For many people, running away to join the circus is something of a pipe dream, but when Marie first met Harry Weber, it instantly became a reality. The couple are now approaching 23 years of marriage, share eight children together and are still just as in love as the day they met.
Their relationship began in 1997, in the spellbinding setting of a circus in which Harry was performing.
“Marie was friends with one of the entertainers in my circus and they used to go nightclubbing together,” recalls Harry. “And then one day while visiting Marie, she noticed me and has been on the road ever since.”
“Because he didn’t stop chasing me!” Marie quips.
By the time they married in 2002, the couple already had three children who would later become star acts in their family spectacle and, although the set-up for a circus-themed wedding was there, the pair chose a traditional church for the occasion.
“Marie always tells people we had a very small wedding, but I like to tell them the church was packed out – it doesn’t matter if it was packed out with only 20 people,” Harry laughs.
Now that’s an in-tents connection!
The honeymoon still isn’t over for the now family of 10, who live in a motorhome built by Harry, 58, and spend their days touring around the world while filming reality show The Circus. The true extent of their travels is revealed when Harry explains that the longest they have ever stayed in one place was during the first Covid lockdown in 2020, when they returned to their house in Cambridge for three months. Before then, they were performing in South Africa and Korea.
“We’re a little bit like tourists in a way – it’s just our holiday never ends,” says Harry, explaining how a nomadic life also comes with its fair share of downsides, such as having to set up tents in the pouring rain and extreme winds. “Marie and I also don’t get many moments alone because with eight kids and 40 or 50 people working for us at any one time, there is always someone knocking on our door.”
They both agree this can be a challenge, and Marie, 44, jokes their alone time is “normally when Harry goes to Bunnings and I tag along”. She adds, “We’re heading off to Bali tomorrow though, so hopefully we’ll get a few seconds of privacy – although we have to take the kids, so I doubt it!”
As the Weekly chats to the couple via Zoom, it’s evident that despite the pressure of performing and raising their children, including Kiarnna, 24, Dalton, 22, Dylan, 21, Kaleah, 20, Ryder, eight, Rosie, seven, D’Artagnan, five, and Diesel, three, they still know how to keep their romance alive.
The kids (from left) – Kiarnna (top), Dalton, Dylan, Kaleah, Ryder, Rosie, D’Artagnan and Diesel – are a class act.
When asked to spill their secrets, Marie replies, “We share our main interest, which is the circus, and we both love it. That’s a good starting point. We also try to stay interested in each other’s hobbies. For example, Harry likes fixing up cars, so I try to get involved and support him in any way I can.”
The children have also helped keep their marriage strong and the pair pride themselves on remaining a close family, despite the eldest kids getting hitched and leading independent lives.
“I still can’t come to grips with the fact I have so many children because it just doesn’t seem like I do!” says Harry. “It’s not like we’re looking after eight toddlers. I like to think of it as having two litters, four in the first and four in the next, because the older ones are all in their twenties and the younger ones are only three to eight years old.”
Having a large family wasn’t always on the cards for Marie though, who explains she once told Harry she didn’t want any children, quickly adding that now, of course, she wouldn’t have it any other way. These days, the couple enjoy their family time both in and out of the spotlight, but admit there isn’t much difference between the two.
Mum and eldest Kiarnna.
“One of our main goals is to educate our kids with honesty and being true to who they are,” says Harry, “and we reflect this through our TV show. What you see is what you get with us – nothing ever really changes. Like any family and relationship, it’s not all rainbows and roses. We’ve had our fair share of trying times, but I think if you love each other as much as we all do, then it’ll all work out well.”
Watch The Circus on ThreeNow, with a new episode going to air each Friday.
