For most of her childhood, Chloé Hayden felt like she didn’t belong.

She was bullied at school, moved through ten different schools and struggled to exist in environments that didn’t understand her. When she was diagnosed as autistic at thirteen, there were almost no conversations about neurodivergence and no one she could look to who felt like her.

Today, she has become that person for millions of others.

Through her role as Quinni in Netflix’s Heartbreak High and her advocacy online, Chloé has become one of the most visible autistic women in the world.

But becoming a voice for others comes with its own cost.

In this conversation with Kate Langbroek, Chloé opens up about the pressure of representation, the emotional toll of advocacy and what it means to build a life that belongs to her, not just the movement she helped create.

Heartbreak High Season 3 premieres globally on March 25, 2026 on Netflix.

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What To Listen To Next:

• Listen: Concetta Caristo Changed Her Name to Escape a Violent Home
• Listen: Rachel Ward Looks Her Age. When Did That Become Radical?
• Listen: For 15 Years, No One Was Listening To Lainey Wilson. Now She's Everywhere
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CREDITS:

Guest: Chloe Hayden

Host: Kate Langbroek

Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Executive Producer: Bree Player

Assistant Producer: Coco Lavigne

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Video Producer: Josh Green

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After being crowned Jungle Queen and winning $100,000 for charity, Concetta chose to donate the prize to Full Stop Australia, the organisation that helped her family escape domestic violence when she was growing up.

As a child, Concetta lived in a home where violence and fear were constant. Eventually, her mother made a secret call to a domestic violence hotline and began planning what the family would later describe as their escape.

Concetta, her mother and her sister left their home, fled across the country and started again under new names.

In this conversation with Kate Langbroek, Concetta speaks openly about the childhood she kept secret for years, the moment everything changed for her family, and the complicated journey of rebuilding a life after violence.

She also reflects on the strange path that led her to comedy, the inner critic that still lives in her head, and the joy she has found in finally being able to live freely.

If this conversation raises anything for you, support is available. Full Stop Australia runs a 24-hour confidential helpline for people affected by sexual, domestic and family violence. Details are in the show notes.

You can listen to Concetta Caristo on triple j Breakfast.

SUBSCRIBE here: Support independent women's media

What To Listen To Next:

• Listen: Rachel Ward Looks Her Age. When Did That Become Radical?
• Listen: For 15 Years, No One Was Listening To Lainey Wilson. Now She's Everywhere
• Listen: Supermodel Rachel Hunter Was The Ultimate 90s Muse - Then She Walked Away
• Listen: Michelle Slept by Her Son’s ICU Bedside for Most of Last Year

Discover more Mamamia Podcasts here.

Watch No Filter on YouTube. Follow us on Instagram here. Follow us on TikTok here.

Feedback: podcast@mamamia.com.au

Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.

Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review.

CREDITS:

Guest: Concetta Caristo

Host: Kate Langbroek

Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Executive Producer: Bree Player

Assistant Producer: Coco Lavigne

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Video Producer: Josh Green

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.