The cast of The Real Housewives of Auckland has been confirmed, with six women set to front the first ever Kiwi version of the hit reality series.
The show will be airing on New Zealand screens in August, thanks to a partnership between MediaWorks and NBCUniversal International Networks, which will bring the Bravo entertainment and lifestyle channel to New Zealand as a replacement for current channel FOUR.
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The show is based on the hugely popular Real Housewives franchise that launched in America in 2006, before quickly expanding to include spin-offs from all around the world.
Most recently, the series launched the successful Real Housewives of Melbourne show in 2014 and The Real Housewives of Cheshire, the first British spin-off of the series, in 2015. Casting is reported to be underway for a Sydney version of the reality show as well.
Now, it’s the turn of Auckland’s own rich list to be put under the reality TV microscope on The Real Housewives of Auckland.
More about the women starring in the show:
Angela Stone
Divorced, three children
Fashion designer and stylist Angela lives in Newmarket but juggles her time between Auckland and her hometown of Christchurch with her stylist service company. The busy mum-of-three also runs her own wine label and has built up a career as a lifestyle guru and author.
Gilda Kirkpatrick
Divorced, two children
Iranian-born Gilda is infamous for being the queen of Auckland’s social scene and lives in the ‘wedding cake house’ on Auckland’s Paritai Drive with her partner and their two sons Lucan and Kyan. Gilda was formerly married to property tycoon James Kirkpatrick and was once known as the “Princess of Paritai”. Along with being a gourmet cook, artist and designer, Gilda runs inner-city advertising and PR agency Rascals. She has a bachelor degree in architecture and last year, made her debut as a children’s book author with an educational series of sci-fi comic-style books.
Julia Sloane
Married, two children
Julia, who recently remarried, is a proud mum to teenagers Dunbar (15) and Ella (13) and lives in upmarket Parnell. A businesswoman, athlete and former model, Julia has also made a name for herself as a children’s author with five books under her belt and a sixth on the way. Her former husband, Dunbar Sloane, is still on good terms with Julia and regularly visits her and her investment banker husband at his award-winning vineyard in Matakana.
Louise Wallace
Married, two children
Veteran broadcaster Louise Wallace will be a familiar face to many Kiwis thanks to a career spanning 30 years as an actress, journalist and presenter of shows such as 60 Minutes and 20/20. The mum of two has been married to hubby Scott for 33 years and lives on Paritai Drive. The couple have two adult children, Ashley (24) and Guy (21). A trained actor, Louise founded Tadpole Theatre Productions and has appeared in a leading role in two plays for the company.
Michelle Blanchard
Married, two children
Former fashion model Michelle originally hails from England and met her husband of 16 years David Blanchard, the former director of Good Health Products, while on holiday in New Zealand. The couple live in Coatesville and have two children, Curtis (14) and Christelle (12). High-flying Michelle has a love for fast cars and drives a Maserati Ghibli, and is also a connoisseur of high fashion.
Anne Batley Burton
Married, lives in Parnell
Former ballroom dancing champ Anne Batley Burton is an importer of champagne and French wine and calls herself the “Champagne Lady”. In 2007, she was made a “Dame de l’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne” (Dame of Champagne). An animal advocate, Anne founded the New Zealand Cat Foundation and is a recipient of the SPCA Assisi Award. Along with her husband Richard, Anne owns an olive oil estate in Huapai and a home in France.
