BEC’S SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE
TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK FOR THE BUSY PARENTS
They’ve been serving up true love since July 21, 2005, where they married in a lavish ceremony at the Sydney Opera House. And today, nearly 16 years on, Bec and Lleyton Hewitt are as close and supportive of each other’s careers as ever.
If Bec’s incredible moves on last week’s Dancing with the Stars: All Stars finale weren’t enough to prove it, it’s clear now that it’s the busy mum’s turn to shine on her own, after trading in the spotlight to support Lleyton’s tennis career.
“It was never a choice – a decision – that I made [to quit acting],” Bec revealed recently.
“It just naturally happened because, obviously, I wanted to be there with the kids. I don’t want to miss anything.
“For me, being on the road with Lleyton, I just want to support him and take his mind off big matches,” she said of
her shock decision to walk away from her beloved role as Hayley Smith on Home and Away in 2005.
Lleyton, who retired from professional tennis in 2016, calls Bec his rock for holding the family together throughout his tennis career, and says they make a powerhouse team.
“I love her so much and we have a great life together, and she produced three fantastic kids,” he said at the time.
“She really is my soulmate, and we go through absolutely everything together. I couldn’t be prouder to have Bec alongside me,” he continued.
Despite retreating from the spotlight, the actress admits there are some things you just can’t turn down – so when DWTS came calling, Bec was quick to juggle her mothering commitments to Mia, 15, Cruz, 12, and Ava, 10, to return to the hit series, which she claimed glory on back in 2004.
“[Joining the show] was a really good example to show my kids that you are never too old to do something that you love. My instant reaction was [to say] yes, but I did have to sit back and think,” says Bec.
However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. In a 2013 interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly, Bec discussed her battle with OCD.
“I’m definitely obsessive compulsive,” she said.
“Oh, good golly, any kind of cleaning, bed making. It’s the way
I do things. I do that repetition thing. If I’m not sure that I’ve done it, well, I’ll do it again. I do find it hard to sleep at night,” Bec candidly confessed.
Now, after her success on the show, she’s not denying that routine may need to continue – suggesting she’s ready to dip her toe into the showbiz world once again – but is excited for a change.
“I think being a bit of a bad girl would be kind of cool, to really push myself,” she told TV Week earlier this month.
“It would just be fun and something unexpected for people to see a different side of me,” she says, refusing to ever rule out a return to Summer Bay.
“They didn’t kill my character off … so we’ll wait and see!”