Motocross champion Jay Marmont, and his wife Abby, welcomed their son Jax Robert on November 3. Jax Marmont was born at 8 am, 8.2 pounds in weight and 51 cm in length. Jax has an older sister named Lila Emma who passed away two years ago today.
Jay’s younger brother Ryan Marmont, and his fiancee Chelsea, welcomed a daughter named Indigo Grace in September. The birth of cousins Jax and Indigo was announced on the MotoOnline.com.au website.
This weekend, both Jay and Ryan will continue their Super X campaigns at Campbelltown Stadium. Jay is currently fifth in the Pro Open standings, while Ryan is seventh in his rookie season.
Champion jockey brad Rawiller, and his wife Carolyn, welcomed their first child last week, daughter Cleo Kate, who was conceived using IVF. Cleo Rawiller was due to arrive tomorrow, Melbourne Cup Day, and because she came a week early, Brad will be free to ride in the Melbourne Cup. However, this will only happen if his brother Nash loses his appeal against his suspension; if Nash’s bid fails, then Brad will take his place on American horse Unusual Suspect.
Brad was distraught when doctors told him the strict diet he maintains as a jockey to keep his weight down had left him sterile. Wanting a baby more than anything, he and Carolyn took a month-long holiday to improve his health before undertaking treatment at a Melbourne fertility clinic. Carolyn was pregnant much sooner than expected, and becoming a father is the happiest moment of Brad’s life.
UPDATE: Was just watching the evening news, and it was announced that Nash Rawiller had lost his final appeal and will not be racing tomorrow. His brother Brad will be riding Unusual Suspect in his place.
UPDATE (November 1): Unusual Suspect came in 9th during the Melbourne Cup.
Chrissie Swan is an example of one of those few people that you can point to and say that reality television was a force for good in their life. Without exaggeration, you can say that reality television has changed her life for the better. Without reality television, Chrissie would not be a celebrity, and although she may well have had babies otherwise, they would not now be covered in an article on celebrity baby names.
Once upon a time, Chrissie was a real estate copywriter in Melbourne, when she decided to apply as a contestant for the third series of Channel 10’s Big Brother. Her friends were all fans of the show, and she thought it would be funny to think of them watching in bewilderment as she entered the Big Brother House. The producers said they chose Chrissie for her “intelligence, wit, integrity, and intriguing sense of the absurd”.
The producers showed they were on the money, as Chrissie proved popular with both the other Housemates, and the public. She won great support for standing up to the show’s “villain”: arrogant, boastful and slightly corrupt ex-policeman, Ben Archbold, and by doing so, proved that she wasn’t just a nice person, she also had the strength of character to not allow herself to be bullied. (In case you were wondering, Ben Archbold is now a high-profile criminal lawyer, so don’t worry, Chrissie’s feistiness didn’t mentally destroy him or anything).
Much to her surprise, Chrissie was released on Day 86 (July 21 2003) as the runner-up to Regina “Reggie” Bird; it was the first time a woman had won the show, and the first time a woman was runner-up (it was the only series where both winner and runner-up were female).
Chrissie attempted to return to her normal life, but found it impossible to continue as a real estate copywriter – she was too famous. Instead of showing her around their houses for 10 minutes so that she could go away and describe them alluringly, people wanted her to tell them all the inside goss on Big Brother, look at the family photo albums, and talk to their aunty on the phone. Her attractive personality meant that people saw her as a friend, and a visitor to their home rather than as a professional; and as a good friend, they expected her to stay for at least 2 hours. Her business was in tatters.
Three days after leaving the Big Brother House, she was offered a job in breakfast radio on the Sunshine Coast, and moved to Queensland in September. She worked hard at learning how to be a good presenter, and in 2005, she and her co-hosts won the Best On-Air Team from ACRA, since the ratings for their slot were almost double that of any other station on the coast. When she moved back to Melbourne, Chrissie got a job doing breakfast radio at Vega in Melbourne, until she and her co-hosts got the sack during Vega’s (now Classic Rock 91.5) notorious cost-cutting exercise.
In a clear case of one door opening as another closes, last year Chrissie was offered the chance to co-host a new morning chat show on Channel 10 called The Circle. It was a gamble having an all-female panel on a television show, especially as The Catch Up, an attempt to copy US show TheView, was axed from a rival channel after just a few months.
Not surprisingly, Chrissie was nervous about her gig on a new show in an untried format that everyone said seemed awfully risky. But she and her co-hosts rose to the challenge, and the show became a success. The premise of the show was that the women would never be bitchy or create staged conflict; it would be four women having a chat together like friends, and anyone who came on their show would join this circle of friends, and the audience would also be made to feel as they were friends with everyone as well.
It was so entertaining being a guest on The Circle that some celebrities were willing to pay their own way to be on the show. Chrissie got to meet stars like Jerry Hall and Elmo; she cooked with psychic John Edward and cuddled Meatloaf; she sang Stop in the Name of Love with a Supreme and TotalEclipse of the Heart with Bonnie Tyler; and she felt up Kim Kardashian’s bottom. Lily Tomlin refused to give interviews when she came to Australia, but insisted on guest-hosting on The Circle, because she had heard about it in America and wanted to be part of the fun (nobody touched her bottom though).
Chrissie gained such popularity with her audience that in April, she was nominated for three Logie Awards – Most Popular New Female Talent, Most Popular Presenter, and the Gold Logie, given to the most popular TV personality overall. While Chrissie’s head was spinning at this unexpected news, pundits on social media and talkback radio questioned how this “nobody” from a show with only 70 000 viewers could have been nominated for the top award, and darkly hinted that the voting must have been rigged.
Long-time media presenter Eddie Maguire used his breakfast show on Triple M to attack Chrissie, suggesting that people might have voted for her, in the same way that children will vote for “the dumb kid” as class captain in order to irritate the teacher. Chrissie stood up against this onslaught as she stood up to Ben Archbold, and refused to buckle to the bullies.
Chrissie’s fans were quick to defend her, saying that they had nominated her because she was intelligent, funny, warm, genuine and compassionate. People who had never voted for the Logies before said they had to this time, because at last here was someone on TV who brightened each day with their sunny smile; someone fresh and natural and honest; someone that ordinary Australians could relate to. In fact, her fans felt that Chrissie was their BFF, and you always stick up for your friends, right?
In the end, Chrissie won the Logie for Most Popular New Female Talent, and Karl Stefanovic from breakfast TV show, Today, won Most Popular Presenter and the Gold Logie – which started up the whole voting debate again, but that’s another story.
Chrissie met her partner Chris Saville through Big Brother; he was part of the crew, and because she calls him “The Chippy”, I’m guessing he was one of the set builders. Chrissie and Chris had a son named Leo in November 2008, and Chrissie, who has always been a big girl, gained 55 kg (121 lb) during her pregnancy.
Hoping to become pregnant again, she had a very public campaign to shed the extra kilos through healthy diet and exercise which won her even greater public sympathy, and the resulting weight loss had the desired effect – she got pregnant almost immediately. During her second pregnancy she stuck to her eating plan, and was happy to report that she only gained 4 or 5 kg (around 10 lb), and was back to her pre-pregnancy weight within a few weeks of giving birth.
Chrissie and Chris named their second son Kit, which as a male name is usually taken as a pet form of Christopher – very appropriate for the child of a Chris and a Chrissie. A famous Australian Kit is Arnold Christopher “Kit” Denton, the novelist who wrote The Breaker, about Breaker Morant, and the father of comedian and television presenter Andrew Denton. Baby rabbits are called kits, which makes it seem very cuddly. Chrissie’s surname of Swan is used as the middle name for both her sons; a charming modern custom which gives Kit Swan Saville a double animal name.
I must confess that I’ve never really liked the name Kit, but you know how sometimes you don’t like a name much, and then a good friend uses it for their child? And then you see it on a real baby, and gradually like it more and more, and eventually you end up liking it heaps. That’s how it was for me – once I saw it on baby Kit and got a real feel for it, it seemed like the perfect name for him. It’s so cute and chipper, and a brilliant match with Leo – two three-letter names that both refer to animals. I love it! A thoroughly converted thumbs up!
Dave Hughes, affectionately known as “Hughesy”, is a comedian who always seems to be described as “laconic”. “Laid-back” and “dry” are two other popular words used to describe his style of comedy. American audiences are, according to him anyway, fascinated by his broad accent, and US comedian Seth Rogen has said that he would turn gay for Hughesy (I presume he meant this in a light-hearted jocular sort of way, rather than a tortured confession of uncontrollable lust).
The odd thing is, Dave Hughes isn’t particularly laconic or laid-back – he has plenty to say for himself, and he admits to being an insecure teeth-grinder. According to his profile on Twitter, he has an addictive personality and will be checking for replies to his posts in an OCD-like way. In his act, he pretends to be lazy and careless, but is relentlessly ambitious. He portrays himself as an academic failure whose education consisted of being hit around the head by the Christian Brothers, but he was Dux of his school the year he graduated.
A man of contradictions, he is a teetotaller and doesn’t eat meat (except fish) for his health, but he hates vegetables, loves sugar, and (according to his Twitter posts) seems to be ill quite a lot. He meditates and reads self-help books, but still appears anxious and irritable. He appears on the customary left-wing comedy shows, but strikes me as a social conservative. Despite his working class rural background, ocker accent, and endless wardrobe of man-of-the-people shirts, he’s a multi-millionaire living a celebrity lifestyle.
A stand-up veteran, he has appeared on radio and television for many years. Currently he co-hosts the breakfast radio programme, Hughesy and Kate, with Kate Langbroek, on Nova 100. He is also co-host of Channel 10’s light entertainment current affairs TV show, The 7PM Project, with Charlie Pickering and Carrie Bickmore.
He married Holly Ife, a reporter with the Herald Sun, on New Year’s Eve 2006 at Flemington race track. Hughesy tends to portray his wife as both bossy and long-suffering. Dave and Holly have two children. Their son Rafferty David was born in April 2009, and their daughter Sadie May was born in April this year. (Dave got the giggles while she was being born).
Rafferty is “on trend” here, as names beginning with Raf-, such as Rafael and Rafi, are very much in vogue. It has a particular flavour in Australia, due to the old-fashioned slang, “Rafferty’s rules”, to describe a state of lawlessness. This was also the name of a police drama in the 1980s, starring popular actor, John Wood. More Australian-ness: Chips Rafferty was an iconic Australian movie star from the 1940s and 50s; and Rafferty’s Garden is a company which makes baby food.
Sadie is starting to become fashionable here, following recent North American trends. For many years it was in the no-go zone, thanks to Johnny Farnham’s hit single, Sadie the Cleaning Lady, but does now seem to considered more usable. The Canadian kid’s TV show, Naturally Sadie, has probably helped. Christina Applegate’s daughter, Sadie Grace, was born just three months before Sadie Hughes.
Keen-eyed starwatchers may have noticed a coincidence in the Hughes’ family names – English film star Jude Law has a son named Rafferty, and for several years was married to actress and designer Sadie Frost. I presume this was unintentional, rather than some sort of homage to Mr. Law.
Rafferty and Sadie are a sibset with strong Australian associations; the names are shabby-chic, and have already been road-tested by overseas celebrities. I can definitely see the names Rafferty and Sadie gaining in popularity in the next few years.
Dave discusses fatherhood on chat show, Rove, in 2009:
Soccer player for Sydney FC, Jamie Coyne, and his wife Tanja, welcomed their first child on Tuesday October 25. They have named their son Lucas, and Jamie says that they did not name him after Socceroos skipper Lucas Neill – it was just the only name they could agree on.
Jamie plays right fullback for his home town team, Sydney FC, and began his career in England playing for Westham United. His older brother Chris plays for Perth Glory.
Channel 9’s The Farmer Wants a Wife is a reality TV show where single farmers get the chance to date several people from the city, and eventually choose one. Hopefully, their choice is equally enamoured with them, and possibly marriage is in their future. Here are two couples who have recently had children, all thanks to the show.
Chris Newsome and his wife Kim met on the first season of the show, in 2007. They hit it off straight away, were engaged by March 2008, and married in May 2008. They allowed their wedding to be filmed for the start of the next series. Their daughter Charlotte Ann was the first baby from the show; she was born in 2009.
Kim still marvels at how the show changed her life. She had almost given up on ever meeting the man of her dreams, and then one day she saw a promo for The Farmer Wants a Wife, and thought Chris looked really nice, which gave her the courage to apply as a contestant. Chris and Kim’s son Corbin John was born in May this year, and Kim says he is a placid, giggly baby who has slept all through the night since the age of six weeks.
Damian Atkins and his partner, Rachael Peynenborg, met on the third season of the show, in 2009. Their relationship progressed well once the cameras weren’t following them around. Their son Harvey Richard was born recently by emergency caesarean, and the couple gave an interview to Woman’s Day magazine about his birth.
Even though the show is supposed to be about getting single farmers married, the couple have joked about the fact they only moved in together. They say their baby is the show’s first “love child”, and that they will “work on” having a wedding once they settle into parenthood.
Former netball star Liz Ellis, and her husband, former rugby union player Matthew Stocks, welcomed their daughter Evelyn Audrey on September 28. Evelyn Stocks was born at 10.58 pm at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s Birth Centre, was 53 cm long and weighed 4.03 kg. Liz did a Calmbirth course in preparation for the birth, and had a drug-free labour lasting two hours.
Liz was a member of the national netball team from 1992 to 2007, and captain for the last four of those years. She was also captain of the Sydney Swifts from 2000 to 2007. She has enjoyed a successful media career, being a popular presenter and panellist. Currently, she is a netball commentator and panellist for ONE HD. Matthew played for the NSW Waratahs.
Liz and Matthew wanted a “girlie, old-fashioned” name for their daughter, and both of them loved the name Evelyn. Audrey is Matthew’s mother’s name. They call her Evie for short. Evelyn is their first child, and the couple would like more children.
(Story from New Idea magazine, October 31 2011; photo from Sunday Herald Sun, April 17 2011)
Soloist with the Australian Ballet Company, Laura Tong, and her husband, ballet teacher Tristan Message, welcomed their son Henry during the winter months.
Laura was born in New Zealand, and began dancing at the age of four. She studied at the English National Ballet School, graduating in 2004 and then joining the English National Ballet. She joined the Australian Ballet in 2004, and was promoted to soloist in 2009.
Tristan graduated from the Australian Ballet School in 1999, and joined the Australian Ballet the following year. In 2002 he travelled to Europe on a scholarship, and was promoted to soloist in 2005. After training as a teacher, he joined the staff of the Australian Ballet School full time in 2009.
Thanks to the new family-friendly policies at the Australian Ballet Company, Laura was able to continue performing until she was 18 weeks pregant, and then put on “safe duties”, which included working in the research and public relations side of the ballet organisation. She continued to do daily ballet classes until the final stages of her pregnancy. Laura is currently on maternity leave.
Weight-lifter Deborah Acason, and her husband, school chaplain Josh Acason, welcomed their first child on September 7. Eva Acason was born at 7.30 in the evening, weighing 3.7 kg (8 pounds 6 ounces).
Deborah has won one bronze medal, three silver medals and one gold medal at Commonwealth Games, and has competed twice at the Olympics. She completed a degree in law and criminology last year, and has been awarded several honours for her community and charity work. Deborah and Josh met at their church, and married in 2008.
Deborah is taking a break from sport to make Eva her first priority, but hasn’t retired. She is still considering competing at the London Olympics next year.
Eva Acason is the second celebrity baby called Eva this year – the first one was Eva Cassissi, the daughter of AFL captain, Domenic Cassissi.
State Labor MP Curtis Pitt, and his wife Kerry, welcomed their third child and second daughter, Layla, way back in May. Layla joins big brother Tristan, aged 2. Tristan and Layla have an older sister called Isabel, who was stillborn.
Curtis is the Minister for Disabilities, Mental Health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships in the Queensland State Government. He represents the seat of Mulgrave, which was also held by his father, Warren Pitt.
Curtis is a patron of SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Support). Last year Curtis and Kerry launched the Ride for Isabel charity bike ride to raise money for SANDS. After receiving such necessary support after their own devastating loss, they are determined to give something back.
Waltzing More Than Matilda 