Twenty years after Idol, Jessica Mauboy can’t forget the body shaming

When a 16-year-old Jessica Mauboy stood on a makeshift stage in the middle of the desert for her Australian Idol audition, she was just a shy kid from Darwin with a massive voice. Within a few years, she was catapulted from the Top End to the top of the charts. Earlier this year, Jessica returned to the Australian Idol stage – this time as a mentor, stepping in to fill Kyle Sandilands' empty chair. But she hasn't forgotten the hurdles she faced or the comments about her body, which she now sees through an entirely different lens. In this episode of the Stellar podcast, she explains how Kyle's bluntness helped her develop thick skin at a young age, what was behind her decision to leave her long-time record label and become her own "boss lady", and how her husband Themeli Magriplis and their 14-month-old daughter Mia keep her grounded through it all. Watch the full episode with Jessica Mauboy here Find more information on Jessica's suncare brand Desert Rose here Something To Talk About is a podcast by Stellar, hosted by Sarrah Le Marquand Find more from Stellar via Instagram @stellar or stellarmag.com.au

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Twenty years after Idol, Jessica Mauboy can’t forget the body shaming is an episode from Something To Talk About with Samantha Armytage by audio@news.com.au.

This episode is 42:23 long.

This episode was published on Mar 28, 2026.

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