Bec and Lleyton Hewitt’s eldest daughter Mia has spoken candidly about growing up in the public eye, admitting she deliberately stayed out of the spotlight for years despite her famous surname.
The 20-year-old musician, who is now stepping forward as lead singer of folk band Father’s Favourite, says her parents worked hard to shield her and her two siblings from media attention while she developed her own identity outside of public scrutiny.
Being the daughter of Aussie tennis great Lleyton Hewitt, 44, and his Home and Away star wife Bec, 42, meant Mia has been in the public eye ever since she was born in 2005, alongside her siblings Cruz, 17, and Ava, 15.
‘I did a few photo shoots when I was a kid, mainly with my parents. But this is the first time I’ve done anything like this by myself,’ she tells this week’s Stellar magazine, as she graces its cover in a glamorous pose.Â
Mia said her childhood was shaped by constant travel, which kept the family close but also heightened their awareness of public attention.
‘We were each other’s world for so long, because we were travelling all the time. That closeness keeps you grounded. My siblings are my best friends. We grew up a little bit more aware there were more cameras around us than the average kid,’ she said.Â
Bec and Lleyton Hewitt’s eldest daughter Mia has spoken candidly about growing up in the public eye, admitting she deliberately stayed out of the spotlight for years despite her famous surname
‘I did a few photo shoots when I was a kid, mainly with my parents. But this is the first time I’ve done anything like this by myself,’ she tells this week’s Stellar magazine
The Hewitt family lived in the Bahamas for some time before settling in Melbourne and now Mia is based in Sydney with her boyfriend.Â
She revealed that growing up in the public eye was a surreal experience in many ways.
‘People feel like they know you, and they essentially don’t. If you’re in it from a younger age they just kind of see you as one thing,’ she said.Â
‘And it’s hard, because they’re not seeing the actual evolution of you, as a person. Just the image.’
Mia has since turned her focus to music, recording a debut EP and performing live with Father’s Favourite alongside her best friend Chèrise Combrink.
‘Music has always been my constant,’ she said. ‘I have always, deep down, wanted to do that – but I didn’t have the confidence.
‘I ended up being homeschooled for a little while, and I kind of retreated into my shell. But I’ve made some really beautiful friends and found like-minded people doing similar things. That gave me this boost of confidence to just go for it.’
Now, she says performing is the highlight. ‘I love performing in front of people. That’s my favourite thing about being in the band.’
Being the daughter of Aussie tennis great Lleyton Hewitt, 44, and his Home and Away star wife Bec, 42, meant Mia has been in the public eye ever since she was born in 2005, alongside her siblings Cruz, 17, and Ava, 15. All pictured
Bec rose to fame playing beloved character Hayley Smith Lawson from 1998 to 2005. She exited the series when she fell pregnant with Mia. Pictured together in 2019Â
Her musical tastes are firmly rooted in the ’60s and ’70s, with Stevie Nicks a major influence.
‘Anything early rock ‘n’ roll has my heart,’ she said.
Asked about the ‘nepo baby’ label, Mia took a matter-of-fact stance.
‘It just kind of is what it is,’ she said. ‘I can’t say no, I’m not. Because of my parents, I know people. I’m the first to admit that.’
However, she still works a regular retail job alongside creative pursuits.
‘My friends call it the Hannah Montana life,’ she quipped. ‘The best of both worlds.’
Mia’s mother Bec rose to fame playing beloved character Hayley from 1998 to 2005 – she exited the series when she fell pregnant with Mia.Â
In December 2024, it was reported that Mia appears to be following in her famous mother’s footsteps.Â
Mia was pictured on the set of Australia’s second longest–running TV series in Palm Beach – 26 years after it made Bec a household name.Â
A Channel Seven spokesperson exclusively told Daily Mail that Mia has been working on the show for some time.
‘Mia has been a casual wardrobe assistant for the last 1.5 years and is a part of the H&A family,’ they said in a statement.
Mia started up a folk-rock duo with her friend called Father’s Favourite and in a photo dump shared to the band’s Instagram, the young rockers labelled themselves ‘The Queens of King Street’.Â
But starving artist, Mia is not – When the young performer wraps up her gigs in dive bars around Sydney’s Inner West, she most likely returns home to her parents’ $10.3million Glenhaven’s Estate.
