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Young and the Restless star passes away after cancer battle

<p>Veteran soap opera actress Meg Bennett has died at the of 75 after a lengthy battle with cancer. </p> <p>According to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/meg-bennett-dead-young-and-restless-1235878548/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Hollywood Reporter</em></a>, Bennett's family announced that she passed away on April 11th. </p> <p>Bennett had a prolific career in the world of soap operas as both a writer and actress, after working on high profile shows such as <em>The Young and the Restless</em>, <em>General Hospital</em>, <em>Santa Barbara</em> and many more. </p> <p>She became most known for her role on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>, appearing on 52 episodes from 1980–2020 playing the role of Julia Martin/Julia Newman, the spouse of Eric Braeden’s character Victor Newman.</p> <p>Bennett also had a stellar career on Broadway, appearing in the initial run of the musical <em>Grease</em> in 1972 playing the role of Marty Maraschino for more than two years.</p> <p>She also racked up a significant credit as a writer on a number of soaps, stepping behind the camera on <em>The Young and the Restless</em> after her character was phased out. </p> <p>In the interview in 1985, Bennett opened up about the differences in her approach to acting and writing.</p> <p>She said, "I'll admit, acting makes me a little crazy sometimes: You wait to audition. You wait for the part. When you're writing, you're in control. I can initiate things on my own when I'm writing."</p> <p>Bennett is survived by her spouse of 19 years Robert Guza Jr., as well as two stepdaughters, four grandchildren, a brother and a sister. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

Tony Bennett: the timeless visionary who, with a nod to America’s musical heritage, embraced the future

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jose-valentino-ruiz-1293457">Jose Valentino Ruiz</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-florida-1392">University of Florida</a></em></p> <p>In the history of American popular music, there have been few luminaries as enduring and innovative as Tony Bennett.</p> <p>With a career that spanned almost 80 years, Bennett’s smooth tones, unique phrasing and visionary musical collaborations left an indelible mark on vocal jazz and the recording industry as a whole.</p> <p>That his <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-bennett-dies-c3b3a7e2360449fb936a38794c7c3266">death at the age of 96</a> on July 21, 2023, was mourned by artists as varied as <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithUrban/status/1682395658395824133">Keith Urban</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/OzzyOsbourne/status/1682411338340126720">Ozzy Osbourne</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/HarryConnickJR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1682411086656557056%7Ctwgr%5E04a78435a793b5246d7bc19e09529f2b2f0bcfab%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fvariety.com%2F2023%2Fmusic%2Fnews%2Ftony-bennett-elton-john-reaction-tribute-1235676405%2F">Harry Connick Jr.</a> should come as no surprise. Yes, Bennett was a jazz crooner. But if his voice was always a constant – even late into his 80s, way past an age when most other singers have seen their vocal abilities diminish – then his embrace of the contemporary was every bit a facet of Bennett’s appeal.</p> <h2>Vocal innovator</h2> <p>Bennett’s journey is a testament to the power of daring innovation.</p> <p>From the early days of his career in the 1950s to his final recordings in the early 2020s, he fearlessly explored new musical territories, revolutionizing vocal jazz and captivating audiences across generations.</p> <p>His vocal style and phrasing were distinctive and set him apart from other artists of his time. He utilized a delayed or “laid-back” approach to falling on the note, a technique known as “<a href="https://www.musictheoryacademy.com/how-to-read-sheet-music/rubato/">rubato</a>.” This created a sense of anticipation in his phrasing, adding an element of surprise to his performances. Through Bennett’s skilled use of rubato, he was able to play with the tempo and rhythm of a song, bending and stretching musical phrases to evoke a range of emotions. This subtle manipulation of timing gave his songs a natural and conversational quality, making listeners feel as though he was intimately sharing his stories with them.</p> <p>Armed with this silky, playful voice, Bennett found fame fairly early on in his career, delivering jazz standards alongside the likes of Mel Tormé and Nat King Cole. By the mid-1960s, he was being touted by Frank Sinatra as “the best singer in the business.”</p> <p>But his musical style fell out of fashion in the 1970s – a lean period during which Bennett <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/07/21/tony-bennett-son-life-career-drugs/">almost succumbed to a drug overdose</a>. Then, in the 1990s, Bennett found a new audience and set off a series of collaborations with contemporary musical stars that would become the standard for his later career.</p> <p>No genre of artistry was deemed off-limits for Bennett. “<a href="https://www.tonybennett.com/music-detail.php?id=11">Duets: An American Classic</a>,” released to coincide with his 80th birthday in 2006, saw collaborations with country stars such as k.d. lang and the Dixie Chicks – now known as the Chicks – and soul legend Stevie Wonder, alongside kindred jazz spirits such as Diana Krall. “Duets II,” a 2011 follow-up, saw further explorations with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Queen Latifah, Willie Nelson and Amy Winehouse, in what would become the <a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/amy-winehouse-final-recording-session/">British singer’s last recording</a>.</p> <p>But his cross-generational, cross-genre and cross-cultural appeal is perhaps best exemplified by his <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/21/arts/music/tony-bennett-lady-gaga.html">collaborations with Lady Gaga</a>, first on the 2014 Grammy-winning album “Cheek to Cheek.” The recording brought together two artists from different generations, genres and backgrounds, uniting them in a harmonious celebration of jazz classics. The collaboration not only showcased each one’s vocal prowess, but also sent a powerful message about the unifying nature of music.</p> <p>Lady Gaga, a pop artist with avant-garde leanings, might have seemed an unlikely partner for Bennett, the quintessential jazz crooner. Yet their musical chemistry and mutual admiration resulted in an album that mesmerized audiences worldwide. “Cheek to Cheek” effortlessly transcended musical boundaries, while the duo’s magnetic stage presence and undeniable talent enchanted listeners.</p> <p>The successful fusion of jazz and pop encouraged artists to experiment beyond traditional boundaries, leading to more cross-genre projects across the industry – proving that such projects could go beyond one-off novelties, and be profitable at that.</p> <h2>Timeless artistry</h2> <p>Bennett’s embrace of contemporary artists did not mean that he abandoned his own musical self. By blending traditional jazz with contemporary elements, he managed to captivate audiences across generations, appealing to both longtime fans and new listeners.</p> <p>One key aspect of Bennett’s success was his ability to embody the sentiment of old America, reminiscent of artists like Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, while infusing contemporary nuances that resonated with the human condition of a more modern era. His approach to music captured both the essence and struggle of America, giving his songs a timeless and universal appeal. Moreover, his voice conveyed familiarity and comfort, akin to listening to a beloved uncle.</p> <p>Bennett’s albums stood out not only for his soulful voice and impeccable delivery but also for the way he drew others from varied musical backgrounds into his world of jazz sensibilities. As a producer, he recognized the importance of nurturing creativity and bringing out the best in artists.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Bennett’s approach to evolving his own sound while preserving its essence sets him apart as an artist. Fearless in his pursuit of innovation, he delved into contemporary musical elements and collaborated with producers to infuse new sonic dimensions into his later albums. The result drew listeners into an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kNpdLZwetU">intimate and immersive, concert-like acoustic journey</a>.</p> <h2>Depth of emotion</h2> <p>The greats in music have an ability to speak to the human experience. And either in collaboration with others or on his own, Bennett was able to achieve this time and time again.</p> <p>His albums were successful not only due to their technical brilliance and musicality but also because Bennett’s voice conveyed a depth of emotion that transcended barriers of time and culture, touching the hearts of listeners from various backgrounds. There was a universality in his music that made him a beloved and revered artist across the globe.</p> <p>Bennett’s life spanned decades of societal upheavals in the United States. But in his music, listeners could always find beauty in challenging times. And as the 20th- and 21st-century American music industry went through its own revolutions, Bennett’s artistic evolution mirrored the changes, cementing his place as a music icon who defies the boundaries of time and trends.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210244/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><iframe style="border-radius: 12px;" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/2UxxnhUE5YLchYgutxKEbJ?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="380" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" loading="lazy"></iframe></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jose-valentino-ruiz-1293457">Jose Valentino Ruiz</a>, Program Director of Music Business & Entrepreneurship, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-florida-1392">University of Florida</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/tony-bennett-the-timeless-visionary-who-with-a-nod-to-americas-musical-heritage-embraced-the-future-210244">original article</a>.</em></p>

Music

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

“It’s not binary”: ABC host weighs in on The Voice

<p> ‘Australia’s boyfriend’ and ABC host Tony Armstrong has weighed in on Australia’s The Voice referendum, as people all across the nation prepare to head for the polls in late 2023. </p> <p>The referendum, in which Australians will be given the opportunity “to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution through an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice”, has been explained by the National Indigenous Australians Agency as an “independent, representative advisory body for First Nations peoples. </p> <p>“It will provide a permanent means to advise the Australian Parliament and Government on the views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on matters that affect them.”</p> <p>Additionally, it is intended to act as part of the government’s commitment to implementing the full scope of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. </p> <p>However, as the time to vote draws closer, opinion has divided in the parliamentary and public eye, with many voicing their take from both sides of the discussion. </p> <p>And now, Tony Armstrong has become the latest to discuss the vote, all while stressing that the situation was more complex than people had assumed, and that he didn’t know which way it was going to go. </p> <p>“I truly don’t know if it will be passed or not,” he confessed to <em>Stellar</em>’s Sarrah Le Marquand. “What I think people need to remember with the Voice is that a vote for ‘yes’ and a vote for ‘no’ can both be good things.</p> <p>“It’s not binary. We aren’t in a world where ‘no’ is ‘bad’ and ‘yes’ is ‘good’. Aboriginal people should be the ones talking the most about this; this is about what’s best for Aboriginal people. I don’t know diddly squat. I’m leaving it to the people who actually know their cr*p to give advice on it. But what I do think is lost in the conversation is the fact it’s not binary.”</p> <p>Armstrong went on to note his understanding that a ‘yes’ vote could potentially hold the nation back, and that a ‘no’ vote could push it forward - “and vice versa. We don’t know.”</p> <p>He then explained that the public discourse had framed it as a binary issue, but that the entire situation is “far more nuanced and complex than that. </p> <p>“I’m going to follow in the path of my leaders; it’s just so complex and becomes another red-hot year for blackfellas, even more so where our very identity will be ripped apart and pulled apart and examined. </p> <p>“The irony, regardless of whichever way it goes, will be: it’s not necessarily going to be the blackfellas whose vote makes a difference. I’ve never been able to define irony, but I reckon that’s in the ballpark.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Legal

Tony Armstrong announces surprising career ambition

<p>Tony Armstrong has shared his surprising career ambitions, candidly revealing he is eager to explore acting opportunities. </p> <p>The ABC presenter, formerly a player for the Sydney Swans, said that his Logie win in 2022 paved the way for him to explore new opportunities within media, and he is keen to try is hand at unexplored areas of entertainment. </p> <p>Speaking candidly in the first episode of the ABC’s new series <em>Great Australian Stuff</em>, he wanted to get into acting, and that the Logie had put him on the map for a shift, but for now, he remains on the desk on weekday mornings at ABC News Breakfast.</p> <p>Armstrong won the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent in 2022, reflecting on how his on-air charisma brought a new energy to ABC's otherwise reserved news coverage. </p> <p>“(A Logie) puts you in the mind of people who put shows together, for sure,” he told the <em><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/it-wasn-t-on-the-bingo-card-is-acting-tony-armstrong-s-next-move-20230404-p5cy2l.html" target="_self">Sydney Morning Herald</a>. </em></p> <p>“I still can’t believe I’ve got one. It wasn’t on the bingo card."</p> <p>“It’s still weird to me, but I’m very humbled, and that was very much a vote for (ABC) News Breakfast, so my success is only as a result of the people who I’ve been lucky enough to work with.”</p> <p>During his time on ABC, Armstrong has been no stranger to a slew of racist online trolls, regularly using his platform to bring awareness to the ongoing issue of racism in Australia. </p> <p>In November last year, police were called over racist abuse sent to the TV personality, with Armstrong, a proud Barranbinya man, sharing a message sent to his work email address.</p> <p>The national broadcaster issued a statement at the time from ABC News Director Justin Stevens, who has said the network is exploring all options to “ensure the wellbeing of our people”.</p> <p>“This racist harassment is sickening. The ABC is taking a range of actions to support Tony Armstrong, including referring the matter to police,” Stevens said.</p> <p>“Our journalists should not be attacked or subjected to abuse for doing their jobs.”</p> <p>Armstrong also spoke out on Twitter about the vile message, saying, “This s*** has gotta stop".</p> <p>“One thing is for certain though, this isn’t guna stop us speaking up or stepping up."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Jamie Lee Curtis on ageing in Hollywood

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis has taken a swipe at society’s emphasis on youth, no more apparent than in her own industry.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">The 59-year-old, visiting Sydney to promote new movie Halloween, the sequel to the 1978 horror classic of the same name, spoke of her dislike of the term “anti-ageing”.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“The term anti-ageing makes me crazy, the amount of marketing towards anti-ageing and making it a pejorative,” Curtis told <em><a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/actor-jamie-lee-curtis-on-why-the-term-antiageing-makes-her-angry/news-story/eec877ecef45fbb08670b1d872d2f8d5">The Daily Telegraph</a></em>.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“(Ageing) cannot be the pejorative because it happens to everybody. It is like everything else, it is an evolution,” said the actor.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Curtis’ comments come at an apt time in her career. She has reprised her iconic role as Laurie Strode, who took on serial killer Michael Myers 40 years ago on Halloween. Decades on, her character, now a grandmother, is still deeply affected by their battle but is as strong as ever and more than ready for the next round.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">The actress too, seems at the top of her game. The sequel is raking it in at the US box office, and not only is she a formidable performer in the film, but it was really Curtis doing many of the fight scenes too.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“I am sitting here in my very nice red suit but this movie was obviously not a glamorous job and I am grateful that I get that opportunity,” she admitted to the publication. “Every fight is me.”</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“I am fit but I am not a gym rat. It is just what we do. It is the nature of the beast — it is physical and it is painful. I cracked a rib, that is what happens.”</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">But Curtis, the daughter of Janet Leigh – who memorably starred in another iconic horror Psycho – and matinee idol Tony Curtis, has previously acknowledged her “struggle with my own self-esteem” when it comes to her body. She says she’s found a way to deal with it.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“So I have a big secret: I don’t look in the mirror,” Curtis told <em><a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a22993869/jamie-lee-curtis-confidence-secrets/">Good Housekeeping</a></em> in a recent interview.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“I’m a 60-year-old woman. I am not going to look the same as I used to, and I don’t want to be confronted by that every day! When I get out of the shower, I have a choice: I can dry myself off looking in the mirror, or I can dry myself off with my back to it. I turn my back to the mirror and I feel great!”</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">The actress, who also counts children’s author, entrepreneur and budding screenwriter on her resume, has an inspiring message about chasing and realising creative passions saying she has “no time to waste”.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“On the very clear passage of 50s to 60s, I have no time to waste,” said Curtis. “None. If you have creative ideas and you don’t bring them out into the world in some way before you go, that is a tragedy.”</span></p> <p class="p1"><em><span class="s1">Images: Getty</span></em></p>

Movies

Toni Collette and husband David Galafassi split

<p dir="ltr">Toni Collette has confirmed that she has split from her husband of almost 20 years after he was photographed kissing another woman at a Sydney beach.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aussie actress, 50, took to Instagram to confirm that she and husband David Galafassi, 44, have broken up after photos emerged of him making out with another woman.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11510663/Toni-Collette-splits-husband-Dave-Galafassi-pictures-kissing-woman-Sydney-beach.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a> published photos of Galafassi passionately kissing a young woman at Manly beach.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other photos show the musician hugging and kissing the young bikini-clad woman, with one witness telling the publication that they were “all over each other”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair reportedly arrived at the beach about 7.30 am and jumped in the water for about 15 minutes before heading out for a coffee.</p> <p dir="ltr">Daily Mail reached out to Collette’s management and within hours she had released the statement confirming the break-up.</p> <p dir="ltr">“After a substantial period of separation, it is with grace and gratitude that we announce we are divorcing," her statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re united in our decision and part with continuing respect and care for each other.</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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl3-GTgBYtF/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/Cl3-GTgBYtF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by TONI COLLETTE (@toni_collette_official)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Our kids are of paramount importance to us and we will continue to thrive as a family, albeit a different shape.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re thankful for the space and love you grant us as we evolve and move through this transition peacefully.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Big thanks.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Collette and Galafassi share two children together, aged 14 and 11, and split their time between Australia and the United States.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair first met back in 2002 at the launch of Galafassi’s band Gelbison's debut album Metal Detector in Sydney.</p> <p dir="ltr">They ran into each other again a few days later and Collette said “he was the first person I saw when I walked in the door”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He kissed me on the cheek and I just kind of melted. I planned to stay for ten minutes… I was there for 12 hours. It was a good day,” she said at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>EDITOR'S NOTE:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Since this article has been published, Toni Collette has changed her statement to explain that she and David Galafassi have been separated for a "substantial period of time".</p> <p dir="ltr">This has now been <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/toni-collette-forced-to-edit-statement-announcing-divorce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed and reflected</a> in the article.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Relationships

Toni Collette forced to edit statement announcing divorce

<p dir="ltr">Toni Collette has edited her statement announcing her divorce from husband David Galafassi after explosive images of him kissing another woman surfaced.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aussie actress, 50, took to Instagram to confirm that she and husband Galafassi, 44, have broken up after photos emerged of him making out with another woman.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, just a few days later, Collette was forced to edit her statement to explain that she and Galafassi had been separated for a “substantial period”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her new statement reads: “After a substantial period of separation, it is with grace and gratitude that we announce we are divorcing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re united in our decision and part with continuing respect and care for each other.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our kids are of paramount importance to us and we will continue to thrive as a family, albeit a different shape.</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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl3-GTgBYtF/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/Cl3-GTgBYtF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by TONI COLLETTE (@toni_collette_official)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“We’re thankful for the space and love you grant us as we evolve and move through this transition peacefully.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Big thanks.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Collette’s shock statement came less than 24 hours after the paparazzi images were published in the Daily Mail.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair share two children together, aged 14 and 11, and split their time between Australia and the United States.</p> <p dir="ltr">They first met back in 2002 at the launch of Galafassi’s band Gelbison's debut album Metal Detector in Sydney.</p> <p dir="ltr">They ran into each other again a few days later and Collette said “he was the first person I saw when I walked in the door”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He kissed me on the cheek and I just kind of melted. I planned to stay for ten minutes… I was there for 12 hours. It was a good day,” she said at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Relationships

Do you know where your last cup of tea came from?

<p>With winter well and truly upon us, there’s no better way to beat the cold than with a cuppa while you cozy up in front of the TV. But how much better could that be if you knew you were also supporting a tea that’s 100 percent locally grown? </p> <p>Coming in as the second most consumed beverage in the world, it’s easy to see why a whopping 69% of our population have purchased tea over the last six months – with more than half of all tea lovers consuming the delicious beverage daily. However, would it surprise you to learn that only 1 in 10 cups of tea consumed in Australia are actually grown here? </p> <p>The Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland is home to a vast single-origin tea estate that is responsible for 85% of the tea grown in Australia. Proudly owned and run by Nerada Tea, it is the ideal climate to grow and produce tea of such outstanding quality. It’s amazing to think that right here in our very own backyard we have been cultivating some of the finest quality black, green and oolong tea in the world, amongst other variants.</p> <p>The estate itself is nestled between Queensland’s highest mountain ranges in the rich volcanic soils at an altitude of around 750 metres. This pristine environment and unique aspects all serve a significant purpose in giving Nerada Tea the distinctive flavour profile that Aussies have come to know and love. </p> <p>Not only is it proudly Australian grown, but Nerada Tea is 100% pesticide free – which further enhances the quality and authentic taste, compared to its international counterparts where pests and other insects remain a persistent issue in the industry.</p> <p>Additionally, Nerada is Rainforest Alliance certified – and at a time where sustainability matters now more than ever, this stamp of approval ensures the tea you’re consuming was produced with our environment firmly top of mind.</p> <p>By making the choice to purchase locally grown produce, you are not only supporting local businesses, you’re helping to ensure a bright future for both the Aussie tea industry and our economy. This keeps rural job opportunities plentiful – so what better time could there be to make the switch to an all Aussie brew! </p> <p>In 2021, Nerada proudly celebrated 50 years of the Nerada brand – it’s a huge achievement and Nerada are excited to be shining a spotlight on locally grown tea. The inaugural “Aussie Tea Month” took place in May and will be an annual celebration of the quality and diversity of Australian Tea.</p> <p>David Lyons, Founding Director of the Australian Tea Cultural Society, said, "It is brilliant to see tea in Australia continuing to grow and evolve. International Tea Day, and now Aussie Tea Month, are great ways of celebrating the ingenuity of the tea industry." </p> <p><img style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/55-Nerada-044A1878_O60.jpg" alt="Nerada Tea" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>“There is such a wonderful tea culture here in Australia. We fe<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">el honoured to have played a significant part of Australia’s tea history,” adds Nerada Tea Plantation Director Tony Poyner. “It’s testament to the perseverance of many of the pioneers in Queensland, such as the Taylor and Russell families who were determined to grow world-class tea on Australian soil. We’ll continue to refine our craft and bring tea lovers a quality range of black tea and infusions”.</span></p> <p>Nerada was recently awarded the 2022 Canstar Blue Award for Most Satisfied Customers for black tea – another endorsement for the quality of this locally grown brew.</p> <p>So next time you do your weekly shop, take a moment to consider where your beloved cuppa actually comes from – and think local before you pour yourself that beloved Aussie Brew.</p> <p>To find out more about the history of Nerada Tea as a great Australian tradition, <a href="https://neradatea.com.au/blogs/history/australian-tea?utm_source=Over+60s&utm_medium=Native&utm_campaign=Black+Tea+Aus+Grown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.</p> <p> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HcC8wGabosA" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p><em>This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with <a href="https://neradatea.com.au?utm_source=Over+60s&utm_medium=Native&utm_campaign=Black+Tea+Aus+Grown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nerada Tea</a>.</em></p>

Food & Wine

Tony Bennett's emotional final show with Lady Gaga

<p>Tony Bennett has taken to the stage of Radio City Music Hall in his emotional finale New York performances. </p> <p>Joined with special guest Lady Gaga, the 95-year-old celebrated his birthday by leaving his heart on the stage for his devoted audience. </p> <p>The show took place in August, six months after Tony and his family revealed he is suffering from Alzheimer's. </p> <p>Now, the rest of the world has a chance to experience the TV special, <em><span>One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, </span></em>which aired in the US on Sunday night. </p> <p>Tony Bennett sang all of his signature songs, including <em>I Left My Heart in San Francisco</em>, <em>Fly Me to the Moon</em> and <em>Steppin' Out With My Baby</em>, before signing a number of duets with Lady Gaga. </p> <p>Some of Tony's family members have admitted that since his diagnosis, he often doesn't know where he is or what is happening around him. </p> <p>But, on the stage in New York City, the legendary performer was in his element and didn't miss a beat. </p> <p>Lady Gaga belted out her own rendition of <em>New York, New York</em> before Tony took to the stage, as she teared up to introduce him. </p> <p><span>"He's my friend. He's my musical companion. And he's the greatest singer in the whole world. And I'm counting on you, New York, to make him smile. So you better cheer. You better yell. You better laugh. You better cry. You better give your soul," she said.</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/reel/CW15vNishM8/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/reel/CW15vNishM8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by CBS (@cbstv)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>Walking on stage, Tony was greeted with a standing ovation before singing a single note. </span></p> <p><span>Throughout the evening, the audience stood and applauded the </span>legendary performer, as they sang along to all of his classic hits. </p> <p>Although Tony feels at home on the stage, his wife Susan told <em>60 Minutes</em> they were unsure if the show was going to go ahead due to his health.</p> <p>But Susan said that once she saw him onstage that night, she knew everything would be just fine. </p> <p><span>"He became himself. He just turned on. It was like a light switch," she told </span><em><span>60 Minutes</span></em><span> in a segment that aired last month.</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/CW2EbJyMPeU/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/CW2EbJyMPeU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>According to Bennett's neurologist Dr Gayatri Devi, this is because music and performing are so ingrained in Tony's mind. </span></p> <p><span>"People respond differently based on their strengths. In Tony's case, it's his musical memory his ability to be a performer. Those are an innate and hardwired part of his brain," Devi said on <em>60 Minutes</em>. </span></p> <p><span>"So even though he doesn't know what the day might be, or where his apartment is, he still can sing the whole repertoire of the American Songbook and move people."</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

Waleed Aly defends cricketers refusal to support Black Lives Matter

<p>Waleed Aly has jumped to the defence of South African cricketer Quinton de Kock, who refused to take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. </p> <p>The world-famous wicketkeeper made international headlines when he refused to kneel at the T20 World Cup during a show of support for the global anti-racism movement. </p> <p>His refusal sparked outrage around the world, as <em>ABC Breakfast</em> host Tony Armstrong says he "saw red" and blasted the cricketer's actions on air. </p> <p>In the days following, Quinton de Kock, who comes from a mixed race family, issued an apology, saying he felt like his rights were "taken away" as players were instructed just hours before the commencement of the game to take a knee. </p> <p><em>The Project</em> host leapt to his defence, saying he understood the cricketer's reluctance to participate. </p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">"Especially when it came out that he was just told on the way to the ground and all of that sort of stuff," Aly told the program on Thursday night.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">"I think that there's a thing that sport has to think about here, which is, it's one thing for sport to take a stand... It's another thing when you compel every player to take the same stand, especially when you compel them a couple of hours before a game."</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Despite saying "if I was in his position, I'm taking the knee", Waleed said he thought it was unfair for Cricket South Africa to spring the action on unsuspecting players. </p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>"There was no conversation and suddenly he's meant to process this and take on something that the game or Cricket South Africa and a statement that they want to make as his own personal one," Aly continued.</span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>"It's a really weird situation for a player to be in."</span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>Guest host on The Project Tony Armstrong accepted the cricketer's apology and explanation, and admitted he may have made a mistake calling the player a racist. </span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>"I'm so glad that he's come out and said what he said. Because I think what he might not have realised in the moment was - just what it means to so many people," he said.</span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>You can check out the whole discussion here:</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kl9qOKx_JYY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><em>Image credits: The Project</em></p>

Tony Bennett sets a new Guinness World Record

<p>Grammy Award-winning singer Tony Bennett has set a new <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2021/10/legendary-tony-bennett-officially-the-oldest-person-to-release-an-album-of-new-ma-678310" target="_blank">Guinness World Record</a>.</p> <p>The music legend has released a collaboration with Lady Gaga titled <em>Love for Sale</em>, making Bennett the oldest person to release an album of new material. </p> <p>When the project was released on October 1st, Tony Bennett was <span>95 years and 60 days old.</span></p> <p><span>Despite their 60-year age gap, Lady Gaga said she </span><span>finds inspiration performing alongside the senior crooner.</span></p> <p><span>"I see a young boy every time I sing with him, and it just makes the experience of singing so freeing." </span></p> <p><span>"To have it be about two souls singing together ... and then at the same time, I also take in all his wisdom. The wisdom of all his years."</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/CUsr56LPOFf/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/CUsr56LPOFf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>The new album celebrates the legendary music of Cole Porter, </span>bringing Bennett and Gaga together for another collaboration. </p> <p><span>In 2011, they recorded the song <em>The Lady is a Tramp</em>, and three years later they released a collaborative album entitled </span><em><span>Cheek to Cheek</span></em><span>.</span></p> <p><span>Tony Bennett's latest world record is not the first time the singer has appeared in the Guinness books. </span></p> <p><span>Throughout his 70-year </span>career, he holds four other records:</p> <ul> <li><span>Oldest person to reach No.1 on the US album chart with a newly recorded album for </span><em><span>Cheek to Cheek</span></em><span>.</span></li> <li><span>Longest time between UK top 20 albums: 39 years.</span></li> <li><span>Oldest person to enter the UK top 20 album chart with </span><em><span>Duets: An American Classic</span></em><span> when he was 80.</span></li> <li><span>Longest time between the release of an original recording and a re-recording of the same single by the same artist.</span></li> </ul> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

“He doesn’t know he has it”: Susan Benedetto on Tony Bennett’s diagnosis

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan Benedetto, Tony Bennett’s wife, has revealed that the musical icon “doesn’t know” he has Alzheimer’s disease.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 95-year-old singer appeared on the US </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">60 Minutes</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> with Benedetto and interviewer Anderson Cooper, as the show followed his final on-stage appearance with Lady Gaga in August.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He recognises me, thank goodness, his children, you know we are blessed in a lot of ways,” Benedetto </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/tony-bennett-alzheimers-disease-not-aware-wife-susan-benedetto-60-minutes-interview/8379c29a-a893-43ed-9fe9-13d4a8ec908f" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">told Cooper</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “He’s very sweet.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Referring to his Alzheimer’s, Benedetto said, “He doesn’t know he has it.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bennett’s family revealed in February that he had been living with the disease.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.0304449648712px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844677/despite-his-alzheimers-tony-bennett-prepares-to-perform-with-lady-gaga-1-37-screenshot.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d41867ee644a4ca2b31bbbe1f6f317bd" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: 60 Minutes / YouTube</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Benedetto previously said Bennett was unable to understand what the disease is.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He would ask me, ‘What is Alzheimer’s?’ I would explain, but he wouldn’t get it,” she told </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">AARP Magazine</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> earlier this year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He’d tell me, ‘Susan, I feel fine’. That’s all he could process - that physically he felt great. So, nothing changed in his life. Anything that did change, he wasn’t aware of.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bennett was first diagnosed in 2017, after he became concerned with his memory a year earlier.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We came home one night and he said, ‘Susan,’ he said, ‘I’m having a hard time remembering the names of the musicians [who he works with]’,” Benedetto said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And so it was unusual and I said, ‘Well do you wanna go see a doctor about it?’ and he said, ‘I do’.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Tune in to <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@60Minutes</a> tonight at 7pm ET/PT on CBS for my conversation with <a href="https://twitter.com/andersoncooper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@andersoncooper</a> about Love For Sale and my dear friend <a href="https://twitter.com/itstonybennett?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@itstonybennett</a>. ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/UQDfYbThDy">pic.twitter.com/UQDfYbThDy</a></p> — Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) <a href="https://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/1444770602024267779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When Cooper asked Lady Gaga if she thought Bennett’s last performance was “a sad story”, she shared her thoughts on working with the icon.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s not a sad story,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s emotional. It’s hard to watch somebody change. I think what’s been beautiful about this, and what’s been challenging, is to see how it affects him in some ways, but to see how it doesn’t affect his talent.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think he really pushed through something to give the world the gift of knowing that things can change and you can still be magnificent.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gaga and Bennett performed at two sold-out concerts in celebration of his 95th birthday and their second and final album together, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Love for Sale</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Tony, this is the last album we will have created together, but the celebration of jazz, and us as musical companions, will live on with me forever. We offer the public “Love For Sale” for free love, to make them smile, because that’s what we’re here for. ❤️ Love, LG <a href="https://t.co/VP6QifdrHA">pic.twitter.com/VP6QifdrHA</a></p> — Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) <a href="https://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/1438714751165480961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When asked about the recording process, Gaga told </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/10/04/lady-gaga-talks-tony-bennett-alzheimers-love-for-sale/5979884001/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">USA Today</span></a></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">it was “hard” to talk about, but “it’s important during times like this to be authentic and share the pain of the realities of what it’s like to have a loved one have Alzheimer’s or dementia”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I really extend my heart to people going through a similar situation.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">See an excerpt of Bennett, Benedetto and Gaga’s appearance on <em>60 Minutes</em> here.</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yNrvXw9juNs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @itstonybennett / Instagram</span></em></p>

Mind

Tony Abbott snapped maskless at Manly Beach

<div class="new-post-menu-component">NSW Police have confirmed they are investigating an eyewitness report that former Prime Minister Tony Abbott was photographed maskless at Manly beach on Wednesday.</div> <div class="post-body-container"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Abbott maintains he was not in breach of the rules because he had originally attended the beach to go surfing and catch some “magic waves” which he added “is exercise”.</p> <p>He told media he believed he was completely within the rules even under what he called the current “rather oppressive regime”.</p> <p>Abbott has not been fined or charged with any wrongdoing.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">🚨 BREAKING 🚨<br /><br />Here is another example of Australia’s political elite playing by a different set of rules compared to everyone else.<br /><br />Look at how Former PM Tony Abbott is dressed - THIS IS NOT EXERCISE!<br /><br />I wonder whether <a href="https://twitter.com/nswpolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nswpolice</a> will issue Abbott with an infringement notice? <a href="https://t.co/lLqC3pQPFm">pic.twitter.com/lLqC3pQPFm</a></p> — John Adams (@adamseconomics) <a href="https://twitter.com/adamseconomics/status/1435400918019702784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2021</a></blockquote> NSW Police are investigating an eyewitness report that former Prime Minister Tony Abbott was maskless at Manly beach on Wednesday. <p>But the woman who photographed him has confirmed she has now been contacted by police and will make a statement.</p> <p>“Nothing says mockdown more than an ex-PM flaunting around without a mask,” she said to the media.</p> <p>“It’s OK for him, but what about everyone else who has been fined by the police? What about all the kids that can’t be vaccinated?”</p> <p>“When the premier says ‘people should use their judgement’, this shows that even a former leader of this country can’t even be trusted to use his judgement,” she added.</p> <p><strong>Photographed at Fairy Bower Beach chatting to a friend</strong></p> <p>The former Prime Minister was photographed in jeans and a jumper chatting with the friend at Fairly Bower Beach on the Manly foreshore.</p> <p>“I went out for a surf on the beautiful Bower. Caught a couple of magic waves,” he said.</p> <p>He was then overheard apologising to his friend as he realised he’d made an error.</p> <p>“S**t I don’t have my mask,” the former PM was overheard saying.</p> <p>The group went on to joke about Abbott’s globetrotting overseas travels which have recently included a trip to India as a trade envoy for Australia.</p> <p>After his friend joked he was surprised Abbott had been let back into the country, the former PM replied, “I’ve got a passport mate, they had to let me into the country.”</p> <p>“And yeah, it’s a perfect day in Sydney. Just a pity we’re all bloody suffering lockdown conditions.</p> <p>“Apart from that, it’s as good as it can be.</p> <p>“Look, I regard myself as having been at all times within the rules. I was surfing. That’s exercise. I was with one other person. That’s permitted. I then walked briskly to the coffee shop, that’s permitted.</p> <p>“I didn’t have a mask on while I was drinking coffee. That’s permitted. So, all ridgy didgy even under the current rather oppressive regime.”</p> <p><strong>NSW imposes a $500 fine for adults who don’t comply</strong></p> <p>There is a $500 fine for adults in NSW who fail to comply with a direction to wear or carry a mask.</p> <p>The person who took the photograph of Abbott told media he was still chatting without his mask after they returned from a dip in the ocean around 9am.</p> <p>Abbott is the latest in a line of politicians photographed maskless in recent months.</p> <p>Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was fined $200 for failing to wear a mask in breach of COVID orders in June.</p> <p>Local constituents informed police after he was spotted in a petrol station in Armidale without a mask.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images and Twitter</em></p> </div> </div> </div>

News

"Really hard to watch": Project host blasts "racist" Australia

<p>After watching a video from the new documentary called <em>Incarceration Nation,</em> the indigenous <em>Project</em> host slammed Australia for being a “racist country, adding, “we’ve just got to get better.”</p> <p>Tony Armstrong said the video was "hard to watch" and Lisa Wilkinson agreed with him, saying it was "hard to watch, Tony, but really important to watch."</p> <p>The documentary takes a confronting look into why so many indigenous Australians are locked behind bars, showing how the oppression of Aboriginal people started from the time of the early settlers and is still going on today.</p> <p>“First Nations people are 3.3 percent of our total population, but 29 percent of male Australian prisoners are indigenous. Indigenous women account for just over a third. With more mothers than ever behind bars, a record number of children are being placed in child protection,” the documentary states.</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XUyfAme3i_U" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>One case in the documentary showed a child jailed for 90 days for stealing some coins from a car.</p> <p>Other footage shows a 14-year-old boy, Dylan Voller, who's assaulted, hooded, and bound to a chair.</p> <p>Inspector Jeff Regan – an indigenous policeman - is interviewed and recounts his days as a young policeman when he wasn’t allowed to share a fridge with his co-workers.</p> <p>Explaining how he was talked to at the time, Inspector Regan said an officer told him: “‘You’re not putting it in our fridge’. I said ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘You cook differently. You’re not putting your food in there. Go and get another fridge and clean it out and you can put your food in there.’ They make you feel subhuman.”</p> <p><strong><em>Project</em></strong><strong> host Tony Armstrong gives his opinion</strong></p> <p>After the video, <em>Project </em>host Tony Armstrong weighed in on the issue, adding his opinion:</p> <p>“That’s hard to watch. My heart is going a million miles an hour. There’s so many points to pick up on. We talk about incarceration rates - you’re not seeing white kids getting jailed for stealing a bottle of water.</p> <p>“You’re trying to find a way to rehabilitate them, you’re asking what are the reasons why they ended up stealing that bottle of water? You’re not just throwing the long arm of the law at them.</p> <p>”You saw the footage of the young fella, bound up like Guantanamo Bay. That’s not on. But that happens in our country. And we talk about a sense of truth telling, we talk about, you know, needing to accept where we’ve come from to be able to move forward. This country still can’t accept it’s a racist country. You still can’t accept it’s built off the back of slavery, it’s built off the back of dispossession, it’s built off the back of rape and pillage of indigenous people. It’s just – it’s really hard to watch and really hard to reconcile with. And we’ve just got to be better.”</p> <p><em>Photo: Channel 10</em></p>

Adorable first image of Tony Abbott's new grandson

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frances Loch, Tony Abbott’s daughter, has shared adorable photos of her newborn just two weeks after his birth.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This guy…,” she captioned the most recent photo on Instagram.</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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRzKUWGjf-j/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/CRzKUWGjf-j/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by FRANNY (@francesloch)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frances, who is married to former Olympic rower Sam Loch, previously shared her “intense” experience while giving birth and how it was all “forgotten” when she met her newborn son.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Birth was intense and incredible. Every part that was difficult and uncomfortable was forgotten in the next moment and 100 times worth it because it was bringing him closer to us,” Loch wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I used my breath and all my strength. I trusted my body, my baby and my team (My ride or die Sam Loch and our amazing doula Kim). Not only was this beautiful nine-pounder born, but also a mother, father, and family.”</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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRfIT8Ljq1U/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/CRfIT8Ljq1U/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by FRANNY (@francesloch)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frances and Sam announced the birth of Ernest on July 19.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Tipping the scales at an even 9lb [4kg]. Brought into existence by his mum with nothing but breathing, coconut water and heart,” Sam wrote on Instagram.</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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRNmd4QLCjK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/CRNmd4QLCjK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Sam Loch (@samloch)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The couple were engaged two weeks after meeting, and married three months later.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frances is the second of Abbott’s three daughters.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Frances Loch / Instagram</span></em></p>

Family & Pets

Tony Abbott's daughter welcomes first child

<p>Tony Abbott's daughter Frances has given birth to a baby boy at an American hospital on Sunday.</p> <p>The 29-year-old and her husband Sam welcomed Ernest in Portland, Oregon.</p> <p>In a post shared to Instagram, the former Olympic rower shared a photo of his wife holding their newborn.</p> <p>“Ernest Loch – Born on his Due Date, July 11. Tipping the scales at an even 9lb,” he wrote.</p> <p>“Brought into existence by his mum with nothing but breathing, coconut water and heart.”</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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRNmd4QLCjK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/CRNmd4QLCjK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Sam Loch (@samloch)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Frances revealed her pregnancy news back in January, debuting her baby bump in a social media post.</p> <p>"BIG LITTLE BABY LOCH 🌱 Joining the party Summer '21," she wrote.</p> <p>The pair have two anniversary dates, given they had two weddings in 2018. They first held a civil ceremony on Valentines Day that year before tying the knot again on April 29 in front of family and friends in a casual soiree on Sydney's Palm Beach, where the entire wedding party wore Adidas slides.</p> <p>Their first wedding came three months after she met the bodybuilder in November 2017 - they got engaged two later.</p>

Family & Pets

Tony Bennett reveals fight against Alzheimer’s disease

<p><span>Tony Bennett has revealed he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, but refuses to give up the fight.</span><br /><br /><span>"Life is a gift — even with Alzheimer's. Thank you to [his wife] Susan and my family for their support, and AARP the Magazine for telling my story," he wrote on social media.</span><br /><br /><span>The 94-year-old was diagnosed with the disease in 2016, but has proven even the lingering disease did not stop him as he released his chart-topping duets album with Lady Gaga, <em>Cheek to Cheek i</em></span><span>n 2015.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Life is a gift - even with Alzheimer’s. Thank you to Susan and my family for their support, and <a href="https://twitter.com/AARP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AARP</a> The Magazine for telling my story.<br /><br />Read more here:<a href="https://t.co/R05A4jc5BF">https://t.co/R05A4jc5BF</a>⁰<br /><br />📸 Kelsey Bennett <a href="https://t.co/ApxBCpGv0y">pic.twitter.com/ApxBCpGv0y</a></p> — Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) <a href="https://twitter.com/itstonybennett/status/1356232201810157568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>The star’s son, Danny Bennett, released a heartfelt statement: "Managing my father for the last 40 years has been a privilege and an amazing journey. He never ceases to inspire me with his passion and dedication to all that life has to offer. The last four years has been no exception.</span><br /><br /><span>“He continues to sing and stay fit on a daily basis. I speak for the whole family in thanking his wonderful wife Susan for all the support and love she has given to him. Our wish is that by openly sharing his challenges with Alzheimer's That we will give hope to all that face this condition and will help end the stigma surrounding this disease.</span><br /><br /><span>“Above all else, we want to be able to help raise awareness, advocate for advancing new therapies and one day soon, finding a cure."</span><br /><br /><span>Alzheimer's can result in progressive memory loss that deprives its sufferers of speech, understanding, treasured memories or recognition of loved ones.</span><br /><br /><span>While it is understood Bennett has not developed many of the worst characteristics of the disease which can include episodes of rage or depression, he does have a tendency to forget where he is.</span><br /><br /><span>"One of the cruellest aspects of dementia is the stigma that surrounds it," Sarah Lock, AARP senior vice president for brain health, said.</span></p> <p><span>"Feelings of hopelessness can cause people to resist getting diagnosed or refuse treatment. Although there's currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease, there's a lot that people can do to delay symptoms and improve quality of life."</span></p>

Music

Tony Jones storms off set after infamous footage resurfaces

<p>Channel 9 presenter Tony Jones made good on his promise to walk off set if his infamous attempted kiss with Rebecca Judd was shown on air again.</p> <p>Jones went viral in 2016 after he attempted to kiss Judd during her last show as Nine’s weather presenter before departing for maternity leave, only for her to snub him completely.</p> <p>It didn’t take long for the awkward footage to gain traction online with the incident being regularly replayed on Channel 9’s AFL Sunday Footy Show which Jones hosts.</p> <p>But this year, the 58-year-old explained what he would do if the footage was shown again.</p> <p>“If I see that played one more time at Channel 9, I will walk off the set,” Jones said on 3AW.</p> <p>“I do not want to see that kiss again.”</p> <p>Now it has been revealed by The Herald Sun’s Jackie Epstein that Jones did exactly that.</p> <p>During a live interview with NRL legend Billy Slator on Sunday morning, Jones walked off set.</p> <p>“What did I say?” Jones said when the vision was aired again to make him the butt of a joke.</p> <p>“I’ll show you how much of a joke this is. I told you. You can’t help yourself.”</p> <p>Sunday Footy Show presenter and Geelong legend Billy Brownless said: “We thought he was joking, but he’s not coming back.”</p> <p>Jones then made his way back to panel begrudgingly, but only because management forced him to.</p> <p>In March, Jones said Nine News director Hugh Nailon was to blame for the infamous moment. </p> <p>“I’ve put up with that c**p for years, and it’s not my fault!” Jones declared.</p> <p>“Our news director, Hugh Nailon, here at Channel 9 at Melbourne. He didn’t organise the flowers. I was supposed to present Bec the flowers.</p> <p>“And when we realised he’d forgotten to organise the flowers, I said, ‘Well I’m going home’.</p> <p>“And then I think John Murphy was the floor manager, he sort of said, ‘You’re gonna stay here, you’ll stay here and play happy families’. Well that was a real happy family, wasn’t it?</p> <p>“So it wasn’t my fault.”</p>

Tony Abbott’s major boarding pass blunder

<p><span>Tony Abbott is not the only Aussie to share a screen grab of his boarding pass onto Instagram, however it has been revealed that it took hackers only 45 minutes to get private information about the former Prime Minister purely due to one simple mistake.</span><br /><br /><span>Australian tech expert Alex Hope said he was able to retrieve Mr Abbott’s phone number and passport details from the Instagram post in March.</span><br /><br /><span>“A big thank you to all the team on QF26 from Tokyo. Hope to see you flying again soon!,” Mr Abbott captioned the photo, which has since been deleted. Pity.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Hope said he took on the challenge to hack the former PM after he was dared by a friend in his group chat that asked: “Can you hack this man?”.</span><br /><br /><span>The “hacker” says finding the information was easy as he simply took the details from the image on Mr Abbott’s Instagram to log into Qantas’ booking page.</span><br /><br /><span>He was able to read the HTML code and find Mr Abbott’s phone number and passport number within minutes.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837940/tony-abbott-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ebd8ba1c75634c80a6a7672b0641ae1c" /><br /><br /><span>In a blog post, the self-described “hacker” noted that he had tried for six months to alert Mr Abbott to what had happened.</span><br /><br /><span>“I had Tony Abbott’s passport number, phone number, and weird Qantas messages about him. I was the only one who knew I had these,” he wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>“Anyone who saw that Instagram post could also have them. I felt like I had to like, tell someone about this. Someone with like, responsibilities. Someone with an email signature,” he added.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Hope said he tracked Mr Abbott’s personal assistant down after many months of trying.</span><br /><br /><span>He then had a quick chat with Mr Abbott one-on-one.</span><br /><br /><span>“Mostly, he wanted to check whether his understanding of how I’d found his passport number was correct (it was). He also wanted to ask me how to learn about ‘the IT’,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>“He asked some intelligent questions, like ‘how much information is in a boarding pass, and what do people like me need to know to be safe?’, and ‘why can you get a passport number from a boarding pass, but not from a bus ticket?’.</span><br /><br /><span>“The answer is that boarding passes have your password printed on them, and bus tickets don’t. You can use that password to log in to a website (widely regarded as a bad move), and at that point all bets are off, websites can just do whatever they want.”</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Hope says Qantas fixed the bug that allowed him to retrieve Abbott’s private details was fixed in July thanks to his warnings.</span><br /><br /><span>He says that he hopes this incident will make people think twice about what they post to social media.</span><br /><br /><span>“The point is that if someone famous can unknowingly post their boarding pass, anyone can,” Mr Hope wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>Qantas say they have tightened their protocols.</span><br /><br /><span>They urge passengers to keep their booking details private.</span><br /><br /><span>“Our standard advice to customers is to not post pictures of the boarding pass, or to at least obscure the key personal information if they do, because of the detail it contains,” a spokesperson said.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Abbott has since been issued a new passport number.</span></p>

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Young and the Restless star passes away after cancer battle

Tony Bennett: the timeless visionary who, with a nod to America’s musical heritage, embraced the future

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