Natalie Bassingthwaighte opens up about new relationship: 'Shaking and crying'

Natalie Bassingthwaighte has opened up about her same-sex relationship in a new interview, saying she's still coming to grips with navigating the media circus about her marriage breakup and new relationship.

The 48-year-old revealed to Stellar last year that she was in a "beautiful" relationship "with a woman who makes my heart smile and makes me happy", a few months after it was confirmed she and her ex-husband Cameron McGlinchey had called it quits after 12 years of marriage.

The mum-of-two is now happily dating Pip Loth (who uses they/them pronouns) and has had to face intense media scrutiny after she revealed she was in a new relationship.

Now, she's given a candid interview to news.com.au about her journey in coming out, saying while she feels excited, she still has days where she's terrified and "shaking and crying".

"When I’m with my ‘people’, I feel really comfortable. I just feel like myself, I feel right at home, and I don’t feel scared," she said in the interview. "But it’s when I’m not in that environment that I’m still trying to adjust to how I fit in. That’s the thing that I’m finding probably the hardest, is how to navigate my authentic self in this crazy world of ours."

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She also opened up about how she had to be careful not to read too much online commentary about her new relationship because she didn't want to be on the receiving end of nasty things being said by online trolls.

"I had to be really careful not to read too much because there were also nasty things being said, and that hurts. The ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones’ thing? It’s not true. I’ve never been one of those people," she shared.

"It was so incredibly special to feel that [support], even walking down the street. But I mean, even this morning I had to do a live interview and my entire body was shaking. I was ringing my manager going, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m so terrified right now. I’m shaking and crying'."

Natalie opened up more about her sexuality, as she gears up to headline the Mardi Gras Debutante Ball by Johnnie Walker next month.

"It’s going to be a celebration, because love is love, regardless of labels. That’s been important for me to realise," she said. "I go, ‘Ooh, am I queer?’ I think I must be, because I’m with a woman. But then I think, maybe I’m fluid?

"I’m definitely not straight, that’s for sure. I can 100% tell you that!"

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