Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 11, 2021 i Woman's Day Magazine NZ

With Kim Kardashian West filing for her third disastrous divorce and The Bachelorette NZ coming to a romantic conclusion, plus Married At First Sight Australia and The Bachelor NZ both kicking off, it’s another reality TV-packed issue of Woman’s Day. Be sure to read the real reason Kiwi expert Dr Trisha left MAFS on page 24! As well as watching lots of it, I have to confess that I’ve had plenty of personal experience with reality TV. I was a contestant on Animal Planet series Unearthed: Film School Wild, which was basically a competition to be the next Sir David Attenborough. You can tell by the fact I’m still working in mags 13 years later how that worked out! I was also transformed into a drag queen for a challenge…

Princess Eugenie provided a moment of joy in what was a concerning time for the royal family last week. As Prince Philip, 99, languished in a hospital bed, visited by a tearful Prince Charles, his 30-year-old granddaughter released new details about her baby son. His name – August Philip Hawke Brooksbank – is a tip of the hat to Eugenie’s grandfather and Queen Victoria’s consort Prince Albert, whose middle name was Augustus, while Hawke is a Brooksbank family name. In a social media post, Eugenie also slipped a reference to her embattled father Prince Andrew, who had just turned 61 but celebrated privately after stepping down as a working royal amid accusations he slept with an underage girl procured for him by his dead paedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein. “On [August’s]…

Whether or not he ends up with Lexie, Aussie bloke Todd Dialectos is full of love… for Aotearoa! Asked about his highlight from The Bachelorette, the Auckland-based sales manager, 26, admits, “Honestly, as cheesy as this is going to sound, it’s made me fall in love with New Zealand, meeting a gorgeous girl like Lexie and making some amazing friends. “I can see my future here and if I met the right person, I’d stay for good. With the borders not open and not being able to see my family in over a year, naturally, I’m going to miss home, but if I wanted to move back, I would have over lockdown, so I guess I’m here to stay!” Despite admitting he struggled to “control my emotions” during filming, Todd…

Dr Trisha Stratford once worked as a war correspondent, so when the Kiwi star joined Married At First Sight Australia as a relationships expert, she understandably figured she had more than enough guts to deal with the drama of reality TV. But six years later, after leaving the show for good, she says it was worse than she ever imagined! “I thought I had very strong resilience after everything I’ve done in my life, but MAFS took me to another level,” says the clinical neuropsychotherapist, chatting to Woman’s Day from a beach house in the Coromandel. “I run workshops on resilience here and in Australia, talking about things like conflict in war zones. Now I bring MAFS into it because it was a tough gig psychologically.” Last year – after…

For a family who have travelled to some of the world’s most lusted-after locations in five-star style, it’s a bit of shock to hear the following sentence uttered with complete sincerity: “Invercargill has some of the best food we’ve ever eaten!” It’s just one of many local revelations the Dyer family – Abbey, her mum Jaala and stepdad Stephen – have had while filming the first Kiwi season of TVNZ 2 reality show Travel Guides. And while their usual deluxe dining experiences and lavish lodgings have been replaced by more humble kai and camping in a Kmart tent, the fun-loving Hamiltonians say the best part of the experience was simply spending a bit of time together after Stephen was stranded in Singapore for almost five months as the pandemic raged…

‘I wasn’t your average-sized girl, so kids called me fat’ If it hadn’t been for drastic weight-loss surgery, social media sensation Claireabelle Burt would’ve eaten herself to death. The Timaru nanny and singer weighed 170kg when she received a life-changing gastric bypass last April. Now, after years of battling traumatic eating disorders at both ends of the spectrum, she’s finally at peace. “I’ve had anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating disorder,” says Claire, 28, who amassed over 31,000 followers on Instagram after posting about her roller-coaster weight-loss journey. “I didn’t even know binge-eating disorder was a thing until I was diagnosed a few years ago. But it was so severe at one point that food didn’t reach my stomach for two months straight.” Claire’s body battle started at primary school, where she…

When six-year-old angel-faced beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found dead in the basement of her Colorado home on December 26, 1996, the world was shocked and horrified. Now, half-brother John Andrew Ramsey and father John Ramsey are speaking out about their renewed push for answers in the Investigation Discovery documentary JonBenet Ramsey: What Really Happened?. It comes after the exclusive audio diaries of Colorado Springs homicide detective Lou Smit, who came out of retirement to investigate JonBenet’s case, were released to the public. “This murder can be solved,” says John Andrew, 45, who hopes the tapes and modern DNA tracing technology could finally find the culprit. “We have a mountain of evidence... there are hundreds of pieces of physical evidence that have the killer’s DNA that has never been tested.…

Buster made his mark AMANDA SAYS Tracy’s dad comes through and tells me he has Buster and his mother “Gran” with him. Buster mentions the name Roxy and shows me a new female dog. He tells me he came to Tracy at about the age of three one day and never left. Buster laughs and says he thinks it was preplanned. He loves his human brother, Tracy’s son, and talks about how they used to do so much together. Buster shows me he went downhill very quickly in just three to five days. The last three days were extremely rapid, due to his pancreatic and liver failure. Buster thanks Tracy for the most amazing life. Tracy’s dad tells me he has only passed since September last year and that he…

“Perianxiety can present as feeling anxious, irritability, heart palpitations, and difficulty falling asleep,” Lara explains. “Symptoms are typically worse just before the period, which is why I describe it as PMS on steroids.” Lara reminds her clients who struggle with perianxiety, “this too shall pass. It’s not how you’re always going to be.” Symptoms usually improve with magnesium, taurine, progesterone and histamine-reducing strategies. Most perimenopausal symptoms are temporary and should improve when menopause is achieved.…

CORN, CHEESE & ASPARAGUS PIZZA SERVES 4 PREP 5 MINS COOK 10 MINS • 2 large pizza bases • 2 corn cobs, blanched (see tip) • 1/3 cup tomato paste • 2 cups grated pizza cheese • 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, halved, blanched • 2 tbsp olive oil • ¼ cup fresh sage leaves • mixed salad, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 220°C. Place pizza bases on two oven trays. 2 Slice kernels from corn. Spread paste over pizza bases. Top with cheese, corn and asparagus. Bake 10 mins until golden. 3 Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat oil on high. Fry sage leaves, in batches, 30 secs or until crisp. Drain on paper towel. 4 Serve pizza topped with sage leaves and accompanied with mixed salad. TIP Blanch…

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT THE AMERICA’S CUP? I love the unpredictability – who would’ve thought Team UK would be in the Prada finals and the Americans would be heading home?! It’s fast, super- exciting to watch and the sport has the most incredible characters to follow. The atmosphere at the Viaduct is incredible too – it’s got a real festival vibe. WHAT MAKES IT SO DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SPORTING EVENTS? The fact it spans across four months allows spectators time to really get involved. It’s not just one game, then it’s over – the event is constantly dishing up incredible races and it’s really addictive. You can feel the momentum building and Emirates Team New Zealand still hasn’t even been part of the serious racing yet. Imagine when they…

Having a ball Sip it – don’t spray it! Bubbly tennis ace Naomi Osaka celebrated with a champagne shower after winning the Australian Open in Melbourne for the second time. Working class pa! Cold Chisel star Jimmy Barnes may have 14 grandchildren, but it looks like the singer never gets tired of being on grandpa duty! Sweet as! The Coast radio crew marked Sam Wallace’s 40th birthday with a charity bake sale outside their Auckland studio. Too cute! SJP Carries it off! Style icon Sarah Jessica Parker would have made her Sex And The City character Carrie Bradshaw proud with her envelope-pushing outfit on a stroll through the streets of the Big Apple. Padma’s mini-me Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi paid tribute to her daughter Krishna on her 11th birthday…

In 2017, Prince Harry spoke of his love for his niece and nephew, describing Prince George and Princess Charlotte as “the most amazing things ever”. His gifts to them were legendary, including an electric SUV for George, seven, and a top-of-the-line tricycle for Charlotte, five. Even Prince Louis, two, received a first edition of Winnie The Pooh worth more than $10,000. But since he married their Aunty Meghan, 39, welcomed cousin Archie, 21 months, moved to the US and quit the family he once held so dear, the Cambridge children’s playtime with Harry is but a distant memory. ‘WHERE’S MY UNCLE?’ And sources tell Woman’s Day that George, who turns eight in July, has begun asking after his 36-year-old uncle in recent weeks. “He is old enough to remember all…

While we’ve been waiting to see which lucky guy gets the final rose on The Bachelorette NZ, he and leading lady Lexie Brown have been enjoying months of secret dates to keep their spark alive after filming finished late last year. “It wasn’t too hard actually – you gotta do what you gotta do!” the Wellington marketing executive, 31, tells Woman’s Day. “Sometimes it could be fun to have to hide. We had some fun with it. We’d still go out in public, but with wigs on. It was hilarious!” While Lexie confesses it was “confronting” watching herself on TV, she adds, “I loved sharing my journey with the people in my life who I love. We’ve all laughed and cried together. The entire experience was a learning one and…

When she gave up the Cook Island and Tahitian dancing she enjoyed when she was younger, The Bachelor NZ’s Shivani Meera Pragji confesses she “lost my self-love” and stopped taking care of herself. It was a vicious circle that saw the Auckland solicitor, 26, stack on 16 kilos, but it was only when she saw an Instagram ad for samba lessons that she realised the thing that was missing from her life was dance. “I didn’t have a lot of coping mechanisms and I went into a really quiet place for a long time, but three years ago, suddenly samba popped up,” Shivani tells Woman’s Day. “Dance was something that always used to give me a lot of joy and I wanted to get my energy back – to be…

Alessandra Rampolla is set to really spice things up on Married At First Sight this year. With her background and expertise as a sexologist, Alessandra is ready to coach the married couples on all things sex. And yet despite being a published author with five books and a growing list of reality show appearances under her belt, the Puerto Rican TV presenter, 46, tells Woman’s Day it’s her personal life experiences that will allow her to connect with the contestants on a deeper level. “I was married once many years ago and it didn’t work out,” she says. “I think going through those ups and downs of a marriage will allow me to understand what some of these couples will go through. “But I don’t think you need to have…

They were one of the most intriguing couples in their time, and since Shane Warne and Elizabeth Hurley ended their engagement in 2013, neither has settled down or found The One. But now, it appears the pair could be looking to give their love a second chance after flirtatiously commenting on each other's social media pages! While it’s no secret that Shane, 51, has been lusting after the ageless Liz, 55, for years since their break-up – liking just about every photo of the British star in a skimpy bikini on Instagram – eyebrows were raised when Liz seemed to respond to his cheeky hints. “I recognise those railings,” she commented along with a series of kiss emojis on a photo of Shane presumably standing outside his Melbourne home. This…

At just eight years old Isaak Battista received a life-changing kidney transplant from his father Gianpiero, but little did he know in just a few years’ time his mother Rebekka would be making the same sacrifice to save his life again. Now, Isaak carries both his parents with him – their kidneys are keeping the 23-year-old alive and healthy. Born with a collapsed lung and failing kidneys, Isaak was placed in an oxygen chamber for three days to regain his strength. His parents were told he would need a kidney transplant in order to survive. “I was in shock,” says Rebekka, who welcomed her baby at Lismore Base Hospital on January 21, 1998. “I felt like the floor had fallen away... We had this gorgeous baby who I thought was…

Pisces FEB 20 – MAR 20 If you’re open to being amazed by what’s possible, hopefully you’re feeling positive momentum building in your life. This week, there could be some unexpected but positive developments around love or money. Things can change very quickly in your favour. Money could come out of the blue, or there could be some kind of declaration of love! Aries MAR 21 – APR 20 Words are weapons – they can defend and they can attack. It seems the world is divided into two types of people. There are the ones who need to stand up for themselves more, and the ones who need to zip their mouths more! Which category do you fall into? If you’re in the latter, be extra careful what you say…

A simple swab of your cheek can reveal how your genes affect your diet, weight, fitness and overall wellbeing – and you might be surprised by what you learn. The myDNA genetics test provides insights into which genes you possess and how they affect your health. For example, five different genes reveal how suited you are to power or endurance-based exercise. You can then select personalised meal and workout plans that suit your DNA and match your health goals. No need to guess if what you’re doing will work! Genetics kit plus two months of insights for $54.95 or membership for $14.95 per month from mydna.life…

Who doesn’t love a relaxing and rejuvenating facial? We’re all for it, but not always the expensive price tag that comes with it! So, here’s our guide to the perfect at-home pamper. Step 1 Double cleanse Often overlooked for time’s sake, when you’re giving yourself a facial, double-cleansing is a non-negotiable. Start with a cleansing oil, which will help get all the dirt and makeup off your skin so it can really soak up all the products you’re about to use. Try Dermalogica PreCleanse, $27. After using a cleansing oil, wash your face with a gel-based cleanser (or your normal cleanser) to ensure that there’s no grime left in your pores. Try Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser, $57 Step 2 Steam & extract This is an optional step. If you…

Fantastic feta frittata This weeknight favourite gets a modern makeover SERVES 6 Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a large baking tray, then line a 30x20x5cm baking dish with baking paper. Place 300g peeled and cubed pumpkin, 300g peeled and cubed kumara, ½ chopped red capsicum, ½ thickly sliced courgette, ½ thickly sliced red onion and 2 minced garlic cloves in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil, tossing well to coat. Arrange vegetables on baking tray and bake for 15 mins. Meanwhile, whisk 8 eggs together with ½ cup milk, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Place the baked vegetables in baking dish followed by ¼ cup roughly chopped parsley, ½ cup grated cheddar and 150g crumbled feta. Pour egg mixture over top of veges. Bake frittata…

MY BEST BINGE WATCH RuPaul’s Drag Race. I’ve watched every single season and I’m so excited it’s coming to Aotearoa. I must find a way to get to the final! MY TOP PODCAST Is it shameless to plug my own music podcast, Say Something With Ria Hall? I created this during lockdown as a way to combat the uncertainty. Check it out on all good platforms. MY CURRENT MUSIC OBSESSION Marlon Williams. He is insane. What a colossal voice he has – and he’s ours! Incredible. MY READING RECOMMENDATION The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. During the good and the bad, it’s helpful to get some spiritual perspective and encouragement. I love this book for that. MY LOCAL HANGOUT Waikorire/Pilot Bay in Mount Maunganui. My eldest son Te Rongotoa…

NOT HUGH AGAIN! HUGH JACKMAN & DEBORRA-LEE FURNESS He’s used to entertaining millions, but when the Wolverine star and his wife ran into Irina Shayk on the streets of New York, her three-year-old daughter Lea looked less than impressed with the multi-talented actor! Lucky! HELENA CHRISTENSEN The supermodel’s cute pooch Kuma was rewarded with some heavy petting for her fifth birthday. “This little angel pretty much saved my spirit,” says Helena. Queen of sass! SOFIA VERGARA Some are born to be stars, others are not… and in the Modern Family actress’ case, it’s obvious Sofia ruled the stage from a very young age! WHAT A PACKAGE! REESE WITHERSPOON The Legally Blonde star was all wrapped up like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup with puppy Minnie Pearl. A plug to unplug?…

MEET THE MAGNIFICENT 7! The Sussexes made a dramatic announcement last week, confirming they will not be returning to the UK as working royals, and sources say the Queen has had a backup plan for “months”. The UK media report that the 94-year-old monarch has already decided who will get Meghan and Harry’s newly vacated patronages – and which royals will be promoted to the frontline. The new “Magnificent Seven” will include Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie. “They’ll be charged with revitalising the monarchy,” says a source. It’s believed William, 38, will take over Harry’s rugby patronages, Sophie, 56, is expected to step into the theatre roles left vacant by Meghan and Anne, 70, will…

The royal women are usually feted for their eye-wateringly expensive wardrobes, from crown jewels down to designer sandals. But last week, the 73-year-old Duchess of Cornwall became an unexpected trendsetter when her preferred brand of sneakers went flying off the shelves. Footwear company Sole Bliss, which makes shoes for women with bunions, has sold out of its Hero model, worth around $320, after it was revealed that Prince Charles’ wife owned two pairs to soothe her heel-weary feet.…

He’s stoked to have made it to the final two, but Hamish Boyt confesses there were times on The Bachelorette that left him feeling “a bit down mentally”. The Whangarei travel blogger, 30, first suffered from anxiety five years ago, while living on the Gold Coast. He reveals, “For a long time, I just thought something was wrong with me and maybe I was ill, but after figuring out what I was dealing with, it helped a lot just to talk to people and be open about it.” While he has his mental health “mostly under control these days”, Hamish admits, “Definitely, during the show, it flared up again due to being in such a highly stressful environment.” He says he’d never do a dating show ever again, but he’d…

Reality TV addict Niki Osborne says she only appeared on the 2016 season of The Block NZ so she’d have a chance of being on Dancing With The Stars. “That didn’t work out, so I’ve entered The Bachelor NZ to have another shot,” she laughs. “I’m only half joking! Dancing is my ultimate fantasy. If it wasn’t for the fact mosquitoes find me so delicious, I’d say Survivor or Treasure Island, but I think I’d end up voting myself off!” Immediately after filming The Block with bestie Tiffany Mair, the Auckland forensic scientist, 34, spent a year and a half studying at the University of California, where she also attended some fruity Hollywood parties. Niki tells, “There was a raging one in a castle owned by someone from YouTube where…

While her life saw a dramatic shift following her divorce, Alessandra tells Woman’s Day she also underwent a massive physical change after losing a staggering 60kg in 2008. “I had a gastric bypass surgery,” she reveals. “It was such a transformation both physically and mentally.” The reality star says she made the decision to undergo the invasive surgery after trying to have children with her now ex-husband John. “My decision to do it had nothing to do with aesthetics – I did it for my health. At the time, I was married and I was thinking about having kids. I had learned about the complications of trying for a baby with that extra weight, so I made a decision,” says Alessandra. “The surgery isn’t for everyone, but it ended up…

They share the same upbringing, the same happy childhood and even the same nose, but Victoria Beckham and her lookalike younger sister Louise’s lives couldn’t have turned out more differently. The UK newspapers were abuzz last week when they discovered the pop star – known by her nickname “Posh” due to her penchant for the finer things in life – has a sibling working as a high vis-wearing car park usher at a COVID testing site in Essex, which is thought to pay around $20 per hour. “Obviously they came from the same background but have gone in very different directions,” a somewhat snarky source told The Sun. But an insider close to Victoria, 46, tells Woman’s Day that the A-lister “couldn’t be more proud” of Louise, 44, and the…

Alexa to the rescue Gilbert Joseph owes his life to daughter Bree and the family’s virtual assistant Alexa after the tech-savvy 10-year-old used the smart device to diagnose her dad’s heart attack. When Gilbert, 46, began suffering from chest pains and experiencing trouble breathing in April 2020, Bree calmly listed the symptoms to Alexa, who diagnosed a heart attack. Knowing her dad needed serious help, she once again used Alexa, calling her mum Laura, a nurse, who had popped out to nearby shops. “When I got home I could see that Alexa’s diagnosis was right,” says Laura. Gilbert was rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered a tear in his aorta – the main artery that takes blood from the heart. Undergoing an emergency operation, he suffered another cardiac arrest on…

LOVELY SURPRISES This week, there’s a lovely alignment between Venus, the planet of love and abundance, and Uranus, the planet that brings radical turnarounds. So, if there’s a situation in your life connected to love and/or money where you want to shift things, focus on that. Feel the feeling of your wishes fulfilled, see them come true in your mind’s eye, and affirm that you are loved and abundant. We’re in the waning cycle of the Moon, moving towards the New Moon next week. It’s time to relax and allow fears or anything else holding us back to fall away. BE OPEN TO CHANGE In some ways this part of the lunar cycle is about releasing, but it would be a pity to allow this lovely Venus/Uranus connection to go…

Like any new skill, learning to read takes a lot of practice. It requires patience and repetition, and many young children lack the motivation to practise skills over and over again. The best thing parents and grandparents can do is to be a positive reading role model. KEY SKILLS Probably the greatest challenge facing many families is the fact that learning to read is diffi cult. It’s made up of five key skills that are complex and not easy to master quickly: Phonemic awareness (the ability to hear individual sounds in words) Phonics instruction (learning how to break words apart into sounds and put them back together in order to read them) Vocabulary (learning new words) Fluency (the ability to read words quickly without needing to break them into individual…

TOFU & PEPITA SATAY BOWLS SERVES 4 PREP 10 MINS + DRAINING COOK 30 MINS • 300g firm tofu • 2 cups black rice • 1 bunch broccolini, halved • 1 red capsicum, seeded, cut into wedges • ¼ red cabbage, finely shredded • pepitas, lime wedges, to serve SATAY SAUCE • 2 tsp sesame oil • 1 long red chilli, seeded, finely chopped • 2 tsp grated ginger • ½ cup crunchy peanut butter • 270ml can coconut cream • ½ cup water • 2 tbsp tamari • ¼ cup lime juice 1 Line an oven tray with paper towel. Place tofu on tray, top with another piece of paper towel and another tray. Weigh down with heavy cans about 1 hour, to squeeze all excess moisture from tofu.…

E! Live From The Red Carpet: Golden Globe Awards 2021 MONDAY, NOON, E! With a delayed start due to COVID, awards season is finally kicking off with the 78th Golden Globes. As always, E! is bringing us the glitzy red-carpet coverage, with all the gorgeous gowns and celebrity interviews. Afterwards, at 2.30pm, switch to Vibe for the ceremony or catch the repeat screening at 8.30pm. The Town TUESDAY, 8.30PM, DUKE Ben Affleck, Blake Lively and Jon Hamm star in this high-stakes crime thriller about a Boston bank robber who risks everything when he starts a relationship with a hostage from one of his heists. As the FBI closes in on him and his team, this new love could be the end of his career – and his life! The Gulf…

MOVIE BLACKBIRD Susan Sarandon and Sam Neill star as a married couple who invite their loved ones (including Kate Winslet!) to their beach house for one last hoorah before Susan’s character succumbs to motor neurone disease. But a perfect final weekend sours when an old family dispute arises. IN CINEMAS Thursday BOOK THE ROSE CODE by Kate Quinn Opening in 1940, this wartime epic follows socialite Osla, self-made Mab and shy Beth as they’re recruited to crack Nazi codes alongside the greatest minds of Britain. Seven years later, their friendship has fractured, but they must reunite to stop disaster on the eve of Princess Elizabeth’s marriage to Prince Philip. OUT NOW (HarperCollins, $32.99) EVENT BILL BAILEY: EN ROUTE TO NORMAL The legendary British comedian has escaped his COVID-ravaged homeland to…