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'Australia's Forrest Gump' reaches major milestone

<p>The man dubbed Australia's Forrest Gump has arrived back Down Under to complete the final leg of a mammoth journey. </p> <p>Tim Franklin has long dreamed of becoming the fastest person to run from one end of the world to the other, and has already completed most of his journey. </p> <p>The 40-year-old has run over 19,000 kilometres through 17 countries across five continents, setting off on his epic adventure in December 2022. </p> <p>With a world record in his sights, has been averaging more than a marathon a day for the past 427 days, as he battled floods, snow, exhaustion and injury on his travels. </p> <p>The worst of his hurdles came when his father was dying, as he decided to pause his journey to come home and say his goodbyes to the man he describes as "my hero, my mentor".</p> <p>"That message he gave me of 'go out and finish that damn run' was the last thing he said to me before he passed away," Franklin told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australias-forrest-gump-tim-franklin-lands-australia-final-leg-tim-runs-the-world/c3dac7d4-8c71-4fc5-84e2-4fbd2fb5af61" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>9News</em></a>.</p> <p>The pause in proceedings knocked him out of world record pace but it didn't derail his dream and only further fuelling the fire for him to achieve his goals. </p> <p>In order to "officially" run around the world, certain kilometres need to completed in each continent.</p> <p>Franklin started his journey in New Zealand, before heading coast to coast across the US, then South America, and across from Spain through Europe to the Black Sea.</p> <p>After a short stint in Asia he decided to head back to Australia, landing in Perth to a surprise greeting from his siblings.</p> <p>Now, it's the beginning of the end as Franklin makes his way from Perth to Brisbane, via Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.</p> <p>"[I'm] really excited to be back here in Aus for the last leg of my run."</p> <p>When he finally reaches Queensland, his friends and family will be waiting but there's one thing the 40-year-old is looking forward to most.</p> <p>"I just wanna give my mum a hug to be honest," he said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: 9News</em></p>

International Travel

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“I’m in trouble here”: Hughesy recalls disastrous surfing accident

<p dir="ltr">Dave Hughes has recalled the details of a horrific surfing accident on New Year’s Eve, that resulted in him being rushed to hospital in excruciating pain. </p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking candidly on his <em>Hughesy, Ed &amp; Erin</em> radio show, the 53-year-old shared what happened on the Surfers Paradise beach as he was ringing in the New Year. </p> <p dir="ltr">He told his co-hosts Erin Molan and Ed Kavalee that he was having surfing lessons when the disaster unfolded. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s New Year’s Eve, I decide to go surfing and I crash on a huge wave,” Hughesy began.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’ve all got out big boards, and the problem is, the boards are too big.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“So, and, I didn’t listen properly when the instructor said, ‘If you’re going to fall off your board, fall off backwards, don’t fall off forwards’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“And I didn’t really realise why, but I found out why.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2HC0_ILybf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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/reel/C2HC0_ILybf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Hughesy, Ed &amp; Erin (@hughesyedanderin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">While still sporting a sling on his arm from the accident, Hughesy explained that he fell forwards off a wave, and the surfboard took the next wave, which was directly behind him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The board got a really good wave and the board smashed into my back and dislocated my shoulder,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was immediately like, ‘I am in trouble here’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“The instructor saw me and said, ‘are you okay?’ and I said, ‘I don’t think so.’”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He started laughing! And I’m like, ‘no, I’m really, I’m really in pain’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Still trying to keep his sense of humour through the ordeal, Hughesy described the pain as “worse than childbirth”, with the situation only getting worse when he “sat on the beach crying for an hour” waiting for the ambulance to arrive. </p> <p dir="ltr">Hughesy <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/hughesy-gives-health-update-after-being-rushed-to-hospital">first shared</a> the news of his accident in the days after he was released from hospital, sharing a series of photos to his Instagram from the fateful day. </p> <p dir="ltr">He shared that he had "morphine and the rest of them" after enduring "two hours of the worst pain of my life", thanking the hospital staff who treated him, as well as the Surfers Paradise Surf Club before admitting he will "be in a sling for a while". </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Instagram / 2DayFM</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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Hughesy gives health update after being rushed to hospital

<p>Dave 'Hughesy' Hughes has shared an update on a dramatic accident he suffered on New Year's Eve, after he was rushed to hospital in the "worst pain of my life". </p> <p>The TV and radio host took to Instagram to admit he had the "least sober NYE in 30+ years", after having to take extensive pain killers to cope with a severe injury. </p> <p>Hughesy shared that he suffered a "shoulder dislocation whilst surfing" while spending time on the Gold Coast over the holiday season, which saw him rushed to hospital for the injury. </p> <p>He shared that he had "morphine and the rest of them" after enduring "two hours of the worst pain of my life", as he shared a series of photos of the dramatic incident.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1iN1RqSLdM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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/reel/C1iN1RqSLdM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Dave Hughes (@dhughesy)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The 53-year-old went on to thank his wife, the Surfers Paradise Surf Club and the health professionals who helped him during the accident, while admitting he will "be in a sling for a while". </p> <p>In the days after the incident, Hughesy shared an update on his condition with his followers on Instagram, making light of the painful situation, which now means he can't manage to feed himself properly.</p> <p>Standing over a kitchen bench, the comedian struggled to eat a bowl of cereal, laughing as he tried to get the spoon to his mouth. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1p4C7WyxJp/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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/reel/C1p4C7WyxJp/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Dave Hughes (@dhughesy)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"Four days into my surfing accident and I'm nearly back," he joked.</p> <p>"That’s one way to do a summer shred," one person commented. "I’m so pleased we can hear a little giggle! Wishing you a speedy recovery," another person said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Caring

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Why Dave Hughes didn't buy the final Block house

<p>David ‘Hughesy’ Hughes was the surprise guest at this year's <em>The Block</em> auctions, and the Aussie comedian was keen on buying the final home to go on auction <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">– </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> Leah and Ash’s house. </span></p> <p>Hughes was one move away from buying House 2 - which was passed in after it failed to hit reserve - but his wife blocked him from buying the home. </p> <p>“I was accosted as I left the auction, trying to get out of there, because one house didn’t sell and I said, ‘I’ll go talk to my wife’,” Hughes said on KIIS FM’s <em>Hughesy, Ed &amp; Erin </em>on Tuesday morning. </p> <p>The radio host then called his wife Holly live-on-air so she could explain the reason why they did not buy House 2. </p> <p>Holly revealed that she "was being asked by students and teachers,” about whether or not the couple bought the <em>Block</em> house. </p> <p>“You [Hughes] came home and as we were getting into bed, you said, ‘How would you have felt if I just bought that house?’ And I said, ‘Furious’," Holly revealed. </p> <p>She then called out her husband, claiming that he only wanted to buy the house to "show off". </p> <p>“If you bought a third house [in Melbourne] without consulting with me …” she said. </p> <p>“He never expressed any interesting in investing in that part of Melbourne, it’s so random, he would’ve just been buying a house to show off.</p> <p>“He had not looked at the houses or anything. He hadn’t watched an episode.”</p> <p>Although Hughes didn't get a property this season, his <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/dave-hughes-sets-the-record-straight-over-famous-block-house-purchase" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previous <em>Block</em> buy</a> in 2017 was a huge success.</p> <p><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Dave Hughes sets the record straight over famous Block house purchase

<p>Dave Hughes has hit back at long-standing rumours that he grossly overpaid for his house in Melbourne at <em>The Block</em> auctions. </p> <p>The radio host addressed the speculation on <em>2DAY FM’s Hughesy, Ed & Erin</em> breakfast show, as his co-host Erin Molan queried him about how the investment property was performing. </p> <p>In 2017, Hughesy bought the five-bedroom home in Elsternwick, built by contestants Josh and Elyse on Nine’s long-running reno show, for $3.067 million: a whopping $447,000 over the reserve. </p> <p>Given the steep increase of the price, the purchase of the house led to a lot of talk that Dave Hughes had overspent. </p> <p>Molan told her co-host on-air that a recent value estimate of the property that she’d found online put the home at $3.4 million.</p> <p>Six years on from his purchase and with inflation, stamp duty and other factors weighted, Hughes noted that that $300,000-odd increase in value would actually put him at a loss.</p> <p>However, Hughes said he had recently had the house valued himself, and the news was much better: He was told it is currently worth around $5 million.</p> <p>After the purchase of the house, even Hughes himself conceded that he may have spent much more than what the house was worth. </p> <p>In an interview with <em>Stellar</em> magazine in February 2018, he said that the bank had valued the property at “much less” than he paid.</p> <p>“I went to get a bank loan the other day and they haven’t valued it the same as I paid for it, which is fine, but annoying because there were five bidders,” he said.</p> <p>He said it was “enough less that it made me annoyed”.</p> <p>“For f**k’s sake … I just think it’s good value and in a few years’ time people are going to be going, ‘Well, f**k, didn’t he do well with it!’ I am playing the long game, all right? That is what I say to my wife, anyway.”</p> <p>In September of 2018, he told his then-co-host Kate Langbroek that he’d “copped so much flak” over the purchase.</p> <p>He said, “It was ridiculous and it’s gone on and on and on. A lot of experts weighed into my purchase … There are articles that have been written all year having a go at me. One article from one mob called Property One or something, they had a dinner party discussion about how I paid too much.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"She has earnt the rest": Dave Hughes shares devastating family update

<p>Dave "Hughesy" Hughes has thanked his friends and radio listeners for their messages of love and support, following the death of his mother. </p> <p>Hughesy's mum, Carmel, passed away on Friday at the age of 83, after a decades-long battle with cancer. </p> <p>Announcing the heart breaking news on Instagram Saturday night, "My angel mum Carmel passed last night, at home, surrounded by the love of her family. She has earnt the rest."</p> <p>On his radio show on Tuesday morning, he reflected on his "warrior" mother's life. </p> <p>"Mum has battled cancer for over 20 years, really," he said, as he recalled calling her three weeks ago where she told him she was "on the floor and couldn't get up". </p> <p>She then spent weeks in hospital surrounded by her loved ones, before going home for the final week of her life.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CyEyBoJSvop/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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/CyEyBoJSvop/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Dave Hughes (@dhughesy)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"Family surrounded her, let her know how much she was loved. It was beautiful, she was such a warrior for so long," he said.</p> <p>"What a woman. People who know, who've been through this - it's a tough time. Maybe there's something special about mums, but my memory just goes back to a woman who supported me from the moment I was alive."</p> <p>He thanked people who had sent him condolences, including many former patients of Carmel, who worked as a nurse.</p> <p>He ended the emotional segment by simply saying, "Good on ya, mum."</p> <p>Hughesy <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/she-s-still-with-us-but-it-won-t-be-long-hughesy-s-heartbreaking-family-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first announced</a> that his mum was unwell last week, telling his listeners, “My mum’s unwell, and the family have gathered around her, and we’re celebrating her life.” </p> <p>“She’s still with us, but it won’t be long. She’s a beautiful woman who’s been a great matriarch of the family, and we’re all around her at the moment.”</p> <p>While holding back tears on <em>2Day FM’s Hughesy, Ed &amp; Erin</em>, Hughesy then revealed that “she’s asleep now and she probably won’t wake up again”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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“She’s still with us, but it won’t be long": Hughesy's heartbreaking family news

<p>Dave 'Hughesy' Hughes has held back tears as he shared the heartbreaking details of his mum's health battle live on his radio show. </p> <p>Speaking candidly on <em>2Day FM’s Hughesy, Ed & Erin</em>, Hughesy shared that it had been a "tough few weeks" for his family as his mum, Carmel, was nearing the end of her life. </p> <p>“My mum’s unwell, and the family have gathered around her, and we’re celebrating her life,” Hughesy told co-hosts Erin Molan and Ed Kavalee. </p> <p>“She’s still with us, but it won’t be long. She’s a beautiful woman who’s been a great matriarch of the family, and we’re all around her at the moment.”</p> <p>While holding back tears, Hughesy then revealed that “she’s asleep now and she probably won’t wake up again”.</p> <p>He explained the family had been “going through photos” recently in celebration of Carmel’s life.</p> <p>“Mum grew up in an orphanage, and there’s a photo of her teaching a class with nuns looking over her … She had to leave the orphanage because she didn’t want to be a teacher, so she left with nothing and went and became a nurse, and met Dad.”</p> <p>Reflecting on his mother’s legacy during the segment on Friday, Hughesy told his co-hosts: “She’s been a beautiful mother, who really supports her children.”</p> <p>He went on: “Everyone goes through [losing their parents] … but the memories of all the sacrifice, and all the good times … She’s done so well in her life. We’ll miss her a lot. </p> <p>“She’s always been stoic and never complained.”</p> <p>Despite the difficult time Hughesy and his family are going through, the comedian was still able to smile and laugh as he reflected on his mum's sense of humour that she has kept "until the end". </p> <p>“We were around and didn’t think she could even speak again, and one of the nurses was lifting her and said, ‘I’m sorry if I drop you’, and Mum just whispered, ‘it doesn't matter now’, and made the nurse laugh.”</p> <p>“So she was still coming out with zingers … she’s a beautiful woman.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Dave Hughes spills on worst celebrity interview

<p>Dave Hughes is the latest media personality to open up about his worst celebrity interview. </p> <p>The <em>2Day FM</em> breakfast host named and shamed the singer in an interview with <em>news.com.au’s Shock Jocks, </em>where radio hosts have to answer tough questions or be "electrocuted". </p> <p>“Avril Lavigne was a shocker,”  he said, referring to the pop-punk sensation, who peaked during the early 2000s. </p> <p>“She had a bad attitude, it was back around Sk8er Boi when she was at the height of her fame,” he added. </p> <p>“She wouldn’t look at any of us. I’m not saying I’m the most attractive person in the world, but you can just look at me once.”</p> <p>Hughesy's confession comes just over a week after Chrissie Swan revealed that former AFL legend <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/absolutely-the-worst-chrissie-swan-fires-up-on-sam-newman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Newman was the worst interview</a> of her career.</p> <p>“It was terrible,” Swan said about Newman on Nova last week, “it was a terrible, terrible situation and so unusual in my career to feel so attacked.”</p> <p>The interview was so bad that Swan had to walk out, and the interview itself never aired. </p> <p><a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/sam-newman-hits-back-at-chrissie-swan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newman hit back</a> in response to Swan's comments and said: “What a coward to ask someone to come in, then walk out of the studio about an opinion over a topic we were talking about.</p> <p>“I just gave my opinion and she walked out, how unprofessional. What a coward."</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

TV

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Dave Hughes mugged by "big man" on Melbourne street

<p>Comedian Dave 'Hughesy' Hughes has shared an incident on air about a harrowing encounter he had while grabbing dinner in Melbourne for his family on a Tuesday night.</p> <p>The 52-year-old radio host recounted the incident during his appearance on 2DAY FM’s morning show, "Hughesy, Ed &amp; Erin", with fellow comedian and stand-in host, Kate Langbroek.</p> <p>Hughes explained that he had ridden his electric bike to a nearby takeaway restaurant close to his residence to order dinner for his family.</p> <p>Unfortunately, upon his arrival, he discovered that the restaurant he had in mind was closed. Frustrated by the situation, he took out his phone with the intention of calling his wife to discuss alternative dinner plans when, suddenly, his phone was snatched from his hand.</p> <p>While recalling the incident, Hughes expressed how startled he was, saying, "I’m on the bike, and I put my phone up to my ear, and then all of a sudden, someone grabs my phone out of my hand, just grabbed it, yes, stole my phone."</p> <p>He went on to describe the thief as a "big man" who appeared to be under the influence of drugs, suspecting him to be a "meth head": “I look and it’s a man, a big man, and he is off his nut. I’m gonna say he’s a meth head, you know what I'm talking about.”</p> <p>The assailant's erratic behaviour didn't end with the phone theft. Hughes continued, "He tries to talk into the phone and he goes, ‘You weren’t even talking to anyone.’ Like it was my fault, like I was pretending to make a phone call."</p> <p>Rather than pursuing the thief on his bike, Hughes resorted to shouting, "Give me my phone back!"</p> <p>The situation eventually deescalated as the man threw the phone to the ground and stumbled away, eventually confronting a nearby vehicle. "He just staggered off and basically attacked a car,” said Hughes.</p> <p>Langbroek criticised Hughes for not immediately contacting the police after the unsettling incident, expressing concern about tolerating such dysfunction in society.  “I know that we’re all like, that’s sort of how it rolls," she said, "but when you start accepting dysfunction like that, then dysfunction will rule.”</p> <p>Hughes, who had lost his driver's license the previous month due to a series of minor traffic violations that resulted in the loss of his accumulated points, had been relying on his electric bike for transportation. </p> <p><em>Image: 2DAY FM</em></p>

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"Dave was the best of us": Friends raise over $79,000 for young dad's family

<p>David (Dave) Orange, 38, has been remembered as an "amazing family man" after he died suddenly, leaving behind his wife Kerry and their seven-month-old daughter, Eleya. </p> <p>The father, affectionately nicknamed “Mango” by his friends and family, passed away at around 8am on Wednesday, August 9, due to natural causes. </p> <p>Dave grew up in Toowoomba and played A-grade cricket for four years.</p> <p>In 2007-2008 he played for University Cricket Club in Toowoomba and led his team to a premiership win with a record-breaking 199 innings, the highest score ever by a university player. </p> <p>Later on in his career, the young dad became a successful entrepreneur, after selling his business Glow Worm Lighting and running a second business, Orange Electrical.</p> <p>His best mate, Mitch Connell, who he met at school, paid tribute to him and started a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/dave-oranges-legacy-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page to help the grieving family, successfully raising $79,000. </p> <p>"We believe Dave was the best of us,” Mitch said about his late friend. </p> <p>“He was an aspiring entrepreneur, avid sportsman, great loyal friend, and an amazing family man,” he added and said that Dave was a “cheeky larrikin” who was “positive and infectious”.</p> <p>“He was incredibly honourable, trustworthy and loyal,” he said in the touching tribute. </p> <p>“He was also a great boxer and well known around many Toowoomba and Brisbane boxing clubs.He ran a bar in New Farm called Calgety for a bit … he did a bit of everything and was just so much fun to be around.</p> <p>“Mango was also known for his modern day sense of fashion … he liked to dress well and was somewhat of a fashion icon among his mates.</p> <p>“He had such an infectious smile. I used to call him ‘shiny teeth’. He was also known for his great sense of humour and positivity.”</p> <p>Dave and Kerry had been together for seven years and tied the knot just three years ago. The couple were also reportedly getting ready to try for another baby. </p> <p>“Kerry is just so heartbroken and devastated,” Mitch said. </p> <p>“They were the perfect couple and were incredibly happy.</p> <p>“They had their entire life ahead of them and were loving being new parents and a little family. He was a very doting and loving dad and (Eleya) was such a daddy’s girl … He was very fun and patient with her.</p> <p>“It’s just not fair and so sad for those two to be left on their own … It feels so cruel.”</p> <p>Although Dave's seven-month-old daughter won't be able to remember him, his friends are doing everything they can to make sure his legacy lives on. </p> <p>“All of his best mates and I are planning on creating 52 videos of us talking about and sharing stories about her dad,” Mitch said. </p> <p>“We want to present these to her on her eighteenth birthday, one to watch every week, so she knows the kind of man her father was.”</p> <p>Dave's sister, Madeline Bertram, revealed that the family is heartbroken and that he was loved by all. </p> <p>“We ask you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers throughout this time. We are completely shattered," she said.</p> <p>“May you fly high Dave.”</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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Hollywood A-listers quietly move to Australia

<p>Hollywood couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie are the latest A-listers to make the move Down Under. </p> <p>The A-list couple kept their relocation under the radar, as they moved to the quiet coastal town of Byron Bay on the New South Wales north coast. </p> <p>The married couple, who are usually based in Los Angeles, now join the likes of Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky, Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso, and Zac Efron as the latest famous Byron Bay residents. </p> <p>Alison Brie, best known for her roles in TV series <em>Community</em> and <em>GLOW</em>, is in Australia filming her latest project, TV miniseries <em>Apples Never Fall</em> based on the best-selling novel by Australian author, Liane Moriarty, with her actor husband by her side. </p> <p>The actress’ Instagram page showcases plenty of moments of the couple’s happy new life in the popular coastal town, as well as pictures of them taking in the sights of Sydney and Melbourne, where they celebrated Franco’s birthday.</p> <p>The famous couple met in 2011 after being introduced by a mutual friend, and got married six years later during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans.</p> <p>Byron Bay has long attracted high-profile celebrities looking for a slower pace of life. </p> <p>Chris Hemsworth brought plenty of attention and star power to the town back in 2014 when he purchased a 4.2 hectare property for $7 million.</p> <p>He and wife Elsa Pataky lived in the original eight-room home before knocking it down to build a $20 million mega-mansion.</p> <p>Zac Efron also famously rode out most of the pandemic living in the coastal town, while American actress Melissa McCarthy chose to base herself there for a small stint after wrapping up production on Nicole Kidman’s <em>Nine Perfect Strangers</em> TV series in 2021.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

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The FBI tracked Aretha Franklin for 40 years - here’s why

<p dir="ltr">Until 2007, Aretha Franklin was tracked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with her bumper 270-page file recently obtained by <em><a href="https://rollingstoneindia.com/aretha-franklin-was-tracked-by-the-fbi-for-40-years-heres-whats-in-her-file/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rolling Stone</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Queen of Soul, who passed away in 2018 aged 76, was subjected to false phone calls and surveillance, as well as having her inner circle infiltrated by FBI sources, according to the outlet.</p> <p dir="ltr">Franklin’s file, first requested via the Freedom of Information Act shortly after her death, is reportedly filled with phrases such as “Black extremists”, “pro-communist”, “hate America”, “radical”, “racial violence”, and “militant Black power”.</p> <p dir="ltr">It also contained plenty of suspicion about the singer, her work, and the other artists and activists she associated with, as the FBI tried and failed to connect the Respect singer to the Black Liberation Army and other “radical” movements.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the documents, Franklin’s civil rights work and association with activists including Martin Luther King Jr and Angela Davies, became a focus for the FBI, with agents tracking her addresses, phone numbers and activities.</p> <p dir="ltr">The singer’s son, Kecalf, told the <em>Rolling Stone</em> he was unsure whether Franklin knew she was under surveillance but said it was a “waste of time” for the FBI to follow her “every move” for so many years after failing to connect her to radical movements of any kind.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm not really sure if my mother was aware that she was being targeted by the FBI and followed. I do know that she had absolutely nothing to hide though…” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It does make me feel a certain way knowing the FBI had her targeted and wanted to know her every move.</p> <p dir="ltr">"But at the same time knowing my mother and the way she ran her business I know she had nothing to hide so they wouldn't have found anything and were wasting their time. As you see…they found nothing at all."</p> <p dir="ltr">The documents obtained by <em>Rolling Stone</em>, which include some newly-declassified files and others that are heavily redacted, include a 1968 report discussing funeral plans for Martin Luther King Jr which described it as a “racial situation”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Sammy Davis Jr., Aretha Franklin…of this group, some have supported militant Black power concept…[performance at MLK memorial by these prominent entertainers] would provide emotional spark which could ignite racial disturbance in this area,” it reads.</p> <p dir="ltr">The FBI also included files “just in case”, such as her 1971 contract with Atlantic Records to attempt to connect the <em>Blues Brothers</em> star’s business dealings to the Black Panther Party.</p> <p dir="ltr">Letters and reports of death threats were among the collection of documents as well, including one from a man threatening to kill her and her family and another extortion attempt against her.</p> <p dir="ltr">With some documents indicating that there are additional materials in the FBI’s possession that haven’t been released, <em>Rolling Stone</em> requested these records be made available.</p> <p dir="ltr">The FBI has yet to comment on the report.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b53d2a36-7fff-78ce-80b9-125e7216fcbd"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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“There’s no way”: Masked Singer finale causes chaos

<p><em><strong>Warning! Spoilers ahead.</strong></em></p> <p>The fourth season of <em>The Masked Singer Australia</em> has drawn to a dramatic close, with the results of the finale causing a stir online.</p> <p>Mirrorball, Rooster and Snapdragon were the three contestants still left in the competition, with Mirrorball taking out the win. </p> <p>However, as the masks came off, fans were suspicious as to how the famously clueless Dave Hughes managed to pull a surprisingly niche and accurate guess out of the bag at the last minute. </p> <p>Mirrorball's identity was unveiled, revealing former Pussycat Dolls member Melody Thornton as the winner.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Chzej4qrHou/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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/Chzej4qrHou/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Melody Thornton (@melodythornton)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The 37-year-old singer was pegged as the star inside the Mirrorball costume before the season even began, as die-hard Pussycat Dolls fans could pick her voice from the teaser advertisements. </p> <p>But her name never came up among the judges all season, with Mel B instead frequently guessing she was her former PCD bandmate Nicole Scherzinger.</p> <p>Nicole was always PCD’ lead singer, with the other members (including strong vocalist Melody) barely having any solo lines.</p> <p>Which made judge Dave Hughes’ sudden guess of Thornton after her final performance come as a shock – particularly given his habit of making outlandish guesses throughout the season. </p> <p>Some viewers questioned how Hughes would suddenly pick the winner after a season of clangingly wrong guesses, asking whether Hughes was perhaps fed the guess so viewers wouldn’t ask “who?” when Thornton was unmasked. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Absolutely ridiculous. So obvious they’ve told Hughesy to say Melody Thornton. They’ve built it up for him to finally get one right <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MaskedSingerAU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MaskedSingerAU</a></p> <p>— 𝒥𝒥 (@AcousticAri) <a href="https://twitter.com/AcousticAri/status/1563833058171957248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">There’s no way Dave would know who melody Thornton is. Hell, if it wasn’t for her upstaging Nicole shersawerser, I don’t think I’d know her either and I was in peak pussycat dolls demographic. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MaskedSingerAU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MaskedSingerAU</a></p> <p>— Georgia Duncan (@_georgiarae) <a href="https://twitter.com/_georgiarae/status/1563833332558794757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The producers definitely would’ve told Dave Hughes to guess Melody Thornton because:</p> <p>a) They want him to finally get one right<br />b) It would be kind of sad if no one guessed her all season (and instead guessed Nicole)<br />c) As if Hughesy listened to Don’t Cha<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MaskedSingerAU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MaskedSingerAU</a></p> <p>— Lachlan Guertin (@LachlanGuertin) <a href="https://twitter.com/LachlanGuertin/status/1563833575870713856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Coming in second, the Snapdragon was unmasked as Sheldon Riley: the distinctively-voiced former <em>The Voice</em> and <em>The X Factor contestant</em> and Eurovision entrant. </p> <p>Third place went to the Rooster, who was unmasked as singer and actor Hugh Sheridan.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Channel Ten</em></p>

TV

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"This is how it's done": Big names speak out against Manly pride jersey boycott

<p>Magda Szubanski and Jesinta Franklin have led the charge of celebrity voices condemning the Manly Sea Eagles and the players boycotting the pride jersey for a charity match. </p> <p>Jesinta, wife of AFL star Buddy Franklin, weighed in on the saga as she shared a photo of her husband wearing the Sydney Swans jersey in a match against St Kilda last month. </p> <p>She simply wrote, "This is how it's done," followed by a string of rainbow hearts.</p> <p>The image Jesinta shared showed the AFL players in their pride jerseys, along with the words "Everyone is welcome at the footy!" written over the rainbow pride flag. </p> <p>Magda Szubanski also spoke out over the controversy in a series of scathing tweets, questioning the foundation of the players religious beliefs that saw them boycott the jerseys in the first place. </p> <p>She declared the seven Sea Eagles players in question, who are boycotting their team’s Thursday night clash with the Roosters, were failing to show the tolerance demanded by their religion by refusing to wear a LGBTQI+ themed jersey.</p> <p>“Thought experiment: imagine if Manly players were asked to wear stripes to let religious players &amp; fans know they are welcome,” she began.</p> <p>“Then imagine an atheist player refuses to wear the stripes coz their “belief” (based on fact) is that millions have been killed in the name of religion."</p> <p>“Religious tolerance doesn’t mean you condone or believe in the other’s religion. It means that you accept the right of difference to exist. That you support a world where people are not excluded or persecuted because of their religion. All we ask, is for the same courtesy."</p> <p>“You can’t force people to believe that homosexuality is not sinful."</p> <p>“But you can ask them to help make a tolerant society that accepts difference. Including their own.”</p> <p>Szubanski later posted bible verses which highlighted directions to show love and hospitality to “strangers” which further amplified her point of acceptable and tolerance.</p> <p>The series of tweets have racked up hundreds of likes, with many sharing how they could not understand why the Manly players were willing to sabotage their team's chance at securing a spot in the NRL finals over something as frivolous as a rainbow stripe.  </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram</em></p>

News

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Succession star’s secret backyard wedding

<p>Australian actress Sarah Snook has revealed she married comedian Dave Lawson in a secret ceremony last year. </p> <p>The 33-year-old <em>Succession</em> star told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.vogue.com.au/culture/features/succession-sarah-snook/news-story/681fdf0ac48b0aad26af57b0f9becdd0" target="_blank">Vogue Australia</a> that the pair started living together as friends at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. </p> <p><span>"At the beginning of the pandemic last year, I got locked down in Melbourne with one of my best mates and we fell in love," she said.</span></p> <p><span>"We've been friends since 2014, lived together, travelled together, always excited to see each other, but totally platonic."</span></p> <p><span>Snook continued, "We've just never been single at the same time."</span></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/CVGwelchKms/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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/CVGwelchKms/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Vogue Australia (@vogueaustralia)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>Sarah admitted that she was the one who proposed to Dave, before they tied in the knot in her Brooklyn backyard surrounded by her housemates and <em>Succession</em> co-star Aussie Ash Zukerman — who also played witness.</span></p> <p><span>"It's been a ride," Sarah added. "There's so much heartache and sadness in the world, but on a micro personal level, I've been very fortunate.</span></p> <p><span>"There's a really lovely grace in that without the pandemic, we might not have ended up together so quickly."</span></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/CVHZguTvZ1l/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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/CVHZguTvZ1l/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Vogue Australia (@vogueaustralia)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>Sarah plays the character of Siobhan 'Shiv' Roy in HBO's hit drama <em>Succession</em>, with season three premiering on Binge on October 18th. </span></p> <p><span>Despite playing a tough character on screen, Sarah's personality reflects her Adelaide upbringing and trademark Aussie wit. </span></p> <p><span>Her career defining role in Succession has been one that brought many challenges, but Sarah also meticulously chooses her work. </span></p> <p><span>“I always feel like I’ve played by choice and good fortune, interesting, complex, strong and a good diversity of women, in terms of their characters." </span></p> <p><span>"They often have a strength and they’re not pushovers, but there’s usually been a redeeming softness that they’re protecting. And Shiv has that as well, but her defense of that softness is so different from who I am as a person.”</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram @sarah_snook</em></p>

Relationships

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Dave Grohl admits he wants to play drums for ABBA

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has admitted he would love to play drums for the iconic Swedish pop group ABBA. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After listening to their comeback single </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">I Still Have Faith In You</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, he admits he </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"wept like a baby" after being a fan of the band since their genesis. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While appearing on BBC Breakfast, Grohl said, "Oh my god, I'm such a big ABBA fan. When I saw that they were coming back and they had a record, I shot that link to 100 people I knew, then listened to the new song and wept like a baby. I cried like a baby. Oh man!"</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">“Yes, I would play with ABBA” 👀 <br /><br />Dave Grohl + ABBA = the supergroup we’ve all been waiting for?! 😮😍 <br /><br />The Foo Fighters frontman tells <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BBCBreakfast?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BBCBreakfast</a> he ‘wept like a baby’ listening to ABBA’s new song for the first time.<a href="https://t.co/VEaGalQYNt">https://t.co/VEaGalQYNt</a> <a href="https://t.co/7mMGsgWRuL">pic.twitter.com/7mMGsgWRuL</a></p> — BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCBreakfast/status/1443461356343209991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The rockstar said he became emotional at the new tune, saying, "It almost sounded like time hadn't passed. Plus it was such a beautiful, romantic, melancholy, bitter-sweet retrospective. Ugh, it's amazing. ABBA can do no wrong."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When asked if he would be willing to perform with the global hitmakers, he said, "Listen, I will get up and play drums at the opening of an envelope.” </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Show me a drum set and I will sit down to it. So yes, I would play with ABBA."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2018, Grohl sported an ABBA t-shirt when appearing on </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jimmy Kimmel Live </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">to profess his love for the band and his excitement over their highly-anticipated return. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When Jimmy asked if he is a fan, Grohl replied, "Who doesn't love ABBA?! Everybody loves ABBA!"</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p>

Music

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2021 Miles Franklin Award winner announced

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tasmanian author, Amanda Lohrey, has been awarded the 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Prize for her novel </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/the-labyrinth" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Labyrinth</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, making her the second Tasmanian to win in the coveted award in its 64-year history.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Set up in 1957, the Miles Franklin award was established after the death of the author, Miles Franklin, to recognise novels of literary merit that reflect Australian life.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As Australia’s most significant literary prize, Lohrey has been awarded a $60,000 prize.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My husband calls it the Wimbledon of literary awards. It’s just an honour [to win],” Lohrey said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There’s something nice about being associated with Miles Franklin; she was such a larrikin, such a non-conformist.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The judges praised Lohrey’s book as a “beautifully written reflection on the conflicts between parents and children, men and women, and the value and purpose of creative work”.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Labyrinth</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> follows Erica Marsden, a hotel receptionist, as she moves from Sydney to coastal NSW to be closer to her mentally ill son in prison. While looking for a house to purchase, Erica has a dream imploring her to build a labyrinth - a mission which quickly becomes an obsession.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lohrey was shortlisted in the 1996 Miles Franklin for her novel, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Camille’s Bread</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and longlisted in 2005 for </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Philosopher’s Doll</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Text Publishing</span></em></p>

Books

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“Prince Charles wasn’t happy”: Royal cake-maker spills on Charles and Diana’s wedding creation

<p>Dave Avery, the man who designed and made Prince Charles and Diana's wedding cake for their big day, has revealed it was the prince who called him to make changes to the design – after Diana had approved it.</p> <p>The head baker of the Royal Naval Cookery School, Avery designed the couple's five-tier fruit cake which stood at 165cm for the July wedding 40 years ago in 1981.</p> <p>Avery, then 37, had been selected to bake the royal wedding cake – an auspicious task but one that he was more than capable of. Avery, now 78, told 9Honey via Zoom from the UK, he still clearly remembers walking into Buckingham Palace for his first meeting with Princess Diana – known at the time as ‘Lady Di.’</p> <p>“I’ll never forget it," says Avery. "She was beautiful. She was very pleasant, very polite, we had a few little chats.”</p> <p>Avery had been given the task of designing the wedding cake and he’d gone to the palace to show his plans to Diana. She had approved the designs with no changes but when Avery arrived back at the Royal Navy Cookery School in Chatham, he received word from the palace that Prince Charles was not happy.</p> <p>"I got a phone call that Prince Charles wasn't happy," says Avery. But thankfully, it wasn't a criticism but rather – something the Prince wanted added.</p> <p>"We hadn't put on the Red Dragon," says Avery. Once we added the Red Dragon symbol of Wales, which was Prince Charles' call sign when he was flying helicopters with the Navy, the Prince was happy.</p> <p>The cake’s design included hand-painted symbols representing Prince Charles' military roles, the Prince of Wales emblem, St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and Highgrove – one of which took eight hours to complete.</p> <p><strong>How big was this Wedding Cake of the Century?</strong></p> <p>The five-tier cake stood at 165cm and took some time to bake with the bottom tier alone taking Avery 12 hours. As well, Avery used a spirit level and set square to ensure the dimensions were perfect.</p> <p>He was sworn to secrecy during the 14-week process of designing and making the cake and says the pressure was on to get everything perfect: "If there was anything wrong, the whole world would have known about it, not just me," he says.</p> <p>When it came to the baking of the cake, Avery turned to a favourite recipe he had from his mother for a rich fruit cake.</p> <p>"But I had to take things out and add things in to improve it. I had worked on that recipe for up to five years until I got it absolutely perfect."</p> <p>As perfect as it is, Avery says he won’t be sharing this recipe: “I’ve been asked many times, but no,” he adds.</p> <p><strong><em>The Wedding of the Century</em></strong></p> <p>2021 marks 40 years since Prince Charles married Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral on July 29th - a wedding which drew a global television audience of more than 750 million people.</p> <p>A new documentary has been made to mark the occasion which will screen on BritBox Australia, aptly titled <em>Wedding of the Century.</em></p> <p>The original documentary includes remastered footage of the wedding plus never-before-seen interviews with those closely involved in the wedding planning, including the florist and one of the photographers.</p> <p><strong>Was it all successful?</strong></p> <p>After the wedding, Avery received a letter from the new Prince and Princess of Wales saying "how thrilled they were with the cake."</p> <p>They even saved the second tier to use at Prince William's christening on August 4th, 1982. Diana loved Avery's work so much she asked him to make William's first birthday cake, too, "a sponge with nursery rhymes around it.”</p> <p>These days Avery has retired from the Royal Navy after serving for 22 years. He went on to open a cake shop, baking wedding cakes (naturally) before going back into teaching.</p> <p>As Avery says: "It's the wedding of the century, it's the cake of the century.”</p> <p><strong>Image: Getty Images</strong></p>

Food & Wine

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Kate Langbroek reveals why she split from powerhouse duo Hughesy and Kate

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Kate Langbroek and David Hughes were a radio powerhouse for years before Langbroek decided to leave.</p> <p>She revealed the reason why she left on her new radio show<span> </span><em>The 3 pm Pick-Up</em>.</p> <p>The 55-year-old said that the pair's "divorce" was a long time coming.</p> <p>'It was a big thing, but he knew it was coming for a long time because I had pre-empted [a move to Italy],' she told co-hosts Monty Diamond and Yumi Stynes.</p> <p>'He kept saying to me: ''What are you going to do all day'',' Kate said. 'I'm like, my dream, my dream is nothingness.'</p> <p>Kate went on to call Dave one of the most 'significant men in her life'.</p> <p>'Apart from my husband he was the most significant man in my life. And it has been like a marriage, and now like a divorce,' she said.</p> <p>Kate also revealed that the pair wouldn't be getting back together anytime soon as she didn't want to uproot her family after returning home from Italy.</p> <p>'We had conversations about that but I couldn't say to the kids, yeah we're coming back to Australia, guess what we're moving to Sydney,' she explained.</p> <p>Hughesy also tried to get Kate back on the show, but said she's got "different priorities".</p> <p>“Kate is, we were trying to get Kate involved in this show, but she’s got different priorities and that’s fair enough. So, Kate was definitely in the mix…</p> <p>"There was an offer for Kate, but she [didn’t take it]. We still speak. I’m going to see her tonight. We still talk a lot and text a lot, and yea, nah, she got a sweet gig. To be honest, she got a sweet gig. 3PM Pick Up is a sweet gig….</p> <p>"She knows that, but yea, I love Kate and she loves me, I believe, so we will continue to be great friends, and who knows what happens in the future,” he told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://radiotoday.com.au/kate-langbroek-3pm-pickup-debut/" target="_blank"><em>Radio Today</em></a><span> </span>ahead of the launch of his Breakfast show.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Block-busting DIY tips from The Block’s Benny and Dave

<p>For the seventh consecutive year, Kennards Hire is again the official hire company supplier of Channel Nine’s longest-running reality TV series, <em>The Block</em>. </p> <p>Now in its 16th season, five teams are busily transforming five family homes from five decades in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Brighton.</p> <p>As returning equipment hire sponsor, Kennards Hire introduced the five highly competitive couples to their new Kennards Hire man-on-the-ground, Ben McTaggart – affectionately known as “Benny from The Block”. And now, along with landscape specialist Dave Franklin, we can reveal the pair’s favourite backyard and frontyard DIY tips:</p> <ol> <li><strong> Timber deck restoration reminders</strong></li> </ol> <p>“When getting started on your restoration you need to first clean down the deck and assess any damage. Make sure all the nails are punched firmly down before firing up the <span><a href="https://www.kennards.com.au/floor-sander.html">floor</a></span> sander to even out any chips or marks in the timber. Depending on how much work is needed, an <span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.kennards.com.au/sander-orbital.html?trackParams=2441-1-1-100.00" target="_blank">orbital</a></span> sander is another useful option. Then it’s time to grab your preferred oil or stain and seal everything in to get your deck looking good as new.”</p> <ol start="2"> <li><strong> Outdoor ambience </strong></li> </ol> <p>“A sunken area with a fire pit, some cushion seating, candles and a hanging chair are great, simple ways to set the mood in an outdoor space. But the key to creating the perfect ambience in a backyard of any size is outdoor lighting, establishing a beautiful atmosphere that you can enjoy well into the night.”</p> <ol start="3"> <li><strong> Home pool excavating </strong></li> </ol> <p>“Pool excavating isn’t just for professionals, and with the right equipment is a fun job for DIYers looking to tackle a larger project. Before getting started you will need a permit, however once sorted use a <span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.kennards.com.au/turf-cutter.html?trackParams=96474-1-1-100.00" target="_blank">turf cutter</a></span> to take up the turf and mark out the area of the pool. Make sure you check for any electrical or gas lines, before hopping on the <span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.kennards.com.au/excavator-mini-1-8t1.html?trackParams=75-1-29-100" target="_blank">excavator</a></span> or bob cat to get digging.”</p> <ol start="4"> <li><strong> Equipment needed for a retaining wall</strong></li> </ol> <p>“To understand what you’re dealing with and the right equipment needed, first work out whether it’s going to be a sleeper or masonry wall. You will then need a <span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkJiAkSPCVU&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">laser level</a></span> to establish the height, plus an excavator and <span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.kennards.com.au/plate-compactor-60kg.html?trackParams=676-2-5-100" target="_blank">compacting plate</a></span>. But every job is different and it’s best you consult a Kennards Hire team member who can give you the right advice for the job.”</p> <ol start="5"> <li><strong> Finishing touches</strong></li> </ol> <p>“If you have any old pots laying about the backyard, you can wash them up and breath in new life with a fresh coat of paint. Finish off by spreading mulch around the garden and planting some natives. It’s a simple way to revitalise your outdoor space.”</p>

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