celebrity

Whatever happened to Australian supermodel Alison Brahe?

For a large number of women “of a certain age”, the name Alison Brahe will bring back a flood of memories.

The original Aussie supermodel, she appeared on the cover of iconic magazines like Dolly, Cosmopolitan and Cleo throughout the ’80s and ’90s.

In 1991, she married Australia’s most eligible bachelor, Cameron Daddo, with whom she has three children, Lotus, River and Bodhi Faith.

Happy 21st Mothers Day @paliali1 you’re a big mum now!!! #respect #loveyourwork #gratefuldad

A post shared by Cameron Daddo (@camerondaddo) on

But where is she now?

Fast forward to 2017 and Brahe has recently moved her family back to Australia after 25 years in the US – more than half her life.

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Image: Supplied

"It's always been family who I've missed most. And since we left, Daddo's side of the family who I'm really close with has just exploded with nieces and nephews. So I missed their whole childhoods, we've just arrived and I've got a 25 year old niece," she told Mia Freedman on the No Filter podcast.

"And then I've missed my parents... I've missed the beaches. Coming back to fish and chips here has been so good. I've had that much fish and chips, it's ridiculous."

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The plan was only to stay in the US for three years, a decision the couple made eight months into their marriage to benefit Daddo's acting career.

Listen: Alison Brahe explains why her family moved back to Australia. Post continues after audio.

"I didn't really want to go. I was devastated when Cam said we were going. I didn't even want to visit America, I was like 'That's the land of riots, and danger and who'd ever want to raise a child there?'," she said.

"It was a choice I eventually had to make but I was very, very reticent. So for two years I was flying back and forth constantly to Australia as I still had the Portmans contract."

She says the frequent visits to return actually made the move harder as she struggled to settle.

"I started saying no to Australia work wise and thought 'I have to just stay where I am for a bit'," she said. (Post continues after gallery.)

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"And that's when things started changing. I started meeting people, I started finding my feet, I started finding places where I could eat and then before we knew it we got a dog and that was the beginning of the groundwork."

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The return home happened in much the same way as the initial move. The pair were paying tax in both countries and Daddo's work schedule meant he was often away from the family for months at a time. Still, Brahe said she was "devastated".

"I had my childhood in Australia but I grew up in America. My dreams came true in America, I became a teacher, I became a mother, I became an advocate," she said.

"And now I'm over here, starting all over again with a 21 year old, 17 year old and 11 year old."

Haven't done this in a while... #photoshoot with the BEST EVER! @paliali1

A post shared by Cameron Daddo (@camerondaddo) on

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Aware that such a significant move - again for her husband's work - could lead to resentment should it not go well, Brahe worked really hard to embrace the positives.

"I love my husband, I love my family, I want us to be together and I want to spend time with my family. Once I was in that place, clear, I could do it," she said.

"We've done a lot of that in our marriage, where he's had to travel for months at a time and I've usually just stood by at my home in LA and again had my best friends around me and school's going.We never did the travelling thing where we got a nanny and a tutor or anything like that."

Listen: The full chat with Alison Brahe on No Filter. Post continues after audio.

Back in Australia, where her face is still extremely recognisable, Brahe says her kids react differently to her 'celebrity' status.

"My eldest is like me, very underwhelmed by celebrity.. the idea of someone taking her photograph because she's the daughter of Cameron Daddo or something is just bizarre and weird for her. She doesn't want it," she explained.

"My son doesn't talk about it much, I think he likes it, it tickles his fancy a little bit and my youngest one is all over it."

What are your memories of Alison Brahe? Tell us below.