Ready Or Not! Casketeers' Baby Surprise

There’s more baby boy joy for the reality stars

- Megan Mcchesney

They’re New Zealand’s – and possibly the planet’s – first star funeral directors. But it was a birth, not a death, that had Francis and Kaiora Tipene jumping through hoops recently.

On December 12, the stars of TVNZ 1’s hit series The Casketeers thought they had all the time in the world before their baby arrived. The new addition was due in five weeks, on January 15. But their little bundle had other plans.

“My waters broke and I thought, ‘OK, we’re going to have the baby today,’” laughs Kaiora. “He held off until the next day, then it was a matter of, ‘Coming, ready or not!’”

As the couple, both 35, chat with Woman’s Day in their funeral parlour, which has become a heart-warmingly familiar place for fans of their show, baby Francis Anthony Tipene gurgles contentedly in Kaiora’s arms, unaware of the commotion he caused. First and foremost were the health concerns related to their wee boy being born early. But there was also the fact that December 13 is already chock-full on the Tipene family calendar – it’s the birthday of both dad Francis and their son Moronai!

For medical reasons, Kaiora has had Caesareans for all of her children and before being wheeled into theatre, her husband managed to scoot home to give 11-year-old Moronai a quick birthday celebration before rushing back to hospital for the birth.