New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 1740

Legendary Aussie entertainer Olivia Newton-John (68) and her husband John Easterling (64) looked a picture of happiness as they walked together in the annual Olivia Newton-John Wellness Walk and Research Run, to raise money for the Grease star’s research centre in Melbourne. Despite her radiant appearance, Olivia revealed in May that her breast cancer had returned and metastasised to the sacrum, a bone near the base of the spine. A crowd of supporters joined the Physical singer, including Aussie Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who pledged $20 million should the Australian Labor Party win the next election. Olivia was all smiles at the event, but was overcome with emotion when she was presented with a cheque for $250,000 from generous donors. Olivia is also in favour of medicinal marijuana. “It’s a…

With so many upsetting, tragic and frustrating stories filling up our news feeds and confronting us each night on TV, my hope for the Weekly’s 85th birthday was that we could get some relief and be reminded of the good. We all know the country is full of a huge number of Kiwis who are only too ready and willing to help out others – and do so every single day . So we launched Bake It Forward last week, inviting you all to bake a cake and pass it on to someone who could do with a pick-me-up, and in the process spread some good cheer and warm fuzzies across the country . It’s a small gesture, but a powerful one and I figured if a few people said…

Jude Dobson is flicking through a pile of magazine clippings when she bursts into peals of laughter. “Look at my hair!” she chuckles, pausing over a 1992 article in New Zealand Woman’s Weekly about her different hairstyles. “That was my Princess Diana phase – short hair and a long fringe. And there’s the bob, and the slicked back look... There’s no forgetting my bad hair days, is there? They are preserved for all time, thanks to the Weekly.” Jude (50) is taking a trip down memory lane, reminiscing over some of the many, many articles the Weekly has written on her over the years. Since landing her first television job with Sale of the Century in 1989, many of the major milestones of her life have been covered by this…

Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, with the pageantry of the foot soldiers’ scarlet uniforms and the glittering cavalry, is a must on the itinerary of tourists to London. Behind the walls of the iconic 775-room building, the changing of the old guard is also a hot topic, as Prince Charles readies himself to take over as monarch. Predictably, the heir to the throne has some rather less traditional ideas on his agenda for when he becomes king. For a start, he envisions a different role for what he calls “the big house”, as the HQ for a modern monarchy, rather than a family home. “He doesn’t see it as a viable future home or a house that’s fit for purpose in the modern world,” says one of his…

When Nicole Kidman received an Emmy award last week, she thanked her longtime friend Miranda in her acceptance speech. Nicole (50) gushed, “I have a huge artistic family who have supported me through all of my ups and downs... You have been so loyal to me through my whole life, thank you for that.” She then named Miranda as one of her closest confidantes. Miranda says the pair have a “great relationship” and she often acts as a sounding board for Nicole. She has nothing but praise for the Aussie actress. “Honestly, I do not know how she’s managed to be such a perfect human being with the insane lifestyle she must lead!” Give any of the Harcourt women – matriarch Dame Kate, daughter Miranda and granddaughter Thomasin – an…

She was a television trailblazer, known for her perfect diction, immaculate grooming and blonde bouffants. Alma Johnson, who was the first woman on TV in New Zealand, died last week aged 85. Alma had a background in theatre and was working as a radio announcer when she auditioned for a job as a television continuity announcer in 1960. “Continuity announcer was simply to act as a hostess, and it was to say ‘Good evening everyone and welcome to tonight’s programmes,’” she later recalled in an interview. “I sat behind a desk with my nameplate in front of it; nothing but that. I had no idea – I don’t think any of us had any idea – of the impact of television.” By the mid 1960s, once more people got TV…