THE STORY OF US
THE ALL TOGETHER NOW JUDGE AND HER HUSBAND SHARE THEIR LOVE STORY
The stage has been her beloved second home for more than three decades. So it’s only fitting that acclaimed leading lady Silvie Paladino met her husband Greg Bird in a musical production.
At the time, Melbourne-born Silvie was one of the stars of the hit show Miss Saigon, while New Zealand native Greg was working on the production behind the scenes. “I began playing Ellen in 1995 in the premiere Australian production of the musical and Greg joined the company the following year,” says Silvie, admitting: “He caught my eye, being rather handsome, and so I asked who was the new guy on the block.”
Introduced by a mutual friend at the local pub across the road from the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, the pair soon realised they had much in common.
“I’d never worked in the entertainment industry before that, so initially I was quite shy to approach Silvie, as she was one of the leads,” says Greg, now 49. “But that night in the pub, we started talking and I soon realised, ‘Wow! She’s really down-to-earth and humble.’”
“And that’s where the love story began,” says Silvie, 47. “I think we fell in love fairly quickly. We dated for a year and then Greg proposed and we were engaged. We travelled to London, where I was appearing in the West End, and Greg worked on Oliver! and Beauty and the Beast in the crew.”
On February 21, 1999, on a picture-perfect late summer’s day in Melbourne, the couple exchanged vows in a fairytale church ceremony. “It was 29 degrees and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky,” recalls Silvie. “I decided I wanted a horse and cart, so it was a beautiful day and it was a 20-minute trip from my parents’ home to the church. I just remember everyone being really, really happy. It was such a joyous day for all of our family, and we had a lot of theatre friends there too. Marina Prior sang at the wedding, while I took the night off – I just wanted to enjoy being the bride!” she adds with a laugh.
Now parents to son Christian, 18, and daughter Isabella, 15, the couple always put family first.
“For both of us, having our children has been the greatest achievement,” says Silvie. “We’ve just come back from an incredible family holiday – we went to Europe for six weeks, so that was a massive highlight for us with the kids.”
Could the couple see Christian or Isabella following in Silvie’s showbiz footsteps?
“Isabella has a wonderful singing voice and is naturally musical, but she shows no interest in wanting to do it as a career,” says Silvie. “For her, it’s something she loves to do for herself.”
And while the world has always been a stage for Silvie, who began singing at nine and has showcased her soaring vocals in everything from Mamma Mia! to Les Misérables, nothing makes her happier than seeing her loved ones in the audience.
“They’ve been at all my concerts and shows, and they’re my biggest fans,” she says, smiling. “Greg is an incredible support, and next year we celebrate 20 years of marriage, so we’re doing OK.”
And Silvie is thoroughly enjoying her latest role – as a judge on Channel Seven’s All Together Now. “It’s just so much fun,” she says. “It really is such an entertaining show, so it’s been a fantastic experience – a real treat.”