BEK CONDELLO

MEDIA

ABC News: Why Bek Condello left a doomsday church at 27

Growing up, Bek Condello never imagined she would get old.She believed God would return to Earth at any minute and normal life would be over.It was a belief instilled in her from childhood — if you sinned, you were damned.Warning: This article includes references to childhood sexual assault."I just grew up with this mortal fear of God returning to the Earth at any point, and if I hadn't prayed properly this morning, I might burn in hell for all of eternity," she told triple j hack.Bek grew up as...

The Australian: Cadance Bell Review

Can You Handle A Girl Like Me? is a powerful meditation on not just life in a cult, but what happens to people who are forced to normalise their own abuse. Author Bek Condello is generous and insightful; hers is the kind of storytelling that changes lives. Fascinating as the cult aspects are, it's her work on gender and trauma that shines. Condello resists the temptation of so many memoirists to offer a clean, storybook retelling. There is phenomenal consideration to trauma dumping and how abused women can end up drawn to other abusive men. Can You Handle A Girl Like Me? is a bone-rattling account of one woman's long road to freedom. The secretive cult she escaped still operates in Australia today, yet her memoir does more than just illuminate its extreme practices alone. Condello has written a treatise on the war for women's bodies and the multifaceted harms stitched into the oppression of the soul.
The Sydney Morning Herald •

Sydney Morning Herald: Growing up in a cult, this was the weekly ritual that terrified me more than anything

The pastor had always terrified me. He held himself in the highest regard, demanding to be addressed formally by his full title. It wasn’t just tradition; it was a sign of respect, and he made sure everyone understood that. One Sunday, when I was around six or seven years old, I remember walking into the community hall and my anxiety taking hold of me. I hesitated, just for a second, unable to force his full title past the lump in my throat when he greeted me. My silence was deafening.That brief...
No Filter •

Mamamia No Filter with Kate Langbroek: Bek Condello Was Born Into A Cult. Escaping Was The Easy Part

Raised inside the Geelong Revival Centre, a church she now describes as a cult, every aspect of her life was decided for her — what she believed, who she could trust, who she could marry, what she wore, and what would happen if she ever left. By the time she was an adult, she had never kissed anyone, never questioned the rules she'd grown up with, and genuinely believed the outside world was dangerous.

In this conversation with Kate Langbroek, Bek explains why leaving wasn't the hardest part. The real challenge came afterwards: rebuilding an identity from scratch, grieving the parents she feels the cult stole from her, navigating a marriage that was never really her choice, and learning to trust her own instincts after a lifetime of being told not to.

Bek also speaks candidly about the lasting impact of growing up in an environment where sex was framed as shameful, revealing how it contributed to a diagnosis of vaginismus after her wedding and the profound effect it had on her first marriage.

This isn't simply a story about escaping a cult. It's about what happens when everything you've ever believed is stripped away, and you're left to answer one terrifying question: who are you when you've never been allowed to decide for yourself?

Can You Handle a Girl Like Me? by Bek Condello is available now.
The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show •

The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show: Bek Condello’s Remarkable Story of Rebuilding Her Life

For most of Bek Condello's life, she had everything decided for her, and controlled by someone else. Growing up in a closed-off doomsday Pentecostal church, she experienced abuse and coercive control until she found the courage to upend her life and leave, cutting her off from everyone and everything she knew. Her story of bravery and resilience will floor you, and today Bek is living her best life, and has authored her first book, Can You Handle A Girl Like Me.

Bek's story is a reminder that it's never too late to start the life you want.

You can buy Bek's book Can You Handle A Girl Like Me via Penguin: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/can-you-handle-a-girl-like-me-9781761357886

This episode touches on themes of suicide and abuse. If you need help, Lifeline is always there on 13 11 14 or at lifeline.org.au

Follow Jess Rowe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessjrowe/
And TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@craphousewife

Secrets We Keep - Pray Harder Podcast

The acclaimed investigative podcast series by journalist Richard Baker. This nine-part series exposes the inner workings of the Geelong Revival Centre, a strict, doomsday-oriented Pentecostal church led for over five decades by Pastor Noel Hollins. Through hundreds of hours of audio and interviews with ex-members, the show details a harsh environment where men held absolute authority, children were subjected to physical punishment, and "praying harder" was dictated as the only solution to every problem.

Apple Books July Pick

I'm thrilled to share some exciting news: Can You Handle A Girl Like Me? has been selected by Apple Books as one of its featured titles for July. It's an incredible honour to have the book recognised in this way and introduced to even more readers. If you've been thinking about reading Can You Handle A Girl Like Me?, there's never been a better time. Pre-order now, or go to any great bookstore next week and grab one straight off the shelves!! Thank you to everyone who has believed in my story and helped it find its audience.
triple j •

ABC Triple j Hack: Leaving a doomsday church at 27

Growing up, Bek Condello never imagined getting old.The strict doomsday church she was born into constantly warned that the world could end at any time.But even though she admits she was terrified, Bek says she never really believed it.So how did she escape this world?And what's it like coming to terms with never seeing your family and loved ones again?In this chat, Bek opens up about her life before and the person she's now become. Bek's book Can You Handle A Girl Like Me? is available from Jul...
marie claire •

Marie Claire You're Gonna Want To Hear This: Bek Condello Opens Up About Escaping A Cult

For three decades, Bek Condello believed her childhood was normal. She believed children were supposed to fear God. That questioning authority was dangerous. That doctors couldn’t be trusted. That girls didn’t need careers because their purpose was to become obedient wives and mothers. And she believed the physical punishment she endured was simply part of growing up. It wasn’t until she sat down to write her memoir Can You Handle A Girl Like Me? that everything she thought she knew about her...

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