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"Just so frightening": Kate Ritchie's heartbreaking confession

<p><span>Kate Ritchie has opened up about her major fears when she left the soap <em>Home and Away</em> after 20 years on the show.</span><br /><br /><span>The star who played Sally Fletcher for more than two decades admitted to Anh Do on an episode of <em>Anh's </em><em>Brush With Fame,</em> that she wasn’t sure she could “survive” if she walked away from the role.</span><br /><br /><span>Ritchie left <em>Home And Away</em> in 2008 at the age of 28, having played Sally since the show’s pilot episode, at just eight-years-old.</span><br /><br /><span>“I didn’t know where she ended and I began or vice versa, and I had to work out whether I was more than that,” said Ritchie.</span><br /><br /><span>She explained that it had “became really obvious” when it was time to finally leave the show.</span><br /><br /><span>“It was just so frightening. What do I actually do when someone doesn’t hand me a schedule on a Friday afternoon and tell me where to be on a Monday?</span><br /><br /><span>“And they were just the logistics that I knew I’d miss. I think it was the other stuff about missing the character and trying to figure out my identity without this other person, that was the stuff I hadn’t really considered too much and that hit me quite hard,” she said.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840566/kate-ritchie-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a83838f8f3774c24ace14c050b7c9d54" /></p> <p><em>Kate Ritchie and the late Heath Ledger on the set of Home and Away. Image: Home and Away</em><br /><br /><span>The star is now 42, and found herself choking back tears as she recalled stepping away from the character of Sally Fletcher, who she described as her “best friend for 20 years”.</span><br /><br /><span>“She gave me purpose and a sense of achievement. I feel differently now, after loads of therapy,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“I thought the only thing I’d ever done of value in my life was when I was her. I was lost, and I wondered how I was going to survive without her. How were people going to react to me if I wasn’t Sally? Sally was a great person, a great friend and a great daughter … did people only feel something for me because they liked her?”</span><br /><br /><span>Ritchie has gone on to continue her work as an actor, but can also boast that she has since added TV host, children’s author and a radio host under her belt as well.</span><br /><br /><span>“I think the best thing to come out of all of this, is that I’m great without [Sally]. I nearly choked on the words! We’re all great without our security blankets,” she told Do.</span><br /><br /><span>Ritchie shared the clip from tonight’s episode to her Instagram account, admitting that she “worr[ies] so often of what people think. Of me revisiting the same old chapter of my life. The chapter people continue to ask me about and the one that defined me. Publicly and personally. One day I’ll move through that worry … But for now I’ll speak with Anh.”</span></p>

TV

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“I remember her face”: Todd Sampson drops bombshell family secret

<p>TV personality Todd Sampson has revealed a bombshell family secret in the latest episode of<span> </span>Anh’s Brush With Fame.</p> <p>While discussing his upbringing with host and artist Anh Do while he painted his portrait, the<span> </span>Body Hack and Gruen presenter explained that he grew up in a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada with his working-class parents.</p> <p>His mother worked the till at the local KFC.</p> <p>Before he was even born, she had fallen pregnant at just 15.</p> <p>“At the time and in the area, it was quite religious. She was basically told she had to give up the child. She gave up the child to her sister – and she was raised as my cousin,” he revealed.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFdcDKpgHAz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFdcDKpgHAz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by toddsampson (@toddsampson2)</a> on Sep 22, 2020 at 6:05pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>He recalled his mum’s decision to hide her daughter’s true identity which she labelled as “the biggest regret of my mother’s life.”</p> <p>He also revealed the unbelievable circumstances that led to him finding out this his “cousin” Wendy was actually his older sister.</p> <p>“I was such an investigative kid – also known as a little sh*t. I used to record my parents’ conversations when I would go to bed. I got a recorder for Christmas, and just before I’d go to bed, I would hit record under the sofa where my parents were, then go off to sleep.”</p> <p>He said that each morning he’d listen back to what his parents had discussed.</p> <p>“That day, I’m listening to the recording and I’m like, ‘Wait now, did they just say that Wendy’s my sister?’ They were debating at night whether they should tell us, and whether we were old enough to comprehend what had happened. But Wendy had been in and out of our lives as our cousin,” he said.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFb4dh0gD8m/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFb4dh0gD8m/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by ABC TV + iview (@abctv)</a> on Sep 22, 2020 at 3:35am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Sampson shared the moment he confronted his mother to ask if Wendy was really his sister.</p> <p>“I remember her face – it was just shock and relief. She said, ‘Yes, she is.’ Then, it was only as an adult, many many years later, that I reconnected with her as my older sister. Now I’m super-proud that she’s my sister, and all that she’s done in her life.</p> <p>Do said he couldn’t imagine doing what Sampson’s mother had done.</p> <p>However, Sampson responded by pointing out, “(You’re) not 15 in a convent situation. She had Wendy in a room by herself.”</p>

Family & Pets

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Lisa Wilkinson opens up about tense exchange with Kerry Packer

<p>Lisa Wilkinson opened up about a tense encounter with late media giant Kerry Packer during the latest episode of<span> </span><em>Anh’s Brush With Fame</em>.</p> <p>During a candid interview and portrait sitting, Wilkinson spoke to Anh about her upbringing, the death of her father and her prolific media career to date.</p> <p>The turning point for her was the moment she took over as editor of<span> </span><em>Cleo</em><span> </span>magazine at the age of 25.</p> <p>Saying she “followed her instincts” to get rid of the magazine’s long-running nude centrefolds, a move she hadn’t cleared with Kerry Packer.</p> <p>“I announced it on Ray Martin’s Midday show, on the day of my first issue going on sale. I thought Kerry was still overseas,” she recalled of the bold move.</p> <p>Wilkinson was then approached by a grim-looking producer off-air, telling her Packer was on the line.</p> <p>“She said, ‘He’s never called the green room before.’ I just thought, ‘Oh. I think this is going to be OK …’</p> <p>“I breezily grab the phone and said ‘Hi Kerry!’ He said ‘What the [blank] are you doing to my magazine? I’m back. I just saw you on the Midday show. What the [blank] are you doing to my magazine?”</p> <p>Wilkinson trusted her instincts, knowing she’d only have “one crack” at making her vision for the magazine work.</p> <p>“If I’m not strong in my belief that this is the right thing for the magazine, and that I’m not going to falter on this … So I put on my big girl pants and I said, ‘Kerry. Anyone who thinks that this magazine needs to languish in the ’70s any longer shouldn’t be working in magazines. The centrefold has got to go. It’s a very strong statement, and if you have a problem with it, I’ll come and see you right now,” she recalled.</p> <p>“I thought, I’m either about to be sacked, or he’s going to figure I know what I’m talking about. He said to me: ‘Well you’d better know what you’re effing doing,’ and hung up on me.”</p> <p>Wilkinson admitted to feeling a “pressure I’d never felt before … but I was so strong in my belief that it was time for it to go. I heard from Ita not long afterwards and she said, ‘Thank heavens someone’s had the courage to get rid of the centrefold.’”</p> <p>The biggest vindication? A centrefold-free Cleo became an even bigger success than before.</p> <p>“In the 10 years we were there we became the number one women’s lifestyle mag per capita in the world. We just moved it forward – you’ve gotta keep moving!”</p>

News

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“Very demeaning”: Megan Gale shares how the public’s reaction impacted her after breakup with Andy Lee

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>A decade after Andy Lee and Megan Gale had parted ways, Gale has opened up about the fallout from the end of her relationship with the radio star.</p> <p>Gale has said that it was “demeaning” and felt like she had done something wrong.</p> <p>She was candid on<span> </span>Mamamia’s<span> </span>No Filter podcast and explained that she felt the public perception of her shift after the breakup.</p> <p>“It was very demeaning … It was really challenging to navigate for a while,” the former model told host Mia Freedman.</p> <p>“It wasn’t a good time. It almost felt like I had done something wrong and I had been tarnished like I’d done something wrong. When I was with (Andy), everyone loved us together,” she said.</p> <p>As Gale appeared to move on quickly with her new partner Shaun Hampson after parting ways with Lee, the breakup between the pair was confirmed long before it became public knowledge.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2tekO8HqbX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2tekO8HqbX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by MEGAN GALE (@megankgale)</a> on Sep 22, 2019 at 3:44am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“We were going through what we were going through very privately for quite a while, so when people found out we were broken up, I think it came as a bit of a shock and I did appear to have moved on relatively quickly.</p> <p>“It was new for other people, but it was old for us.”</p> <p>As Gale, 44, and Hampson, 32, began dating in January 2011, she felt that their age gap was given unnecessary focus after her breakup with Lee.</p> <p>“If he was 12 years older than me, it wouldn’t have been a problem. But because I was the woman and I was older, and it made it a bit salacious,” she said, revealing she was “aggravated” by the harsh double-standard.</p> <p>She also spoke to Anh Do on<span> </span>Anh’s Brush With Fame<span> </span>in 2017 about the age difference.</p> <p>“I was very aware of the fact that a lot would be made of not just how quickly I happened to move on, but the age difference,” she said.</p> <p>“I knew, I knew people would eat that up and make that a negative.”</p> <p>Gale and Hampson have been together since 2011 and have two children, River, 5 and Rosie, 2.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper"> <div class="post-actions-component"> <div class="upper-row"><span class="like-bar-component"></span> <div class="watched-bookmark-container"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Relationships

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Kylie Kwong opens up to Anh Do about devastating baby loss: "We felt blessed he lived for six days"

<p>Kylie Kwong has opened up about her experience of coming out as gay to her parents and losing her son.</p> <p>The celebrity chef and her partner Nell lost their baby Lucky to a premature stillbirth in 2012.</p> <p>The 49-year-old told Anh Do on <em>Anh’s Brush With Fame </em>that she “cried for 10 hours straight” after Nell’s waters broke five months early and the doctors delivered the devastating news that their son would be stillborn.</p> <p>“In the end we felt blessed he lived for six days … inside Nell, alive, and then he let go. But the six days was profound,” said Kwong.</p> <p>Kwong bid her goodbye to Lucky with the help of a Zen Buddhist teacher, who performed a spiritual ritual over Nell’s pregnant belly.</p> <p>“It was so important because we got to be with him, we got to mother him, we got to say goodbye to him,” Kwong said.</p> <p>When Do asked what Kwong said, she replied, “I said, I really love feeding you.</p> <p>“I said I want you to know that your mother is the most amazing person in the world and that you are very, very loved.</p> <p>“I said to him that I want you to know that we have always loved you, and I promised him that Nell and I would always look after each other.”</p> <p>Kwong also shared how she came out as gay to her family at the age of 19. After telling her mother Pauline, Kwong waited another six months to break the news to her father Maurice. But he suspected that Kwong was seeing a woman and confronted her one evening.</p> <p>“He came into my room and said, ‘So darling, are you seeing that woman?’” Kwong recalled.</p> <p>“And I said, ‘Yes dad, I am. Dad, I’m gay.’</p> <p>“I said, ‘Dad, I respect you. During our childhood, you and Mum always brought us up to be truthful and honest, and you’ve always said to us, we three kids, that you just want us to be happy.’</p> <p>“I said, ‘Dad, this makes me really happy. This is just who I am. And I’m really sorry if I’ve disappointed you or let you down but I just need to be myself.’”</p> <p>He thanked her for her honesty but asked her to move out of the house in four days. </p> <p>“’From this moment, I disown you as my daughter’, he said that, he said that sentence,” Kwong recounted. </p> <p>“’And when you call home, you can speak to your mum and your brothers, but I’m not going to speak to you’.”</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FABCTV%2Fvideos%2F956729351385863%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=476" width="476" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>However, after two “very quiet” nights, she woke up to her father’s “sobbing face on my pillow”. He took back his words and asked her to stay, Kwong said.</p> <p>“His whole kind of energy and demeanour was of this vulnerable … a lot kind of smaller presence. A beautiful presence,” said Kwong.</p> <p>“And he’s like, ‘Oh my darling, I can’t do it to you. You’re my baby. You’re my little girl, and I love you and I just can’t … Even though I don’t understand your way of life, I can’t throw you out and I love you and I want you to stay.’</p> <p>“What he actually did in that moment was, he was 52, he dropped 52 years of ego, just like that.</p> <p>“He had done this transformation in those two silent nights. He dropped ego and he became human.”</p> <p>Since then, Kwong maintained a “wonderful relationship” with her father until his death from prostate cancer in 2006.</p> <p>Two months later, Kwong started a relationship with Nell. She proposed to the artist in 2015 and <a rel="noopener" href="https://qnews.com.au/we-are-so-happy-aussie-chef-kylie-kwong-marries-her-partner/" target="_blank">tied the knot in March this year</a>.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0CEGMlnzSy/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0CEGMlnzSy/" target="_blank">A post shared by ABC TV + iview (@abctv)</a> on Jul 17, 2019 at 2:03pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote>

Caring

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Alan Jones’ rare admission of regret: “They merit an apology by me”

<p>Alan Jones is not one to regret his actions very often.</p> <p>But during his appearance on Anh Do’s<em><span> </span>Brush With Fame</em>, the controversial 2GB broadcaster expressed his remorse over his distasteful comments regarding former prime minister Julia Gillard.</p> <p>In 2011, Jones took aim at Gillard on his show by saying she should be “put in a chaff bag” and thrown into sea.</p> <p>He then issued a half-hearted apology as he addressed the National Press Club, saying, “Sometimes in the heat of what you’re doing – you’re going at a 100 miles per hour – these things are said.</p> <p>“We don’t always say things that are right, we don’t always say things that are fair, (but) we should try to.”</p> <p>But that wasn’t the end of it, as Jones’ most disgraceful comment came a year after the first, shortly after the death of Gillard’s father.</p> <p>Joking at a private Sydney University Liberal club dinner, the host said: “Every person in the caucus of the Labor Party knows that Julia Gillard is a liar, everybody. I will come to that in a moment. The old man recently died a few weeks ago of shame. To think that he has a daughter who told lies every time she stood for parliament.”</p> <p>He then insinuated that Gillard was ahead in the polls due to her heartfelt speech dedicated to her father, John.</p> <p>“Of course she’s ahead in preferred prime minister (polls),” he said. “She cries because her father died, she’s on the news every day.”</p> <p>His derogatory comments were secretly recorded by a journalist, who leaked the audio to the public. It didn’t take long for public outrage to take place.</p> <p>The media shock jock was condemned from both sides of parliament, with the then opposition leader, Tony Abbott, saying, “Alan’s remarks regarding the PM were completely out of line.”</p> <p>Former Foreign Minister, Bob Carr said: “I’ve heard indecent things in politics but never something as thoroughly indecent as this.”</p> <p>The country was furious, and they made sure Jones knew, as a petition for him to be sacked received over 35,000 signatures. Macquarie Radio also suffered after sponsors distanced themselves from the network resulting in a loss of $1.5 million.</p> <p>Jones then issued an apology during a press conference, saying, “The comments were, in the light of everything, unacceptable. They merit an apology by me.”</p> <p>He added: “I spoke without notes for 58 minutes (at the Young Liberals dinner), I have no idea the material that I covered.</p> <p>“I just say it as I see it. It was a raucous night, and everyone was into it. But that’s not an explanation, not an excuse.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">"It's beautiful, it's marvellous, it's me!" <a href="https://twitter.com/AlanJones?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlanJones</a> looks pretty stoked with his portrait's likeness. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ABWF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ABWF</a> <a href="https://t.co/azXz7wHuNv">pic.twitter.com/azXz7wHuNv</a></p> — ABC TV + iview (@ABCTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCTV/status/1138913893340844032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>When asked about the incident on Anh’s<span> </span><em>Brush With Fame</em>, Jones revealed that a man had made the “joke” about Gillard’s dad to him before he made the comment himself.</p> <p>“I just repeated the story,” he said. “It wasn’t my joke.”</p> <p>He then said the comment should never have seen the light of day in the first place.</p> <p>“A person has got himself into this private gathering, secretly recorded my speech, which is against the law, a criminal offence, but because it was Alan Jones no one cared about that,” he told Do.</p> <p>“When it became public, I rang Julia (Gillard) and she didn’t take my call. I publicly apologised and I legitimately apologised.</p> <p>“I’m not apologising for the fact that I said it because it was said privately and you can’t withdraw any of that, it’s done. But at the same time, the fact that it was made public and had the potential to hurt her feelings and all the rest of it, then you’re obligated to offer an apology and that apology was sincere.</p> <p>“I think you always regret if you visit hurt upon anybody, that’s not what you’ve got the power of the microphone to do.”</p> <p>Jones told Do that since the entire event unfolded, he has not spoken to Gillard but hopes to resolve whatever tension the two have between them.</p> <p>“We had good relationships before that, and I hope one day I’ll be able to speak to her and say, ‘Listen, I’m sorry about it. I didn’t intend it the way you saw it,’” Jones said.</p> <p><em>Anh’s Brush with Fame airs Wednesdays at 8 pm on the ABC and ABC iview.</em></p>

Art

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"She did not like me”: Dannii Minogue's tense relationship with mother-in-law

<p>Dannii Minogue was once married to actor Julian McMahon, which seems like a lifetime ago for the star. They met when they were both starring on <em>Home and Away,</em><span> </span>but Minogue has shed some light on what their marriage was like behind the scenes, especially her relationship with her mother-in-law, Lady Sonia McMahon.</p> <p>Minogue appeared on <em>Anh’s Brush with Fame</em> and was surprisingly candid about her past.</p> <p>"His family did not like me. There's a certain social pecking order and I was definitely not in that scene. She [Sonia] only spoke to me a couple of times," Minogue explained to Anh.</p> <p>Things eventually escalated to where Minogue was banned from the house.</p> <p>"She would not let me go to the family house. Sometimes [Julian] had to go and collect something and I was waiting in the car out the front. It was as if I'd done something wrong to the family, but I hadn't done anything wrong," she admitted.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7827297/dannii-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/28e60f1d181641b481c3a0861abfa222" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Lady Sonia McMahon and son Julian McMahon</em></p> <p>Minogue also revealed that Sonia caused trouble at the wedding.</p> <p>"On the actual day of the wedding there was drama. [Sonia] said she wasn't going to show up, so that's quite stressful. Julian and I were going ahead with the marriage regardless.</p> <p>"So she did end up coming and was causing a scene … it wasn't the greatest … it was hard. I just tried to stay away from it, I just wanted to enjoy the day."</p> <p>The marriage lasted for 18 months, with the pair divorcing in 1996.</p> <p>The pair have both since moved on, as Julian is onto his third marriage after tying the knot with Kelly Paniagua in 2014, and Minogue shares 8-year-old son Ethan with her ex Kris Smith, and is in a relationship with music producer, Adrian Newman. </p>

TV

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"A woman handed me a letter": Jimmy Barnes reveals the unlikely way his long-lost daughter found him

<p>Anh Do has revealed the unlikely way Jimmy Barnes’ discovered he was the father of two of his long-lost children.</p> <p>While appearing on <em>Anh’s Brush With Fame,</em> the 62-year-old music icon confessed that a love child “approached him after a concert asking for a paternity test”.  </p> <p>In an interview with <a href="https://www.who.com.au/"><strong><em><u>Wh</u><u>o</u></em></strong></a> magazine, Anh reflected on the memorable moments on his show, saying: “I remember Jimmy Barnes telling me that after a show a woman handed him a letter.”</p> <p>“He read it that night and it said that she thinks she may be his daughter from 30 years ago. And there's a photo.</p> <p>“And Barnsey looks at the photo, and thinks to himself, 'Yep, I had better take a paternity test!' And it turns out it's his daughter.”</p> <p>The revelation made to Anh while he painted the star, follows Jimmy’s previous confession that he fathered two love children.</p> <p>The two daughters, Amanda Bennett and Megan Torzyn first tracked down their father in 2010.</p> <p>The girls, who are both now in their 40s, later found out that one of them unknowingly attended the same school as their half-brother, Jimmy’s son David Campbell.</p> <p>Jimmy already had five children before reuniting with his two long-lost daughters.</p> <p>The star shares four children with his wife Jane and also has a son, <em>Today Extra</em> host David Campbell, from a teenage fling.</p> <p>“My kids are all so great that when I found out there were a couple more, I felt they would be good people - and they're lovely girls,” Jimmy previously told <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.newidea.com.au/"><em style="font-weight: inherit;">New Idea</em></a></strong></span>.</p> <p>“My only regret is not knowing them when they were younger, but life is what it is and all things happen for a reason.</p> <p>“At the time it was probably better for them that they didn't know me, because I was pretty wild.”</p>

Music

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Carrie Bickmore breaks down while speaking about late husband

<p>Carrie Bickmore broke down while speaking about her late husband Greg Lange’s battle with brain cancer on ABC’s <em>Anh’s Brush With Fame</em>.</p> <p>Speaking to Anh Do on an episode set to air on Wednesday, the 37-year-old was overcome with emotion as she said their son Ollie, now 10, reminded her of Greg every day.</p> <p>“One of the things we chose to do was have our son Ollie,” Carrie explains in a preview clip of the episode.</p> <p>“It’s probably the greatest thing we ever did together. He’s a gorgeous boy and he’s so much like him in so many ways,” she continues, struggling to fight back tears.</p> <p>“This sounds so weird but often I’ll see him in the shower, the back of his body and his frame is just a miniature version of Greg. They’re very, very similar.</p> <p>“It was a great thing for both of us to have him and have that focus.”</p> <p>Carrie and Greg welcomed Ollie in 2007, three years before Greg tragically passed away from brain cancer in 2010.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">"We were about hope and positivity." - <a href="https://twitter.com/BickmoreCarrie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BickmoreCarrie</a> joins Anh to share how she has dealt with personal tragedy and triumph in the public eye. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AnhsBrushWithFame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AnhsBrushWithFame</a> <a href="https://t.co/v2zsnnQW6I">pic.twitter.com/v2zsnnQW6I</a></p> — ABC TV Australia (@ABCTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCTV/status/1025863954575314944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>When Anh asked if Greg ever spoke about the possibility of dying, Carrie said it wasn’t his or their family’s focus.</p> <p>“We didn’t speak a lot about what might happen,” she explained. “We were about hope and positivity.</p> <p>“Sometimes you can be defined by diagnosis and that’s the wrong way to go because I think treatments change, science changes along the way and what you’re told one way can be completely different the next week.”<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" class="slideshow-image Maw(100%) Mah(100%) M(a) W(a) StretchedBox" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/rukhtOV98EN9DOfwv2hQMA--~A/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9OTQxO2g9NTIy/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/35c0c5e632f232d113862b88b4c9a37c" alt="" /></p> <p>In May 2015, Carrie dedicated her TV Week Gold Logie speech to her late husband and launched her charity Beanies 4 Brain Cancer foundation.</p> <p>Earlier this year in June, Carrie announced she was pregnant with her second child to husband Chris Walker. The couple also share three-year-old daughter Evie.</p> <p><em>Watch Carrie’s interview on Anh’s Brush With Fame, 8pm, August 8, on ABC and ABC iview.</em></p>

Caring

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Terri reveals Steve Irwin’s eerie premonition before death

<p>Terri Irwin has revealed she's never overcome her grief of losing 'soulmate' Steve Irwin, after his shock death in September 2006.<br /><br />In the first episode of the new season of ABC's <em>Anh's Brush With Fame</em>, the 53-year-old American-Australian burst into tears as she recalled the heartbreaking moment she found out that he had died.<br /><br />The mother-of-two told host Anh Do she'll never move on from Steve and find another partner, saying: “I'm just lonely for Steve.”<br /><br />“I always felt with Steve, if I hadn't married Steve I wouldn't have gotten married,” Terri said.<br /><br />The pair tied the knot in the US in June 1992, four months after getting engaged.<br /><br />She said when she first met Steve she wasn't even looking for love, but they had an instant connection.<br /><br />“I wasn't even dating, I wasn't even looking. I was 27 years old and figured my life was going to be my work and met Steve and fell instantly in love,” she recalled. <br /><br />Terri described Steve as her ‘soulmate' and said to this day, she isn't interested in meeting anyone new.<br /><br />“I feel that we had that soulmate thing. And in the 10 years since, I haven't dated or even thought about it. Because I'm not afraid to be on my own,” she said.<br /><br />“It's just really hard not having Steve. I'm just lonely for Steve if that makes sense.”<br /><br />Terri also revealed how her late husband may have predicted his life was about to be 'cut short' in the months and weeks leading up to his shock death.<br /><br />“You know he never thought he would have a long life. He just always kind of had this sense that his life would be cut short,” she told Anh.<br /><br />“I remember him saying to me, 'I don’t think I am going to film anymore, I think I am just going to spend time with my kids’,” she said.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">  <br /><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FABCTV%2Fvideos%2F10160448114540543%2F&amp;show_text=1&amp;width=476" width="476" height="587" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>Although it’s been 11 years since Steve was killed by a stingray in a freak accident, Terri spoke about how she’s still grieving.<br /><br />“Grief hits you at the most bizarre times. So I might be talking to biology students and it will remind me of Steve and I will burst into tears.”<br /><br />She added: “You don't ever get over grief. It changes, but you never wake up one morning and go, 'Oh, I'm done with that.'<br /><br />“That was the challenge in the journey after Steve died.”<br /><br />Their children Bindi was eight at the time of her father's death, while Robert was just two years old. <br /><br />Terri spoke about the last time she and the kids saw Steve, recalling it was when he was waving goodbye to them as they caught the plane to Tasmania.<br /><br />“I felt so bad for Robert because he was too little,” Terri said. <br /><br />“He was in his seat belt and fun police [referring to herself] didn't take the seat belt off so he could see his dad and wave goodbye. And that was the last time we saw him,” she said.  <br /><br />Terri said she arrived in Tasmania and was told to call a zoo manager, who told her about Steve's death.<br /><br />“I just remember this<span class="CmCaReT" style="display: none;">�</span> incredible sense of responsibility,” Terri said.<br /><br />“This feeling of overwhelming grief but, it was like, ‘What do I do next?’ So I kind of collected my thoughts and then I had to go out to the car and tell Bindi and Robert, which was really hard.”<br /><br />Terri cried as she remembered how she chose to drive herself and the children to the plane.  <br /><br />She said: “I drove myself, got in the plane and went home. But the thing I didn't expect or understand was just how it affected everyone.<br /><br />“So we got back and it was dark, and we drive into the zoo and there's all this media out front of the zoo.<br /><br />“And I thought, ‘You've done the story. It has been on the five o'clock news. Why are you still here?’ But then no one would have been more surprised than Steve at that, just outpouring of grief and love,” Terri said.  </p>

Relationships

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5 Anh Do books your grandkids will love

<p>Christmas is just around the corner, and if you’ve left your gift shopping a little late (don’t worry, we all do it!), these five children’s books from Anh Do make the perfect presents for your grandkids.</p> <p><strong>1.</strong> <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fthe-little-refugee-anh-do%2Fprod9781742378329.html" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Little Refugee</span></strong></em></a> </p> <p>Anh Do nearly didn't make it to Australia. His entire family came close to losing their lives as they escaped from war-torn Vietnam in an overcrowded boat. It was a dangerous journey, with murderous pirates and terrifying storms, but they managed to survive. Life in suburban Australia was also hard for a small boy with no English and funny lunches. But there was a loving extended family, lots of friends, and always something to laugh about for Anh, his brother Khoa and their sister Tram. And eventually for a young Anh, who tried hard to see the bright side of life no matter what the difficulty, there was triumph. <em>The Little Refugee </em>tells the uplifting and inspiring story of the incredible childhood of one of Australia's favourite personalities.</p> <p><strong>2.</strong> <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fweirdo-anh-do%2Fprod9781742837581.html" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">WeirDo</span></strong></em></a> </p> <p>My parents could have given me any first name at all, like John, Kevin, Shmevin... ANYTHING. Instead I’m stuck with the worst name since Mrs Face called her son Bum.</p> <p>Weir Do’s the new kid in school.</p> <p>With an unforgettable name, a crazy family and some seriously weird habits, fitting in won’t be easy... But it will be funny!</p> <p><strong>3.</strong> <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fhotdog-anh-do%2Fprod9781760279004.html" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Hot Dog</span> </strong></em></a></p> <p>Meet <em>Hotdog</em>, the sausage dog, and his friends! There’s Kev, the goofy cat, who’s always dressed up in some silly costume, and Lizzie, the gutsy lizard, who eats bug burgers for breakfast! </p> <p>Together they’re going on a mad adventure to help a baby bird find its missing mum! <em>Hotdog</em> and his friends will go to any lengths, and dizzying heights, to find her! But can they handle dirty nappies and karate-chopping roosters along the way?</p> <p><strong>4.</strong> <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fwhat-do-they-do-with-all-the-poo-from-all-the-animals-at-the-zoo-with-scratch-n-sniff-stickers-anh-do%2Fprod9781742769202.html" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">What Do They Do with All the Poo from All the Animals At the Zoo?</span></strong></em></a> </p> <p>What do they do with all the poo from all the animals at the zoo? The hippos, the tigers, the kangaroos what do they do with all that poo? There’s so much poo at the zoo… Where does it all go? Do they mix it into chocolate ice-cream? Sprinkle it on pizza? Stir it in the local swimming pool?! <br /> <br /> With the hilarious bonus CD recording, you can sing along in search of the stinky truth!</p> <p><strong>5.</strong> <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fthere-s-a-big-green-frog-in-the-toilet-cd-anh-mellor-simon-do%2Fprod9781743812495.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>There’s a Big Green Frog in the Toilet</strong></em></span></a> </p> <p>There’s a big green frog in the toilet and it’s looking up at me. There’s a big green frog in the toilet and I’m busting for a wee!</p> <p>Sing along to find out what happens when a frog won’t budge in this funny story from Anh Do, Simon Mellor and Heath McKenzie!</p>

Books

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Exciting news for Anh Do

<p>Anh Do, acclaimed author, comedian, artist and host of <a href="/entertainment/tv/2017/07/anh-do-brush-with-fame-one-of-best-shows-on-tv/" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Anh’s Brush with Fame</span></strong></em></a>, can add yet another accolade to his already storied career. Yesterday, it was announced that the 40-year-old had won the Archibald People’s Choice prize for his portrait of Indigenous actor Jack Charles.</p> <p><img width="499" height="635" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/43774/4503d03f00000578-4947174-his_muse_he_s_an_extraordinary_australian_with_a_great_face_full-a-2_1507109692499_499x635.jpg" alt="4503D03F00000578-4947174-His _muse _He _s _an _extraordinary _Australian _with _a _great _face _full -a -2_1507109692499" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>The incredible painting, which was the result of a sitting for his ABC show, won the hearts of the public, just like how Charles’ heartbreaking yet uplifting life story captured Do’s heart – and imagination.</p> <p>“Jack’s a special human being, to be through everything he has been through and to become a well-loved, well-respected mentor, I find him inspirational,” Do told AAP after learning of the win.</p> <p>The feeling is certainly mutual, with Charles describing the experience as a “hoot”. “I count him as one of the best extractors of information, from his engaging smile, wit, genuine interest and listening to the dribs and drabs of my story, my reason for living,” the 74-year-old actor said in a statement. “I’m extremely chuffed to be counted as one of Anh Do’s mates.”</p> <p>Do receives $3,500 cash as part of his reward, but the money means nothing compared to Charles’ reaction to the portrait. “I was happy with the painting when I finished and then I showed Jack, and more importantly he was happy, and now that people like it as well – icing on the cake.”</p> <p>Are you a fan of Anh Do? What do you think of the portrait? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.</p>

Art

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Anh Do’s most fascinating portraits

<p>Anh Do is a storyteller. To tell his stories, he isn’t restricted to one medium – he is a comedian, author, TV personality and artist.</p> <p>Do’s show <em>Anh’s Brush with Fame</em> is considered by many as one of ABC’s best programs.  </p> <p>Do has always enjoyed a passion of art but as he grew up his talent wasn’t prioritised.</p> <p>“As a kid I loved it, loved it,” he told the <em>Daily Telegraph</em>. “But somewhere along the line in school I stopped taking art classes because people told me if you want to get high marks in the school certificate don’t do art.”</p> <p>When he finished school he got accepted into law at university and simultaneously signed up to study art at TAFE but dropped out of both courses to become a comedian.</p> <p>“These guys that I’ve painted, they’ve lived a full life and they’ve had their ups and downs and it shows in their eyes. That’s what interests me,” Do said.</p> <p>“A lot of being a comedian is about observing people. I’m interested in everything about people. Not just, ‘what do you do for a living?’ but I want to know about their fears and sadnesses and listen to their regrets, both sides of it, the happy and the sad.”</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see some of Anh Do’s most fascinating portraits from Anh’s Brush with Fame.</p> <p>Which one is your favourite portrait from <em>Anh’s Brush with Fame</em>? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Art

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Tragic moment that shocked Anh Do

<p>It’s no secret that we’re <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/2017/07/anh-do-brush-with-fame-one-of-best-shows-on-tv/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>huge fans of Anh Do</strong></span></a> and <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/2017/07/samuel-johnson-tribute-to-sister-connie/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Samuel Johnson</strong></span></a> here at Over60, so when last night’s episode of <em>Anh’s Brush with Fame</em> brought the two together, it was always going to be incredible. But a tragic secret from Johnson’s past shocked not only the viewers, but Do himself.</p> <p>As if dealing with his sister Connie’s heartbreaking battle with terminal breast cancer wasn’t enough, the 38-year-old Gold Logie-winning actor revealed it wasn’t the first tragedy he’d had to deal with.</p> <p>Just three years after the Johnson’s family home burned down, Sam and Connie’s mother took her life. “I was too young to really gauge the effects of it, but she had all kinds of psychosis, she was in and out of institutions,” he revealed to Do.</p> <p>“She was in and out of institutions – she tried over and over again... countless times. By the time she eventually succeeded, I’m told there was a bit of relief, for her. According to my older sister, it was probably best that I didn’t grow up with her.”</p> <p>Then, just a few years later, Connie was first diagnosed with cancer at the tender age of 11. “I looked over at my dad, he was just white... he was curled up on the couch, weeping, bawling.”</p> <p>Despite all the hardship, Johnson still has incredibly happy memories from his childhood, describing his dad as “a phenomenal man”. </p> <p>“He was more than capable of bringing up the kids on his own,” Sam gushed. "I remember growing up with a dad who was authoritarian, but also effeminate... so I had a two-in-one deal. I had a great childhood. I had heaps of fun. I don’t remember hardship, I remember the value of not being able to get everything you want.”</p> <p>Sadly, there was more heartbreak to come. In 2006 came the moment Sam describes as his life’s “biggest sadness” – the suicide of his girlfriend, Lainie Woodlands.</p> <p>“I’m still very upset for her, and for her family,” he admitted. “You know how they reckon that you come to terms with your grief as you go along? Not with this one. With every year, it gets more profound, my sadness grows. I feel it a lot more profoundly than the loss of my mother.”</p> <p>Anh then asked a question many might have in the wake of all this adversity – “So you’ve lost your mum, your girlfriend, and now your sister is gravely ill – do you ever think... how unfair is life?”</p> <p>Sam’s response is a total testament to the positive, inspiring man he is.</p> <p>“I’m not a victim. I don’t know if I’m just bullsh**ing myself, but I see my time with Lainie as a gift. Maybe I lost her earlier than I would have liked but I had some of her. I got to share my life with her. You don’t always get as much as you want of everything, you don’t get as much of your loved ones as you want. But you get them, don’t you?”</p> <p><em>If you need help or support, give Lifeline a call on 13 11 14 or visit <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank">Lifeline.org.au</a></strong></span>.</em></p>

Art

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How “Anh’s Brush with Fame” became one of the best shows on TV

<p>We’ve seen dozens – perhaps even hundreds – of talk shows and interview programs before, but none quite like Anh’s Brush with Fame. If you haven’t seen it before, the concept is pretty straightforward – presenter, comedian and author Anh Do interviews Aussie legends the likes of Magda Szubanski, Dr Charlie Teo, Jimmy Barnes, Ian Thorpe and more – all the while painting a portrait of them.</p> <p>Now, two seasons and two Logie nominations later, it’s safe to say the show is a certifiable hit. Here are three things you might not have known about the show, and how it became so popular.</p> <p><strong>1. How it started</strong></p> <p>You might be surprised to learn Do only began seriously exploring his artistic talents four years ago. “Painting was always something I thought I’d do once I retired,” he told the <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/stellar/stellar-q-a-anh-dos-take-on-one-nation-and-why-hes-off-the-doughnuts/news-story/ac4096c08f08b7a96a6b562e8f92274b" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Daily Telegraph</span></strong></a>. “But then, about five or six years ago, a good mate passed away suddenly at the age of 50 and it made me realise that if I put off doing stuff until I retire, I might not ever get there. So, I took six months off and I went to TAFE to study painting in 2013.”</p> <p>Just one year later, his portrait of his father, Tam (which can be seen in the background of most episodes) was a finalist in the prestigious Archibald Prize.</p> <p><strong>2. Where his style came from</strong></p> <p>That same distinctive painting style used for his dad’s portrait has stuck with Do throughout his art career, but you might be surprised to learn where it came from.</p> <p>“When I was at TAFE the teacher told us you can use a variety of tools – brushes, spray cans, knives,” he <a href="https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/tv/anh-dos-breakout-abc-series-returns-ng-b88438989z" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">recalled</span></strong></a>. “When I was 18 and studying law, I had worked at the Cheesecake Shop decorating cakes so I went, ‘I might go the knife because I know how to use them’. I went to the art store and said, ‘Give me the biggest art palette knife,’ but it was sort of the size of your hand.</p> <p>“So I went to the kitchenware shop and said, ‘Give me your biggest cake decorating knife,’ and they are the massive ones that you see me use on the show.”</p> <p><strong>3. The people and the portraits</strong></p> <p>Each of his interview/painting sessions takes around two to four hours to complete, and after each portrait reveal, you get the sense that Do really understands his subject. It’s something he puts down to the raw, real setting of the program in his Sydney studio.</p> <p>“It's incredibly intimate,” he tells <a href="http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4104118/anh-do-turns-celebrity-portrait-painter-for-revealing-new-series-anhs-brush-with-fame/?cs=40" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Herald</span></strong></em></a>. “Because there's no studio audience, the guest doesn't feel like they need to perform. They can let their guard down and just be really authentic.”</p> <p>Head over to <a href="http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/anhs-brush-with-fame" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ABC iview</span></strong></a> to watch every episode for free, and tell us in the comments below, what’s your favourite portrait from Anh?</p>

TV

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Tina Arena makes heartbreaking confession

<p>Australian musician Tina Arena has made a heartbreaking confession about the struggles of suffering three miscarriages following the birth of her first son Gabriel.</p> <p>The 49-year-old spoke candidly in an interview aired on the ABC program Anh’s Brush With Fame, saying she never truly dealt with the grief of losing those children.</p> <p>Arena said, “I lost three after Gab. I miscarried a lot. Most women do — they miscarry. I miscarried three times after Gab,” she said. “I really wanted to add on to the family.”</p> <p>Perhaps the most heartbreaking moment of the interview came when Arena spoke of the struggle of having a miscarriage in front of the then two-year-old Gabriel.</p> <p>Arena said, “I think the thing that was tough was that Gab was there and watching it happen. And I didn’t know what was going on other than I went, ‘Something is not right. Something is definitely not right’. Gab was there watching me go through that pain. And (he) looked at me and was holding me going, ‘Mummy! Mummy!’.</p> <p>“Sometimes you can still see that panic in his eyes if he doesn’t see me happy or something. I almost go back to that moment in time where I remember Gabriel at two years of age, who absolutely knew that something wasn’t right with his mum.”</p> <p>This was the first of three miscarriages the singer experienced, and Arena said it wasn’t until she went through menopause at 46 that she dealt with the grief properly.</p> <p>Arena said, “It wasn’t until a couple of years after that it really hit me and I fell apart. And I think it hit me when I turned 46 and I’d just finished Dancing With The Starsand I went into menopause. (My) Body just shut down, (my) body went, ‘That’s it’. That’s when I went, ‘I can never reproduce again. My body’s done, the machine’s broken down’. That was tough.”</p> <p>The interview ended on a bright note, with Arena telling host Anh Do that she in now in a “happy place”.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FABCTV%2Fvideos%2F10158705854760543%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>She said, “It took being in a troubled place to get to a happy place because life is about pleasure and pain. You cannot just have wonderful things happen. Because you don’t always learn from that.”</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Facebook / ABC</em></p>

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