Issue 20 | August 13,2012 | critic.co.nz

It’s hard being a woman in this country — the waxing,
the boy dramas, the diets, the constant worry that you’re
not being taken seriously at work after that unfortunate
incident at last year’s Christmas party... amirite ladies? So it’s
hard not to hate professional wife, interior designer, and occasional
glamour model Sally Ridge, 40, and her model daughter
Jaime, 18, just a little bit. The stunning mother-daughter
duo are the envy of women across the country. Brilliant and
business-savvy, they’ve won the respect of an entire nation
with their lethal combination of beauty, wit, and intelligence.
As the author of an incisive craft column in the Woman’s
Weekly, which every week offers a step-by-step guide to
crafting everything from pin cushions to fun-fur photo frames,
Sally has been widely lauded as the “voice of a generation”,
but for Sally, family will always come first. The woman once
voted “MILF of the Nation” has clearly drilled into her daughter
the importance of hard work — at only 18, the daughter of
the ex-wife of both Matthew Ridge and Adam Parore briefly
dated Sonny Bill Williams, and apparently has “big plans”
for Richard Kahui.
But although the accolades keep raining down, the Ridges
remain down-to-earth. “We’re just like any other mum and
critic.co.nz
daughter!” laughs Sally, her blue eyes sparkling. Oh, Sally.
Why must you taunt us so? You’re not like any other mum and
daughter, not by a long shot. You’re so much more than that.
But you know what? We wouldn’t want you any other way.
Ultimately, doing justice to the supernova of talent that is
the Ridges in a few hundred words is like summing up the
life’s work of Stephen Hawking in a single sentence — damn
near impossible. What is there to say that hasn’t already been
said about the two women who piped Willie Apiata at the
post in a recent TVNZ “Greatest Living New Zealanders” poll?
(Ever-opportunistic, the single and fabulous Sally is said to
be trying to get in touch with Willie to arrange “a casual lunch
thing, maybe with a couple naughty glasses of sav”).
With things on the up-and-up both personally and professionally,
it’s no surprise that the Ridges have begun filming
their very own reality TV show, Keeping Up With The Ridges,
which will air in October on TV3. The show, which critics are
already calling “New Zealand’s answer to The Wire”, will take
a candid look at the duo’s glamourous daily lives. If you can’t
wait till then, you can “keep up with the Ridges” on Twitter (@
sallyridge and @JaimeRidge24).
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