What’s next for Kyly Clark after divorce
As the glamorous wife of Michael Clarke, Kyly was one of Australia’s most well-known celebrities – here’s why she won’t be disappearing anytime soon.
Until Wednesday, it looked like Kyly Clarke had it all.
After starting out in the public eye as a bikini model and pageant princess Kyly has gone on to become a successful businesswoman and interior designer in her own right, as well as having the sports star husband and $12 million Vaucluse mansion to boot.
2020 was set to see her star rise even further, with Kyly landing her first major TV role as a judge on Channel 7 renovation show House Rules later this year.
But her picture perfect life came crashing down this week when Kyly and Michael Clarke revealed they would be divorcing after seven years of marriage.
So, what’s next for the former first lady of cricket?
‘KYLY WAS THE HOTTEST CHICK’
Kyly Boldy first met Michael while the two attended Westfields Sports High School in Sydney’s west.
In a 2016 interview with The Daily Telegraph Michael described Kyly as the “hottest chick in school”, however, the pair were just friends.
Michael left school in year 11 to play professional cricket while Kyly graduated in 2000 — but it didn’t take her long to kick start her modelling career.
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Then a blonde, Kyly became a regular on the pageant circuit and studied at the Australian Theatre for Young People.
Kyly was named Miss Indy 1999 and represented Australia in Miss Queen of the World 2000 in Germany.
Over the years she won a string of modelling titles including Australian Swimwear Model of the Year in 2002, FHM Miss Snow Bunny 2003 and Miss Hawaiian 2003.
In 2002 she had her first taste of fame on reality show Temptation Island, where Kyly was cast as a “temptress” single to test the men in couples.
Over the years Kyly’s appearance changed dramatically, with the model eventually ditching blonde in favour of her now signature brunette locks.
Her transformation over the years has sparked speculation of cosmetic work, however, Kyly put her looks down to genetics in 2016.
“I am lucky with my skin. My mum is Maltese and she has really really good skin,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
“I do get a few compliments on my skin which is really lovely but I have to give all of the credit to my mum because it’s the Maltese skin.”
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‘I WAS GONE’
In 2007, Kyly and Michael “bumped into each other at a bar” where the cricketer tried – and failed – to get his old classmate’s number.
“We had a drink and spoke for about half an hour and as we were leaving the bar I said to my mate, ‘Can you ask Kyly for her number?’,” Michael recalled in a 2017 Channel 9 interview.
“My best mate went and asked for her number and she said, ‘If Michael wants my number he can come and ask for it himself’ and when my mate came and told me that I was out of there, I was gone.”
Shortly after Kyly’s rejection, Michael would begin a highly-publicised romance with Lara Bingle which ended when the couple called off their engagement in early 2010.
Single again, this time Michael didn’t blow it with Kyly, who by this point had presenting gigs on The Weather Channel and home shopping shows under her belt.
Kyly and Michael became an item just a few months after he ended this engagement with Lara.
‘PAPARAZZI PRINCESS’
Kyly and Michael married in May 2012 after 18 months of dating in a lavish Blue Mountains ceremony.
Kyly looked every bit the princess in an Alex Perry gown that used 150 metres of satin and featured Swarovski crystals which reportedly took 140 hours to hand sew on.
The dress almost outshone her engagement ring — believed to be a five-carat, $300,000 sparkler from Cartier.
Just three days after the wedding the newlyweds jetted to India where Michael was playing in the Indian Premier League
Over the next few years Kyly would be almost always at Michael’s side as he played cricket, however, her appearances reportedly caused tension among the other cricket WAGs.
There were claims Kyly rubbed the other cricket wives the wrong way and she was accused of courting media attention and being a “paparazzi princess”.
“She belittles some of the ladies, is incredibly self-absorbed and walks around like she runs the show,” one anonymous woman who toured with Kyly in the past told The Sunday Telegraph in 2015.
At the centre of the controversy were claims Kyly and Candice Warner, wife of David Warner, didn’t get along – allegations that were fiercely denied.
“This story that we may not get along is total rubbish,” Candice told Triple M in 2015.
She added: “In any group there’s going to be people who … it doesn’t matter if it’s a work environment or sporting environment, who aren’t going to get along. I get along with everyone … I’m here to support David.”
‘YOU SHOULD ALWAYS DATE YOUR HUSBAND’
When Micheal announced the end of his professional cricketing career in 2015 it was just the start of things for Kyly, who launched her own blog Lyfstyled that same year.
On the blog Kyly shared health, fitness and lifestyle tips, as well as selling a range of soy candles and diffusers.
In November that same year Kyly and Michael also welcomed daughter Kelsey Lee to the world.
In 2017 a Valentine’s Day campaign for Kyly’s Lyfstyled massage candles saw the couple post up a storm in a racy series of photos.
While promoting the candles, Kyly praised the couple’s strong marriage and said it was important to keep the romance alive.
“It’s important to get back to the couple you were before you had a child because that is the person you fell in love with,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“That’s when the laughter comes, and the teasing and the flirting come back. You should always date your husband and the massage candle just helps us, you know, have sexy time.”
That same year Myer announced they would be stocking the candles and diffuser range in a huge coup for Kyly.
“It has been my dream from the beginning to be stocked in such a prestigious department store so this is one of my dreams becoming a reality,” she said.
Despite Michael’s retirement from cricket the couple remained in the spotlight and were regulars on the red carpet of movie premieres and openings.
Kyly appeared on Dancing With The Stars and made regular appearances on The Morning Show, as well as landing lucrative ambassador roles with the likes of Rebel Sport and Sydney casino The Star.
In addition to all this she was quietly working behind-the-scenes as an interior designer, all while being a devoted mum to Kelsey Lee.
‘A CAREER DREAM HAS COME TRUE’
In late 2019, Kyly scored arguably the biggest success of her career, being named as a judge on the next season of House Rules.
Announcing the new role on Instagram, Kyly described it as a “career dream (that) has come true”.
“To everyone who has supported me throughout my career and I mean since I was a kid thank you, you have all been a part of this journey with me and I am forever grateful for the love you have shown me & how you all have pushed me towards success,” she wrote.
“You can be whatever you want to be in life but to have a good group of great joyous people around you to cheer you on along the way makes it so much easier.
“So thank you from the bottom of my heart! I know you all know who you personally are who have touched my life in many different ways.”
But as Kyly was experiencing a career high, behind-the-scenes she would have been experiencing turmoil in her personal life.
The Australian, which broke news of her and Michael’s divorce this week, reports the couple first separated five months ago.
Their split would have been hard to guess from the happy family Christmas photo with daughter Kelsey Lee that they both posted on their respective Instagram accounts.
“After living apart for some time, we have made the difficult decision to separate as a couple, amicably,” the couple said in a statement to The Australian.
“With the greatest of respect for each other, we’ve come to the mutual conclusion that this is the best course for us to take while committed to the co-parenting of our daughter.”
But while such a public split might make some people hide, Kyly so far seems determined to carry on life as normal, with paparazzi catching her at the gym and picking up Kelsey Lee from daycare.
The one-time Miss Indy 1999-turned-model-turned-weather presenter-turned-candle brand founder and now reality TV judge won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
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