Holly Valance rose to fame on Neighbours. Her life now looks very different.

Holly Valance has been through some major life changes.

In June, the former Neighbours star separated from billionaire husband Nick Candy after 13 years of marriage — just one year after she controversially declared she had no plans to move back to "woke" Australia.

Now, she's made her first public appearance since the split.

The former actress mingled with a royal and celebrity guests at a special cocktail night hosted by her friend and fellow Aussie, fashion designer Rebecca Vallance in late November.

Sharon and Kelly Osborne, and Zara Tindall, daughter of Princess Anne, were among the well-known attendees.

Valance has also recently been spotted hanging out with controversial political figure Tommy Robinson, one of the UK's most prominent far-right activists, alongside former actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox, leader of the UK's 'anti-woke' Reclaim Party, and his wife, Elizabeth.

Valance has been outspoken about her political views in recent years.

Just last year, the former Neighbours actress, who was living in London with her husband and two kids, criticised Australia's "woke culture", telling GB News' Chopper's Political Podcast her former home has "all these problems" and has become a "nanny state".

"The Australia I grew up in was unreal. It was so fun and we didn't seem to have all these problems... the woke stuff's really gone big in Australia," she said.

Valance added: "I’m still getting the fines from Victoria every few months for not voting... [the] general nanny state fine you for breathing."

To drive home her point about "woke" Australia, the 'Kiss Kiss' singer brought up "the stuff they're teaching in school".

"I don't think sexuality and children should be in the same sentence. I don't think anyone's sexuality is anyone's business. You don't know about mine. I don't know about yours. Why would we?"

Image: Getty

Valance called out climate activist Greta Thunberg for being one of the reasons this generation of children is struggling.

"I don't understand why you have this, like, demonic little gremlin high priestess of climatism as the goddess in classrooms, Greta [Thunberg]," she said.

"All the kids are all coming home with depression and anxiety.

"Why would you go to your music lesson or bother doing your homework or get out of your bed if you think we're all going to be dead in five years anyway?"

The singer also shared her support for brothers, Tristan and Andrew Tate, who have been charged with human trafficking and rape.

"You’ve got people like the Tate brothers, who get demonised in schools oddly, they get mentioned a lot, as being these terrible people for telling guys to get up, go to the gym, eat well, work hard, look after your family, look after your lady — it’s a traditional kind of thing," Valance said.

“Why do we glorify a Greta, who is odd and giving children no hope?" she asked.

Now, navigating her divorce from one of Britain's most prominent businessmen, Valance's future plan, including whether her stance on returning to Australia might change, remains to be seen.

Here's a look back at her life, family and career up until now.

Holly at Rebecca Vallance's event last month. Image: Getty.

Her beginnings on Neighbours.

Australia first met Valance on Neighbours back in 1999. For three years, the young actress played Felicity Jane "Flick" Scully on the hit TV soap opera. She later made a cameo appearance in the show's 20th anniversary episode in 2005.

As her first acting gig, Valance said she was thrown straight into the deep end of the show.

"No amount of training could prepare you for the workload and the schedule," she told British breakfast show host Lorraine Kelly in 2015.

"You go on with the best work ethic afterwards because you know your hours and how on it you have to be and there's 40 pages to learn every night when you get home as your homework."

Holly Valance on Neighbours. Image: Channel 10.

After Neighbours, Valance continued to act, landing small roles in CSI: NY, Prison Break and Moonlight. In 2008 she played the role of Sheerah in the film Taken alongside Liam Neeson.

Three years later, she took part in British ballroom dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing, where she placed fourth.

Her music career.

After leaving Neighbours in 2002, the actress decided to pursue a music career and launched her debut single 'Kiss Kiss'.

The song went straight to number one and ended up being nominated for four ARIA Music Awards in 2002.

The following year, she released her second album State of Mind. But it didn't perform as well and ended up peaking at number 14 in Australia.

According to news.com.au, Valance was then reportedly dropped from her recording company following alleged legal problems and poor sales. But the singer later denied it saying, "I asked to be released, but Warner refused, so I hung out for a year until the contract expired. We parted on good terms."

She later told Men’s Style Magazine that she was no longer interested in recording music.

"I do something until it’s not fun anymore and then move on. Music wasn’t fun anymore."

Her marriage to billionaire property developer Nick Candy.

Valance met British billionaire property developer Nick Candy in late 2009 at a mutual friend's dinner party. At the time, Valance had been living in Los Angeles for five years and later moved to London to be with Candy.

"I spent a lot of time (in London) in 2009 and completely fell in love with the city again – and I fell in love with someone. It has been hard living on different continents," she told Confidential.

Nick and his brother Christian are known for creating the ultra-lavish £150 million apartment block One Hyde Park in London, and they also manage a list of high-profile clients including sheikhs, oil billionaires, and Kylie Minogue.

The pair later tied the knot in 2012 in a fairytale wedding in Beverly Hills, alongside 300 of their family and friends including Simon Cowell.

Holly Valance and her husband Nick Candy. Image: Getty.

Speaking to the Made by Mammas podcast, Valance said it could be "tricky" to deal with Candy's busy work life.

"He worked on Christmas Day and even the day we practised our vows with the priest he took a call in the middle of it," she said.

"He was like: 'Got to take this sorry guys!' I was like, 'We’re at the altar practicing our vows!' So that’s who I married, I know that."

In 2017, the 38-year-old found herself caught up in $229 million (AUD) lawsuit which alleged that her husband and his brother participated in blackmail, extortion and intimidation against entrepreneur Mark Holyoake.

The claim was later thrown out by London’s High Court.

"Ain't that somethin'! You lose. On Every. Single. Claim!" Valance tweeted at the time.

Ain't that somethin'! You lose. On Every. SIngle. Claim!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/hqnofs813s

— Holly Candy (@hollycandy) December 21, 2017

A year later, the former Neighbours actress and her husband were rubbing shoulders with royals when they scored an invite to Princess Eugenie’s wedding.

Her divorce from Nick Candy.

In a significant development, Valance and Candy divorced earlier this year. The split marked the end of their high-profile marriage.

According to sources close to the couple, Valance and Candy — who tied the knot in 2012 — have parted ways after facing difficulties juggling their family responsibilities, public appearances, and Candy's intensive business commitments.

The former couple are reportedly prioritising their roles as parents to their two young daughters despite the end of their marriage.

The divorce represents a major life change for Valance, who had been part of one of Britain's most prominent celebrity-business power couples. Candy, a UK property magnate and Reform UK supporter, and the former Neighbours star had maintained a relatively private family life despite their high-profile status.

Holly Valance and her husband Nick Candy. Image: Getty.

Her life now.

These days, Valance lives a relatively private life away from the public eye and is a mum to two girls, Luka and Nova.

The actress spoke to the Made by Mammas podcast in 2019 about her transition into motherhood, after giving birth to Luka in 2013.

"At the beginning with Luka I thought it was absolutely terrifying, it’s like the best and worst thing to ever happen to you," she said.

"It’s terrifying. You’re exploding with love but you don’t know what you’re doing. You’re absolutely exhausted and fumbling around just trying to survive."

Valance said parenthood forums helped her realise she was not alone.

"Thank god for those websites where you can read what other mothers are going through on those forums because I just thought I was a freak."

She went on to explain that her second pregnancy with Nova, who she gave birth to in 2017, was a "bit easier".

"[The first time] I had a feeling of grief, which is weird when somebody has just been born because I was grieving my old self," she said.

"Holly had gone and now I’m just someone’s food source. You are still you underneath it all you just have to get to know yourself again."

Outside of her family, Valance continues to work as a media personality and Disability Rights International ambassador in the UK.

She's had quite a rapid rise in far-right circles, too.

Valance is credited with encouraging Nigel Farage — the current leader of Britain's right-wing populist Reform Party, known for its strong anti-immigration stance — to stand as a member of parliament, saying she had been "whispering in his ear for a long time".

She spoke about her political views to GB News in early 2024.

"Everyone starts off as a leftie and then wakes up at some point after you start making money, working, trying to run a business, trying to buy a home and then realise what crap ideas they all are. And then you go to the right."

She's been a vocal supporter of Reform UK and gave them a "substantial cheque", per The Guardian, after Farage announced he was running.

Valance was even briefly rumoured to be considering a run for politics herself and, in a chat with The Guardian, did not rule out a future as an MP.

But ultimately, she wants to spend her time focused on her two young daughters at the moment, saying being an MP "would be a tough job" that would "take time away from my daughters if I was to do the job right. Which I'm not prepared to do right now."

This article was originally published on July 4, 2023 and has since been updated with new information.

Feature Image: Getty.

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