Why TV weatherman Steve Jacobs’ marriage was doomed as wife Rose Kelly lifts the lid on their love split and her new life after giving up on men and booze – as she reinvents herself as a Bali villa tycoon
EXCLUSIVE
The ex-wife of Today show weatherman Steve Jacobs has given up booze as she reinvents herself as a Bali property tycoon after her bitter divorce and a string of dating disasters.
Rose Kelly made headlines when she set police on her then-boyfriend Matt Shir in 2020 and was then caught driving while suspended last year.
Now the mum-of-two has confessed to Daily Mail Australia that she made ‘stupid decisions’ after turning to alcohol ‘to numb the pain’ in the wake of her marriage to Steve ending in 2017.
She claims she hit the bottle when she was targeted in a hate campaign by her husband’s loyal fans after the lovesplit – and she’s still bitter at the backlash she felt.
‘There was a lot that happened behind the scenes that still has not become public knowledge and I will take it to the grave,’ she says.
‘I’m not doing that to protect anyone but my kids, but every separation involves two parties.
‘The headlines pointed the fingers at me and that was hard, the public shaming was hard and I don’t believe it was fair that I copped all of it.’
Rose and Steve Jacobs called time on their marriage in 2017 after having two children together
In a rare interview Rose Kelly opens up about live after divorce
Kelly says she’s now been sober for three years and is set for a fresh start with a self-imposed man-ban and a new best friend in former Home and Away star Jodi Gordon.
‘Anyone who has gone through a divorce knows how hard it can be,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I was drinking more than what was bringing me joy, not just at times of celebration, and I think that’s the Aussie way.
‘You drink if you are bored to escape emotions, times of grief and because it’s social.
‘And I have made a conscious decision of being single at this stage of my life. I’m not shut off to love, but I’m not desperately seeking it.’
Kelly insists Jacobs is still the ‘love of her life,’ and says the real reason for the breakup was his life on the road for TV.
‘Our marriage was under incredible pressure that not many could survive,’ she added. ‘He was away for up to 300 days a year for 10 years.
‘If anyone could survive that it would be a miracle. People would sit at home eating their breakfast wondering where the weatherman was today, but for us its where is Daddy today?
‘How can you say connected and united? It’s impossible.’
Rose has multiple Vilas in Bali and rents them all out
Rose is hands on with the design aspects of all of her luxury villas
While Kelly admits she did not make the wisest decisions picking men, she has exercised better judgement when it comes to property.
She jets off to Bali next week to check up on her latest project – a luxury four-bedroom villa in Uluwatu which will rent for more than $1000 per night.
After making a profit flipping the Bronte apartment she purchased after the divorce, she moved her investing to Indonesia and now has multiple villas in her portfolio.
‘I’m fortunate I was raised by a single mum who made very savvy property investment decisions and I have learned from that and have done a lot of research’ she says.
‘I busted a gut to get to where I am today. I got almost 100 percent in my HSC, I did a double degree at Uni and speak multiple languages and now I get paid to do what I love as a travel journalist for Sydney Travel Guide.’
Kelly said giving up alcohol was not easy – and she even lost friends in the process – but it also sparked her new friendship with soap star Gordon.
The pair were originally neighbours in Sydney’s eastern suburbs before both later moved to new homes but maintained contact and then grew even closer, she said.
‘She was married to Braith Anasta and I was married to Steven and we lived across from each other in Coogee,’ said Kelly.
Rose and former Home and Away actress Jodi Gordon have become best mates
‘But it wasn’t until we were both single mums that our paths crossed again, and we realised we had a lot in common.
‘Jodie is my best girlfriend and doesn’t drink alcohol either, we’re both single mums, both in the media, have girls the same age.
‘It’s like a sisterhood – I trust her with my life, and we are there to encourage each other and I’m so lucky to have her in my life.’