He’s been a familiar face on Aussie television, first rising to prominence as ‘Andrew G’ hosting Australian Idol.
Since then, Osher Günsberg has gone on to become one of the most celebrated media personalities in the country.
He’s hosted reality TV shows like The Masked Singer and The Bachelor, become the host of two podcasts, published a memoir and also been open about his public battle with psychosis, depression and addiction.
Throughout his career, he’s been plagued with dark moments. But at 49, he’s well and truly come out the other side and reclaimed his life.
Now a devoted father and stepdad, Kidspot chatted with Osher about what his life looks like now, the challenges of blended families and the surprising moment his paternal instincts kicked in.
Plus, the secret to a healthy and happy marriage! We’re listening…
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On becoming a stepdad
Discussing the impact of fatherhood on his life, Osher shared his journey of becoming a stepdad to his wife Audrey’ Griffen’s daughter, Georgia.
Now 19, Osher met Georgia when she was just 10-years-old.
“We were very careful about how I was introduced into her life – as anyone with a blended family will tell you, it’s something you need to be careful of,” he said.
“I was in the US at the time but was down here in Australia for a job. Audrey said to me, ‘Just come and stay with us’.
“So I did and it was wonderful. Literally, it wasn’t long, maybe it was like three weeks in, or less, I went to bed one day on a Tuesday and she was my girlfriend’s kid and I woke up on the Wednesday and I was like, ‘Oh my God, everything in my life has to be about protecting you, providing for you, making sure everything you want in life comes true. If I needed to push you out of the way of an oncoming bus, if it meant I would die, I would do it today.”
Osher said this deep paternal instinct seemingly “showed up out of nowhere” but it was “glorious.”
“I had heard people have this experience when they held their newborn in their arms but that moment happened to me then. And I think people don’t talk about that enough when it comes to step-parenting. It shows up, whether it’s your biological child or not.”
“It changed so much; how I show up at work, what I’m working for, what it is I want to build and do – it was no longer just about me,” he recounted.
With the arrival of his son Wolfie a few years later in 2019, this sense of purpose became even more pronounced.
“It kind of put all those feelings in bold,” he recalled.
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The struggles of step-parenting and the key to a happy marriage
Acknowledging the inherent challenges of parenting, Osher said, “There are so many books about parenting out there, but there’s no actual manual for your particular set of variables.”
“So you can take a bit from here and there but there’s no method. It’s not like learning to drive where the variables are fairly predictable and there are ways how to handle them,” he reflected.
“But that doesn’t work with parenting. All parents and all children are different. And it’s the same with step-parenting – there will also be unique challenges. That’s not to say you don’t do your best to overcome them, because it’s worth it.”
At one point in their parenting journey, Osher and Audrey sought professional support to help navigate the complexities of blending their family.
“We would sit with a psychologist who had a particular skill set of helping people like Audrey and I, in their 30s and 40s, navigate moving in together and creating a new family unit. It was hard to do, but so helpful,” he shared.
It’s this sort of work and communication that Osher claims is the key to a happy marriage. “The best advice I’ve been given is that there’s no such thing as ‘the one’ – there’s just the one who is willing to work on things with you,” he said.
“And if you can find someone that is willing to go and look at the bits of themselves that might not be serving the situation and work on them, that’s as good as it’s ever going to get. And it’s worth fighting for.”
Raising a teen and a toddler at the same time
Juggling raising a teenager and a toddler at the same time is a continuous learning experience, according to Osher. “Every day is a school day, mate,” he quipped.
“It’s challenging and funny, hilarious, delightful, fun and beautiful all at once,” he added.
“Georgia is very busy though, she’s at uni and nearly a full-time pilates instructor.”
She does however still find time to sit down with her parents to watch The Masked Singer.
“It’s the only show she will watch with us,” he laughed.
“She doesn’t watch The Bachelor or anything. She’s like ‘Omg… What is this show?’, but The Masked Singer, she’ll watch.”
The ‘biggest’ celebrity yet on The Masked Singer
Speaking of The Masked Singer, Osher shed light on who the ‘biggest’ celebrity is this season and even hinted that it was the character ‘Tiny’.
So just how ‘big’ are we talking?
“Think about how big we’ve had… it’s bigger. There’s big, then there’s bigger and then there’s the biggest yet. It’s extraordinary. It will blow your mind when you see who it is.”
I guess we’ll just have to stay tuned then!
The Masked Singer continues 7:30pm next Monday on Ten.
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