Abbie Chatfield is not afraid to tell you what she really thinks about your terrible boyfriend.
Or what she thinks about Scott Morrison. Or Canberra, in general.
"I love Canberra, like I really, really do," the social media star says.
"I think Canberra is very underrated."
Perhaps the biggest social media star no one over 35 has ever heard of, podcaster and reality TV contestant Abbie Chatfield will be gracing the halls of the Canberra Theatre to tell us why, exactly, her exes were such dicks.
She's bringing her Trauma Dump Tour, fresh off a colourful national tour, to Canberra on October 18, and you can bet it's going to get saucy.
The tour follows her successful podcast It's a Lot, which discusses everything from pop culture to politics. The show is renowned for Chatfield's unfiltered opinions and the horror dating stories sent in by listeners for a Friday "Nightmare Fuels" segment.
According to Chatfield, the tour is her own worst "nightmare fuels" in a fun little PowerPoint.
"I go on the journey of these three dickheads that I dated and it's stories that I can't really tell on the podcast out of fear of getting sued," she says.
"So I've done in a live format to get around that."
Queen of oversharing
It's been a long road out of the trenches for Chatfield, who rose to fame when she starred on the 2019 season of Ten's The Bachelor. Forever remembered as "the one who introduced herself as a Gemini", she was a voracious presence on screen, with a strong personality that lent itself to the show's villain casting.
Dumped by bachelor Matt on a rock in South Africa, Chatfield began posting about sex, feminism, and politics on her Instagram, answering followers' questions and speaking frankly about taboo topics.
Self-described as an "oversharer", it helped her launch a career in media with a podcast deal, brand partnerships and even her own reality TV series, FBoy Island.
The new show follows three women trying to sort out the self-proclaimed "f--k boys" from the nice guys, with the winners taking home $100,000 in cash.
On the surface it may seem like another trashy reality TV series, but the premise highlights an ongoing mission of Chatfield's: men need to learn to treat women better.
Chatfield has faced plenty of backlash for her frank opinions in the public eye, with some criticisng her for oversharing or speaking about things she's not an expert on.
She is everything political conservatives fear; an unapologetic advocate for reproductive rights, a supporter of Palestine's right to self-determination, and a woman who's built a career on her determination to do exactly what she wants.
But it's precisely her brutal honestly and lack of fear that have made her so popular.
The media star said growing up with a single mother and an all-women household gave her a freedom and confidence that she wants to share with others.
"I think that people in our generation just tend to really appreciate authenticity and a lack of filter, because I think a lot of the stuff I speak about is things women have been shamed about for so long," she says.
"It's not that people aren't having these thoughts or having these experiences. If we're all putting it in diaries and we can't share our lived experience with each other ... we can't learn from each other.
"People are just longing for connection, particularly after COVID, and I think this is validating for a lot of people and how they feel."
One of the girls
And there's no doubt Australians have connected to her; Chatfield has almost one million followers combined on Instagram and TikTok, and her podcast is in the top 10 society and culture ranking on Spotify.
She's become a spokesperson for young Australian women, straddling the millennial/Gen Z divide, and giving voice to the fears, worries and confusion of modern relationships.
Chatfield describes her Instagram account as an "ADHD purge bucket", posting about things she finds upsetting, frustrating, or just plain funny.
And she's profited from her popularity, launching a fashion line, Verbose, which was quietly closed early in 2024, and recently releasing a vibrating butt plug with intimacy brand Normal Co.
But don't assumer Chatfield is some media mastermind; the star says much of her success happened by accident.
"I wish that I was organised, but I don't even know what I'm doing next week for work," she says.
"I'm kind of like a jellyfish in the ocean, but I'm getting pushed around."
'I love Canberra'
The media star posted a video on her Instagram account explaining things she loves and doesn't love about the capital, with highlights including the Raiders, roundabouts, and Mooseheads.
She was particularly taken with the "structural integrity" of the Belconnen Owl, and the way it "gets attention".
Things she doesn't love about Canberra included the "aura of Scott Morrison's prime ministership" and the fact her show hadn't yet sold out.
The PowerPoint featured photos of Chatfield with her musician boyfriend Adam Hyde, half of Canberra band Peking Duk.
"I think obviously part of it is that Adam's from there, but genuinely the food is crazy in Canberra, it's amazing," Chatfield says.
When asked whether she plans to visit Mooseheads for a boogie, Chatfield demurred.
"Adam was going to come with me to the Canberra show but now he can't because he's got a bloody show in Bali or something," she said.
"But maybe I'll still try and go with Adam's sister or something."
Abbie Chatfield's Trauma Dump show is at the Canberra Theatre on October 18, tickets available online.
