Tonight on 20/20... Born to be friendly. Very nice to see you. Very nice to see you. Good to see you too. We meet three brave people with Williams syndrome. No way. I got treated like dirt. # Get up on the dance floor. # The material girl talks money,... 40 million dollars. Is that how much? Is that how much? Are you buying lunch? ...men,... I just met someone that I cared for. This happens to be his age. ...and Gaga. OK, goody. My favourite subject (!) Where are we going? Somewhere horrible. Also, Hannah goes to Hollywood to talk to the stars of Once Upon A Time. Every week there'll be some kind of lesson, because it will tie in different kinds of fairy tales. Captions by TVNZ Access Services. Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2012 Kia ora. Welcome to our very first show of 2012. I'm Sonya Wilson. It's a rare genetic syndrome few know exists. When a baby is born with Williams syndrome, even the doctors don't always recognise the symptoms. Only two children are diagnosed in NZ each year, but there could be more. Their most striking characteristic is their extreme friendliness. They were, you could say, born to smile. But that smile's not always returned, as their loving nature can easily be taken advantage of. Tonight, 20/20's Emma Keeling meets two inspirational women who keep smiling no matter what the world throws at them. Imagine a life where even a simple household chore can drive you to tears. VACUUM CLEANER TURNS ON VACUUM CLEANER TURNS ON (WHIMPERS) This is the world of Williams syndrome,... Come here. You're all right now. ...a world of extremes. Yeah, baby! My name is Briar Patchett. I love hugs. They are very nice. (CHEERS Briar Patchett has a way of making you feel special,... Hey, darling. ...and family is everything to her. Do you worry about your mum and dad? Yes, I do. Because I want them, even though they haven't got a normal daughter, I want them to feel happy, and I feel a bit sad when I get angry at them. You know, it's not their fault I was born this way. Briar was a small baby, slow to reach her milestones. The doctors didn't know what was wrong. Finally, at 5 years old, mum Colleen, got a diagnosis. When the doctor told me that, um, that she had Williams syndrome, it sort of went, like, black, and it made me cry. It was so sad that my beautiful little baby was going to be different. So there was a grieving time. It's a rare disorder caused by a missing gene. They look different, have developmental problems and sensitive hearing. And then there's Briar's personality. How are you?! How are you?! I'm good. How are you?! I'm good. Very nice to see you. She's extremely friendly. She's a little bit naive and she's a lot trusting, which is a nice thing, cos that's part of Williams syndrome, but different people can see it as a weakness, and so she probably needs protecting a bit more than other people. The second of four kids growing up in the small community of Maraetai, Briar's always relied on her siblings to look after her. I lost a lot of confidence, and that's what makes me feel angry because they put a big W on my head, and I don't need that W. I am Briar. That's who I am. That's who I am. So what does the W stand for? That's who I am. So what does the W stand for? Williams syndrome. A syndrome that Briar wants people to understand. Sometimes I just feel lonely and, like, I feel afraid sometimes. What makes you feel that way? Well, sometimes I feel scared because what happens if my parents go, and then there's nobody, and I can't take care of myself. And that's why Colleen wants Briar to be as independent as possible. 'Me and my mum are like best friends.' (GIGGLES) 'And she's teaching you how to cook.' 'Yeah, she's teaching me how to cook. First time lucky.' Taste all right? Taste all right? Yeah. Tastes like a first time. (GIGGLES) Independence is not so easy for Williams people. Briar has poor coordination and movement in her fingers. Good girl. One day your family might not be around, and if you're not taught how to live, a little bit of street smart, perhaps, people will take advantage of you and you won't survive. So it seems Briar is social, but doesn't have that social awareness. That's true. That does get her in trouble quite a lot. It's a fear most parents of Williams syndrome children share, when their child's loving and trusting nature is taken advantage of. Not only does it wreck me, it wrecked my family. Two years ago, Briar, loaded up with a bag of soft drinks, walked down to the beach to meet her younger sister, Rosemary. And the bag broke and the drinks spilled everywhere. And she's picking them up and a man pulls up in a car and says to her, 'I'll help you pick them up. 'And I'll give you a ride down to the beach.' He took her past where Rosemary was and, uh, Briar tried to make him stop, but he just kept driving. He took her down behind where the public toilets are and he started to, um, molest her. Briar screamed and fought until he finally let her go. How hard was it to get over what happened to you? How hard was it to get over what happened to you? Drainingly hard. Mentally hard, because I felt like I was a piece of rubbish... for a very long time. I couldn't help but feel like that because... I'm sorry. It's difficult... That's OK. > ...on my family. And I felt sorry for them because I was the one that did that stupid thing. And it wrecked my sister. My sister felt guilty for so long. I couldn't help how she felt. GENTLE ROCK MUSIC Five hours' north of Maraetai, in the small Hokianga town of Omapere, lives a woman who looks a lot like Briar. Sarah Barnes also has Williams syndrome. Williams syndrome people ` they give it a go. They give it 100%. You look on the bright side. You look on the bright side. Yeah. Yeah, never look on the negative. (CHEERS) Catch it. One of four kids, 31-year-old Sarah lives at home with mum, Judy, and dad, Frank. Her nephews and nieces are never far away. She's brought amazing experiences to us, just by meeting the people that she meets and being Sarah. Sarah is Sarah and she seems to have this connection with people. When Sarah was born, she was very sick and had a weak heart. Doctors thought she had cerebral palsy. She had this funny-looking face, and I remember crying in the maternity ward, cos I didn't know what was the matter with my baby. Sarah was 4 when a visiting English doctor finally diagnosed Williams. I felt relief,... um, knowing what it was, and then by that way we could get more help for her, specialist help. That was all right. But doctors couldn't help her at school. Growing up for Sarah was torture. I got bullied... by a couple of students and teachers. Um, but it is a learning curve for people out there... just to know how it felt being bullied and teased. You know, um, I thought I was going to be treated right, but no way. I got treated like dirt. Although her confidence was destroyed, Sarah got on with life. It's what she's always done. You just move forward and just live your life to the fullest, and that's all that really matters to me. This is what's kept Sarah strong. Like many Williams people, she has an ear for music. So you play by ear, but if I played a song to you, would you just be able to play it like that? Yeah. Yeah. All right, well, I've got my phone here in my pocket. I'm gonna play a song for you. I'm gonna test this. You might recognise this dude. Ready? # Today I don't feel like doing anything. # I'm gonna kick my feet up, then stare at the fan. # (PLAYS SONG PERFECTLY) (CLICKS) Just like that. (CLICKS) Just like that. Yeah. (CLICKS) Just like that. Yeah. One listen and away you go. Home is where Sarah's happiest. She did try flatting a couple of times, but life is simpler, safer, with her parents. I was in a relationship with a man, and we were gonna get married, but it didn't really happen, so we went our own separate ways, basically. Would you like to have children? Would you like to have children? I can't have children. Um,... but I wished I c... But, um, life goes on, and that's what I've got to focus on. Why can't you have children? Because there's a 50% chance that they could come out like me. And I don't want` I don't want` I don't want to have kids and make them come out like me, cos it'd be wrong of me to do that. Good morning, high fives. Good morning, high fives. ALL: Good morning. At a school in the Waikato, 9-year-old Henry Stillwell has a special guest. What does this say, Henry? Briar has come to visit. They know each other from the Williams syndrome camps held in NZ every two years. I don't like bullies that much. Hey, it's OK. I'm here. Be strong and say, 'I don't like you bullying me. I'm gonna tell the teacher.' OK. You're going real good, Henry. Like so many Williams, Henry falls through the education cracks. (SQUEAKS) He needs extra attention, however, he's not disabled enough to receive funding. Mum Christina, knows the next 10 years will be full of challenges. I mean, there was definitely anxiety, and there still is, really. He's 9 and we haven't gone through adolescence with Henry. We still haven't looked at what colleges he's going to go to. There are so many questions we still don't have answers for, really. So it can be challenging, but there are good times as well? Oh, absolutely, absolutely. We had a family occasion in the last weekend and everybody was, what I call, Henry-fied. They sort of got to know Henry, and he would talk to them and make them do things that they wouldn't normally do... (LAUGHS) and it makes you feel proud to be a parent, you know, to have children like that. GENTLE MUSIC Although Williams people greet life with a smile and a hug,... Flowers for my love. ...the fear of early death is their reality. I feel a bit` a bit nervous because I want to live past 50. Williams people have a higher chance of dying from heart failure. Sarah almost died at 21. I don't believe in it, because I'm still here now. I'm still here now with everybody, and I'm hanging in there for everybody. It's their love for others that makes Williams people so special to be around. Life can be hard, but somehow they bounce back with a smile. She definitely is one of the great things in our lives, yeah. She's great. We wouldn't change her. Well, we would change her if it was easier on her, but we quite like her just the way she is. Briar sums it up the best. Please don't think of us as the big W, you know. Um, we're human beings. We deserve respect as much as everybody else. Um, get to know us before you judge us, and help us when you can. Donations would be great. Good on them. Just a side note about Williams syndrome. It was in fact a Kiwi scientist who first identified it, Dr John Williams back in 1961. Right, next up on 20/20, we've got Madonna talking movies, men, Gaga and, of course, music. This is the first time in 30 years Madonna has ever allowed cameras into a recording studio,... I know it's not cool to be happy, but it's actually really cool to be uncool. ...and you're getting an exclusive sneak peek of her new single, a duet with rapper MIA. SONG: # I never thought I'd feel this way. # The way I feel about you. # It must be love, love, love. # It must be love, love, love. # 1 Welcome back. It seems that nothing was off-limits when pop icon Madonna sat down with 20/20 for an exclusive and intimate conversation. She talks about her music, movies, family life, dating, age, and even Lady Gaga. She also answered some of the thousands of questions that viewers wrote in wanting 20/20 to ask her. She's the world's top-selling female recording artist off all time,... # Get up on the dance floor... # ...with hits like Vogue and Like A Virgin. # Hey... # For three decades, Madonna has never held back from expressing herself. # Don't go for second best, baby. # # Mmm... # It's no secret Madonna is the original pin-up girl for outrageous behaviour. Love her, hate her, she is tireless,... It's nice to see you again. ...launching three massive projects all at once. Fancy meeting you here (!) Fancy meeting you here (!) Exactly. We just stumbled into this beautiful room (!) We picked this room, the Royal Suite at New York Waldorf Astoria, because Madonna wants to talk about her latest passion: a new film about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. They actually stayed in this set of rooms? They actually stayed in this set of rooms? Yeah. Yeah. It's her directorial baby called WE, poised to open on February 3rd. David, let's stop all this talk about marriage. It frightens me, and I can't see any good coming of it. An unbridled romance between King Edward VIII and an American divorcee, Wallace Simpson ` their romance ultimately shook Britain to its core. Then I'll give up the throne. Then I will be most-despised woman in the world. And she was. Forced to choose between the throne and the woman he loved, Edward chose Wallace, abdicating in 1936. I now quit, altogether, public affairs. And I lay down my burden. < Do you end up liking Wallace Simpson? I... I love her. I see her as a human being, her ability to survive against all odds. Get a life. And also I think she was deeply, um,... deeply misunderstood by people, and I think, you know, obviously I can relate to that. Madonna always surprises, and the film is no exception. The great discovery that I made whilst doing this research is that there is no such thing as perfect love, and I know that in the back of my head. I'm not an idiot. You have no idea... Inside one of the greatest love affairs of all time, Madonna reveals a painful truth. She felt trapped. Yeah. I mean, think about it ` if a man gives up being king for you, then you have to spend the rest of your life making him feel like a king. She felt imprisoned. Have you ever been loved like that? I don't know. That's a hard question to answer, because I've never fallen in love with a king. Um, I've certainly fallen in love with people who were willing to make big sacrifices for me ` possibly not as big as I would have liked them to make ` um, and I've made very big sacrifices for people that I've loved. You're a romantic. You're a romantic. I am. (CHUCKLES) Sorry. (LAUGHS) Still, after all these years? Still, after all these years? Why not? Speaking of all these years, Madonna and I have our own history, nearly a decade's worth, from our first interview in Los Angeles to one at her home in New York. I'm being held prisoner by hair and make-up artists. We last met in the south of France. Come on, Cynthia. Join me. There's a disco downstairs. Come on, Cynthia. Join me. There's a disco downstairs. Look at this! She was about to turn the big 5-0. Yeah. <BLEEP> you. I'm 50. This time, we thought we might jump right over age. We'll skip the age stuff. We'll skip the age stuff. Yeah. Boring subject. I already know how old I am. And I own it. Well, you're famously dating younger men. Aren't people tired of that subject? Aren't people tired of that subject? No. His name is Brahim Zaibat, a 24-year-old French dancer. I just met someone that I cared for. And this happens to be his age. And what's appealing about him? And what's appealing about him? I don't feel comfortable with this. What are you looking for? What are you looking for? Talk about Wallace Simpson. What are you looking for? Talk about Wallace Simpson. We'll talk about Wallace Simpson. So, how is her new relationship going? I'm the easy one. (LAUGHS) I believe you; millions won't. I believe you; millions won't. Mm. (LAUGHS) I believe you; millions won't. Mm. (LAUGHS) Are you the easy one? No. I don't know. I mean, I go home, and I wash my face, and I put on my sweatpants, and I lay down on the bed, and I say, 'Oh, please rub my feet' and, you know, and he says, 'No, you rub my feet.' Um, so, you know, behind the curtain, I'm just like everybody else. Really? The Material Girl is like everyone else? # Give it up. Do as I say. Give it up and let me have my way... # Hmm. Remember Erotica? Let's talk about celebrity a little bit. Let's talk about celebrity a little bit. OK. Goody. My favourite subject (!) Well, you're an expert on celebrity. Well, you're an expert on celebrity. Am I? Well, you're an expert on celebrity. Am I? CRASH! Wow. That's a sign. What's it a sign of? What's it a sign of? I don't know. Maybe the duchess is in this room now. She's angry at us. She's angry at us. She doesn't like the subject. < Of love or celebrity? < Of love or celebrity? Celebrity. This is the first time in 30 years Madonna has ever allowed cameras into a recording studio,... I know it's not cool to be happy, but... I think it is. I think it is. ...it's actually really cool to be uncool. ...and you're getting an exclusive sneak peek of her new single, a duet with rapper MIA. The album, called MDNA, is out in March. ALL: # Happy birthday! # And there'll be a lot more music to come; she's just signed a lucrative new music deal. $40 million. Is that how much? Is that how much? Are you buying lunch? Cynthia, it's past lunch. I think it's past dinner. Madonna is also the halftime entertainment at this year's Super Bowl ` a controversial decision. So, what's more frightening ` having the movie open or performing live at the super bowl? The super bowl, for sure. And I have eight minutes to set up my stage, 12 minutes to put on the greatest show on earth and seven minutes to take it down. And that's the challenge ` how do you do that? Jump out of a plane or... No. Jump out of a plane or... No. No. There's a roof on the stadium. It'd be painful. BOTH LAUGH BOTH LAUGH Um, I actually wanted to have 100 drummers come from the ceiling. I like it. I like it. It's cool, right? I like it. It's cool, right? Yeah. 'Madonna wouldn't tell me exactly what she's planning.' What's happening now? What's happening now? I have, um, 250 dancers waiting for me right now. The day we talked, she was holding a massive audition. 'Before she left, she agreed to answer some viewer questions.' These are the questions that people wrote in. These are the questions that people wrote in. Oh God. READS: What was the last meal you cooked entirely by yourself? I don't think I've ever cooked a meal entirely by myself. I don't think I've ever cooked a meal entirely by myself. Ever? My nannies cook; my housekeeper cooks. My nannies cook; my housekeeper cooks. Do you cook anything? No, but I do everything else. No, but I do everything else. READS: Do you miss being married? No, but I do everything else. READS: Do you miss being married? Certain parts of it, yeah. What parts? Just feeling like a part of a family unit, not having to make all the decisions on my own. Which would you despise the most ` a world without music, a world without sex or a world full of hydrangeas? A world without sex. Because when you're making love to someone, it's like music. That's nice. That's nice. Mm-hm. Yep. As long as there's no hydrangeas in the room. BOTH LAUGH So, of all of these, there's one question that almost blew up the internet. Oh. Oh. They wanna know what you think about Lady Gaga. And do you feel she's copying you? And do you feel she's copying you? I certainly think she references me a lot in her work. Sometimes I think it's amusing and flattering and well done. I can't really be annoyed by it or insulted by it, because obviously, I've influenced her. < It doesn't feel like a rip-off? < It doesn't feel like a rip-off? No, because she's she and... I'm me. Would you ever do a duet with her? Would you ever do a duet with her? It hasn't occurred to me. But never say never. And when you saw Born This Way, did you think...? When I heard it on the radio, yes, I did. I said, 'That sounds very familiar.' Yes. # I'm beautiful in my way, cos God makes no mistakes... # Some argued Born This Way sounds a little too much like Madonna's Express Yourself. # Don't go for second best, baby. Put your love to the test. You know... # < And that doesn't feel annoying? Um,... it feels,... uh, reductive. Is that good? Is that good? Look it up. 'We did. It means simplified or crude.' That was a good answer. (CHUCKLES) Ooh, well. 'Look it up.' I love that answer. Um, coming up on 20/20, we go behind the scenes of the new hit show Once Upon A Time. Full of creative graphics, Once Upon A Time doesn't just traverse realities. It traverses genres. Well, what's done is done. We have action, drama, there's elements of comedy. I think it will appeal to` from anyone's who 8 years old to anyone who's 80 years old. People have been walking around in a haze, not ageing, with screwed up memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious. I knew you'd get it. 1 Welcome back. If your reality needs an injection of fantasy, then you may well have just tuned in to watch Once Upon A Time. It's where you'll see the dark side of fairy tales and the epic battle between good and evil. Our very own Hannah Ockelford went to Los Angeles to interview some of that show's celebs and found that these rising stars are living out their very own fairy tale ending. DRAMATIC MUSIC You're too late. No. No! (GASPS) (SIGHS) Once upon a time, in an enchanted forest, the classic characters of our childhood had their happy endings stolen. Everything you love, everything all of you love, will be taken from you. I shall destroy your happiness... if it is the last thing I do. And that's where Once Upon A Time, the new TV2 show begins. MAN: The infant is our only hope. Get the child to safety, and on its 28th birthday, the child will return. And the final battle will begin. It's a world of magic and romance, suffering and victory. Since when do I care about anyone else's happiness but mine? I love playing someone evil. I didn't realise it until I started playing someone evil. She's extremely bold and puts everything out there, which is... It's nice to, kind of, release your voice in that way. Are you Emma Swan? Yeah. Who are you? Yeah. Who are you? My name's Henry. I'm your son. This is a world where anything is possible ` an actor's idea of heaven, according to best friends Ginnifer Goodwin and Jennifer Morrison. Oh, it's so fun. Oh, it's so fun. Heavenly. Oh, it's so fun. Heavenly. Yeah. Endless possibilities. That's the thing, yes ` we're so outside of our own frame of references. What's that? What's that? I'm not sure you're ready. Ready for some fairy tales? They're not fairy tales. They're true. Every story in this book actually happened. They're true. Every story in this book actually happened. Of course they did. Ginnifer plays Snow White and teacher Mary Blanchard. It's good to see his smile back. It's good to see his smile back. I didn't do anything. While Jen is Emma Swan, Snow White's long-lost daughter. 'Ginny and I are friends, and the fact that we get to work together has been beyond fabulous.' It doesn't happen often that you get to work with someone that you really respect as an actor and really adore, but you're also friends with, so it feels a little bit, um, magical to get to have that, yeah. so it feels a little bit, um, magical to get to have that, yeah. Absolutely. (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) Where are we going? Somewhere horrible. Somewhere horrible. GLASS SHATTERS Somewhere horrible. GLASS SHATTERS Absolutely horrible. The writers of Lost have pushed the boundaries of storytelling here, merging and confusing the world of make-believe and the world we know, or think we do. What is this book I keep hearing about? Just some old stories I gave him. He needed it. Just some old stories I gave him. He needed it. What he needs is a dose of reality. As a storytelling device, I think it's, uh, genius. I remember when I watched the pilot for the first time, I went, 'Oh my God, how are we pulling this off?' It totally works. It totally works. Mm. Even filming it, you just thought, 'How is this gonna piece together?' She's nothing more than an evil witch. She's nothing more than an evil witch. No. Don't stoop to her level. Josh Dallas is the show's Prince Charming and Lana Parrilla its evil queen. In my experience, fairy tales all have, kind of, life lessons. Is there any life lessons in this show? Don't mess with the evil queens. Don't mess with the evil queens. Yeah. Don't mess with the evil queens. Yeah. BOTH CHUCKLE I think every week'll be a kind of lesson, because it'll tie in different kinds of fairy tales. There's always something to learn in them. That's why we've read them growing up, and especially during this time, with all the disasters going on around us, it's... it gives us a little hope. Full of creative graphics, Once Upon A Time doesn't just traverse realities; it traverses genres. Oh, what's done is done. 'We have action, drama, there's elements of comedy.' I think it will appeal to probably anyone who's 8 years old to anyone who's 80 years old. People have walking around in a haze, not ageing, with screwed-up memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious. I knew you'd get it. That's why we need you ` you're the only one who could stop her curse. As Snow White and Prince Charming's child? Yes. And right now, we have the advantage. Were you guys fans of fairy tales? Were you guys fans of fairy tales? We met four years ago, and we'd meet every few weeks` It was more than four years ago. It was more than four years ago. Or five? So, she, for my birthday, bought me a beautiful gift. It was a custom bound version of the complete works of the Grimms' fairy tales. So five years ago, I think she had an accidental premonition this was coming. No kidding. And like every good fairy tale, watch this and you'll be entertained by a cautionary narrative with good versus evil. Every week, you're gonna meet new characters, um, or meet familiar characters, see how they fit into this world, how they relate to each other, and different, interesting ethical things will be raised based on those people being introduced to that world. The creators of the show really have an idea of centring the show around the idea of hope, seeing if that's a driving force in your life or not and, um, if that will ultimately overcome darkness. What the hell are you doing? What the hell are you doing? Picking apples. What the hell are you doing? Picking apples. You're out of your mind. No, you are, if you think a shoddy frame job'll scare me off. You'll have to do better. You come after me again, I'm coming back for the tree. But if your heart's set on a happy ending, there's no guarantees here. You're going to lose. I know that now. Good will always win. We'll see about that. (CACKLES) Loving those costumes. Um, coming up, little Eva Mitchell. She melted hearts all over the country when she appeared on 20/20 last year. Next you'll see what she inspired our reporter to do. Tiff hadn't spent any time away from Eva, you know, so to go away for` We were away for, what? Four days in total. To spend that kind of time away from Eva, away from the hospital, away from Mila, you know, it was huge. And it was a big risk for you. When you're in the bush, if something goes wrong with Eva, what are you gonna do? You can't get back. 1 Welcome back. Late last year, 20/20 shared the story of Eva Mitchell, a 4-year-old so sick she's only ever lived in a hospital ward. Our reporter Hannah Ockelford was blown away by this family, especially by the positive way they dealt with the most trying of circumstances. So when Tiff, Eva's mum, asked Hannah to step outside her own comfort zone and compete in the Queenstown to Auckland $10 challenge, Hannah took a few deep breaths over a few days, then accepted. We'll let her explain the rest. I was, like, are you adventurous? Are you into adventure? And by the last day of filming, I had committed to doing it, and I committed to doing it because Eva and Tiff's story completely touched me. Think of the Amazing Race, add a few crazy costumes and some pretty hardcore motivation and you've got the Accor Hotels Cure Kids Queenstown to Auckland $10 Challenge. So your mission of the day is to get to the checkpoint, complete a challenge, and then you get give pretty much a ticket to where you've got to go next, and they say to you, 'You are the first team to arrive.' You scream and you think you're amazing. Cure Kids funds research into life-threatening childhood illnesses, keeping hope alive for Eva Mitchell and loads of other Kiwi kids. You know, one in` Is it one in 30 children need Cure Kids, so, you know, that's one in every class. That kind of really hit us. When I first worked with Tiff and Eva, it was an eye-opener what it means to support a sick child. Hi, Mum. Hi, Mum. You're not feeling very well today, eh? The whole 20/20 team became like family to us, so by the end of it, it was kind of a comfort for me too to know that I was doing this with someone who understood, knew what I went through at night, knew what I went through during the day. I kind of had a little comfort from the fact that Hannah clicked on to our life pretty well. OK, is there a plaster somewhere in the house? Eva was born with only half a diaphragm, and four years on, she's still living in a hospital ward. Tiff haven't spent any time away from Eva, you know, so to go away for` We were away for, what? Four days in total. To spend that kind of time away from Eva, away from the hospital, away from Mila, you know, it was huge. And that was a big risk for you. When you're in the middle of the bush, if something goes wrong with Eva, what are you gonna do? You can't just suddenly get back. For three days, Tiff and I dressed as Eva's Angels, competing against 12 other teams, as we travelled from Queenstown to Auckland. You gotta get your adrenalin up, you don't know what's gonna happen next. First off, high-speed jetboating... and straight into a haka. The better we did on each challenge, the more points we earned. We laughed the whole trip. We had the odd` I think we had the odd little squabble. Really? Really? I don't know. I don't know if it was a squabble. I think we just, yeah... I mean, you totally got annoying sometimes, but... Hannah's best` The challenge she was best at was sniffing and working out what goes in wine, actually. She could smell wine and pick what goes in it, like stone, whatever. Not only is she` > Not only is she` > A little bit of practice. ...organised, she's a booze hag. All of the teams joined forces in Wellington and were assigned a challenge, Apprentice-style. I was running the publicity team. I was running the publicity team. Luckily. > We called our TVNZ Breakfast crew and got a little spot on Breakfast, which was fantastic. There's motivation for people to do this race. It's all about Cure Kids. It's all about the kids. Hours later, we hitch-hiked up the North Island. Pretty successfully too. I mean, would you drive past a tall and a short angel who were drop-dead gorgeous and cute, waving at you on the side of the road? No. You wouldn't. And from time to time, we invoked a bit of strategy. We lost one challenge because we stopped to take a photo on the Desert Road, for the photo of the day, of us angels walking towards, you know, that big mountain. (GIGGLES) Mt Ruapehu. Mt Ruapehu. Ruapehu. (GIGGLES) On the final day, we tackled a mountain-bike track. So there was two of us, as angels, one bike and we had 10 K's to cover, and the idea was that you tag-teamed it. But I'd seen Tiff running... But I'd seen Tiff running... Don't you dare say that. Well, very quickly I realised... (GIGGLES) that Tiff didn't know how to bike that well either. But I think our angel wings gave us special powers. Because at the end of three days, exhausted and dirty, the angels topped the points table. I think I knew she was going to be pretty competitive. WHISPERS: Jesus, she's pretty damn competitive. I didn't even know I was that competitive. The moment we started, eh, I was, like, 'Right we've got to win this thing.' When we actually did, I was blown away. I was, like, 'Holy shit. We won. We won. We won.' Hannah said, 'Of course we won. Of course we won. We wouldn't have done it if we weren't going to win.' And Tiff got a special award for the best spirit of the race. As great as I felt getting it, I think it should be shared by all of us, cos we all did a pretty wicked job and we all had a great time doing it. Tiff and I raised almost $9000 for Cure Kids, money we hope will make a difference to kids like Eva. Awesome, awesome work, ladies. Uh, in total, the 12 teams raised over $150,000 for Cure Kids, apparently. Not bad during these tough economic times. Right. Next, it had America up in arms. A drunk father and his 9-year-old driver. It's been a national sensation,... viral on YouTube, the ultimate in parental bad judgement. A 9-year-old girl at the wheel, while her father, lit up on whiskey, eggs her on from the passenger seat. I can't do this. After months of avoiding every question, Weimer agreed to sit down with 20/20. 1 Welcome back. It's a story that shocked America and sent the media into a frenzy. A 9-year-old behind the wheel of a car, driving her drunk father home. Tonight, 20/20 has an exclusive interview with the girl's dad and asks him, 'What were you thinking?' It's been a national sensation, viral on YouTube, the ultimate in parental bad judgement. Hey, you got a car? She'll park it for you. (LAUGHS) ...the dad facing serious charges. ...the dad facing serious charges. Child abuse. A 9-year-old girl at the wheel while her father, lit up on whiskey, eggs her on from the passenger seat. Just 9 years old. Since we saw,... What made you think it was OK to let her drive? ...everyone has wanted to ask the dad,... I won't say. ...39-year-old Shawn Weimer, 'What were you thinking?' If I wasn't drinking, this would have never even happened. I can't do this. After a month of avoiding every question, Weimer agreed to sit down with 20/20. But it wasn't easy for the man vilified as 'bad dad of the decade' to go through with it. This is a waste of time. (EXHALES) He walked out of the interview more than once. (EXHALES) But finally sat down to try and redeem himself. It's 2.30am. I was teaching her how to drive around my circle. And do you feel that she was in control of the car? She knows how to back up, parallel park. She can reach the brake, the pedal. Weimer's story begins in the outskirts of Detroit, in the wee hours of October 8th, during a custodial visit with his little girl. He was downing Black Velvet whiskey when he posed a fateful question. I asked her if she wanted to learn how to drive. She said yes. We got in the car, we drove around for 45 minutes, pulling in and out of driveways. We noticed we were out of gas; we went to the gas station. That's Weimer's Starksy & Hutch-themed red-and-white van pulling into the gas station, his little girl behind the wheel. But what Shawn Weimer did not realise in his drunken stupor as he pumped gas and then brought his daughter inside to buy smokes for him and a candy apple for her... Go and meet her. 9 years old. ...was that he was being watched by 40 surveillance cameras rolling on his every move, his every word. You were pretty proud your daughter could drive. I was more or less bragging how... you know, how good she was doing at anything. Listen. We're leaving, and she's driving. I'm drunk. WOMAN: Brownstown 911. What is your emergency? But the bragging and Weimer's dance out the door caused jaws to drop. A sober bystander would take it upon himself to alert authorities to this minor menace on the road. Prosecutors would drop the hammer, charging Shawn with two counts of child abuse. It's not child abuse. We were less than 100yds from my house. We never went over 25mph. She had her seatbelt on. I've never even spanked my daughter. She's... I would never do anything in any way to hurt her. Weimer defends teaching his daughter how to drive. He says he too was taught to drive at a very young age; why should his daughter be treated any differently? I grew up on a 22-acre farm. How you got around was a car when you're a kid. Clearly, there are many parents who think there's nothing wrong with teaching their underage children how to drive,... (LAUGHS) ...keeping it off public streets to avoid trouble. We're driving this truck. It's awesome! Proud enough that junior is behind the wheel, they'd post videos on YouTube for millions to see; everyone joking on this video about the two brothers, 9 and 7 years old, manoeuvring through a junkyard. BOY: Shane, don't press the gas any more, OK? It's fine right now. Don't hit the Toyota! If this case had not been on YouTube, we probably wouldn't be sitting here. Weimer's attorneys, David Steingold and Barry Adler, argue the prosecution is trying to make an example of their client. He's a good father who made a very bad choice. They say many parents are prone to let their children experiment behind the wheel of a car, but should not be treated as serious criminals. Putting, uh, young people behind motor vehicles is not unusual. It wasn't likely that this particular girl was going to hurt herself. And if this had simply proceeded another 100yds, she would have been safely at home, probably tucked in bed. Just this week, Weimer's attorneys struck a deal with the prosecution. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Yes. Weimer reluctantly pled guilty to two counts of child abuse. In exchange, he will get probation and avoid going to jail. Yes. But for now, the toughest part of the sentence is that he can't see his daughter unsupervised. She texts me every day and says, 'I just wanna be with you. I miss you. I love you. Goodnight.' Weimer has agreed to wear a tether to monitor his sobriety. He says he's been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. And now you are not drinking, right? And now you are not drinking, right? No. And now you are not drinking, right? No. And why did you stop? Cos I wanna be part of my daughter's life. And you knew you couldn't be if you kept drinking? I'm just saying that alcohol has ruined my life. My name is Shawn. It appears even this good old country boy has learned a hard lesson this holiday season. Do you have a Christmas wish? Do you have a Christmas wish? Yeah ` I need a time machine to go back in time. So, what do you hope happens now? Besides me go away. (CHUCKLES) Everybody just leave me alone. You can check out any of tonight's stories again by going to our website, that's... You can also email us at... Or, of course, go to our Facebook page and let us know your thoughts on tonight's show or even what you think of our flash new set. Thanks for all your feedback over the summer. It's your stories we're interested in, so keep those ideas coming in.