Mother's Day 2025 | Patti & Lauren

Apr 10 2025

This Mother's Day, in the first blog of our series, we interview Patti & Lauren Newton. For this powerhouse duo, every day feels like Mother’s Day. Patti & Lauren Newton share an unbreakable bond—more than just mother & daughter, they are each other’s rock.

As the wife & daughter of the late, legendary Bert Newton, their connection runs deep, strengthened by love, laughter & cherished memories. Since Bert’s passing in 2021, they have continued to uplift one another & embrace the joy in their special family.

Patti & Lauren at our Mother's Day 2025 campaign photoshoot. Patti's wearing our Jane Polo in Deep Rose Marle & Lauren wears the Hannah Sweater in Shell Pink Marle.

In our candid chat with Patti and Lauren, we couldn’t help but notice that they not only look alike but also sound remarkably similar! In fact, Lauren used to prank her dad by pretending to be Patti on the phone. Their bond is filled with warmth, laughter, and the kind of deep, unshakable love that only a mother and daughter can share. We were absolutely thrilled to hear the incredible stories shared during our interview. Their words carried wisdom, resilience, and heartfelt emotion, leaving us deeply moved.

patti: DO LAUREN & YOU HAVE A SIMILAR SENSE OF STYLE?

Well you know its funny, different ages, different times, but Lauren and I really do love the same things. I don’t know whether she’s just watched me as she’s grown up, but we both like a little bit of leopard, and every time I go out, I always think "I'd better ring Lauren and find out what she’s wearing because we could look like the Dolly Sisters!" We have a similar style—we’re both blonde—and I think kids do tend to copy their mums. Sometimes I look at her and wonder if I’m too old to wear what she's wearing, but I beleive that different age groups can style things their own way. I wouldn’t wear the flared pants she does, but I would wear similar tops. She might like my jacket, but it might suit me better than it suits her, because it’s more appropriate for my age group.

Patti & Lauren Newton wearing Fella Hamilton

LAUREN: Have you ever borrowed an item of clothing from your mum growing up?

What day haven’t I borrowed something from Mum! She has an amazing wardrobe with lots of great accessories, and I often go into her room and borrow whatever I want. She’s very generous and always says “It looks great on you—you keep it.” So, I’ve managed to score a lot of fabulous things!

PATTI: If you could describe Lauren in a word, what would it be?

If I could describe my daughter Lauren in one word, I would have to just say 'love'. But honestly, I can’t sum her up in one word—she’s my rock. Since Bert's passing, I didn’t think I could go on, but I got through it because I have such a wonderful daughter and six beautiful grandchildren who have surrounded me with love. I’ve never felt that it was a chore for them to come over to my house and be with me. One of my grandsons, Monty, who has just turned nine, loves to sleep with me on a Saturday night. He always grabs my hand and says, "I just don’t want you to be lonely, Nan". And I think to myself, "What a beautiful heart for a nine-year-old". It's a credit to Lauren and her husband, Matt, because they’re very comfortable, loving people. I’m a bit tougher—maybe because I’m older and have had to get tough in my day, which I think we all do as we get older.

LAUREN: If you could describe your mum in three words, what would they be?

Only three!? … I would definitely start with 'loving' because she is the most loving person in the world. 'Caring' is the other word since she genuinely cares about all of us. She's always worrying about everyone in the family and putting others before herself. And finally, I’d have to say 'funny' because she always makes us laugh. Sometimes she doesn’t even mean to, but she still does! She’s very funny and entertaining to have around.

PATTI: When you think of your daughter, what are you most proud of?

When I think about Lauren, the first things that come to mind is ‘love’,‘gentleness’ and ‘calmness’—because that’s who she is. She’s a very caring person, and I love that about her because it has rubbed off on the kids, which is lovely. Sometimes, I think I should take a leaf out of her book and be a bit more caring myself. Lauren is one of those people who will always say, “I’ll make it work”. But I'm not sure that's always a good thing. Sometimes, I think she should say, “No, that won’t suit me", but she never does. So, her gentleness and calmness are qualities I really love. I’m so lucky because I see Lauren every day, and if we don’t see each other, we’ll call atleast three or four times, maybe even six! I love that, I love being part of their lives, and I think they love having me around too. When Lauren is abit grumpy, the kids know they can always come to Nan for a lolly, cake, or something sweet. So yes, I’m lucky! Mother’s Day is a very special day for me. I had a wonderful relationship with my own mum. I am an only child, and my dad passed away at 53. My mum was an invalid with rheumatoid arthritis, and she also had a bad car accident when I was 16, so she was always around. For Bert, it wasn’t even something he thought about— it was just what he expected. I would pick my mum up each day, take her for a drive, have her for dinner, or take dinner to her. I think Lauren saw a lot of that growing up and assumed that's just what people did—but that’s not always the case. Because of my experience with my mum, I think Lauren realises how lucky she is to have had her grandmother around, and she knows she's fortunate to have me closeby for her children. I’m very grateful for the life that I have.

LAUREN: What is it about your mum that makes her such a wonderful roles model?

There are so many things, but I think it's simply how beautiful and caring she is. She’s always so happy and has a great perspective on life. She’s one of those people who makes you feel so good when you're around her. It’s something I hope to be like— she’s an amazing person and the most incredible role model.

PATTI: Do you have any special traditions for Mother’s Day?

We do have a special tradition for Mother’s Day, though it’s changed over the years. When my mum was around, the focus was always on her. After she passed, I became the one that was focused on. Now, with Lauren having six children and being such a wonderful mum, I think we share the day very well. We always do something with all the kids, and if the weather is nice, we might go to the beach or the park— making it a special day for everyone.

LAUREN: What is something that your mum does that always makes you laugh?

There are so many things! She always makes me and the kids laugh when she tries to use young people's slang and speak like they do. Since she works with a lot of young people, she’s pretty with it, but we all laugh when she comes out with these trendy expressions. She’s always singing—no matter what she’s doing. If she’s going to the bathroom at my house, we always know where she is because we can hear her singing! There are just so many funny things that she does—she’s naturally a funny person.

PATTI: What is the best advice you have given your daughter as a mother?

I think my biggest advice I gave Lauren was to always do what she wanted and be true to herself—not just do what we wanted her to do. We were lucky with Lauren—she had great school friends and later great adult friends. She's the kind of person who enjoys being around her friends but doesn’t give everything to them; she keeps a little part of herself just for her. I think that’s very wise thing because sometimes, people say too much, and then regret it. I don’t think Lauren does that—so it won’t come back and bite her later. The other advice I gave Lauren was to take a little bit of time for herself. Even with six children and such a busy life, every now and then, we all need to pause and think "this time is for me". I remember when she had her first child—there was so much fuss and we were all hovering around her. I thought "she needs time just for her". So her husband, Matt, looked after the baby while we went to Georges restaurant in Camberwell for a coffee, a chat, and a laugh. On the drive home, she said, “That was one of the best things that could have happened. I felt like my whole life was going to be about the baby, but I realise that I still have my own life too." I think that realisation was very good for her, and it’s why she’s coped so well with six children. Some people struggle with just two, so Lauren does a wonderful job—so much washing, so much food to prepare—she does it with a minimum of fuss. It's a wonderful thing.

LAUREN: How did your mum balance life in the public eye with motherhood while you were growing up?

She did an amazing job balancing everything that she was doing. Of course, public life was one part of it, but she also had an invalid mother to care for while raising children. Somehow, she managed to keep all parts of life running smoothly. It’s only now, as I’ve gotten older that I realise how hard that must have been—but she made it look effortless. Family has always been the first priority and everything else came second. Because of that, we had a wonderful family life. She managed to fit in work, take care of Dad, be in the public eye, while keeping all the balls in the air. She did an incredible job. I think there’s more of a separation now— people have dedicated 'quiet' or 'family' time. That didn’t happen when we were young. My parents always used to say, “You take the good with the bad, and you can’t pick and choose when you’re well known and when you’re not”. So, when we’d go out for our Sunday outings, people would constantly come up to us.

PATTI: How do Lauren & all your beautiful grandchildren make your life better every day?

When I lost my husband, Bert, I thought I couldn’t go on. But having my six beautiful grandchildren, along with my daughter and son-in-law living just around the corner, has made all the difference. I see them every day and they make my life better. They enjoy the same simple things that I enjoy, and its such a wonderful time. I’m just so grateful that I have beautiful grandchildren like I do. With their ages ranging from 4 to 17, I get to experience their different stages, as well as all the different age groups in between, which I love.

LAUREN: What is one of your fondest memories of Mother’s Day growing up?

Some of my most beautiful Mother’s Day memories growing up with Mum were going to school and buying her a special present at the Mother’s Day stall. I'd give it to her on Mother’s Day, and no matter what I'd bought, she always acted like it was the most wonderful gift she'd ever seen. She'd make such a fuss over the card I'd made, bad spelling and all. We’d make her a cup of tea (usually spilled along the way) and burnt toast in bed, and she was always so grateful, making us feel like we'd done such a great job—even though I’m sure we hadn’t! It was always a beautiful day with my mum and my nan. Now, I have the same experiences with my children, and it’s really special. It always makes me think back to the wonderful celebrations we had when I was a kid. Even now, as an adult with my own children, it’s still a day I love to celebrate with Mum, and we always do something special together.