Dami Im tells Mental As Anyone podcast what she thought would ruin her career

In an exclusive interview, popular singer Dami Im has revealed the one thing she thought would ruin her career instantly. Find out what she had to say.

Dami Im admits she was “terrified” of motherhood and not for the reason some might expect.

The hugely popular Australian singer was fearful of what having a child would do to her career and said pregnancy was the moment in her life she has struggled with the most.

“I thought my life’s going to be over once I have a kid, like no one’s going to want to follow me anymore or listen to my music, I’ll just become some boring thing in the corner,” Im said in the latest episode of the Mental As Anyone podcast.

“From a young age, everyone was like, when are you getting married? And I got married. Then, when are you having your kid? And I was so scared of being pushed into the next thing and into the corner. I was just terrified that these things were actually going to come to reality and all my fears were going to come true.”

Dami Im has revealed she thought having a child would ruin her career. Picture: Lachie Millard

Im remembers being asked by media about her pregnancy plans when she was a contestant on The X Factor at the age of 24. She was already married to partner, Noah.

They didn’t become parents until nearly a decade later, when now son Harrison was born.

“Once I had the baby, of course it’s a struggle and stuff, but then all the cliche came true as well like I fell in love so bad. Like, why didn’t anyone tell me that this is going to be so good, and I was going to feel this new joy and happiness that I didn’t know existed, and then I would also feel this new power within myself.”

Dami Im who will perform in the upcoming musical Black Box, pictured with her son Harrison. Picture: Lachie Millard

Dami Im with her family Noah and Harrison.

Interestingly, that fear of maintaining relevance still sits at the back of Im’s mind.

“I do still feel that fear,” she told the podcast ahead of her Christmas Songbook Tour that starts in Noosa on December 6 and plays Sydney’s Glen Street Theatre on the 16th of next month.

“I think that’s a consistent fear I have, that I’m getting older, and then will people still love me and listen to my music when I am getting old and saggy and whatever. I’ve been feeling this since my 20s and I’m in my 30s and its still there.”

Im has been a household name since winning The X Factor in 2013.

Singer Dami Im.

Dami Im performing on X Factor.

Then, the Korean-born Aussie said she defied stereotypes and shocked even her friends and family with the win. She has stayed at the top of her game since and represented Australia at Eurovision, in which she placed second overall.

“I was so confused and so insecure and frightened back then,” she explained.

“There really wasn’t that much diversity on telly so when I was on that show and doing quite well, even my friends and my family sort of told me, ‘you know you’re doing well, but you’re not gonna win’. They just told me that in my face, not as in a mean way … just don’t get your hopes up too much. And they did, they did vote for me, who wasn’t a normal, beautiful white person, that’s what people expected someone who would win to be. Plus, I just felt like I wasn’t like everybody else, super extroverted and their presence, such bold characters and I was this shy thing, very kind of sheltered, I was married already. At the beginning stage, I struggled a lot because of all that.”

* A new episode of Mental As Anyone drops each Tuesday.