Natalie Bassingthwaighte: ‘Coming out later in life means navigating two worlds’

Nat Bass lifts lid on the ‘overwhelming’ months after coming out, unpacking sexual identity later in life, and why it took so long.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte at Kinselas on Oxford Street, where she will headline and Johnnie Walker’s Mardi Gras Debutante Ball next month. Picture: David Swift/The Daily Telegraph.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte has attended and performed at many a Mardi Gras during her 25 years in the spotlight, although until quite recently she did so as an ally.

“It definitely feels different this year,” she said.

The Rogue Traders singer will headline the Mardi Gras Debutante Ball by Johnnie Walker next month, a Sydney event for LGBTQ+ “freshies” like her.

When the 48-year-old announced her first same-sex relationship in November, the news came as a surprise to some fans following the break up of her 12-year marriage to husband Cameron McGlinchey.

“I am proud,” Bassingthwaighte told The Daily Telegraph in one of her first interviews since she went public with her partner Pip Loth.

“What I keep coming back to and what grounds me is: I feel my most authentic self now. I feel the most me and the most comfortable in my own skin that I’ve ever been.”

Loth, a stage manager who uses they/them pronouns, is believed to have worked with Bassingthwaighte on the Jagged Little Pill musical, although the pair are keeping the details private.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte pictured at Kinselas on Oxford Street, where she’ll headline the Johnnie Walker Mardi Gras Debutante Ball in February. Picture: David Swift/The Daily Telegraph.

“I am still nervous and I am still navigating how I fit with this world that feels so separate to the world I’ve lived in for so long, even though I’ve always been a queer ally,” Bassingthwaighte said.

“Truth is, I haven’t quite found my feet yet.

“When I’m with my partner and our friends, I feel so comfortable and at home, like this is where I’ve always meant to be.”

Out in the world though, she says she’s often plagued with anxious thoughts: “Is that person staring at me? What are they thinking? What are they saying?”

Nat Bass and her partner Pip Loth in a selfie shared to Instagram this week. Photo: Instagram.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte first stepped out publicly with her partner, Loth, when she played support act for Christina Aguilera in November, 2023. Picture: Jason Edwards.

After expressing concerns to children Harper, 13, and Hendrix, 10, about the bullying they might get at school, Bassingthwaighte realised her fears were partially product of “a very different time.”

“My kids went ‘oh Mum, it’s not like that anymore’.”

Natalie Bassingthwaighte with supportive ex-husband and co-parent Cameron McGlinchey, and their children Harperand Hendrix in 2017. Picture: Dylan Robinson.

. Natalie Bassingthwaighte (C) with daughter Harper (R) and son Hendrix (L) at the Wicked Premiere held at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in September, 2023. Picture: Christian Gilles.

Growing up in 1980s Wollongong, marrying a man seemed like the only option. The heterosexual default “is really in-built from childhood I think,” she said.

“I’m still unravelling a lot of things and it’s very hard to trust in your own instincts … when there is that fear of what people will think. I’ve also had really great relationships with men, so it’s hard to define myself.”

For now, the label she’s most comfortable with is queer, a term that Loth explained has been reclaimed by the community as an umbrella term for any person on the rainbow spectrum.

“I think it’s helpful, not having to take on another label like bi, lesbian, pansexual … I’m just me and I’m evolving as a human. I’ve met someone who makes me feel safe, heard, loved and they’re very nurturing. And we laugh,” Bassingthwaighte said.

Pip Loth and Natalie Bassingthwaighte. Photo: Instagram.

“Being able to say all those things publicly but when you do have a family involved and kids whom you want to respect is really hard. I want to be able to shout it from the rooftops, but I don’t always feel like it’s the right time or place. That’s hard as well.”

It’s her hope that come Pride month, she’ll be able to put down some of that internalised “baggage” and trust the process. “I’m learning that coming out isn’t one moment, it’s a journey. It’s pretty awesome my partner makes me feel safe enough to be where I’m at, no matter what that looks like.”

Mardi Gras first-timers can enter a competition to attend the Johnnie Walker Mardi Gras Debutante Ball at Kinselas in Sydney on February 22, with Natalie Bassingthwaighte performing. Head to the website to enter – entries close January 26.