Since 2017, Mark, Cathy, Victoria, and Jono have appeared on Australian television screens. They are warm, boisterous, and uncensored, just like real families are when they don’t realize the cameras are on. Based on their travel schedules, Travel Guides have established themselves as a mainstay throughout several seasons and continents. However, in the middle of all those long-haul flights and hotel buffets, the conversation about the Frens subtly changed from where they were going to how they looked.
When a family has been in the spotlight for almost ten years, it’s difficult to ignore a shift. As soon as the sixth season of Travel Guides was revealed, fans noticed the family’s changing appearance. Many thought they appeared noticeably thinner. The comments section filled up. People were interested. Some were dubious, as is always the case when celebrities on television seem to have quietly shed pounds without publicly announcing it.
Eventually, Victoria took the initiative to put a number on it. She confirmed that she had lost 16 kg in social media posts that quickly went viral among the show’s fans. She attributed a large portion of her weight loss to The Lady Shake, a meal replacement product
Jono and Mark added The Man Shake’s equivalent, and other family members followed. After beginning the program together, the results were evident and quantifiable within about six weeks: some family members had lost five kilograms, while others had lost closer to twelve. By all accounts, it was a significant effort rather than a passive one.
Fans often comment on Cathy and Victoria’s public appearances, and they have been open about the demands of being on television. The decision to approach weight loss as a family rather than as individuals seems to have originated from a truly personal place rather than from any outside pressure, and there is a certain weariness that comes with that territory.
It reads less like a brand partnership and more like a household that just decided to do something different and happened to document it publicly when you watch them talk about it online, encourage one another to speak on camera, and laugh through the awkward parts.
The family’s strategy focused on accountability, including regular social media updates, meal replacement shakes, simple food swaps without drastic dieting, and daily movement. It’s the kind of structure that, when you think about how infrequently people actually follow through on it together, sounds almost too simple. There is a true distinction between individual and collective motivation. Someone else in the kitchen is already preparing their shake when one person decides to forego it.
The Frens appeared at events, such as the Logies, in 2025 and early 2026, looking remarkably healthy and energetic—the kind that results from real lifestyle change rather than a crash program. Fans believe that Victoria, who debuted on the show in 2017, has experienced the biggest personal change over the years. Really, the story is still being told.
There isn’t a dramatic ending or a dramatically lit before-and-after photo shoot. A family that appeared on television to discuss holidays made the decision to take their health seriously at some point, and they did so in front of a fan base that turned out to be silently supporting them.
The true question with weight loss is always whether it lasts, or if any of it does. However, the French have never claimed to be flawless. People may trust them because of this.
