Actor, presenter and podcaster Matty Mills is a proud First Nations and queer storyteller whose energy lights up every room. Known for his “sparkly” persona on screen and stage, Matty also brings honesty and depth to conversations about healing, culture and mental fitness.

In this episode, host Mundanara Bayles sits down with Matty for an open conversation about identity, belonging and the courage it takes to reclaim your story. Matty reflects on reconnecting with family, navigating grief and the role therapy played in strengthening his mental health. He speaks candidly about breaking through in the media, the pressure of representation and refusing to be boxed in by stereotypes.

Matty’s story is one of persistence, authenticity and cultural pride. From hosting red carpets to working with Baz Luhrmann, and now co-hosting First Things First with Brooke Blurton, Matty continues to use his platform to amplify First Nations and LGBTQIA+ voices.

This conversation is a reminder that behind every persona is a human story - of vulnerability, courage and connection. As Matty shares, building mental fitness means finding the strength to show up as your whole self and creating space for others to do the same.

Resources and links
Find out more about Gotcha4Life at www.gotcha4life.org and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @gotcha4life and Black Magic Woman Podcast on Instagram @blackmagicwomanpodcast.

Follow Matty on Instagram @itsmattymills.

About the podcast
Hosted by award-winning Indigenous businesswoman and Gotcha4Life Board Member Mundanara Bayles, and produced in partnership with Black Magic Woman, Mental Fitness Conversations centres First Nations voices in powerful conversations about culture, connection and what truly sustains mental fitness.

Content note
This episode includes discussion of mental health challenges which may be confronting. Please practise self-care and reach out if you need support. Services available 24/7 include 13YARN on 13 92 76 and Lifeline on 13 11 14.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, i’m Mundanara Bayles, host of the award-winning Black Magic Woman Podcast, where I celebrate the voices of First Nations people, leaders, and changemakers who are shaping our communities today. With honesty, laughter, and deep connection, I invite you into yarns that help us all learn, unlearn, and walk together towards a more just future.

🎙️ Tune in now and hear the stories that inspire, challenge, and uplift — told through a Blak lens.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We kick off our new podcast series with a heartbeat – and a Warrior Heart.

Host Mundanara Bayles speaks with Shantelle Thompson OAM – a proud Barkindji and Ngiyampaa woman, mother of five, three-time world Jiu-Jitsu champion and founder of the Warrior Heart Movement. Known as the Barkindji Warrior, Shantelle is a speaker, storyteller and fierce advocate for her people.

Shantelle shares her journey from deep trauma to cultural reclamation – a path grounded in ancestral strength, truth-telling and radical responsibility. Mental fitness, she says, is not just about being strong. It’s about remembering who you are, rising with your Ancestors at your back, and walking in sovereignty.

This episode is a call to come home to yourself and a reminder that we are not broken, we are becoming.

Resources and links:

Find out more about Gotcha4Life at www.gotcha4life.org and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @gotcha4life and Black Magic Woman on Instagram @blackmagicwomanpodcast.

Follow Shantelle on Instagram at @shantellethompsonofficial.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow on your Spotify app and tell your friends and family about us!

Hosted by award-winning Indigenous businesswoman and Gotcha4Life Board Member Mundanara Bayles, and produced in partnership with Black Magic Woman, Mental Fitness Conversations centres First Nations voices in powerful conversations about culture, connection and what truly sustains mental fitness.

Content in this podcast covers topics related to mental health, including suicide which can be confronting and distressing. If you found this content emotionally challenging, please practise self-care. There are support services available 24/7, 13YARN 13 92 76 and Lifeline 13 11 14

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.