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With only weeks to go before a winner is crowned, LUCY CHESTERTON goes behind the scenes with the final five contestants of The Biggest Loser to find out how they feel about their transformations.
Instead of celebrating milestones with a meal, these days, the last five contestants on The Biggest Loser have found a haircut is a far healthier way to spoil themselves.
But heading into a Sydney salon for their surprise makeovers, the final five were terrified of their transformations.
“One of my biggest fears was not knowing what we were going to have to wear,” says 24-year-old Shannon Bourke, who has lost an amazing 69 kilos. Phoebe Noble, 19, says the makeover was the scariest challenge so far.
“Today has been a world of crazy things that would have been unmentionables in my previous life,” she laughs.
Now, with the kilos dropping every day, Phoebe and the finalists are embracing their new figures – and confidence.
For the full story see this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale March 15, 2010.
The TV host has more reason than ever to smile – she’s going to be a mum. And, as she tells Clare Rigden, her dog knew before she did!
She’s known as one of the sunniest, most boundlessly energetic stars on Australian TV. But Shelley Craft has nothing on the two family members who rush out to greet Woman’s Day as we arrive at her beautiful Byron Bay home.
“Excuse my dogs – they’re a little on the enthusiastic side,” she laughs, as Beau, 6, and Jackson, 5, give us a warm, waggy welcome.
Dressed in a free-flowing pink summer dress, and looking relaxed in a way that only a weekend in Byron can achieve, Shelley greets us with her trademark mile-wide smile.
And that famous grin has been wider than ever since she found out she was pregnant with her first child, due late August.
“We’re so excited. We can’t wait!” she says, turning to her husband of four months, Christian Sergiacomi. “It’s all happened quite quickly, but we couldn’t be happier.”
The last time Woman’s Day caught up with Shelley, she’d just celebrated her marriage to Christian, a freelance cameraman she met while presenting on The Great Outdoors.
The couple, who worked for five years on the travel show before they began dating in 2007, tied the knot in a low-key beach ceremony at Byron, with just a small gathering of family and friends.
The laid-back pair couldn’t hide their joy at becoming husband and wife, and radiated happiness – just as they do now, sharing their happy news.
“It really has been a magical year,” Shelley says, looking over and smiling at Christian. “So much has happened, both with work, and in our lives. We feel really blessed. I’m not sure everything’s sunk in yet!”
For the full story and more celebrity baby news see this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale March 15, 2010.
With just two weeks to go, things are really heating up in the MKR kitchen, but it’s nothing compared to what this home chef has seen in his dangerous day job. Lucy Chesterton reports.
Facing judges Pete and Manu should be a piece of cake for My Kitchen Rules contestant Matthew Moss, who admits he has seen “the dark side” in his other life as a hard-nosed detective.
He has been involved in some of Australia’s most memorable cases, including the murder of Caroline Byrne and the death of INXS star Michael Hutchence, .
But Mossy – who, along with his property lawyer wife Gabe, has earned a place in the MKR final showdown – still finds his knees knocking when dishing up dinner for judges Pete Evans and Manu Fieldel.
“It’s a different world to the one I come from,” the detective sergeant laughs. Mossy’s glamorous new life as a reality TV star couldn’t be further removed from his gritty day job, which saw him spend 10 long years investigating the murder of Sydney model Caroline Byrne, who died when she was thrown from a clifftop at The Gap in Sydney by her lover, Gordon Wood. As the complicated case unfolded, Mossy found himself becoming close to Caroline’s tireless father, Tony.
“He is a gentle man who at the end of the day just wanted to know what happened to his daughter,” Mossy says, adding that when Wood was finally found guilty of murder in 2008, he celebrated the occasion by having lunch with Tony.
For the full story see this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale March 15, 2010.
The former actress tells Steve Jackson about the dark secret she had to keep for years and the betrayal that cruelly followed.
She will always be remembered as bright-eyed Jenny Kelly from Hey Dad..! but, nearly 20 years on, Sarah Monahan reveals the show still conjures distressing memories of sexual abuse and a trust betrayed.
With comedic timing beyond her years and a contagious smile, Sarah won the nation’s hearts as hockey-mad Jenny after debuting in the show at the age of nine. But behind the scenes, the actress says she was abused before being left in financial ruin after her childhood earnings were squandered.
Indeed, she was so traumatised by her time on the popular program, Sarah has mentally “blocked out” large sections of her youth.
“A lot of people ask me questions about Hey Dad..! but I’ve erased huge portions of my time on the show from my brain,” she tells Woman’s Day in an exclusive interview.
“I’ve literally blocked most of it out.”
Most, but not all – Sarah still recalls all too vividly being repeatedly groped by a person involved with Hey Dad..!. At first, she says, the person, who cannot be named for legal reasons, made a game of tickling her, but it soon evolved into something more sinister.
“This person used to sit me on his lap, or tickle me,” she says. “But then he started putting his arm around me and trying to do this reach around thing and grabbing me [on the breast].
Or he’d just tickle me but, at the same time, try to feel me up.
“He never touched me below the waist because I always tried to make sure we were never alone,” she adds. “But he was always there flashing me or trying to cop a feel. I quickly learnt never to be alone in private with him, especially after he started flashing me.”
For the full story see this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale March 15, 2010.
Kerri-Anne Kennerley is lighter and brighter thanks to a $5 book, a magic pill and a realistic diet, reports Lucy Chesterton.
She’s back on our screens looking better than ever, but there’s one person who hasn’t noticed the overhaul that’s seen Kerri-Anne Kennerley drop dress sizes – her husband of 15 years, John Kennerley.
“He hasn’t noticed a thing!” she chortles.
But John is the exception. Kerri-Anne’s enormous television audience have all been thrilled to see their hero return to the screen looking fantastic at 50-something, thanks to her achievable home workout, a balanced diet and energy enhancing supplements.
“As you age, your body changes and it’s not for the better,” Kerri-Anne admits.
“I don’t like anything about my body compared to the body I had in my twenties – if anybody tries to tell you as you age you like your body more, it’s rubbish! But it’s better than pushing up daisies!”
These days the iconic TV queen is tipping the scales at a fit and fabulous 71 kilos, only a few kilos up from her wedding weight of 66.5 kilos. But despite her recent weight loss, Kerri-Anne confesses she’s still not completely happy with her figure.
For the full story see this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale March 15, 2010.
While Brad and Ange try to put their troubles behind them, debate erupts over the way they are raising their daughter.
Sporting a closely cropped bob and an expensive wardrobe, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt seems to be loving her new life in Venice, Italy – with mum and dad Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt even forgoing the Oscars to take their three-year-old to a children’s party last week.
But even as Shiloh’s parents try to put their recent relationship troubles behind them, the family is the subject of new controversy in the US over Shiloh’s look. On February 23 they went shopping at a Bonpoint kids’ boutique in Paris, where Brad reportedly shelled out almost $11,000 on clothes for Shiloh and his adopted Ethiopian daughter Zahara, 5.
While the couple’s older daughter snapped up a number of pink outfits, Shiloh reportedly asked to be taken to the boys’ store across the road, where she chose acid yellow jeans and a number of shirts and scarves.
“We try to foster each [child’s] individuality as much as we can,” Brad has said of his and Ange’s decision to let their kids choose their own styles – “no matter how wacko they may be.”
The actor has previously said he’s happy to give in to Peter Pan fan Shiloh’s requests that she be called John – her favourite character in the book – and insiders say Brad, 46, and Ange, 34, are determined to let the toddler be her own free spirit.
For the full story see this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale March 15, 2010.
Your say: How do you feel about the unique way Brad and Ange are raising their children? Share your thoughts below.
On sale Monday March 15, 2010
A former Hey Dad actress tells Steve Jackson about the dark secret she had to keep for years and the betrayal that cruelly followed.
Kerri-Anne Kennerley is lighter and brighter thanks to a $5 book, a magic pill and a realistic diet, reports Lucy Chesterton.
Law and order in Mossy’s kitchen
With just two weeks to go, things are really heating up in the MKR kitchen, but it’s nothing compared to what this home chef has seen in his dangerous day job. Lucy Chesterton reports.
Shelly Craft: We’re having a beach baby!
The TV host has more reason than ever to smile – she’s going to be a mum. And, as she tells Clare Rigden, her dog knew before she did!
With only weeks to go before a winner is crowned, Lucy Chesterton goes behind the scenes with the final five contestants of The Biggest Loser to find out how they feel about their transformations.
Sara-Marie: How I turned my life around!
We knew her as the scene stealing “bum dancer” from Big Brother. Nine years on, Sara-Marie tells Glen Williams about her new outlook on life.
While Brad and Ange try to put their troubles behind them, debate erupts over the way they are raising their daughter.
There seems to be no stopping this super woman whos is a stand up comedian, talk show host and actress. She has won 11 People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Talk Show.
Kim Cattrall is famous for her super sexy seductress role as Samantha in the Sex and the City series and movies. The second movie is due to be released on May 27 this year.
The Material Girl singer is still as active as ever! This year she plans to launch a fashion label with daughter Lourdes and will co-write and direct her second film.
The legendary actress recently walked the red carpet at the 2010 Academy Awards with husband Antonio Banderas by her side. This year she will continue to star in the TV series Nip/Tuck as Brandie Henry.
At 51 Michelle Pfeiffer still retains a fabulous glow about her. Always looking stunning, it’s no surprise the actress landed herself on the cover of People Magazine’s first “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” issue in 1990 and again in 1999.
Famous for her role in Basic Instinct the sexy actress continues to show off her stunning looks. This year she will star in four episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Sexy 63-year-old Susan Sarandon hit headlines recently when her relationship with long-time beau with actor Tim Robbins ended at the end of 2009. Since then she has stepped out looking fabulous and in the company of a much younger man!
Teacher Helen Wright says she’s setting a good example going back to her teaching job straight after having a baby. Jon Kaila reports.
Helen Wright went into labour in the morning … and was back at work by lunchtime.
She keeps baby Jessica with her throughout the day so she can breastfeed her – and even conducts meetings and school assemblies with the tot in a sling!
“Most parents want their daughters to have the exhilarating excitement of a career they love and the joy of a family,” says 39-year-old Helen, mother of three and the principal of an all-girls school in Wiltshire.
“I have that, and I want to show the girls that it’s not an impossible dream. “The students have loved having Jessica around and their faces light up when they are near her. She is such a good baby too.
“I just couldn’t hand them over to someone else to look after and bring them up,” Helen continues. “I don’t believe in doing that. Plus I have a job that is full of responsibilities and these pupils need stability, so it made sense to have Jessica with me from the beginning.’’
Helen explains that she breastfeeds Jessica, now 12 weeks, between meetings and lets the tot sleep in a moses basket beside her desk.
“The day I had Jessica I went to hospital at 5.45am and I had her less than an hour later,” Helen says. “I was then discharged three hours later and felt absolutely brilliant, so I thought why not share that?
“I was back in my office at school just after lunch and was immediately introducing my beautiful daughter to everyone.
“I look after people’s daughters for them so they expect me to be pretty special and an excellent role model,” Helen adds.
Read the full story in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale March 15, 2010.
Your say: Do you think Helen Wright has done the right thing? Share your thoughts below.
