Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 16, 2025 i Woman's Day Magazine NZ

Trim, tanned & terrific! They don’t call her Sporty Spice for nothing! Melanie C showed off her toned torso on a seaside Sydney stroll with beau Chris Dingwall. Dynamic duo There was no missing Elizabeth Hurley and her lookalike son Damian in their striking outfits at the SPA Awards in Saint Petersburg. Ship shape Orlando Bloom and ship’s “godmother” Drew Barrymore had the honour of launching the new cruise vessel MSC World America in Port Miami. Easy rider Easy rider Like a tourist! Queen of Pop Madonna skipped a carriage and toured New York’s Central Park on a bike, getting a workout while seeing the sights. Brat squad Troye Sivan, our girl Lorde, Charli XCX and Billie Eilish formed a supergroup of pop royalty at California’s Coachella festival, where headliner…

Two good mates touring New Zealand in a caravan, heading off the beaten track and tasting sensational kai. What could possibly go wrong? When those mates are TV chefs Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel, then potentially a lot! The Sydney-based MKR favourites spent a month exploring Aotearoa for their new TVNZ show Off The Grid With Colin And Manu, which has left a permanent mark on both of them. During the road trip, French-born Manu spent five hours adding to his collection of tattoos and now sports a Māori design on his leg. Colin’s experience was possibly even more painful. The Irishman still has a scar on his face after an accident while out hunting deer in the foothills of the Kaimanawa Range. “Those guns are really powerful,” says Manu,…

Kiwi actress Mirabai Pease has starred in everything from Head High to Evil Dead Rise, as well as doing the obligatory stints on Shortland Street and The Brokenwood Mysteries. But it’s her role in the Auckland Theatre Company’s production of Murder On The Orient Express that she says she was born to play. “Thanks to my mum, who introduced me to Agatha Christie when I was seven, I’m a lifelong Agatha fan,” says the 27-year-old star, whose mum Tanya Meek is an English teacher. “We watched David Suchet’s Poirot series together and all the Miss Marples. I’ve also read all the books, seen all the adaptations and have a whole bookcase of the novels!” So it’s an understatement to say landing the role of Mary Debenham in Orient Express is…

The name Anna Nicole Smith is synonymous with a larger-thanlife bubbly blonde bombshell. Best known for her short-lived marriage to 89-year-old billionaire J Howard Marshall, which resulted in a lengthy legal battle over his estate, her life was marred by tragedy, before it was cut short just prior to her 40th birthday. But there’s so much more to the former Playboy model than meets the eye. Indeed, it’s no wonder so many films are being made about Anna Nicole’s life, with big names including Margot Robbie rumoured to be playing her. HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Born Vickie Lynn Hogan on 28 November 1967, in Houston, Texas, Anna Nicole had a very working-class upbringing in small town Mexia, Texas, with single mother and deputy sheriff Virgie Tabers Arthur. Dropping out of school, she…

Hitting the stage singing Blank Space, with red lips, wavy blonde locks and a shirt reading “But Daddy, I love him”, it’s clear Shannon Beresford adores every second of embodying her idol Taylor Swift. However, the 32-year-old Canadian musician admits it took two months for her to decide whether channelling Taylor was a good idea for her career. “As women, whenever you put yourself out there as an artist, people compare you to other women,” she explains. “I’m blonde, blue-eyed, sang about love and played guitar, so people were always saying, ‘You’re just like Taylor!’ I didn’t know if this would damage any progress I’d made in the music industry or open up doors.” Now as she prepares to kick off an eight-date New Zealand tour of her tribute show…

Together forever AMANDA SAYS A lovely man comes through with Max, who tells me he has passed over. The man is Karen’s husband. Max tells me he was about two when he passed, and he had been with Karen and her husband all his life. Max brings through another dog he knew called Mollie – the two loved each other. Karen’s husband adored both of these dogs and they were besotted with him. Max and Mollie were slightly different breeds. Max tells me he loved his walks, made many doggy friends over the years and was a friendly soul. Max had serious heart issues and tells Karen he would not have survived an operation. KAREN SAYS I’m so happy to know that I did the right thing at the right…

Whenever international celebs visit, we always hope Aotearoa leaves a mark on them – and that’s literally the case for MKR NZ hosts Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge. As we reveal in our exclusive story on page 14, while filming their new series Off The Grid, which sees them travel the country in a caravan called Betty, Manu got a Māori-inspired tattoo, while his co-star Colin had a hunting accident that left him with a permanent scar on his forehead. Who needs a fluffy toy kiwi or an All Blacks jersey with a souvenir like that, right?! Elsewhere in the mag, we catch up with The Bachelor NZ runner-up Naz Khanjani, who vied for the heart of TV producer Jordan Mauger on the reality show back in 2016. Since burly…

The Prince and Princess of Wales said au revoir to the UK as they hit the slopes in the French Alps with their kids over their Easter break. Having been skiing almost since they could walk, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, looked like pros as they kept up with their parents, showing off their skills as they expertly navigated the mountainous terrain. After announcing her cancer was in remission in January, Kate, 43, looked the picture of health as she enjoyed the fresh mountain air, keeping a watchful eye on her kids as she followed them closely on the slopes. “It was lovely to see Kate relaxing and enjoying herself,” a staff member at a local restaurant says, adding that William, 42, and his family…

He was one of the most famous child stars of his generation, an in-demand actor commanding millions by the age of 10. But for all the fame, success and money that came Macaulay Culkin’s way, sadly, happiness didn’t follow. Much has been made of his emancipation from his parents as a teen, but in a new interview, the star has finally set the record straight about what really happened – and his decades-long estrangement from his father. Speaking on Kate Hudson’s podcast Sibling Revelry, the 44-year-old – who stars alongside his fiancée Brenda Song in Kate’s Netflix series Running Point – got candid about growing up with his father, former stage actor Christopher “Kit” Culkin. Reflecting on growing up with six siblings – Shane, Dakota, Kieran, Quinn, Christian and Rory…

While it’s hard to imagine Home And Away without her, things could have turned out very differently for Ada Nicodemou. As a talented teen, with hit Aussie dramas Heartbreak High, Police Rescue and Breakers already under her belt, the world was at her feet. Then the phone rang with an unexpected proposition. “After Breakers, the head writer had gone to work on Home And Away,” recalls Ada, 47. “They had written the character of Leah for me and had asked if I would do it. However, Breakers was my first experience on a soap and it left a bad taste in my mouth.” Ada could have easily said no. Instead, she presented a counteroffer – she’d join H&A for just six months “and no longer”, she insisted! But 25 years…

If anyone knows how to find love after the horrors of the dating world, it’s Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause. “I used to be drawn to people who weren’t serving me,” admits the real estate agent and actress, 43. “Sometimes it takes getting out of your own head and being open. In staying open, I found my soulmate.” Now married to Aussie musician G-Flip after several disastrous relationships with famous men – including Glee’s Matthew Morrison, This Is Us actor Justin Hartley and her Selling Sunset boss Jason Oppenheim – Chrishell is hosting the reunion special for the third season of reality series Love Triangle Australia. The seven-episode series sees five singles each choose between two potential suitors, sight unseen. After connecting through written messages, they decide which of the…

Tina Dawn was asked to perform as Taylor Swift countless times before she got an offer she couldn’t refuse. She recalls, “I’d just bought a house in Las Vegas to start a rabbit rescue centre and I had 26 bunnies to feed. Do you know how expensive that is?!” Then working in Sin City as a background vocalist for a “Legends in Concert” tribute show, she was approached by the Elvis Presley impersonator, who told her, “I have a gig that pays way more than what you’re making now.” And when she did the calculations, Tina, 43, thought, “I can save a lot of animals with that!” Tina’s very first concert, aged 15, was the band Matchbox Twenty and years later, she went on to date the band’s guitarist, Kyle…

While the conversation around perimenopause is changing, many women still often feel blindsided through lack of information. When personal trainer Michelle Bridges began experiencing symptoms five years ago, it was a condition that very few of us had even heard of. “I was waking up drenched in sweat, my hip ached, my ears were ringing and a good night’s sleep seemed like a far-distant memory,” she recalls. Through her own research, Michelle realised her symptoms aligned with perimenopause, the phase leading up to the final change known as menopause. TAKING CONTROL “I didn’t even know that it was a thing,” admits Michelle. “That’s when I knew I needed to create something to empower women to proactively manage menopause, avoiding the confusion and struggle, and safeguard their long-term health.” Now the…

GIANT ANZAC BISCUITS MAKES 8 PREP 10 MINS COOK 15 MINS • 1 cup rolled oats • 1 cup plain flour • 1 cup desiccated coconut • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar • ½ cup chopped unsalted macadamias • 125g butter, chopped • 1 tbsp golden syrup • 2 tbsp boiling water • 1 tsp baking soda • 50g dark chocolate, melted (optional) 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and line 2 oven trays with baking paper. 2 In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, coconut, sugar and macadamias. 3 In a small saucepan, stir butter and golden syrup together on low heat until melted. In a small heat-proof jug, combine boiling water and baking soda. Stir into butter mixture. Pour into dry ingredients. Stir until combined. 4…

Short & sweet! HARRY STYLES Taking inspo from Paul Mescal (below), Hazza? It was a Sign Of The Times when the 1D singer copied the Gladiator star’s look by stepping out in barely-there shorts in London! BJÖRKING MAD OUTFIT BJÖRK The Icelandic It’s Oh So Quiet singer was anything but muted when she arrived at Milan’s museum of art and design to perform a surprise DJ set. Rockin’ the office GWEN STEFANI & BILLY IDOL Showing what they’d look like in the corporate world, the music idols traded in their showbiz glam for business casual in a new AI company ad. Bored Spice VICTORIA & DAVID BECKHAM Despite her 25-year marriage to one of soccer’s biggest stars, Posh still doesn’t know the rules! She looked bored standing next to David…

Naz Khanjani may have walked away without the final rose on The Bachelor NZ nine years ago, but there was a much greater love story waiting in the wings for the show favourite. After years of long-distance heartache and the hurdles of the pandemic, Naz has finally tied the knot with Londoner Jonny Wilson, who stole her heart from the other side of the globe. “We had the most beautiful, intimate wedding in January at a private location in London with just my parents and Jonny’s mum in attendance,” reveals Naz, 35, who looked stunning in a mermaid-style wedding dress. “Over the past couple of years, we’ve been really private and just wanted our closest family with us on our special day.” After the lovebirds’ small, heartfelt wedding, Naz says…

Their divorce may have started out as amicable, but things have taken a sharp turn, with reports that Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen are now “at war” with one another. At stake is their $270 million fortune and custody of their three children, daughters Olive, 16, and Elula, 13, plus son Montgomery, eight. Together since 2001, the couple married in March 2010 and the world was shocked when they announced their split in April last year, explaining that they had “jointly filed to end our marriage”. “After a long tennis match lasting over 20 years, we are finally putting our racquets down,” they captioned a fun photo in their player whites. While Isla, 49, and Sacha, 53, are said to have told family and friends that theirs would be…

As one of his daughter Ella Bleu’s biggest cheerleaders, John Travolta couldn’t be prouder to watch her embark on her music career and release her first EP into the world. But having spent five decades as an actor and singer in the cut-throat world of Hollywood, John, 71, can’t help but worry how his daughter will fare in an industry that tends to chew talent up and spit them out. “John’s doing his best to be supportive, but he does have sleepless nights over Ella’s big steps into the spotlight,” an insider tells Woman’s Day. “He also knows what it’s like to make mistakes in the public eye, and to go through scandals and heartbreaks with all the world’s worst trolls on attack. “Even though Ella has the advantage of…

The sun was shining as 160 of Sophie Delezio’s nearest and dearest loved ones gathered in Australia’s Hunter Valley to watch the inspirational burns survivor exchange heartfelt vows with the love of her life, Joseph Salerno. Standing on the lush green lawn of historic Anambah House, her five bridesmaids looked lovely in Champagne-coloured silk gowns as they held Sophie’s veil aloft during the ceremony, which saw the 24-year-old bride finally getting her happily ever after as she married her childhood sweetheart. New mum Sophie – who welcomed son Frankie on 13 September 2024 – looked elegant in her white wedding gown, which featured an intricately beaded bodice with floral detail, a plunging neckline, a simple silk skirt and a long train. Sophie and her bridesmaids carried gorgeous bouquets in neutral…

Long before Alone Australia, when he was working as a kangaroo shooter, Murray “Muzza” James would go off on his own for two or three weeks at a time with no human contact. The biggest danger back then was that a roo would kill him. One once grabbed him around the chest and kicked him (“he tore me open down in the crutch region”), another knocked him unconscious with a kick to the head, while a third kicked a knife more than 8cm into his stomach. “It got stuck in my hipbone,” recalls the 63-year-old bushman from Bendigo, two hours north of Melbourne. Muzza’s work history meant he didn’t struggle with loneliness when filming Alone – his biggest challenge was the lack of food. “Just dealing with hunger was absolutely…

BERRY CUSTARD CROISSANTS SERVES 4 PREP 10 MINS COOK 14 MINS • 1/3 cup flaked coconut • 2 tbsp pistachios, coarsely chopped • 1 tbsp maple syrup • 190g pkt croissants (4) • ½ cup double thick custard • 250g punnet strawberries • 125g punnet blueberries • icing sugar mixture, for dusting 1 Spray a 20cm non-stick loose-base round cake pan with oil. 2 Spread coconut and pistachios over base of prepared pan. Spoon over maple syrup, stir to combine. 3 Place pan into 7-litre air fryer. Air-fry 5 mins on 160°C, stirring every 2 mins until golden. Transfer to a wire rack.Set aside to cool. 4 Meanwhile, split the croissants down the centre. Spoon 1 heaped tbsp custard into centre of each croissant. Thickly slice 6 strawberries. Reserve remaining…

Q My sister passed away in February. She was sick but didn’t tell us how bad it was. I live in New Zealand and she lived in Australia. I hope she knows how much I miss her. Is she with our parents? When I see monarch butterflies, I hope this is them letting me know they’re still around. Christine MITCHELL SAYS I have your sister and parents coming through. They’re waving hello and sending love to you. Your sister looks well and tells me she’s not in any pain. Although she was unwell, she felt strong in herself – she didn’t want anyone to worry and this is why she kept how unwell she was to herself. Your mum and dad say they came to collect your sister. Your beautiful…

Husband number 5?! It’s rather apt that their new film’s called Office Romance because that’s exactly what insiders suspect is happening between co-stars Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein on the set of her new rom-com. And judging by our photos, the pair certainly appeared to have sizzling chemistry as they engaged in some seriously flirty behaviour between scenes while shooting in New Jersey. Newly divorced J.Lo, 55, beamed from ear to ear as she cosied up to the 44-year-old British actor, who’s best known for his role as surly footballer Roy Kent in Ted Lasso. It seems the feeling was mutual, with Brett donning an equally large grin on his face. The pair even linked arms as they walked around the outdoor set, rugged up in heavy puffer jackets. While…