Made in Bondi, based on Made in Chelsea, follows the real lives and loves of young Sydney socialites living in the affluent eastern suburbs.
Made in Bondi, based on Made in Chelsea, follows the real lives and loves of young Sydney socialites living in the affluent eastern suburbs.
Producers of posh UK reality show Made in Chelsea have created a Down Under version Made in Bondi, andSpy got the tea on the cast’s Kiwi connections.
Made in Bondi follows the real lives and loves of young Sydney socialites living in the affluent eastern suburbs by what’s arguably the most famous beach in the world – Australia’s Bondi.
Distillingentrepreneur Pippa Hanan, who works at buzzy gin brand Ester Spirits, lives in the heart of Paddington in her parents’ luxury home.
Hanan, 22, tells Spy she has a family affinity for both the North and South Island of Godzone.
“My dad was born here in Australia, but both of his parents and their families are from New Zealand,” says Hanan. “My grandmother grew up in Wellington and my grandfather grew up in Dunedin.”
“As a family we love coming to New Zealand, we have family and friends in Christchurch, Auckland and in the Queenstown area, but we spend most of our time over there in and around Queenstown and Arrowtown.”
He tells Spy it was incredible, and he was impressed with the Kiwi fashion industry.
“The designers coming out of New Zealand are some of the best in the world in my opinion,” says Daniel.
It’s not just work that brings him across the ditch. Daniels’ boyfriend CJ’s family are from Hamilton, and last Christmas they celebrated the holiday in the Tron.
Made in Bondi, which will stream in New Zealand on Hayu from this Tuesday, promises to plunge viewers headfirst into a world of opulence, romance, and endless drama, with an access-all-areas’ pass to the dazzling lives of Sydney’s social elite.
Its London sister show Made in Chelsea started in 2011, and 27 seasons later has made household names around the globe of many of its cast.
The Sydney version sees Hanan and Daniels befriend nine others in the Rich List suburbs, which span from Double Bay, Vaucluse and round the cliffs to Bondi and beyond.
“I joined the cast a little late,” says Daniels. “I was originally filming with Paul pretty organically as we were working together.
Paul Versace, Emma Pillemer and Billy Daniels. Photo / @billy_daniels
“I was at a work event when I got the call asking if I’d like to join the cast, so I really had to keep my sh#t together.”
Our Paddington girl Hanan kept it real with Spy, she knows that she’s privileged, but prides herself in building her distilling career.
Hanan attended a private boarding school with her best friend and fellow cast member, Molly Paradice, 23, also a jewellery designer.
“Molly was the one who got me on the show. It was Valentine’s Day and I had been to dinner with my sister because we were both deathly single, and we ran into Molly at a Bondi pub afterwards,” explains Hanan.
“She told me about the show and it sounded so exciting, so she sent my details to the casting producer.
“I had an interview the next day and we were filming two weeks later.”
Apart from Paradice, Hanan had no idea who the other cast members were, on day one she realised she did know someone: hospitality heir Charlie Moore, 22.
“Charlie and I met in Europe last year, we met in Croatia and spent three days together and then I didn’t see him again until filming started.”
Hanan says viewers can expect lots of drama straight off the bat.
“There are new relationships, relationships from the past, blossoming friendships, girl drama, first dates, confrontations and everything in between,” she reveals.
“Molly definitely has a lot on her plate in the first few episodes, and I am so glad that I was able to support her through everything, while also having a few things going on at the same time.”
Hanan says while the show is a visual treat and everything looks quite perfect, the people are real, with real feelings and real experiences.
Does Hanan think New Zealand audiences will relate to it?
“I think that we do things quite differently in this part of the world, south of the equator, and it really highlights Aussie culture and mannerisms that really only Aussies and New Zealanders understand.”
At 22, jewellery designer, Emma Pillemer is evidently theQueen Bee of the Eastern Suburbs, with an elite reputation already preceding her in the 1% of the 1% of the city’s uber-wealthy.
We ask Hanan to dish on the rivalry between the two jewellery designers – is there friendly competition?
“I love Emma, I think she’s fabulous, and I don’t have a bad word to say about her,” Hanan says gracefully.
“Emma and Molly both make beautiful jewellery, and are both super successful in the same industry and support and look out for one another.”
Pillemer’s BFF is “hot” Sydney stylistPaul Versace; since coming out as gay two years ago, he is on a massive journey to find himself and figure out his type in men, which he has come to realise is “good looking!”
That may yet take a Kiwi turn, but there are no spoilers allowed in this column.
