RETURN OF THE HOUSE WIVES

AFTER THREE YEARS OFF-SCREEN, THE GLAMOROUS WOMEN OF MELBOURNE ARE BACK. HERE, JACKIE GILLIES REVEALS EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM A VERY FIERY NEW SEASON

- Melissa Field

She lives by the life motto “Shine, shine, shine” – but for Real Housewives of Melbourne favourite Jackie Gillies, returning for the upcoming fifth season required her to call upon every bit of dazzle she could muster. The star is pregnant with twins, conceived after gruelling rounds of IVF treatments. “For the first three months of my pregnancy, which coincided with when we started filming the new season, it was a bit of a s--t show to be completely honest,” the 41-year-old tells WHO. “I couldn’t keep my head off my pillow, I had terrible sciatica and I was really trying to hide the pregnancy because I didn’t want to tell anyone about it before I’d reached the 12-week point.”

Despite the drama, psychic medium Gillies happily admits she’s beside herself with excitement over the imminent arrival of the babies she’ll share with her musician husband Ben Gillies – and the return of the franchise that made her a star. “We’re so ready to meet the babies,” she says. “It’s a big year for us for sure, with the show returning and finally becoming a mum.”

It sounds like your pregnancy has been pretty stressful. Did you have second thoughts about returning to the show?