“Post-divorce,I’ve done a lot of work on myself and I’m in a better place knowing the traits I like in a partner.”Alexandra Phillips
My maternalgrandfather,Maurice,sang when he watered the garden. He was always at our primary school fetes and plays in Adelaide,and very involved in our lives. He was smart with investment and shares and I learnt a lot about business,working hard and making your own way in life by his example. He died when I was 22.
My paternal grandfather,Jack,is still with us. He isn’t a tall man,but says he is tall with pride for us. As a child,I’d sit on the couch alongside him while he watched the horse racing on the TV. He worked as a doctor until the age of 80 and loves to travel.
My father,Mark, followed in his dad’s footsteps and became a GP. He has the softest hands of anyone I’ve ever known. We had our challenges growing up – my parents split when I was eight and,as a result,my siblings and I didn’t spend as much time with Dad.
We saw Dad every second weekend and every Thursday night – I’d save all my maths and science homework questions until then. As young children he took us to a place called Magic Mountain in Adelaide. He always tried to be the fun dad.
Dad is one of the smartest people I know,something that’s much to his detriment as he tends to overthink things. He is softly spoken and very kind – he always wants to help people and I get that from him. He always gave good advice about my career and was happy when I chose speech pathology.
My mum’s brother,Oren,has been a big character in my life. His son Jack passed away at 18 from meningococcal meningitis. I was 17 at the time. What Oren has gone on to do in light of that loss has been amazing.
I remember my first kiss. I was 13 and had a group of friends over at my house one summer’s day to hang by the pool. A boy took me around the side of the house and I knew straight away what he wanted to do. He kissed me and it was foul. I wondered,why do people do this?
My first celebrity crush was Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys. I loved watching video clips onRage with my older sister Elenor and thought he was hot when I was a teenager.
My younger brother,Oscar,works and lives in Japan. Having two older sisters certainly made him empathetic toward women,and in many ways forced him to see what we were going through,from us dressing him up as a girl when he was a baby to periods.
My father remarried when I was 12 and had two more children,including Jack,who’s now 18. I used to babysit Jack,change his nappies and rock him to sleep.
My first boyfriend was a country boy I dated for several years from when I was about 15. I was far too young,but he was kind. For some reason,I went for some interesting characters after that,but you live and learn.
I’ve always been a serial monogamist. I dated a few men before I met my ex-husband,Justin McKeone. We were together for four years and split in 2022,the same year we got married. I did date another guy last year for a while.
Post-divorce,I’ve done a lot of work on myself and I’m in a much better place knowing the traits I like in a partner. As I’ve got older,I’ve learnt to look at the men I consider role models and seek their qualities. Growing up with your father living not in your home,what is modelled to you is different.
I would love to start a family one day. I’ve decided to freeze my eggs so if the right person doesn’t come along,it’s something I can do regardless. My previous experience of marriage hasn’t tainted my views about doing it again. It can definitely be a special moment in your life.
Olivia Molly Rogers hosts theTell Me More podcast.
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