'I don't get it': Eternally youthful Getaway host Catriona Rowntree, 53, reveals her major problem with Paris

Sky News AU

17 hours ago

Catriona Rowntree has taken aim at one of Paris's most enduring quirks- its notoriously small hotel lifts.
The Getaway host, who's spent nearly three decades travelling the globe for the long-running Nine Network series, voiced her frustration on Instagram while in the French capital.
"Another European lift. I don't get it?" the 53-year-old mother of two said in a video shared to her Instagram stories on Tuesday.
"How does anyone fit a suitcase and human in here. Does that make me crazy?"
The veteran TV host isn't new to the lift dilemma, either.
Just days earlier, Rowntree shared a reel titled "dumb things I've done in Paris" which included a video of her sending her suitcase up the lift on its own because there wasn't enough room for her to fit alongside it.
"My suitcase barely fits in the lift," she said.
"Have to send it on its own. Shameless overpacker!"
She followed the post with a photo of her large red hardshell suitcase crammed inside a tiny lift with the caption: "Learn from my mistakes!"
Her relatable gripe struck a chord with fans.
"Been there!! Stay strong," one follower commented.
Another added: "Oh oui!!!! I've done the exact same thing and somehow I don't learn!"
Rowntree, who has been in France filming new Getaway segments since mid-June, has also shared other moments from her Parisian adventure, including a star sighting.
"So, I'm just enjoying the Parisian view when this happens…," she captioned a clip filmed while dining at Le Sevre Raspail, as French film icon Isabelle Huppert casually walked past.
"French cinematic royalty strolls by. IYKYK (If you know you know)."
On Monday night, she also posted a dreamy video of a hot air balloon floating above Paris around 10:30pm, referencing a decision by French President Emmanuel Macron to keep the 2024 Olympic Cauldron-inspired balloon on display until 2028.
"Prepare to be shocked, sometimes a politician does actually listen to the locals and responds accordingly!" she wrote.
"When @emmanuelmacron saw how much people loved the Olympic Cauldron/ballon, he said 'non, don't pack it away!' (Or words to that effect) and it will continue the positive spirit of the games, staying until 2028, re-engineered to increase its staying power and an absolute win for tourism!"
She later added: "I really shoulda made this reel longer, but I hope you get the point…it's gorgeous!"
Born in Sydney, Rowntree began her media career in radio in 1991 as a newsreader and lifestyle presenter, including a stint on Triple J.
She later joined the Nine Network as a researcher on the children's show Wonder World!, becoming a reporter in 1993 and host the following year.
In 1996, she scored her dream job on Getaway, where she has remained a staple on the series ever since.
While her career is defined by international travel, Rowntree enjoys downtime at home on a farm in rural Victoria with her husband, farmer James Pettit, and their two sons, Andrew and Charles.