‘I’m done pretending’: Nat Bass’ on love, sex and marriage with partner Pip Loth

Exclusive: Natalie Bassingthwaighte has been in the spotlight for 28 years. Yet, when finally given the microphone to reclaim her own narrative, she admits to a surprising truth – she was absolutely terrified. 

“I was scared of people hating me, I was scared people were going to judge,” she confessed.

After all, her divorce played out under a harsh media lens, as does her current relationship with fiancée Pip Loth. Why would she share the most vulnerable parts of her life? 

“For the first time in a long time, I’m feeling like myself,” she explains. 

That powerful feeling is partly why the Rogue Traders star, 50, has bared her “heart and soul” in her brand-new memoir Love Like This.

But with a new book, new album, a 21st anniversary tour and a lead role in hit musical Waitress, this returned feeling has also empowered her next move.

Yes, the Someday Soon singer has a wedding to plan. But what Bass really wants is to build a life with her partner Pip on their newly purchased patch of land.

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“We were talking about [the wedding] the other day and we’re like, should we do it next year? But we’ve just bought some land!” Bass revealed. 

“The biggest picture for us right now is to build our home and make it just ours, which we haven’t had the opportunity to do yet.”

The couple placed a deposit for a block of land in northern NSW and hope to start building their home in April next year.

They might even get married there.

“I mean because I’ve been married before I was like, I’m happy with a picnic,” she confessed.

“But for Pip, it’s their first time getting married and being in a queer relationship, it’s incredibly important to celebrate that too.”

By moving up north, the singer hopes for more balance in her life. “I feel like my mental and physical health needs more downtime, you know? It needs more time outside.”

And more chickens, apparently.

“We’re teasing to my daughter that we’re going to get chickens because she hates birds,” Bass went on. “Every time she’s naughty, we’ll go, let’s get some chickens!”

The singer shares two kids – Harper, 16, and Hendrix, 13 – with her ex-husband Cameron McGlinchey, who she’s currently touring with.

It’s not weird at all, she insisted.

“Look, I think we’re handling it pretty well,” she said.

The singer and Rogue Traders drummer have reunited with the rest of the band for their 21st Anniversary ‘Anthems’ tour.

“Like anything, there’s highs and lows. But we love what we get to do and we’re in a really great place,” said the mum-of-two.

As we were speaking, Bass revealed McGlinchey was coming over later in the week with the kids. The four of them had planned a road-trip round the band’s next three gigs.

“It’s really special that we can do that,” she admitted.

“We took the kids on tour with us a year ago and that was like the first time they’ve gone, ‘Oh my god, this is what mum and dad do?’”

But, behind the stage lights, screaming fans and book promos, fiancé Pip Loth has been her inspiration through it all.

“I’m being seen and heard in a way that I never thought was possible,” Bass beamed of her current relationship.

That includes being very open about their intimate life, which Bass candidly spoke about while on the Carrie and Tommy show in May.

The hosts asked if her intimate life was “so different” now with Loth than it was in her previous relationships.

“Yes! Yes! The first time that we had actually had sex, after about six or seven hours … I can’t believe I’m telling you this on the radio! It was so good,” Bass replied enthusiastically.

“I left and my whole body was shaking so much. I get in the car and I’m like, ‘Don’t touch me’, I was shaking.”

Speaking to nine.com.au, Bass reacted: “I did leave that day going, oh my God, did I just say that?

“Then I was like, oh well, f--k it. It’s in my book anyway, people are going to read it if they want to read it,” she laughed.

She described her memoir as “a beautiful representation of all the highs and lows and everything in between”.

“I really like who I am and what I stand for,” Bass reflected.

“We as humans put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect and I find that really frustrating.

“I want people to know that I’m a real person and I want to share my story and share the hardest bits and to say it’s OK for you to do that as well, and to cry and grieve and to have shame and to come out the other side.”

So, why would Bass share her story now?

“Because I’m done pretending,” she smiled.

On top of her memoir, Bass stars in Waitress, alongside the talented Rob Mills, in a show described as “probably one of the most beautiful pieces of theatre I’ve ever worked on”.

But she did have one admission.

“This is it. This is my last show,” she revealed.

“Well, I say, this is my last show, it has to be... and everyone’s like, ‘You’ve said that before.’ But if I go out with this show, I’ll be very, very happy,” she beamed.

Love Like This, a memoir by Natalie Bassingthwaighte is out now.