Married at First Sight star Ella Morgan sits down alongside her dad Chris for an emotional conversation about identity, acceptance and resilience.
Ella opens up about knowing she was different as a child, the challenges of transitioning, the heartbreaking moments of self-doubt and how her relationships on MAFS and Celebs Go Dating shaped her journey.
She and Chris reflect on their struggles to understand each other, the moments that nearly broke their family, and the unconditional love that brought them back together. Chris speaks candidly about his struggles in coming to terms with Ella’s transition to being her biggest supporter.
Together, they address the misconceptions surrounding trans identities, the harsh realities of discrimination, and the power of unconditional love.
A powerful conversation every parent and child needs to hear.
This episode discusses sensitive topics, including suicide and eating disorders. If you need support, please find resources below:
MIND - https://g2ul0.app.link/w5vNMYwowQb
Samaritans - https://g2ul0.app.link/zsXiEH8BORb
Beat Eating Disorders - https://g2ul0.app.link/gHK6cjr3ZRb
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Follow Ella here:
Instagram - https://g2ul0.app.link/T9GbS7j3ZRb
TikTok - https://g2ul0.app.link/lTRuysm3ZRb
(0:00) Intro
(1:27) Ella Being a Trans 'Advocate' Not an Activist
(3:41) Ella Explains 'Dead-Naming'
(6:14) Why Did Ella Go on MAFS?
(9:53) Ella's Relationship History Before MAFS
(12:07) Safety as a Trans Person
(14:40) What Were Ella's Lessons from MAFS?
(20:18) Ella's 'Ill-Advised' Relationship on Celebs Go Dating
(23:26) Adobe Ad
(24:26) Tinder Ad
(25:18) Ella's Reaction to Three-Year-Old Evan
(27:54) What Was Ella's Childhood Like?
(30:10) Ella's Experience at School
(31:54) Societal Scripts Around Gender
(33:44) When and How Ella Realised She Was Trans
(36:51) Ella's Experience of Bulimia
(43:52) Ella's Experience of Suicide at 16
(50:01) Ella Coming Out as Trans to Her Mum
(54:04) Ella First Presenting as a Woman
(55:44) How the Rest of Ella's Family Found Out Her True Identity
(57:34) Ella's Dad Joins the Conversation
(58:59) How Did Chris Find Out About Ella's True Identity?
(1:00:53) How Did Chris Feel When He First Found Out About Ella?
(1:02:56) Paul Shows Chris a Picture of Him and Ella from 2001
(1:04:43) What Were Chris' Hopes and Dreams for Ella as a Child?
(1:06:25) How Chris Dealt with Changing Terminology After Finding Out
(1:09:10) When Did Chris Realise Ella's Identity Wasn't Just a Phase?
(1:11:02) Public Reaction to Ella Presenting as a Woman
(1:12:49) Ella's Experience of Gender Reassignment Surgery
(1:15:27) Chris' Experience of Ella's Transition Surgery
(1:17:13) Stats on Suicide in Transgender People
(1:17:57) Ella's Second Experience with Suicide
(1:19:42) How Did Chris Deal with Ella's Suicide Attempt?
(1:21:35) How to Hold Space for Someone in Crisis
(1:22:29) What Is the 'Work' for Families During a Transition?
(1:25:29) Support for Parents of Transgender People
(1:27:23) What Ella's Transition Means to Chris
(1:29:26) Paul and Chris' Experience of Transphobia Among Friends
(1:31:02) Why Ella Is the Bravest Person Chris Knows
(1:34:02) Chris' Advice to Parents of Transgender Children
(1:34:43) Ella's Procedures and the Costs
(1:38:23) Statistics on Transgender Employment Rates
(1:39:40) Most Memorable Conversation
(1:43:19) Paul's Takeaways
Sponsored by:
Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/uk/express/
Tinder: https://tinder.com/en-GB
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