Lisa Millar, after overcoming pandemic-related struggles, reconnected with a past love and became engaged on a South Australia houseboat in 2025.

Lisa Millar, 56, shares her journey from personal hardship to renewed joy, overcoming loneliness, online harassment, and grief during the pandemic with support from therapy, colleagues, and her friend Leigh Sales. Reconnecting with pilot Simon Carless in 2023—whom she met in 2007—led to a romantic relationship culminating in an engagement on New Year’s Eve 2025 aboard their South Australia houseboat. Now thriving, she balances her ABC roles on News Breakfast, Muster Dogs, and Back Roads with outdoor pursuits like kayaking and birdwatching, and is pursuing a pilot’s license despite past fears of flying. Millar emphasizes gratitude, resilience, and finding purpose in her 50s.