Tessa Hayley Hellberg
Location
Johannesburg, South Africa
School
University Of The Witwatersrand
Expertise
British Royals, The "Real Housewives" Franchise, Old Hollywood Stars
- As a self-professed pop culture and royal news nerd, for Tessa, celebrity news has always gone far beyond recreation; it's her bread and butter in every sense of the word.
- Throughout her time as an entertainment reporter, she's interviewed countless reality stars, including Kyle Richards and Ashley Darby — and even the legend himself, Andy Cohen.
- She loves any opportunity to learn more about royals across the globe, and some of her happiest memories include wedding viewing parties for the British and Monegasque royal families, alike. Naturally, each party was preceded by flip files of prior research.
Experience
Tessa's love for pop culture stems back to her childhood, when she would craft school assignments as her very own entertainment reports. Her foray into professional reporting began in 2017, when she started writing the pop culture section for an edutainment app. She's since gone on to obtain her Master of Arts (with a dissertation on "The Real Housewives of Johannesburg," naturally), and has done over 100 interviews for TheThings. Tessa joined Static Media in early 2022, providing regular articles for Nicki Swift, and the occasional guest report on royal occasions for TheList.
Education
Tessa has a bachelor's degree in politics and media studies, and honors and master's degrees in media studies, all from the University of the Witwatersrand. She came away from both postgraduate degrees with distinction – and a love of seeing how pop culture, social factors, and politics intersect at every turn.
Nicki Swift covers celebrity and entertainment news by way of an expert group of editorial professionals. We drive the conversation on everything from trending Hollywood news to star transformations, always striving to deliver the most compelling commentary, bolstered by quality expert opinions.
As we cover a wide breadth of pop culture, we're constantly reviewing, fact-checking, and updating stories to ensure they're accurate and current. Additional information on our editorial process available here.
Stories By Tessa Hayley Hellberg
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Kimberly Guilfoyle is known for her luxurious brown locks, but what if she decided to switch things up and go blonde? She could actually carry it off.
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LeBron James was already a famous athlete by high school, but did his GPA measure up to his basketball stats? We've gone into the vault to find his grades.
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Before making it big on HGTV, Ben Napier had dreams of entering the world of local politics. Let's just say Erin Napier is glad that didn't work out.
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As Christina and Josh Hall head into a messy divorce, a lawyer tells Nicki Swift why the HGTV star is likely to lose a significant amount of money.
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Despite his absence from the 2024 Republican National Convention, the mere mention of Barron Trump's name in his father's speech garnered thunderous applause.
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Melania Trump finally joined her husband Donald Trump onstage at the 2024 Republican National Convention, but the appearance had a few red flags.
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Olivia Dunne has become a standout in U.S. gymnastics, so why isn’t she on the roster for the 2024 Olympics? Here’s what we know about the likely reason.
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We’ve all come to recognize and adore Amber Rose’s signature style, but fans were recently treated to a rare glimpse of the model without makeup.
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Rudy Giuliani took a spill at the 2024 RNC and his embarrassing moment had social media users reminiscing about the former mayor's other cringeworthy incidents.
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Howard Stern has never been one to hold back his thoughts. Here are the times he crossed the line and made things personal with some big name celebs.
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Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were two of Hollywood's most beloved stars in the '90s, but they've faced their fair share of scandal and legal troubles as adults.
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Ireland Baldwin's relationship with her father, Alec Baldwin, seemed destroyed after that infamous 2012 voicemail. However, they've since patched things up.
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Candace Cameron Bure loved any opportunity to perform her own stunts on the Netflix revival series "Fuller House" until a rehearsal almost ended very badly.
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Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes are total friendship goals, but let’s be real - there are some bizarre aspects in their bond that you just can’t unsee.
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Given his preference for privacy, several rumors have abounded over the years about Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump. We're debunking the biggest ones.
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Eric Trump revealed the other man his wife Lara thinks about every night before bed, and a relationship expert tells us what it means for their marriage.
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"Southern Charm" star Shep Rose debuted a noticeably slimmer figure in an Instagram post celebrating the Fourth of July, shocking his fellow Bravolebrities.
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Hallmark stars were heartbroken when Ryan Paevey took a step back from both the channel and acting, but there he had a lot of personal issues to contend with.
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Despite being part of the royal family with an illustrious title, to boot, Princess Beatrice prefers to live a much more down-to-earth lifestyle.
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Gymnast and social media sensation Olivia Dunne is rocketing toward the upper echelons of fame, and a frightening incident has led to her requiring security.
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During Kate Middleton's absence from the public eye in early 2024, conspiracy theories started flying like crazy. One in particular focused on her... bangs?
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There was plenty of sparring at the first presidential debate, but Trump’s reaction to one jab was all the confirmation we needed of what we already suspected.
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Kate Middleton is a masterclass in modest looks, but she's not afraid to show some leg every now and then, melting the internet in the process.
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After Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell died in late 2023, her two daughters were separated and living with two different relatives, causing further heartbreak.
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Rose Hanbury is a former model and fashion "it girl," but her style has certainly changed in some major ways since marrying David Cholmondeley.
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While that blue dress might be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Monica Lewinsky’s wardrobe, she has plenty of other talked-about outfits too.
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Hunter Biden and Melissa Cohen Biden's relationship has had some major red flags, including the pair tying the knot a week after their first meeting.