This week Nicola and Di chat with the incredible Mary Coustas. Mary is one of Australia’s most loved actors and comedians, best known for her character Effie Stephanides. She’s been performing and entertaining audiences for over 35 years, and became known as part of the groundbreaking stage show Wogs out of Work in the 80s, which led to the sitcom, Acropolis Now. Mary also has one of the most amazing personal stories of determination, persevering through 23 IVF attempts with her husband George, before finally giving birth to her daughter at the age of 49. Mary wrote about this in a beautifully honest book, All I Know, and her most recent book Mary Pause, is a funny physical memoir about menopause. 

In this episode, we chat to Mary about what it was like growing up as a Greek Australian in the 70s, and how she turned her cultural background, which had been a liability at school and the source of a lot of bullying, into an asset and created one of the most iconic characters on stage and screen in Australia, Effie Stephanides.

Mary also shares about her incredible journey to motherhood, which took 23 IVF attempts, a miscarriage and a stillborn, before she finally got her miracle baby girl at the age of 49. This story is like nothing you’ve ever heard and Mary tells it with such openness and honesty - there were plenty of goosebumps and tears in the studio that day. 

We also chat to Mary about her latest book Mary Pause, which is a hilarious memoir about Mary’s experience with menopause. Mary wants to give everyone more knowledge about what menopause is really like, as well as help them with access to excellent care - which is why she’s set up the telehealth platform UnPause to provide Peri and Menopause care across Australia. 

We cannot wait for Mary’s next stage show, Frigid to Feral, where Effie is going through Peri! 

This was such an amazing conversation with Mary, who generously shared about so many parts of her life with us. We cried, we laughed and were enthralled by her stories. We hope you love this episode as much as we did.  

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or investor@montinvest.com

For more on UnPause (Mary’s Peri and Menopause Care platform) go here - 

https://unpause.com.au/

To buy tickets to Mary’s next show and for more on her work go here - https://www.maryandeffie.com/

Buy Mary’s latest book Mary Pause here - https://unpause.com.au/marypause

Buy Mary’s book All I Know here - https://www.maryandeffie.com/books/all-i-know

Follow UnPause on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/unpauseposse

Follow UnPause on TikTok here - https://www.tiktok.com/@unpauseposse

Follow Mary (Effie) on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/effiegoodthanks/

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

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