We’re only two episodes into The Bachelor, and footy lover Brooke Blurton is a clear front-runner.
The 23-year-old Western Australia youth worker is the first contestant with indigenous heritage on the show, and she’s recently shared how her traumatic past fuels her motivation for bringing awareness to mental health and indigenous issues.
We unpack the best moments from the Honey Badger’s first week on our Bach Chat podcast. Post continues after audio.
In an interview with OK! Magazine, Brooke gave fans an insight into her difficult childhood.
“I don’t have a lot of family, unfortunately,” she said.
“Mum and Nan dying when I was younger and having to grow up without any parents (was the hardest thing).”
Brooke spoke more of her heartbreaking early experiences with Noongar Dandjoo, an indigenous community TV program.
“I grew up in a country town in Carnarvon. I spent my childhood there up until I was about 11. My mum unfortunately passed away. She committed suicide. That was a pretty hard time,” she said.
“My nan actually passed away a month later so us kids had to separate. All my brothers and [me], we didn’t really have a lot of strong role models so creating that myself was my inspiration.”
Despite this, Brooke hasn’t let this define her and lists mental health as one of her biggest passions, and said it’s something she’s overcome herself.
“My biggest passion in life is mental health, from working and growing up with a lot of drug and alcohol violence in my childhood really,” she said.
“I had an older sister who suffered from schizophrenia so growing up that was pretty complicated and then losing mum to suicide.
“It wasn’t until I kind of experienced my own mental health problem that I was like ‘this is something’.”
However, after moving from her small, tight-knit rural town to Perth later in life, Brooke found a way to unite her passion for mental health with her love of sport, and she uses this to connect with her roots.
“Moving to Perth I was kind of isolated so I’ve always tried to stay connected in that community aspect,” she said.
“I’ve mentored a couple of Aboriginal girls and coached a part of the Kirby Bentley Cup [an AFL competition for Aboriginal girls aged 13-15 years old].”
While she’s currently taking a break in her search for love with Nick Cummins – AKA the Honey Badger – spreading mental health awareness is still one of her core values.
“My biggest goal in life is to make some sort of improvement with mental health in our Aboriginal community as an Aboriginal youth.”
And that’s something we can completely get behind.
If you think you may be experiencing depression or another mental health problem, please contact your general practitioner or call Lifeline on 13 11 14 for support or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636. Family Drug Support is also available for non-judgmental, non-directive support and information for families and friends of drug and/or alcohol users across Australia and you can contact them on 1300 368 186.
Re-watch the best Bachelor entrances of 2018, Brooke’s included.
Top Comments
I love her! She has the loveliest manner and aura. She clearly has a lot in common with the Bachelor who has his own family tragedies. Cute couple.