New Zealand Woman’s Weekly Issue 21, 2022

There were some shocking snubs and triumphant victories, but the main feeling at this year’s British Academy Television Awards was joy to finally be back celebrating in a room together. It has been fivve years since Jodie Comer was nominated for her first TV BAFTA, but she finally received one of the prestigious gongs for her work in the Covid drama Help. The 29-year-old is riding a career high as she is currently appearing on the West End in a one-woman play only months after celebrating the end of her critically acclaimed run in Killing Eve. And from his home in the US, Sir Billy Connolly made a moving speech as he accepted the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship, which honours people who have made an outstanding contribution to film and cinema. Billy was diagnosed w…

This year is quite a big one for New Zealand television – there are so many local shows to enjoy and in this week’s issue, we have stories with a number of the stars. This seaon of Dancing with the Stars has been one to watch, especially as our columnist Kerre was twirling around the floor. Unfortunately, she was voted off by the judges last week but, as she tells in her column on page 77, she has no regrets. We also chat with another DWTS contestant, Brodie Kane and her mum Jo. It’s a lovely interview – they obviously have a close bond. Elsewhere, we catch up with Holly Shervey who has made a return to Shortland Street, as well as reality stars Leisel and Brayden who have found…

For five years, Francis and Kaiora Tipene have been on our screens sharing their lives as funeral directors. Their hit show The Casketeers has not only captured the hearts of Kiwi viewers, but also taught us a lot about handling grief and tikanga – Ma¯ori customs and rituals. But dealing with grief and sadness every day does not make it any easier for the couple when it involves someone close to them. When Francis and Kaiora talk to the Weekly, it is obvious they are grieving and experiencing a great deal of emotion as they talk about the loss of Stanley Neho – their longest-serving employee and founding member of Tipene Funerals. “He died suddenly in his sleep two weeks ago,” says Francis. “He is like the dad that you relied on. He…

Oh, boy! KIM’S MESSY TV BREAK-UP The star says the script was a low blow Sex and the City siren Kim Cattrall says she hasn’t bothered to watch the show’s reboot And Just Like That… and she was never asked to be part of the revamped show. “I made my feelings quite clear after the possible third movie,” Kim, 65, said recently. “So I found out about it like everyone else did – on social media.” Kim famously played man-eating publicist Samantha Jones in the beloved TV series and she says her resolve to never play the role again was hardened when she was sent the script for the third movie, which in the end was never made. The actress says she was disappointed to see that Samantha was to be sent unwanted pictures from Miranda’s…

The dream is beginning to crumble for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and now the couple are having to scramble to avoid their new life in the United States unravelling. With their multimillion-dollar deal with Netflix threatened and their popularity declining in the US, the pair have made a couple of surprise moves – one of them turning the spotlight on New Zealand. One of the things they vowed to do after stepping away from the royal family was to promote causes close to their hearts, including sustainability. To this end, as part of the Travalyst eco-travel initiative Harry established in 2019, he has launched a new campaign that he says is inspired by Maori values. It encourages travellers to think about how they would be rated in…

Charming home movies of the Queen as a child and a young woman are being seen for the first time in a documentary to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. The behind-the-scenes footage, filmed by the Queen, her husband Prince Philip and her parents, George VI and the Queen Mother, was discovered in the Royal Archive after producers searched through more than 400 film reels. The BBC documentary, Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen, captures the Queen’s life from being pushed in a pram by her mother through to her coronation at the age of 27 in 1953. It includes a young princess beaming at the camera as she shows off her new engagement ring. Some of the footage includes original narration made by the Queen back when it was shot, to explain what…