Long trip ... but so much to love in Oz

G’day from Down Under. I’ve landed in Oz and at present I’m sitting in a rather large dressing room writing this, while various guys throw footballs around the room over my head and a very competitive game of table tennis is talking place. Welcome to the joys of tour life. I’ve rejoined the Sam Smith tour, this time in Melbourne, Australia.

I’ve never been to Australia before and I was quite daunted about the length of time it was going to take to get here. I need not have worried though because once en route I just got on with it and quite enjoyed the flights.

My first flight was 11 hours to Guangzhou in China where I had a three-hour stopover. Then there was another 10 hours to Melbourne. Having left Heathrow on Saturday night I arrived in Melbourne on Monday morning.

My usual 12-hour trip to LA pales into insignificance!

I’ve spoken here before about watching that Escape to Down Under programme on TV and never understanding how the people could move over there and leave their families behind.

Being here and knowing how long it would take to get home if I was needed urgently stresses me out so much.

A few weeks is fine, but to live so far away from anyone I love would put me in a permanent state of anxiety. I honestly don’t know how people do it.

I can see why people love it here though. It has everything the UK has to offer but with much, much more to do and fabulous weather, beaches, countryside and incredible fresh produce.

I’m going to Brisbane next week and when I was chatting to both Holly Willoughby and Scarlett Moffatt at the Pride of Britain Awards, they both said to “pop in” to see them at the I’m A Celebrity camp which is near Brisbane.

I will let you know if I do, but it certainly seems far too out of the way to “pop” to.

I feel pretty safe staying put in the cities, but venturing into the jungle with all the creepy crawlies and the like doesn’t sound like a good plan.

Maybe getting them to “pop” to see Sam’s Brisbane show would be a lot easier.

I think all the ITV team are already at the camp preparing for the new series of I’m A Celebrity.

It’s going to be strange having Holly there instead of Ant.

Ant’s shoes are big ones to fill and the chemistry between Ant and Dec and the natural banter between the two of them will be hard to emulate.

As much as Holly is a very experienced and well-loved presenter, this will be a very different gig for her.

She is already friendly with Dec, but being part of an on-screen partnership can be a hit or a miss.

No wonder they are all there already. They must have lots of rehearsals to do but also the jet lag when you are 11 hours ahead is very real.

It has certainly taken me a few days to adjust and I’m still having a bit of a nap at lunchtimes.

I wonder who this year’s contestants are? That brave bunch of crazy celebrities who agree to jumping out of planes, being buried alive with snakes and eating parts of animals’ bodies we wouldn’t even want to look at let alone munch our way through.

Anyway, here on the tour we have fabulous catering, no surviving on rice and beans for us.

Yesterday Sam also sang at the Melbourne Cup, which is one of the biggest horse racing events in the world. We all put on a little bet but we didn’t win. I should have put my money on the Brits because the winning horse, Cross Counter, was from the UK.

It’s a bit like an Australian version of Ascot where everyone gets extremely dressed up and the ladies wear hats – the bigger the better. It’s an Australian national holiday and everyone celebrates it, although there were a few protesters on the streets. One of the horses did break its shoulder during the race so it was put down afterwards. When I asked why they didn’t mend the shoulder and put it into a horses’ care home, I was told it was too expensive. With the total prize money at around 7.3 million Australian dollars and millions being taken in from betting, I think the least they can do is look after the horses afterwards. I kind of get what the protesters mean.

Anyway, everyone seemed to have a fabulous day, even though the rain was so torrential. I began to think I was in the UK after all.

When we got home after the concert last night, people were still out partying in the streets.

Australia will have a collective sore head today. Hope you all have a good week,

I’m off to a barbie!

Yvie X

| Saturday, November 10, 2018

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