Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 2, 2026 i New Zealand Woman's Weekly

Red hot! After jetting off for their Christmas holidays, the biggest names in film and TV were drawn back to the glamour of Los Angeles to kick off awards season madness at the Critics Choice Awards. Breakout medical drama The Pitt continued its domination, taking home Best Drama and Best Actor for Noah Wyle, 54, and Best Supporting Actress for formidable charge nurse Katherine LaNasa, 59. The most talked about moment of the night was when Best Actor winner Timothée Chalamet, 30, declared his love for his girlfriend Kylie Jenner, 28. Though they have supported each other at red-carpet events, it’s the first time either one has commented on their years-long relationship. “Thank you to my partner of three years,” he said of the reality star. “Thank you for our…

EDITOR Marilynn McLachlan LIFESTYLE & BEAUTY EDITOR Anna Lee WRITER Rebekah Hebenton CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Denise Bowden SUB-EDITOR Darren Bevan ART DIRECTOR Mirella Monteiro DESIGNERS Anna Pétursdóttir, Béla Trussell-Cullen, Hayley Pearce, Shane Kelly PHOTO EDITOR Kellie Blizard CONTRIBUTORS Donna Fleming, Fleur Guthrie, Fiona Hawtin, Kasia De Vydt-Jillings, Megan McChesney, Nicky Pellegrino, Nicola Russell ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Claire Chisholm claire.chisholm@aremedia.co.nz SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERS Chloe Jordan, Amy Madden, Jacquie Fraser SENIOR COMMERCIAL BRAND MANAGER Angela Wei angela.wei@aremedia.co.nz COMMERCIAL BRAND MANAGER Georgia van Koningsveld DIRECTORY SALES MANAGER Kim Chapman 021 673133 classifieds@xtra.co.nz ARE MEDIA GROUP MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jane Huxley GENERAL MANAGER Stuart Dick…

If Venus Williams had stars in her eyes at Auckland’s ASB Classic, it may have had something to do with her love life! The tennis ace, 45, has revealed that she officially tied the knot with Italian actor-producer Andrea Preti, 37, on December 19 – three months after their first unofficial wedding in Italy. “We had this dream to do our wedding in Italy, but we didn’t have enough time to do the paperwork,” explains Venus. “Because I’m a foreigner, it can take about eight months. So we decided to have a second wedding.” The seven-time Grand Slam champion and her beau organised a whole week of fun in Florida, including a party on a yacht and a sports day filled with games of volleyball, tennis and dodgeball. The festivities…

Lost star Evangeline Lilly has brain damage after fainting at a beach last year and falling face-first into a boulder. The actor, 46, shared recently that her eight-month ordeal is not yet behind her. “A lot of you have inquired about the brain scans that you heard I got,” she says. “Almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity. So I do have brain damage from the TBI [traumatic brain injury] and possibly other factors going on.” Evangeline, who says she’s had fainting spells since childhood, announced her retirement from acting soon after her injury and is working closely with doctors to help with her recovery. On the positive side, she says, “My cognitive decline since I smashed my face open has helped me to slow…

Seven Sharp’s Sacha McNeil has recently hit two major life milestones – her 50th birthday and 25 years as a broadcaster. She celebrated both with a nod to her beloved father Bob McNeil, the veteran journalist who died more than a year ago. The mum of two, who loves crafts, camping and the beach, marked her big day with the people she loves. ‘I just felt so grateful to get to 50 because I’ve had friends who haven’t’ “I had some of my best friends and my family around for a barbecue – it wasn’t anything flashy,” she tells. “It sounds so twee, but I just felt so grateful to get to 50 because I’ve had friends who haven’t. How good that I could have a barbecue with my friends,…

As interventions lead at Water Safety New Zealand, Esther Hone has dedicated herself to preventing the very tragedy that changed her life forever. Analysing the figures behind the heartbreak of our drowning statistics, she’s determined to save lives through water safety and survival programmes. “I work in an organisation that is very much data-driven,” says Esther, 53. “From all that info, I’m able to create interventions, like the programmes Water Skills For Life for pool, beach, river and lake, so our tamariki [children] have the confidence and survival skills they need to give them a greater chance of survival when things go wrong in the water.” It’s a deeply personal mission for Esther, who at 20 survived a boating tragedy on Lake Gunn in the South Island by swimming two…

Aquarius This is your year for minimalism. Try sheer lip tints, lightweight hydrators and subtle chrome nails. Focus on barrier-boosting skincare such as ceramides, peptides and lightweight hydration to keep skin resilient as your schedule and interests shift. YOUR BEAUTY ALLY Essano Collagen Boost Restorative Night Cream, $26.99 Pisces It’s tool time! Lean into tech-enhanced rituals – cold rollers, ultrasonic cleansers or LED masks. A hydrating cleansing balm and gel moisturiser will comfort your skin. Keep pimple patches on standby. YOUR BEAUTY ALLIES Foreo Luna 3 Sensitive Cleanser, $399, and The Breakout Hack Pocket Patches, $28 Aries You’re set for bold reinvention. Expect a craving for statement haircuts. Opt for cream blush in warm apricot or coral, along with energising and mood-lifting citrus body washes and a crisp red pedicure…

Here’s a cautionary tale taken from my very own life about the perils of multitasking. While emceeing a conference late last year, I took a moment during the break to check my emails. There was an invitation from someone I greatly admire to make an appearance on her new TV show (I’m being deliberately vague because this is all under wraps for the time being). We would record it, she said, either the very next day at 4pm or at 10am the following Monday. I excitedly put both dates in my diary with a “TBC”. A contract was sent and signed, and very quickly it was confirmed for the Monday. There were more emails with details about the what and the where, and I grabbed a moment in the midst…

I’ve always been wary of illegal drugs, but like Bill Clinton, I’ve tried marijuana. Unlike the former US president, I did inhale. When I was a teenager staying in Whangamatā, I met up with a friend, her brother and his cool mates, and they were passing around a joint in the sand dunes. I felt obliged to take it, but sucking on a soggy rollie and trying not to cough as acrid smoke hit the back of my throat was not really enough of a good time for me to continue smoking dope. Then I got a job as a journalist with RNZ and on my very first day, the station was abuzz with the story that a senior journalist who worked there had been found in possession of cannabis,…

I am back from a lovely time on the Karikari Peninsula. It was the first time I’d spent an extended period there and it truly is one of the most magical places I have ever visited. Between the rain, there were long beach walks, fish and chips, and plenty of reading. Absolute bliss. As always at this time of year, the weather proved unpredictable for many around the country. I hope wherever you were when welcoming in the new year, you stayed safe and are embracing the renewed sense of possibility a fresh start brings. This week, we chat with television journalist Sacha McNeil, who is following in her father Bob’s footsteps. It has been a year since he passed away and she has recently turned the big 5-0. Losing…

Gordon Ramsay is thrilled to have gained a son-in-law, with the marriage of his daughter Holly to British Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty. But Adam’s family is still grieving the fact that they were shunned from the wedding and are now bitterly estranged from the three-time gold medallist. While the entire Ramsay clan attended the wedding, along with the likes of David and Victoria Beckham, Adam’s mother Caroline and most other members of the Peaty family were officially uninvited. The only member of Adam’s family to attend was his sister Bethany, 32, who was one of the bridesmaids. Caroline, 60, says the snub has been almost too painful to bear. For years, she rose at 4am every day to drive her son 40 minutes to swimming training and waited two hours…

James Cameron’s Midas touch is still pure gold. The movie mogul’s latest film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, officially grossed $1.7 billion at the global box office on January 3 – just two weeks after it was released. The director now has four movies that have exceeded the billion-dollar threshold. Avatar, released in 2009, has grossed $5 billion worldwide and 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water has so far grossed $3.9 billion. Titanic, released in 1997, has also pulled in $3.9 billion globally. The Hollywood visionary, 71, has lived in New Zealand since 2012.…

It’s a summer of food for celebrity chef Josh Emett. As well as cooking up a storm at his Waiheke Island bach, he’ll also be the executive chef at New Zealand’s highly anticipated sailing event. Josh and his wife and business partner Helen recently bought and renovated a holiday home on the picturesque island in the Hauraki Gulf, a 40-minute ferry ride from central Auckland. “It’s a little two-bedroom bach and it has an incredible outdoor area, which is almost twice the size of the actual house,” says Josh. “It’s a great base for us to go and relax over there while we’re working. It’s very simple, very beachy. Because it’s tiny, we removed some of the old doors and did some sliders to get more space. It’s very light.…

White will always feel right in high summer as it reflects light rather than absorbing it. A white dress is the absolute pinnacle of summer dressing, but a pants-and-camisole combo in a loose silhouette keeps everything modern, while maintaining white’s legendary Zen vibe. Crisp, white cottons and relaxed lived-in linens will help you feel fresher. Try keeping things fuss-free. The most complicated you’ll want to go on the fabric front is a broderie anglaise texture. Add a gentle ecru, tan, beige or brown accessory such as a bag, pair of sunnies or shoes to soften and update the white-on-white feel. Otherwise, gold jewellery is a good call if you want to keep the look highly polished. COMPILED BY FIONA HAWTIN.…

AQUARIUS Jan 21 – Feb 19 You could find yourself brimming with ideas – some practical, some wild. Don’t censor the crazier ones yet: sketch them out, dream them up and talk them through. Even if you don’t act, the act of imagining broadens your horizons and opens up possibilities. PISCES Feb 20 – Mar 20 And breathe... This week offers a chance to slow the noise. It’s time to quiet your mind, simplify your calendar and tune into what you truly feel. You’ll rediscover a sense of calm, clarity and maybe even a yearning you’d forgotten. You know the answers. Trust your intuition and enjoy a sense of peace. ARIES Mar 21 – Apr 20 Go for it this week as renewed energy stirs up new possibilities. Attend that…

David Beckham is continuing to reach out to his estranged eldest son. At the end of 2025, the football legend posted a photo carousel of some of the family’s highlights over the year. None of the pics featured Brooklyn, 26, because he hasn’t spoken to his family for “months and months”. Hours after sharing the carousel, however, David, 50, shared throwback snapshots of himself with each of his kids with wife Victoria, 51. In the caption of his photo with Brooklyn, he wrote, “I love you all so much.” David’s message may have fallen on deaf ears as Brooklyn appears to have blocked his family from his social media accounts. Fans noticed recently that neither David nor Victoria were following Brooklyn’s Instagram account, but their youngest son, Cruz, 20, set…

He might be American made, but George Clooney is now a Frenchman! The Jay Kelly star, 64, his wife Amal, 47, and their eight-year-old twins Ella and Alexander have been awarded French citizenship. The family has been living on a farm in the south of France since 2021 and George says he loves the country’s privacy laws. He told French radio this month, “I love the French culture, your language, even if I’m still bad at it after 400 days of courses. “Here, they don’t take photos of kids. There aren’t any paparazzi hidden at the school gates. That’s number one for us.”…

This year is shaping up to be another stressful one for Will Smith. The Hollywood A-lister, 57, has been slapped with a lawsuit in which a musician is accusing Will of “grooming” him while they worked together. Brian King Joseph, 35, is claiming sexual harassment and wrongful termination. He says he was hired by Will for his 2025 music tour after an audition at the star’s home, claiming the actor told him, “You and I have a special connection.” Then, while on tour in Las Vegas in March last year, Brian says he returned to his hotel room to find it had been “unlawfully entered” by an “unknown person” who’d left a handwritten note, including the words “just us” and a heart emoji – plus a number of items, including…

Turning 30 BORN IN 1996 Lorde She burst on to the world music charts with her first hit Royals in 2013 and Kiwi songstress Lorde has been pop aristocracy ever since. The hitmaker turns 30 on November 7. Sophie Turner Sophie was just 14 when she stepped into the role of Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones. The British actor will celebrate her 30th birthday with daughters Willa, five, and Delphine, three, on February 21. Let’s not tell her winter is coming! Anya Taylor-Joy Ever since her break-out role as orphan chess prodigy Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit, Anya has been making all the right career moves. She blows out 30 candles on April 16. Zendaya From child model and back-up dancer to a Golden Globe and two Emmys,…

I’m not one for taking lots of advice. But occasionally someone will suggest something that strikes me like a bolt from the blue. It can be the silliest little thing or something quite profound. But once I’m struck, those words never leave me. Advice I’ve taken to heart recently both involve dogs I’ve owned. I’d always been quite strict when it came to offering any of my own food to my pooch. My now deceased border collie Freddy used to always sit patiently in front of me while I ate. His loving, imploring eyes would stare at me, then my food, then me, then my food – this would go on until I finished eating. They must have a special look for making you want to feed them. But I…

I do yoga now. Yes, after many, many years of Megan gently prodding me toward bending my body, I made the decision to get on board. I was nervous about being involved with what might be just a passing fad. I mean, it’s only been around for a few thousand years. Is it actually here to stay? The straw that bent this camel’s back was during a car trip on our recent tour of New Zealand. A good friend, who does not in any way resemble a yoga disciple, was raving about how a few minutes of “copying” the moves of a yoga master every morning could make or break his day. Mood-changing stuff. So enthusiastic was he about the benefits, I found myself asking him out loud for the…

Suspense on the menu A celebrity cook dishes up mayhem and meatballs Deliciously dark and twisty, this novel is a fusion of cookbook and horror mystery. That sounds like the recipe for a hot mess, but it’s actually a page-turner, seasoned with suspense, spiced with intrigue and I devoured it. Maria Cappello is a starry celebrity chef, but there have always been wild rumours swirling around her. Years ago, her chef husband Damien disappeared without a trace and many people still suspect she was involved. Maria’s always refused to talk about Damien. Neither will she reveal the secret ingredient that makes her meatballs taste so good. Now she has decided to break her silence in a tell-all memoir and has hand-picked editor Thea Woods to work on it. There are…

Dolly Parton celebrates her 80th birthday on January 19 – but don’t expect her to sing about it. “Well, so what?” muses the country music icon. “Age is just a number. Yes, I’m going to be 80, but I don’t feel 80. I honestly don’t feel much different to when I was 40.” The Jolene hitmaker is standing strong after a traumatic year in which her beloved husband, businessman Carl Dean, died. Six months later, she was forced to cancel a public appearance due to kidney stone problems, then postponed her Las Vegas residency until September 2026. Fans feared the worst, but the Coat of Many Colours legend set things straight, sharing a photo with the caption, “Lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look…