“I’m excited for what next year holds.”

Former Australian Idol star Casey Donovan is one busy woman. Not only is the beloved singer juggling performances with planning her This Is Me tour, but she’s undergoing “back-to-back IVF egg retrievals” in the hope of having a baby with her fiancé Renee Sharples.

The duo – who met on the dating app Bumble during the Covid pandemic and got engaged in June 2024 – have been discussing having a family for some time, and while Renee has already had some eggs retrieved, Casey, 37, admits she hadn’t found time to do it until recently.

“This has always been an option, and now I’m just starting to action everything because I’m not getting any younger, as the doctors keep telling me,” the star told news.com.au in a candid interview.
Casey and Renee are planning for a baby. (Credit: Instagram/Casey Donovan)
“Life doesn’t slow down for women, or anyone in general. But when you’re trying to calculate IVF, drugs, injections, live music, writing, you just somehow managed to fit it in.”

While the couple hasn’t yet planned an egg transfer, it will likely take place in 2026 during a break in Casey’s touring schedule.

“Having a national tour booked in is such an exciting thing,” the performer told the publication. “People gig while they’re pregnant all the time, so it’s just kind of a beautiful balancing act.

“And my manager, KL, is such a genius when it comes to putting things in place. So I’m excited for what next year holds, including the tour and possibilities of a little two-legged Donovan running around.”
Casey is getting candid about her IVF journey. (Credit: Instagram/Casey Donovan)
Life is certainly looking good for Casey – who told the Daily Telegraph in March 2024 that she was in a “very happy, secure place”.

“I’ve done so much growing over the last 35, almost 36 years, and in the last 20 years growing up in the spotlight and on TV, and in magazines and having my life kind of sprawled across all the media outlets,” she said.

“It has taken me to find the love of my life and to kiss a few frogs – and go through a very big part of my life that was challenging – to find confidence and happiness within myself.”

And Renee – a lecturer in paramedicine – appears to be the singer’s perfect match.

“You can’t rely on other people, and you have to give that love back to yourself,” Casey told the Daily Telegraph.

“Someone should only add to the joy and the happiness of your life. You shouldn’t have to wait to find that missing piece.

“And it took me many years – some people never realise that in their lifetime. It has taken me to find someone that brings so much joy and happiness, and adds much to my life, and doesn’t hold love against me like it can be taken away.”
Casey is keen to be a mum. (Credit: Getty)
Speaking previously to our sister publication Woman’s Day, Casey revealed how she and Renee connected over video dates on Zoom – with the star relishing Renee’s great “banter”.

“When I logged into our first Zoom date and saw that Renee had set it up in a cafe, it was so sweet… [it was] even better when she asked me what kind of coffee I wanted,” Casey revealed.