Brooke Boney doesn't know what's next... and she's okay with that.

Brooke Boney captivated Australian TV audiences for more than five years as an entertainment reporter and news presenter on the Today Show. Her trademark warmth, intelligence, and authenticity made her a household name across the nation.

A proud Gamilaroi woman, Brooke was the first Indigenous person to work on a commercial breakfast television show in Australia. She didn't just break barriers, she redefined what success could look like for a generation of young women who rarely saw themselves represented on screen.

In a move that surprised many, the respected journalist and TV personality made headlines of another kind when she announced her decision to leave the program in 2024. Trading the bright lights of the studio for the revered lecture theatres of Oxford University, Brooke became a prestigious Charlie Perkins Chevening Scholar pursuing a Masters in Public Policy.

Now 37, Brooke has returned to Australia, albeit temporarily, to promote her new book, "All Of It" - a collection of witty and heartfelt essays. She opened up about her journey of self-discovery to Kate Langbroek on No Filter.

First, listen to Brooke Boney on Mamamia's No Filter podcast. Post continues below.

When asked why she left a job many consider to be the pinnacle of a career, Brooke didn't shy away from the hard question.

"People would kill for that job," Brooke admitted.

"When you know that you've done as much as you can possibly do in a job, and you can see exactly what your life looks like for the next 5, 10, 15 years. I think for me, I was like, there are so many other things I want to do."

Brooke added that the pain of passing up the opportunity of studying at Oxford "was greater than the pain of leaving".

"When you think about it, I'm part of the first generation of women who have been able to do things, like, hold onto my sweetness, have my own credit card, which probably isn't a great decision sometimes, live by myself, or travel overseas, choose to leave a career and study in Oxford," she said.

"Women have never been able to do this sort of thing before — to have that sort of autonomy and make decisions about exactly how they want to be in the world and who they want to be."

Now, after years in the spotlight, Brooke said she's finding freedom in anonymity.

"I've gone from having millions of people listen to what I say every week to no one. And it's pretty lovely, I gotta say," she reflected.

The life pivot hasn't been without challenges, as Brooke admits it took "maybe two or three months to get comfortable looking normal" after years of being television-ready.

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When questioned by Langbroek, Brooke firmly denied any political aspirations. In fact, she remains refreshingly uncertain about her future plans.

"I promise I'm not keeping a secret, and in a few weeks will be like, 'Surprise. This is my new gig,'" she laughed when pressed about her next move. "I think I'm just going to see what happens."

Her book "All Of It" reflects this embracing of life's uncertainties and covers diverse topics from sport and head injuries to fertility, family relationships, and her Indigenous identity.

Brooke admitted that she faced unique scrutiny when she joined Today.

"It was this weird moment where everyone was like, 'Oh, what are they doing?' On one hand, people were like, 'Oh, she's not really black. Look at her, she's just a bit caramel.' But then, on the other hand, they were like, 'What are they doing, putting a black fella on TV? This is a diversity hire," she said.

"People had a very strange reaction to it."

Brooke said she resists negativity by holding onto her philosophy of "sweetness". This is an attribute she values deeply, and it was born after witnessing the women around her "be tougher in order to survive".

Watch: a look back on Brooke Boney's passionate January 26 speech. Post continues below.

"I think, like joy and sweetness and not succumbing to being harder... making a conscious decision to not succumb to that is hard. It's a choice," she explained.

"Any one of us could just be like, 'Oh, well, woe is me... the world is terrible and filled with horror.' But to be able to hang on to sweetness in spite of it, is, I think I'll just always try to do that."

Whether she returns to television or charts an entirely new course after completing her studies in September, Brooke appears to have found contentment in the freedom of the unknown.

But there is one thing she is sure of.

"I don't want to miss out on motherhood. I know one thing for sure is that I just love being around babies and children. There is nothing that gives me more joy, or makes me feel more like myself, than when I'm around my nieces or nephews," she said as she discussed her decision to freeze her eggs.

"I've given myself the option."

Brooke Boney's book "All Of It" is available now.

Feature image: Instagram.