Julie Goodwin reveals the reason behind her absence from breakfast radio on Central Coast’s Star 104.5
Julie Goodwin has opened up about the reason she has been absent from her cooking school and radio hosting role since the start of the year.
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Inaugural MasterChef winner and breakfast radio host Julie Goodwin has said “stuff privacy, let’s talk” and has explained to social media followers that she is in an in-patient mental health unit.
Her extensive and heartfelt statement was released by radio station Star104.5 on social media on Friday afternoon, hours after Goodwin left the mental health unit for the morning to go on-air for her final breakfast radio show with co-host Rabbit, before returning to the unit.
It is understood Goodwin’s husband Mick was at the radio station with her for the duration of the show.
Goodwin had announced her decision to leave breakfast radio before the Christmas break in December and had intended to continue on the show until April. But Friday’s breakfast show was her first appearance in 2020.
While she didn’t want to go into detail during the show - instead keeping it “fun and positive” - she went into detail online as she said “I owe an explanation”.
She admitted she had depression and anxiety on and off over many years but said this time around “the happy facade didn’t just slip a little bit, it fell off and smashed”.
Goodwin said she was in the “darkest place” she had ever been in during her Christmas break, with Mick ultimately taking her to hospital.
“I was referred to what’s known as the acute care team, who referred me to a psychiatrist, who recommended in-patient care in a mental health unit,” she said.
“And that’s where I am, and have been for more than five weeks now.”
She said her situation had come as an “enormous shock” and implored people to take a look at themselves and consider if they were working themselves into the ground.
“If you don’t cut yourself any slack, if near enough is never ever good enough – then maybe you’re not thriving. Maybe you are in the process of breaking,” she said.
Goodwin said she still has a lot to learn and a lot more work to do but hoped her experience could help others.
“If you’re overwhelmed, if you’re struggling, ask for help. Do it before you can no longer hear the logical voices, the clear and good voices. Do it before it’s too hard to see a way forward,” she said.
* If you need help please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636