Rebekah Randell dishes on cliffhangers, love and onscreen kisses. Photo / South Pacific Pictures
Rebekah Randell dishes on cliffhangers, love and onscreen kisses. Photo / South Pacific Pictures
Welcome to the first season of the Herald’s dating podcast, It’s A Date. Join Herald dating columnist Lillie Rohan as she takes notable Kiwis on a fantasy date, finding out about their relationships and love lives along the way.
She might be terribly unlucky in love onscreen but that doesn’t mean she’s unloved by New Zealand, in fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Rebekah Randell became an instant Kiwi icon when she landed her role as Dawn Robinson on the beloved Kiwi show, Shortland Street and that was never more obvious than when she was nominated for TV Personality of the Year in the New Zealand Television Awards.
But while we know her as the friendly and lovable nurse and have come to look forward to seeing her face on our screens every weeknight, it’s time to find out who the woman is behind the character.
For the final episode of It’s A Date season one, Randell takes podcast host, Lillie Rohan for bubbles on the beach in Croatia where they talk about everything from Shortland Street cliffhangers to her incredibly romantic engagement to Bevan Randell and all those onscreen kisses.
Have you had better luck than Dawn romance-wise?
“So myself, as Rebekah, I am happily married for almost three years with my absolute soulmate. We are like that really gross, really in love couple,” she gushed. “And then obviously Dawn - complete opposite.”
The actress says that early on in her role there was a time when she was kissing someone different in the cast every week and recalls how it resulted in a funny moment.
“I actually had a moment where we’d gone to a musical, it was Matilda the Musical and a bunch of cast members had gone and I was with my husband and I sat in the front row and I looked around at my friends and then I had this realisation, I was like I have kissed like every male in this row.”
Thankfully, Randell says her character isn’t as “promiscuous” now.
Rebekah Randell's love life couldn't be more different from her character Dawn Robinson. Photo / South Pacific Pictures
Can you share a cliffhanger spoiler?
Shortland Street is known for its dramatic Christmas cliffhangers and this year is no different but Randell isn’t letting anything slip.
“I think one of the best cliffs we’ve had and I think you’re all gonna be really shocked.” She knowingly smiles before giving away a little bit of a hint, “there are fires everywhere”.
Shortland Street will air its final episode of the year tonight so to find out what Randell means by “fires everywhere” make sure you tune in to TVNZ 2 at 7pm.
What was your ‘he’s the one’ moment?
The Shortland Street star has been with her partner for a solid eight years and married for three but before he got on one knee, she recalls the moment that changed everything for them as a couple.
“We met in the March and by May I got really sick with glandular fever and I was so unwell. I like couldn’t do anything for myself and I practically moved myself into his apartment and he looked after me, he cooked dinner, he was such a darling.
“I think that was one of those things, he showed how kind he was in a really bad situation.
“I was terrible, I’d cry all the time, I just felt so unwell, I couldn’t do anything. I tried going for a walk one day and almost collapsed because I was just so sick and it was just mentally so hard. So I think that kind of accelerated our relationship even further because he did end up looking after me really well.”
“Yes, I do,” the star says, “and it was awful. Not because of the person but because of the situation.”
Before explaining any further Randell insists the industry has changed a lot since the first time she kissed on screen 12 years ago. There are intimacy rehearsals, and protocols and everyone has to feel comfortable before going ahead with any intimate scenes.
