Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC and ABC iview S3E6 – Casey Donovan is a powerhouse performer who brings joy to every stage and screen she graces. It’s impossible not to smile in her presence. Growing up in the public eye, hers is a story of resilience, vulnerability and finding her place.
Music was a constant companion as she rode the highs and lows, and in this episode Zan asks Casey to share her sanctuary songs. The result? Front row seats to the story of Casey’s life, laid out on a lyric sheet.
Casey captured our hearts two decades ago at the age of just 16, when she was thrust into the spotlight on Australian Idol. A reluctant entrant to the competition, Casey’s win would broadcast to 3.5 million people. Life would never be the same.
Casey is unwaveringly generous in this conversation, sharing the heartbreaking experience of being catfished and the whiplash of instant reality fame. She tells Zan how trauma has shrouded much of her childhood in a haze.
Now a shining star of the musical theatre scene, and deeply in love with her fiancé Renee, Casey’s journey is one of enormous personal growth against the odds.
Picking a tune about queer awakening she says, “I just could see 16-year-old Casey saying, where was this song when I needed it?” She breaks into tears as Maddie Zahm hits a particular lyric.
This episode of Take 5 is about discovering the meaning of love, the relentless pursuit of authenticity and the strength that has made Casey Donovan a leading lady; not only to the Australian public but more importantly, in her own life.
Production credit: Take 5 with Zan Rowe is an ABC Production. Created, hosted and written by Zan Rowe. Executive Producers, Nikita Agzarian and Josh Schmidt. Series Producer and Director/DOP, Aaron Smith ACS. Associate Producer, Katie Ring. Head Arts, Music and Events, Kath Earle.
Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC and ABC iview – Tuesday 5 November at 8.30pm
TV Central ABC content HERE
Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC and ABC iview S3E6
