For most newlyweds, the idea of living apart for six months of the year would be unfathomable.
But for Travel Guides star Jonathan Fren and his wife Danielle, with filming commitments seeing him off travelling the globe for half the year – with only a handful of days at home between trips – it seems to be the secret to their happy marriage!
“There are a couple of trips back-to-back, but there’s usually only about three, four days off in between each trip,” Jono tells Woman’s Day of the show’s intense filming schedule. “So it’s really full-on.”
While his sister Victoria, who works in the aged care sector, and primary school teacher parents Cathy and Mark all having to quit their jobs every six months to take part in the show and find new ones once filming wraps, Jono has more freedom with his hospitality job.
“It’s much harder for them than me,” he says. “Because I work in hospitality and I’m only a casual employee, I can pretty much pick up work whenever. But it is hard. You do have to take about five, six months off a year to film Travel Guides.”
You also have to have an understanding wife – and thankfully for Jono, 34, he has that in Danielle, also 34.
The couple, who have just celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary, insist their marriage is all the stronger for their time apart, with Danielle – who joins her husband and his parents on Travel Guides for the first time on a trip to Japan airing on July 13 – content with staying home while Jono galivants around the world.
“I’m very grateful that Danielle does let me do Travel Guides every year, because I know it’s a big commitment and I am away for a long time,” Jono says. “So I’m just forever grateful that she lets me go away and have some fun.”
Adds Danielle: “Maybe that’s why our marriage works so well: ’cause we only have to put up with each other for half the year!”
Indeed, as long as they’ll have him, Jono has no plans to put his passport away any time soon.
“Yeah, I’m happy being on Travel Guides,” Jono says. “I just want to keep doing it as long as Channel Nine want me. It’s a great show to be a part of and the crew and the other cast members are great. It’s definitely a dream gig. I’m very, very lucky.”
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