Lara Bingle, will use Bondi as a backdrop for Being Lara Bingle, her new reality series which starts filming next month. The model (yes, that's her chosen job title at the moment because she has officially relinquished most of her other creative roles), is renting a house at Bondi for the Ten series and will be moving in various family and friends, including her construction worker brother, Josh.
Also in front of the cameras will be her manager and bestie, Hermione Underwood and long-time friend, make-up artist Max May.
"I'm not Einstein, I'm just living my life," Bingle tells me.
"Josh lives at home and my mum makes his lunch at the moment - he has the best lunchbox of anyone.
"But I don't think I will be doing that when he moves in."
She credits her brother for keeping it real for her.
"He'll ring me and say, 'Lara, have you lost that big fat arse yet?" she laughs.
Bingle says she's shed the famous 5kg she put on, thanks to a healthy diet, lots of exercise and a cleanskin lifestyle without alcohol.
"Late-night partying doesn't interest me," she says. "I'd rather go to the gym".
Bingle believes her unscripted reality show will succeed because unusual things keep happening to her, including two policemen turning up at her door last Thursday when she was fresh out of the shower.
Bingle says the police questioned her about driving while disqualified but she insisted all her fines had been paid off and the RTA had restored her licence. Calls to the authorities proved her right.
Then there's all those trips she takes on private jets including one chartered by the Leto brothers, Jared (30 Seconds To Mars) and Shannon, so they could go hiking around Lake Tahoe.
'It's not that much of a big deal, " she insists.
"Private jets are much cheaper to charter in the States."
Bingle says she is not seeing anyone romantically and that Byron Bay professional surfer, Dion Agius, to whom she was linked last summer, is "just a friend".Who knows what will happen by the time the cameras start rolling next month.
She isn't concerned about The Shire reality show stealing her audience but says hers is the first reality show based on one person's life, with Brynne Edelsten's soon to follow.
Bingle is not convinced that Edelsten can carry her show but thinks she was "really sweet" when they did Seven's Dancing With The Stars together.
"Perhaps if Brynne were pregnant there would be more of a storyline going on," she ponders.
Interestingly, one of Bingle's biggest inspirations is swimsuit designer and former model, Jodhi Meares, to whom she turns for advice.
"I love everything about her, particularly the way she has handled herself," she says.
Bingle admits she was very apprehensive at the beginning when asked to do the show but was assured she would be given control over what went to air.
"Now I see it as an incredible opportunity," she says. "I can't wait until it starts filming." Most importantly of all, while the money is not great for the series now, Bingle hopes that with the production company, John McAvoy's Eyeworks' tentacles overseas, it will sell in some lucrative markets.
Source: The Sunday Telegraph
Date: 25th March 2012
