TV’s golden girl is loving family life so much she has walked away from her coveted weekend sports reading role to spend more time with her precious boys.
Johanna Griggs smiles in sheer relief, thrilled her secret is out at last. Keeping mum for months about trading her dream TV role for more time with her children was agony for the famously chatty star who, having worked weekends for eight of the past 10 years (six as host of Sportsworld), signs off this week as Seven’s weekend sports news presenter.
“The boys are counting down to the end – and so am I!” an elated Johanna beams of the “family decision” she and husband Todd Huggins made together with Jesse, 15, and Joe, 14 – her sons with actor Gary Sweet – to cut back her work load from what some weeks can be as much as seven days to five.
Wearing a stunning silver pendant Todd gave her for Christmas last year, with her two boys’ and his names engraved on it, Johanna reveals in an exclusive interview with Woman’s Day that she wears it every day.
“With weekends free, Todd and I might finally get to go on a honeymoon!” she laughs, full of praise for the laidback builder she wed in 2006 and his effortless way of rolling with all the punches thrown by her crazy schedule.
“He’s phenomenal, coping with so much responsibility with the boys and always supporting us totally. Sometimes I feel we’re like ships in the night, because it gets so busy it can be Sunday morning before one of us goes: ‘Wow, how has your week been?’ It must be hard for Todd when he’s left holding the fort, and I know it’s lonely for him on weekends. But he never complains. There’s not a whinge – even when he’s the one entertaining my relatives until I get home from work!”
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