Melanie Camp has gone from one big British colony to one that broke way from the Queen, but after some bumps in the road, she is finding her way nicely! Inspired by her high school counselor to become a TV host Melanie found her way to the Los Angeles and eventually Houston when she is a now part of the Houston Life, fulfilling her dream to be a TV personality! When she isn’t exploring Houston she is with her rescue dog, Stevie, or supporting the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Please read on to learn more about Melanie Camp in our exclusive interview below.

Where are you based?
Currently, I live in Houston, TX. I grew up in Perth, Western Australia, the world's most isolated city.

What inspired you to get into being a television correspondent?
It felt like TV was calling me for as long as I remember. Watching shows as a kid, I was inspired by all the people on the screen who had a voice. I loved the idea of being able to bring joy and entertain people. I was a class clown. Really, I know it was because I was pretty uncomfortable in my skin. I had terrible acne and very frizzy hair. Even though I had personality, many people, including me, did not think I had the looks to make it on TV, and many discouraged my dreams. Mind you, none of those people actually worked in TV.

To protect my dream, I told everyone at school I wanted to be a pilot. Then one day, close to completing high school, I met with the careers counselor. She thought I was joking when I said I planned to join the air force so I could learn to fly. She told me that she used to work as a TV host and thought it might be a job that would suit me. So thank you, Mrs Duffy! I think of her as an angel who pointed me in the right direction at a pivotal time in my life.

What made you want to move to the United States vs work in news in Australia?
OK. This came as a total curveball! I did really want to work in the States. The TV market is huge, and you get to work with the best of the best. However, there was no way that I thought I would actually get here. It was always just a dream that I thought was highly unrealistic.

Then while working as a corporate TV host for a national bank based in Sydney, my brother’s ex-girlfriend Amanda called me in the middle of the night to tell me she was in Los Angeles and I should come to visit. On that trip, I went to Las Vegas with Amanda, met an Aussie guy living in the States, fell in love, quit my job, and the next thing I was living in Los Angeles. Answer those midnight phone calls, I tell ya!

I would love to say the rest was history, and now here I am living the dream, working in TV in a top ten market, but things went in a much different direction.

When I moved to Los Angeles, I got knocked off track career-wise in a big way. I found it hard to get TV hosting jobs because of my accent. People even asked me if I could “turn it off.” I know everyone thinks all Aussies can do an American accent but not me!

Can you tell us a bit about how it is to work on Houston Life?
Houston Life is such a fun show. We are a live, local talk show. I get to explore all over Houston and beyond, checking out fun things to do and sharing the inspiring lives of people here.

Derrick Shore is our host. Lauren Kelly is our other correspondent. I love our team. We all bring a lot of energy and have a lot of fun.

I love working on live television. Anything can go wrong, and keeping it together and rolling with the chaos is a fun challenge. Like the time I got knocked over by K9 Officer Nate. The backstory is this dog is a giant Belgium Malinois who likes to hug. When he rears up on his hind legs to get his front paws around you, he stands around five feet, seven inches tall. Anyway, he decided to hug me while I was interviewing his human handler, and I went down. I kept on with the interview, albeit in stitches, laughing. The show goes on.

You have also worked in print news. How different are the experiences?
Print news is great because you do not need to worry about hair and makeup! But seriously, I am always in awe of people who write well. It is such a magical craft.

When I was 14, someone told me I could not write, so working as a writer was an interesting untangling of that limitation, and ultimately, working in print media helped me get my life back on track.

I got married while living in Los Angeles, and when that marriage ended, I was left to pick up the pieces. I lost a lot of myself during my marriage. There were some wonderful times. Nothing is all bad. But the relationship was volatile, to say the least. After eight years, I was whittled down to a shell of my previous self.

I got a job working for Yo! Venice, a small newspaper in Venice Beach. I found the job through Craigslist, of all things. I built up the contacts I needed for my stories by chasing the LAPD helicopter, following its lantern through the Venice backstreets at three in the morning, hoping to get the story first.

Then, I started shooting video news stories on my iPhone for the newspaper group’s growing online outlets, and it dawned on me that I could use these stories for a reel that would get me back into TV. Mind you, I had just turned 40 and had doubts I could get back into TV this late in the game.

Do you have a favorite story that you have covered? And what made it special?
I have so many stories that will stay in my heart forever. What makes my favorite stories are the people. So many of us are putting ourselves out there and living life despite our struggles.

One of my favorite stories was a news feature that just won me my first gold Telly Award. The story was about Nathan Forestal, a golf influencer with over 11,000 followers on social media. Nate has cerebral palsy, but he does not let it get in the way of him chasing his golf dreams. In the interview, he said, "I could have been born deaf and blind in a wheelchair, but instead, I'm lucky. I only got mild CP." His perspective on life is inspiring.

I am so grateful that as I have been rebuilding my life, I have been meeting and sharing the stories of others who are succeeding at making the most out of their lives no matter what challenges get in their way. The stories I share have inspired me and helped me keep going no matter what.

Jejune loves that you are also passionate about giving back. You live with a super cute rescue dog, and are passionate about animal rescue, can you expand on this a bit?
I grew up in a house at the edge of a river reserve where people would dump their pets. Our home was full of stray cats and dogs. When you rescue an animal, they may take a little time to open up as they learn to trust you, but as I learned from all the strays we adopted, love heals and creates a space for confidence to grow.

If you want a particular breed, even an hypoallergenic breed, look for rescue groups specializing in that kind of dog. Hunt through all your local shelters. You will find your pawfect fur baby!

The idea that a rescue dog might have unfixable baggage is rubbish. Every single dog I have ever owned has been a rescue. The dog I have now, Stevie, was with Maeday Rescue in Los Angeles for 11 months before I rescued her. I think she still holds the record for longest foster there.

I adopted this scrappy, scared dog that screamed if anyone got too close and tried to bite everyone except me. It took about a year, but eventually, we were chillin' happily at all cafés around Venice. Adopt, don't shop!

We also hear that you support the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Can you tell us a bit about why this is important to you?
When I was in an abusive relationship, I did not know about any available resources. I wish I had known, but part of abuse is the control and isolation, so it is not surprising. While working for Yo! Venice, I learned about The National Domestic Violence Hotline and what a great resource it is for victims, survivors, and even friends and family members. I discovered they had resources that helped me rebuild my life. They really can help in all aspects of domestic violence. If you know someone suffering in an abusive relationship, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can help you support your friend.

I am a big advocate for getting therapy. However, it can be a luxury for some people. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is so valuable because it makes help, therapy, and healing accessible to all. There are many great organizations, but this one is a first stop for many.

Finally, we hear that you love to empower youth through motivational talks. Can you tell us about this?
The other week I had the honor of delivering a commencement speech at a High School in Houston. Because I was such an insecure kid, while I had dreams, I did not think I had it in me to succeed. Young people need to know how vitally important they are to the world. You would not be here otherwise. We all have our part to play. Over the years, I have experienced the ups and downs of life. Sure, life can punch you in the guts, but I now know that without a doubt, it is always worth it to keep going and never give up, no matter how much you are hurting. We humans are so resilient. We can go through horrific traumas yet still come out the other side shining our light. The world needs this now more than ever. There is so much criticism of the next generation, but they are amazing. They have already gone through more than any generation before. I am excited about where the world is headed because of who will lead us in the future. If I can be a voice amongst the negativity that encourages the next generation to dream big despite the naysayers, I will be there.

It has been a crazy past few years. How have you been staying positive?
I am certainly braver after everything I have been through, and because of this, I vibe pretty positively. There will always be dark days, but I learned in the aftermath of my abusive relationship that healing happens, and you do not stay broken forever. Sure, we can get knocked off track, but we all have such immense strength within us. It is a game changer once you experience your inner strength at full power.

The pandemic knocked us all for six. But I am confident that as a collective, we will come out stronger for what we have endured, which makes me excited for the future.

What is your motto in life?
Say “yes” to adventure! It will not always be champagne and unicorns but know that you are strong enough to get through anything and that the champagne keeps getting better and better.

To learn more about Melanie Camp, please follow her Instagram: themelaniecamp

Photo Team Credits:
Hair: @abhairmakeup
Make Up: @stephenmoleskibeauty
Photo: @michaelstewartofficial

Melanie Camp - An Aussie Finding Her Way In The USA