Tough times for Sally Ridge

Sally Ridge has had the week from hell.

In just seven days, the TV personality and interior designer has dealt with her teenage daughter being in a car accident and the cancellation of extensive travel plans with millionaire Mark Hotchin, the boss of collapsed finance company the Hanover Group, and his wife Amanda.

To top it off, the multimillion-dollar inner-city Auckland home she shared with international cricketer Adam Parore, is believed to have sold for less than she wanted.

Last weekend, 16-year-old Jaime Ridge - the daughter of Sally and her former husband Matthew - had a lucky escape when the car she was in overturned on a busy Tauranga overpass.

Ridge had been visiting her boyfriend, Benjamin Calvert, at his mother's Mt Maunganui home when they took her 4WD for a ride.

Ben's mother, Jody Calvert, confirmed the young couple had taken the car and crashed it on the Mirrielees Rd overpass in Tauranga on June 26.

The car overturned after the driver lost control and hit the centre median barrier.

The teenagers were checked by St John Ambulance paramedics at the scene but neither suffered serious injuries. It is not known who was driving.

Jody Calvert said Jaime, who attends King's College in Auckland, had been visiting for the weekend.

"They're fine though, they're really fine. She was at the house for the weekend, just visiting. It's an old car. They're all good though."

Then, on Friday, it is understood Sally was told her plans for a 10-day cruise around Europe had been cancelled.

The trip was to be funded by the Hotchins, who were treating "the people who've been good to him" with a holiday, according to a source.

The source said they cancelled the invitation after discovering she had been telling people the couple were paying for her and her children to holiday with them.

Sally has recently had to cope with her underwear company, James and August Ltd, going into voluntary liquidation in May.

Ridge formed the company in 2004, and Parore is a director.

The liquidation report filed with the Companies Office in May stated that the company owed $1 million.

Recent travels to America and London have been funded by the money she makes as a Woman's Weekly columnist, said a source, but she is still believed to be struggling to make ends meet.

The sale of the Ponsonby home - which was valued at $4.7m in 2008 - has not helped her financial situation, allegedly selling for less than it's worth.

Kellands real estate agent Charles Collins would neither confirm nor deny that the house had been sold.

Parore has been living at the home without Sally since their split earlier this year.

Their split marked the second high-profile relationship breakdown for Ridge, who ended her marriage to Matthew Ridge seven years ago.

Ridge now lives with former True Bliss singer Carly Binding, around the corner from Parore's house.

Sally Ridge, Matthew Ridge and Parore did not return Herald on Sunday calls yesterday, and Sally refused to comment when approached.