Sunday 6 July 2008

Pop Foto, December 1981: ABBA's new loves

An article, published in Dutch magazine Pop Foto in 1981, informing us that all ABBA-members had found new partners in their private lives.
A few years ago, ABBA-fans were alarmed by the news that Björn and Agnetha had decided to separate, after eight years of marriage. One year later, it was announced that Annifrid and Benny’s marriage, that had lasted for only two years, had ended as well. Fortunately, the sadness of both divorces didn’t last very long. All four ABBA-members soon found a new life-partner.

After her divorce from Björn, Agnetha was frequently spotted in the presence of Swedish icehockey-player Lars Erik Eriksson. Eventually, this relationship didn’t last, because the blonde singer met the businessman Dick Hakansson, and fell head over heels in love with him. There seemed to be a bright future ahead for the two of them. Still, a few months ago Agnetha introduced another man to the media as her new boyfriend. It’s the 38-year old Torbjorn Brander, a detective at the Stockholm police, who kept an eye on Agnetha’s house. It was love at first sight. The couple has been living together for a few months now, but there are no plans to get married yet.

Björn, on the other hand, got married pretty quickly. This time to blonde Lena Källersjö, a Swedish beauty who has much the same features as Agnetha. A week after the divorce between Björn and Agnetha had been finalized, Björn met Lena at a party. In their case, it was love at first sight as well. Two years later, the couple got married. Lena and Björn are expecting their first child soon.

The two other ABBA-members, Annifrid and Benny, overcame the sadness of their divorce quickly as well, by meeting a new boyfriend and girlfriend. The reason for Benny and Frida’s split-up, was that Benny had fallen in love with another woman. The woman was Mona Nörklit, a production-assistant at Swedish television and one of Frida’s good friends as well. Benny and Mona have been married for a few months now and are also expecting their first baby soon.

For a while now, 36-year old Annifrid has a new man in her life, who makes her very happy. It’s Bertil Hijert, a 37-year old vice-president of a textile-company in Sweden’s Uppsala. Unfortunately, the couple can’t see as much of each other as they want to, because of their tight schedules. Sadly, our photographer was unable to take a picture of them together. But there’s one thing we’re sure of: Annifrid and Bertil are very happy!

It’s still unknown if all these changes will have an effect on the continued existence of the group. At least, it is certain that a new album of the foursome will be released very shortly. And that is something to look forward to.

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