times since, returned – leaving Goodwin shaken.
“I suppose I had what would once have been referred to as a nervous breakdown,” she said.
“I left the radio show and was open at the time about why.”
Goodwin was then rocked by what she terms as “business long-COVID” and was forced to close her cooking school just after the Fans and Favourites season in 2022.
“Many small business owners will identify,” she said.
“It was heart-wrenching to close the school but it was a mixture of grief and relief.
“I was very much a slave to it and just couldn’t keep going or I was going to end up sick again.
“When I was going through the depression and coming out of it I had a response from so many people.
“Some were perfect strangers, some were people I had known at school.
“But they had all been through something similar and felt they could talk about it after I shared my experiences.”
When Goodwin was approached to write her memoir, she decided to tell “the whole story”.
“I thought if there was any point in writing the book I had to share the bad along with the good,” she said.
“It was no use backing away from the hard stuff – that’s part of what brought me to now.
“I have had some hardships but I also wanted the good stuff to come through in the book.
“You need to acknowledge the bad to appreciate the good.
“I have experienced some amazing things in my life and some beautiful people around me carried me through the hard times.
“At the end of the day it’s all about finding joy again.”
Happily married with three adult sons and a small granddaughter, Goodwin will be back on our TV screens again in June – this time as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars.
“It was so much fun doing Dancing With the Stars – I never thought that would happen” she said.
“I have always been unco-ordinated – my dance teachers gave up on me when I was young.
“So I found it amusing when I was first approached but they gave me a beautiful dance partner who was very understanding and I worked hard to get fit.
“But it is hard core – dancers are true athletes.”
With filming for the show now behind her, Goodwin has embraced the next phase of her life and is looking forward to doing library visits in three states over the coming weeks.
“At the end of the day I hope readers see my book as a story of hope,” she said.
Your time Starts Now will be available in leading bookstores from April 24.
Terry Collins