I can’t believe we’ve reached our last guest interview for the year! My gosh, we’ve had some touch and go moments in 2021 - in and out of lockdown (and therefore in and out of motivation) with rapidly changing schedules and everything in between, but we made it and I’m so proud of the yay we’ve created in our third year together.

I can’t say enough how grateful I am for the yayborhood, you’ve absolutely kept me sane this year and given me so many reasons to smile with our healthcare worker care packs, Q&A episodes and just your lovely messages each week. I’ll be taking a proper break over the festive season but as usual re-releasing some favourites in case you missed any, and will be back early next year (with Ang of course) to bring you bigger and better yay next year.

For today, I couldn’t think of a more perfect guest (or should I say guests) to finish off the year on a high than the two amazing humans you’re about to hear from. And this episode is all the more special because, despite amassing an enormous community with whom they share so much of their lives on social media, this is the first time EVER that they’ve shared their story on a podcast and I’m still pinching myself that they said yes.

Of course, I’m talking about the Real Dads of Melbourne aka Jarrad and Michael Duggan-Tierney who give the beloved sitcom Modern Family a good run for its money sharing their life as parents to son Reid who was born via a surrogate and now foster parents to baby Junior. They probably need no introduction to most of you, stealing hearts all over the nation (and beyond) for their hilariously down to earth recounting of the ups and downs of family life.

If you haven’t heard about them yet, you are in for an absolute treat (and even if you do know them, given that this is their first podcast, this is the Real Dads as you’ve never heard them before covering everything from coming out, meeting at Qantas, the process of surrogacy and teaching your kids to embrace their uniqueness). We’re very lucky to share an incredible manager (shout out to Gen at Day Management) and I live around the corner from the dads, but there’s so much I hadn’t heard before…

I usually give away more teasers in the intro but my words just can’t do their wit, honesty, love and genuineness justice – there’s laughter, tears, and every other emotion in between. I’ll let Jarrad and Michael tell you their story themselves and if you’re not as in love with them as I am by the end I’d be surprised.

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