IYIA'S THE BOSS! I FELT LIKE I GOT HIT BY A BUS'

lyia Liu talks about motherhood, body image, bullying and business

- Leena Tailor

Over the years, Iyia Liu has conquered endless business hurdles, overcome a terrifying emergency C-section and felt like she got "hit by a bus" after a Brazilian butt lift, as well as experiencing racism, bullying and mental health struggles.

But through it all, the 29-year old entrepreneur prides herself on making the best out of trying situations, which is exactly what she's determined to do on Celebrity Treasure Island.

"I'm a problem solver," says the BossBabes star, who's going up against celebrities including Siobhan Marshall and Karen O'Leary to win $100,000 for charity by being the last person standing in the Northland-shot reality show. "My business side's definitely helpful - finding solutions, strategies and being super-driven. I just deal with whatever situation I'm in and make the best of it."

Iyia's following in the footsteps of her BossBabes co-star and bestie Edna Swart, who made the CTI final in 2021.

And while being stuck in nature is a challenge - given Iyia hates camping, ocean swimming, bugs, birds and rain - her greatest hurdle is being apart from two-year-old daughter Summer.

Iyia and her partner Jordan Delmont welcomed Summer via a harrowing emergency Caesarean in 2020. "Her heart was slowing and I lost 40% of my blood," Iyia recalls. "I was very dizzy for the first 24 hours of her being Earth-side. People visited me and I don't even remember. I couldn't even hold her until the next day."

Despite Summer's rocky birth, she's now a thriving little girl with a "crazy personality" - Iyia shares that she's loud like Jordan and "very smart" like her mum. The cutie has given Iyia newfound tolerance and motivation.