Content warning: This article mentions suicide and mental health struggles. Help is always available. If you, or someone you know needs support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or go to their website. You can also contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or visit their website.
Mia Fevola has revealed why she decided to speak publicly about her biological father for the first time on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
During her time on the show, she tearfully spoke about how her biological father, Lonny, died by suicide when she was a baby.
Speaking exclusively with New Idea after her elimination from the show, Mia admitted she was “nervous” speaking about the personal topic on TV.
Mia said she decided to open up about her biological father because she was representing suicide prevention charity R U OK? in the jungle.
“It’s not something I’ve ever spoken about publicly before,” she shared.
“It is a very personal matter, but I knew going into it that I wanted to be open about my story and in hopes that it would help other people feel less alone, and I know that really helped me.
Since then, she said people have reached out to her to share their experiences with mental health, saying it has started conversations and is a “step in the right direction”.
Given that the show was pre-recorded, watching it back was an emotional experience.
“I didn’t really remember what I said. But I’m really glad that I did, and it felt like a bit of a weight lifted off my shoulders as well.”
What did Mia Fevola say about her biological father on I’m A Celebrity?
During the show, while everyone was explaining the stories behind their chosen charities, she broke down in tears.
“My biological dad took his own life,” she told her campmates during the episode on February 4.
“I was one month old, and I never knew him, but it’s this weird grief that I’ve carried for my entire life.
“He’s not going to be there to walk me down the aisle, and for the birth of my first child or any of those huge things where a father should be there.”
Mia said she wants to raise more conversations around mental health issues and combat the “stigma” that comes alongside it.
“It’s something I would never wish on anyone,” she said while choking back tears.
Her mother, Alex, later found love again with sportsman Brendan, who became a father figure for Mia, with the two sharing a special bond.
Brendan and Alex have since welcomed three more daughters together, Leni, Lulu, and Tobi, and the family have firmly supported each other over the years.
Who is Alex Fevola’s first husband?
Alex met her first husband when she was 18 years old, but he sadly died by suicide in 2000, when Mia was around four weeks old.
Speaking with the Herald Sun, Alex revealed that she told Mia that her father died when she was younger, but did not reveal more until she was an adult.
“From being very little, she always knew that her biological father had passed away,’’ she said during the 2022 interview.
“There was never a defining moment where she was told, I made sure she knew that growing up from a baby.”
In a separate interview, Alex said her daughter has been questioned about her father.
“Over the years, a lot of people have questioned Mia, saying Fev’s not your real dad, why are you lying about it?” she told the Herald Sun.
“It’s never been anything that’s lied about; it’s that she hasn’t had her biological father.”
In her book Silver Linings: A Journey to Happiness, Alex shared why she decided to share the story about Lonny’s death publicly.
“…Brendan is Mia’s dad. A dad is the person who raises you, who loves and protects you, who provides for you,” she wrote.
“He’s the one who is there to witness all of your milestones, cheering you on with pride in his heart. Lonny is Mia’s biological father, and that will never change, and she will cherish him in her own way forever, but Brendan is and always has been her dad.”
Reflecting on it with Brendan on his radio show, Fifi, Fev and Nick, she reminisced about when Mia called him “dad” for the first time when she was a child.
“It was really strange, actually. It was like she was longing to have a dad, so she never really knew any different,” she shared.
“Obviously, it was just her and I, and then when Brendan came into our lives, she took to him immediately. She just adored him, and it was really weird.”
Brendan and Mia’s special bond
While she generally keeps her personal life away from the spotlight, the I’m a Celebrity star told Stellar about her special bond with Brendan.
“He’s my dad,” she said simply. “I met him when I was three. For as long as I can remember, that’s been my life. I can’t remember life before him.”
In 2022, she told our sister publication Woman’s Day why she loves him.
“I love my dad because he is always happy and always making dad jokes,” she shared. “But most of all, I love him because he chose me, he chose to be my dad.”
She has also shared her pride and love for the former AFL player on social media.
After she was announced as a contestant on the 2025 season of Dancing with the Stars, she shared a video on TikTok dancing with Brendan, who also won the show in 2016.
Over the top, it read, “Dancing around the living room with the man that chose to be my dad, he didn’t have to love me but he chose to.”
She also shared a birthday tribute to him on January 20 on Instagram.
“Grateful for everything you do for us. Happy birthday dad, we love you 🤍 @brendanfevola25,” she wrote.
Throughout her time in the jungle, she has discussed her close bond with the former Carlton Football Club player.
Help is always available. If you, or someone you know needs support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or go to their website. You can also contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or visit their website.
