She’s making a name for herself as ‘The Champagne Dame’ on Real Housewives of Melbourne, with her signature catch-phrase and tagline “diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend, champagne is.” But Kyla Kirkpatrick was a successful businesswoman long before she was a reality TV star.
WATCH: Real Housewives of Melbourne Season Five | Opening Credits
After working in banking and finance for years, Kyla switched things up in 2008 to establish education and events business The Champagne Dame. Yep, it’s not just a catchy Real Housewives title – although, you have to admit it is a perfect nickname for a star of the show – but it’s also the name of her businesses. In 2017, she followed up by launching Australia’s largest online champagne retailer, Emperor Champagne.
Her love and expertise in all things bubbly has already made her a talking point on RHOMelbourne, with a glassware debate in episode one setting the dramatic scene for the season.
Showing up to a lunch at Janet Roach’s house armed with a box of her own – ‘correct’ – Champagne glassware, Kyla became an instant icon in the Real Housewives world.
Not only will Kyla be showing off her excellent stemware this season, but she’ll also be bringing viewers into her professional and personal life.
The new Housewife is mother to eight-year-old Arlington, who she shares with her partner Kyriacos Christodoulou. Not to mention, she’s got her hands full running multiple businesses.
Promising to be a central character of this season’s hottest storylines, we just had to catch up with Kyla to chat all things reality TV, housewife drama and luxury Champagne.
What made you decide to join Real Housewives of Melbourne?
My decision to join wasn’t an easy one, it was one that I teetered on the fence with for quite some time. I was convinced to join after speaking to the head of talent at Foxtel, he said ‘You’re mad to not take this opportunity. How many women get tapped on the shoulder to feature on TV in one of the fastest growing franchises in the world?’
Housewives is absolutely enormous at a global level. The audience is mainly women and gay men who love a little bit of luxury, including champagne, so it was a natural fit for me. It’s also given me the opportunity to talk about my journey in business and love for the Champagne industry. If I can inspire others and demonstrate that you really can turn your passion into a career, then I think it has been a good exercise.
Did you have a connection to any of the original cast members?
Each of the previous girls have reached out in some way to say well done and Sally, Lydia and Venus reached out to wish me luck.
Chyka Keebaugh and I have worked together before. We are both in the events space and Chyka hosted our last big birthday bash for Emperor Champagne, which was really quite extraordinary. I actually rang Chyka and asked for her advice before I joined the cast. She was the final person whose advice I needed to make the decision on whether to join or not.
I also know Pettifleur as her son works for me, so I did have some inside information on what the show was about.
What were you the most nervous and the most excited about before joining?
Naturally I was most nervous about conflict and drama. I am a pro-female person. I think women are divine creatures and I was really quite astonished when I looked at the level of drama that had previously been exhibited on the show.
We were advised that we were chosen specifically for our individual characteristics and the fact that we were independent, strong women. There was a recasting and redirection of the show in 2021. The head of Foxtel, Brian Walsh, said to me that he wanted the show to be more inspirational, more lighthearted with humour and to show the highs and lows of life.
We were encouraged to show our full lives and you will see I have done that from relationship issues, to challenges in parenthood and running multiple businesses whilst maintaining friendships and beyond. It really shows the light and shade of normal life.
I was most excited about just doing something different. I work really long hours as I have been running my businesses for quite some time now, I dont give myself a lot of time off. Also getting the opportunity to spend time with six other interesting women, who I get to travel the world with and take part in all sorts of crazy activities experiences with.
What can viewers expect from you as a new Housewife?
You will see a lot of me this season. I was central to a lot of the drama, not instigated by me, but I think that my strong sense of style and strong personality made me an easy target and I certainly didn’t come out unscathed. I said to my producers if I am going to do this show I am going to do it as my authentic self, be frank and give all sides of me, warts and all.
Tell us a bit about your decision to leave your career in pursuit of the Champagne industry?
An article on Napoleon Bonaparte and his friendship with a young Jean Remy Moët piqued my interest in Champagne and soon enough I had devoured most of the available literature on the subject.
I wrote a letter to an author who had written my favourite book on Champagne and instead of answering my questions he invited me to join him in France where he would teach me everything he knew.
Armed with the conviction that following my heart would lead to better things, I quit my job, packed my bags and bought a one-way ticket to France. Fast forward sixteen years and I am glad I had the courage to take that leap of faith.
WATCH: Kyla and Janet’s champagne moment on Real Housewives. Story continues after video.
We’re sure to keep learning from you as the season continues, but why do you think Champagne is the ultimate luxury beverage?
Champagne has had the reputation of being the wine of kings. The wine that is the pinnacle of all sparkling wines for hundreds of years.
It was their wine that was used to anoint power and was always associated with royalty, it was drunk by Marie Antionette, Pompadour and the Kings of France. It has an incredible legacy and it is very hard to catch up on that legacy of incredible history.
There are also quality standards in Champagne where every champagne producer must meet a minimum quality standard, which includes what grapes are used, where they come from, how long it’s been in the cellar, ageing to gain its complexity.
Champagne has years of history, pedigree and experience, that makes it so poised in people’s minds, that it is a special wine. Even though we drink it more readily, and not just on those special occasions, when you drink a bottle of champagne, there is a magic to it.
There’s 300 years of history in most bottles, whereas most other regions would be lucky to have 20 or 30 years of history and pedigree in each bottle. The quality of champagne is superior in terms of how it is made and the time it is left in the cellar.
What are your top tips to picking a champagne for a celebration?
The way people consume champagne is evolving. People are drinking champagne more often. It used to be an occasion led drink, you would drink champagne at engagements, birthdays with zeroes and special occasions but now consumers are drinking champagne more readily.
If you are celebrating with lots of people then a Brut non vintage, white champagne not rose, as it is more versatile and something that is not too dry and not too sweet. Brut champagne is also more affordable and they have the most palatable styles. I would tend to go with a mid tier family estate rather than a big brand, mid tier family estates have years of experience in making wine and they are not so small that their quantities are tiny and their price is too high, a brand such as Billecart-Salmon or Pol Roger.
If you are celebrating with just the two of you then maybe you could trade up to something that is a bit more special.
Real Housewives of Melbourne airs Sundays, 8.30pm, on FOXTEL.
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