It was only last November that Jay-Jay Feeney shared her excitement at her Algerian boyfriend Minou finally getting a visa to stay in New Zealand for a full 12 months after years of difficult long-distance romance.
Just eight weeks later, the radio legend and Woman’s Day columnist, 51, reveals that her beloved partner, 33, must fly back to his North African homeland because his passport is about to expire.
Jay-Jay explains, “When he came over, it was only supposed to be for three months, but then he got the visa. Unfortunately, to get his passport renewed, he has to go to the nearest Algerian embassy, which is in Canberra, but he’d need another visa to get to Australia.”
“We really tried to make it happen, but it was too difficult, and our immigration lawyer said his best option was to fly to Algeria. This was on 8 January and Minou flew out on the 10th, just after we got back from Hawke’s Bay. It was really sudden and stressful.”
Mixed emotions over Minou’s trip
“I was a bit upset, but Minou was excited to see his friends and family for Ramadan because he came over here thinking he’d only be away for three months. He hadn’t planned to be away from home that long.”
“He was really happy about the trip, but every time he looked at me, I felt like I was going to cry, which made him feel bad. But I can’t help it – I’m going to miss him so much. He’s become part of the furniture of my life.”
A long Ramadan away
Minou will stay in Algeria for the whole of Ramadan, the Islamic holy period of fasting, and for Eid al-Fitr, the festival celebrating its end, meaning he’ll be away for almost three months, likely returning
to Auckland in late March, around Jay-Jay’s birthday.
“I’ll be waiting for him on my bed, naked, with a big bow wrapped around me!” she jokes.
But in all seriousness, she’s heartbroken.
Coming home to silence
“When I got home from the airport, the house was really quiet and I didn’t know what to do with myself. I felt really lost. I didn’t cry, but my eyes were watering a little. I’m sad he’s away for three months of his one-year visa.”
Jay-Jay’s also scared he might not come back.
She explains, “Last time he left New Zealand, it was also 10 January, in 2020, and we had a plan to see each other in a few months’ time, but then COVID hit and everything turned to custard. We broke up because there was no end in sight. What if something similar happens?”
Fear of the unknown
“Everyone is telling me not to worry, but the world is in turmoil and there’s a lot of war going on in that part of the world. Anything could happen and borders might shut. He could be stuck over there, which would kill me.”
Until Minou returns, Jay-Jay will distract herself with work at her PodLab podcast studio and hang out with her “neglected” friends, but they’ll talk regularly on FaceTime.
A surprise homecoming
She shares, “He just called to say he’d surprised his mum, knocking on her door when he got back at 9pm. She’s a little old lady, so she was hesitant to open the door. He gave her a fright, but she was so happy. “She couldn’t believe it was him, saying, ‘You’re not real!’ She doesn’t usually show herself too much when we’re talking, but she came over and gave him a big kiss on the cheek while we were chatting on FaceTime.”
Minou also revealed two women on his flight recognised him from his Woman’s Day articles, which have gone viral in Algeria.
Jay-Jay laughs, “They asked if he was ‘Minou from New Zealand’. He didn’t believe it!”
A relationship that feels right
Minou has now spent seven months in Aotearoa and Jay-Jay says this time has confirmed that their relationship’s the real deal.
“It’s just been so normal, natural, and fun,” she smiles.
The chill couple
“The closest we’ve come to having a fight is when he wanted to take a big jar of mānuka honey in his carry-on baggage and I told him it wouldn’t get through security. We’re just a chill, boring couple.”
Asked if there’s anything new she’s learned about her man in the past few months, Jay-Jay says, “Well, he gives really good foot rubs – and he’s even smarter than I thought he was. I wish I could chat
to him in Arabic just to know how funny he is. But he’s pretty bad at tech for a younger guy. He’s like a boomer and I have to do everything!”
No wedding plans yet
Jay-Jay insists they won’t plan a wedding when Minou returns because she remains technically married to her former radio co-host Dominic Harvey.
“Everyone keeps asking, but we need to spend more time together and work out whether his religion will get in the way of it – and I still have to get a divorce, which is a lot of paperwork,” she shares.
“We’ll get around to it when it’s necessary.”
