On The Bright Side

Bright side for the am show host Amanda Gillies, the past few years have seen her struggling with some debilitating health issues. But lately she’s been working on some big changes to improve her wellbeing, she tells Sara Bunny.

When you’re on the nation’s television screens at 6am, mornings tend to be busy. There are the makeup chair sessions in the small hours, the flurry of camera crew, the rush of prepping the day’s top stories, the excitement mixed with adrenaline as the show begins. At the heart of the action, journalist Amanda Gillies reads the news with a magnetic mix of authoritativeness and warmth, bounces banter off her co-hosts, and looks right at home amid the fast-paced, moveable feast that is live television.

On the day I meet Amanda for our Good Health Choices interview, there’s a second of awkwardness when she goes in for a hug at the exact moment I reach out for a handshake. But bear hugging a total stranger is nothing new for the bubbly reporter. With Amanda, one of the first things you notice is her genuine warmth and kindness, and it’s this generosity of spirit that makes her such a popular personality on our screens.

But behind the scenes, she knows first-hand about soldiering on when health issues have taken their toll. In the past few years, experiences with endometriosis and an autoimmune illness have seen her change her approach to wellness, prompted a major diet overhaul, and made her more aware of managing her stress levels.