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"Such a tragedy": Shannon Noll pulls dying teen from car wreck

<p>Singer Shannon Noll ha found himself at the centre of a tragic accident on a remote stretch of Ellangowan Road, just kilometres away from his northern New South Wales home. The incident involved an 18-year-old couple, Kobi Roberts-Walker and Jaselle Melrose, whose car veered off the road, crashing into a tree in a horrifying double fatal accident.</p> <p>Noll, best known for his time on <em>Australian Idol</em>, was on his way back to his family property when he became one of the first responders to the accident. The singer, faced with a burning car and desperate circumstances, didn't hesitate to take action. He bravely dragged the dying Jaselle Melrose from the wreckage and performed CPR in an attempt to save her life.</p> <p>In a statement to <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/two-teenagers-die-in-fiery-crash-after-hitting-tree/news-story/3bdf4004457b59e2078bff3caf0b3749" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a>, Noll expressed the gravity of the situation, saying, “Last night was such a tragedy. I just reacted and did what I could to assist the young woman at the scene. Our prayers and condolences go out to their families at this terribly sad time.”</p> <p>Noll's manager, Paul Paoliello, revealed that the singer was deeply affected by the incident: “I can confirm Shannon did provide assistance last night and he is obviously quite shaken up by what happened,” Paoliello said.</p> <p>The local community, already shaken by the accident, has been left heartbroken over the loss of two young lives.</p> <p>Volunteer rescue workers who were present at the scene attested to Noll's immediate and courageous response. Describing the situation, a witness mentioned that Noll "literally ran" to the car engulfed in flames, pulling the passenger away before emergency services arrived. Others at the scene acknowledged Noll's determination to make a difference and lauded his hands-on approach.</p> <p>The victims, Kobi Roberts-Walker and Jaselle Melrose, were both 18 years old and deeply connected to their local community. Roberts-Walker, known by many in the area, had recently posted their car for sale, citing their anticipation of a growing family. Melrose, a recent graduate of Casino High School, was recognised for her academic achievements.</p> <p>The crash occurred on a notoriously hazardous section of Ellangowan Road, known for its narrow roadway and limited lighting. Locals have raised concerns about the safety of this stretch, and the New South Wales Police are currently investigating the incident to determine the cause and whether speed played a role.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Caring

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Neighbours star's AVO nightmare after magistrate’s “wrong” call

<p>Former <em>Neighbours</em> star Madeleine West has won an appeal to overturn an AVO taken out against her on behalf of the father of her ex-husband, celebrity chef Shannon Bennett.</p> <p>West, 42, was described by a magistrate as “evasive, almost aggressive and frightening” when giving evidence about an altercation involving her ex-husband’s father Benny Clifton Bennet at his son’s Byron Bay home on May 4 2022.</p> <p>The AVO was granted after the Local Court hearing.</p> <p>However, West appealed the decision in the NSW District Court after being granted a temporary stay on the two-year order, which bans her from Bennett’s Byron Bay property while her father-in-law comes to visit her children.</p> <p>Although the Local Court found West had “barged” onto her ex-husband’s property, Judge Jonathan Priestly ruled the magistrate had made a “wrong” decision based on “erroneous finding”.</p> <p>Judge Priestly found Bennett’s father was acting out of loyalty for his son during the incident.</p> <p>West’s lawyers amid the appeal argued that the magistrates “erred in finding the fears of the older Mr Bennett were reasonably based”.</p> <p>They claimed the conduct, taking the surrounding circumstances into consideration “did not amount to harassment”.</p> <p>The judge said the grandfather’s “fear of harassment” was an outcome of being “distressingly” caught in the middle of a dispute between his son and West.</p> <p>He admitted to the court that he had spoken to her amicably one day before the alleged “barging”.</p> <p>Bennett’s father described West as “uncontrollable” and “irrational”, but Judge Priestly said these claims were not supported by CCTV footage.</p> <p>“I accept that the magistrate was wrong to find that the appellant (West) barged into the property,” he ruled.</p> <p>“A number of errors of the magistrate have been identified. By basing her decision on those erroneous findings her Honour’s decision is wrong.”</p> <p>Judge Priestley found Bennett's father had been “unwittingly involved” by his son and the chances of reoccurring disputes were “negligible”.</p> <p>“There is no need for the order,” the judge said.</p> <p>The AVO was dismissed and Judge Priestly called on lawyers to prepare arguments on costs to be heard in July.</p> <p>West was on <em>Neighbours</em> for six years over two periods of time, from 2000 to 2003 and 2017 to 2020.</p> <p>She appeared in hundreds of episodes as characters Dee Bliss and then Andrew Somers.</p> <p>West was hit by a bus while filming for the soap and suffered head injuries which resulted in her having to relearn motor skills.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

Legal

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Shannon Noll stuns fans as he debuts his new look

<p>Shannon Noll has been hard at work adding yet another craft to his belt, swapping out microphones for dumbbells and hitting the gym hard. </p> <p>The former <em>Australian Idol </em>contestant has now shared the results of his effort with his Instagram followers, earning himself a new title - far from ‘2003 runner-up’ - as “Swollsie”. </p> <p>“I’m loving being back in the gym!” Noll wrote, captioning an image of himself in front of a gym mirror, turned with his arm flexed to showcase his prominent muscles. </p> <p>“My body is responding really well! Thank goodness for muscle memory!” he added, before going on to assure fans he was eating his eggs as well as the protein he was receiving from a number of brands he listed in the caption. </p> <p>Praise and encouragement from friends and fans alike flooded his comments from there, though cries of “Swollsie” featured most prominently from the crowd. </p> <p>“Booooooom brother,” wrote Australian professional bodybuilder Joshua Lenartowicz. </p> <p>“Rig City,” declared swimwear brand Budgie Smuggler. </p> <p>“Nollsie gettin[g] ripped!!” one fan exclaimed. </p> <p>“Get the gains mate!” said one. </p> <p>“Looking strong brother,” another praised. </p> <p>Meanwhile, one was of the opinion that Shannon could have the best of both worlds, asking  “did someone say re-release of ‘Lift’? Mr Shannon Swole!!” </p> <p>Another found some fun in shaking up the lyrics of Shannon’s hit 2004 song ‘What About Me’, writing “what about my traps, it isn't fair, I want the gains but you got them, can't you see I wanna lift, but you just lift more, you just lift more, you just lift more than meeee.” </p> <p>One had some advice for the 47-year-old, referencing a popular fitness meme that one should never skip leg day when they told him not to “forget the calf raises mate”.  </p> <p>“Save some protein for the rest of us,” another requested. </p> <p>And while Shannon is embarking on his gym adventure in the real world, he’s also dabbling in the television gym realm, featuring in an UberEats ad when he can be seen working out and quoting his own song. </p> <p>And he certainly hasn’t turned his back on music - to the delight of fans across the nation - with the singer set to perform at Victoria’s Boardwalk Country Music Festival as part of his Australian tour. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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“We failed two years in a row”: Heartbreaking reason Shannon Noll is raising his voice for our Aussie farmers

<p>Having risen to fame after coming second on television show Australian Idol, Shannon Noll is now raising his voice for a good cause.</p> <p>Noll, who was raised on a farm with his older brothers, remembers the time when he worked alongside his father in Condobolin in NSW’s Central West.</p> <p>With some of his most precious memories created amongst sheep and growing calves, Noll said he wouldn’t change country life for anything in the world.</p> <p>But after his father's passing due to a farming accident, the place that he once found great solace in was taken due to the drought, and while he held onto hope that one day the farm would become what it once was, the absence of rain made that harder to envision as the days went on.</p> <p>“We failed two years in a row and it’s just crippling to see your crops dying,” Noll told <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/08/17/14/47/shannon-noll-drought-nine-farm-aid-telethon-farmers-jason-owen-dubbo-new-south-wales-condobolin" target="_blank">9NEWS</a></em>.</p> <p>“We were in so much debt but also not being able to feed your stock is one of the most heart-wrenching things in the world,” he added.</p> <p>After facing financial downfall, Noll made a mutual decision with his brothers to sell the farm that had been in his family for almost a century.</p> <p>“To walk off that property that my grandfather’s father bought was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. We felt like we let everyone down, let dad’s memory down.</p> <p>“But those two years were the first of a 10-year drought, we just never would have made it through.”</p> <p>Because of this, Noll feels a personal connection with the Australian farmers who are currently facing this exact situation at this present moment.</p> <p>With NSW and Queensland facing the worst drought in over 70 years, farmers are forced to either sell their animals or watch them die due to lack of resources.</p> <p>“I was talking to a merino breeder in Condo recently and after this shearing, they have to make a decision about how many of their flock they’ll have to sell to keep the rest alive,” said Noll.</p> <p>“There’s no water in the dam and not a blade of grass in sight. I don’t think some people realise it’s not just about their farmers’ livelihoods; it’s about their history and their heritage.</p> <p>“Some of these families have been working on bloodlines for 30 or 40 years. You wouldn’t believe how hard that is.”</p> <p>This is why Noll has travelled to Dubbo where the <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9now.com.au/today/2018/extras/latest/august/drought-relief-fund" target="_blank">TODAY show</a></em> will air a special Farm Aid Telethon to recognise our farmer's hard work through a time of immense hardship. Joining him will be former X-Factor contestant Jason Owen who comes from a town in the central west of NSW with a population of only 12 people.</p> <p>“I’ve honestly never seen it this dry in my life and it is so hard to go home and see friends and family struggling,” Owen told <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/08/17/14/47/shannon-noll-drought-nine-farm-aid-telethon-farmers-jason-owen-dubbo-new-south-wales-condobolin" target="_blank">9NEWS</a></em>.</p> <p>“The weather is something completely out of our control, but we certainly can still try to make a difference in the lives of these people.”</p> <p>As they struggle to make ends meet, many farmers are struggling with their mental health and Owen has a message out there for our Aussie farmers.</p> <p>“People do care and please don’t ever think there is no one out there for you. No matter how hard the times, people want to listen and are there.”</p> <p>The singer has promised to donate 100 per cent of his profits from his two recent shows and his new song to the <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.westernmagazine.com.au/story/5181366/hay-runners-to-help-drought-stricken-farmers-this-australia-day/" target="_blank">Burrumbuttock Hay Runners</a></em> – a charity that donates bales of hay to farmers.</p> <p>“If the stock isn’t getting fed they are dying and then the farmers are faced with the horrible decision of putting them down.</p> <p>“I wouldn’t wish that suffering on anyone.”</p> <p>Nine’s Fighting for our Farmers Drought Relief Appeal has already raised over $4.3 million. If you wish to donate, then you can jump online, visit any Westpac branch or call 1800 732 165 between 5.30 am and 10 pm AEST on weekdays or 7 am to 10 pm AEST this weekend.</p> <p>Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.</p>

Music

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Shannon Noll and his wife reveal exciting news

<p>Australian Idol star Shannon Noll and his wife of 14 years, Rochelle, have excitedly announced that they are expecting their fourth child.</p> <p>The star told <a href="https://www.newidea.com.au/shannon-noll-rochelle-noll-expecting-their-fourth-child" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">New Idea</span></strong></em></a> on Monday the baby was conceived shortly after he filmed<em> I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! </em>in the South African jungle.</p> <p>The 42-year-old singer said: “I put it down to the detox in the jungle! I was totally detoxing and there wasn't a lot of privacy if you get my drift.</p> <p>“This all happened around Easter, which was only 10 or 15 days after I got back from the jungle. I think the show is the reason we got pregnant.”</p> <p>Rochelle, who is currently in her second trimester, said the pregnancy came as a surprise because they had tried for a fourth baby “years ago” after the birth of their youngest daughter Sienna.</p> <p>Shannon also revealed that a doctor had told the couple they would be unlikely to have children again following a ute accident in 2010.</p> <p>“I left for London a few days [after the accident] and halfway through rehearsals I was in agony. The first thing the doctor said was, 'I hope you're finished having kids', so we didn't think there was any chance,” he said.</p> <p>Rochelle, 43, told <em>New Idea</em> there was “a bit of concern” early in the pregnancy, but due to her healthy lifestyle any complications were resolved. </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: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></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;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbeBeLzhFX_/" target="_blank">A post shared by Shannon Noll (@nollsie)</a> on Nov 14, 2017 at 12:33am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Shannon and Rochelle share three children together already – Cody, 17, Blake, 15, and Sienna, 11.</p> <p>In 2003, Shannon first rose to fame during the first season of <em>Australian Idol</em>, finishing in second place behind Guy Sebastian. </p>

Family & Pets

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Shannon Noll reveals secret to his happy marriage of 14 years

<p>Shannon Noll has revealed the secret to his happy marriage to wife of 14 years Rochelle.</p> <p>The 42-year-old Australian Idol star told <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5785309/Shannon-Noll-reveals-secret-happy-marriage-wife-Rochelle.html">Daily Mail Australia</a></span></strong> that communication is key to a happy marriage. </p> <p>“Silence is the biggest destroyer of marriages,” he explained. </p> <p>“I think probably communication is the biggest one, we always try to sit down every couple of months and so and really try to focus on each other and get things off our chest.</p> <p>“What we've found is the more we talk about something, the better result we can come up with and the better remedy for it.”</p> <p>Shannon and Rochelle, who have three children, wed in October 2004 in Sydney's Cremorne.</p> <p><img width="422" height="422" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/30/06/4CBE961100000578-5785309-image-a-53_1527659678606.jpg" alt="Family: Shannon and Rochelle share three children together, and the rocker joked that he and his wife are a 'taxi service' for the kids" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-b29995165e5c56b7"/></p> <p>He joked that he and his wife are a “taxi service” for the kids.   </p> <p>“Me and Roch we feel more like a taxi service, dropping them here and dropping them there,” he said with a laugh.   </p> <p>“With the kids running around these days, an extra hour in the day would be fantastic,” Shannon said.</p> <p>“I'd like to spend it having some quiet time, instead of just running around the place all the time. Maybe just read a book or something like that I think.”</p>

Relationships

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Shannon Noll reveals the spooky message from his dad after he died

<p>Aussie musician Shannon Noll has made a spooky discovery about his late father after returning home from his six-week stint in the South African jungle for <em>I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!</em></p> <p>During his time in the jungle, Noll received a reading from famed psychic John Edward.</p> <p>Noll admitted that he was initially confused and cynical of the reading but has now realised its significance after speaking to a friend.</p> <p>Edward spoke to Noll about his father, who was sadly killed in a freak accident on the family farm in 2001.</p> <p>“He said something about dad telling me he was in the car when I was singing <em>In Your Arms</em>,” Noll said.</p> <p>“It didn’t register to me.”</p> <p>After Noll returned home, a close friend who was aware of what happened behind the scenes of his Australian Idol audition in 2003, helped him understand the message.</p> <p>Many people know that Noll propelled to fame after auditioning for the show with the balled <em>Hold Me In Your Arms</em>. However, Noll originally planned to audition with Michael Jackson’s <em>Ben</em> and only switched songs after a producer asked him if he had anything else to sing.</p> <p>Noll admitted that the choice of his second song was completely random and he now believes that his late father planted the song in his head.</p> <p>“I have only ever said that (<em>Hold Me In Your Arms</em>) popped into my head out of nowhere,” Noll said.</p> <p>“I remember I was driving between the farm and Condobolin and had just gone over one of the bridges when it popped into my head and I started singing it in the car; the auditions were about a week or two later.</p> <p>“I forgot about it again until I was sitting in a room with 1500 other hopefuls in Melbourne and it popped into my head again.</p> <p>“I sing <em>Ben</em> and the executive producer Greg Beness asked me if I got anything else and so I sing him <em>Hold Me In Your Arms</em>. He told me to shelve <em>Ben</em> for the big audition in front of the judges.”</p> <p>Noll said he had “total goosebumps” when he returned home from the jungle and realised the message Edward had given him.</p> <p>Noll explained that he tried to “pick holes in it all” because Edward had also said “something about your father and a belt” which was a story Noll had shared in the jungle a few weeks earlier.</p> <p>“I never sang to dad in the car, I never sang to him when we were working on the farm,” Noll said.</p> <p>“A lot of things have happened over the years that have culminated in everything turning out the way it has for me, too many coincidences, but I’ve never really looked at it this way.”</p> <p>Noll was crowned the runner-up in the jungle and comedian Fiona O’Loughlin took the crown.</p> <p>The musician said he was grateful for the opportunity to get in front of the Australian public once again as he released his comeback album <em>Unbroken</em>.</p> <p>Noll explained that the test of pushing himself to the limit for six weeks had inspired him to try new challenges.</p> <p>“I really want to step it up with the show,” he said.</p> <p>“I’m learning how to play a song called <em>Breath of Life </em>from the new record on piano and go back to playing the guitar on stage,” he said.</p> <p>“I have concentrated on my vocals so much over the years so I let myself off the hook as a musician.”</p>

Caring

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Shannon Noll’s shock new career goal

<p>Shannon Noll might have been<a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/2018/03/im-a-celebrity-get-me-out-of-here-winner-announced/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong> pipped at the post by Fiona O’Loughlin</strong></span></a> in the <em>I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!</em> final, but a recent interview suggests the singer is still keen to use the show as a springboard to launch his shock new career goal.</p> <p>Speaking to <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The Daily Telegraph</strong></em></span></a>, the one-time <em>Australian Idol</em> runner-up said he was open to anywhere his career would take him, including a stint in politics.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FImaCelebrityAU%2Fvideos%2F921531428025404%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>“I am very passionate about things and I am very passionate about the country I live in and the place that I love so if there was a part that suited me, I would definitely have a think about it,” the 42-year-old singer said.</p> <p>“I have had some conversations about it but I will be doing my research before I make any decisions.”</p> <p>Noll also said he’d be keen to try his hand at acting.</p> <p>“I’ve thought about acting for years but never really pushed hard enough but now, after the show, I can’t not push anymore,” he said.</p> <p>“It is one of those things you will regret if the opportunity comes up and you don’t take it. You would be mad to brush anything that comes out of this.”</p> <p>Noll, who was runner-up to Guy Sebastian on the first series of<em> Australian Idol</em> way back in 2003, said the irony of placing second again wasn’t lost on him.</p> <p>“Can you believe it?” he laughed. “The memes will be funny.”</p> <p>But in the end of the day, he was happy to see O’Loughlin win.</p> <p>“I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to win but her,” he said.</p> <p>“This is very different to Australian Idol. To make it to the last day, it sort of doesn’t matter if you are first, second or third out of that. To make it through the whole thing is just amazing.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Do you think Shannon Noll would make a good pollie? Would you watch a show the singer was starring in? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Music

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I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! winner announced

<p>After going back to basics for six weeks in the South African jungle, Fiona O’Loughlin has been announced as the winner of <em>I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here!</em> beating Aussie pop star Shannon Noll and former boxer Danny Green to claim the price.</p> <p>“I just feel like the luckiest duck alive,” the 54-year-old said.</p> <p>“Without a doubt the jungle has changed me. I will never take anything for granted again.”</p> <p>For her efforts O’Loughlin will be awarded $100,000 to put towards her chosen charity, Angel Flight.</p> <p>Of her experience, O’Loughlin said: “Without a doubt the jungle has changed me. I will never take anything for granted again. I just feel like the luckiest duck alive.”</p> <p>Noll agreed: “I wasn’t sure how I would go with this and I turned out to be way tougher than I thought it would be. I think it is great to test yourself. That is how you find out what you’re made of. I would love to not come second this time.”</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FImaCelebrityAU%2Fvideos%2F921511634694050%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>Boxer Danny Green, who placed third, also said the jungle was a good experience.</p> <p>“It has been such a life changing incredible experience,” Green said.</p> <p>“I never thought that I would get this much out of it. I have met some fantastic people, I’ve made some new friends for the rest of my life.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p>

TV

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Shannon Noll reveals the tragic way he lost his Australian Idol money

<p><em>Australian Idol</em> runner-up Shannon Noll made a killing after the show thanks to a record deal and a string of top 10 hits, but his fortune didn’t last long.</p> <p>The 42-year-old, who is currently in the South African jungle competing in <em>I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!</em> Australia, opened up about the hardships he faced before and after his <em>Idol</em> stint.</p> <p>Speaking to campmate Fiona O’Loughlin, Noll revealed that yesterday would have been his father’s 73rd birthday, but that he had been killed years earlier after a farming accident left him with a catastrophic brain injury. The tragedy rocked the Noll family.</p> <p>“It has ruined mum, you know,” he said. “Mum is not so tough. She will never be the same… with the sons, we had our own kids and our partners, we had things to occupy our minds… but she is in a house in a cold bed every night. Just a constant reminder everywhere she turns.</p> <p>“It’s the hardship of getting left behind. [That] began for her then and it has never stopped.”</p> <p>Not only did the loss take a huge emotional toll, but Noll and his family were left in dire financial straits as they tried to keep the farm running in his father’s absence.</p> <p>“We tried to farm our way out of it in the next two years. We failed because of the drought so we got enough rain to put the crop in and then it didn’t rain at all after that. That cost $40 or 50 grand at a time for fuel, seed, spray. So we went further into debt.”</p> <p>Shortly after, the family made the heartbreaking decision to cut their losses and say goodbye to their farm.</p> <p>Fortunately, things began to look up for Noll, whose appearance on <em>Idol</em> launched his successful music career.</p> <p>But far from the usual things rock stars spend their money on – expensive cars, big houses etc. – for Noll, there was only one thing he could put his earnings towards.</p> <p>“I wrote a cash cheque out for $209,000 for a tractor company. I thought I was doing the right thing - I’d never run a business before. So I paid a lot of these debts out. Consequently all the big money I made after the show, I paid bills with it,” he said.</p> <p>“I didn’t blow it on yachts and all that sort of stuff. Just paid [bills].”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Channel 10.</em></p>

Music

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The heated moment Shannon Noll and Danny Green clashed over Australia Day date

<p>If there’s one thing this most recent season of <em>I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!</em> isn't short of, it’s controversy, and the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/2018/02/anthony-mundine-sparks-controversy-with-sexist-comments/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Channel 10 reality TV show is making headlines</strong></span></a> again after rocker Shannon Noll clashed with boxer Danny Green.</p> <p>The Australian Idol runner up waded into recent debate as to whether the date of Australian Day should be changed from January 26 to respect the indigenous people of Australia, saying he supported finding an alternate day.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FImaCelebrityAU%2Fvideos%2F901204593391421%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=520" width="520" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>“If it offends our original Australians, I would be quite happy to talk about a date that suits everybody that doesn’t represent a bloodshed day for them,” Noll said.</p> <p>“If that day represents obviously pain and heartache for our original, native Australians, then I think they are as proud Australians as any of us so I would be up for maybe moving it to a day that they are happy and we are happy and everyone is happy but not lose the day,” Noll added.</p> <p>But Green wasn’t having a bar of it and the conversation quickly became heated.</p> <p>“It is not a day that is going to go away so where would you like to move it?” he asked. “You either scrap the day altogether and no one ever came here and colonised the land.”</p> <p>“I was raised well and truly by my father teaching me all about indigenous culture and who the traditional land owners are, who to respect and why to respect them. I am truly across it so I’ve got no interest in getting involved in a politically skewed conversation here,” he said.</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p> <p> </p>

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Shannon Noll’s incredible comeback after life-changing injury

<p>Almost 15 years after he burst onto the scene as runner-up of the first season of <em>Australian Idol</em> and six years after his sixth album, Shannon Noll is about to make a comeback. But the 42-year-old rocker’s journey back to the spotlight hasn’t been an easy one.</p> <p>The title of his new album <em>Unbroken</em>, set to be released in February, was inspired by his battle back to health after a back injury during his time on <em>Dancing with the Stars</em> in 2010 left him with permanent nerve damage.</p> <p>Despite having undergone an emergency laminectomy, Noll says he’s still in chronic pain and “trips on stuff a lot" due to the damage to his nerves.</p> <p>“A lot has happened over the past six or seven years and it took a long time to get past that back injury and get back to being fit,” he tells <a href="http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/shannon-noll-set-to-release-first-album-in-seven-years-after-battling-chronic-back-injury/news-story/f07c262a1cf9e5247e61ed59319fcedd" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">news.com.au</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>“I also changed record labels and management, and that kept putting the album further and further back. There’s been lots of ups and downs and I got through it and now I am really enjoying touring probably more than I ever have.”</p> <p>An altercation at an Adelaide strip club earlier this year inspired Noll to leave his “wild times” in the past and made him realise the importance of protecting his voice – after all, it has sold him more than 1.4 million albums and singles since 2003.</p> <p>“I am really conscious of my voice now as well and I pride myself on singing to the best of my ability at every show,” he explains.</p> <p><em>Unbroken</em> features a number of songs inspired by his pride for his homeland and childhood love of Aussie anthems like “Great Southern Land” by Icehouse and GANGgajang’s “Sounds of Then (This is Australia)”.</p> <p>“[The songs] hold a really special place in my heart because they celebrate who we are and our love of Australia,” he says. “I wouldn’t change a thing about who I am ... you know I have never been the cool guy and I think it’s time for people to appreciate how lucky we are in this country.”</p>

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