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TV Star Edwina Bartholomew Sells Sydney Unit for $1.57M Amid Long-Distance Marriage Controversy

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Despite holding a prominent position in television as a Sunrise newsreader, Edwina Bartholomew does much more than simply read from the teleprompter.

Instead of being satisfied with early 3 am risings, the 41-year-old woman has additionally taken up an ambitious home renovation endeavor in a small town located about 3.5 hours from Sydney.

The aforementioned project, previously facing significant delays within the historic town, has also drawn attention to her marital life with husband Neil Varcoe, who they’ve been married for seven years.

Instead of being quiet and unassuming, this pair is now at the center of constant conversation due to their unusual living situation: they reside over 250 kilometers apart from each other.

Neil resides in Carcoar (population 271), which is located in the NSW Central West region, where he is supervising the renovation of the run-down ‘Stoke House’ guest house that they purchased for more than $1 million in May 2023. Meanwhile, Edwina stays in Sydney due to her employment at Seven.

Molly, aged five, and Tom, aged three, primarily reside with their mom, yet they occasionally visit Carcoar with Neil, who was previously a journalist. Unfortunately, his last role at Twitter ended abruptly at the end of 2022 when Elon Musk closed the Australian branch of the company.

The goal for this 177-year-old estate is to reimagine it as a cozy, small-scale hotel featuring three guest houses, a private residence, and the main lodge.

Given the extensive scope of their project and the lengthy time they’re prepared to spend apart, one can’t help but wonder if their family’s future might be urban or rural, considering the realization of their shared dream renovation.

This week, we had a chat with Edwina, and she verified that her family has the intention of departing from Sydney permanently in the future; however, this event is not expected to happen anytime soon.

‘We are very keen to eventually settle in the country,’ she told us this week.

‘But we are in no hurry.

In simpler terms, we’re enjoying the advantages from two different sides and plan to keep switching between them for a while.

As an open-hearted individual, I’ve always been straightforward about my unique living situation, understanding that keeping quiet would only fuel rumors.

Although the gossipy headlines suggesting the pair are leading separate existences might seem overly dramatic, it’s undeniable that their geographical distance coupled with one parent handling a busy media career and two kids, while the other oversees an extensive renovation project, presents formidable obstacles.

While the tabloids may exaggerate by claiming they’re living separate lives, it’s true that their distant location, combined with one parent managing a high-pressure job in media and two children, while the other is handling a major renovation project, creates real difficulties.)

Including the detail that Neil suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, a challenging condition he copes with through Chinese medicine and medicinal marijuana, there have been times when Edwina has pondered, “What path have we chosen for him?

She shares with us that our family’s daily plan and WhatsApp conversations about everyone’s locations and ongoing events are incredibly chaotic, to say the least.

In various instances, there’s been a moment of doubt as to our actions, but we remain resolute in creating an exceptional business within what we believe is the most picturesque town in New South Wales. She emphasizes this point.

The plan to purchase Stoke House, set to reopen as ‘Saltash Farm’ in autumn 2026, a year later than initially scheduled, wasn’t a completely random idea for the couple, given they already own a sandstone farm cottage named ‘Warramba’ located beyond the Blue Mountains in Capertee Valley.

For nearly a decade now, I, along with my partner Neil, have been gracefully balancing our life between the bustling city and serene countryside, owning two picturesque properties in each setting. We’ve managed to keep a low profile until Neil’s recent relocation to the Central West drew attention from the media.

She views Saltash Farm as part of movement of ambitious projects dotting the NSW countryside.

She expresses her enthusiasm, stating, “More businesses are sprouting around town, making it thrilling to contribute to the revitalization of regional New South Wales. I’m eagerly anticipating the arrival of our future visitors.

The acquisition of Stoke House and its subsequent renovation is being funded, in part, by shrewd real estate transactions in Sydney’s eastern and inner-western districts.

More recently, Edwina requested the services of Australia’s top real estate firm, The Rubinstein Group, to sell her two-bedroom, one bathroom apartment located in Woollahra that she purchased back in 2009 for a reasonable $660,000.

The campaign initially aimed for $1.35 million, but during the auction on April 12, Edwina successfully found a generous buyer who bid an astonishing $1.57 million.

She shares with us that she was extremely pleased with the outcome from the auction, as it marked her initial property acquisition in Sydney.

For approximately a decade, we resided in that location. Later, I decided to lease it as an investment opportunity. Before selling, I undertook some renovations, which significantly improved the final outcome.

The building, an attractive art deco structure, stands on the highest level in a highly desirable neighborhood with a prestigious postal code in Sydney. The main focus during the remodeling process was installing a modern marble kitchen and bathroom.

If the new proprietors opt for an investment, they can anticipate earning $900 per week from rental income.

Incidentally, Edwina isn’t the only well-known individual who has recently earned a substantial sum from a property sale in Woollahra. Last year, actress Isla Fisher sold her two-bedroom apartment that she had purchased for $171,500 in 1995 at the age of 19, for over a million dollars.

In March 2023, Edwina and Neil decided to sell their three-bedroom, two-bathroom terrace house in Dulwich Hill. They initially purchased it for $1.6 million, setting a selling price of $2.1 million. However, the final sale price remains undisclosed.

The action took place following Neil’s termination from Twitter, now referred to as X, which occurred concurrently with their choice to undertake the Saltash Farm project. However, Edwina acknowledged that parting ways with the suburb was a mixture of joy and sadness.

The house, constructed by the lineage of James Bloodsworth, the pioneering convict bricklayer, was in fact a labor of love and passion for renovations.

In the background of this, Edwina has been dealing with a serious health diagnosis.

In September, I received a diagnosis that changed my life – I was battling chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a formidable foe that affects the blood and bone marrow.

She announced recently that she’s nearly at the stage of ‘molecular remission’, meaning her leukemia is almost impossible to detect.

‘I am almost in what they call molecular remission,’ she wrote on Instagram.

In simpler terms, due to my daily medication, an exceptional specialist, and the precious time I have been granted by Seven, I am able to work part-time at Sunrise while prioritizing my health. This focus has led to the leukemia in my body becoming nearly undetectable, which is essentially a removal of it.

Edwina has a few more years to continue her medication regimen, yet she feels incredibly fortunate as she’s past the most severe part of it.

Edwina began her career at Sunrise back in the mid-2000s, securing an internship there. Over time, she advanced from preparing coffees to creating the program itself.

Initially, she changed her job role to work as a reporter at 2GB. Later, she secured a job reporting for 7News, and this opportunity led her back to Sunrise as a Sydney correspondent in the year 2011.

Back in 2013, I was thrilled when she stepped into Grant Denyer’s shoes as the roving weather presenter – a move that had me jumping for joy! Fast forward three years, and there I was, absolutely ecstatic when she gracefully returned to the studio, this time taking on the roles of entertainment presenter and fill-in newsreader. What a fantastic journey it has been witnessing her shine!

After Samantha Armytage departed in 2021, Natalie Barr took over as the host. As a result, Edwina assumed the role of the breakfast show’s permanent newsreader.

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2025-05-09 17:36

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