Pippa's Paradise

The Popular Presenter Has Found Her Perfect Job.

- Donna Fleming

What is it they say about out of the mouths of babes? Pippa Wetzell’s kids aren’t small any more – daughters Brodie and Cameron are 12 and nine, and son Taj has just turned eight – but they are inclined to tell it like it is, especially Cameron, or Cammie as she’s known.

When she spots her mum being made up for the Weekly’s shoot, her first reaction is, “You look really nice.”

Then she blurts out, “You don’t normally look this nice.”

Pippa just laughs. She concedes Cammie is right – for the last month or so the Fair Go host has gone back to basics, wearing shorts and T-shirts, and not a single scrap of make-up. But that’s what holidays are all about and Pippa has loved trading her polished TV presenter image for a more laid-back look while enjoying the summer break with her husband, lawyer Torrin Crowther, and their kids.

They had three wonderful weeks on a boat in the Bay of Islands and another relaxing week at the beach in the Coromandel. “We’ve been very lucky to have a long break in such beautiful parts of the country,” she says.

This week, she’s back on our screens fronting the hugely popular Fair Go and will be looking immaculate once more. But Pippa admits there is a good chance she might still be suffering from “boat brain”.

“It is hard to get back into the swing of things when you’ve been away from it for a while. But it won’t take long. When you do a weekly show like Fair Go, you have to hit the ground running.”

Luckily for Pippa (42), going back to work is not a chore because she loves her job. Now in her seventh year with the consumer affairs show, she says it’s a perfect fit for her. She cares about injustice and people being treated badly, and is proud that the show can make a difference.