Loui Fish, the controversial ex-wife to former soccer ace Mark Fish, is on a nationwide tour to promote the launch of her tell-all book, Walking in my Choos.
We caught up with the contentious model and presenter to find out what’s really going on in her life. She has, after all, been hogging the headlines since her bitter divorce to Mark last year.
Congratulations on the book! What sort of response have you been getting so far?
I’m getting an awesome response! I’m an open book and I always wear my heart on my sleeve. I don’t know if that’s always a good thing. What’s so surprising is that my followers are a mixture of gay people and older Afrikaans people who used to like Tongelong. There are also actually a lot of straight men who are coming to the launches. They’re not trying to date me - they’re actually there for advice so I’m thinking about having a workshop for divorced people. You actually don’t realise the pain men go through during a divorce.
Were you dealing with a lot of emotion during the writing process?
It was tough. I think the toughest bit was coming out with the drug story. We all have our little secrets but it’s unusual for someone in the public eye to come out and admit to something like that. All I can say is that I’m healed. It was a very therapeutic yet emotional journey. There were certain issues I thought I’d dealt with but, while I was writing the story, I had to deal with them all over again. I can now honestly say that I’m over everything. I finally got my closure.
Would you like to talk about your drug abuse?
You know, it’s been widely documented and I don’t want people to just focus on that. I’d rather have people buy the book if they want to and read about it. The drugs were something that happened in the 90’s and they are obviously something I’m not proud of. I’m getting a lot of stick from Mark about it though. He keeps saying that I’ve got kids to think about. All I can say is that I’ve lived and I’ve learnt. If my kids ever got involved in that sort of thing I’d be able to spot it from a mile away and sort it out.
James Small and Mark were petrified that it would all come out. The reason I decided to tell the story is because I really didn’t want some newspaper finding out about it and making it seem ten times worse than it really was. The book reveals the truth behind the last 16 years of my life. It focuses on every headline and every story that’s ever been in the media that loves to hate me.
Have Mark Fish and James Small denied the drug abuse allegations you make in your book?
Well would you admit to all these things if you were a Springbok rugby hero? I could have left it all out quite easily. I knew I was going to get stick for it but it’s my life story too. James introduced me to cocaine and Mark and I used it together. I can’t change that fact.
What kind of relationship do you and Mark have nowadays?
He actually wanted to see me just the other day for lunch - sort of like a date actually. He was very worried about my relationship with Bartosz (Raschwalski). He’d text me late at night and I’d text him back. I think he’s pissed off because I said no to the date!
How are your kids?
They’re fine. I have the two most amazing and grounded kids who are just so mature for their ages. They are living with Mark at the moment. He’s been saying that I haven’t seen them but there were a few weekends when he and his girlfriend were busy and the kids were with me - he’s a pathological liar.
Why do you think he does that?
I love Mark to bits – I don’t love him like that though. I’ll always love Mark. He’s just got a lot of manipulative people around him. He’s got a very manipulative girlfriend and she’s got a very bossy mother and they all live together. Mark’s a nice guy. It’s not him saying these things – I think he’s under so much pressure from those two women.
So what happened to your engagement with Bartosz?
I actually called off the engagement about a month ago so I’m single again. I moved out and I’m staying with friends at the moment. When I get back to Joburg I’ll find a nice little place for myself.
Are you looking for love at the moment?
No, I never look for love, it sort of just happens to me! I’ve got my support system in my friends. I have so many men in my life but they are all gay. I’m in a very good space. This journey with the book tour has been great, both personally and professionally.
You come across as an exceptionally strong woman…
Luckily, when I fall, I don’t lie down. I always get up and dust myself off and never look back…
What’s your head space like at the moment?
Mark actually owes me a lot of money. I don’t know where he gets off saying I’m down and out. I’m not. The money he owes me is separate from the maintenance I get for the kids. He has to sell our house and then I’ll get my settlement from that. Until then, he has to pay me a certain amount of money per month for my water, lights etc. I think Mark’s been trying to save face because he knew that this book was coming.
In terms of my relationship with Bartosz, I don’t want to badmouth him because when I had nowhere to go, he looked after me. I don’t want to say I was stuck with him but I was.
Do you think that you’re simply misunderstood?
Oh yes, 100%! I’m always going to have the critics but it’s life. There are people I don’t like in life. What I don’t understand is how people can be so negative towards someone they’ve never met. There are always going to be people who love me and people who will hate me but all I ask is that you get to know me before you start judging.
Moving forward, what are your plans for 2013?
When it comes to my private life, I need to focus on finding a house and getting my kids back.
Professionally, I’ve just hired Richard Curson, a Celebrity PR Manager from the UK, who is working with me on my future. Richard rightly says the book marks the end of one chapter of my life, now I’ve got to focus on the next and make every second count. There are two very exciting projects in the pipeline with Richard. I’d love to tell you more about them but I don’t want to jinx it. People are going to be like, “What the hell is she doing now?!”
Well we don’t know about you guys but we can’t wait to find out!
Lauren Lee Atkinson