John Key and Chrystal Chenery. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
John Key and Chrystal Chenery. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
It was the year the world’s biggest celebrity, Oprah, visited for the first time. Reality TV was completely bonkers and All Blacks were the surprise charmers of the party scene. Throughout it all, Spy was there.
The Year of Chrystal
She lit UP the small screen as a bachelorette on TV3's first outing of The Bachelor. Chrystal Chenery's straight-shooting sexiness captivated Spy from the outset, and over the next few weeks she became known as the "bitchelorette".
The 30-year-old was refreshingly up front and soon exitedstage left - an early pash with Bachelor Art Green and some stunning earrings later - but it wasn't long before she was back on the telly.
This time it was on Dancing with the Stars, setting MediaWorks up for the second-most controversial showdown of the year. (The first being the sacking of X Factor judges Natalia Kills and Willy Moon after Kills' hateful bullying of contestant Joe Irvine on live TV.)
Chenery danced her way to the final with a run of scintillating performances before eventually losing out to crowd favourite Simon Barnett.
And before the Champagne was dry that night, controversy was brewing. Fellow contestant Jay-Jay Harvey's husband, Dom, made another social media faux pas when he posted a screen shot of Chenery's crotch on Twitter with the caption: "Chrystal just showing Art what he missed out on."
Within hours Chenery had turned to Spy to express her displeasure.
We applauded her making a stand, even if the social media trolling around the incident was among the worst of the year.
Days later, Chenery and other DWTS members were out in force at Colin Mathura-Jeffree's Bollywood-themed bash, sans Dom and Jay-Jay. (Blackface is another story.)
Colin Mathura Jeffree and Chrystal Chenery. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
Chenery has spent most of the past few months on the Gold Coast and Spy can tell you standing up for her dignity was one of the best things she did this year.
There's no doubt the girl has panache - we loved her Marilyn Monroe pose with PM John Key earlier this year.
So will she re-enter the media fray next year? And has she found love?
All may be revealed early in 2016.
The All Black charmers
Gemma Flynn and Richie McCaw. Photo / Norrie Montgomery.
It was the end of an era at the #isport charity event in August, as Spy bade "adieu" to the three most written-about All Blacks in the social pages, #isport founders Ali Williams, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw, all of whom have given these pages plenty of headlines.
We'll be watching the trio eagerly next year. McCaw is having a movie made about him and speculation is rife he and Black Sticks girlfriend Gemma Flynn may get engaged. Will the Williams have a European baby?
Will the Carters?
Spy has been delighted to spend time with the charming Jerome Kaino and fellow stars Beauden Barrett, Malakai Fekitoa and Aaron Smith.
Fekitoa attended the launch of the ASB Classic with his lovely girlfriend, Caroline McNaught.
The two were refreshingly fun and ready to get to know everyone in the room.
A few weeks later, Smith presented at the VNZMAs and Spy enjoyed partying with Fekitoa, McNaught and Smith at the Warner Music after-party.
Not long after, Barrett made his entrance on to the Auckland scene with gorgeous girlfriend Hannah Laity as guests of honour at the Moet and Chandon Celebrating Success party.
Again, a breath of fresh air. Everyone in the room had time with the man of the moment and the presence of Laity added to the couple's magnetism.
Nehe Milner-Skudder and Hanna Tevita. Photo / Greg Bowker
Spy reckons Barrett and Laity, and Nehe Milner-Skudder and his gorgeous girlfriend Hanna Tevita will be the ones to watch as their celebrity grows rapidly.
As for the late-night drinks and heart-to-heart with one All Black, Spy is still swooning ... but our lips are sealed.
The Key Men
Max Key and John Key shirtless by the pool earlier in the year. Photo / Instagram
This week, the Key family flew to Hawaii for their annual Christmas getaway. Will Max do another romantic travel video? His girlfriend, Amelia Finlayson, joins him after Christmas, so anything's possible.
Spy caught up with Bronagh Key at the Oprah VIP drinks last week.
Spy reckons she's a great mum and it's fabulous to see her and Key's support of their out-there offspring, artist Stephie and DJ Max.
It's hard to say who has the more interesting year with popular culture media. Key senior is ending the year mired in controversy for several radio stunts, whereas Max's social media postings would barely raise an eyebrow if he wasn't the son of the PM.
But he has garnered 20,000 Instagram followers in the wake of his romantic Hawaiian GoPro video with Amelia and the shirtless pic taken with his Dad.
The PM hasn't given much reaction to his son's media behaviour, but he is still in a quandary over his kids' use of social media, telling the old-fashioned media last week that his advisers found it difficult.
Spy has met Max - he is shy and has excellent manners.
His social media use is pretty normal, but it wouldn't be a bad thing if he mixed up his VIP Instas (President Obama and the All Blacks, for example), with some occasional shout-outs or cause-driven activity for charity.
Internet breaker
Maria Tutaia strikes a pose. Photo / Supplied
When a New Zealander breaks the internet, Spy's bet is it will be gorgeous Silver Fern Maria Tutaia. She nearly did in June when she was a Herald on Sunday cover girl, posing in Goss Lingerie long before Lady Gaga did.
Her gorgeous body may have been a large part of the interest, but Tutaia's beauty and down-to-earth charm have done a lot to make her one of New Zealand's - and Spy's - favourite celebrities.
She is certainly a woman top brands want to be associated with.
Fashion houses, jewellery and car brands are knocking on her door to attend the big parties - her 1.88m frame, fantastic figure and wicked sense of humour make her a showstopper.
At last report, Tutaia was single and living at home. People love that about her, and you can bet she has no shortage of male attention.
