We’re getting a serious history lesson from Sigrid Thornton on I’m a Celebrity Australia 2025, who, it turns out, has a pretty epic mum.
First, the Aussie screen icon opened up about her recent ADHD diagnosis, and now, in the episode that aired on February 2, Sigrid shone a spotlight on her late mum, Merle Thornton, a feminist who was an absolute force of nature.
Merle famously chained herself to the bar of Brisbane’s Regatta Hotel to protest Queensland’s ban on women drinking in public bars — a move that would go on to change history.
Here’s what we learned about the iconic Merle, and how she shaped Sigrid’s fearless spirit… even if it did land her in a jail cell!
“A radical feminist from the early days”
Chatting with award-winning comedian Geraldine Hickey and social media star Max Balegde at the I’m a Celebrity basecamp, Sigrid shared just how brave her mum was when it came to fighting for equality.
“Mum was a radical feminist from early days,” she recalled.
“She and a couple of friends of hers, particularly one, went into a pub in Brisbane called the Regatta Hotel.”
Back then, women were only allowed in ladies’ lounges, something Merle wasn’t going to accept.
“They went into the pub and they chained themselves, like the suffragettes, to the railing.”
In her Tok Tokkie, Sigrid explained this wasn’t just about having a beer. It was about equal access to social spaces where major conversations were happening.
“The public bar in those days was a kind of centre for social activity for men. And a lot of the social discourse happened in the bar. And women were excluded from that because they were regarded as the tender sex, the fairer sex.”
The protest made some serious noise, even making international news.
“The police arrived. It was huge. It actually made the international news… It was scandalous.”
When Geraldine asked how people reacted, Sigrid explained: “There were some real naysayers. And in the course of Mum’s career as a feminist, she had death threats and all sorts of things. She didn’t tell us about it at the time… She was incredibly strong.”
Merle’s activism paid off, and Queensland’s laws were soon changed.
Her impact hasn’t been forgotten, with a former Queensland premier promising to erect a statue of Merle at the Regatta Hotel.
“I hope the new government takes this up,” Sigrid said. Same! Give Merle her flowers already!
As Geraldine summed up perfectly: “Cheers to Merle for allowing us to have a drink in the front bar.”
How Sigrid Thornton’s mum inspired her (and that time she got arrested!)
As we learned on the episode of I’m a Celebrity, Sigrid didn’t just grow up hearing about activism from her mum, she lived it. And sometimes, that meant things got a little intense.
“I used to go to women’s liberation meetings at a young age,” she shared.
“Mum and Dad and, Harold, my brother and I were all arrested in a protest against the Vietnam War — the Vietnam War moratorium demonstrations which were happening all over the world. They were just arresting everyone.”
How old was Sigrid when she got thrown into a cell? Just 13 years old! Crazy.
“I was 13, and we were locked up in a cell,” she recalled. Sheesh, that’s one fearless family.
Merle’s legacy lives on through Sigrid, and thanks to I’m a Celebrity 2025, even more of us get to learn about her impact. What an absolute powerhouse!
