Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 28, 2024 i Woman's Day Magazine NZ

If our scrumptious soup recipes (see page 68) aren’t enough to warm you up this issue, we’ve got some fabulous stories that’ll keep away the winter gloom – starting with the happy news that former children’s TV presenter Erin Simpson and The Bachelor NZ star Zac Franich are expecting their second child! I’ve been keeping this a secret for a couple of months now and I’m thrilled Woman’s Day can finally let the cat out of the bag for this cute couple, who were just coming to terms with the fact they might never give their son Harry a little brother or sister when Erin found out she was pregnant. See page 12 for our exclusive interview. Also in this issue, Olympic swimming hopefuls Caitlin Deans and Kane Follows share…

Spice Girl, reality star and bestselling author Mel B is adding another title to her résumé – doctor! The singer has been secretly studying trauma care at Leeds Beckett University in the UK, where she’ll be given an honorary doctorate recognising her work for survivors of domestic abuse. A thrilled Mel says, “When I was told I was being given the doctorate, it was an incredible honour, but I wanted to earn something too.” The 49-year-old – who became a patron of UK charity Women’s Aid after the end of her abusive marriage – says she hopes her other Spice Girls pals will be at the ceremony, where she’ll wear a graduation gown lined with leopard print. “I didn’t tell them I was studying, so they were surprised. I didn’t…

Ellen DeGeneres shocked fans when she abruptly cancelled four shows from her final US stand-up tour with no explanation, but an insider reveals the comedian could be secretly dealing with health issues. “She’s told everyone not to worry, but some friends are convinced it’s her back issues playing up again,” a source says. “She’s still having problems from getting COVID years ago.” The tour is the 66-year-old’s comeback after toxic workplace allegations hit her talk show in 2020. Our insider adds, “Ellen just wants to make the world laugh and with her perfectionist nature, she’d rather cancel a show than put on a subpar performance.”…

Before she became a mum, Erin Simpson never considered herself to be a particularly maternal sort of person. Yet when she welcomed her son Harrison two years ago, the TV presenter and influencer fell so head over heels in love that she could imagine giving him a brother or sister almost straightaway. “I was never sure if I wanted another baby,” admits Erin as she and her husband Zac Franich sit down at their Auckland home to chat with Woman’s Day. “But I found myself thinking, ‘I’d like to do this again for Harry!’ I love the idea of Harry having someone to play with and grow up with.” While the 42-year-old had fallen pregnant naturally with little Harrison, she knew things might not be so straightforward the second time…

Squeezing into their infamous purple wedding outfits a quarter of a century after tying the knot in an Irish castle in 1999, David and Victoria Beckham seemed to be having a ball as they celebrated their anniversary. “Yep, still got it!” they wrote in a joint post on Instagram. “Can’t believe it’s been 25 years and they still fit!” ‘David may not have been the only one with a roving eye’ But behind the smiles and silly faces as they posed on thrones for social media, the past few weeks have been a tense time for the celebrity supercouple, who have amassed a whopping $900 million fortune. Last month, former BBC journalist Tom Bower released his book The House Of Beckham: Money, Sex And Power, which painted an unflattering portrait…

A decade ago, Wellington mum-of-three Emma-Kate Woodham was at the tail end of divorce, juggling hospital trips for her sick son and suffering from debilitating anxiety. She was also battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a lifetime of near-death experiences and operations for a rare heart condition. Today, Emma-Kate, 49, is the happiest and healthiest she has ever been, and she credits a special kind of medicine – mindfulness. Every morning, she wakes at 5am to start a daily mindfulness practice that includes meditation and journalling, followed by a 40-minute walk with her dog. Then she heads to her job as a mindfulness coach helping others struggling with life. “Growing up, I was told I wouldn’t make it to adulthood or have kids because I was born with the heart…

TOP TIP If you don’t have felt for a table runner, this also works with a roll of festive wallpaper or heavy-duty craft paper. DIY special FELT CUTWORK TABLE RUNNER YOU WILL NEED • Roll of craft felt the length of your table, plus another 1m • Tailor’s chalk or pencil Craft • Scissors • Cutting mat • Craft knife 1 To calculate the length of felt you’ll need, measure the length of your tabletop and then add 1m to allow for the overhang at each end. Mark the length on both edges of the felt with tailor’s chalk or pencil, draw a line between them, then cut along the line with scissors. 2 Cut out stars (you can find printable star templates online at websites like firstpalette. com)…

Microgreens in a bottle greenhouse Microgreens have become very trendy. The word may sound high-tech, but they’re really nothing more than just delicate seedlings of regular plants. As they shoot up through the soil, they are bursting with nutrients. Not only are they delicious, but they’re good for you too! And you can grow them for next to nothing. Skip the seeds from the garden centre – all you need can be found at the supermarket for a tenth of the price. With a mini greenhouse made from a bottle, there’s hardly any labour involved. Just fill the base with water when you sow and the plant will take care of itself! STEPS 1 Cut off the top third of the plastic bottle. This will be the roof. 2 Make…

ROAST CARROT & PUMPKIN SOUP WITH MAPLE BACON SERVES 4 PREP 15 MINS COOK 65 MINS • 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 tsp ground cumin • 2 tsp ground coriander • 1 red onion, peeled, cut into 1cm wedges • 500g carrots, halved lengthways, cut into 2cm pieces • 700g pumpkin, peeled, cut into 4cm pieces • 4 cups chicken stock • 200g streaky bacon • 2 tbsp maple syrup • crème fraîche, micro herbs, warm crusty sourdough or baguette, to serve 1 Preheat oven 220°C. Mix oil, cumin and coriander in a small bowl until well combined. Place onion, carrot and pumpkin in a large roasting pan. Spoon over spiced oil mixture. Season. Shake pan to coat all the vegetables. Spread veges evenly over base of pan. Roast…

Beef with pepper sauce A cosy dish you can cook on the barbie SERVES 2 To make sauce, place 7g black peppercorns, and a pinch of salt into a mortar. With a pestle, crush the peppercorns into a coarse consistency. Put 100g finely diced shallot and 2 finely diced garlic cloves in a small pot with 25g vegetable oil. Sweat over a medium-low heat for around 3 mins, then turn heat up and add 40g brandy. Cook until reduced by half, then add 15g soft green peppercorns, 20g soft pink peppercorns, 3g thyme leaves, 30g Dijon mustard and 400g beef stock. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 mins or until everything comes together. Finish with 30g cream. Season to taste with salt and a touch of stout beer vinegar…

EDITOR Sebastian van der Zwan DEPUTY EDITOR Amy Prebble CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Denise Bowden ART DIRECTOR Mirella Monteiro DESIGNERS Anna Pétursdóttir, Béla Trussell-Cullen, Debby Wei, Hayley Pearce PHOTO & EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Kellie Blizard BEAUTY EDITOR Anna Lee MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jane Huxley GENERAL MANAGER Stuart Dick EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sarah Henry ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Claire Chisholm claire.chisholm@aremedia.co.nz SALES MANAGER Chloe Jordan chloe.jordan@aremedia.co.nz SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Jacquie Fraser jacquie.fraser@aremedia.co.nz COMMERCIAL BRAND MANAGER Bridget Hewitt bridget.hewitt@aremedia.co.nz CAMPAIGN MANAGER Angela Wei Woman’s Day is published by Are Media Ltd, PO Box 52122, Kingsland, Auckland 1352. Printed by Webstar, 114 Swanson Road, Henderson, Auckland 0610. © 2024. All rights reserved.…

The Chase star Mark Labbett has some explaining to do after his ex-girlfriend, Hayley Palmer, revealed she’s suffering from “betrayal PTSD” over him dumping her out of the blue two days after their one-year anniversary. The Sky News reporter, 42, says she had no clue there was trouble in their relationship until Mark, 58, called to say he no longer wanted to divorce his estranged wife and second cousin Katie, 31. “Heartbreak isn’t even the word,” Hayley admits. “I was so low, I couldn’t get out of bed.”…

For a salt-of-the-earth bloke from the small Tasmanian town of Smithton, the MasterChef Australia kitchen was a shock. But butcher Josh “Pezza” Perry has rolled with the punches and it’s paid off big-time. “My biggest fear coming into the competition was that I’m not a dessert man,” tells Pezza, 43. “I don’t cook nice little cakes, but when you do it and you do it well, it’s so rewarding.” Somehow managing to navigate chef Darren Purchese’s cherry blossom dessert challenge was a big win for Pezza, who narrowly avoided going home in week one of the competition. “The first goal was obviously to not go home first,” he tells. “I was right on the chopping block. Then making the top 10 was a pinch-myself moment. I’m proving to myself that…

Keeping the peace in a large family is never easy – and veteran actor Clint Eastwood is finding that out the hard way after one of his daughters launched a fierce public tirade against other members of the clan. Clint, who has eight grown children, has been left caught in the middle after his daughter Kathryn, 36, took to social media to attack her younger sister Morgan, as well as her former stepmother Dina. The bitter feud is believed to have broken out after Morgan’s recent wedding at Clint’s Californian ranch and was made public when a fuming Kathryn ranted about her “evil stepsister” on social media. Kathryn posted a smiling photo of her and her sibling, writing, “I had to break up with my sister Morgan after her wedding…

Hosted by former What Now star Shavaughn Ruakere and filmed in the Cook Islands, FBoy Island NZ was rocked by controversy before it even started airing in late 2022, with contestant Wayde Moore edited out of the show at the last minute after it was learnt he’d been charged with suffocating a drunk woman. Though he was found not guilty, the judge described his behaviour as “deeply inappropriate and disrespectful”. Two years on, tradie Kiera McLeod reveals she and her man, Auckland actor Will Inwood-Reardon, are “loving living the quiet life” in her hometown of Wānaka. Hinting at an engagement, she tells us, “We’re super-excited to share the next milestone that seals the deal of our relationship shortly. We can’t say what it is just yet as only those closest…

Former model Michael Whittaker has swapped designer suits for sportswear as the visually impaired athlete pursues a future at the Paralympic Games. Auckland-based Michael, 34, once lived a life as a leading model, hitting the catwalks of New York, Paris, Milan and London, working with brands like Prada and Dior. But in his mid-twenties, his life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa – a genetic disorder causing dramatic vision loss. “When the long-term implications were spelt out, I didn’t really know how to process it,” he admits. “I did my best to compartmentalise it. No one really knew and I avoided talking about it.” But as the condition worsened, Michael decided to settle into life in New Zealand and study for a PhD in English…

Taking care of the stuff you already have and reimagining it is a way of taking care of yourself and your savings. And one way to lessen the need for new stuff is to start really taking care of the things you already have. Often the most sustainable t-shirt, shoes, bike, dress or computer is the one that you already have – even if it needs a touch-up, a new screen or a few stitches. So let’s make fixing stuff awesome again. This habit has some side benefits too. You will save money by not buying as much, you’ll get more creative as you figure out how to fix the things you already have and as you reconsider your relationship to your things, you’ll feel less need to purchase more.…

Q My partner passed away a few years ago. Since then, I’ve seen floating orbs in my room at night – is it him? I have grown close to a friend called Terry. Could you see him as a potential life partner? Lost Scorpio MITCHELL SAYS Your beautiful partner is coming through straightaway. He’s smiling and tells me the orbs you’ve seen in your room are in fact his spiritual energy. The next time you sense or see them, take a photo and when you zoom in on the orb, it’s possible you’ll see his silhouette or face within. He loves you so much that his wish is for you to be happy – you have his blessing to love again. He says that you and Terry share a special…

Party in USA Snack Masters NZ host Kimberley Crossman and her new husband Tom Walsh went all out for Independence Day in LA. “My first celebrating as an American citizen,” the star posted. That ’70s glow! Longtime TV co-stars turned happily married couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher packed on the PDA at the BST Festival in London’s Hyde Park. Let’s go, girls... Country music queen Shania Twain impressed the crowd at the star-studded BST Festival by belting out a few of her classics. She’s Still The One! Man, I feel like... this is a great show! Ride & slide! She’s not a regular mum – she’s a fun mum! Mean Girls star Lindsay Lohan and her one-year-old son Luai enjoyed some time at the park. Sun’s out, guns out!…

She might be almost the tallest and oldest artistic gymnast competing in Paris, but for Georgia-Rose Brown, all that matters is that she’s finally living her childhood dream of taking part in the Olympic Games! It’s been a long time coming for the 1.73m-tall 29-year-old, who started gymnastics when she was just five years old. She’s competed at six world championships and two Commonwealth Games, but she missed out on qualifying for the Olympics by narrow margins in both 2012 and 2021 – a bitter pill to swallow, but these setbacks only fuelled her determination. “It’s important to accept that you’re not going to make it every time,” Georgia-Rose tells Woman’s Day. “Those experiences made me stronger and more focused on my goals. I found missing out helpful because it…

What are these two cooking up?! Current MasterChef Australia star Sofia Levin and former judge Matt Preston were spotted deep in conversation as they strolled around the Melbourne suburb of Malvern together, checking out a number of eateries. Amid mixed ratings, MasterChef producers have insisted the judging line-up will remain unchanged for the show’s 2025 season, but there are suggestions food writer Sofia, 34, could be trying to convince Matt, 62, to rejoin the series – or that they’re working on another separate programme. Matt has teased fans on social media, posting a picture of himself in front of a patisserie school, captioning it, “New project.” He has previously admitted he regrets leaving MasterChef in 2019, saying, “There were definite dark moments when I sat there and said to myself,…

After being cruelly catfished by someone she thought was her best friend, which led to years of struggle with self-confidence and relationships, Casey Donovan is thrilled to announce she’s engaged to her girlfriend Renee Sharples! Flashing a stunning diamond ring, the 2004 Australian Idol winner, 36, beamed with joy in Renee’s arms as she took to social media to share her big secret, revealing the beautiful way Renee romantically proposed three weeks ago. “On the strawberry moon of the winter solstice, the love of my life asked me if I wanted to do this life together forever,” Casey shared. “The day I met you, home was no longer a place – it became a person. Yes, you are a gypsy, but there’s nobody else I would rather attach my wagon…

They say go hard or go home, but for The Traitors New Zealand contestant Andrew Allemora, being bold led to him getting banished. The Auckland marketing executive, 38, was the latest player evicted from the castle in the Three reality show when his plot to target Gore author Noel Calamas blew up in his face. “I had seen so many signs from Noel that he was a Traitor,” Andrew tells. “I felt so stupid when I realised how wrong I was.” Andrew, Noel and Wellington administrator Brianna Anglesy were separated from the rest of the cast by host Paul Henry, then given the morbid task of digging a grave to represent the fact one of them would soon be dead to them all – banished from the series. Unfortunately for…

Chrome cred Step into the spotlight and shine bright like a diamond with these metallic marvels. These sleek, silver showstoppers will add futuristic flair to any ensemble. Pop them on for a touch of instant glamour and let your fashion star soar! Urban cowgirl Yeeha! Saddle up for a wild ride with a bit of western flair. These styles were made for turning heads and kicking off some fun. To embrace your innerner cowgirl, wear your boot-scootin’ beauties with double denim or under floaty dressess and skirts. Tall order Keep it effortless, elegant and sophisticated with the ultimate wardrobe staple. These knee-high beauties are versatile enough to elevate any ensemble from casual to chic. Wear them with absolutely anything – they’re the secret weapon in every fashionista’s arsenal! Lace it!…

Mimi’s perfectly hoppy AMANDA SAYS Mimi comes through and tells me she passed over quite recently, when she was eight years old. Mimi then brings through a dog called Bella who has also passed. Mimi and Bella were very close, so it wasn’t a surprise to see these two together. Mimi tells me she had been with Karen since she was a baby. Karen hadn’t planned on having her but loves and misses her very much. Mimi shows me a couple of sets of paw prints she made on Karen’s mirror recently. She tells Karen they are there to let her know she’s still around. They’re still very connected. Both Bella and Mimi show me Karen moves their ashes from the bedroom to the lounge every morning to be near…

Game faces! FAMOUS TENNIS FANS The dreary weather did nothing to dampen spirits at Wimbledon! And while the action on court was amazing – we love you, Lulu Sun! – we couldn’t keep our eyes off these celeb guests and their facial gymnastics... Just hit the ball... Third wheel alert! HEIDI KLUM The German supermodel enjoyed a romantic gondola ride through Venice with her husband Tom Kaulitz... and his twin brother Bill! Are they secretly conjoined twins or did Heidi get a cracking deal on Groupon? Mum’s the word HILARY DUFF The Younger star had her hands full with her two-month-old daughter Townes while enjoying a park day with her family at Studio City, LA. KILLIN’ IT! COURTENEY COX As she emerged from a freezer with a killer Ghostface-style face…