Not taking punches

New Zealand-born Charlotte Dawson, 43, co-host of Australian reality boxing show The Contender, talks candidly to The Age about the programme and what she knows about the opposite sex. “Women want to be open and communicate; they want closure,” Dawson says. “Men can just walk away.” Dawson then describes Contender: “Look, it’s a contact sport, and it’s about inflicting violence physically on someone with your fists. That’s the mindset, and it must be extremely hard on their wives and girlfriends [she calls them BAGs, the boxing equivalent of football’s WAGs], for eight weeks before a fight, because that’s the preparation time. They go into some crazy zones.” In New Zealand, Dawson has hosted Getaway, How’s Life? and Charlotte’s Lists. She was recently a judge on Australia’s Next Top Model.