Fiona Falkiner’s winning (and losing) gift ideas
A tattoo for Christmas? Biggest Loser star, Fiona Falkiner, reveals the best and worst gifts she’s even been given for Christmas
Fiona Falkiner rose to fame as a contestant on Channel 10’s The Biggest Loser in 2006. The country girl from Birregurra, Victoria, came fourth but, having shed 30kg, was destined for greater things. In the 10 years since, the model and TV presenter, who tags herself as “Curvy. Happy. Healthy,” has been the face of plus-sized fashion label Yours Clothing and Target’s Bellecurve Australia. Now hosting The Biggest Loser Families, Fiona was recently voted number 22 in Maxim Australia’s Hot 100 list for 2015.
“My sisters are married with kids, so the Christmases when they’re not off with their partners for the day, when we all come together at my parents’ property in Victoria, are my favourite. It’s the full fanfare. We have smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and champagne for breakfast then for lunch it’s prawns, ham, turkey and a roast. There’s lots of food and booze but it’s all about the family coming together and having a good time.
I love waking up with the kids on Christmas morning and seeing their excitement. Having them come into my room to help unwrap the presents is so cute. It’s lovely being the aunty – my sisters’ kids are my complete joy.
When I was 16, I was given a tattoo for Christmas by the family I was living with on exchange in France. My host family was quite liberal and I was loving rebelling and living life in France without my parents. So they decided they would buy me a tattoo. It’s one of those things I will regret for the rest of my life but at the time I thought it was great! I asked for my Chinese birth sign but when they told me I was born in the Year of the Pig, I got a Japanese kanji symbol for ‘woman’ instead.
Fiona learnt the hard way that some gifts are for life
My parents didn’t know about my tattoo until four or five months later but they were mortified. I swore my sisters to secrecy and when Mum first saw it, I said it was just a fake tattoo that I had in France. A couple of months later, she saw it again and said, ‘That’s real, isn’t it?! I’m telling your father…’
Now, with my modeling, it’s really annoying. They have to retouch it or put make-up over it. If I had a 16-year-old daughter now and someone took her to get a tattoo, I’d be livid. I always learn from my mistakes but removal looks so painful so I’ll live with it.
My sister always tries to give me an experience for Christmas that we can do together. One year she gave me skydiving but it was a totally terrifying experience, so I didn’t really enjoy it. All my girlfriends loved it though. Now, my sister and I will do a day spa or high tea together. That’s much nicer.
When I was around nine, Mum and Dad got me a bright purple cassette player for Christmas. This tape player was the bee’s knees – purple, shiny and the envy of all my friends. And to top it off, they also got me a Belinda Carlisle album. The only thing was, the album they got me didn’t have ‘Summer Rain’ on it, which was the song I was obsessed with. Luckily my birthday is in early January, so they got me the right album then!
One year, my friends bought me the Kama Sutra with a difference – it was a pop-up book! It was hilarious. When we moved house, I got rid of it but now I kind of wish I had it again. I thought that book was pretty cool.”
