How Wayne Hope Dads - Stepdadding, working on yourself, dadding after trauma and creating joy.

As a prolific co-creator of Australian comedy classics like Upper Middle Bogan, Wayne is probably more comfortable bringing to life hilarious, and hilariously flawed characters, rather than reflecting on his own life. But we know Wayne to be so thoroughly kind, thoughtful and wise that we really put the screws on him to come and have a chat. Thankfully he agreed! (mostly due to a nudge from his wonderful partner in life and work, Robyn Butler)

Wayne talks beautifully about becoming a stepdad, his initial fears of having another child and the transformative effect that working on some of your own issues can have on your parenting. Wayne also shares some stuff from his childhood involving domestic violence perpetrated by his father, and the huge ripple effect it has had on his life. It’s pretty heavy stuff, but Wayne manages to explain it with such amazing insightfulness and honesty, reflecting on how he continues to work through its enduring impact to this day.

We are so thankful to Wayne for sharing this part of his story, as it’s not something he has ever talked about publicly. But just like Wayne himself, this chat is so much more than that, and Wayne’s wisdom as a father and partner means that every single person will take something away from this really profound chat.

The chilling statistics…

Unfortunately the violence that Wayne talks about is not a rare thing and the horrors of male violence and domestic abuse are incredibly far reaching, taking a huge toll on our community. In Australia, a staggering 1 in 4 women have experienced physical or sexual violence, or both, perpetrated by a partner (Source). The generational impacts on children involved are massive, and for the victims the outcomes are tragic. In 2023 almost 50% of all women killed in Australia were murdered by their current or former partner (source).

If you know somebody that is suffering from domestic violence and needs help, 1800Respect.org.au is a good place to start.

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1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family, and sexual violence counselling, information and support service.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or family violence, you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit the website for online chat and video call services:

• Available 24/7: Call, text or online chat
• Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm AEST (except national public holidays): Video call (no appointment needed)

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And big thanks to HERTZ who are back as our exclusive sponsor for all of season 3. Thanks to Hertz we can bring you all these great conversations and also thanks to Hertz you can head to hertz.com.au/hodd for a great discount on you next rental. Terms and conditions do apply. See the website for details on these, as some exclusions do apply.

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