Former McLeod’s Daughters star Simmone Jade Mackinnon talks about hitting rock bottom, losing her hair and The Summit
The star of a beloved Australian television series is staging a comeback a year after she says her life hit “rock bottom”.
Entertainment
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Former McLeod’s Daughters star Simmone Jade Mackinnon has described how she hit “rock bottom” last year after losing her hair due to extreme stress.
The one-time Gold Logie nominee who played Stevie Hall for seven seasons on the beloved TV drama, has been out of the limelight since quitting acting over a decade ago to focus on being a mum to son Madigan.
Once engaged to Hollywood star Jason Momoa, Mackinnon’s life was turned upside down during the pandemic, as the “mental toll” of running an online clothing business became too much for her to handle.
“I poured everything I had into it. I’m proud to say it’s still going three years later but it is without a doubt the most stressful situation I have ever been in,” she said.
“Living off credit cards, continually just praying people will like my new designs. It’s taken a massive toll mentally and at the beginning of last year, I suffered a physical toll when I lost all my hair due to the stress.
“Rock bottom is where I found myself. And there’s really only one way you can go from there....and that is up.”
Mackinnon, 51, spent six months “hiding away from the world” as her hair started to grow back before deciding she needed a fresh start.
“I needed something for me again....I needed to get back into the game of life,” she said.
She planned to go backpacking through Indonesia with Madigan when she got the call to star on the new season of Nine’s reality show, The Summit.
“Now if you know me, you know I am never one to knock back a challenge and this one seemed to be the most insane challenge of all. How could I refuse? Indo was going to have to wait,” she said.
Mackinnon was one of Australia’s brightest young stars, getting her big break on smash hit TV series Baywatch in 1999, featuring in 24 episodes and meeting co-star Momoa, the man who would go on to become her fiance.
They dated for several years before calling it quits in 2006.
In the meantime, Mackinnon would become a household name on SA-filmed TV series McLeod’s Daughters, starring alongside Rachael Carpani, Michala Banas and Bridie Carter.
“My time in SA was one of the best times of my life. Working on McLeod’s was just amazing but it was the people from SA who really made my time there so special,” she said.
“I miss it all so much... South Australia, you are always in my heart.”
McLeod’s was axed in 2009 and soon after, Mackinnon welcomed first child Madigan, with ex Dominic James.
“To be honest, when I became a mum everything changed for me. The drive and desire to compete in the acting world disappeared in an instant,” she said.
“I realised that my son Madigan would more than likely be my only child and I didn’t want to miss a moment. So I told my agents I was putting my hand down and I was taking an extended break.”
They bought a caravan in 2016 and planned to travel around Australia, but Mackinnon’s father became ill and the pair lived in the caravan on the family property for two years.
In a case of life imitating art, Mackinnon would go on to become a jillaroo, working on a cattle station in Rockhampton, Queensland.
“We even went all the way to Far North Queensland to do some bull catching. It was extraordinary,” she said.
“I was living the life of my character Stevie on McLeod’s Daughters....and I have never been happier. I had cattle stations lined up from central Queensland to Tasmania for 2020, it’s not great money – you’re lucky to break even – but the lifestyle is priceless.
“Like many people though, all of my plans came crashing down with the arrival of the pandemic.”
Now Mackinnon said she’s ready to return to the spotlight on adventure series The Summit, alongside Olympia Valance, Tiffani Wood, Mat Rogers and a cast of 14 mountain trekkers trying to win a share of $1 million.
“The Summit pushed me to my absolute physical and emotional limits. There are times when I am literally crawling on all fours, just to keep up with the others,” she said.
“There are times when my emotions get away from me and my anxiety has me crippled with fear. But with all of it, I never give up. So win or lose I’m very proud of myself for that.”
The Summit premiere on Channel 9 and 9Now on May 12 at 7pm.
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