Radio star Matty Acton reveals the reality of becoming an ‘underage grandfather’ at 37 and how he coped living under the same roof as his wife, son, his partner and their newborn

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For people under 40, becoming a grandparent is a milestone that sits on a distant horizon.

Not so for Brisbane radio star Matty Acton.  

Last year, Matty surprised everyone by announcing he was a grandfather, even though he was only 37 years old.

In October, his stepson Ethan and his wife, Maddy, had a baby girl named Illyria Fay Acton. It’s their first child.

Matty and his wife, Esther, have been married for 12 years. Esther had a son, Ethan, three years before they first met.

Matty told the Daily Mail that despite a very chaotic year, he wouldn’t trade his experiences for anything.

‘Mate, it’s been amazing,’ he said. ‘But it’s been a wild ride, to be honest.

I’ll never forget the phone call from our oldest son when he told me he was planning to propose. I was so surprised, I remember thinking, “Where has the time gone? How did this happen?”

‘They got married, and then to find out that they were having a baby was just incredible.’

He said he felt lucky to have ticked off the grandparent milestone before 40.

You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about this phase of life we’re in. It’s honestly pretty amazing to be experiencing things now that most people don’t encounter until much later – maybe their 30s or 40s. We’re getting a head start, and I feel incredibly fortunate for that. It’s a special time, and I’m really embracing it.

You know, everyone told me becoming a grandparent was a huge deal, and honestly, they weren’t kidding! All the excitement and buzz I heard about? It’s absolutely real. It’s been an incredible experience, just as everyone said it would be.

‘She’s just turned one and it’s been the best, honestly,’ he said. 

Everyone says becoming a grandparent is incredible – that you’ll love your grandchildren just as much as you love your own children. And it really is – it’s one of life’s most wonderful experiences.

The great thing is, you enjoy all the benefits, and then it’s handed over to you to take care of it – like when you’re given a baby!

Matty explained that things weren’t always this way. Previously, Ethan, Maddy, and Illyria lived with him, Esther, and their children, Xander and Eden, all under one roof.

The young family has become independent, but they often visit to bring their usual fun and energy back to Matty and Esther’s house.

‘Yaunty and Yuncle the kids call themselves because – young aunty and young uncle,’ he said.

I’m so grateful for Ethan and Maddy – they’re here a couple of times a week helping with the kids, taking them out to play and just keeping things lively. Honestly, with everyone running around, our house is usually pretty chaotic, but it’s a good kind of chaos!

Dinner time at the Acton house is usually chaotic, especially with three kids, a daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter all trying to eat together.

Matty has partnered with EveryPlate, a meal kit service that makes cooking simple. EveryPlate’s recipes have just four steps and most can be made in about 20 minutes.

For Matty it’s the perfect mealtime hack to cope with the chaos.  

You know, tonight is one of my favorite nights – family dinner! My son, his wife, and our adorable grandchild will all be here, and we’re just really looking forward to being together under one roof, enjoying a meal and each other’s company. It’s simple, but those moments are everything.

The EveryPlate challenge to cook meals in under 20 minutes has been a lifesaver. It’s great when you start making dinner and suddenly realize guests will be arriving any second!

Honestly, I used to dread making dinner because a roast takes forever, and everyone gets so hungry waiting! But now, I love that I can just quickly throw something together – seriously, under 20 minutes – and have a meal that actually fills everyone up. It’s such a lifesaver!

Matty says his EveryPlate cooking tip has led people to think he’s a great cook.

‘My wife is a fantastic cook and I’m an okay cook,’ he said.

I like EveryPlate because it’s simple and provides everything I need. It lets me easily cook meals that people enjoy, without a lot of effort on my part.

Matty, the radio personality, shared a surprising dinnertime tip: he uses ‘gaslighting’ – a manipulation tactic – to get what he wants at mealtimes, in addition to using EveryPlate.

‘The biggest thing is getting people to agree on what to eat. So one of the things I like to do, especially with the children, is not tell them what they’re having for dinner,’ he said.

I frequently remind people of things they said they wanted, like, “Remember you mentioned wanting this? We’re having it for dinner.” But then they’ll deny ever saying it, and when I point out we discussed it recently, it feels like they’re trying to make me doubt my memory – it’s definitely a form of gaslighting.

‘And you know everything’s chicken if the kids ask.’ 

Despite a hectic home life and a demanding job, Matty has managed to take on even more projects.

Earlier this year, Matty and his wife, Esther, started a podcast called “Underage Grandparents.” It shares their experiences of becoming grandparents before the age of 40, and Matty says it’s a way for them to relax and share their story.

Okay, so you already know he’s amazing, but did you hear he wrote a children’s book?! It’s called Bumble the Bumstinger – seriously, the title alone is genius! – and he wrote it with his radio buddies, Stav and Abby. I need to own every copy. It’s probably a masterpiece, honestly.

With the book hitting shelves this week, could the trio’s side hustle turn into a main gig?

‘I know what you’re saying, Bluey should watch his back,’ Matty laughed.

We created this to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and if it does really well, we might write another book.

We primarily wanted to create a wonderful book for families, and we hoped it would help us raise enough money to grant wishes and bring joy to children.

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2025-10-25 14:34