Penny McNamee Ends Her Silence

The Home and Away Star Opens Up About Her Struggle With Endometriosis and Fertility

- Holly Richards

Usually the first thing you notice when you come face-to-face with Penny McNamee is her mega-watt smile.

Always bubbly, even a sleepless night up with her three-year-old son Jack followed by a 12-hour day of filming won’t wipe the smile from the Home And Away actress’ face.

However this time, when New Idea sits down with Penny, she’s not smiling – in fact, she’s angry.

For more than 20 years, Penny has been harbouring a secret that has left her, at times, crippled – while also making it extremely difficult to give Jack a younger brother or sister.

‘In January I was diagnosed with endometriosis,’ the 35year-old star reveals.

Despite affecting 1 in 10 Australian women, little is known about what causes endometriosis and the only way to diagnose the disease is through surgery, which Penny underwent at the beginning of the year.

‘I was taught from a very young age to be very discreet about my period and that it is a very embarrassing thing,’ Penny states.