‘Hard to watch’: Jules Robinson on motherhood, body image and her verdict on this season of MAFS

As she reveals her baby plans, Jules Robinson explains the reason she was ‘uncomfortable’ watching Married At First Sight – and addresses a rumour that left her ‘hurt’.

From her first day on Married At First Sight in 2019, Jules Robinson was branded the flame-haired “plus-size” bride.

But since emerging from the series with a real-life husband in former cricketer Cameron Merchant – with whom she now has two sons, Oliver, 4, and Carter, 8 months – the Sydney-based hair and make-up stylist has redefined herself as a successful entrepreneur.

She has written a book, Ask Jules; established two fashion labels, Moira Muse and Figur; fronted a line of non-alcoholic aperitifs, Seadrift by Jules; opened hair salon and bar Status Co; and most recently launched her lifestyle website byjules.com.au.

As Robinson tells Stellar, “Everything I’ve done always stems back to being authentic, and inspiring women to be the best versions of themselves – and live their life how they want to.”

While she admits the constant media focus on her looks can be exhausting, the 43-year-old has since embraced her public platform.

Picture: Steven Chee for Stellar

“I guess I wasn’t the average girl on reality TV – I was curvier and older than most girls, and just by being myself, I was often labelled as fat or unattractive,” she recalls of her time on the show.

“That experience pushed me to embrace my confidence because, in reality, I’m just an average woman with a normal body, who knows how to work what I’ve been given.

“My legacy would be that maybe I helped empower women to know that no matter what age, shape or size they are, that they define what works for them and that they can be whoever they want to be.”

Starting her company Figur in 2020 was the most overt way Robinson could change how people see her – and how women see themselves.

“Running a shapewear brand means embracing conversations about body image, confidence, and appearance – but on your terms,” she explains.

‘We decided we will try again!’ Jules Robinson has revealed her family plans in a new interview with Stellar. Picture: Steven Chee for Stellar

“It’s one thing to empower people through fashion and fit, and another to constantly have your own body be the focus of the conversation. It’s about shifting the narrative from scrutiny to self-expression.”

Proving their might as brands unto themselves, Robinson and Merchant, 41, have more than 1.2 million Instagram followers between them.

Jules and Cam met on MAFS – and have been together ever since. Picture: Supplied

“I’ve got no qualms [about] being an influencer,” Robinson says, “but I always like to say ‘integrity to influence’, putting my stamp on something that I believe in or that I see has value or that has an important message behind it.

“That’s always been something that I’ve held very close to make sure that it’s my rules that I abide by when I’m doing something.”

Jules Robinson is in this Sunday’s issue of Stellar.

Picture: Steven Chee for Stellar

But being a social media maverick also opens up Robinson to virtual blindsides.

After being rattled by an article from early March claiming that one of her children had died, Robinson shared her distress in an Instagram story and is now working with her lawyer to have the article removed online.

“It does take a lot to actually knock me and knock my confidence because I’m used to that world that I’m a part of now,” she says.

“The other week, that did knock me, that did upset me, that did get to me – because it was my children.

“Overall though, I’m very clear on who I am and who I am not and what makes me happy. I create a little force field around me to not let it get to me and not let the hate bother me. But when it’s about my family, that understandably does hurt.”

Any feedback on Married At First Sight is within bounds, though, as Robinson admits she keeps up with the scandal-and-drama-filled series.

“When we were on it, what you saw was what you got, as in what happened then aired and there wasn’t really any contrived episodes of people doing things for, I guess, attention or for reaction,” she says.

“This new season has been a bit hard to watch, I think – some parts of it. I can’t put my finger on it. You keep watching but you’re like, ‘What am I actually watching?’ At least there’s a bit of love this year, a couple of relationships.”

Robinson is relishing her biggest role as mum to her two sons, but says she is “still manifesting a little girl”.

“So next year, we decided we will try again. I think I am immortal, don’t I? I go into everything with positivity; that’s just how I see it. So next year is the year.

“I’ll be 44. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t be able to have a baby again. So until something different happens, then we’ll cross that road when we get there, but that is the plan. I just really see another baby completing our family and then [we can] officially be done.”

See the full shoot with Jules Robinson inside Stellar tomorrow. For more from Stellar, click here.

Originally published as ‘Hard to watch’: Jules Robinson on motherhood, body image and her verdict on this season of MAFS