Matt Klitscher
Thinking of when he last appeared on Celebrity Treasure Island two years ago, Art Green recalls, “It was a lot of fun and physically satisfying, but also one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. I found myself getting caught up in the game. It was hard to keep my mind off all the different aspects at play and the clashing personalities.”
However, the most difficult part was being separated from his heavily pregnant wife Matilda – who he met on The Bachelor NZ in 2015 – and their son Milo, then just 18 months old.
“That was the hardest thing by far – being away from Matty while she was going through so much,” admits Art, 34, who is set to compete in the upcoming spin-off series Treasure Island: Fans V Faves and is now also a father to one-year-old daughter Autumn.
Speaking to Woman’s Day in Fiji just before filming starts, he says, “It’s going to be even harder now we’ve got two kids. It’s nonstop having two little humans at home. There’s no off switch and there’s very little sleep, so it’ll be challenging for Matty, but we’re really enjoying the ages they’re at right now.
“They’re finally playing together and Autumn’s just starting to walk. She’s learnt to say hi, bye, Milo, Mummy and Daddy. We haven’t got Milo into an ice bath yet, but he comes to watch and he sometimes tries to do some exercise with me.”
Making the most of precious family time with Matilda, Milo and Autumn.
Asked how Matilda, 32, feels about him going away, Art replies, “She’s supportive and apprehensive. This is a whole new level of difficulty, but she’s looking forward to it in a weird way. It’s a good opportunity to grow and develop the relationships she has with our kids.”
As for how having two children has affected their three-year marriage, he grins, “It’s made us stronger. We have less time just for us two, so when we have our time together, we make the most
of it. It’s more special. It’s evolved our relationship to another level.”
The social media stars and health fanatics make a picture-perfect pair, however Art admits they have their ups and downs like any couple. “We’re such open books with each other. We very rarely have disagreements, but when we do, they’re over such small things.”
Laughing, he adds, “Insignificant stuff, like, ‘These chia seeds haven’t been soaked long enough!’ But we’ve grown together to a point where we’re about to address what it is.”
Would they consider having more kids or is the pipeline shut off?
“Well, it’s not shut off, but… I’m not sure,” says Art. “We’ll have to see!”
The fifth celebrity to be eliminated from Treasure Island in 2021, his strategy is different this season and Art promises we’ll see a whole new side of him.
“This time, I really don’t want to get too bogged down in the game and just have as much fun as I can,” he explains. “This is Fun Art! This Art is more relaxed. Now I’ve got two kids, so it’s hardened me and I’m more resilient from a stress perspective.”
Art certainly was relaxed when it came to prepping for the TVNZ 2 show. “I did nothing!” he grins. “Last time, I looked at some puzzle books, but I did none for this. Now that I’m here, I’m starting to have regrets. I know Matty McLean would have done his homework. He’s going to be the biggest threat – he got burnt last time, but now he knows what to do to win.”
Art and Joe Cotton get their heads in the game.
Art is competing to raise funds for men’s health charity Movember, which has a focus on mental health and suicide prevention. He explains, “I’ve been surrounded by a lot of men with poor mental health over my life, and I think a lot of that has been due to being closed-up and not talking.”
However, Art has himself never struggled with his mental health. He says, “I’m lucky in that my parents are naturally very open and that was really helpful to me growing up.”
It’s something he “absolutely” wants to pass on to his children. “My wife Matty and I discuss that. We’re very open and we talk about everything. We’re definitely going to instil that mentality in our kids.”
So how would he feel if Autumn and Milo wanted to follow in their parents’ footsteps by going into reality television? After a long, thoughtful pause, Art replies, “I’d be totally supportive. Depends on
the show, but I’d tell them to be themselves.”
