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The Spinoff
10-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
All the celebrities* running in local elections around the country this year
Alex Casey takes a Hollywood tour through the star-studded candidates list. For those who love to follow weird local celebrity gossip, it's slim pickings out there at the moment. Noel Edmonds has gone quiet, Brad Pitt has left the building by way of McDonald's drive-thru, and Jay-Jay and Minou's love story can only sustain interest for so long (although admittedly mine is yet to wane). We are left with nothing but mourning for Sam Neill's beloved duck Magda, and there's not even a season of Celebrity Treasure Island this year to numb the pain of it all. If you've been left wondering what happened to all the quirky and interesting well-known personalities of Aotearoa, I recently discovered where many of them have been hiding out: local body politics. And while it took a little while to weed out the real big names from the flagrant imposters (looking at you Tony Bennett in Dunedin, Paul Williams in Waimakariri, Bill Hammond in Upper Hutt City), this year boasts a truly impressive number of celebrities* hitting the campaign trail. Anne 'The Champagne Lady' Batley-Burton (Auckland) The champagne importer, cat enthusiast and Real Housewives of Auckland star made big headlines in June, first announcing that she would be running for Auckland Council's Waitematā Local Board before also revealing that she was accidentally bowled over by her husband's car while trying to rescue a roaming cat. Running on the centre-right C&R ticket, Batley-Burton told the Herald she wants to reduce crime in Auckland's CBD ('quite scary'), stop the 'free for all' of housing intensification, and make desexing and microchipping free for cat owners. For more insights, here's a tipsy dispatch after I spent a whole day sipping champagne with her in 2017. Jamaine Ross (Auckland) You may know him for being crack-up on things like Frickin' Dangerous Bro, Guy Mont Spelling Bee, 7 Days and Have You Been Paying Attention, but Waitākere Ranges Local Board candidate Jamaine Ross now has a serious message: don't vote for him. 'Please don't,' the comedian pleaded from the front seat of his car in a recent video. 'This isn't a gag, this isn't a joke, this isn't some kind of weird reverse psychology thing to try and convince you to vote for me. Don't vote for me. I don't want to do it, OK?' Intriguing, confusing and conversation-starting for sure. Michael Organ (Whanganui) Famous for a star turn in the David Farrier documentary Mister Organ, Michael Organ is running for one of 10 Whanganui General Ward councillor positions on Whanganui District Council this year and I am genuinely too scared to write anything else. Pennywize (Wellington) Let the chills continue with this homage to an evil clown who famously lures kids into drains with paper boats and then eats them. Luckily, this Pennywize (with a z) is mostly looking to return 'sanity, common sense, swamps, moa and hokioi Haast's eagles to the streets of Te Whanganui-a-Tara' in their mayoral bid this year. If your blood is curdled by the idea of a horror sound-a-like roaming the streets, you just wait till you hear who is running in Ōamaru (Ferdie Kruger). Teal Mau (Wellington) Hairdresser Teal Mau captured our hearts when he competed with wife Sophia in My Kitchen Rules NZ in 2017. 'The coolest MKR chef remains 'international man of mystery' Teal, who it is revealed everyone is scared of because he looks a lot like Johnny Depp and almost never talks,' we wrote at the time. The comparison appears to have stuck around, not helped by the fact that Mau recently responded to a NZ Herald question about Depp with the phrase 'parley' – a pirate negotiation term lifted directly from The Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Mau is running for one of three Pukehīnau/Lambton General Ward councillor positions on Wellington Council, where he wants to give business owners a voice, keep young people in the city, and presumably find the beating heart of Davy Jones. Will Hall (Christchurch) He's faced down the Ferndale Strangler, but how might he handle the constituents of Christchurch? You might recognise Will Hall as Dr Kip Denton from Shortland Street, or the mutton-chopped Mike McCarthy from Westside, but the actor has more recently been gunning for a new role: repping the good people of Heathcote Ward on the Waihoro Spreydon-Cashmere-Heathcote Community Board. Running with the campaign slogan 'where there's a Will, there's a way,' Hall told Stuff in 2022, when he unsuccessfully ran for ward councillor, that there was Nothing Trivial (another show he starred in for several years) about his acting background: 'I'm new to politics and that's an advantage; no preconceptions, I'm independent, energetic with common-sense.' Mandy Mayhem (Dunedin) In a way, Mandy Mayhem being one of the 1,000 people in the Dunedin Study is about as famous as you can get. OK, so you're involved in the world's most detailed longitudinal study of human development? That DO impress-a me much. The Dunedin mayoral candidate is also a ringmaster, a black belt in taekwondo, spent six years on the Waikouaiti-Coast Community Board, and was elected as a Dunedin City councillor in 2022. She's also been described as a ' pirate queen ' – just don't tell Teal up in Wellies or we might have to hose down the Black Pearl. Suzanne Prentice (Invercargill) She's performed with Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and basically every single New Zealand child alive for the Kids for Kids national tour in the 90s and 2000s, but these days you're more likely to find country music legend Suzanne Prentice in a meeting than on the big stage. First challenging Tim Shadbolt for the mayoralty in 2010, Prentice has since become a familiar name in Invercargill local politics and is now dreamin' her dreams of being re-elected to the Invercargill Licensing Trust in 2025. (PS: I don't know what the NZ equivalent of an EGOT is, but Prentice has already nabbed a New Year's honour and a star on the walk of fame this year alone.) Steve Broad (Invercargill) Speaking of Invercargill crooners, it's only bloody Steve Broad from NZ Idol and X Factor NZ! First arriving on our screens in 2005, all wide eyes and long hair, the blondini from the south came third in season two of NZ Idol (later won by Rosita Vai). A whole decade later, he returned to the singing competition stage for X Factor NZ in 2015, a season so massively overshadowed by the Kills-Moon explosion that we all forgot his moving rendition of ' Summertime Sadness '. He outlasted suit thief Joe Irvine, but Broad was eliminated in the quarter finals. In 2023, he successfully ran in the Invercargill City Council byelection, and will be looking to ' Stay ' on as a councillor in 2025. Paddy O'Brien (Invercargill) Invercargill's stardust continues to shine with O'Brien, the world's first ever professional rugby referee who is also standing for re-election to the Invercargill Licensing Trust this year. O'Brien refereed the first ever professional match between the Hurricanes and the Blues in 1996, and went on to referee 80 more Super Rugby matches, two Rugby World Cups, and 218 first-class matches. Marcus Lush (Invercargill) OK, Invercargill is basically Madame Tussaud's at this point. Although he called 'bullshit' on the celebrity title back in 2022, there's no denying that councillor candidate Marcus Lush is a heavy hitter to round out the city's cavalcade of celebri– sorry, notable characters. He has been in the public eye (and/or ear) since the late 80s, be it fronting documentary series like Off the Rails and South, or hosting stints on bFM, Radio Live and his current late-night gig on Newstalk ZB. An impressive CV, but even someone as experienced as Lush can admit his shortcomings. 'I'm not a Kardashian,' he once told The Spinoff. 'It's not like I've done a sex tape.'
NZ Herald
04-06-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Society Insider: Champagne Lady Anne Batley Burton accidentally hit by husband's car; Spencer family's Man O' War wines expand to South Island; new rich-list couple
Along with running her Champagne Jacquart distribution business, Batley Burton founded The NZ Cat Foundation. Anne Batley Burton looking fashionable in her leopard-print sling to match her jacket. The accident happened three weeks ago while Burton was backing their Mercedes SUV out of their driveway. 'We were on our way to The Pussy Palace at our home in Goose Creek,' Batley Burton tells Society Insider. Goose Creek is the couple's country estate in Huapai, in northwest Auckland. There, they house more than 400 rescued cats in a sanctuary Batley Burton has dubbed The Pussy Palace. 'Our Parnell neighbour's cat Fox keeps coming to our property from the other side of the road,' Batley Burton explains. 'Naturally being the Pussy Lady, I tried to get it out of danger.' Batley-Burton hopped out of the car to move Fox out of harm's way. Burton continued backing the car down the steep driveway and accidentally backed into his petite-framed wife, knocking her over. Burton, who his wife calls 'Cuddly Bear', hit the brakes as soon as he heard her fall forward. 'It was a total accident,' Batley Burton tells Society Insider. 'Cuddly Bear was mortified.' Richard Burton and Anne Batley Burton at The Champagne Lady Ball in Northern Club, Central Auckland. Photo / Norrie Montgomery 'I toppled from my heels and put my hand out to break my fall and grazed my knee and arm before landing on my shoulder,' she says. An ambulance came and told the couple Batley Burton would be attended to more quickly if they went private. Burton rushed his wife to Allevia Hospital (formerly MercyAscot) in Greenlane, where she was treated for a broken shoulder. She will have her arm in a sling for eight weeks, followed by six months of rehabilitation. 'Cuddly Bear has been at the pump working hard to keep the show on the road, and I have to say, he's doing a good job,' she says. The couple's annual trip to their house in the Cote d'Azur region in France has had to be delayed. 'Of course, that trip will be very different now, but what the hell, the pussy is still alive and well,' she says. Batley Burton says you can't keep a good girl down, especially if you have her special 'Wang dang doodle', a phrase she coined on TV show Real Housewives of Auckland to describe her energy. 'I am super busy, but I like it that way,' she says. 'As far as I'm concerned, I will rock till I drop and be assured, I'm still dancing.' Anne Batley Burton, former Real Housewives of Auckland star and cat crusader, with one of her favourite animals. Having the use of only one arm isn't stopping Batley Burton getting out and about or hindering her usual glamorous style, where she is matching her slings with her fashion. 'It takes a huge amount of concentration and effort to look good,' she says. 'It's not easy getting dilly-dollied and glammed up being a one-armed bandit. Luckily, I'm pretty good at makeup.' It's not just Batley Burton's Champagne business and her beloved charity, The Cat Foundation, that are taking up her time. She has recently been inspired to stand for the Waitematā Local Board with the Communities and Ratepayers (C&R) association. 'C&R are closely aligned with what I stand for,' Batley Burton says. This year the C&R platforms include transport, intensification and crime; to the Hauraki Gulf, city parks and the future of Auckland's city centre. Through C&R, she also hopes to create the right balance, looking after Auckland's cat population. 'I am hoping to bring in new bylaws which will protect cats from serious concerns, such as cruel cat traps which are being used in urban areas and killing domestic cats in our neighbourhoods,' she says. 'In particular, my focus is on the area of desexing, vaccination and microchipping of cats, which is a major concern to avoid the proliferation of stray cats.' Sally Ridge renovating partner's Queenstown property Multimillionaire developer John Darby and interior designer Sally Ridge, pictured at Amisfield earlier this year. Interior designer Sally Ridge has taken on her latest renovation – making over the Queenstown property of her boyfriend of more than a year, multimillionaire developer John Darby. Darby, who owns multiple property investments across New Zealand through his business, Darby Partners, purchased a 1990s home in the Wakatipu Basin early last year. Located in Dalefield, the home has an estimated value of nearly $4 million. Months into their relationship, Darby invested in the Herne Bay mansion that Ridge owned with former boyfriend, Scott Fitchett, the founder and managing director of AA Smartfuel. In 2022, Ridge and Fitchett spent nearly $5m on the Herne Bay home as a renovation project for Ridge. Property experts estimate the work Ridge managed on the house doubled its value. That figure excludes the thousands of dollars spent on furnishing indoors and outdoors, including a Terry Stringer sculpture estimated to be worth upwards of $50,000. Now, Ridge is embarking on a do-over of a different kind. She has renovated several historic, villa-style homes in Ponsonby and Herne Bay, but Darby's 90s Queenstown abode will be a new challenge. John Darby's 90s Lake Hayes house. The single-storey, four-bedroom stucco home, which is set on 4000sq m of land, has pillars along its frontage and is dated and rundown. Ridge estimates her latest renovation will be a two-month project. Her Herne Bay mansion took two years. Ridge is known for her love of modernist designers and artists with quirk, such as France's Philippe Starck and Germany's Ottmar Hörl. Last month, Ridge started ruthlessly gutting the interiors, which included beige tiled floors, a wood-panelled kitchen and aluminium joinery. Sally Ridge's latest renovation project is making over the Queenstown property of her boyfriend of more than a year, multimillionaire developer John Darby. The home's north-facing lawns overlook Lake Hayes, which is a few minutes' walk away from the property. Darby's award-winning Amisfield restaurant is nearby, as is the cycle track network, which can take the couple into Darby's 1980s golf course development at Millbrook. A statement pool is likely, as Ridge incorporated one into their Herne Bay mansion. Last weekend, Ridge was staying at the recently opened, space-age Shebara Resort on Sheybarah Island on the Saudi Arabian Red Sea. Sally Ridge at the newly opened, space-age Shebara Resort on Sheybarah Island on the Saudi Arabian Red Sea. The resort has 38 futuristic-looking overwater villas, clad in polished stainless steel with mirrored silhouettes. The resort also has 35 beachfront retreats, and at its centre is a massive central pod 'mothership'. The reception at Shebara Resort. A stay at the resort's luxury accommodation starts at around US$2396 ($3995) per night for a one-bedroom beach villa. The resort was created by architect Shaun Killa, founder of the Dubai-based firm Killa Design, whose work includes Dubai's Museum of the Future and the iconic, sail-inspired Burj Al Arab. Man O' War migrates to the South Island Man O' War is one of Waiheke's most popular wineries. Billionaire Berridge Spencer and his wife Olivia are expanding the family business, with a new Arrowtown-based hospitality experience to build on the success of Waiheke's Man O' War winery. The Spencer family, one of the country's wealthiest, now has vineyards in Marlborough and southern Otago, and is creating wines under a new brand, Swiftsure by Man O' War. Billionaire Berridge Spencer is introducing new Arrowtown-based Swiftsure by Man O' War. Photo / Facebook Berridge, 54, and his wife of 12 years, Olivia, last month opened a four-level restaurant and bar in Arrowtown after nearly a year of construction. Locals tell Society Insider that Swiftsure Arrowtown is amazing, with panoramic views of the hills and Buckingham St. The four levels encompass an internal bar and restaurant and outdoor dining spaces with schist walls, yellow monogrammed umbrellas, fireplaces and a gin pit. The Swiftsure Arrowtown deck. Photo / Sam Stewart One of the dining floors at Swiftsure Arrowtown. Photo / Sam Stewart Olivia is the creative director behind Swiftsure Arrowtown and worked with Mitchell Addison, of Ponsonby's Mitchell Addison Architecture & Design Ltd, to create the South Island bistro. The firm has designed other high-profile hospitality businesses, including Darling on Drake by Victoria Park, and Morell restaurant in Remuera. Olivia Spencer (right) with Victoria Stephens, at an event at Sugar Club. Photo / Norrie Montgomery The Spencer family's multi-generational maritime influences of the Hauraki Gulf have centred around sizeable land ownership in Takapuna, Stanley Point and Devonport and most famously, their Waiheke farm Stony Batter Estate at the northeastern end of Waiheke, estimated to be worth nearly $100m. The family have a majority shareholding in Swiftsure Arrowtown, and are joined in the business by Rupert Paterson, the son of the late South Island entrepreneur Howard Paterson and part of the rich-list Paterson family. After five years at Man O' War's Tasting Room and Restaurant, Rachael Spratt, formerly of Depot and Federal Delicatessen, is now the general manager of hospitality of both Man O' War and Swiftsure. 'We wanted to create something that feels both grounded and elevated,' Spratt tells Society Insider, '... just as suited to hiking boots as it is to celebrations. 'It shares Man O' War's signature hospitality – warm and full of character – now with an alpine and adventurous edge.' The kitchen is headed up by chef Yann Robert, formerly of Queenstown's Amisfield and Jervois Steak House. Swiftsure Arrowtown head chef Yann Robert. Photo / Sam Stewart Robert tells Society Insider that the menu focus is on South Island produce and flavours, with dishes like venison black pudding, whitebait fritters, roasted quail, wood-fired lamb shoulder and a wagyu burger. The wine list spans Waiheke to Bannockburn from Man O' War to the latest Swiftsure releases, with glass pours ranging from $14 to $34. The Spencer family's viticultural journey started with the first vines planted at Stony Batter in 1993. Since then, 75 vineyards have been established on the farm and to the south on Ponui Island. Swiftsure and Man O' War wines at Swiftsure Arrowtown. Photo / Sam Stewart Now the family intend to develop more award-winning wines from the mountainous terrain of the South Island. They have a 5.15ha vineyard in Bannockburn, which they have exclusively dedicated to growing pinot noir grapes. US billionaire and wine magnate Bill Foley also has a portfolio of vineyards in the Bannockburn region. The grapes have been planted on an elevated, north-facing river terrace along the southern banks of the Kawarau River. Man O' War head winemaker Duncan McTavish is utilising the terrain's unique terroir to bring rich flavours into their pinot. McTavish has been with Man O' War for 17 years. He attended Canterbury's Lincoln University and learned his viticulturist craft in the South Island, before working at vineyards in France, Germany, Australia and the United States. In Marlborough's Birch Hill, the Spencers are focusing on creating sauvignon blanc. The elevated vineyards are on Marlborough's south coast, at the foot of the majestic Kaikōura Ranges. After 16 years at Man O' War, viticulturist Sam Taylor has made the move from Waiheke to Marlborough with his family. Beauty entrepreneur dating Rich List son Beauty entrepreneur Emma Grundy (left), pictured with Ashleigh Kara Walker, is said to be dating Antony Wyborn, son of property tycoon Mark, whose wealth was last reported at more than $700 million. Photo / Herald composite, Norrie Montgomery, supplied Rich-list son Antony Wyborn is dating beauty entrepreneur Emma Grundy, a leading cosmetic tattooist whose bespoke treatments are in demand with beauty-savvy multimillionaires. Wyborn is the son of property tycoon Mark Wyborn, whose wealth was last reported at more than $700m. Antony last featured in Society Insider three years ago, when he was in a relationship with high-end Ponsonby Real Estate agent Casey Green, the ex-wife of former All Black Ali Williams. Grundy is the founder of beauty business Leora, and Wyborn is an emerging presence in the environmental sector. Sources say the pair have been dating since last year. Emma Grundy (right) with sister Liz. In mid-2023, Grundy opened Leora Cosmetic Tattoo in Three Lamps, Ponsonby. The clinic offers the latest treatments in permanent makeup procedures, including eyebrow feathering favoured by Hollywood celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. Leora customers include Monday Haircare co-founder Jaimee Lupton, the fiancee of billionaire Nick Mowbray, and Red Room Wellness founder Dominique Francis, wife of rich-lister Mark, chief executive of Centuria Capital NZ. Kiwi Below Deck star Katie Flood's natural-looking pout can be credited to Grundy, too. Early last year, Grundy, who has been cosmetic tattooing for nearly a decade, founded Leora Injectables, which is run by her sister Liz, a registered nurse. The sisters are fast becoming the beauty equivalent of Ponsonby Rd hospitality sisters Jessica and Bronwyn Payne. Last year, Grundy launched a peptide lip gloss and a hi-def brow gel to market, and plans to roll out more Leora beauty brands. Wyborn is a director at Wyborn Capital, of which his older brother Justin is the CEO. Justin runs the family property empire, which includes Wyborn Capital as well as the family interests in the $2 billion Tramco Property Group. Antony has a passion for the environment and regenerative agriculture. He is a non-executive director at Australian-based company Eco Detection, a business that provides cutting-edge technology to monitor fresh water. Antony Wyborn enroute to Fiji in April. Sources say that when they are not relaxing at Wyborn's sprawling Ponsonby villa, estimated to be worth more than $6m, the couple are said to have been seen enjoying the trendy hospo spots in their neighbourhood, such as Prego and Jacuzzi. At the end of April, the couple enjoyed some downtime in Fiji with SailGP Black Foil driver Peter Burling and his wife, lawyer and interior design expert Lucinda and their 1-year-old daughter Paloma. Their love of tropical travel is said to have continued last month, with a holiday in Bali. Party people of the week Celebrating 25 Years of Impact: The 2025 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Arts Gala More than 320 artists, arts supporters, and changemakers gathered at Auckland Town Hall on Friday night for the Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi's 2025 Arts Gala, presented by The Symphony Centre. Cora-Allan Lafaiki Twiss and Daniel-Emmett Twiss at the Arts Foundation Gala at the Auckland Town Hall. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata The black-tie evening, hosted by Arts Foundation general manager Jessica Palalagi, marked the foundation's milestone 25th anniversary and celebrated more than $25m given to the arts since its inception. The evening honoured the spirit of creativity, from table settings transformed into works of art by world-renowned jeweller and 2015 Laureate Lisa Walker, to a four-course dinner by culinary powerhouses Josh Emett and Glen File from Gilt Brasserie, paired with Craggy Range Prestige wines and Taittinger Champagne. The evening featured speeches from Arts Foundation co-chairs, film producer Chelsea Winstanley, rich-lister Hamish Edgar and inaugural chair, theatre legend Richard Cathie. A glittering line-up of performances by the foundation's awarded artists included musicians Lucien Johnson, Sean James Donnelly (SJD) and Madeline Bradley, dancer and choreographer Lucy Marinkovich, actor Ana Scotney and screenwriter Briar Grace-Smith. Among the guests were multimillionaire foundation benefactors, including Avanti Finance's Glenn Hawkins and his wife Sonja, arts philanthropists John and Jo Gow, billionaires Jillian and Daniel Friedlander of Sampson Corporation, menswear retailer Murray Crane, actor Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith, Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, former Prime Minister Helen Clark and tech entrepreneur Sir Ian Taylor. Sonja and Glenn Hawkins. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Daniel and Jillian Friedlander. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Peter Goodfellow and Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Foundation-awarded artists also turned out in force, including activist Tāme Iti, actors Michael Hurst and Cliff Curtis, film-maker Dame Gaylene Preston and actor and writer Anapela Polataivao. Tāme Iti. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Cliff Curtis and Chelsea Winstanley. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Vela Manusaute and Anapela Polataivao. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Tiana Epati. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata The evening raised nearly $300,000 and closed with a powerful performance by legendary musician Neil Finn, joined onstage by Vera Ellen, LEAO and the Auckland Gospel Choir. Finn captured the spirit of the night beautifully. 'We're all here because we love the arts,' he said. 'It's the thing that puts everybody in a room together, and suddenly we don't have to worry about what side of the fence you're on. 'We're all here to sing, to dance, to play, to create. It's the good part of the human spirit.' Neil Finn and Vera Allen perform at the Auckland Town Hall. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Pavilion Bar & Kitchen's Queenstown opening party Queenstown Central was abuzz on Sunday for the much-anticipated opening party of Pavilion Bar & Kitchen by acclaimed chef and culinary maestro Sean Connolly. Luke Lockwood, Vaughan Mabee, Sean Connoll and Simon Holloway at the launch of Pavilion Bar & Kitchen in Queenstown. Photo / Dan Childs More than 200 invited guests enjoyed a first look at the stunning venue, framed by the Remarkables. The scene was set with a red carpet, roaring open fires and music by the band Killergrams and singer David Gent. David Gent and Jo Eddington. Photo / Dan Childs Guests drank champagne by Laurent Perrier, Maude Pinot Noir and espresso martinis with Svitlo vodka, alongside an array of food from Steak & Oyster Co by Sean Connolly, including freshly shucked oysters, lobster rolls, octopus pasta and pork belly bites. Connolly's family were there to support him, including his wife Joanne and children Eliza, Kiera and Toby Connolly and their partners. Joanne and Sean Connolly surrounded by their children, Eliza, Kiera and Toby Connolly and their partners. Photo / Dan Childs Other guests included Queenstown developer Simon Holloway and his wife Kylie, designer Paul Izzard, rich-listers Sir Peter and Lady Kath Maire, chief executive and founder of misterwolf, Derek Lockwood, Arrowtown-Kawarau Ward councillors Lisa Guy and Melissa White, Nadia Lim and Jason Medina of Royalburn Station, Amisfield's Vaughan and Julia Mabee, Cuisine magazine editor Kelli Brett, food writer Jo Elwin, architect David Edwards, and Brian Holland and Juanita Edwards of Magnetic Pictures. Edward and Lisa Guy and Melissa White. Photo / Dan Childs Jason Medina and Nadia Lim. Photo / Dan Childs Juanita Edwards and Brian Holland. Photo / Dan Childs Sarena and Simon Glass. Photo / Dan Childs Bjorn and Carla de Nijs. Photo / Dan Childs Auckland Live Cabaret Festival Gala The Auckland Live Cabaret Festival made a dazzling return on Tuesday with its Gala Opening Night at Auckland's Civic Theatre officially kicking off its two-week 2025 programme. Performers Gosha, Crystal Quartz and Zilly de Zoola at the Cabaret Festival Gala lights at the Civic. Photo / Sacha Stejko On arrival, guests were encouraged to wander through the foyers of the Civic to discover the hidden magic of the Cabaret Festival, including tarot readings. The opening gala, All That Glitters, held in the Wintergarden, was hosted by broadcasting personality Luke Bird, who guided the crowd through a showcase of what's to come. Performers included Pōneke's fierce and fabulous queens The Tīwhas, suave and soulful Rutene Spooner and The Divine Miss Bette (aka Catherine Alcorn). That was followed by the festival premiere of La Clique on the main stage of The Civic. This Olivier Award-winning show delivered a jaw-dropping mash-up of cabaret, circus and burlesque. Guests included actor Diamond Langi, 'movement alchemist' Hannah Tasker-Poland, RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under alumnus James Luck (Elektra Shock), musician Andrew Papas, drag darling Anita Wigl'et, model and influencer Hunter Lee Kawana and NZ Woman's Weekly editor Marilynn McLachlan and Woman's Day editor Sebastian van der Zwan. The Cabaret Festival's 2025 programme features more than 100 artists across 15 shows. Performer Zilly de Zoola and James Luck. Photo / Sacha Stejko Gavin Lear and Sebastian van der Zwan. Photo / Sacha Stejko Diamond Langi. Photo / Sacha Stejko Lauren Coffey and Kate Jones. Photo / Sacha Stejko Robyn Kamira and Hannah Tasker-Poland. Photo / Sacha Stejko Matt Reyland and Chris Henry. Photo / Sacha Stejko Ricardo Simich has been with the Herald since 2008 where he contributed to The Business Insider. In 2012 he took over Spy at the Herald on Sunday, which has since evolved into Society Insider. The weekly column gives a glimpse into the worlds of the rich and famous.
