You would be hard-pressed to find someone who loves Christmas more than comedian Justine Smith. By mid-November, her West Auckland home is fully decorated, including two trees and her collection of 20 reindeer, and her festive linens have been put out.
And while every festive season brings her joy, this year’s celebrations will be more special than usual as her sister Amanda will be joining her for the first time in four years after Covid kept them apart.
“My sister is coming home from Japan! I think my head is going to explode at the airport with excitement because she is my favourite person.”
‘Every year, my husband and I go to the mall and get our picture with Santa’
When asked to pick the best thing about the holiday, The Project panellist says it’s an impossible choice.
“I can’t pick one thing – I just love everything!” she declares.
“I even love the annoying music. When I see people complain that the mall’s Christmas decorations are up, I’m in my car driving to look at them. And every year, my husband and I go to the mall and get our picture with Santa, even though we don’t have kids.”
The highlight of Justine’s year was competing in Taskmaster NZ. As a die-hard fan of the programme, which sees five comedians face off in in a series of ridiculous challenges, it was a dream come true, even if she didn’t do as well as she’d hoped.
“I loved doing Taskmaster, even though I showed to the world that I can’t comprehend a simple task and that I’m quite impulsive,” she laughs. “Filming the live shows with my good mates was just a blessing. It was one of the best TV experiences I’ve had.”
Justine has finally learned to believe in her talent
After years of navigating a career as a creative with the cloud of Covid hanging over her head, Justine has finally learned to believe in her talent.
“Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve the things I get, but this year I’ve made a conscious effort to roll with everything that comes my way, to enjoy it and trust that when one job ends, something else will come along.”
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