Olympia Valance and Madeleine West appeared on The Project on Wednesday to promote Network Ten’s new drama Playing For Keeps.
Madeleine, 38, recently split with her boyfriend-of-13-years, celebrity chef Shannon Bennett.
The couple, who share six children, shelled out $19million for a mansion in Melbourne’s Toorak less than a year ago.
‘Yeah I am going through a bad time’: Madeleine West (pictured) faced an awkward question on The Project on Wednesday… after recently splitting with long-term boyfriend Shannon Bennett
After Madeleine discussed her new acting role as an AFL WAG, Project co-host Carrie Bickmore asked the blonde how she was going after ‘a rough couple of months’.
‘How are you going, are you right?’ asked Carrie.
‘Yeah I’m good,’ said Madeleine. ‘I think the key to going through any kind of adversity in life, especially if you’re in the public eye, is just always practice gratitude, kindness, respect, and love for the people who are in your inner circle.
‘If you don’t mind extending a bit of privacy then I’ll still do my very best because I want to be an actor I want to tell your stories,’ Madeleine appeared to touch on her split with Shannon
‘Because at the end of the day I think that everyone has everyone else’s best interests at heart and curiosity comes from compassion.’
She added: ‘And respecting that and saying, “Yeah I am going through a bad time and if you don’t mind extending a bit of privacy then I’ll still do my very best because I want to be an actor I want to tell your stories”.’
Madeleine plays WAG Kath Rickards in AFL drama Playing For Keeps, alongside Olympia Valance, 25, who is WAG Tahlia Woods.
Marriage woes: Madeleine, 38, recently split with her boyfriend-of-13-years, MasterChef guest judge Shannon Bennett (left)
Big family: Madeleine and Shannon began dating in 2005. They are parents to Phoenix, 12, Hendrix, 10, Xascha, 8, Xanthe, 6, and twins Xalia and Margaux, 4
Madeleine, 38, told Stellar on Sunday September 9 that she and chef Shannon, 42, were ‘striving to reconnect as friends and parents’.
She revealed that having a large family ‘puts exponential pressures on a relationship’.
She explained: ‘Having a public profile, having two high-pressure careers, having a multitude of children – and I will say they are a lot harder to train than dragons – it puts exponential pressures on a relationship, and cracks can form, and things that we don’t necessarily plan in the beginning can happen.’
New role: Olympia Valance (pictured), 25, plays AFL WAG Tahlia Woods in Playing For Keeps
Madeleine and Shannon began dating in 2005. They are parents to Phoenix, 12, Hendrix, 10, Xascha, 8, Xanthe, 6, and twins Xalia and Margaux, 4.
It comes after Woman’s Day first reported that the couple ‘broke up’ in July.
A source allegedly told the magazine: ‘Nobody knows what went wrong but whatever happened, it’s sad. They have such a beautiful family.’
Game on! Madeleine plays WAG Kath Rickards in the AFL drama, alongside Olympia Valance, who is WAG Tahlia Woods. The cast of Playing For Keeps, pictured from left: Cece Peters, Olympia Valance, Madeleine West, Isabella Giovinazzo and Annie Maynard
Last September, Shannon and Madeleine bought a mansion in the ritzy Melbourne suburb of Toorak for a rumoured $16million.
Shannon is the head chef of Melbourne’s famed restaurant Vue de monde, and has published eight cookbooks.
Meanwhile, Madeleine is best known for playing Dee Bliss on Neighbours from 2000 until 2003.
She returned to the soap for a recurring role last year, and is now heading back to screens in Network Ten drama Playing For Keeps.