Encore: A 'hopeless romantic' on divorce, dating apps, and curing a broken heart

Feb 12, 2026

Charlotte Rhee, author and home cook whose memoir Heartbake traces family history and healing through food. She talks about leaving a marriage, surviving lockdown isolation, and mending a broken heart by cooking for neighbours. She also explores the hazards of dating apps and finding new love while rebuilding identity.

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ANECDOTE

One Photo That Holds Safety

Charlotte treasures a single printed photo of her mother holding her; it symbolizes safety and being seen.
Her mother has always been an enveloping presence despite struggles with mental illness.

INSIGHT

Illness Shaped A Young Carer's Habits

Growing up with a parent with schizoaffective bipolar disorder forced Charlotte to mature quickly and become hyper-organised.
She learned to people-please and minimise herself to avoid rocking the family boat.

ADVICE

Use Sensory Anchors To Self-Soothe

Try using sensory cues like familiar foods or songs to self-soothe during distress.
Charlotte still sings her 'heart song' and finds butter-and-sugar smells instantly comforting.

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After a painful divorce, Charlotte Ree began to piece her broken heart back together by cooking for her neighbours (R)

Charlotte Ree grew up in a family full of love, but with its own particular challenges.

Her mum struggled with mental illness, which meant Charlotte grew up very quickly.

Charlotte met the man who would become her husband when she was 19. Within a few years, they married, but money became a major source of pain in the relationship.

One night on a boat, Charlotte realised her marriage was over.

Divorce was a devastating turning point for her, and at the same time she found herself living alone in Sydney's lockdown.

Eventually Charlotte decided to find a unique way out of her heartbreak; by cooking for her neighbours.

Some time later, she also found the courage to look for love again.

This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison, the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.

It explores family history, mental illness, relationships, looking for love, love stories, modern love, divorce, recovering after divorce, cooking, baking, unusual family stories, strange family history, family history, lockdown, Covid lockdown, loneliness, solitude, eating, starvation, nourishment, cooking for one, cooking neighbours, baking cakes, cakes, cake batter, broken heart, mending a broken heart, food as love, finding love after divorce, finding love again, healing from a broken heart, men and women, dating apps, life on the dating apps, strange stories from dating apps, recovery from heartbreak, cooking as a cure for pain, cooking for love, cooking for your life, cooking, mothers, complicated mothers, complicated mother daughter relationships, unconditional love, acceptance, accepting your parents.

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