Suzy Cato's family drama 'I HAVE TO WORK ON POSITIVITY'

The ever-chirpy children's entertainer reveals a secret health scare

- Florence Hartigan

Even after three decades delighting Kiwi kids, entertainment legend Suzy Cato still gets nervous before she goes on stage. "I get the butterflies in my tummy - it doesn't matter how many times I do it," she confesses.

But the 53-year-old mum-of-two, star of hit shows You And Me and Suzy's World, was overjoyed to be face to face with her fans again at a series of recent shows in Wellington and Dunedin after so many events were disrupted due to last year's Omicron outbreak.

"Like most entertainers, I had to do the great big shuffle," Suzy grins, adding she kept busy by making her debut as an audiobook narrator on Elastic Island Adventures: Flip Flop Bay by Kiwi author Karen McMillan, which sees a group of children discover a magical isle with the ability to transport them to tropical destinations.

"I didn't realise this book had so many characters!" laughs Suzy. "When there are three pirates on one page and I'm having to do all the voices, that's a challenge, but it was so much fun."

While this is Suzy's first audiobook, she's certainly no stranger to reading aloud. During lockdown, she started reading live bedtime stories for the nation's children, often choosing books by local authors to shine a light on Kiwi tales.