“I was in enormous pain when it happened – sweating bullets. It was the kind of pain that you can’t even sort of tell people ‘I’m OK.’ Because I wasn’t OK, I really wasn’t,” says Julie, who injured herself rehearsing for the reality show.

RECIPE FOR DISASTER

“I had to be carried out of the studio, because I couldn’t even put my foot down on the floor. I was rushed straight to the doctor.”

And it wasn’t good news for the celebrity cook.

“The scan showed that it was very, very serious. Two bad tears in my calf muscle. There were tears,” she says.

“When I got that news from the doctor, I thought, well, ‘That’s the end of that, I just felt shattered.’”

Especially as the 53-year-old says she dropped everything for Dancing.

“As soon as I made the commitment, I put everything else aside. I was training five and six and even seven days a week,” says the MasterChef winning cooking queen.

“I ramped up all my exercise. I started training at a whole new gym as well as the gym I already went to. I really was committed to being as fit and strong as I could be because I didn’t want to injure myself.

“I didn’t want to not be able to keep up and I didn’t want to get puffed. I really did everything in my power to get in the kind of physical condition I needed to be in.

“It was months of hard work and then, right at the very last minute, right before I was going to go on and do my first number, this happens.”

After 15 years in TV though, Julie believes in the idea that the show must go on!

NOT GIVING IN

And while it’s now up in the air if she’ll get to make her DWTS dancefloor debut, the determined star is going to try!

“I don’t give up that easy,” she tells Woman’s Day. “I’m stubborn. The doctors can tell me what the doctors want to tell me and I’ll take that under advisement and then see if I can prove them wrong.”

She’s also practical, though. “If I can’t get out there and dance I think I’ll need a while to recover emotionally because it’s just been a beautiful time and a really special experience,” she says. “I would really hate for it to end like this.”

Julie also wants to don the sparkles and dance her heart out for her three-year-old granddaughter Delilah.

“First it was my children, and now my grandchild, everything I do it’s just to show them you give things a go – and don’t be frightened to get outside your comfort zone because that’s where the best parts of life happen.”

The post Dancing With The Star’s Julie Goodwin: “I’m Absolutely Devastated” appeared first on Now To Love.

“We were just really excited, and so we told ourselves if anything went pear-shaped, we’d just keep our sense of humour about it all,” says Jess, 30, of the couple’s big day at Mimosa Wines near Bermagui on the NSW South Coast.

BEAUTIFUL BUT CHAOTIC

“I wore a six-metre-long veil,” the bubbly bride tells Woman’s Day. “It wasn’t coping when a breeze picked up during my vows and was basically wrapping around Andrew and my bridesmaids. One of
them, Emma, grabbed it and tried to pull it back. We got married on a pier over a small lake, so she almost fell in, then I almost fell back into the water as well, so, in the end, I just stepped to the side
and took my veil off.

“One of our family members described the ceremony as “emotional, beautiful and chaotic,” Jess adds with a laugh.

“It was very us – it was perfect! We’re still on cloud nine!”

The brief for the day was a formal country garden party, and in a sweet touch, the bridesmaids’ dresses were Jess’ something blue! The reality star wore a gown from Jane Hill Bridal in Melbourne, with an A-line skirt and delicate beading, a low-back and thigh-high slit, and long sheer sleeves with pearl closures at the wrist and down the back.

“It was the dress of my dreams,” says Jess, whose favourite moment of the day was walking down the aisle, which was studded with long-stemmed white roses, with her father Geoff.

“My dad is one of my favourite people in the world – he’s just an absolute legend – so that was really beautiful,” she says.

“And obviously seeing Andrew at the end of the aisle!”

Her groom’s highlight was saying his vows in front of their 145 guests.

“It was when I got the most emotional,” he reveals. “Neither of us had heard them. I got a little bit teary.”

“We were incredibly lucky with the weather too,” Andrew, 34, adds.

“The two days before, it just rained so much. It was a beautiful day on our wedding and then the day after, it rained again. We didn’t really have an option for wet weather, so we were a bit nervous!”

The couple opted to skip a traditional wedding cake – serving a three-course menu and canapes instead.

“We wanted to have a really bougie canape hour, so we had really beautiful nibbles – like Peking duck and lamb koftas – and had our favourite drinks, which were spicy margaritas and limoncello spritz,” shares Jess. “Everyone got stuck in!”

When the couple chatted with Woman’s Day last year to celebrate their engagement, they shared that they would start trying for a family on their honeymoon. So, is that still the plan?

“We’ve been practising,” laughs Jess.

“We’re not trying for a baby just yet. We’re really enjoying the time of ‘just us’ and I do think babies won’t be too far off, but we’re not quite there just yet. We’ll wait another couple of months and then see where we are.”

They already have a list of baby names, and a lot of their friends have just started families. “It’s all happening,” laughs Andrew.

The couple, who share a home in Delegate, NSW, plan to watch this season of Farmer Wants A Wife, especially as one of Andrew’s groomsmen, Joey Bobbin, is looking for love on the show.

“We’ll be rooting for Joey,” says Jess.

MARRIAGE MADE IN TV

“He’s a bit of a character,” says Andrew.

“It will be interesting to see how it all plays out for him.”

“He saw that it can work from watching Jess and I,” adds Andrew, who thinks the show’s high success rate at matching couples is because “it gives people in rural areas a chance to meet people they wouldn’t have. There’s no way Jess and I would have ever crossed paths had we not gone on the show.

“I know Jess took a lot of convincing to do the show and a friend of mine signed me up as a joke… it’s not really the way any of us ever imagined we’d be meeting each other, but it worked out in the end.”

See more of Jess and Andrew’s wedding this season on Farmer Wants A Wife, Sun, 7pm, & Mon-Tues, 7.30pm, Seven & 7plus.

The post EXCLUSIVE: Farmer Andrew & Jess say ‘I do’ at a perfect country garden party appeared first on Now To Love.

But in an exclusive chat with Woman’s Day, the couple say they’ve never been stronger – and are already planning for life after the show.

“We’re on the same page about everything. Jack’s always been really transparent with all the roadblocks we’ve faced and because of that there was no need for my mind to wander,” says Tori, 27. She tells Woman’s Day she sees another side to Jack – who has faced backlash from both viewers and his MAFS co-stars for his controversial behaviour – that others don’t see.

“Jack is this very nurturing, loving, caring, supportive, old school, traditional type of guy,” she says. “He makes me feel protected, safe, secure. And that’s the side of Jack that I’m defending each and every week.”

DAD’S THE WORD!

He’s also perfect father material, according to Tori!

“I think Jack would be a great dad. I just know that he was brought up with really strong values and he’d make an excellent dad. Kids are very important to me. We’ll have them,” she says with no hesitation.

Meanwhile, Jack, 34, says Tori’s changed his mind about starting a family – and he’s now “100 per cent” keen!

“I felt like this my entire life. If I met a girl that didn’t want to have kids, it’s not a deal-breaker. If I met a girl that I fell in love with and she does want to have kids, I’m absolutely open to having kids,” he tells.
But the couple say they’d like to tie the knot for real before beginning a brood.

“I grew up in an unconventional family and I have nothing against that – my mum did an absolutely amazing job raising me. But I think for myself, I would like a traditional set-up,” Tori shares.

The pair are already well on their way to that, with Jack revealing that he already feels a part of his TV wife’s family!

“Tori’s mother, Melissa, calls me son-in-law,” he laughs, “and we’re on FaceTime all the time, which is great.”

The drama on the show has only brought the pair closer together.

“She stood up for me. It was a big turn-on to have someone have my back like that. She didn’t know me that long, so she kind of had to bite the bullet and trust me,” Jack says of Tori’s reaction to his run-in with co-star Lauren, who he controversially said needed to be “muzzled”.

Tori tells Woman’s Day that her co-stars are “threatened” by her and her relationship with Jack.

“A lot of the women in the group are quite emotional and intense, so the composure that I’ve had throughout the experiment is quite off-putting because they can never relate,” she says.

“Tori is the most emotionally intelligent woman I’ve ever met,” chimes in Jack, who says it’s another thing that attracted him to the Victorian business development manager. And if they manage to stay together after the experiment, Jack can’t wait to share their unconventional love story with their future family!

“It’s crazy, like something to tell the grandkids!” he laughs. “I met your mother on a TV show where we got hammered and we beat all the odds!”

“My feelings – my connection – with Tori has grown,” says Jack.

The couple got matching tattoos on screen. “We’re on the same page about everything,” says Tori.

“She absolutely trusts me now,” says Jack of his wife.

The post MAFS’ Jack & Tori are certain they’ve found their fairytale appeared first on Now To Love.

Cheryl Toh jokes to Woman’s Day that it’s because there isn’t that much to know!

“I’ve been married for 20 years, two kids… I think I’m a pretty average lady in my mid-forties,” jokes the 44-year-old as she sits down to grab some lunch after our photoshoot in Sydney.

An average lady with a not-so-average side gig! Cheryl says she has fellow Chaser Issa Schultz, aka The Supernerd, to thank for helping her land her spot on the Aussie series.

“I’ve been friends for more than 10 years with Issa, and when the show first launched they had Anne Hegerty, who’s just wonderful, and then the producers decided, ‘Well, what about some Australian female talent?’ So they put the word out. Issa recommended a couple of friends and then we all auditioned.”

Now, she says all the Chasers are “very much a team”.

“We’ve got a WhatsApp group that we exchange interesting trivia on or talk about things that are happening in the quizzing world,” says Cheryl, who’s a big fan of their lovable host, TV legend Larry Emdur, 59.

“Larry’s a wonderful man, a true gentleman,” she shares.

“He’s extremely professional. Always punctual. And really considerate of everybody that works on the show. For our last day of filming in 2023 he ordered pizza and shouted everyone lunch.”

Away from set, Cheryl – who is an in-house lawyer for an agricultural business, juggles her day job and TV commitments with raising her family with engineer husband Jason, 46, who she met when they were both students at The University of Adelaide.

“He’s not really into trivia, so I’m not sure he understands the appeal,” Sydney-based Cheryl laughs.

“But he’s very good at doing the cooking, picking up the kids and so on when I have to be in the studio. He’s always been very supportive.”

The protective mum is keen to keep her two kids out of the public eye, but says she lives up to her Tiger Mum persona in real life.

“A Tiger Mum is caring, strict and demonstrates a lot of tough love – quite big on discipline and structure. Good grades are the minimum but we also encourage them to excel in sports and music as much as they can. It’s just about ensuring they make the most of their opportunities,” says Cheryl, who admits her daughter “is really proud” of her appearance on the show.

“It means a lot to her and to me that Asian Australian women are represented in the mainstream media because when I was growing up, I didn’t see anyone who looked like me on TV unless I watched a late night SBS movie,” she tells Woman’s Day.

“And so it’s meaningful for us to have some representation in a small way.”

And she’d be keen to be on our screens even more!

“Issa did spectacularly well on Dancing With The Stars. And apart from trivia, dancing is probably my favourite hobby – I do Zumba every week!”

When asked if she’s let this info slip to the producers at Seven ahead of the casting of the next season of Dancing, she laughs.

“No! But I really love dancing. Except, when you do it at the gym, you’re in your comfy sneakers. I’m not sure I can manage those stiletto heels…”

The Chase Double Trouble premieres January 29 at 5 pm on Seven.

The post Exclusive: The Chase Australia’s Tiger Mum, Cheryl Toh finally opens up about her private life appeared first on Now To Love.

“I remember one time [fellow model] Sarita [Holland] and I were travelling to Adelaide and these girls were actually chasing us down the road,” laughs Danielle, who appeared on the 2003-2005 reboot of the daytime series alongside host Larry Emdur.

“Oh my god! I thought that was amazing! Why are they so interested in us, you know?”

Eighteen years later, the 44-year-old still gets recognised.

“Sometimes people say to me, ‘Where do I know you from? You look familiar.’ And I’m too embarrassed to say I used to be on TV. So I say, ‘Oh, I’m not sure, maybe we’ve met somewhere else.’ I’m a bit shy,” she laughs during our catch up at her home.

Danielle only has fond memories of the Melbourne set.

“I’m so thankful for my time on The Price Is Right. The whole cast and crew, it was like one big family. Going to work was just so fun. We laughed and laughed at all the silly and crazy things we did,” she tells Woman’s Day.

“I mean, one day we’d be dressed up in a bikini on national TV – and in front of a live audience as well! – and the next, we’d be dressed up as an alien, a cow or even a spoon!”

She’s no longer in touch with Larry, 59, these days but Danielle reveals the TV host was “just amazing” to work with.

“We had a good connection, and he was just unreal to be around,” she shares.

“He was so charming and had a great sense of humour.”

Danielle’s still close to some of her fellow models from the show though.

“Sarita [Stella] is one of my besties,” she says of the social media influencer. “But all of the cast were brilliant.”

And when they catch up, Danielle admits, talk often turns to their game show gig.

“We always run through all the crazy things we got up to and how fun it was and how lucky we were,” she says.

“Our job was to entertain and bring joy to people. And, you know, people won a lot of money.” Multimillions in fact!

“We had showcases for over a million dollars,” says Danielle, who reveals the show took no chances when it came to the prizes.

“There were times where I was carrying cash onto the stage, and I think there was like $500,000 worth of cash, and there had to be a security guard next to me.”

These days, she still has an entourage – but they’re slightly smaller in stature.

“I love nothing more in life than being a mum,” says Danielle, who shares Oscar, 14, Dahlia, 12, Harvey, six, and Harry, 21 months, with her AFL coach husband of 15 years, Steven King, 45.

“I’d have a hundred kids if I could.”

Danielle still models on the side, and also managed to squeeze in a law degree between babies, too.

“I was in the hospital giving birth with my books,” she laughs.

“Law is something I’ve always been passionate about, but I was always too scared. So eventually I thought, ‘You know what? Just give it a go!'”

Another thing close to Danielle’s heart is her travel app, The Offering Bali, where tourists can support The Bali Children Foundation while accessing deals.

Closer to home, there’s just the small matter of packing up the family’s gorgeous Gold Coast pad for a move back to Melbourne for Steven’s work.

“It’s busy and chaotic,” Danielle laughs. “But I feel blessed.”

The post The Price Is Right star, Danielle King speaks on her new life as a mum of four appeared first on Now To Love.

Fast forward to 2023, and it’s clear drama and scandal have taken priority over hammers and nails.

In a revealing interview, former contestant Tanya Guccione tells Woman’s Day she’s had to spend “thousands” on therapy since her appearance and reveals that the charm of the beloved series is nothing more than a cover-up for behind-the-scenes antics.

“I have the invoices to prove [my therapy costs],” says the 41-year-old, who ended up receiving death threats from angry fans.

She claims it was hard to tell fact from fiction while appearing on the Nine ratings hit in 2021.

“I still don’t know what was real and what wasn’t,” says Tanya, who was slammed for taking a sneaky snap of the production schedule to gain an advantage in the competition.

“I took the photo. But did [the show] deliberately put the schedule up on the wall I had to pass to go to the toilet?” she asks wryly.

After snapping the controversial picture, Tanya says she quickly felt bad about her actions and, upset, went to someone behind the scenes on the show to ask for help.

“This particular [person] just said, ‘You’re speaking to the wrong person’ and walked away,” she says.

Now, Tanya’s calling out the series for failing in their “duty of care” to look out for the competitors on the show.

“There was no support. No counselling,” she says. “[My husband] Vito was down on the floor crying, saying he couldn’t do it any more, and nothing…”

Tanya claims Nine offered no help either when disgruntled viewers took things even further and started sending threats to the couple when the show started airing.

“We received letters sent to Vito’s work,” she shares.

“The show has a responsibility to take care of their talent, that are making them hundreds of thousands of dollars. And I’m not talking about a pay cheque! But real care… care that matters.”

Current Blockhead Leah, 31, has received similar backlash this year, and Tanya tells Woman’s Day she reached out to the stressed star to offer her advice on how to cope with the fallout.

“I told her not to make the same mistake I did and own your behaviour,” says Tanya.

“I also told her to communicate [with her co-stars] without cameras and without microphones. If there is a rift going on, get on the phone and chat with each other.”

Tanya says she and fellow Blockhead Georgia Caceres – who had a dramatic on-screen fallout on the 2021 season – managed to clear the air behind the scenes while their battle played out in front of the cameras.

“I remember when the show was airing, Georgia and I were in a good place. Once you’re out of The Block bubble and you’re home, and you’re in a safe environment, it’s so much easier to communicate, and Georgia and I spoke for like an hour and a half.”

“We laughed, we cried, we connected as mums, and by the time the auction came around, we were in such a good place.”

The catfighting in this controversial season has reached a new level, and Tanya thinks the bullying that has gone to air has been a “step back” for women and she hopes the series returns to its heart next year – renovations!

“It’s doing women a disservice – surely we’ve moved on from that?!” she says.

Tanya certainly has. The busy mum of two teens has thrown herself back into her art and makeup business and has also created her own line of kaftans – all part of her Tanya Guccione Collection.

And while husband Vito, 46, has been so burned by his reality TV experience, he’s sworn off it for life, Tanya’s up for appearing on screen again – as long as it’s not The Block!

“I think my journey on The Block is over,” says Tanya, who admits she’s been approached to play the villain on a number of other reality shows since the show but turned them all down.

“That’s not who I am. I don’t want that moment in time to define me.”

The post The Block villain, Tanya Guccione reveals all the show’s secrets appeared first on Now To Love.

But the 2022 Blockheads hint that they’re about to be back on our screens themselves very soon with their own show!

“We have a couple of exciting things about to happen that we’ve been working on for a little bit,” teases Rachel, 37, as she settles onto the family’s couch alongside her husband to chat.

“We’d love to do our own show, so watch this space.” While the mum-of-three says the couple – who live in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire with a stunning view of the Georges River from their light-filled dining room – have “been so lucky in everything that’s come from it for us”, they say they’d never do The Block again.

“We can’t walk away from the kids for that long,” says Rachel, who admits leaving their three children, Everleigh, six, Mila, four, and Tommy, two, was traumatic.

“It’s not about the experience, it’s about what happens when you come home. And trying to repair what happens when you leave your kids for that amount of time. It’s not worth it.”

That was especially true after the couple were left disappointed on auction day.

Rachel and Ryan tell Woman’s Day they went into the experience hoping for a profit of at least $300,000.

“You don’t buy a lottery ticket for a $20 win,” Ryan jokes. “You see these incredible auctions, and you see Mitch and Mark winning $700,000…”

While they may not have walked away with the windfall they were expecting, they did make some lifelong friends.

“You have this relationship that no one else can understand,” says Rachel, who admits Block winners Omar Slaimankhel and Oz Malik “just stopped talking to everyone and then said we stopped talking to them”.

But they’ve managed to smooth things over now. “We’ve all come together for different things and it’s been fine,” she shares.

Rachel remains closest to Sarah-Jane Calleja, with whom she created and co-hosts the popular podcast I Just Can’t.

And while she’s staying mum on their top-secret television project, she’s happy to give us a few hints.

“We’re not flying away from the kids this time,” says the former makeup artist, who shares the couple bought a fixer-upper in the southern NSW town of Berry with their $169,000 profit from The Block.

“It’s a beautiful spot,” says Rachel, who adds with a knowing grin, “We love renos…”

Back to The Block!

The Block viewers will also see Rachel and Ryan pop up in an episode next month when they spend time with Blockheads Steph and Gian.

“We went out for dinner and I said, ‘Give me the tea, give me the goss.’ Well, I got the tea and the goss!” Rachel laughs.

The couple are convinced this year’s contestants will fare better on auction day than they did. “The game’s changed,” says Rachel.

“The first thing you’re doing now is calling your buyer. I think it’s going to be a big sword fight between [The Block serial buyer] Danny Wallis and [Melbourne billionaire who bought Sharon and Ankur’s house in 2022] Adrian Portelli.”

The post The Block 2022 stars, Rachel and Ryan are getting their own show! appeared first on Now To Love.

Along a winding path, into an ancient rock cathedral shaded by gum trees, the 29-year-old bride made her way down the aisle on the arm of her father Mark Fren, who was overcome with emotion.

“When I saw Victoria, I was bawling my eyes out. I just couldn’t stop,” Mark tells Woman’s Day. “I didn’t know whether it was because I saw my little girl was getting married, she was all grown up, or I was thinking of my bank account!”

The star of the day was less-than-impressed at her dad’s show of emotion, though. “It actually p**ed me off,” Victoria joked to Woman’s Day.*

“Everyone was looking at him instead of looking at me. It’s about me!”

VOW OF LAUGHTER

The family’s signature humour was evident in the couple’s vows, too.

While groom Nathan, 30, revealed his relief that the big day had finally come around so he could ditch the “man shakes”, Victoria promised to continue bringing back duty-free alcohol for her new husband from her trips overseas with her famous family for Nine’s Travel Guides.

The groom’s Aboriginal heritage was also celebrated, with Nathan’s cousin Brenden delivering a moving Acknowledgement of Country and didgeridoo performance during the ceremony.

“It was amazing,” says Victoria, who explained how the whole day was inspired by Nathan and his family’s love of the bush.

After guests enjoyed drinks on the sunset deck, perched high above the valley while the bride and groom posed for pictures, it was on to the reception, with the highlight of the whole wedding for Victoria – the couple’s first dance.

“We’d practised so long for it and it definitely paid off,” says the reality star, who took lessons with her fiance at Newcastle’s Your First Dance Co for weeks prior to pulling off the six-song mash-up extravaganza.

“It was so epic,” says Victoria. “We had the dry ice and the fireworks and then the band chimed in. It was spectacular.”

So too were the bridal party’s custom suits, which fitted the bush theme in shades of rust and botanical print ties – all from Rundle Tailoring in Newcastle.

The couple’s celebrity friends Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie took on the MC duties for the evening, with Mitch explaining how The Block stars “immediately said, ‘Of course!'” when they were asked to do the honours.

“They were fantastic,” says Victoria of the pair’s hosting skills. “They’re such lovely people.”

Victoria also credits her dad with pleasing the crowd with a “beautiful speech”, but says it was Nathan’s best man, friend and neighbour Mitchell who “stole the show” with his.

Michael Teng was the only Travel Guides castmate on the tight guest list, with Victoria revealing the couple “only had limited numbers” and “didn’t really want it to be a Travel Guides thing”.

“We just wanted it to be about me and Nathan,” she shares.

The couple’s nearest and dearest enjoyed a banquet feast of delicious dishes, including black angus sirloin with miso, beetroot-cured ocean trout and butternut dauphinoise with browned sage butter from Rabbit & Co Caterers.

“The Frens love a buffet,” says Mark. And the gourmet grub was washed down with Peter Drayton Wines Pokolbin, before the partygoers had fun in the Peachy Booths photobooth, Michael’s new side gig.

After enjoying the dessert bar and wedding cake from The Patisserie Oak Flats, which the bride says was “absolutely beautiful”, the evening ended with guests gathering around a big bonfire.

“Everyone got changed and then met by the fire to debrief after the reception,” says Victoria of the warm ending to a magical day.

And if this were Travel Guides, the Frens say they’d give their “unique” wedding venue five stars. “It was just absolutely stunning,” says Mark.

The newlyweds are now packing their bags for Thailand for their honeymoon, but Victoria still has a long bucket list of places she’d like to visit with her funny family on Travel Guides.

“I want to do Spain, the Maldives,” says the star, who works in disability and aged care support when she isn’t filming the show.

“There are so many places in the world we still haven’t been to yet.” And Victoria is keen to stay on the Nine reality hit “as long as they still want us”.

“We love Travel Guides. It’s so nice, with me and Jonathon being older, to be able to still travel with our parents.”

She and Nathan also have other plans for the near future. The couple – who have been together since they were 18 after meeting through mutual friends – are already parents to a fur baby, their dog Zeus, but plan to add one of the human variety to their family soon.

“I think we’d like one or two kids,” Victoria tells Woman’s Day. And she says she’d “love” if brother Jono and his wife Danielle, both 32 – who tied the knot in 2021 – started a family at the same time so the cousins could grow up together. “That would be beautiful.”

But Victoria and Nathan’s future children won’t be Frens – much to her family’s dismay.

“We are now the Morans,” Victoria declares. “No longer a Fren… I think the family deep down is heartbroken.”

See more on A Current Affair, Wednesday, 7pm, before Travel Guides on Nine.

The post EXCLUSIVE: Inside Travel Guides star Victoria Fren and husband Nathan’s dream wedding appeared first on Now To Love.

“I’m glad I did that,” the 48-year-old tells Woman’s Day in between shots at our exclusive photoshoot in Sydney.

“I really needed it. It was hard to do because I don’t usually take time off and always push through. But that’s what I’d been doing – I’d been pushing through too much and I just couldn’t do it any more. I just needed a little bit of time off to recuperate and it’s been great.”

After reprioritising, Jackie admits she wouldn’t hesitate to quit her famous gig for good if she had to. “My health will always come first,” the star admits.

But, thankfully, Jackie doesn’t think it will ever get to that point.

ROUTINE IS KEY

“I don’t see a reason why it would ever get to a stage where I wouldn’t be able to do the show, because that’s really important to me,” she insists.

“I love my job and that keeps me sane in a way. It’s good for me to have that routine and to go in and have fun every day and laugh the way that we do. It’s good for the soul.”

Speaking of routine, Jackie reveals she’s completely overhauled hers after also using her extended break from radio to get back on track with WW and drop an amazing 12 kilograms in the past three months! “It’s just been a total turnaround when it comes to eating and exercise,” says the presenter, who admits she “wasn’t looking after myself”.

All those early morning starts saw Jackie reaching for quick sugar and carb fixes to try to perk herself up.

“You get really tired and you have no energy. So the last thing you want to do is cook or exercise, but it’s a vicious cycle,” admits the Sydney-based star.

“I was eating a lot of food that I could get in a hurry. You know, pizza and sandwiches and just takeaway, I wasn’t cooking myself. And I think it’s always best when you know what you’re putting into your body. I just got really lazy…

I was taking the easy option. I’d stop into a service station, I’d pick up a sausage roll, or grab one of those microwave meals.”

Jackie, who says she loves to cook, is getting busy in the kitchen again.

“It’s just nice to get back to eating fresh food. I’ve never enjoyed salads before and I’ve learned to make some amazing salads,” says the star, who’s also changed how she exercises.

“I used to go to the gym and would just do 30, 40 minutes on the treadmill. I read something the other day, ‘You never really know how long a minute is until you are exercising,’ and it’s so true,” Jackie laughs. “So this time what I’ve done differently is I break it up and do different things every day. I’ve started tennis. I absolutely love that.

I’ve even started doing aqua aerobics now. I just do something every day, but it’s always something different so it doesn’t feel like a punish.”

And all her hard work was on show in the swimsuit snaps Jackie shared on social media of her new year trip to Fiji with daughter Kitty, 12.

“When I was younger, in my 20s and 30s, I used to be so hard on myself, and I never wanted to be seen in swimmers,” Jackie confesses when Woman’s Day compliments her on her pics.

“But now, it’s like, who cares? Just live your life. I feel a lot more confident than I ever have and I’m learning to love my body for what it does for me.”

Jackie says it’s especially important to embrace her body with the eyes of a tween watching her every move.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’ve had moments where I’ve said something in front of [Kitty] where I go, ‘Oh no, I feel big in this.’ She’s the one that will stop me and say, ‘Mum, what are you talking about? That’s beautiful.’ You want to be a really good role model for your kids and you don’t ever want them to see you analysing your own flaws because that’s not healthy and you would never want them to do that.”

Jackie says Kitty often steps in to be the sensible one on their mother-daughter shopping sprees, too.

“It’s interesting because she tends to be the one that pulls back and says, ‘No, no, we’re not spending that money,'” she admits.

“She’s a good kid. But if you just give them everything they want, they’re never going to appreciate anything or work for anything. But, in saying that, we did go on a shopping spree in LA recently,” laughs Jackie.

Her little shopping partner will also have to sign off on the next man in her life.

“If she didn’t like him, then he’s not sticking around, that’s for sure,” Jackie, who split from former husband Lee Henderson in 2018, says of her future partner.

The star, who’s been single ever since, hints this could be the year she finally heads back into the dating world. “I was always afraid to be alone, and now I’m not afraid to be alone and it’s just nice to sit in that for a while and know that I’m OK with my own company and I’m in no rush,” she says.

“I always believe in fate. I always think if you’re meant to find someone, it will happen.”

The post EXCLUSIVE Meet Jackie 2.0: Fresh, fit & fabulous appeared first on Now To Love.

But the Aussie stars, who play Alf Stewart and his daughter Ruth “Roo” Stewart, laugh when Woman’s Day suggests there must have been a falling out over the last decade.

“We fight all the time, like cats and dogs, the crew have to tear us apart,” Ray, 78, jokes, before adding seriously, “We’re both very, very blessed to have the sort of working relationship that we do.”

COFFEE DATES

“He might get sick of me but I don’t get sick of him,” says Georgie, who affectionately refers to Ray as her other father. In fact, rather than growing tired of each other, she reveals the close-knit pair find reasons to spend time together.

“If we’re both driving out to location [Sydney’s Palm Beach] and we’ve got half an hour, [Ray will] say, ‘Let’s pop in to that place and have a coffee.'”

In fact, so firm is the actors’ friendship that Georgie admits Ray’s a big reason she’s stayed on the soap for so long.

“I’m more than happy to be anchored to such an iconic character [Alf]. But more importantly, it means I get to do most of my scenes with Ray and that’s a huge drawcard for me to want to stay with the show,” says the 58-year-old.

She doesn’t think Ray, who’s played Alf since the very first episode of the show in 1988, will be going anywhere for a while, either.

“We both like getting up and going to work,” adds Georgie, who joined the show in 2010.

While the pair are tight-lipped about what viewers can expect from Home And Away’s 2023 storylines, Ray says the show is such a well-oiled machine now he isn’t surprised at all at its ongoing success 35 years after it first hit our screens.

“Even if our production team changed and the writers all changed and they employed people who were hopeless, it would take the [new] people at least three years to bugger up the strength of what the show is now,” Ray laughs.

Both admit Home And Away’s enduring popularity has a lot do with the fans. “Without them, we haven’t got a job,” says Ray, who, as one of Aussie TV’s most recognisable stars, can’t go out without being spotted. “It goes with the territory,” he says.

Georgie jokes fans have to be quick if they want an autograph from the man himself! “Ray moves so fast I [struggle] to keep up with him,” she laughs. “So when people recognise him, he’s metres away by the time they realise.”

The post Home and Away’s Ray Meagher and Georgie Parker show what 13 years of friendship looks like appeared first on Now To Love.

“I would be surprised if anyone could top it,” Felix tells Woman’s Day.

“The fairy lights are out, the red carpets are out and as far as the proposals go, there are some exciting things that happen and I can’t wait for everyone to witness what that will be.”

Did the past success stories from The Bachelor give you confidence in the process?

Thomas: I think everyone wants to love and be loved and The Bachelor’s so amazing because it’s one of the few shows that actually does have success.

Jed: You get to know someone on a very personal level without talking about who won the footy on the weekend. You throw the small talk out, you get straight into the deep stuff.

Were you a bit disappointed when you knew there were going to be other Bachelors?

Felix: I was excited! I come from a team sport background. So I’ve always thought everything is better done with your mates by your side. And, of course, we didn’t know who was going to be by our side at that point but it’s all turned out pretty well.

Thomas: We’re very close with each other and that was one of the great things with this experience, having each other and thank goodness we all get along. This was unlike other seasons. We had the chance late at night to debrief with each other and discuss and give each other advice.

Were you expected to propose?

Felix: We were told beforehand that was the intention. But no, we definitely weren’t forced to do that at all.

Jed: You can progress the relationship at any rate you want.

With the show’s big revamp, do you feel pressure for this series to be a success?

Felix: I don’t think it’s really up to us. I think our part has actually been to find love. And that’s why we’re here. We’re not here to make a show a success. We’re here to find a partner.

Thomas: People want to see a love story and they want to see people be genuine and I definitely know they’re going to see that.

This year the show moved to the Gold Coast and the Bachie mansion was a $14.5 million pad – how was that?

Felix: Absolutely amazing! The funny thing was you’d have this amazing view in the morning, and yet you just stumble out and make yourself breakfast and sort of forget that you’ve got the most pristine view of the Gold Coast.

Was it hard going back to normal after a taste of the high life?

Thomas: Yeah. It was tough to get back to the ground level, but we slowly adjusted [laughs].

It appears some of you face rejection this year, rather than you just sending the girls home – was that tough?

Thomas: No. I think it’s great to actually show that it’s not all up to us, you know? To date someone is a choice between two people, and if someone’s not feeling it, then they have every right to leave.

Felix: Of course nobody likes rejection, but it’s a part of life and it’s something that we have to learn. And I think with grace and empathy, we can always learn that there are two sides to every situation, especially a relationship. And that’s OK.

Jed: You know, some people go in for a profile, but I think it added to the authenticity of [this season] that some girls were like, ‘You know what? I’m looking for something here and I don’t necessarily find it in this person.’ Now, plenty of people could continue through that process and just keep going on the show. But I think it just showed everyone was in it for the right reasons.

Do you all have different tastes in women or did the attraction cross over?

Thomas: We are three very different men, but we have similar core values so in some cases, yes, our taste can be similar…

Oooh… sounds like drama is ahead! Are you surprised at how emotionally invested you got in the show?

Thomas: Oh God, yeah. So surprised. You forget about the cameras very quick. You definitely get very invested in those rose ceremonies. Even at the early stages, it was really difficult.

Have you guys got a Bachelors group chat?

Jed: We do! It’s been kind of cool to just stay in touch and it has made this whole process a lot easier to have two guys next to me that know exactly what we’ve all been through. I think it’d be hard if I was just sitting there by myself, whereas I’ve now got two guys I can bounce stuff off that know exactly what everything was like.

The Bachelor starts January 9, 7.30pm, Ten.

The post Get the popcorn ready! The Bachelors reveals viewers will be in for a shock this season appeared first on Now To Love.

“Last year we decorated a metre above the ground,” Jules jokes of needing to keep the Christmas tree decorations out of two-year-old son Ollie’s cheeky little hands.

Decking the halls of their home on Sydney’s Northern Beaches is just one of the special traditions the couple have started since they met on Nine’s Married At First Sight in 2019.

“Cam created a gratitude jar when we first met and we put our gratitudes into it throughout the year. And then on Christmas Eve, we open them and read them,” says Jules, 40.

“We want to continue that with all our children in the future. It’s a lovely thing to instil in a kid – for them to have gratitude and also to make Christmas more than just about presents.”

EXPANDING THE FAM

When it comes to gifts, there’s one thing on both of their wishlists – a little brother or sister for Ollie!

“I’m an only child. I had a great childhood but I’d have loved a sibling,” Cam, 38, tells Woman’s Day.

And Jules jokes that while she momentarily thought she may have been “one and done” during the family’s recent trip to Bali, she also dearly wants another child.

“We would love to have had an announcement, but it hasn’t happened. But if there’s a will, there’s a way!” says the reality star. “We’ll do everything in our power to have another baby. So, fingers crossed, we’ll have an announcement next year.”

Jules says the struggle to get pregnant again has been exacerbated by fans. “So many people write on my social media, ‘Time for a brother, time for a sister,’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve given it a good shot.'”

And while Jules says she knows all the baby buzz “comes from a place of love”, she confesses, “When you’re that person trying it just puts even more pressure on you.”

IN THE BIZ

There’s been plenty of success for the couple in other areas, though. As well as ringing in their fourth wedding anniversary in November, Jules says she’s had “an amazing year careerwise”.

“To be featured in Forbes Australia was incredible,” admits the star, whose inclusive shapewear and fashion brands Figur by Jules and Moira Muse saw her win gold at the 2022 AusMumpreneur Awards.

“I’m just so proud of her,” gushes Cam, who’s been busy himself with his mental health advocacy work with Gotcha4Life and creating his new podcast Rock Bottom Was My Foundation, which will see him interview celebrities and business people about their “wins and losses”.

The couple are also preparing to open the doors to their new hair and beauty salon in Sydney, which will double as a cocktail bar and where they’ll give a nod to their history by running speed dating nights.

“We’re a big lover of love and we want everyone else to enjoy that,” says Jules, who still marvels at all that’s come the couple’s way since they took their own shot at romance on MAFS.

“It’s amazing that four years have passed and everything we’ve done since then,” says Jules, who looks forward to a “quiet” Christmas Day with Cam and Ollie poolside at the family’s second home on the Gold Coast.

Watch: Cam’s birthday tribute to Jules

The post EXCLUSIVE: Jules Robinson and Cam Merchant beg Santa for another baby! appeared first on Now To Love.

“It was just Mum and I… No other family really, except Dad, who sort of came in and out of my life,” he tells Woman’s Day, as he pops a pot of coffee on the stove at his home on Sydney’s North Shore, which is filled with family photos and artwork from his six grandchildren. “But now we’re a family of 12. I love that!” beams the 69-year-old of the extended Munro clan.

Fourteen years after leaving Nine, where he became an Aussie TV icon presenting a string of shows including 60 Minutes and A Current Affair, the signature sparkle in Mike’s eyes is still there as he recounts how different life is these days.

“I was never comfortable with the fame,” the presenter – who also had stints at Seven and Ten – tells Woman’s Day. “You’re earning a lot of money. You’re travelling the world like a millionaire. You want a helicopter? Get a helicopter. You want to go write in Paris? Go on, write in Paris! It was unbelievable.”

Now, Mike gets his thrills from babysitting his six grandchildren – Harley, Otto, Rupert, Willa, Evie and Freddy – who lovingly call him “Manu”. “We can’t get enough,” says Mike of himself and his wife of 43 years Lea, 65. He admits he “missed out on the early years with the kids” thanks to his high-profile TV gigs. “So I don’t want to miss out on a moment with any of the grandkids.”

Mike says Lea “had to teach me to a degree how to be a parent” to the couple’s kids, son Sean, 39, and daughter Amy, 37.

“I’ve never been a confident parent… I have to ask, ‘Should I say that, should I do that?'” he says, admitting he didn’t have the best role models growing up.

EARLY LIFE

“I spent most of my early childhood and teens trying to get mum sober,” Mike says of his late mother Beryl, who sadly died before getting to meet Mike’s kids or grandkids. “I was putting mum to bed at five.”

When they aren’t wrangling the little ones, the couple – who have been together since they were teens – like to travel, “always have a laugh and a joke together” and still go out for dinner every year on the anniversary of the night they met back in 1972.

Loyalty, it seems, is big to Mike, who still enjoys long lunches with his mates from his early days in newspapers. And it’s during these meals out he often gets people stopping to tell him, “I know your face from somewhere…”

During his four decades on screen, Mike interviewed everyone from Katharine Hepburn to Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Bette Midler and Madonna but he says from the more than 200 shows of This Is Your Life he hosted, his favourite guests were the low-profile “unsung heroes”.

“I loved going from the hard investigative world of journalism on A Current Affair to the warm bosom of family on This Is Your Life,” says Mike.

NOT TODAY, THANKS!

After hosting and producing Lawless: The Real Bushrangers for the History Channel in 2017 and writing a book on the subject in 2019, Mike’s latest project took him to New York, where he’s been talking to US distributors about his next project, an anti-nuclear doco.

But there’s one gig he’d never do – brekkie TV! He says the bigwigs at Nine begged him to take on Today.

“They came back to me and said, ‘What can we offer you?’ I said, ‘There’s one thing – start it at 11am,'” Mike jokes. “It gets to a point where it’s not about the money. It’s about family.”

The post Mike Munro: My grandkids healed my heart appeared first on Now To Love.

“Sorry, Jimmy’s trying to call me, I’ll just cancel that,” she says in the middle of our conversation where Sarah opens up about everything – from her new movie, Wog Boys Forever, to the widespread rumours that the couple’s three-year marriage is on the rocks!

“You can definitely clear it up… we’re happy,” the 37-year-old exclusively tells Woman’s Day. “He picked me up from the airport last week, when I landed from Tuscany, with a big bouquet of pink tulips. I’ve been sick lately and he’s been gorgeous. He’s been looking after me with chicken soup and foot rubs.”

SOCIAL SPAT?

Sarah also laughs off reports the pair have stopped following each other on social media.

“I can’t get rid of Jimmy, he follows me around in real life everywhere,” she jokes. “Look, you have to have a thick skin, don’t you?!”

But the actress confesses she is concerned about her stepdaughter Scout catching wind of the stories.

“What I worry about more is Scout’s little 10-year-old heart,” says Sarah, who reveals the couple “definitely” don’t discuss rumours about their relationship with the tween.

“I don’t think we have any friends careless enough to show her an article like that.”

Sarah admits the pair have faced their fair share of challenges though, after tying the knot in July 2019.

“So much has happened in our three years of marriage. My brother passed away, we had COVID… it feels very long [laughs] but at the same time it feels like it’s gone just like that,” says the star, who has just returned from a holiday in Europe. “It was wonderful going back to Ireland because that’s where we got married and I was able to relive that all over again.”

Sarah’s jumping on another plane and heading over to the US this month, where she’s keen to kickstart her career in Hollywood.

“I’ve still got management over there and they want me to come over as I haven’t been there since I started on Home And Away, which is like five years [ago],” she says, sharing that her team have “some exciting stuff” lined up for her.

“I’d love to do a long-running HBO series, I’d love to find stability again with my work, I’d love to do an action movie,” says Sarah.

“It’s an exciting time.”

Making a permanent move to the States, though, would be complicated with their work and family dynamic.

“It’s kind of hard with Jimmy, because he’s contracted fulltime with Home And Away and we’ve got Scout, obviously, as well, but it’s not off the cards,” says the Melbourne-born star, who reveals the couple have the primary school student – who James shares with his ex, Packed To The Rafters star Jessica Marais – “most of the time”.

“We’re both driven by our careers but family also is a massive component there,” Sarah admits. “Lots to think about.”

MUM LIFE

She says her relationship with her stepdaughter is far less complicated.

“Scout’s a beautiful girl and we’ve both put a lot of effort into our relationship, so it’s been pretty easy, breezy, which is lucky for both of us,” she shares of their sweet bond.

“When I landed my role in Wog Boys Forever, I remember getting the call and it was just Scout and I at home, I’d just picked her up from school. We both did a happy dance in the lounge room and then we went down the street and got crepes together. I got a champagne and she got a lemonade.”

Sarah says playing DJ Cleo in the new Aussie comedy was a full-circle moment.

“I grew up watching the Wog Boy films,” says the Sydney-based actress, who first met co-star and film creator Nick Giannopoulos more than a decade ago.

“I knew Nick somehow, because I’m a Melbourne girl, and asked if I could have a coffee with him – I wanted some acting advice. It’s funny because we had that chat on set and we reminded each other of that moment and there we were working together, which was pretty cool. He was a breeze to work with. I learned so much from him.”

Sarah isn’t ruling out working alongside her talented husband again either.

“I’d love to return to Summer Bay if the story made sense,” says the actress, who left the soap in April 2021. “It’s just a really great regular job. I think that’s what Jimmy loves so much about it – the stability. It’s hard to find stability as an actor, especially in Australia.”

As to if her 46-year-old partner would ever ditch the soap, which he’s been on since 2016, Sarah reveals, “You’d have to ask him. I always make a joke and say he’s going to be the next Alf!”

The post EXCLUSIVE: Home and Away star opens up about divorce rumours with James Stewart appeared first on Now To Love.

“We went down all the surrogacy processes and everything, but then COVID kicked in and we had to drop it,” Aldo, 35, says, revealing that the hold-up was “devastating”.

But the couple – who wed in October 2019 in picturesque Cape Miseno in the Gulf of Naples – are now back on track with their baby plans, thanks to a generous offer from Aldo’s sister Lucia, 26.

“[She] has offered to be our surrogate mother and she will eventually move to Australia,” Aldo tells Woman’s Day.

“She knows how important family is for me and how important family is for us. I think that I’m destined to be a dad, so that’s in my not-far-away future – to have babies!”

In the meantime, Aldo and Mark, 48, are exploring the possibility of becoming foster parents, and looking forward to finally meeting their new niece and nephew in Italy!

“Anna is three months and Leonardo is just over one year – it’s been a hard time to be away from my family,” says Aldo, who reveals his mother, nonna and the rest of the clan have been cheering him on in the MasterChef kitchen from the other side of the world.

“It’s never easy,” says the reality star, who originally competed in season 10 and has now paused his job managing an Italian restaurant in Sydney’s Cronulla to go on the show again.

“You could do it 10 times but every time it’s a brand-new level of pressure and every time it’s something more exciting that comes along. I feel always like a virgin.”

And he admits he’s up against some culinary kings and queens!

“Mindy [Woods] – she’s so amazing. I admire her knowledge of food. And Michael [Weldon], sometimes I watch him breaking down meat and fish – it’s so flawless and you get mesmerised by it… those people will be right there giving me a lot of trouble,” says Aldo, who knows exactly where he’s headed if he does eventually get the chop from the MasterChef kitchen.

“As soon as I’m eliminated I’m going to take the flight the next day to Italy,” he tells Woman’s Day, revealing he and Mark plan to spend “a week in Puglia, so I can show him that side of Italy. Then we’re going to spend a full-on week with my family.

I’m probably going to forget that I’m married because I need to reconnect with my family!”

And while Aldo recently broke down on screen about his fractured relationship with his father, who refused to attend his wedding after calling it a “circus”, he shares that the rest of his family have embraced Mark as one of their own.

“I used to be my mum’s favourite but now Mark took the spot,” he jokes. “It’s very upsetting!”

But Aldo may have to postpone his holiday home just a little longer if he’s crowned this year’s MasterChef winner – and he already has plans for the $250,000 prize.

“I’ve got a big house with a big backyard. I would love to have a private dining room at the back of my house, with a little kitchen that could fit about 16 people, and then this beautiful long communal table with all the share-style food that I love to do,” he says.

“My husband thinks it’s a little bit intrusive to have people we don’t know walk into our door, but I always tell him it’s not his decision.”

The post EXCLUSIVE: ‘I’m going to be a dad!’ MasterChef’s Aldo Ortado and his husband Mark’s road to parenthood appeared first on Now To Love.

But the next day, the 27-year-old beautician told Nova radio duo Fitzy & Wippa that Mitch “cut her off” around two months ago and they haven’t spoken since.

Now, Ella exclusively reveals to Woman’s Day that she “f–king dodged a bullet” when he left her adding that she thinks it’s due to her forgiving nature.

“I give people too many chances. Even though my gut’s always right…” she says. “I should probably stop doing that to be honest.”

“I’m a very patient person, and I was going to give him some more time. I was really putting all my eggs in one basket with him.”

During her radio interview, Ella revealed that she hadn’t seen Mitchell since the reunion.

“He definitely started to drop off though and fizzle out. And it was probably about two months ago. Articles hit the media and then he sort of just cut me off,” she admitted on-air.

The MAFS star also shared how she felt about the photos that emerged of him with their co-star, Tamara Djordjevic.

“I’m still just healing and getting over stuff with Mitchell and Tamara, and just all the crap that’s been going on in the past few months, it still gets to me.”

The 27-year-old also acknowledged her close friendship with her co-star Brent Vitiello, but shut down any romance rumours.

“I don’t want to rush into anything if I’m not feeling ready for it. And I’m just not ready,” she shared.

At their final vows, Mitch shocked his bride by revealing he hadn’t decided whether to move forward in their relationship.

He asked Ella for “patience” and said he would not be forced into making a decision about their romance at that point in time.

“It’s difficult to see a bright future with you when it seems the longer that we spend with each other, the more difficult the relationship gets,” Mitch told her.

“I’m sorry, Ella, but right now, I just can’t give you the commitment I know you want. I know this is not what you want to hear, but what I ask from you today is patience, but all I can be honest and this is how I feel.”

Ready to find your own romance without the reality TV drama? Sign up for eHarmony today!

The post EXCLUSIVE: MAFS’ Ella Ding believes she “dodged a bullet” when Mitch dumped her appeared first on Now To Love.

“I do a Santa’s cave in our family room and I try and add some extra stuff each year, so we’re on the hunt for extras,” the 65-year-old Sunrise host tells Woman’s Day.

He’s currently en-route to his local Bunnings with his eldest grandchild Matilda, 14, to stock up on Christmas decorations.

“She’s my assistant. But my wife Lib is putting a dampener on it because she says we have too many inflatable decorations.”

Kochie’s wife of forty-two years Libby, 64, may not be a fan, but the teen is following in the festive footsteps of her “Poppy”.

“It’s just so fun,” she tells Woman’s Day.

“I love that the Christmas spirit has been passed down to me.”

A proud Kochie, whose grown up children are Georgina, 31, AJ, 34, Bree, 37, and Samantha, 41, is hoping his love of Christmas is also inherited by his other seven grandchildren.

There’s Oscar, 12, Lila, 10, Jax, 9, Teddy, 5, Ella, 18 months, Florence, seven weeks and Catalina, four weeks.

The newest members of the family might be too young to enjoy the festive menu, but Kochie plans to keep everyone else happy with “a light seafood lunch with lots of prawns and salmon and then at night it’s ham, turkey and all of the trimmings.”

With family members scattered overseas and interstate, the star says they were planning on finally enjoying a big Christmas get-together this year, but had their plans cancelled twice by border closures.

Even so, it will still be a full house at the Kochs this year, with the couple’s youngest daughter Georgie home visiting from London.

And that’s just the way Poppy likes it!

“We downsized when [Georgie] moved out. [But] we just put plans in to expand with extra rooms for grandkids,” Kochie says with a laugh of the couple’s home on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

“We’re going the full circle. The lovely thing is, everyone loves coming to stay with us. Lib and I often say we couldn’t be more thankful that we’ve got a family and grandkids who love their cousins so much that they want to hang out with them.

“They’re best friends. It’s the greatest joy in our lives. We never take it for granted.”

And the much-loved TV star says being a grandparent wins over parenting hands-down!

“When you’re a parent, it’s that time of life when you’re building a career and everything’s hectic.

“When you’re a grandparent, you have a bit more quality time with your grandkids. I don’t think you’re as,” says Kochie, who admits he and Libby do “spoil” the little ones.

And the Seven star says he wouldn’t mind if some of them choose to follow him into the spotlight.

“I don’t really care, as long as they stay grounded and don’t get too carried away with all the unrealistic hype around TV,” he tells Woman’s Day.

The post EXCLUSIVE: Why David Koch’s grandkids will always be his “greatest joy” as his family grows ever larger appeared first on Now To Love.

“Oh my god – it’s beautiful,” the 51-year-old star tells Woman’s Day of bonding with her nine-month-old granddaughter, the child of her middle son, Tom.

“And we have been so lucky. During this last lockdown we have all been living in the same house,” she says.

“It’s just been divine to wake up for her every day. They’re moving out in a few weeks and I’m going to miss them.”

The doting star admits she can’t get enough of the latest addition to her family, which also includes husband of 26 years Michael and her other sons, Joe and Paddy.

“I don’t think you can spoil a little baby, if you’re talking about time and attention and singing songs and loving them and kissing them all over the face,” she says happily.

And Julie confesses it’s a novelty having a girl after three boys of her own.

“I would love whatever I got, but it’s fun buying little pink things,” she says.

But the pandemic has had its downsides for the reality star too, with her cooking school business Julie’s Place on NSW’s Central Coast struggling thanks to lockdowns.

“If COVID kept coming in waves, I don’t know if us, or any small hospitality business, could weather that.

“But for the moment, we’ll be re-opening and fingers crossed we’ll build that momentum back up,” says the reality star.

“We are taking bookings for Christmas events and functions, and as of January, we’ll start back up with the classes. It’s been a huge challenge.

“You tell a business that relies on human traffic that you can’t have human traffic and, well, there’s no income.”

Julie says her own experiences of financial hardship helped make her more empathetic towards the participants in her latest TV project, SBS documentary Could You Survive On the Breadline?

“Having lived from pay cheque to pay cheque myself, I understood that that’s not an easy way to be,” she says of immersing herself in the lives of struggling Australians.

“I went into it with a compassionate viewpoint, but to actually walk a mile in their shoes – it was so much more brutal than I realised.”

Julie says mental health problems often go hand-in-hand with money issues, and the star has been open about her own battle with depression, after spending five weeks in a mental health unit last year.

Happily, the culinary queen tells Woman’s Day she’s now “doing well” – but it’s not without effort.

“I have to do certain things to keep myself on an even keel – exercise, plenty of sleep, I see a psychologist and I’m on medication,” she says.

“There are a lot more better days than bad days now. It’s been a much slower process than what I want.

“I’m a very impatient person and I kind of thought ‘OK, I’ve ticked everything.

“Now I should be 100 per cent.’ But unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.”

Beside her all the way though, she says, has been her family.

“They’re steadfast, they rock!” she gushes. “They’re amazing.”

And now she’s looking to the future.

“Life’s an adventure,” says the star, who has announced her next stop on it will be a return to MasterChef in 2022 on the upcoming Foodies Vs Favourites season.

And her grand plans don’t end there!

“I do hope I get more grandkids,” she says.

“But Delilah’s such an enormous blessing, that if she’s the only grandchild I ever have, that will be what it is.”

The post EXCLUSIVE: How becoming a grandmother changed everything for Julie Goodwin, and why she’s still “impatient” with her mental health appeared first on Now To Love.

“No way! My husband will try to turn on the Today show to see what’s happening in the world and they’ll blow up because they want Play School,” Allison laughs.

“They’re not interested in Mummy being on TV!”

It can’t be easy having to show up and be bubbly for brekkie TV each day, especially after a sleepless night.

But it’s all part of the job for the 42-year-old working mum, who is married to fellow journalist Michael Willesee Jr.

“We had Scout up the other night between midnight and 4am,” says the star.

“I’m pretty good without much sleep. [But] there are some mornings the alarm goes off and you’re like, ‘Urgh…'”

But Ally admits the evenings can be even trickier in the Langdon-Willesee household in the beachside suburb of Bronte in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

“You’re trying to cook dinner, do baths, we’ve become pretty routine for that period in the early evening – if we’re not, it’s a disaster in our household,” reveals Allison, who admits sometimes juggling young kids and a demanding career has had her wanting to throw it all in.

“You have a moment where they’re ratbags and they’re screaming and it’s just like, ‘What are we doing?'” she says of her kids.

“And then two minutes later they do something absolutely adorable and you go, ‘Oh, that’s right.'”

When it comes to ratings, it’s neck and neck between Today and Seven’s Sunrise – and that’s just the way Ally likes it!

“It’s nice that it’s a tighter race these days. It keeps it interesting and keeps everyone on their toes and at their best,” she tells Woman’s Day.

She adds “The show – and trying to do the best one possible – is always on our minds.”

So too is parenting, of course, and Ally says she and co-host Karl Stefanovic, who is a dad of four, and the rest of the Today crew are always talking kids.

“It’s nice sometimes when you come in if you’ve had a rough day or night or your kids have been sick – everyone on the desk gets it,” she says.

“We’re always there with a reassuring pat on the back.”

Ally admits she has another secret weapon when it comes to wrangling her young family – parenting expert, father-of-six and her Parental Guidance co-host Justin Coulson.

“I call him and say, ‘So, Justin, I have this friend…'” she jokes.

“He’s very relatable and there’s no judgement in anything he says.”

There’s plenty of judgement flying around the room on Parental Guidance, Nine’s new MAFS-meets-parenting social experiment series.

“It’s dramatic, because parenting can be dramatic,” Allison admits.

“And when you put 10 sets of parents in a room with very different styles it does get heated.”

But despite the differences in parenting styles, Allison says they all had one thing in common.

“We all love our kids more than life itself,” she says.

“Everyone in the room was there to learn how to be a better parent.”

Allison’s own style is a mix of many. “I was raised free-range. My parents were like, ‘Off you go, down to the bush, you’ll be right!’

“My husband and I now, we’re a bit helicopter with little kids in the city.

“I’m learning the importance of consistency. I try to do that in my household, but sometimes the rules on Monday are different on Friday!”

Parental Guidance airs Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, 7.30pm, Nine and 9Now.

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02:09

Parenting

June 8, 2023

Allison Langdon didn’t think she was “missing out” on a family, until kids came on her radar

By Tia Thomas

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The post EXCLUSIVE: Why Allison Langdon’s family life can quickly turn into a “disaster” without this one thing appeared first on Now To Love.

But the mum-of-two tells Woman’s Day she’s “absolutely shocked” at “how bad” the backlash has been and says it’s left her fearing for her family!

“We understand people were angry and many wanted to voice their opinion about us online.

“Unfortunately, when it comes to social media that’s the nature of the beast [but] online bullies went that step further and contacted my agent, my friends and anyone I was associated with online,” says the 39-year-old, who claims the couple have even received death threats.

“Some take the stance of, ‘Well, they put themselves out there, they did it, so we have the right now to take them down.’ Actually no, you don’t!

“If you bully or troll people online it takes a toll on that person’s mental health as well as their friends and family. It’s dehumanising and absolutely not OK.

“Imagine the shame knowing you made a mistake and feeling like the whole nation now hates you.”

But Tanya says her biggest fear is her children, Eva, 12, and Josiah, eight, being caught up in the ugliness.

“My children don’t have social media but it will only be a matter of time till they see some of the things written about us,” Tanya tells Woman’s Day.

“We are a very close family. We have open talks about what is taking place, and it’s actually been a great learning tool.

“We wanted to make our children proud. It was never about how perfect Mum and Dad are, look at how good we are or how much we won.

“It was more, ‘Hey kids, sometimes we stuffed up but we were resilient, we stayed on course even when it became too hard and we rose above and kept going.’

“They are so proud of us. We feel like we’ve already won!”

However, Tanya admits there were times she worried they might not even finish the competition.

“I had to, at moments, beg Vito to stay. He was really struggling,” she says.

“It was really difficult to see, especially as his wife.

“There has been a lot of coaching and pep talking, and almost feeling I have had to overcompensate to carry him through this to some degree.

“There were moments where he was like, ‘I’m done’. But that’s marriage!

“We have been married for 18 years and that’s not by accident. We have each other’s backs.”

And the reality star says the whole experience, good and bad, has only made their marriage and family – who she’s lovingly dubbed her “Gucci gang” – stronger.

“We come from the most amazing supportive family who are just constantly surrounding us with love and we feel incredibly blessed.

My favourite quote is, ‘We might not have it all together but together we have it all’ and that is us in a nutshell,” says Tanya.

“We thought we went on The Block to build a house, but The Block built us!”

The post EXCLUSIVE: The Block’s Tanya hits back at online trolls that won’t leave her family alone appeared first on Now To Love.

And cheering them on all the way are the reality stars’ biggest fans – their kids!

“They’re so proud,” says Georgia of son Leo, nine, and daughter Scarlett, seven.

“We’re doing quite well on the show, so they have bragging rights at school.”

Georgia, who’s also stepmum to husband Ronnie’s 20-year-old son from a previous relationship, Giordano, says they don’t like everything they’re seeing on screen though.

“They get really fired up if they hear someone saying something about Mum and Dad, they just go like, ‘What?’ They’re very invested,” she says.

“It’s a lesson in social etiquette. We say to them, ‘You’re honest and you treat people with respect, [but] it doesn’t mean you have to get along with everyone.'”

Indeed, Georgia and Ronnie have clashed with fellow competitors Tanya and Vito and Josh and Luke, but Georgia says she can understand why they resorted to cheating.

“The Block, it’s like a pressure cooker, and every day you’re forced to compete against each other,” she says.

“I would like to think if we were out of The Block, we could get along, but there are qualities there that don’t align with my morals.”

However, drama with her fellow Blockheads hasn’t been Georgia’s biggest challenge.

“It was the distance from the kids,” says the 37-year-old reality star, who lives in WA with her family, and first competed on the show with Ronnie, 45, in 2017.

“First time around everything was new and exciting, the second time around you know the process so you’re a little bit more comfortable in what you’re doing, therefore you’ve got more time to think about what’s happening back at home,” she says.

“I really missed the kids and because they’re that little bit older as well, they were able to communicate how they were feeling, so it was a challenge.

“But at the end of the day, it was all about leading by example and showing the kids that this is what hard work looks like.”

And work hard they have!

“We didn’t go there to come second or third! We are gunning for the win,” Georgia admits to Woman’s Day, revealing the couple have big plans for the cash if they do come up trumps on auction day.

“We’re currently living in a 100-year-old weatherboard cottage we bought a couple of years ago and it’s in desperate need of a renovation,” says the reality star.

“We’ve slowly been doing little bits here and there, but it’s such a little cottage that it just doesn’t function for our family, so our plan is to do an amazing extension.

“That’s something we’re going to document and share along the way, so we’re excited about that.”

And that’s good news for reno fans! Georgia confirms the couple are in talks with a few production companies about turning the process into a TV show.

“We’ve got a couple of shows in the works all within the Nine family, so it’s set to be a very busy year for us,” says Georgia.

She also admits the family’s home renovation business, Renovation HQ, has “gone from strength to strength” since the couple’s first appearance on The Block.

The same can’t be said for Georgia’s relationship with some of her fellow Blockheads though, and she admits to Woman’s Day that auction day may be awkward.

“I’ve got lots of things I’d like to say to people,” she says.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing Kirsty and Jesse and Mitch and Mark – they’re lovely people.

“And then Josh and Luke and Tanya and Vito? Yeah, dot, dot, dot… [laughs]. In the heat of the moment, who knows what could happen?”

The post EXCLUSIVE: The Block’s Georgia reveals how she and Ronnie plan to spend the prize money if they win the show appeared first on Now To Love.

“The thing that really got to me was the fact that I could have killed someone,” Ronnie tells Woman’s Day of the reno slip-up, which saw three-and-a-half tonnes of gyprock fall off a wall onto the site.

“If I had hurt someone, I never would have been able to forgive myself.

“It was tough. But that’s a day on The Block for you – you don’t know what to expect when you wake up!”

Ronnie was diagnosed with ADHD in 2018 and says he didn’t take his Ritalin medication, which contributed to the incident.

“I was having trouble getting my medication transferred from Perth to Melbourne,” Ronnie tells Woman’s Day.

“There were three or four days where I missed my medication. On The Block you have to be firing on all cylinders.”

While Ronnie regrets the incident, he says he was “not at all” embarrassed by his on-camera breakdown.

“I am an emotional character. I’ve never really showed it before,” he reveals.

“I deal with stress quite differently to other people and that day it got the better of me.”

The 45-year-old father-of-three says his massive mistake “was so out of character, it shocked a lot of the crew”, but it was the pressure from the producers that really saw

him snap.

“When it happened there were six cameras there and I tried to eat my lunch by myself, but the producers were just constantly there,” he says.

“I know they’re only doing their job, that’s fine, but then it got to a point where I told them, ‘Guys, you can see I’m very emotional, just give me a minute.’

“They didn’t and I proceeded to go into the toilet.”

While viewers witnessed the serial renovator then break down, he insists all the blood, sweat and tears have been worth it.

“I’m confident that we’ve produced an amazing house,” Ronnie tells Woman’s Day.

“Fingers crossed – we’re going for the win. You don’t go there to get second or third.”

As for he and wife Georgia’s biggest competition on auction day, which is slated for November, Ronnie says it isn’t who he expected it to be.

“If you’d asked me in the first couple of days, I would have said Mitch and Mark, but it’s actually Kirsty and Jess,” he tells.

“They are hard workers and they were listening to the judges. Those guys are the quiet achievers.”

Meanwhile, Ronnie claims fellow Blockheads Luke and Josh aren’t taking the competition as seriously.

“They were pushing the boundaries from day one. They’re breaking a hell of a lot of rules,” says the professional renovator.

“And then when [Luke’s] fiancée came… partners can sleep over if you ask all the other contestants if it’s OK – they didn’t do that.

“And she obviously helped out with styling in that room. If you have a look at the two previous rooms they styled, it’s like chalk and cheese.”

The post EXCLUSIVE: Ronnie reveals the truth about his emotional meltdown on The Block appeared first on Now To Love.

“Jesse and I both come from very humble beginnings.

“My parents were only teenagers when they had me, so it was always going to be a situation of growing up tough.

“We weren’t homeless or anything like that, but as a kid you definitely know your parents are struggling with money,” Kirsty tells Woman’s Day.

“It makes you appreciate these opportunities that we’re given.”

Husband Jesse, 32, says he gets emotional about how far Kirsty’s come since he first met her in primary school, before the pair started dating at 16.

“I’m just so proud of what she’s managed to achieve,” he tells Woman’s Day.

“There’s a lot of people in similar positions who never get out of the rut.”

Understandably, Kirsty says her parents are “so proud”, too.

“I was the first person in my family to buy a house,” she tells.

“I didn’t think that was even on the cards for me growing up.

“And when [my mum and dad] got the news that we were going on The Block they were over the moon.”

The reality star tells Woman’s Day it was her parents who encouraged her to step into the entertainment business.

“We could never afford to go on holidays as a kid, but our one trip every year was to the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

“Mum and Dad would save up all year and we’d go there for the 10 days and camp – we never stayed in a motel and it was like 45 degrees – and I would busk every year.

“Mum would make me save up all my money from busking and that’s what made me have enough money when I was 16 to record my very first EP,” says the country singer, who has two prestigious Golden Guitar awards under her belt.

The 33-year-old – who’s spent time writing and recording in the country music capital of the world, Nashville – hopes The Block gives her music career a boost.

“I was actually in the middle of recording an album when we found out that we’d made The Block,” she says.

“I’ll be releasing new music in the next six weeks or so.”

But there’s another big project in front of her first – creating a winning home!

“We’ve got no idea when it comes to designing – all we are doing is creating our dream house, really,” says Kirsty.

As well as dealing with the biggest house on The Block, the couple have to contend with all the drama.

“We can’t give too much away.

“But we’ll just say we were lucky being on the other side of the street,” says Kirsty, of trying to stay clear of all the gossip on site.

But the singer did have the courage to go where not many Blockheads have gone before – standing up to formidable foreman Keith!

“I just don’t appreciate how he talks to people sometimes,” says Kirsty, who claims he’s “100 per cent” as harsh as he appears on camera.

“I just let him know that there’s a way you can talk to people.”

Adds Jesse, “Kirsty’s not backwards in coming forwards!

“She’ll always tell you to your face. It’s a really good quality.”

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01:18

Reality TV

August 6, 2021

Meet the Blockheads! Here are all the teams competing on The Block 2021

By TV Week team

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The post EXCLUSIVE: The Block’s Kirsty and Jesse open up about childhood struggles and their “very humble beginnings” appeared first on Now To Love.

“I know the dangers of it firsthand and I wanted to stay well clear of it,” Josh tells Woman’s Day.

“If you breathe in those particles, they’re in your body for life.”

“It was a bit of a shock when we found it and it reminded us of the ordeal our dad is going through,” adds Luke of Kevin, 61, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the tissues that line the chest and abdomen, the space around the heart and other organs.

The former real estate agent developed the illness after coming in contact with asbestos while inspecting houses during his career.

“I ingested it at some stage and it sits in the lining of your stomach for 20 to 40 years before anyone knows,” Kevin tells Woman’s Day.

“It’s a very nasty form of cancer, sadly.”

Luke says learning of his father’s disease was “heartbreaking”.

“For years they thought he had an autoimmune disease and then one day they decided to cut him open and have a look and found mesothelioma sprawled throughout his organs. It hit us really hard, and especially when you find out how deadly [it] is,” he says.

“It’s an incurable cancer – it’s always going to come back. He’s just trying to hold it back from growing fast.”

After surgery last year to remove parts of his stomach and colon, and several sessions of chemotherapy, Kevin says he’s had two scans “showing a clean bill of health for the time being, but I just take every day as it comes”.

Ever the optimist, he says his illness has brought the family “even closer”.

“When you get this sort of news, it makes you reflect and look at your values, and you just don’t take anything for granted,” says Kevin.

“It makes you look at every day as a special day.”

Josh and Luke, 27, say they’re proud of their dad’s resilience.

“He’s done exceptionally well. He’s gone through a very difficult six months, but he’s come out on top,” Josh tells Woman’s Day.

And seeing his boys on The Block has given the retiree a much-needed boost.

“He was so excited for us,” says Luke.

“I used to work with my dad in real estate so I always shared an interest with him in property. It was a massive shock to him that we got on it.”

And Kevin’s just as surprised at what the twins have managed to achieve with their renovation.

“From two guys who didn’t have any hands-on experience, they just threw their hat in the ring and did an amazing job. I’m very, very proud of both of them,” he tells Woman’s Day.

Luke admits he and Josh were “absolutely” underestimated by the rest of the Blockheads thanks to their 2019 stint on Love Island, but they feel they’ve more than proved themselves.

“We would be the most inexperienced team ever on The Block,” he says.

“This year they all have a lot of renovation experience but we’ve never done any renovation whatsoever and we really wanted that challenge to show if you really put your mind to it, anyone can renovate a home,” says the reality star, who thinks Mitch and Mark are their biggest competition.

“But it’s anyone’s game, at the end of the day.”

The post EXCLUSIVE: Love Island twins Luke and Josh reveal the family tragedy that influenced their journey on The Block appeared first on Now To Love.

“I actually had a bit of luxury this morning and had a chance to train!” says the 50-year-old fitness guru, who admits workouts are a rarity these days now she’s a mum to five-year-old Axel.

And the personal trainer insists it’s just as hard for her to get motivated on those chilly winter mornings as it is for everyone else.

“I know a lot of people think that I must get up and fist pump the air and say, ‘Yes, let’s go and train!’ but I can tell you quite honestly that is not the case,” she laughs. “Just like everybody else, I have to just get there and get it done!”

While Michelle says exercise is “100 per cent” her main source of self-care, the star’s wellness has also been given a boost with her move from Sydney to her sprawling property in the NSW Southern Highlands last year.

“It’s always lovely to get a breath of fresh air and step back from city life,” she says.

“I love Sydney – I’ll always be working in the city, but it is nice to be outside of that bubble and raise my son in the country. It’s pretty much all he’s known. He loves it.”

And Michelle tells Woman’s Day she’s content with the single life since splitting from Axel’s father, Steve “Commando” Willis, in January 2020 after almost seven years together.

“He is the only man in my life,” she says of Axel.

“Without question. I love him to pieces. I’m more than content.”

Fresh from her stint on Celebrity Apprentice Australia – where she raised $20,000 for Women’s Community Shelters – Michelle is now partnering with Always Discreet and Share the Dignity to raise awareness about a large group of Australian women over 50 who are struggling to afford the sanitary protection they need.

“They can’t even afford to take care of themselves with regards to bladder leakage problems,” says Michelle.

“Which, by the way, one in three women suffer from. It just breaks my heart to think that women could have their confidence taken from them.”

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01:05

Parenting

December 20, 2021

All the times Michelle Bridges’ son Axel was her total mini-me

By Alex Lilly

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The post “I’m more than content”: Michelle Bridges is thriving after her split from Commando appeared first on Now To Love.