Jonathon Moran: Memoir discusses ‘dream job’ at Daily Telegraph and difficult mental health struggles

The latest celebrity memoir is filled with the requisite roller-coaster of fame’s dizzying heights and crushing lows, but what separates Mental as Anyone from similar books is it all happened to the journalist interviewing the stars. Jonathon “J.Mo” Moran has spent 25 years reporting on the biggest stars on the planet, and, as host of Nova’s top-rating Confidential show and entertainment editor at the Daily Telegraph in Sydney, has one of those gigs the casual observer might describe as a “dream job.” “(My mother) was also remarkable, strong, wonderful and courageous, and a warrior woman, but I was so envious of my friends that seemingly had a normal life,” he told The Sunday Times while in Perth to launch his debut book. At 19, Moran attempted suicide, the first of numerous attempts over the following years as he also embarked on his dream career in the media. Alcohol and drugs became the default treatment for his childhood post-traumatic stress disorder, even as his public-facing persona scaled impressive heights. Across countless A-list interviews a few personal highlights emerge, from sitting down with his idol, Madonna, in Beverly Hills, multiple chats with Cher and conversations with crooner Michael Buble, who Moran described as “one of the greatest humans on the planet.” But when the bright lights of red-carpet events dimmed, the journo retreated to a much darker place as he struggled to reconcile his past trauma, mental health diagnoses and the demands (and fringe benefits) of being at the apex of entertainment journalism in Australia. “It is very easy to get down and dirty and excited by the free alcohol, the free drugs, the sex, the partying and all of that,” the 47-year-old admitted. “I definitely don’t want people to feel sorry for me, but, truthfully, I spent a large part of my life wanting to be dead.” Moran has always approached entertainment journalism with the same rigour as court, crime or political reporting, so, when he decided to chronicle his life in print, it was an easy decision to present an unvarnished account. His publisher saw an opportunity to also incorporate expert advice from a psychologist — Jodie Lowinger, founder of The Anxiety Clinic — to make the book a “toolkit for surviving and thriving on the chaotic roller-coaster of life.” Moran ensures the self-help medicine goes down a lot easier with carefully curated celebrity anecdotes. “I’ve used the stories with the celebrities in there as little palate cleansers to show how I relate to them,” he said. “Maybe that’s why I was drawn to the celebrity world, because I’ve been drawn to people that are also somewhat damaged in the same way as I am.” Mental as Anyone is available from all major retailers and Amazon Australia. Lifeline 13 11 14