What turning 50 taught Georgie Gardner

As a woman in the public eye, turning 50 last year could have been a challenging moment for Nine News host Georgie Gardner, but she reveals in an interview with Prevention editor Andrea Duvall that it was an energising moment.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Georgie rang in her ﬁfth decade with only her family and closest friends by her side, which is just the way she likes it.

“My happy place is a house ﬁlled with the people I love, with my dog at my feet, just laughing, eating and drinking,” she says (though if social distancing hadn’t been an issue, she also loves a good party).

“I’ve never been particularly phased by my age. I’ve always had the attitude that it’s better to get older than not. My dad died unexpectedly at the age of 52. I’m creeping closer to that age and I feel a sense of urgency to not waste a minute and to enjoy every moment.”

And Georgie certainly is doing that – even if there are a few hurdles along the way.

“I’d be lying if I said there weren’t some aspects about ageing that I’m not mad about, like the common ailments, the body degenerating,” she says. “But the ﬂip side is, I love that my mind is more open and that the learning is increasing.

“I’m loving the fact that we now see older women in prime-time slots on TV. I have these wonderful opportunities to meet people from all walks of life. I’m much more prone to laughing things off these days, rather than stewing over it. That comes with age, too, I reckon: the conﬁdence. And forgetting the petty stuff . I’ve always been a big believer that forgiveness is a much lighter load than resentment. I’m mellowing and I absolutely love that.”