Jules Sebastian interview: What still scares her in her career and life in the spotlight

EXCLUSIVE — Jules Sebastian’s life is full of red carpet events, photshoots and podcast recordings, all while running around being a mum.

But it wasn’t always that way.

She grew up on a quiet cul-de-sac in Adelaide, away from the glitz and glamour of the music scene.

Jules met husband Guy Sebastian when they were teenagers. She had no way of knowing where the future would take her when Sebastian won the first season of Australian Idol in 2003, thrusting both of them into the spotlight.

The working mum of two told nine.com.au she never thought she could be the public personality she is today.

“I was very shy growing up, I was very introverted,” she said.

“That’s been the most surprising thing to me, to see how once I got into this life, I came out of my shell a lot.”

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“I did not see that coming … even my mum was like, ‘I don’t even know this girl’. I used to be behind my mum’s knee.

“I think this [life] absolutely pulled me out of my shell, sometimes without my permission, but it’s OK. I’ve learnt that I can actually handle it, I can do it.”

Sebastian’s transition to public life didn’t come easily.

She admits almost every step she made in her career terrified her, but she came to a valuable realisation that helped her along the way.

“Fear is just a feeling, it’s not real,” she said.

“The best things are always on the other side of it, just get yourself into it and through it because the only way is through … otherwise you’ll never know.

“I think I’ve tried and tested that a lot in my life, when I’ve been afraid of something, I’ve just dipped my toe in and I’ve realised it’s not as bad as I thought it was gonna be.”

One of those career steps includes a collaboration with Balsam Hill as their lead creative for their 2025 Christmas Collection.

She says picking projects that are near and dear to her heart helps her protect her peace as she navigates her busy schedule.

“I absolutely love Balsam Hill and Christmas, so this was a no-brainer.

Despite undertaking many projects in the past two decades and growing more comfortable in her public life, Sebastian admits there are still things that scare her.

“Even still to this day, when I have to go on the red carpet, it’s just days of complete stress thinking about stepping on that carpet,” she confessed to me.

“I don’t know what I’m doing, when you get out there, there are so many photographers; there’s a lot going on.”

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“That is one thing I’m definitely working on still to this day … I do it, of course, but I definitely do it afraid.”

Sebastian says Guy has always been supportive of her on red carpets, which helps her navigate her anxieties at events. 

“He’s very unaffected [by it all],” she said.

“He just has this way of just sailing through the world and just getting it done, he’s very encouraging always, and he’s always got a kind thing to say.”

One thing Sebastian finds helps her feel more confident is dressing her best.

“I really do believe that, I think that’s something I learnt from being a stylist for so long, is that people don’t know that they can feel amazing about themselves,” she said.

“I think it’s really quite a moment when somebody sees themselves in a way they’ve never seen themselves before … if they put on an outfit that really suits them, or the colour brings them to life, or the style really suits their body shape.

“It can be quite transformative. If you feel great about yourself, then you put your best foot forward, then the confidence comes.”

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