Background and career
Eleanor Nancy Macpherson ( mək-FUR-sən; née Gow; born (1964-03-29)29 March 1964) is an Australian model, businesswoman, television host, and actress.
She is known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s, leading to her nickname "The Body", coined by Time in 1989. She is the founder, primary model, and creative director for a series of business ventures, including Elle Macpherson Intimates, a lingerie line, and The Body, a line of skin care products. She was the host and executive producer of Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model from 2010 to 2013. She is an executive producer of NBC's Fashion Star and was the host for the first season.
As an actress, Macpherson appeared in supporting roles in Sirens (1994), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996) and as Julie Madison in Batman and Robin (1997) as well as lead roles in The Edge (1997) and South Kensington (2001). She had a recurring role on Friends and hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.
Macpherson was born Eleanor Nancy Gow in Killara, New South Wales, on 29 March 1964, the daughter of entrepreneur and sound engineer Peter Gow, a former president of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, a Sydney rugby league team, and Frances Gow, a nurse. She is of Scottish descent. Macpherson's parents divorced when she was 10 years old, and she moved with her mother and two siblings. Her mother later remarried, and a clerical mistake in registering at her new school meant that her surname was changed from Gow to Macpherson, her stepfather's surname.
Macpherson grew up in East Lindfield, a suburb in Sydney's North Shore, and attended Killara High School, completing her Higher School Certificate in 1981. Her sister is businesswoman and environmentalist Mimi Macpherson, born Miriam Frances Gow.
How Elle Macpherson makes money
They stole an estimated $100,000 worth of jewellery, $6,000 in cash, and several photographs.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth, in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
