TV personality Mike Goldman and his wife, actress-comedian Bianca Zouppas, are in the process of rebuilding their Brisbane home, almost a year after a severe house fire nearly claimed their lives.
The couple and their son, Jagger, narrowly escaped the blaze last August when flames engulfed their property in the middle of the night. They were alerted by a smoke alarm and managed to evacuate moments before the fire intensified.
Fire investigators were unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the fire, though they suspect it may have originated near the electrical box. "They think maybe it started where the electrical box was, so underneath the house, but we don't know," Zouppas told realestate.com.au.
Now, nearly 12 months later, renovations are underway to transform the fire-damaged property. The extensive work includes removing smoke-damaged walls, restoring damaged timber flooring, and reimagining the home's layout. A significant redesign of the living spaces is planned, with the former kitchen area being converted into a sitting room that will connect to a new master suite and a deck overlooking the river. A spacious, open-plan kitchen with a floating island is set to become the new focal point of the home.
"I honestly love this house," Zouppas stated. "It is so beautiful. It's going to have so much character when we're finished with it."
The couple is currently renting a home in Brisbane's Ascot while awaiting the completion of their Bulimba residence.
Goldman has spoken about the traumatic experience, emphasizing the critical role of the smoke alarm in their survival. "If the [smoke] alarm hadn't gone off, I wouldn't be here today. I'm alive because of it," he told the Courier Mail. He has since become an ambassador for Checktember, a national smoke alarm safety campaign, urging others to check their alarms and ensure they are interconnected for whole-home protection.
Goldman, known for his role as the narrator of Big Brother Australia, has also appeared in shows such as the Stan Original series Joe vs. Carole and NBC Universal's Young Rock. He met Zouppas in 2016, they married in 2019, and their son Jagger was born in May 2024.