Shaynna’s girl squad to the rescue!
The Block judge is getting by with a little help from her friends
Throwing her head back and laughing, it’s clear that her messy break-up from personal trainer Steve Vaughan is finally fading from Shaynna Blaze’s mind.
Despite The Block judge’s heartache at discovering her hubby of 18 years has already found romance with his long-time client Andi Hall, Woman’s Day’s exclusive pictures show Shaynna is also moving on – with a little help from her friends.
“Shaynna has surrounded herself with a group of extremely supportive women,” a source close to the leading interior designer tells us.
“Her friends make sure she’s never alone and always has a shoulder to cry on – though, she’s needing the shoulders less and less.”
Indeed, Shaynna, 55, was snapped out enjoying a sunny Sunday brunch at Hawthorn’s Blood Orange cafe in her native Melbourne recently, with an insider revealing her two girlfriends had stayed the night at the 1880s terrace she’d renovated with Steve.
As Woman’s Day reported last week, the estranged pair continue to share their property. Despite being seen out and about with Andi, Steve lives in the lower level of their home where he runs his My Fitness Journey personal training business.
Meanwhile, the popular Selling Houses Australia star has her trusted besties at her side.
“No matter what you go through, your girls will be there through the highs and lows,” says Shaynna.
“That’s why girl time and nurturing those relationships is so important.”
Debra Lawrance lets out a laugh as she sheepishly admits a recent romantic break in Noosa is the first holiday she and husband Dennis Coard have taken alone since their daughter arrived 26 years ago.
“It’s the honeymoon we never had,” says the actress who played Pippa Ross on Home And Away, explaining they never had one after their wedding as they had to be on set the next day.
The devoted couple, who played husband and wife on the show, have finally taken their long-awaited honeymoon, leaving daughter Grace, 26 and son William, 19, at home.
“We didn’t want to be away from them growing up,” Deb,
61, tells Woman’s Day. “Our expression of our relationship is as parents to our kids – but not in a bad way, we’re just a family.”
NEVER APART
Dennis, 67, agrees. “We didn’t have to have romantic walks on Fijian beaches to feel good with each other, what fulfilled us was being good parents. We love being parents and we love seeing who our children have become.”
The family usually spend their free time together. “We have holidays but it’s always with the kids,” explains Debra, who’s in the stage production of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child. “If I’ve been away on tour, the family have come to me, and the same when Dennis is working.
“Every summer we used to go to Adelaide where Den’s family live and that would be our beachside holiday. And we’re tragics for the snow so we go to New Zealand annually to ski, again as a family! We just want to be with them – and they think we’re funny, so that’s good!”
For the couple, who met on Home And Away playing foster parents Pippa and Michael, their children are and always will be everything to them.
“I was 33 and Dennis was 39 when we met,” Debra recalls. “I was ready to have a child but I always say he didn’t propose, he agreed to have children with me, which was all I wanted to hear. I was looking for the father of my children instead of Mr Right and I got both! He’s a brilliant father, he makes me laugh and he’s the kindest person I’ve ever met. Which is a win-win!”
After having Grace, the pair struggled to have a second child, before William was born seven years later.
GRIEF TO JOY
“By the time we got William he was so precious because we’d lost four babies before him, including twin girls at 18 weeks,” Debra whispers. “Then when we got William, we realised he was the one we were waiting for all along.”
It’s little wonder then that the couple waited so long for a honeymoon. And Noosa turned out to be the perfect place.
“It’s beyond perfect,” says Debra from their On The Beach apartment. “Dennis and I have done a couple of bushwalks because we’re keen birdwatchers. We saw a spangled drongo and a bittern – and they’re endangered.
“It’s sort of emblematic of our relationship – the things we share are fulfilling to us, we don’t have to go far to find joy in each other’s company.” Dennis couldn’t agree more. “We don’t go out to eat, either – Debra is a great cook. We’re homebodies!” he laughs.
“We already live in a holiday,” Debra interrupts. “We live in [ Victoria’s] Yarra Valley, so we’re incredibly blessed!”
Which leads to our final question – is life for this couple and their beloved children better at home or away?
“Ha-ha,” giggles Debra. “I think it’s both – home and away!”