SHORTY STARS EMMETT & HOLLY'S HIDDEN HEARTBREAK

The acting duo reveal why a tragic loss has left them scared of starting a family

- Jo Bailey

While Holly Shervey and Emmett Skilton continue to bask in the afterglow of their fairytale wedding, their careers are soaring to new heights.

The former Shortland Street actress makes an appearance in The Brokenwood Mysteries this week and her Instagram comedy series Millennial Jenny is skyrocketing in popularity internationally.

Meanwhile, Emmett is still busy directing episodes of Shorty and also acts alongside Hollywood star Elizabeth Banks in the thriller A Mistake, which premiered at New York's prestigious Tribeca Festival just over a week ago.

While on the outside, it looks like things couldn't be better for the Auckland acting duo, alongside their deep love and career highs, the pair reveal they're also grappling with a heart-wrenching dilemma.

When Holly was six years old, her beloved mum Jo passed away from bowel cancer just three months after her diagnosis. The trauma of the sudden loss has left the actress terrified of having kids of her own, despite the couple desperately wanting to start a family.

"I was so young and didn't really understand grief or what was happening," recalls Holly, 34. "One day, Mum was there and the next day, she wasn't.

My experiences have created a lot of fear around having my own children. I would never want them to go through what I did." The pain of losing Jo - who was just 32 and the mother of three young kids - has had a profound impact on Holly.

"There was no therapy back then and after Mum passed away at Dunedin Hospital, my father Warren, my little brother Luke, my sister Taylor and I went home to Queenstown, and just tried to get on with life," she shares.

"I remember feeling so envious of the kids at school because they had mums. Losing a parent so young takes away some of the magic of childhood. I started to see the world as a place where terrible things can happen."