'THE BRIDGE' HAS A LASTING IMPACT ON BARDIE!

It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the.

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Welcome back to TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris, and on this podcast I will go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television. Each episode you will get a front row seat with content makers like executive producers, writers, editors and casting agents, plus the talent that we see on our screen. TV Reload reloads the shows that you are currently watching and gives you a better insight into

It's been a ride. I wouldn't change anything.

You have seventeen days to build the bridge.

I'm sure a lot of people don't agree with what I did, but it's a choice I made and I stand by my choice. It is a team effort to really pull this thing together. To be completely honest, I don't actually know e exactly where it is.

Should you fail, no one will claim the cat.

You know, being a woman has nothing to do with what you do.

Will this place change them forever? As they built the bridge?

The reason you know there's been a lot of talk. Why didn't I share with Dean?

Hi, Barty, how are you hello?

I'm doing pretty well. I can't really complain.

I was just saying to Madison, who I was talking to before, how unusual his name is to be Madison as a boy. But then you also have an unusual name, which is BARTI. Where does that name come from?

So interestingly enough, So Barty is kind of a family name. When I was born, mom didn't really know what to call me, and she ended up naming me after her aunt, Barty. But Barty wasn't really her actual name. Her actual name is Marjorie and Barti is just a nickname that they gave her.

And yeah, I love it.

I feel like I feel like a Bardie if you cannot feel like your name.

But I just feel like it suits Madison.

Suits Madison's so much. And I actually said to his Bace, Madison's like regal, but it's also like poison.

Oh my gosh.

I Madison is just yeah, he's gorgeous, Like he's just one of those people who you know. He was like, he's just honest, he goes for it, and yeah, but he's there.

He's a real good person.

I like your name because as I was watching the show, I kind of was like, it sounds like Barbie, but you're the anti Barbie because, like you know, let's i mean, before Barbie went all woke and now there's you know, all the different Barbies to fit in with all the different sizes of women and all the types of women. You can even get a chippy Barbie these days, so

Okay, so a lot of people do you know, mishear my name because Barty is not obviously a name you really ever hear, so people will go, oh, no, Barbie and like no with.

A D because I don't know. I just like I don't really.

Align with being called Barbie. Not in a bad way, go her, but I'm kind of just like, no, I'm Bardi. I'm good with that, Like that's that survive I'm on.

I just love it because it is that. I mean, you are just not Barbie, and I love that about you. You're just the modern age woman. And it all sounds so contrived as it's coming out of my mouth, but I just think it's amazing.

Oh, that's so nice. It's so good to hear. I think, you know, I really love I think.

You know, when I started my apprenticeship and stuff, I really struggle to kind of go, Okay, well, I'm a woman in a man's world. What does like how do I find my femininity here? And how do I feel myself? And for a long time, I think I got really lost in that masculine place. And so finding who I am and showing up truly as I am as a woman has been something I've worked so hard towards and something I'm really proud of because you know, it doesn't matter what.

You do where you are.

If you're a woman, then you can do whatever you want. It has you know, being a woman has nothing to.

Do with what you do.

I agree, and I love this thing about you. I just think it's like even hearing you talk about it, and I just think of all of the young girls that would get to watch you on Telly. Not probably now, because they should watch it when they're a bit older, but I just think growing up, we didn't have people on television like yourself. And yes, you've probably gone through the struggle to go through that for yourself, but it gives people something to look up to.

It's so crazy.

I do get messages and stuff from girls and women, especially in the industry that I'm in. I get a lot of women reach out, especially from the industry, whether they're kind of looking to take on a trade or they've taken one on. And they're always so lovely and really are thankful for me showing up as myself in my journey. And you know, I mean, it's always so lovely to have people come to you with something like that.

And I really do believe that.

Seeing someone in that place that you want to be can be so helpful. But I always, you know, remind myself to I can only you know, I can only show up that way if I'm in good alignment with myself. I'm being true to myself. And you know, I really do think when we show up the best for ourselves and we're able to show up better for the people around us.

And yeah, where did you get this knowledge from? I don't want to say that, you know in a condescending way about you being young, but you know you have great leadership skills, you have great insight into the world. Where does this all come from?

Where does it all come from? Really?

I think in some ways, I've just been through it. You know, I've just gone through so many different things in my life, and each time something's come up, it's been you know, it has been hard, and I've learned a lot of truths, and you know, there's even times I look back at myself and I go, you know, I could have shown up a lot better there, But I don't know. I think that's just it. I think

I think that it's all fantastic and amazing and so glad that you got to be on this TV show. I mean, you've survived the bridge, You've won the bridge. How does that all feel now? Looking back?

Looking back on my time on the Bridge is so surreal and it's so just really difficult to put into words because when you kind of do something like that.

I was, you know, I was so far.

Out of my element, you know, I just it was insane. You know. The reason I actually took on the challenge of doing a bridge was because in my life I just felt like, you know, I got a bit comfortable. Things were, things were as they were, and I think we need a bit of difficulty to push ourselves to grow and go to the next level. So that was my driving force. I was like, you know, I just want to get out of my comfort zone and just do something. And the bridge definitely did that. You know,

I mean, they lurius in to these shows with huge prize money. Did you commit to winning? Well, when did you commit to winning? And were you determined to win the money from the start.

To be completely honest, my driving force every day was just this mission to do it. And I was so you know, I wanted to go on there and I wanted to, like really just get in like, just get in there and just be so strong and just push myself and just you know, be that person who shows up for all the other women who are out there absolutely keicky asks because you know, it's not an easy thing to do.

And even one of my favorite things while we were filming is watching all the other women just absolutely getting it.

You know, everyone was from such different walks of life, and they were all just going so hard and pushing themselves past what they even thought was capable. So every day, even as a team leader, I really just it was just about the task.

I think.

Obviously, you know, anyone would be lying to say they went on it, and you know, you go on it.

You know there's a prize.

Of course I was aware there was a prize, but coming up to final night, just before everyone did their votes, we were everyone went around and said why they want to win, and every single person said they would every yeah, every person said they would split the money.

And that's just how it was.

And at this point I was kind of looking at it and I was in this place where I thought, you know, this could really be, this could actually change my life. This is my opportunity to sit here and talk to these people who I build a connection with and say, look this is how I'm feeling. And I sat there, I said, this money could change my life. There's no ifs or bites about that. And you know, if we split the money it becomes what does it become?

Off holiday or whatever.

Interesting question that I got asked a lot and that is have you got the money? How quickly did you get the money? Ah?

Like do I have the money?

Yeah?

No, I don't have the money.

What happened with that money that was in the box.

The money in the box is not real money. I thought it was real. I thought it was real, and when I saw it, I mean, you know, I've never seen slabs of money before, so it looks one thousand percent real. I'm not sure to do it, you know, I'm sure if someone will hear that and go, well, it actually looks nothing real. But in my case, I thought I thought it was real.

But no I didn't.

I didn't you know, leave Tasmania with one hundred and eighty thousand in cash.

That would be a bit red hot.

When are they going to give you the money? Like I remember after Big Brother, I woke up the next day and the money was in my bank account.

The money's on its way, I'm sure. No, the money is coming, The money is coming soon.

Amazing. Well, I think that's interesting, very interesting to hear because you know, you were so adamant about setting up a business, you know, from the start, and that was the story that you were sharing, you know, building business with your name on it, which you know the viewers really loved and brought into Is that exactly what you're going to do and if you started putting those wills in motion.

Yes, definitely. So I'm super excited. That is one thousand percent. I mean, well, I can't speak for every chippy or anything like that, but I know it is such a big dream for so many people, but it's not really an easy one. So right now, well, you know, I'm actually I still have a few months to go on my apprenticeship and I'm also studying my Builder's course at the moment, which you need obviously to go ahead and have a business. So that's what I'm working towards right now.

Want to do.

Well. You certainly sound like a sensible girl who knows what she's doing. I need to ask how did a person like you end up on a show line The Bridge.

I was actually just on my Facebook one day and I was scrolling through and castings for the Bridge came up and I saw it and I read about it, and I was like, oh, my gosh, that looks really cool, you know what I mean. You see something like that and you think to yourself, You're like, oh, that looks awesome, you know, but I don't know.

Maybe it's not for me.

You kind of put yourself in that mindset you're like, oh, yeah, no, that's not going to be me.

And then literally the next day.

I got a call from someone and they were like, have you heard of the Bridge? I really think you should apply to go on. And that's when I started really thinking about doing it. Yeah, obviously, there's a whole process that you go through in order to be cast, and you talk to lots of different people. There's it's honestly endless, like the health checks that you go everything, they check literally everything, and and then it was just like it was happening, so very surreal looking.

Back, very surreal. I mean, this show is a very strange show. I have to say that. So you know, you've made a decision that will, no doubt play on your mind for the rest of your life. How comfortable has the decision been to sit with with the.

Decision to keep the money.

It was very important to me that in my decision I was really honest and even before there was any voting done, I was so honest with everyone and I said, this is where I see it. I want to take the money. I explain why that was, and I to be honest. Pretty much at that point I gave up the I didn't really think I would win. I was like, you know, everyone here wants a share in the money, But I thought I'd rather be honest and lose then win and feel you know, uncomfortable and be a liar.

Like do you wake up some days and go, oh, I can't believe I didn't give it to Dino? Or do you wake up you know, like not regretting. I'm going to get into that in a minute, but like, how does it sit with you? Have you been comfortable with the actual decision or has there been any regrets?

So as I would say, you know, I was honest about my decision. That was one thing that I was really proud of, and I went, yeah, okay, this is the choice. So you know, Bushy got I shared with Bushy because I mean, he's so deserving and he's so he just you know, he needs the money. And every single person there, every single person would have said yeah Bushie. The reason, you know, there's been a lot of talk why didn't I share with Dean?

You know, I obviously was.

I had a good connection with Dean, and I can understand why people feel that way. The reason I didn't was purely because I didn't see how, you know, everyone there, in my eyes was also so deserving, So then I didn't see how then I could go, Okay, well then this person, I'll share with you, But then I'm not going to share with these people or you know, as soon as you it's like, I.

May as well split it with everyone there.

I mean, morally, obviously, the best feeling would be to go, yep, I'll share with every single person here.

I'll split it equally.

But it just, yeah, I'm sure it's brought up a lot of like feelings in myself and a lot of people have had a lot of negative things to say about it and about myself, and it doesn't feel good, of course it doesn't. But I made that decision. I stand by the choice I made. I stand by it in the honesty I had and the people that I shared.

The experience with.

I was yeah, I mean, I was honest, and I'm sure a lot of people don't agree with what I did, but it's a choice I made, and I stand by my choice, and I know within myself that everything I'm going to do and the changes I'm going to make in my own life are also going to have so many different impacts in other people's lives, and you know,

So, you know, were there conversations with producers or the production company, psychologists or even a chance to you know, contact your outside relationships before making this decision.

No, So it was literally like, so we're in the show, I pretty much say to everyone, this is what I'm gonna do with the money, and then I end up being voted and then it's just like by that time, you know, I don't even know what time it would have been, surely like two o'clock in the morning something like that. So then I pretty much went to bed just thinking like, holy fuck, like what's going on? You know,

And it was so it was so emotional.

You know, you see me in there and I am crying and I'm so upset, and it's because I truly was so upset because you know, sure I would have loved to have shared the money with everyone, but I chose, and I made the decision to put myself first, and that's a hard choice to make to do that. So yeah, it was pretty much just myself. I don't know, I just made the choice I had. Maddie and Elliott they

Aleiro was really good.

She came to me and said, whatever you decide to do, you're so deserving and just know that.

Yeah, it's a really weird thing.

I mean, you have all of these people around you, but it's also kind of awkward to seek support for them in the choice you want to make because it impacts them.

But that's it. That's just I suppose the way it is.

Did you think that if you gave the money to Dean then you would have to go down the rabbit hole? Like? Do you think that's what I thought? I was like, oh, Bartie,

And I can completely agree with that. It's I think it's very easy to have an opinion when you're not in the position.

And if I if I had shared with Dino as well as Bushie, I wouldn't have just been sharing with Dino. I would have shared with everyone, because you can't. Bushy is an exception. Every single person who is there would completely understand and agree that with that. He was a complete exception to that and so deserving. You know, I absolutely love the bloke, but every single person there was so deserving of you know, twenty grand, and if Dean was to get that twenty grand, so is everyone else.

That's where I was like, you know, of course.

I would love to give money to Dean, but I would love to give money to everyone. And the choice I've made isn't that so I You know, I'm sure I could have sucked up my emotions better.

But can I jump in there and say something being on television is one thing, or living something is one thing? But then when you watch it back on a TV show and you go, I wasn't there when the camera's picked up on that. I didn't see those people have that conversation. There are a whole lot of new insights that come into it. Has anything affected the way in which you viewed the experience.

To me, completely honest watching it back, I don't think it has affected at all the way I feel about anyone from the experience or anything.

Really. I mean, you are honestly put in this situation that is so out of this world, and what for me to look at someone and judge them for something they said, for some way they were feeling is so ridiculous because it's not normal human life. Of course, we're under pressure, everyone's tired, everyone's hungry. You know, you're mentally absolutely at your breaking point. You're physically at your breaking point.

Like it's made to bring that out in you because it's not a normal way of life.

How have you gone with public opinion? You mentioned this before, but people are obviously going to watch a show like this and then have a response. You know, what do you do to combat those types of people online who want to share their thoughts?

Oh, I have received so much negative backlash that I just wasn't I just wasn't prepared for it, and I think even the way everything came out at the end just really set the tone for a lot of the messages I've received. So I have people finding me on Facebook, finding any Instagram they can. I actually stopped people from being able to comment to me, so they just started private messaging me.

And it's been really.

You know, when that first happened, and it was just massive, Like I had to, I was off my phone.

I literally air aplane, moded my phone and just I just couldn't be on there.

I've just to be honest, I've just been kind of keeping a safe distance.

Which everyone could understand. I want to switch giars just a little bit because it is a bit heavy. I want to know what you did with those clothes, because you look so beautiful in those clothes. By the way, I just thought you looked like you could make an action figure out of you. That's how beautiful you looked. Did you keep them, have you burnt them? Are you going to wear them when you need to have a warrior day? What's happened?

Oh my gosh, to me, completely honest, I have all the clothes, so lots of that stuff I actually just wear in my normal day at work all my overalls and everything.

Yeah, that's kind of just my vibe when I was watching.

Back, some of my outfit moments are just hilarious.

I'm not sure.

It's like caught between a fashion victim and a fashion icon.

I think, yes, I.

Thought you looked amazing. Can you ever imagine going back to that location? I mean, do you want to go back to that location and see how you feel?

The location is pretty epic? You know, I probably would go back there. I don't. I mean, I'm sure it would bring up a lot of different feelings and emotions, but yeah, it is. Honestly, when you're out there, it is truly the most amazing, breathtaking, beautiful place.

Like it was.

It was really nice to be out there kind of away from everything.

I would say, that's I mean just one of the first things I thought of is I was like, I wonder if you could ever go back to that location? I mean, is it even a place that the general public can get to?

To me completely honest, I don't actually know exactly where it is. We were completely blindfolded going in and everything like that. I'm not familiar with Tasmania either, so I mean, if you just sent me out that way to find it. There's probably no way I could. I just couldn't find it.

Nuh.

I love this. I love the fact that you have no idea where that was. That actually is kind of exciting to me from it. I just read that the cast of the Bridge are furious with their edit? Is that a true story? Have the rest of the cast of the Bridge been furious with their edit?

I don't think the word would be furious, But I think it's always going to be shocking when you see things played out not as you remember them to you know, a possible storyline. So it's always going to be shocking, furious, I'm not sure.

But what's the most outrageous thing you've read online? Like, what's the most untrue thing that you've read about the brief?

I'm trying to think. I'm just too be honest. I'm just thinking about lots of hate comments I've got. I can't really think of anything untrue. I did see a comment of someone saying, oh, aren't they all such great actors, and in my head I just thought, oh my gosh.

If you can act out here, good luck to you.

I mean, it is far too stressful to put on an act far too stressful.

Not even the best actors, the Academy Award winning actors could pull that off, you know, to look like and have those faces, have those reactions.

Oh, honestly, send them out there, I'd love to say, because you know, once you get to that point, it's just you know, you're just broken down in so many different ways as who you are, so it all comes out.

Do you think that if they do a series two that will be much harder? I mean, knowing what we know now, you know, alliances could form very differently based on what they saw from you. You guys, How would a series two go ahead?

How would a series two go ahead? Ah?

Oh honestly, I wouldn't want anyone to lift logs that heavy. That was intense. That was so intense that a series two there have to be some kind of twist. I'm not sure what it could be. I saw overseas they did something to do with two teams.

I'm not sure.

Maybe they could, you know, there's nothing that comes to mind, because I think when we were out there, the twists and what happened.

Was just so wild. I can't imagine it blowing up any more than that.

Would you ever do reality television again?

Ah, nuh, I think I think for right now, I'm pretty good, you know, I'm just yeah, it's been, it's been.

It's been a ride. It's been a ride.

I wouldn't change anything I have. You know, I don't have any regrets about what I've done. But to do reality television right now again, no, I don't.

I don't think so. It would have to be something epic.

Maybe the block get in there and get out. But the block would be good because you know, being a chippy. I think that's a trade that would work really well on that series.

Oh, just on the tools, say, that's the thing.

I feel like I was really able to throw myself into and love the bridge because I'm you know, I'm a physical person and that gets me going and you know, just that go and that drive and come on, let's get it done. That amp up. But if I was to do something like Big Brother or anything like that, I don't think I could do it because I need to have that stimulation and be on. I think I would just I would go, honestly, I would go truly insane.

I don't know how you did it.

Yeah, Well, it's very different these days like when I did Big Brother. You weren't even allowed to talk about strategy, so you couldn't even say who you were nominating, so there was no strategy. There was no talk of nominations, so that really changed it. It was based on personality and whether the public voted every week to keep you in the show.

I remember those days. Those are like Australia's Funniest Home Videos days. They were good times. They were good times. I just remember, you know. I think it was like Friday Albo going to my grandparents' house and just sitting back and just laughing at Funniest home videos, and then we'd watch Big Brother.

I still remember.

I think it was Reggie winning, and my grandparents were just buzzed off anything, just so excited.

Like a pot a wind, I know. Crazy that she got to do it all over again and got another two hundred and fifty, which means that maybe in eighteen years, which was the time difference for her, the bridge will come back and you will be asked to come back as an.

Og ooh eighteen years. I mean, for a breath, if you do it, so can I I'm coming. I'm coming in hot eighteen years.

You'll see me. You'll see me in there swinging an axe and telling them about the good old days of how we did it.

I love it and I am one hundred percent of your audience for that. I don't know, I think that sounds like a great idea. Something I ask everyone who joins the podcast is what's something from behind the scenes, Something that we did not see that we won't see? Kind of a behind the scenes secret from your time on the bridge, something.

You didn't get to see.

Oh what could it be?

There was?

I feel like there were so many things that won't shown. But truly, I think I had so many really nice moments just spent with Maddie.

And she is just an.

Absolutely beautiful, beautiful person, and you know, I feel so lucky to even have her there. But I just shared so many funny and good times with her. Yeah, even when we when we did get I think it was the twenty five meters of bridge at the start, her and I went in, collected it together and paleled it back.

And yeah, just any time with her was awesome and I wish that we hadn't seen.

More of that.

And are you going to be a bridesmaid when she marries Elliott?

Oh my gosh, I hope so.

I mean probably not that I hope say I'll definitely, I'll definitely be there.

Well, I absolutely loved this series of The Bridge and I think it's a fantastic show. And what an honor it has been to be able to have this chat with you. Turn off your phone, never respond to anyone that says anything mean online, block ignore and just enjoy it for what it is. And good luck starting up this business. I'm so proud of you.

Thank you so much.

It's honestly being just such a pleasure talking to you.

It's been really nice. Thank you so much for having me. IT'SO privilege.