It was a giant of early morning television, encouraging countless Australians to start the day with some low-impact fitness.
And despite not being on air for nearly two decades, Aerobics Oz Style still holds a special place in our collective hearts.
The hugely popular show ran on Channel Ten for an astonishing 23 years, starting life in 1982 and continuing, uninterrupted, until it was finally axed in 2005. Its popularity even reached (and stretched) as far as Europe, where it aired on Sky Sports in the UK.
The brainchild of entrepreneur Harry Michaels, who also had a stint on the iconic Australian series Number 96, Aerobics Oz Style offered viewers the chance to work out at iconic Sydney locations from the comfort of their homes.
Throughout the 23-year run, the show’s format never wavered. Each episode was 30 minutes and divided into four segments – warmup, two main exercise segments, and a cool down.
Each show was centred around a theme including legs, and abdominals, with the likes of kick-boxing, Latin dancing and pilates included in later episodes.
What do the presenters of Aerobics Oz Style look like now?
The show became somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, thanks in part to the iconic aerobics fashions worn by the show’s cast.
It also inadvertently attracted a surprise audience of children in the ’90s, who switched on their televisions early to catch the popular Cheez TV which aired after.
But perhaps the biggest drawcard of this iconic show were the presenters, who for decades donned the lycra at the break of dawn and got Aussies up and moving.
So, what do the presenters of Aerobics Oz Style look like now?
June Jones
June Jones starred on the show from 1983 to 2005 and was one of the initial lead talents and the longest-serving member of the team.
June is now an Iyengar yoga and pilates instructor, currently listed as working as a pilates instructor at Flow Physio in Randwick.
June Jones starred on the show from 1983 to 2005 and was one of the initial lead talents and the longest-serving member of the team
June is now an Iyengar yoga and pilates instructor, currently listed as working as a pilates instructor at Flow Physio in Randwick
Taryn was one of the lead hosts on the show from 1998 to 2005 and is now still heavily involved in the fitness industry, works as a nutritionist and personal trainer
‘These days I teach yoga and pilates and work closely with physios on the rehab side of fitness as well which is really rewarding as I help people manage their bodies,’ June told Daily Mail Australia in 2017.
‘I lead a very active lifestyle and exercise every day without fail. I start the day with yoga and meditation (I wake up at 5am) and then work and then in the evenings, depending on my energy levels, I will do something different.
Taryn Polovin
Taryn was one of the lead hosts on the show from 1998 to 2005, and is still heavily involved in the fitness industry, working as a nutritionist and personal trainer.
According to her website, is the sole pilates contributor for Oxygen magazine.
‘I was studying and a friend of mine said to have a chat with the Oz Style people about the show and next thing I was on it, it was a blast,’ Taryn, a mother-of-three, told Daily Mail Australia in 2017
‘It was hard work we were filming 20 shows in two days sometimes so we were very, very fit.’
Wendi Carrol
Wendi starred on the show as a lead presenter from 1990 until the show’s conclusion.
Wendi starred on the show as a lead presenter from 1990 until the show’s conclusion
The fitness guru is still very active in the wellness community, works as a personal trainer.
The fitness guru is still very active in the wellness community, works as a personal trainer. According to her Linkedin she currently works as a freelance trainer as well as for Fitness First Bondi as a group instructor
The fitness guru is still very active in the wellness community, works as a personal trainer.
According to her Linkedin she currently works as a freelance trainer as well as for Fitness First Bondi as a group instructor.
Wendi is still the envy of many for her incredibly toned figure and youthful looks – something she puts down to her long-term active lifestyle, genetics and moderation.
‘On top of the classes I teach I do my own weight training and cardio and I really love dancing – I love to dance. I don’t love weights or cardio so much but I do it because it’s good for me,’ Wendi told Daily mail Australia.
Dancing I do because I love it and often do salsa classes,’ Wendi told Daily Mail Australia.
Jodie Low
Jodie Low started as a demonstrator on the show in 1996, continuing until 2002.
She was also crowned the winner of Miss Fitness Australia in 1996.
Jodie Low started as a demonstrator on the show in 1996, continuing until 2002. She was also crowned the winner of Miss Fitness Australia in 1996
Helen joined Aerobics Oz Style in 2000 as an instructor for the pilates shows, continuing until the show’s conclusion
These days, Helen is still very much a part of the Australian fitness community, running her own pilates studio in Sydney’s Double Bay called Pilates Moves.
Jodie is also still very active in the fitness community, rurnning her own online pilates and personal training business, Jodie Low Fitness.
‘Jodie is focused on providing tailored training sessions to suit the fitness requirements of groups and individuals ranging from high performance to corrective exercise,’ her Linkedin page states.
Helen Tardent
Helen joined Aerobics Oz Style in 2000 as an instructor for the pilates shows, continuing until the show’s conclusion.
She was previously a professional dancer at the London Royal Academy of Dance and now owns and operates a Pilates studio in Double Bay, Sydney.
These days, Helen is still very much a part of the Australian fitness community, running her own pilates studio in Sydney’s Double Bay called Pilates Moves.
The studio’s site says that Helen was Australia’s first Matwork and Reformer group instructor and trainer.
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