Age: Turns 31 this month.
Born: June 5, 1972.
Star sign: Gemini.
Lives: Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
Health tip: I drink green tea every morning.
Q: You started on Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show on the Nine Network earlier this year. Do you enjoy it?
A: It’s fantastic. I never realised how perfect it would be for me. I absolutely love it – it’s really quite creative, and hands-on and fun. Life can get serious, and people get very serious within their own lives. A show like
Funniest Home Videos reminds us that strange things happen every day, and you need to laugh at yourself.
The only thing is, I’ve had this spate of illness. I think I was just so rundown from being thrown into this position of hosting my own TV show, and I’ve had just one ailment after the other. My friends even started ribbing me about it – I’ve had conjunctivitis, and pulled a muscle in my shoulder. It’s just been one obstacle after the next, and I’m normally a very healthy, active person. Anyway, I was getting quite upset by my friends’ lack of sympathy when I thought, “I do host
Australia’s Funniest Home Videos – I should be laughing about this!”
Q: What makes you laugh?
A: I can be a goofball ... most things make me laugh, actually. Even when I hurt myself, I’ll laugh! If I go to the bikini waxer, the more they rip, the more I laugh. They think I’m enjoying myself, and I try to explain that for some odd reason, I laugh when I’m in pain!
Q: How do you relax?
A: I’m a real homebody – I love being in my apartment, playing DJ to myself, rummaging through my CD collection.
Q: How do you stay fit?
A: I like variety. I try to run for 30-40 minutes three or four times a week. It always lifts my spirits. I’ll try to get to the gym a couple of times a week for some weight training, Pilates or yoga. Running is also a regular part of my regime ... I think cardiovascular work is the only thing that maintains your weight.
I’ve been exercising forever. When I was a kid I did dance classes every week. It’s always been a part of my life, and I rely on exercise for my state of mind. Now, when I’m feeling stressed or frustrated, I know that a run will beat it out of me, or a yoga class will centre me.
Q: Do you take supplements?
A: I’m not a huge pill-popper. I generally believe that it’s the food you eat, so I have a very healthy diet, and I’m very active. I don’t like to rely on vitamins, although, if I’m feeling a bit rundown, I’ll take a multivitamin. But I’ll try to be really aware of my food intake.
Q: Have you ever had a problem with your weight?
A: I’m really aware of what I eat and the exercise I do. Not that I’ve ever had a weight issue, but it’s really important for me to feel my best and look as good as I can, and, obviously, being on TV once a week there is a lot of pressure to just look my best.
For Annette Allison's full interview with Toni Pearen, see the June 2003 issue of GoodMedicine magazine.
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