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Introducing... Anna Anka

Malin Nyberg
Malin Nyberg - [email protected]
Introducing... Anna Anka

Introducing... is The Local's guide to the Swedish celebrity. In this week's installment Malin Nyberg profiles Anna Anka, the conservative trophy wife Sweden loves to hate.

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Who is she and why is she famous?

The outspoken 38-year-old was born in a small village in the south of Sweden. In 1994 she won Miss Hawaiian Tropic and moved to the US full time, where she worked as a fitness instructor and actress, including a brief cameo in Dumb and Dumber. In 2008 she married Canadian singer Paul Anka, warbler of hit songs like Diana and Put Your Head on My Shoulder.

But isn’t he, um… old?

Hey, age ain’t nothing but a number. But yes, he is 30 years older than her.

And rich I take it… So, is she just famous for being his wife?

First of all, she may not be his wife for much longer by all accounts. Secondly, she never had much of a career as an actress. Only recently has she shot to infamy.

OK, do continue.

In the autumn of 2009, TV3 started showing Swedish Hollywood Wives (Svenska Hollywoodfruar), a reality show about three Swedish women living a life of luxury in LA. Anna Anka was one of them and created massive headlines after saying some stuff considered shocking back in Sweden.

Such as?

Well, there are some quotes that kick-started her career within Swedish TV…

How about: "As a housewife you should support your man in every way, you should always be attractive and well-dressed." And the classic: "If your husband wants a blow job every morning, that’s what you should give him. Sexually it is the woman's responsibility to ensure that the man is satisfied, if she does not then she only has herself to blame if he is unfaithful.”

Goodness, she's quite old-fashioned isn't she?

She certainly is, and she has nothing but disdain for family life Swedish-style. She believes it’s the man’s responsibility to bring money to the family while the wife has, well, other responsibilities.

Oh dear, that can't have won her many admirers in Sweden?

No, but TV3 couldn’t be happier. Rating for the Hollywood Wives show went up quicker than she went down.

So does anybody agree with her views?

Absolutely, just check the fan groups on Facebook.

No thanks. You mentioned trouble in Paul Anka paradise?

Yes, he filed for divorce not so long ago. According to Anna, he wasn't able to handle her Swedish TV success.

Hang on a second, it seems she has made a career out of being against women working?

Yeah, it’s a bit of a contradiction.

Indeed. So is she OK financially now without a hubby to bring home the bacon?

Oh, she's happy as a pig in the proverbial. If you'll permit me to mix meats for a moment, TV3 seems to have a lot of faith in its outspoken cash cow. In Anna’s own words: “The Swedish people would kill themselves if they knew how much I’m getting.”

Or maybe they wouldn't.

No, probably not.

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