celebrity interview Archives

Date with Kate: Elsa Pataky at Derby Day

9th November, 2022

It’s always nice to catch up with celebs who are just downright lovely to be around and chat to. One woman who definitely falls into that category is Elsa Pataky. The actress, model and yes, Chris Hemsworth’s other half was a special guest at this year’s Derby Day so we caught up at the gorgeous LANDMARK by Lexus Pavilion for a chat. We both share a love of horses and riding, so we got talking about Elsa and her daughter’s love of showjumping, her Spanish-inspired race day look and attending her very first Derby Day.

Date with Kate, Lifestyle & Social

What really goes on on a Date with Kate

19th April, 2017

When my friends ask me about my Date with Kates I always say it’s like going on a blind date every single week. Sometimes I might be catching up with a good friend or someone I’ve known from being on the social circuit over the years to someone I’ve never met in my entire life. There are also times where I’m chatting to someone really famous and I will feel like I know them but the first time we’ll meet is on the day. I feel really privileged that I get to chat to so many interesting people and actually have the opportunity to sit down and have a full meal with them.

Before I go on a Date with Kate I’ll choose who I am going to meet. It has to be someone readers will be interested in and can be from different fields such as entertainment, fashion, the theatre and sport. As it’s for a newspaper I’ll try and peg it to something timely whether it be a launch, a new TV show or project that the person is working on – it’s important readers will be interested in reading about that person.

After I lock the “date” in I’ll choose where to go. Usually I pick the place but I’ll work around them. I’ll pick a nearby café or restaurant to where they live or work and if they’re staying in a certain hotel then I’ll do it in the hotel to make it easier. I organise the venue, the photographer, and the videographer, so all they have to do is turn up for a meal or coffee with me.

On the day I’ll go up to them and say hello if they’re already a friend or acquaintance or introduce myself if we’ve never met. We’ll sit down, look at the menu and order so we can chat uninterrupted. I also make sure that the we grab a photo of the two of us before we start eating so the food looks nice. Once we’ve got the shot or the video, I’ll start recording the interview on my phone. Sometimes the chat will only go for 20 minutes other times I’ll end up with a recording that goes for almost three hours. It just depends on how much time the person has. There have been times where I’ve just grabbed a quick coffee with someone as they’ve got such a tight schedule and other times where we’ve sat down for a meal for an entire afternoon.

I’ve become a pro at small talk and can keep the conversation going but sometimes I do have to deal with awkward moments between questions where there might be silence. This is why I always thoroughly research the person I’m meeting so I have a few talking points in my head. It’s important to be prepared and have something to discuss with the person should there be a lull in the conversation.

As I said I feel really lucky to be able to have a job that allows me to simply chat to people and have them tell their story. I’ve heard so many interesting stories over the years and have had so many lovely experiences meeting new people that I’m always really grateful for the opportunity to write about it. It’s probably one of the few times when blind dates go really, really well!

You can check out my Date with Kates past and present here.

Date with Kate

Date with Kate: Sigrid Thornton

10th April, 2016

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 31: Sigrid Thornton sits down with Kate Waterhouse on March 31, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Munoz/Fairfax Media)

Sigrid Thornton and I catch up at Kensington Street Social

Sigrid Thornton is one of Australia’s most loved actresses. For more than 40 years she has had a career spanning film, theatre and television in an array of roles. She is now in Fiddler on the Roof playing Golde, the wife of lead character Tevye (Anthony Warlow). Thornton, 57, gives me advice on acting, the secrets to success and her highlights and challenges of a career in the spotlight.

What aspect of Fiddler on the Roof have you enjoyed the most?

I suppose the challenge of musical theatre, which is something of a foreign land for me … Coming in and singing, dancing and working with an orchestra, which is such a joyful thing. It’s relatively new [to me], so it’s exciting.

How do you prepare for a role?

I always prepare in different ways. With this, I wanted to know a little bit about the background of the actual piece. But, of course, singing and dancing requires a different kind of level of application for me because it’s new.

Do you prefer stage, film or television?

I don’t prefer one, I love the diversity of my work and the fact that I’ve managed to be lucky enough to cover all of those genres and forms. I like changing it up. I enjoy the fact that, as an actor, you can move between one medium and another.

Is each genre different [to work in]?

Yes. There is one set of aspects that’s the same regardless, and that is, the way that you apply yourself to the script as an actor, which is essentially trying to find the truth in the character, trying to find the correlation between the character and you, if that makes any sense. In television, you’ve got a huge advantage of being able to tell a story over a longer period of time. With film, it’s a faster storytelling mode but the shots are very big, so your face is very big. You tell the story slightly differently. With theatre, it’s more opened out, it’s more expansive but, ideally, no less truthful.

What has been your most challenging role you’ve ever played?

Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Why was it so challenging?

It just is one of the most challenging roles and one of the most exciting and fascinating roles. It’s a perfectly constructed three-hour play, you never leave the stage. There’s a huge amount of words and it involves understanding the dark journey of a character descending into madness. There is a great deal of comedy in the play and it’s also run through with monologues, just as Shakespeare is. There are – for Blanche, there are a number of monologues throughout the play, all of which had to have a different tone and level to them that tells a different aspect of the story.

What has been your biggest highlight in your career?

[Playing Blanche] would be one because of the sort of magnitude of the challenge I suppose. There have been so many. I mean, I really have had a very fortunate career. I’ve been given the opportunity to have lots of good runs in the paddock. I’ve been given a lot of opportunities to explore the boundaries of my skills by breaking away from a particular perception with a different role, such as SeaChange, which came at a time when I really needed to sort of be understood in a different kind of way.

You’ve had long and successful career. What is the secret to your success?

I don’t think there is a secret. I think I’ve worked hard and steadily and I’ve always sort of been in it for the long journey. I’ve kept developing my work and my approach to my work with doing classes … It’s a bit corny but if you stop learning you really probably have to stop acting, I think, because it’s part of the job.

What’s the best advice you have been given?

Not to take yourself too seriously in this business. I think it’s something that I’ve been lucky enough to avoid, partly through having started so young, with parents who forced in me a respect for the actual work of the business that it’s actually a job. And also in part because of my own family, who would never allow me to be anything other than myself. So that’s my good fortune, I think.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in acting?

I’d probably ask a question before I gave advice. I’d probably ask, “How much do you really want this?” Because it’s not an easy choice. For me, the choice was almost made for me not by somebody else but by an internal drive. I was probably saying, “I wanted to be an actor” at about seven. And I just pursued it and there was no particular family reason why I should have chosen it. But now, the world is much more consumed with speed of communication and that has affected the reasons, I think, why people get into acting in the first place … And unless you really want it enough and you need it as a creative outlet in your life, I wouldn’t necessarily advise you to take it on. And a lot of people do find that it’s just not for them, when they have difficult periods.

What has been your biggest challenge in your career?

Trying to balance my career with my family life. It has always been a fixation for me, to try and get that balance right, and I don’t know that it’s actually possible to have the balance right all the time for a working parent. I think any mother or father, any parent can see that one day it will feel like it’s working really well and then, the next day, it all goes to shit basically. We want to do both things well. So I suppose that has been the biggest challenge for me: trying to understand how to get that right, from one day to the next.

If you hadn’t become an actor, what would you have done?

Most actors say psychotherapist … because [actors are] interested in what makes people tick ….. That would have been pretty fascinating.

What do you do in your down time, when you’re not working?

I love to catch up with people. We have a place outside town, so I like to go there and walk in nature with my dog and my husband. I should’ve put them in the other order, shouldn’t I, really? [Laughs] I like going to the movies, reading and breakfast in bed. I’m one of the breakfast-in-bed persons. I like spending days not getting out of my pyjamas. Not that I really am a pyjamas person. I like pyjamas for spending the day in, rather than going to bed in!

Fiddler on the Roof plays in Sydney’s Capitol Theatre until May 8; tickets from $69.90.

Bite size

WE WENT TO Kensington Street Social

WE ATE Vine Tomato, Vannella burrata, barrel aged balsamic vinegar and tomato seasoning; Social ‘dog’, pork and fennel sausage, green apple black pudding, chedder, mustard; Crispy skin mulloway with pippies, baked potato dashi; Wagyu ribeye with miso butterscotch, eggplant, sprouting broccoli.

WE DRANK Virgin Kale Mary with Kale Spice mix, Rosary, tomato.Wrong Island Ice tea mocktail with Lapsang earl grey, apple, lemon, soda.

SIGRID WORE Williow top and pants.

I WORE Jac + Jack top and Jac + Jack skirt

Photography by Daniel Munoz

Date with Kate

Date with Kate: Akmal Saleh

3rd April, 2016

Akmal Saleh is an Australian comedian and actor who has toured his stand-up in Australia and internationally during more than 20 years of performing. He has appeared on numerous Australian television shows, most recently I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here. I chatted to the funnyman about his childhood, his love of making people laugh and the power of comedy.

What is a day in the life of you?

My days vary; my favourite thing is going on tour. Just travelling and doing comedy every night. If I could do that till the day I die, I’ll be really happy. When I’m not working, I try to kind of keep my day busy because it’s really hard. Comedians are very undisciplined people. And they’re very lazy people by nature because they only work an hour a night, so kind of their minds drift.

You must spend a lot of time working on all your content.

You would think so, but I’m very lazy. I don’t know how I’ve survived for so long, doing the minimal amount of work [laughs]. But I work hard on stage. A lot of the really funny bits that I’ve come up with have been thought up and developed on stage because your adrenaline is going, you’ve got the audience there. It’s sometimes the best way to write material because you’re at your best. Whereas sometimes you wake up and you’re thinking about, “Well, is this funny?” You’re not really sure. Most comedians you’ll talk to have a lot of doubts.

When did you first realise you were very funny?

Well, I never really thought that I could do this as a job. All my family were really highly educated. I always thought I’d have to be a doctor. But apparently you need certificates and stuff [laughs]. My family really valued academia and I never got an education because I never could focus or remember things [at school].

Were you the class larrikin at school?

To be honest with you, I was more like the class clown’s assistant because I liked being the clown but I couldn’t. I didn’t have the guts because when I went to school, they used to beat you with a stick. I went to a private school and we’d get the cane. So I was too much of a coward to be the real class clown. I’d be in the background.

Tell me all about your experience on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here.

I’ll be totally honest with you: I had some really serious financial problems because I’m an idiot. Both my wife and me are really bad with money. So we were living in Byron [Bay], really having a good time, just enjoying our lives and suddenly we were on the brink of bankruptcy. So this thing came along and I was really under pressure to do it. On the first day [during a trial] I said, “I’m a celebrity, get me out of here”. They said, “What the trial or the whole show?” I said, “No, the whole show. I’m not doing this” … I said it twice [during the show] on different occasions but they cut it out [of the show]. From day one, I thought, “I’m in the wrong show. I shouldn’t be here.” But on the positive side, I got to meet some of the most amazing people.

Did you watch yourself on the series, once you were out?

No, I’m really scared to watch it. I never watch myself on TV because whenever I do, it looks odd. Whenever I’ve released a DVD, whenever I have sat and watched those, I just refused to release it.

You moved to Sydney when you were 11. What was it like growing up in Egypt?

It was different. I went from Egypt to Punchbowl. Egypt was more dangerous than Punchbowl. They moved because Egypt was a troubled place at the time. We’re Coptic Christian and there was a lot of persecution against Christians, and also there was a lot of oppression … I had a 19-year-old nephew who got arrested for questioning the president after he did a speech at his university. He asked something stupid like, “Is it true that you have people around you that make you feel more important than you are?” The next day he just disappeared forever, never to be seen again. We moved because of this constant fear.

How did you get into comedy?

I was always attracted to [comedy]. I’d go and watch comedy and I used to actually go up to the comedians and say, “you should maybe try this”. I’d start giving them advice. And then I’d see them taking my advice and doing the bits that I suggested and getting bigger laughs and I thought, “Maybe I could do it.” Once I did it, I got such a thrill from it, I thought, “I’ve got to do this again.” It’s like nothing else – you could be a musician or you could be an actor, but comedy, it’s only you and you’re getting all the accolades. When it’s going well, you’re just feeding off that, and it’s a selfish thing because it’s just you. But when it doesn’t go well, it’s the most painful experience because you only have yourself to blame.

Does it ever not go well?

Oh yeah, of course. A lot of times it doesn’t go well.

How does that feel?

Terrible. It’s really painful and it doesn’t get easier… and it’s just you, you can’t hide behind an instrument or a character. I’ve been booed off by 500 women once.

What happened?

Some male strippers approached me and asked me to open for them and every night. It was so hard because the women were there to see these guys who were chiselled and hot. And I’d come out and go, “Hi” – I had a little potbelly and I was going bald. You could actually hear the audience go “Oh no” as you were walking on stage.

But the good times must be amazing. What do you love about comedy?

It’s a thrill like no other. All the love you’re getting from the audience on a good night, it’s just for you so you feel 10 feet tall. When I do something like Melbourne [Comedy Festival, where he performs April 5-17] and you get a really smart audience and there is 800 people listening to your thoughts and opinions and have paid for the privilege, when it goes well you go, “I held these people’s attention for so long.” I may have even turned people around to my way of thinking.

That must be very powerful.

It can be. You can really change people’s perspective. One of the most powerful things that was ever said to me by an audience member – this guy comes up to me after my show and he says, “Mate, I really enjoyed the show. I’ve got to tell you, I normally hate Arabs. I reckon they’re all horrible people. But you’re OK.” I got to change his perspective … I started thinking: [comedy] has its place in society. It has significance. It has validity.

Tell me about the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

I do it like every two years because it takes about a year to come up with a new show. At the festival, they tend to be a much more judgmental crowd.

Why?

Because it’s sort of different than say going to a country town where they’re just happy to have a comedian perform in their town. They’re usually a very smart crowd who have seen a lot of comedy, so I feel a lot more pressured. You have to be at your best. It’s really daunting.

Funny man Akmal Saleh and I enjoying a Japanese feast at Sake

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO Saké Restaurant & Bar, The Rocks.

WE ATE lamb chop wasabi chimichurri; miso caramelized ‘Glacier 51’ toothfish with ginger, spring onion, seasame and chilli ponzu; scampi tempura with citrus caramel and ponzu gel; ashimi combo classic-style sashimi with soy and wasabi.

WE DRANK green tea and Asahi Beer.

I WORE a Life With Bird top and skirt.

Akmal Saleh performs April 5-17 at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and on April 28 and 29 at the Enmore Theatre for the Sydney Comedy Festival.

Date with Kate

Date with Kate: Sally Fitzgibbons

17th January, 2016

Sally and I enjoying fresh juices at About Life Cafe, Double Bay

Sally Fitzgibbons is best known as a successful professional surfer. In her junior years, she also had remarkable talent in athletics, soccer and cross-country running. At age 17, she focused on surfing and qualified for the 2009 ASP World Championship Tour. Sally was runner-up to the world title in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and has won several World Championship Tour events including the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the US Open, Australian Open, Roxy Pro France and the Billabong Rio Pro and Fiji Pro. I chatted to the 24-year-old about her success, how being vitamin D deficient led her to her partnership with Solar D Sunscreen and her recent engagement to NRL player Trent Merrin.

What is a day in the life of you?

My starts around 4:30/5:00 am and go to the gym, then, I start surfing as soon as sun is up. The rest of the day, training is filtered between meetings and trying to build my business in Live Like Sally.

Did you grow up surfing?

I did. I’ve got three older brothers and my dad who would surf and mum would stay on the beach with us. So, it was sort of like our natural playground. The boys were all surfing and it was instinct as the baby sister that you want to do everything they’re doing and then try to beat them at it. So I started when I was about six years old. It was one of many sports that I played.

You excelled at many sports when you were young, why did you pursue surfing?

It was tricky. Team sports fell away because my family started to travel so I couldn’t commit to those team sport commitments. Then, it was either middle-distance running or surfing. Out of the two, when you look at female sport, there are not a lot of them you can carve your own career path out to make that your livelihood – in regards to funding and support. I could see, on the surfing side that I already could see a pathway to the top. But in athletics – their funding pool really dries up unless it’s like an Olympic year.

What has been your biggest career highlight so far?

I think this year; I thought Fiji Women’s Pro was one of the most incredible moments. I perforated my eardrum in round two. The force of the water and the air just burst my whole eardrum open… There was this ringing and there was this super sharp pain. And I thought, “Oh, something is majorly wrong.”…. I had so much adrenaline running through me that I thought, “Oh, if I can just find a way to get through the sea and then go back to the board,” and then docs are calling it saying, “No, no, no. That’s too dangerous.”… And I thought, “I’ve got to find just something.” I looked at my dad and I’ve got tears and I’m just going, “We’ve just got to plug it up or just do something”. They ended up taping it all up; just to get back [in the water]… I’d worked so hard to be in the event… I kept making the heats and to win the event, it was the most euphoric moment I think I could feel in my sport. World title aside, everything aside, it was just like this pure elation that I won in this pain.

In that moment, what was your motivation to keep pushing through?

I think my motivation was, when I go out there and perform, I perform for my family, my loved ones that have sacrificed so much [for me]. I had nothing left but I had to find that little bit extra. I looked up and I saw my dad and he was in tears… It was that emotion of everyone riding along with me.

You have a lot going on outside surfing; tell me about your philosophy of Live Like Sally.

Live Like Sally is a vision I had quite a few years back…I was kind of in the midst of my career and I felt like I had that relevance to the younger generation and just educating people on how much I’ve got out of living healthily, trying to become my best and how much they could benefit from it too in their day-to-day life. That will be the basis of the Foundation, which we’ll launch at the end of the year and going back to grassroots with the kids as well at that influential age, getting outdoors, having fun, being active and so we targeted childhood obesity.

What is your mantra when it comes to a healthy lifestyle?

My mantras is, is becoming the best you can possibly be. Some people have that focus and go, “I’ve got maybe a wedding or an event coming up so Ill work out for two weeks,” and then it all goes out the window. It’s more a lifestyle choice… It’s just making smart decisions and just sort of leading by example of how much I enjoy life and get so much out of life by those decisions.

Do you ever indulge and have a cheeky wine or anything like that?

I’ve never drunk. I’m not a coffee drinker [either]… I’m not saying, “Don’t have any of these things.” I guess, myself, it was purely just a lifestyle choice when I was young that I stuck by.

Congratulations on your recent engagement! How did Trent propose?

It has been a bit of a whirlwind since getting engaged as my season was still going and Trent’s starting preseason was starting up again. It was amazing to have a short window to go away for a break together to Vanuatu. Being such a beautiful place in the world and no other chaos surrounding us it made it a perfect moment and it was such an incredible surprise when Trent asked me to marry him. It is a really exciting event in both our lives and we can’t wait for our future together to unfold.

Do you ever train together?

We love training together especially in the Rugby League off season when Trent has a little more time. A lot of the sessions revolve around the beautiful coastlines and beaches on the South Coast, it is an amazing place to train and we are both really blessed.

Tell me about your involvement with Solar D sunscreen.

Solar D was a really natural partnership… I’m in the sun so much in the day but I got tested and found out that I was vitamin D deficient… It was just my skin not absorbing [Vitamin D]. With Solar D it has SPF 30, SPF 50 but, it also allows UVB rays in so you’re absorbing [vitamin D]. I think it’s going to have a great place in our history in the sense that it’s an Aussie product and there haven’t been any breakthroughs in sunscreen technology since when it became water resistant.

You live your life in the water, I have to ask, do you ever get scared of sharks?

I know they’re there but, a lot more people get killed by falling coconuts than shark attacks! [laughs] It’s eerie but it’s just knowing, you have to be [aware] if you see a big school of fish or it’s you’re in front of a river mouth at dawn or dusk, those little things. But I’ve only ever seen three decent sized ones and a couple of Seals. You get sweaty armpits and you try not to think about it and get your head above the water [laughs].

WE WENT TO About Life, Double Bay

WE DRANK Green Blast: Kale, celery, cucumber, spinach and ginger with chlorophyll. The Cleanser: Kale, carrot, celery, ginger and beetroot with chlorophyll.

SALLY WORE Witchery and Shieke

I WORE TOME shirt and Skin and Thread jeans.

Photography by Louise Kennerley.

Date with Kate

DATE WITH KATE: ORLANDO BLOOM

31st May, 2013

At the Park Hyatt with Orlando Bloom.

Actor Orlando Bloom touched down in Sydney on Wednesday morning to attend a lunchtime reception at the Park Hyatt to celebrate the launch of the British Airways Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that now operates the Sydney to London route. It was a short trip for the British-born actor who flew out that same afternoon. I had a quick chat with Bloom for a so-called “speed” Date with Kate!

Welcome to Sydney!

Thanks, I’m very happy to be here, I just did a long leg from Nice to be here today. I’m very happy to a new friend to BA [British Airways] and starting this relationship. I had breakfast in the Concorde Room in London [airport] which is one of my favourite places to have breakfast in the world, especially because you don’t have to pull your wallet out at the end of the day! I’ve flown with BA since I was a little child so it feels quite special to have gone from family holidays flying around Europe to becoming a Gold Card member and being spoilt – more times than not – in first class and there isn’t a better first class in my mind than British Airways.

How was your flight?

It was great but due to the fog this morning, we got diverted to Melbourne but happy to be here now.

What have you been up to?

I arrived into Sydney this morning as a special guest of BA following a busy week in Cannes where the movie I filmed with Forest Whitaker, ZULU, closed the film festival.

What’s next in the pipeline for you?

I will be in New Zealand for about a month to finish filming The Hobbit. Then I will be in New York for over six months playing ‘Romeo’ in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Where is your favourite international holiday destination?

As a family, we also love to come to Sydney.

Do you have a favourite Australian restaurant?

[My wife] Miranda [Kerr] and I love the seafood in Sydney!

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO The Park Hyatt, The Rocks.

WE ATE Canapes.

WE DRANK Sparkling mineral water.

Date with Kate

DATE WITH KATE: JODI ANASTA

28th April, 2013

Jodi Anasta takes me on a training session in Centennial Park.

Actor Jodi Anasta (nee Gordon) recently returned from a working trip in Los Angeles where she landed an acting gig she is keeping under wraps but that will air in the US. The former Underbelly: Badness star and wife of West Tigers rugby league player Braith Anasta is keeping herself busy as ambassador for the Nike She Runs 10km, a women’s-only event being held in Centennial Park on May 4. The 28-year-old takes Kate Waterhouse on a training session and discusses everything from her fitness regime and career to her baking skills.

What are you up to at the moment?

I’ve been training my butt off for the Nike She Runs 10km run. Even my friends said to me, “Babe, you are taking this really seriously, just calm down a bit.” But I just have a [finish] time in my head and when I’ve got something in my head, I need to hit it. I’m really hoping I can run the 10 kilometres under 45 minutes – that is my goal.

What is your training regime like?

I’ve been training five days a week … I’ve never pushed myself this hard, I’ve never felt so sick after I’ve done sprint training. But I feel good. It’s pretty incredible that when you start to push your body that hard you start to feel results.

Do you ever train with Braith?

No. When we first started dating we would go for walks but we never really train together. If we are on holidays we might go to the gym but we don’t sweat it out together [laughs].

How is married life treating you?

It’s beautiful. I didn’t think it would be that different because we have lived together for so long, but it has really cemented our relationship and it’s a really beautiful feeling.

Do you watch all his NRL games?

Yes! Their last game in Melbourne was the first game I missed because I had to work but every other game I’ve gone to. I even travel to New Zealand when he plays there. I love it. I love seeing him play; I love seeing him go well. And Kim [Braith’s mother] comes as well, so we go together.

What are you up to work wise?

I went to LA at the start of the year and did the pilot season and had some auditions and meetings … and I came back and I got a job last week that I was shooting for the US.

Can you tell me about the job?

No. It’s weird: it’s exciting when you get a job but you can’t say anything about it except that it will be airing soon in the US, so that’s exciting.

Will you go back to the US to continue auditioning?

I’m in a place now that if opportunities come up I will go to where the work is and Braith is always 100 per cent supportive of me doing that as well … As long as you have a manager and an agent over there, you can kind of make it work.

What do you do for fun when you’re not working?

We have barbecues; we have two Siberian huskies, so I take the dogs out running; I cook a lot for the husband and the family; we go to the movies; just normal stuff.

Are you a good cook?

I’m a really good baker! My thing are cakes. I’m better at baking but then [Braith] can do all the other stuff. I thought I was the queen of the kitchen but he is really good, it surprised me. He cooks the best roasts.

What is your signature dish?

I would say a cheesecake or a humming bird with cream-cheese frosting. The cheesecake is my mum’s recipe.

Do you always have freshly baked cakes at home?

When Braith and I first started dating I did, I was portraying Betty Crocker! [Laughs] I was feeding him so much cake and he couldn’t say no because he thought I would get upset. But not so much any more; we have found a balance. My thing is if you can eat healthy food and have a pretty good diet, then you can have a piece of cake every night.

Do you have any plans on starting a family?

Yes. You know what, one minute I’m saying “no”, the next minute I’m saying “yes”, so I think at the end of the day Braith and I really do want to have a family, but it’s just a timing thing … But it is definitely [on the cards]. You have to, that is what life is all about.

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO The Park, Centennial Park.

WE ATE Chicken and panzanella salad and a pear and onion tart.

WE DRANK Mocktails, C Coconut water and San Pellegrino Sparking Water.

JODI WORE Nike Sportswear.

smh.com.au

Date with Kate

DATE WITH KATE: RACHAEL FINCH

21st April, 2013

Dining with Rachael Finch.

TV host Rachael Finch splits her time between her Channel Seven commitments and modelling as the brand ambassador for Speedo. Also a newlywed, Finch and her husband Michael Miziner found out they were expecting while on their honeymoon in Thailand, just days after they walked down the aisle in January. But the baby news is not stopping the mum-to-be, who is as busy as ever. Kate Waterhouse caught up with the 24-year-old to chat about expecting her first child and her plans to get back in a bikini three months after she gives birth.

What are you up to at the moment?

I’m carrying a baby, so that is at the forefront of my mind, that’s consuming all my thoughts. But we are already planning Speedo’s 2014 range … I give birth in mid-September and at the end of December I’ll be shooting [the campaign], so it’s a quick turnaround.

Are you shooting in your bikini so quickly after giving birth?

Yes, I hope to be bikini-ready in three months. I think it’s possible, providing everything goes according to plan. I’ll gauge how I feel and if there are no complications, that is my goal. The Spring Racing Carnival and Brownlow are part of my Channel Seven commitments and they are soon after I give birth.

Is there pressure for you to get back to work?

No, not at all, it’s totally cruisy. All my employers, including Channel Seven and Speedo, are just like, ”Congratulations, enjoy every moment, anything that you need, just let us know,” … so it’s really nice to have that support.

How will you juggle motherhood and all your different work commitments?

A lot of people are asking what I’m going to do, even my mum, because in mum’s day it was that you stay home and you look after the children … I don’t have anything against that lifestyle but I’m such a work-oriented person, so for me career is a big thing, so it’s all about gauging how I feel. My health is always No. 1. If I don’t feel like I’m healthy enough to give Michael and our child that attention then I’ll juggle it to make sure it fits.

Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?

No, I think that is the most important thing to leave secret because to me that is the most exciting part.

What are you currently working on?

I just finished Fashion Week, where I was a friend of Barbie [Doll] while she was in Australia. I took her around and showed her the sights of Australia … One of the most embarrassing moments was at Fashion Week: I had to have Barbie on my lap and for the show I was miked up and I was going, ”Look Barbie, do you like that dress?”

Why did you agree to befriend a doll?

Everyone asked ”Why would you do that?” but in this industry you get to meet so many people, go to so many amazing places that most people wouldn’t do in a lifetime, so I take these opportunities. I was going to do that diving show, Celebrity Splash, but then we found out we were pregnant so I thought it might not be a safe option, so that got sidelined. Those opportunities are fun and exciting and that is why I did MasterChef and Dancing with the Stars, because I love learning about new things. Next year, after we give birth, I will compete in a professional dance competition with Mish [Michael].

How is married life treating you?

Awesome, it still feels like we have been together for five minutes. He still opens the door for me, we still have those special moments, the text messages, and I think it’s really important. Some days are difficult – you are tired or you may get frustrated at something, but putting that work in to maintain that relationship is really important.

What do you do for fun together?

We love to go out for dinner. We love Toko, Spice Temple and … this place on Botany Road [in Alexandria] called Zion Sushi.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

We are really enjoying the property side of things. That, to us, is really interesting and stimulating because it’s projects we get to work on together. I would still love to be travelling around the world, working on television. I would also love to do my own swimwear and gym wear and a couple of other products.

WE WENT TO The Grounds of Alexandria.
WE ATE Spring chicken salad with poached chicken breast, pickled celery and tender stem broccoli with radicchio and dukkah dressing.
WE DRANK Freshly squeezed summer juices.
RACHAEL WORE Camilla and Marc top and skirt.

smh.com.au

Beauty, Fashion

FIVE MINUTES WITH- GEORGIA MAY JAGGER

19th April, 2013

Camilla Franks & Georgia May Jagger

Last week “Kaftan Queen” Camilla Franks showcased her Pachamama SS13/14 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia. The show was inspired by Frank’s recent trip to South America and took place in a stunning garden setting, under a giant tepee in Centennial Park. Model and London “it girl”, Georgia May Jagger was flown to Australia to walk exclusively for the show and lead 30 models down the runway. I caught up with the 21-year-old to see what she got up to on her trip to Sydney and find out a few of her favourite fashion and beauty items.

What was the first thing you did when you landed in Sydney?

I went straight to my fitting at Camilla HQ and then off to Ms G’s in Potts Point for dinner & drinks. It was my first time there and I loved it!

What is your favourite restaurant in Sydney?

I went back to Mr Wong because I went there last time and it was so fab. We all left in a complete food coma! I also really like Porteno.

What are your wardrobe essentials?

A leather jacket, Hudson jeans and biker boots and now have to include a Camilla jumpsuit and gypsy dress of course!

What are your travel essentials?

Sunglasses (usually Ray-Ban’s but I do occasionally get tempted away). I do confess to owning quite a lot especially now with my Sunglass Hut photo diary! I also take a cashmere blanket, REN products to keep my skin replenished, iPod, leather jacket, a Camilla bikini and colourful kaftan too as it is so easy to pack!

What are you listening to right now?

The Clash, Prince, Turbogeist.

What are your favourite beauty products?

I really like REN, Tracie Martyn and Crème de la Mer.

What is your ice cream flavour of choice?

Hmmm, a yum Italian gelato is the best!

What was your next destination after Sydney?

Of course I visited Qualia in QLD before Sydney, then Melbourne for a few days and then back to London. All three states in just two weeks but I am coming back!

Images: Leather jacket, Qualia Resort, The Clash album cover, La Mer moisturiser, Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Date with Kate

DATE WITH KATE: JENNIFER HAWKINS

10th March, 2013

Dining with Jennifer Hawkins.

Model Jennifer Hawkins already has a busy schedule as the face of Myer department stores and designing her Cozi swimwear and JLH shoe range. Now she’s taken on another role, as host of the coming season of Australia’s Next Top Model on Foxtel. The 29-year-old and I spoke about the challenge of filling Sarah Murdoch’s shoes in one of the most coveted gigs on entertainment television, her wedding this June to long-time partner Jake Wall and their baby plans.

Do you feel pressure as the new host of Australia’s Next Top Model?

No, I think the best thing to do is give yourself goals on what you want to achieve throughout the series, and if you achieve those goals, that is all you can do. Because some people will really like [the change], but some will really hate it and that’s cool.

Have there been any fights on the show?

There will definitely be some TV drama. It’s nice that [fellow judges Alex Perry and Charlotte Dawson] have an open and honest opinion. It has made me do that as well – maybe not as aggressive [laughs], but I’m definitely honest.

You’re seen as Australia’s golden girl. Is it hard to maintain that image?

No I’m not and I don’t try to be! I’m not perfect all the time and I don’t try to portray that, either. I’m just living life.

What is the best part of your job?

That it’s always different. I’m never bored with it.

What is the worst?

The hours. Sometimes I’m like, ”Come on”, and then I think, ”I’m in a good position. Just suck it up.”

Is it frustrating when people pry into your personal life?

It’s not frustrating. I think the thing you have to keep telling yourself is that you have put yourself in this position. I remember my dad saying, ”You’re either in it or you are out of it,” and it’s so true, so you can’t whinge.

Can you reveal any details about the wedding?

We are trying to keep it as private as possible, just because you want to spend that time with family and friends and not have the craziness [of media] around … It’s definitely glamorous but it’s intimate. Deciding the guest list was the hardest thing; it took us weeks. I was like, ”I’m going to cry, I want everyone to come!”

Is Jake involved in the preparations?

We go to the [planning] meetings together. Obviously, he is not really into all the decorating and stuff but he has an input, and acts like he is interested, so that’s good [laughs].

What’s happening for your hens’ night?

I don’t know yet. We are tossing between things, but I really want it to be crazy. I don’t want it to be tame at all, I want to let loose.

Any honeymoon plans?

We are going overseas, to Europe, and then we will go to an island somewhere. I’ve never had three weeks off. I might go insane but I’m very excited. The most important part of our honeymoon is the island, where we will have seven days of sipping cocktails and doing nothing. I’ll probably come back and people will say, ”Wow, Jen’s pregnant,” because I would have put on weight [laughs] but I don’t care.

Do you plan to have children in the near future?

It’s pretty much down the track. We are not looking at that at all … I’m not ready yet, it’s just a busy time. I think there will be a time when you go, ”Yep, I’m ready.”

If you weren’t doing what you are now, what would you do?

I love designing my shoe and Cozi range so much, I would do it even if they didn’t have the price tag. Otherwise, I would want to be a personal trainer and work out all the time. That would make me do it!

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO Sake Restaurant & Bar, Southbank, Melbourne.

WE ATE Edamame; kingfish sashimi; sashimi tacos; and a selection of sushi.

WE DRANK Sparkling mineral water and sake.

smh.com.au

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