‘It’s all on the cards’: Chantelle Otten on her and Dylan Alcott’s future plans

Chantelle Otten is a sexologist and the author of The Sex Ed You Never Had. The 32-year-old opens up about her ADHD diagnosis, her relationship with her siblings, and why Dylan is a “magical human being”.

My maternal grandfather, Cornelius Jan, migrated to Australia with my oma, Greta, and together they opened a potato chip factory in Victoria in 1960. My mother, Veronica, helped run the business after my grandfather died from cancer in 1987.

My paternal grandfather, Petrus Otten, or Piet, was born in 1906 and had four children. He was 53 when Papa [Henricus] was born. He worked as an engineer and commander of the volunteer fire brigade in Breda [in the Netherlands] during and after World War II. He was highly decorated for services to the Dutch community. He died when my father was 12.

Dad’s a tall guy, 200 centimetres, who moved to Australia at 22. He taught us how to ride motorcycles and collects vintage cars – we race his cars together. He is an absolute go-getter who helped built women’s refugees and schools in PNG when we were kids.

I have a sister, Stephanie, 11 months older than me, who has an intellectual disability. When Dad found out she was disabled he made sure she could live a beautiful big life and never be without.

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I was diagnosed with ADHD and have a similar directness to my dad. It can catch people off guard. Dad is also a very emotional person, and he has a sixth sense. He calls me on the days I feel most distressed and makes it better and sorts it out.

I have two younger brothers, Alex, 30, and Sebastian, 27. We weren’t allowed to watch TV when we were young, so we played games outside like hide-and-seek. We would climb trees and onto the roof of our Murrumbeena [Melbourne] home – Sebastian still lives there with my parents. My sister lives next door and Alex is at the end of the street with his family.

My first kiss was with our neighbour Jack, a family friend, during a Star Wars game – I was Princess Leia. I was a tomboy and didn’t fit into the femme role, but I took it on.