Urzila Carlson’s running late. She sends me a text from her Uber: “I’m on my way, so have mercy if I’m late, please.” She arrives on the doorstep a short time later in a flurry. “I thought, ‘I’ll have time to drop the kids off to school and daycare, then go home, get the dishes done and clean up,’ then I come to get in the car and … flat tyre.”
Isn’t that just the way all working mums operate? We all try to cram just one extra thing in and our best-laid plans come unstuck by the unforeseen.
Urzila has two children, a daughter and son, with her wife Julie. She guards their privacy fiercely. Right now, she’s operating in that window between their school drop-offs and pick-ups.
What I love about Urzila is that we chat for so long that when she gets home, she has no time to wait for an AA guy to come and fix the tyre, so she fixes it herself and sends me a triumphant pic to prove it.
She’s down-to-earth, thoughtful and kind, and she’s one of our most successful comics. She fills houses in London, Edinburgh and the US. They lap her up in Australia – so much so that in 2019, she became the highest-selling comedian in the 33-year run of the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Meanwhile, Kiwi audiences know her for her stand-up shows and regular appearances on Three’s 7 Days and TVNZ 2’s Are You Paying Attention?.
This story is from the May 2021 edition of Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2021 edition of Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Spotlight on Vitamin D
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but safe sun exposure is still essential.
Coming up roses
Driven by a renewed interest in the flower’s power, a rose renaissance is dawning.
'I was given a 5% chance of survival'
When Caroline Laner Breure was hit by a car in an horrific accident on a Spanish holiday with her boyfriend, her body and her dreams were shattered. Somehow she found the will to go on living.
Time to celebrate our mothers
Author Kathy Lette gives a heartfelt thank you to her magnificent mum, Val - a baker of fairy cakes with the patience of a saint.
"I am lucky to be here" ”
Since the day she walked onto the MasterChef Australia set back in 2009, Julie Goodwin has openly shared her life. But in writing a memoir, she had to examine the demons she'd battled privately... until now.
JAMIE OLIVER at your service
Returning to the set of MasterChef Australia to help steer a path through grief and spread happiness, the celebrity chef is also at a turning point - he opens up about failure, love, second chances and his endless reservoir of joie de vivre.
From one mum to another
Princess Catherine's public announcement struck a chord with mum-of-two Jane Gillard. She shares her story of parenting through cancer- and offers hope for the princess and mums navigating their own health journey while raising primary-aged kids.
The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"
It was a rare personal address that she shouldn’t have had to make. But with conspiracy theories swirling and the slimmed-down “Firm” under fire, Princess Catherine silenced critics with searing courage and dignity.
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
When Tracy Hall fell for Max Tavita, she fell for a mirage. Max was a false identity created by a con man, and Tracy was the latest in a long line of women whose life savings hed stolen.
Amother's GIFT
In December last year, Australia’s first uterus transplant recipient, Kirsty Bryant, gave birth to Henry, a happy, healthy baby boy. The uterus that had made this little miracle possible had been donated by her mother, Michelle. Five months later, their first Mother’s Day since Henry’s birth feels especially precious.
