Studio 10 host Narelda Jacobs speaks about coming out to her Christian family

Studio 10 host Narelda Jacobs has spoken candidly about the moment she told her ultra-religious Christian family she was gay.

The 45-year-old, who is set to host SBS’s coverage of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras this year, revealed she finally came out to her family at 21 after struggling to accept her sexuality.

‘I grew up with evangelical teachings that gays are going to hell and HIV is brought by God as punishment. I buried my sexuality deep down,’ she told TV Tonight.

‘But I was introduced to some lesbians in a workplace in the public service, who took me out one night, and my eyes were opened,’ she said.

Narelda, whose father is a reverend in a Uniting Church, said it took her three years to come out to her family.

‘When I came out, my mum said, “I’ll never be able to accept this, but I will always love you.” At the time I thought that’s as far as it would go,’ she explained.

Narelda is in a long-term relationship with her partner, filmmaker Stevie Cruz-Martin.

She will be hosting coverage of the Mardi Gras parade on SBS on Saturday.

The journalist will be joined by co-hosts Joel Creasey. Courtney Act and Zoë Coombs Marr.

Narelda was announced as Studio 10’s newsreader in December 2019, following the departure of Jessica Rowe and Ita Buttrose.

She said at the time she was ‘excited’ to join the team.

The former 10 News First Perth anchor, who was Western Australia’s first Indigenous newsreader, moved to Sydney for her role on the panel.