Perched on a ladder, green dress billowing around her, Sally Obermeder throws the camera a few knowing glances before erupting into that huge, megawatt smile that Australians have come to know and love during her 15-year TV career.
The 50-year-old has an ease and natural effortlessness as she changes into a black power suit and killer heels before posing for more snaps. But when she swaps back into her sweats and sneakers to sit down with WHO for a chat after our exclusive shoot, you get the sense that this is, in fact, the real her – something we are no doubt bound to see when Obermeder hits our screens again in the highly anticipated return of The Real Housewives of Sydney.
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“There’s nothing about me that is perfect and shiny,” she admits to WHO. “I’m raw and I’m real and I’m warm, and you’ll get to see all of that on the show.”
From interviewing the likes of Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie and Hugh Jackman on Today Tonight, to co-hosting The Daily Edition for seven years, Obermeder is no stranger to being on the screen. However, joining the cast of RHOS – alongside returning housewives Krissy Marsh and Nicole O’Neil and four other fresh faces; Terry Biviano, Dr Kate Adams, Caroline Gaultier and Victoria Montana – has been a whole different kettle of drama-fuelled fish.
“You don’t have anyone saying, ‘We’re back after the commercial break in 3, 2, 1… ’, right? It’s just on all the time,” the TV star shares. “This is unscripted, this is just you being you. And to be honest, I really liked that … in a way I found it easier than my other TV jobs because you’re just being you and if you’re comfortable with who you are, then it’s actually easy.”
Comfort in front of the camera aside, the opportunity to star in the newly revamped local version of the hit franchise came out of the blue for Obermeder.
“I’m a pretty simple person. I go to work every day, I parent, I’m married. I’m very grateful for the very ordinary life that I live … I was like, ‘I don’t even know if this fits – I don’t have a private jet,’” she laughs.
However, after agreeing to chat to the show’s producers at the behest of her agent and spending “many months” mulling it over, Obermeder decided to take the plunge.
“I’ve lived a large part of my life in the public eye. But this was a chance to be able to show how I juggle being a mum-of-two, how I run a business,” she explains. “I’m a pretty normal person, [so] I wanted to be able to showcase that in a way where you get to see more of me and more of my personality.”
And while the decision to go for it might seem unexpected for the down-to-earth star, Obermeder has a long history of doing things that are a little left of field.
“I left my finance career at its peak in order to chase my dream of going into TV when everyone said don’t do it. When I was in television and I really wanted to start [my business] SWIISH, everyone was like, ‘You’re crazy. Why would you do that? You’re in TV. Don’t do it.’ But I did it,” she explains.
“So I kind of am a risk taker, in terms of my career and in terms of work and in terms of all of my life experiences, because I do know that life is short … you only kind of get one chance and so you do want to make the most of it when things come your way.”
This attitude has proved very successful for the Sydney-based star. Along with her incredible television career, Obermeder’s SWIISH has also soared to new heights in recent years. Launched as a lifestyle blog alongside sister Maha Corbett over a decade ago, the pair have slowly but surely built it into a wellness and beauty empire that’s loved and used by many Australian women.
“It’s taken a long time. I mean, let’s face it, we launched our Supergreens [powder] in 2016. So for every time people go, ‘Oh, I feel like in the last year things have gone well’ it’s like, ‘Yeah, but you don’t really understand all the years before that,’” she shares. “It’s the stuff that people don’t see. And that’s why I wanted to do the show to show you the stuff that you don’t see on social media. It’s not just, you know, red carpets and product launches and lunches.”
Having built the business and brand from scratch using their own time and money, this is certainly no longer a side hustle for Obermeder and her sister. And while it’s taken some time to wrap her head around it, the star admits she’s incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved.
“I think that it really only dawned on us maybe about two years ago. We looked around and we were like, ‘Wow, we have all these great products and this amazing community … this is not a little side thing anymore,” she shares.
“We have sacrificed, Maha and I, so much to get [the business] to where it is. We literally put all of our own money into it. We still work till midnight, standard, four or five nights a week … we literally put our whole heart into this thing. So when people love it and when it goes well that means a lot to us.”
Alongside their range of supplements, wellness powders and meal replacements, SWIISH also launched a line of skincare products earlier this year. And they’re certainly not done yet.
“We’re about to launch a product next month. It’s an Australian-first, it’s never been done before,” Obermeder excitedly teases. “So we’ve still got more to do … it sounds strange given it’s been a while but in a way I feel like I’m just starting – which is actually a nice feeling. I’m just as excited as I was on day one.”
Obermeder’s energy and enthusiasm is infectious and she gets even more excited when talk turns to her two young daughters, Annabelle, 11, and Elyssa, 6, who she shares with husband of 22 years, Marcus. While the girls are “a big part of my life”, she’s keeping their time on RHOS limited – much to their dismay.
“They were like, ‘What time should we come for filming?’ And I was like, ‘You guys will be at school,’” she laughs.
What you will see, however, is a very busy Obermeder chasing that elusive thing called “balance” that many mothers are striving to achieve. “My life is an absolute balance and you’ll see so much more of how I make that balance happen and that it’s not actually a perfect balance and that it’s pretty messy,” she shares.
“I do drop the ball and stuff happens and that’s all very normal.”
Chaotic as it may be at home, it’s a life that Obermeder once didn’t know if she would live to have.
Having been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in October 2011, at 40 weeks pregnant, just a day before welcoming Annabelle into the world, the star has certainly weathered her fair share of storms. But the struggles, she says, have only made her stronger.
“Today, I’m happy. Last week though, was I crying? Yes,” she admits. “But that’s being human, right?”
Above all else, Obermeder is one grateful human – something that will no doubt shine through on screens. “I have a pretty small checklist, essentially, for what truly keeps me happy,” she adds. “You know, most days I just get up and my first thought is I’m so happy I’m still here to see another day and that hasn’t left me after all this time.”
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