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Queen Camilla's hilarious reaction to becoming a Royal Barbie Girl

<p>In a moment that could only happen in the whimsical world of royalty, Queen Camilla found herself face-to-face with an unexpected miniature version of herself during a reception at Buckingham Palace.</p> <p>But this wasn't just any Barbie doll; it was a bespoke creation, meticulously crafted in Her Majesty's likeness, complete with her signature style and regal flair!</p> <p>The Queen's reaction was nothing short of priceless, as she quipped that the designers had managed to shave off a good few decades from her appearance. "You've taken about 50 years off my life," she joked, "we should all have a Barbie."</p> <p>One can only imagine the possibilities if all it took to turn back the clock was a custom-made doll! However, the hilarity didn't end there. Despite the uncanny resemblance between Queen Camilla and her plastic counterpart, there was a slight wardrobe mishap that caught Her Majesty's discerning eye.</p> <p>It seems she had inadvertently misplaced her WOW badge, wearing it on her dress instead of her cape, unlike her miniature twin. Oh, the horror of a mismatched ensemble in the halls of Buckingham Palace! One can only imagine the flurry of royal assistants scrambling to rectify the situation, lest the fashion police be summoned.</p> <p>But among the giggles and guffaws, Queen Camilla seized the opportunity to reflect on a more profound message, delving into the history of women's rights and the symbolism of two stones preserved from a 1914 suffragette protest. As she eloquently put it, "These stones were picked up and handed to Queen Mary, who decided to keep them for posterity. I thought today we might, to quote Shakespeare, find 'sermons in stones'."</p> <p>Indeed, the juxtaposition of a miniature Barbie and historical artefacts provided a reminder of the progress made in the fight for gender equality, while also serving as a testament to the timeless spirit of hope and resilience embodied by women throughout history.</p> <p>In the end, Queen Camilla's encounter with her Barbie alter ego may have been a lighthearted affair, but it also served as a reminder that even in the most regal of settings, laughter and humility are never far from reach. After all, who says queens can't have a little fun with their plastic doppelgängers?</p> <p><em>Images: Getty / YouTube</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Bruce Willis' heartwarming reaction to granddaughter amid dementia battle

<p>Bruce Willis' daughter Rumer has shared what the actor is like as a grandfather, amid his battle with frontotemporal dementia.</p> <p>Rumer candidly revealed that the now-retired actor is “incredibly loving and kind” and despite his FTD, his face “lights up” whenever he sees his granddaughter Louetta. </p> <p>“His face lights up when he sees Louetta,” Rumer told <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/02/01/entertainment/bruce-willis-face-lights-up-with-granddaughter-amid-dementia-battle/?utm_medium=browser_notifications&amp;utm_source=pushly&amp;utm_content=Entertainment/Living%20Audience&amp;utm_campaign=4164834" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The New York Post</em></a>.</p> <p>“And I’m just so grateful to have that kind of spark of mischief and fun and and play no matter what age I am.”</p> <p>Louetta is Rumer’s 9-month-old baby girl with partner, Derek Richard Thomas. </p> <p>Rumer also shared that her father is most like David Addison Jr, a character he played on the hit 80s show <em>Moonlighting</em>.</p> <p>“So charming, so funny, so silly … kind of mischievous glint in his eye, kind and sweet,” she said. </p> <p>“And so I feel like that’s really the epitome of who my dad is.</p> <p>“And that is so true to this day.”</p> <p>Despite his dementia diagnosis, Rumer said that her father has not lost any of his trademark silliness and sense of humour.</p> <p>“He’s so incredibly loving and kind,” she said. </p> <p>“My dad is absolutely the reason I (have) my taste in music (and) some of my humour.</p> <p>“Both of my parents are so silly.”</p> <p>In 2022 Bruce's family announced that the <em>Die Hard</em> star was going to retire, as he was diagnosed with <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/bruce-willis-forced-to-retire-after-medical-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aphasia</a>, a disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate. </p> <p>A year later it was revealed that it had progressed to <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/cruel-disease-bruce-willis-given-heartbreaking-new-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">frontotemporal dementia</a>.</p> <p>His family have since kept fans updated on the star's health. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Mind

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"Blah": Brutal reactions to royal family's 2023 Christmas card

<p>Royal fans have shared their mixed reviews of the 2023 Christmas card portrait, featuring Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three children. </p> <p>The Prince and Princess of Wales shared their family photo to their Instagram account on Sunday, with the snap showing the royal family of five all dressed in similar outfits: simple black pants or jeans, and white button up tops.</p> <p>The photo, taken in black and white, shows Kate and William standing behind their three kids, while Prince George and Prince Louis standing around Princess Charlotte, who was seated for the photo. </p> <p>The post of their family Christmas card picture has racked up over 2 million likes, with thousands of people sharing their thoughts on the snap in the comments. </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/C0pf0IXNv15/?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/C0pf0IXNv15/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Many were quick to comment on the similarities between the younger royals and their predecessors, with many stating that "Princess Charlotte looks like a young Queen Elizabeth", while others shared their thoughts on how much Prince Louis is looking like his mother. </p> <p>Despite many royal fans delighting over the card, there were some mixed reactions from others. </p> <p>Royal commentators online were quick to point out how this year's card, all in black and white, is a stark contrast to last year's photo, which shows the family walking hand-in-hand in the sunshine. </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/CmH_qcOtUx_/?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/CmH_qcOtUx_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>While acknowledging that the photo is objectively lovely of the family, some wish that the portrait had a bit more Christmas spirit. </p> <p>One person wrote on X, "This doesn’t look like a Christmas Card. Looks like a Vogue edit’s choice cover from the 90s. Beautiful but not Xmassy!"</p> <p>Another added that the image looked like it was "taken at a photo studio in a shopping mall," while another disappointed fan said it was "Kind of... Well, blah."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“Completely harmless”: Alan Jones pictured in blackface

<p dir="ltr">An historical photo of Alan Jones has caused a stir online, with the snap depicting him in blackface.</p> <p dir="ltr">The photo was taken in 1986, with the moment taking place at the Wallabies team function in New Zealand, back when Jones was the coach for the Australian rugby team. </p> <p dir="ltr">The radio shock jock decided to paint his face black as he was impersonating 1920s vaudeville singer Al Jolson.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some of the biggest names in Australian rugby who witnessed Jones's recital have leapt to their old coach's defence, saying his performance was part of a night of harmless fun.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bledisloe Cup-winning Wallabies captain Andrew Slack was quick to defend Jones, as he questioned why the photos, which were taken 37 years ago, would resurface now. </p> <p dir="ltr">“If we turn this into something offensive the world has gone crazy,” Slack told <em>Daily Mail Australia</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">He went on to explain that his controversial costume was part of a night of harmless fun, as players and coaches took part in a talent show. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We all had to do various things,” he said. “It was basically a fancy dress party to loosen up.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“That would be a reasonably regular thing on a tour in those days, that you'd have some sort of internal party, no one else involved, just the boys.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Someone putting themselves out to sing when they can't sing or read a poem.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Alan did an Al Jolson number. He had the hat and the cane and whatever. It was fun.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“That's what it was, completely harmless and good fun. If we turn this into something offensive the world has gone crazy but that's what it was.”</p> <p dir="ltr">You can view the pictures of Alan Jones <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-12651343/Alan-Jones-blackface-Al-Jolson-New-Zealand.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

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"He leaves a broken state behind him": Aussies react to Dan Andrews' resignation

<p>Victorian premier Dan Andrews has announced he will be resigning from his role after nine years in the job, prompting a very mixed response from Aussies. </p> <p>Andrews made the announcement on Tuesday, describing his time as premier as the “honour and privilege of my life”.</p> <p>For many Aussies, the news of his resignation came as a shock, with the announcement prompting a wave of mixed responses. </p> <p>Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto had one of the strongest reactions to the news, saying Mr Andrews had “trashed Victoria’s reputation”.</p> <p>“I wish Daniel Andrews well. But we have to face the facts. He’s leaving because Victoria, under his leadership, is falling apart,” he said. </p> <p>Shadow Immigration Minister Dan Tehan also had little nice to say about the outgoing premier, claiming he made the state of Victoria “poorer” while in the top job.</p> <p>“I think he’ll be remembered as a very good politician, very good at politics, but I think, sadly, over time, his legacy is going to be one in which he made the state of Victoria poorer, and he made Victorians poorer,” Mr Tehan said via <em>Sky News Australia</em>.</p> <p>“While we wish him and his family well, the sad reality is it’s Victorians who are going to have to pick up the pieces of his nine years in charge of this state.”</p> <p>Throughout his time as premier, Andrews attracted his fair amount of controversy, particularly around his harsh stance on Covid lockdowns, which saw Melbourne go through one of the longest continuous lockdowns on the planet.</p> <p>One of Mr Andrews’ biggest critics, <em>3AW</em> host Neil Mitchell, was also thrilled to bid the premier farewell, telling him, “Let’s hope we don’t see you in public life again”. </p> <p>He told <em>3AW</em> Mr Andrews had done “enormous damage to Victoria” and claimed to have been predicting his resignation for months. </p> <p>“I reckon he’s been thinking for some time. He’s been out of sorts for months. He’s been making unusual political errors. He’s seemed disinterested, he’s snappy at press conferences. I’ve said on air for some months, ‘he’s thinking about getting out’,” Mitchell said, adding “It’s time for him to go”.</p> <p>Liberal Party powerbroker Michael Kroger argued that Mr Andrews had over the years “got away with murder”, politically speaking.</p> <p>“Record debt. Small businesses are still broken and have not recovered from these extreme measures during the lockdown,’’ Mr Kroger told <em>Sky News</em>.</p> <p>“He leaves a broken, bankrupt state behind him. That’s his legacy. The financial recklessness of Daniel Andrews is unprecedented. And will take a generation to recover from."</p> <p>“Victoria will be better for Daniel Andrews having left today.”</p> <p>Despite many harsh words from his critics, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was quick to praise Andrews' time as premier. </p> <p>He wrote in a lengthy post on Facebook that it had been a pleasure working “alongside an old friend”. </p> <p>“Daniel Andrews is a person of deep conviction, great compassion and fierce determination and he brought all those qualities to his time as Premier of Victoria,” Mr Albanese said. </p> <p>“As Prime Minister, it was a pleasure for me to work alongside an old friend – and a leader of such vision and ambition. It made a huge difference to sit at the National Cabinet table with someone who believed so deeply in the power of government to change lives for the better."</p> <p>“Nearly nine years as Premier is a remarkable achievement. Dan Andrews can be proud that he didn’t waste a minute. I wish Dan, Cath and their children all the very best for their future together.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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What not to say when someone comes out as LGBTQ+ (and what to say instead)

<p><strong>"Are you sure?"</strong></p> <p>People who identify as LGBTQ+ often struggle a great deal with their own feelings before they make the nerve-wracking decision to come out. Despite your best intentions, responding to this by asking, “Are you sure?” may be seen as calling into question the emotional journey that brought them to that point.</p> <p>Instead of expressing what might be interpreted as doubt, you could perhaps say, “It’s always good to know what you like and want. Thanks for coming out to me.”</p> <p><strong>"It must have been tough for your parents"</strong></p> <p>Yes, it could have been tough for the parents. But guess what? It was harder on the individual for even longer – and in more intense ways than you can imagine. Staying in the closet is not a very comfortable position for a self-accepting person, but it’s an even harder journey to get to that point of self-acceptance. LGBTQ+ individuals have battled real fears of being attacked, abandoned, discriminated against and disadvantaged.</p> <p>In fact, LGBTQ+ youth are three times more likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual counterparts. Although it’s reasonable to show empathy for their parents, it’s poorly-timed here. Instead, try, “I hope you are coping well with your parents’ response. I am here to talk if you need to. Thanks for coming out me.”</p> <p><strong>"Why didn't you tell me before?"</strong></p> <p>Well, it’s likely because they were afraid. It’s not because you are a monster, but because they love you and feared losing you as a result of coming out. The important thing is to not take it personally. When a loved one comes out, you are being called on to show targeted and urgent empathy. While your pain of being “left out” is real, it can wait a day or two.</p> <p>Right now, your focus should be how to celebrate your loved one’s life and the choices they’ve made, including the one of having just come out to you. Kick off the celebration by saying, “I am so proud that you have chosen to live your truth in front of me. Thanks for being authentic with me.”</p> <p><strong>"Are you the man or the woman in the relationship?"</strong></p> <p>More than anything, this question demonstrates a fundamental ignorance of the concept of same-sex love. It also misplaces the focus on the sexual act (rather than on identity) at a time when they’re in a vulnerable state. When a person comes out, they’re opening their hearts to you and sharing the emotional reality of who they are as individuals.</p> <p>Instead of asking this question, reinforce how grateful you are that the person has had the courage to come out to you, and say, “I accept you for who you are. Thank you for coming out to me.”</p> <p><strong>"Would you be my gay bestie?"</strong></p> <p>People who identify as LGBTQ+ can be good (or insufferable) company just like any other human being, but the point is, they are human beings and not objects or accessories as the pop culture depiction of the “gay bestie” might have you believe.</p> <p>Instead of this response, take this opportunity to reaffirm your loving, supportive relationship: “You are brave and honest, and this makes me respect you even more. Thanks for coming out to me.”</p> <p><strong>"I knew it!"</strong></p> <p>This particularly hurtful response is generally remarked when a “feminine” man or “butch” woman comes out. Many gender non-conforming individuals try very hard to either tone-down or manage their sexuality in public for fear of homophobia.</p> <p>By saying “I knew it!,” you’re inadvertently suggesting that their sexuality or gender non-conformity was being gossiped about behind their back in a sneaky, judgmental manner, which could, in turn, lead the person to feel that staying in the closet was a safer option than coming out. To avoid this situation, stick with a response of, “I’m honoured you chose to come out to me. Thank you.”</p> <p><strong>"But you're so masculine!"</strong></p> <p>On the opposite end of the spectrum lies this response, indicating disbelief that a “manly” man could be gay, or that a “feminine” woman could be lesbian. Being in the closet is an alienating experience; responding to an individual’s coming-out with a comment that suggests they don’t conform to their “new” sexual identity either can be just as alienating.</p> <p>A better response could be, simply, “I didn’t know, but I’m so grateful you came out to me. Thank you.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/relationships/what-not-to-say-when-someone-comes-out-as-lgbtq-and-what-to-say-instead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

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Priscilla Presley's reaction to movie based on her life

<p>Priscilla Presley has shared how "emotional" she became after watching the new movie based on her life with her late rock star husband. </p> <p>The 78-year-old attended the premiere of the new film <em>Priscilla</em>, which was based on her 1985 memoir <em>Elvis &amp; Me. </em></p> <p>Priscilla took to the red carpet at the Venice International Film Festival on September 4th alongside director Sofia Coppola and the cast.</p> <p>"It was very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life, about your love," she explained at a media call following the premiere screening.</p> <p>"Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework, we spoke a couple of times and I really put everything out for her that I could," she added.</p> <p>Priscilla went on to explain why she thought her love story was so intriguing to a public audience, as she spoke about the early days of her relationship with the late rock star. </p> <p>"It was very difficult for my parents to understand that Elvis would be so interested in me and why, and I really do think [it was] because I was more of a listener," she said.</p> <p>"Elvis would pour his heart out to me in every way in Germany: his fears, his hopes, the loss of his mother which he never, ever got over. And I was the person who really, really sat there to listen and to comfort him. That was really our connection."</p> <p>She continued, "Even though I was 14, I was actually a little bit older in life, not in numbers. That was the attraction. People think, 'Oh, it was sex.' No, it wasn't. I never had sex with him. He was very kind, very soft, very loving, but he also respected the fact I was only 14 years old."</p> <p><em>Euphoria</em> star and Aussie actor Jacob Elordi plays Elvis in the new film, with Cailee Spaeny in the title role of Priscilla, which traces Priscilla's early years and relationship with the music icon.</p> <p>Elvis Presley estate officials reportedly slammed the movie, with <em><a title="TMZ" href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/06/22/elvis-presley-estate-officials-slam-priscilla-movie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ</a></em> claiming unnamed officials were displeased with news of the production, labelling it a "money grab."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: #333333; color: #333333; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"> <div class="ob-smartfeed-wrapper feedIdx-0" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div id="outbrain_widget_0" class="OUTBRAIN" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" data-src="//celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/priscilla-presley-gets-emotional-after-very-difficult-viewing-of-priscilla/d6fd2f98-d746-4664-ada4-e5662a435aea" data-widget-id="AR_8" data-external-id="3820c6a948ab8b24c8020cab9d348600" data-ob-mark="true" data-browser="safari" data-os="macintel" data-dynload="" data-idx="0"> <div class="ob-widget ob-feed-layout AR_8" style="box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; position: relative; width: auto; min-width: 0px; clear: both;"> <div class="ob-widget-header" style="box-sizing: content-box; margin: 24px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #303030; direction: ltr; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center;"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Movies

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"Creepy" reaction to Robert Irwin debuting his girlfriend on social media

<p>Robert Irwin finally made his relationship with Rorie Buckey Instagram official with a cute selfie shared to his four million followers. </p> <p>While many were supportive of the couple's budding romance, a few others couldn't hide their disappointment as their dreams of having their own fairytale romance with the conservationist were crushed. </p> <p>“You just broke the hearts of tens of thousands of young girls across the world. Congrats tho,”  commented one person. </p> <p>“Siri play that should be me by Justin Bieber,” commented another. </p> <p>"So this is what heartbreak and betrayal feels like," commented a third. </p> <p>"I don’t think I can ever recover from this," wrote fourth. </p> <p>"What if this was my last straw robert," wrote another. </p> <p>One fan even asked him: "HOW COULD U CHEAT ON ME !?😭"</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/CwUpgBprVDf/?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/CwUpgBprVDf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The post itself gained almost 400,000 likes in the first eight hours after it went live, and a few comments have called out the fans who were disappointed in the star. </p> <p>“Some of these comments are creepy as,” wrote one.</p> <p>“This comment section is disappointing remove yourself from whatever parasocial relationship you’ve constructed and treat people with kindness,” commented another. </p> <p>“As much as I do have a celebrity crush on Robert, I think everybody should be happy for him. His life,” wrote a third. </p> <p>"Why are these comments so creepy? If you cant be kind, just stop. They look happy, leave them be," added another. </p> <p>The couple were first spotted cuddling at a Queensland beach late last year, and made their first <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/robert-irwin-makes-red-carpet-debut-with-girlfriend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">red carpet debut </a>at Sydney's International Convention Centre last month. </p> <p>Buckley, who is late star Heath Ledger's niece, is currently living in Perth, so the young couple are currently making their relationship work long-distance. </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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“Get me there”: Bride’s reaction to news of tragic bus crash

<p>Following the tragic bus crash in the Hunter Valley that saw <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/more-than-we-can-bear-hunter-valley-bus-crash-victims-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 people lose their lives</a>, a wedding guest of Mitchell Gaffney and Madeleine Edsell has recounted the horror.</p> <p>Edsell’s cousin has revealed the devastating moment the bride learned of the crash, saying she demanded to be taken to the scene.</p> <p>The passengers were heading to The Royal Hotel in Singleton where several guests were staying, returning from the wedding venue Wandin Estate Winery in Lovedale, when the bus rolled near the Hunter Expressway off-ramp at Greta just after 11:30pm.</p> <p>It is now believed to be Australia’s worst bus crash in three decades.</p> <p>Edsell’s cousin Kynan Stanford was with the bride when she found out about the crash and told 7NEWS, “The bride was pretty much kicking down the door trying to get in the car, saying, ‘Get me there, I need to go’, and we were like, ‘No, you don’t need to go’.”</p> <p>Emergency services smashed the windscreen of the bus as they reached to rescue passengers trapped inside.</p> <p>The victims of the heartbreaking incident are being remembered as vibrant people with promising lives ahead of them.</p> <p>The tight-knit Hunter Valley town of Singleton has been shaken, with seven of the 10 deceased believed to be locals.</p> <p>A junior doctor, a husband and wife and a mother and daughter are among those who passed away.</p> <p>Two of the victims were Nadene McBride, a coach for the Singleton Roosterettes, and her 22-year-old daughter Kyah who played on the team.</p> <p>Husband and father Graham “Banger” McBride remains in hospital.</p> <p>“There are no words to describe the grief our family is feeling at this time,” the McBride family said in a statement.</p> <p>Kane Symons, Kyah’s boyfriend is among one of the deceased and is being remembered as a keen surfer, a remarkable leader and a genuine friend by his former Tasmanian Carlton Park Surf Life Saving Club.</p> <p>Singleton husband and wife Andrew and Lynan Scott, who both played for Singleton Rooster teams, were also victims of the crash and have two young children.</p> <p>Another victim, Tori Cowburn was captain of The Roosterettes and also played basketball, netball, tennis and touch football.</p> <p>Darcy Bulman, a 30-year-old investigator for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, travelled from Melbourne with her partner for the wedding festivities.</p> <p>She sadly passed away and her partner is thought to be among one of the injured.</p> <p>Rebecca Mullen, a junior doctor and Singleton local working at Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital was one of the younger victims.</p> <p>NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said Mullen had a “long and illustrious career in medicine” ahead of her.</p> <p>“This has made a very dark day even darker for NSW Health,” Park told reporters on June 13.</p> <p>Zach Bray, a mining engineer in the Hunter region, and engineer Angus Craig, who had worked with mining company BHP in Queensland.</p> <p>Singleton Mayor Sue Moore said her close-knit community was struggling to come to terms with the heartbreaking incident.</p> <p>Community members poured in for a vigil held at the Singleton Baptist Church to show their support on June 13.</p> <p>The owners of local hotels have started offering accommodation to the victims’ families, with many needing to extend their stay in the area.</p> <p>The bus driver, Brett Button, 58, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/hunter-valley-bus-driver-faces-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faced Cessnock Local Court</a> on June 13 with 10 counts of deadly dangerous driving.</p> <p>Image credit: 7NEWS</p>

Caring

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Sarah Ferguson’s emotional reaction to Princess Eugenie's baby name

<p dir="ltr">Sarah Ferguson has shared her initial reaction to the moment when her daughter, Princess Eugenie, revealed that she had named her second son after the duchess’ late father.</p> <p dir="ltr">This is the Princess’ second child with her husband Jack Brooksbank, and the couple <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/princess-eugenie-welcomes-her-second-child" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed their baby’s name</a> earlier this week, following his birth on May 30.</p> <p dir="ltr">His name, Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank, pays tribute to both Ferguson’s late father, Major Ronald Ferguson, and Jack’s father, George.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking on her new podcast <em>Tea Talks with the Duchess &amp; Sarah</em>, Ferguson revealed that she was in the middle of shopping for her new grandson, when Princess Eugenie told her the sweet news.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He's a very, very seriously beautiful little boy. And of course everybody says that, but of course he is,” she gushed.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When Jack and Eugenie told me it was so moving that they'd put my dad in there. It was very kind I thought.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It made me cry, of course…at the time, I'd popped into a children's shop and bought some little blue booties and that's when she told me," Ferguson revealed.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an earlier post, Ferguson shared an image of Ernest with the caption: “Amazing..the importance of Ernest thank you so much… clever Eugenie and Jack and August Brooksbank…”</p> <p dir="ltr">She also revealed that she’s called "Gee Gee" by her grandchildren.</p> <p dir="ltr">A snippet of the podcast was shared on Ferguson’s Instagram, and many have taken to the comments to share their joy.</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/reel/CtOH5sdq4OB/?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/CtOH5sdq4OB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sarah Ferguson (Fergie) (@sarahferguson15)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Congratulations! What a blessing a new baby is…especially grandchildren!” wrote one fan.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I saw the picture Eugenie posted and he is a seriously beautiful baby! You have every right to say that. Congratulations Granny!” commented another.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Congratulations!! Being called GG is perfect for Sarah; a modern &amp; fun twist on grandmother, just like herself,” wrote a third.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ernest is Ferguson’s third grandchild. She has one granddaughter, Sienna, from Princess Beatrice and two grandsons August, and Ernest, from Princess Eugenie.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Picture perfect property hits the market

<p dir="ltr">Casa Campana, the “most Instagrammable” house in Australia, has returned to the market in search of a new owner.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Nunderi property, located between the Gold Coast and Byron Bay at <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/61-garden-avenue-nunderi-nsw-2484-2018539383">61 Garden Avenue</a>, comes equipped with more than just four walls and a roof - it also boasts a following of almost 20k on social media. </p> <p dir="ltr">And while no price has been listed for the stunning property, offers are likely to settle somewhere in the millions, as it last sold in mid-2022 for $3.3 million. </p> <p dir="ltr">The property has demanded attention for its picture perfect appearance, for savvy social media models to hire as a set, for engaged couples to lock in as the venue for their big day, and for people seeking the ultimate holiday-home-away–from-home. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the home’s popularity, it is a “verdant oasis of the utmost tranquillity and privacy”, according to its listing. </p> <p dir="ltr">Inspired by the Mediterranean lifestyle, it features “stylish surroundings, sublime interiors, and stunning backdrop that will be excitingly familiar to some” across 1.31ha.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Quietly unassuming from street level”, the white-on-white home is “set against a backdrop of lush rainforest” with a series of “curved edges, archways, whitewashed timber floors, and expanses of glass” to both draw the eye and “frame the outdoors in a living canvas to behold from every vantage point”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The bright and breezy property has an open floor plan, with living and entertaining areas throughout, with “abundant natural light” to spark the feeling of being part of the “laid-back hinterland lifestyle without compromise”.</p> <p dir="ltr">With four bedrooms, an entertainer’s kitchen and butler’s pantry, and a resort-style master suite with outdoor terrace, as well an entire second-level studio for work and wellness, Casa Campana is prepped for groups and families of all sizes.</p> <p dir="ltr">The fun doesn’t stop indoors, either, with “custom design and jaw-dropping features” in place to amaze outside. From an outdoor pool to an entertaining pavilion with an outdoor kitchen, pizza oven, and abundant seating, visitors can rest assured that they won’t be missing out on any of their home - and holiday - luxuries. </p> <p dir="ltr">And for anyone who might be looking to explore what lies beyond, the property is just 15 minutes from Cabarita Beach, 25 from the Gold Coast’s Coolangatta International Airport, and 40 from Byron Bay. </p> <p dir="ltr">And as the listing states, all of these features come together to create “the opportunity to truly live your best life!” </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Real Estate

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David Campbell’s picture perfect blast from the past

<p>When Trevor Long stopped by the <em>Today</em> show, David Campbell promised it to be “the best thing that’s ever happened on this show.” </p> <p>And while David himself may have had a few things to say afterwards - with his past mullet being exposed to the world - Trevor certainly had a lot to offer viewers, outlining a whole host of options for turning their old photographs into digital keepsakes. </p> <p>“If you’re like me,” David began, “and I still have a lot of my old photos … I don’t trust clouds, I miss photos … and they’re all stored in our phones and it freaks me out.” </p> <p>“Photos like this one, David?” Trevor asked, an old photo of David and his school friends - John and Glen - on display in his hands. </p> <p>“That freaks everyone else out,” was David’s immediate response. </p> <p>The image saw the three at what appeared to be a formal event, two of them even sporting waistcoats, but it was David’s remarkable haircut that caught their attention, and their amusement.  </p> <p>“That is a mullet, ladies and gentlemen,” Trevor declared, to <em>Today</em> co-host Sylvia Jeffreys’ laughter. </p> <p>From there, Sylvia went on to explain that their goal was to “keep photos like that alive because we should never forget that mullet.”</p> <p>And that’s where Trevor came in, noting that he had many photo albums at home, and that “you kind of think that you’re going to lose those memories.” </p> <p>The solution, he believes, is in taking them to the digital sphere, where they can be kept ‘forever’. </p> <p>First on his list of digitising options was an application called Google Photo Scan. He went on to demonstrate how all users need to do is “point the phone at the photo”, wait for the flash which they may find “a bit weird”, and for dots to appear “on each corner”. </p> <p>Using David’s mullet throwback as his example, he waited for the picture to scan, and then revealed the results: a near-perfect replica on his phone that was “now Facebook shareable” and “also just something you can keep in your digital library”.</p> <p>Next up was the most efficient - and most expensive at over $600 - of Trevor’s solutions, with Epson’s Fastfoto scanner. The photos were inserted in bulk into the machine, and deposited at the other end in rapid succession after enhancing and saving the images to his computer - quite unlike a scanner, though similar in process, where each photo must be manually attended to throughout the entire job. According to Trevor, the Epson device had the potential to do “a hundred a minute”. </p> <p>Last but not least came the answer for those with an awful lot of old film negatives lying around. The Kodak Slide ‘n’ Scan, he demonstrated, required users to slide film through the device, with each image appearing on a small screen at the front. After pressing the button on top just once, the picture would be saved onto a memory card, ready to be moved wherever its owner desired.</p> <p>“It’s a little bit of a manual process,” Trevor allowed, “but as you push it through [and] press the button, it saves it on a memory card, kind of like the memory card you have on your digital camera. Put it into your computer, and again, you choose what you do with your photos.” </p> <p>And for those worried about the cost of some of the products he’d showcased? Trevor’s answer was simple: sell them. </p> <p>From there there was only one concern left to address, as David was showing his mullet pic to the camera, with Trevor asking “can you grow that back?” </p> <p>David, laughing, shot back, “I wish I could!” </p> <p><em>Images: Nine </em></p>

Family & Pets

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Mum speaks out after reaction to cling wrap video

<p><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Warning: This article contains disturbing content which some readers may find distressing. </em></span></p> <p>A TikTok influencer said her son was temporarily taken from her home by child protection authorities after she <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/mum-slammed-for-cruel-cling-wrap-prank" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted a video</a> of her husband pushing the child around while he was swaddled from the neck down in cling wrap.</p> <p>The mum, Savannah Glembin, who has 1.1 million followers on TikTok, appeared emotional as she announced in a clip that authorities took her son, Gunner, away following the initial video.</p> <p>“Gunner has been taken from us until CPR can evaluate our home because I posted a video of my husband and son playing," she said.</p> <p>The video of the incident sparked concern among TikTok users, Gunner, who appears to be about two years old, was tightly wrapped in cling wrap while being moved around by his father, Hank.</p> <p>Savannah defended their actions in the video, saying it was “just a funny thing Hank did because Gunner was getting into the stove that day and tried putting a fork in a socket”.</p> <p>Several TikTok users commented how they were left feeling uncomfortable and disturbed by the video, which has since been taken down, with one user @auntkaren0 reposting the video, calling it “feels like abuse”.</p> <p>At one point the boy is placed standing on the bed before he falls forward onto his knees, unable to move his arms as he’s constrained by the cling wrap.</p> <p>“He’s a worm”, his father joked.</p> <p>“If you have a grumpy toddler all day, this is the only way,” the mum is heard saying in the background of the video.</p> <p>Hank, in military uniform, then proceeded to place Gunner face down on the bed before he was flipped over onto his back.</p> <p>User @auntkaren0, who reposted the video, also said, “I don’t see what’s funny here. I don’t understand how putting your toddler in an uncomfortable position is funny and then posting it for views.</p> <p>“Not only did you not just do this for your own entertainment, you thought this was going to be everybody’s entertainment.</p> <p>“This is why I don’t like family channels like this, because they will go to any length for views.”</p> <p>Many other TikTok users shared their concern for the child, one comment said, “My anxiety when he fell forward and I was like omg he’s going to suffocate.”</p> <p>Another comment read, “That gave me anxiety. The feeling of not being able to move! That poor kid.”</p> <p>A third user said, “That gave me anxiety. The feeling of not being able to move! That poor kid.”</p> <p>Addressing the initial video, Savannah appeared tearful, saying, “Right now, we're dealing with a situation where Gunner has been taken from us until CPS can evaluate our home because I posted a video of my husband and son playing.</p> <p>“That video was skewed in a way [that resulted in] people thinking we were abusing our child. But he was laughing and smiling and it was just a funny thing Hank did because Gunner was getting into the stove that day and tried putting a fork in a socket.</p> <p>“Hank playfully wrapped him in cling wrap - he had room to move. He looked like a little worm, like a little cucumber. He was at no point in distress or crying.</p> <p>“We would never hurt our son, we would never hurt our child. He is the best thing that's ever happened to us.</p> <p>“I posted that video two days ago and the response that it had gotten was positive so like I didn't know that someone had thought it was bad until yesterday when cops showed up at our door and separated us, his family.</p> <p>“We went down and made our statements, thinking Gunner was going to be returned to us that day and that CPS would do their investigation and see that our home is safe.”</p> <p>“All I can say is that my son is so loved and cherished. He is my miracle baby, he was my fourth pregnancy after three miscarriages, and he's the light of my life.” She added.</p> <p>“We made a mistake and we don't deserve our child taken away because of it.”</p> <p>The mumfluencer then posted another TikTok that appeared to show the child was back home in the custody of her and her husband.</p> <p><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

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When it comes to music, not all cultures share the same emotional associations

<div class="copy"> <p>Most of us have deep emotional reactions to <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/physics/recent-musical-research-of-note/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/physics/recent-musical-research-of-note/">music</a>, which is <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/culture/music-really-is-a-universal-language/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/culture/music-really-is-a-universal-language/">a central part of human cultures</a> around the world. But our ideas about what makes music sound happy or sad are not universal, suggests <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269597" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new research</a> published today in <em>PLoS One</em>.</p> <p>The Australian-led study mainly focused on differences in people’s emotional perceptions of music in major and minor keys. In Western cultures, music in a major key is almost universally perceived as happy, and music in a minor key as sad. Transposing a melody from major to minor seems to instantly introduce a mournful or ominous feel, as demonstrated by this rendition of the “Happy birthday” song.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><iframe title="Happy Birthday in C Minor" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ipyVmkcUXPM?feature=oembed" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </figure> <p>However, the study found that these emotional associations were not shared by some remote communities in Papua New Guinea (PNG) who had little exposure to Western music.</p> <p>“The most important finding of the study is that the degree of familiarity with major and minor music plays a large role in people attributing happiness to major and sadness to minor,” says Eline Smit, who led the study as part of her PhD at Western Sydney University.</p> <p>For the new study, Smit and her colleagues investigated emotional associations of major and minor keys in people living in Sydney and in several villages in Uruwa River Valley in PNG. The valley is only accessible via small plane or multi-day hike, and the villages have similar musical traditions but varying levels of exposure to Western-style music.</p> <p>The researchers played various recordings pairing one major and one minor melody or cadence (a series of chords) to the participants, who were asked to indicate which tune made them feel happy. </p> <div style="position: relative; display: block; max-width: 100%;"> <div style="padding-top: 56.25%;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="https://players.brightcove.net/5483960636001/HJH3i8Guf_default/index.html?videoId=6308675222112" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> </div> <p class="caption">An example of a recording played to research participants in the study. The musical samples are preceded by the word “ingguk” (one) or “yoi” (two). In this example, the first music sample is in a major key and the second in a minor key. <a href="https://osf.io/c3e9y/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://osf.io/c3e9y/">Media courtesy Eline Smit</a>.</p> <p>“Western listeners and the PNG groups exposed to Western music were more likely to say the major cadence or melody was the happy one,” Smit explains. That is, these groups were likely to say that the first melody in the example above sounded happy.</p> <p>“However, the PNG group with minimal exposure to Western music showed no preference for choosing major as the happy cadence or melody,” Smit continues. “They were just as likely to choose the minor version.”</p> <div style="position: relative; display: block; max-width: 100%;"> <div style="padding-top: 56.25%;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="https://players.brightcove.net/5483960636001/HJH3i8Guf_default/index.html?videoId=6308677000112" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> </div> <p class="caption">Another example of a recording from the study. In this example, the first music sample is in a minor key and the second in a major key. <a href="https://osf.io/c3e9y/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://osf.io/c3e9y/">Media courtesy Eline Smit</a>.</p> <p>Smit, who is also a trained classical pianist, became interested in <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/social-sciences/musical-instruments-can-mimic-speech/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/social-sciences/musical-instruments-can-mimic-speech/">the relationship between music and emotions</a> during her PhD. Her research focuses on people’s emotional responses to unfamiliar musical systems.</p> <p>“This study has shown some more insight into the role of the degree of familiarity on having particular emotional responses to music, but this does not mean that there are not any universal responses,” she says. “For the future, it would be interesting to further disentangle the impact of prior exposure and familiarity on responses to music.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=196349&amp;title=When+it+comes+to+music%2C+not+all+cultures+share+the+same+emotional+associations" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --></em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/emotional-reactions-to-music-cultural/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Matilda Handsley-Davis.</em> </p> </div>

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Queen's reaction to Prince Harry's romance with Meghan Markle

<p>The Queen’s reaction to Prince Harry’s romance with Meghan Markle has been revealed in a new book, "Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait"</p> <p>Gyles Brandreth has claimed the Queen truly liked the Duchess of Sussex and did “everything to make her feel welcome”. However, the upcoming biography says that her majesty had one important concern about their relationship.</p> <p>It explains: “The only concern the Queen let slip in the early days of the Sussexes’ marriage was to wonder to a friend if Harry wasn’t “perhaps a little over-in-love”.</p> <p>“This was as far as she came – to my knowledge at least – to ever uttering a word against the new Duchess of Sussex.”</p> <p>It also claims, contrary to claims made by Meghan in her infamous interview with Oprah, that the Queen and the royal family greeted Meghan with open arms.</p> <p>The book states that the Queen was “devoted” to Harry and that and “she truly wished him well in his new life abroad” – and that this love was also extended to Meghan when she was brought into the family.</p> <p>An excerpt of the book, published in The Mail On Sunday, says: “The truth is that when her grandson told her he was marrying Meghan Markle, she was truly delighted by the prospect.</p> <p>“She liked Meghan and told lots of people so. And she did everything she could to make her future granddaughter-in-law feel welcome.”</p> <p>It claims the Queen even suggested she keep working as she was “concerned for her future happiness”. One passage in particular reads: “At their first meeting, the Queen said to Meghan: ‘You can carry on being an actress if you like – that’s your profession, after all.’”</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/new-book-points-to-queen-elizabeth-s-true-cause-of-death" target="_blank" rel="noopener">same biography</a> has also claimed that the Queen secretly battled bone marrow cancer in the final year of her life, and says that she was in considerable pain leading up to her death.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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15 facts (and pictures!) that prove penguins are the world’s most adorable animals

<p>Every day is a good day to appreciate these tuxedo-wearing birds.</p> <p><strong>Nearly all penguins live in the southern hemisphere</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/01-can-penguins-Shutterstuck-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>Contrary to media representations of the North Pole, no penguins live up there. The 17 penguin species (some scientists say there are 20) are spread out between Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa. The only exception is the Galapagos penguins, who live close to the equator on the Galapagos Islands and occasionally venture into northern hemisphere waters.</p> <p><strong>Penguins have been around for a long time</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/02-emperor-penguins-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>An amateur fossil hunter discovered the bone of an extinct penguin ancestor, and scientists say it’s 61 million years old. That means it probably outlived the dinosaurs that went extinct 65.5 million years ago. Fossils also suggest that this prehistoric bird could fly and could grow up to 150 centimetres tall.</p> <p><strong>They eat a lot</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/03-penguin-eating-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>Penguins are carnivores, and their diets consist of fish, krill, crabs, squid, and other sea creatures. According to Smithsonian Magazine, they can eat over one kilogram of food every day during summer months, but eat only a third of that during the winter.</p> <p><strong>They sneeze</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/04-sneeze-penguin-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>Their sneezes serve an important purpose, though. Because they eat so much seafood, penguins also consume a lot of saltwater. To get rid of all that salt, their supraorbital glands above their eyes filter it out of the bloodstream, and then, the penguins excrete it through their bills or their sneezes.</p> <p><strong>The littlest penguin may be the cutest</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/05-little-penguin-wildlife-park-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>Little blue penguins (also called fairy penguins) really are little. They only grow to be 33-38 centimetres tall, and adults only weigh one kilogram.</p> <p><strong>Emperor penguins are the largest species</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/06-emperor-penguins-sliding-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>They’re around 120 centimetres feet tall and can weigh up to 40 kilograms.</p> <p><strong>Penguins are expert swimmers</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/07-swimming-penguin-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>No, these adorable birds can’t fly. Instead, they use their wings to fly through the water (so to speak) at speeds up to 40 kilometres per hour.</p> <p><strong>They can’t help but waddle</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/08-gentoo-penguin-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>Penguins’ bodies are shaped to easily glide through water, with a long body and short legs. So when they walk, the result is a clumsy-looking waddle. Penguins also get around on land by hopping and tobogganing, where they glide on their bellies and use their feet and wings to gain speed.</p> <p><strong>They spend most of their time in the water</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/09-gentoo-penguins-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>According to Ocean Conservancy, penguins spend about 75 per cent of their lives in water. They go on land to mate, lay eggs, and raise their babies.</p> <p><strong>Speaking of penguin babies…</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/10-emperor-penguin-chicks-Shuttersetock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>They’re called chicks or nestlings. They form little groups called crèches to look out for predators and keep each other warm while their parents look for food.</p> <p><strong>Penguins are romantic</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/11-shutterstock_516711187-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>Some penguin species mate for life, like the macaroni penguin. These guys and gals show their affection by performing an ‘ecstatic display,’ in which they swing their heads back and forth and cackle loudly.</p> <p><strong>Birds of a feather mate together</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/12-king-penguins-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>Most penguin species breed in large groups called colonies (only two species don’t) for protection. Those groups can range from a couple hundred to hundreds of thousands of penguins!</p> <p><strong>Daddy penguins keep their eggs warm</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/13-dad-penguins-incubate-eggs-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>At least, male emperor penguins do, but not by sitting on them. These dads balance the eggs on their feet and cover them with feathered skin called a brood pouch. They stay like this for two months – without food and with no protection from the Antarctica weather – until the mums come back with food for the young ones. Talk about parents of the year!</p> <p><strong>Their feathers keep them camouflaged</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/14-king-penguins-1-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></strong></p> <p>When penguins swim, their black backs keep them invisible from predators up above, and their white bellies blend into the bright sunlight coming through the waves. We bet your tuxedo can’t do that.</p> <p><strong>Feathers also keep them warm</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/15-imperial-penguins-colony-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /></p> <p>Penguins don’t have blubber like other sea animals, but their many feathers serve the same purpose. (In particular, emperor penguins have 100 feathers per six square centimetres). The feathers trap a layer of warm air next to their skin, and their surface feathers get colder than the surrounding air to keep their bodies warm.</p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-d01c285d-7fff-1863-8624-cd52bd052f15">Written by Claire Nowak. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/animal-kingdom/15-facts-and-pictures-that-prove-penguins-are-the-worlds-most-adorable-animals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></span></em></p> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Aussie toddler's heart-breaking reaction to father's death

<p>The father-in-law of a man who died in NSW floodwaters has opened up about the devastating toll their loss has had on his 19-month-old son. </p> <p>“My gorgeous grandson keeps asking for his dad,” Simon Moujalli wrote on a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/sarah-and-little-isaiah" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-ylk="slk:GoFundMe page" data-rapid_p="9" data-v9y="1">GoFundMe page</a> set up to raise money for Ghosn’s widow and toddler, “and waits for him to have breakfast with him as he always did, and sing and dance together before he headed off to work.”</p> <p>Mr Ghosn and fellow Sydney father Bob Chahine died when their ute was swept off a flooded causeway in the Southern Tablelands on Monday night.</p> <p>It’s believed both men were riding in the back tray of the vehicle, while another two men in the ute’s cab managed to escape and swim to safety before raising the alarm for help. </p> <p>A large-scale search operation was launched to find the pair at Bevendale, about 50 kilometres east of Boorowa.</p> <p>Two bodies have since been found, and while they are yet to be formally identified, NSW Police say they believe they belong to the two missing men.</p> <p>“There are no words to describe the hell my daughter Sarah is living at the moment,” Mr Ghosn’s father-in-law wrote online.</p> <p>“Having lost her soul mate, her true love, the father of their little toddler and her whole world. My daughter’s heart is crushed.”</p> <p>Mr Moujalli went on to explain that he was “asking for help” for his daughter and beautiful grandson, Isaiah. “My son-in-law, God rest his soul, will never see his little boy grow up and my daughter Sarah is left broken and a widow at such a young age.”</p> <p>He added that he was setting up the fundraising page to “help Sarah with the long road ahead of her. To help ease the financial burden of raising a child as a single mother and help with bills until she is able to move on, and to give her time to mend her broken heart".</p> <p><em>Image credits: GoFundMe</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Picture-perfect way to remember the Queen

<p dir="ltr">A final tribute to Queen Elizabeth II has been released by the Royal Family depicting the late monarch doing what she loved most.</p> <p dir="ltr">The incredible image, which was taken in Balmoral in 1971, shows the Queen hiking through the heathlands in Scotland that she explored thoroughly over her many decades spent there.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Palace also shared a quote by Shakespeare – the same one uttered by King Charles III when he first addressed the nation following his ascent to the throne</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">‘May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.’</p> <p>In loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen.</p> <p>1926 - 2022 <a href="https://t.co/byh5uVNDLq">pic.twitter.com/byh5uVNDLq</a></p> <p>— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1571959776095129601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest,” the caption read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen. 1926 - 2022.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Queen Elizabeth II was farewelled on September 19 in front of a crowd of 2,000 people inside Westminster Abbey, while millions of fans also gathered in central London for the state funeral as billions around the world tuned in on TV.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the service, the Queen’s coffin left the Abbey to head off to Windsor where she was privately buried at King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George's Chapel.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Caring

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"This is NOT what I look like": TV star takes a stand against altered pictures

<p>Bethenny Frankel has taken a stand against "deceptive" photos on social media by posting what she really looks like. </p> <p>The <em>Real Housewives of New York City</em> star, 51, shared two images to her Instagram account: both in a bikini on the beach, but one had been clearly photoshopped to make her look slimmer. </p> <p>She shared the photos as a warning of how dangerous Photoshop can be when dealing with your self-image. </p> <p>In the caption, she wrote, "This is NOT what I look like…and you know that because I’m not vain and show you the real me."</p> <p>“But if I posted a version of this every day you might start to believe that it might be. This is just how distorted this has all gotten.”</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/Frankel.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Bethenny post-Photoshop (left) vs. all natural (right). Image credits: Instagram</em></p> <p>She pointed out that “filtering is lying” and “deceptive,” which causes women to “feel badly about themselves” and “young girls insecure and obsessed with an unattainable perfection”.</p> <p>Frankel continued, “It makes middle aged women and mothers feel insecure about themselves. This creates a false ideal for men.”</p> <p>She went on to call editing “destructive, irresponsible, insecure and inaccurate”, before concluding her inspirational post by reminding her followers that “there is a line between making an effort to look pretty and an outright falsehood”.</p> <p>Frankel has often pointed out the importance of living filter free, as earlier this year she posted an unedited photo of herself lounging by the pool in a tiny bikini telling fans the key to body acceptance is “balance”.</p> <p>She went on to encourage people to embrace their flaws and live for themselves, rather than their social media perception. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p> <div class="media image" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; width: 705.1837768554688px; margin-bottom: 32px;"> </div>

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Tips on how to take a great profile picture

<p>It’s not all about looks but a profile picture says a thousand words in the online dating world. It’s what draws someone in to read your profile and who knows what can happen after that. Choosing the perfect pic can be a daunting task – that many people unfortunately get wrong – so we’ve got some top tips to help put your best photo forward and ensure you don’t upload anything cringe-worthy.</p> <p><strong>Lighting</strong></p> <p>Make sure you take your photo in a well-lit area so people can see your face clearly. Nobody looks nice in the shadows – and people will tend to think you’re hiding something if they cannot clearly see you. Try and take the picture outside as natural light is much more flattering than indoor lighting.</p> <p><strong>Right distance</strong></p> <p>You don’t want to be so far away in the photo that people can’t see you clearly – that defeats the purpose of a profile picture.</p> <p><strong>Make eye contact</strong></p> <p>The old saying – the eyes are the window to a person soul – rings true for profile pictures. Eye contact is important for establishing a connection even online. Making eye contact through a picture says that you’re open, welcoming and helps someone engage with your picture.</p> <p><strong>Use a proper camera</strong></p> <p>These days it’s never been easier to take a photo especially with our smartphones and tablets. However, often the quality isn’t the best when you upload it onto a computer. Use a digital camera and take plenty of options. People often despair after a few shots but in our wonderful world of technology, take a few dozen photos until you find the one you like.</p> <p><strong>Dress to impress</strong></p> <p>This doesn’t mean expensive or flashy clothing, simply choose clothes that you are comfortable and feel great in. If you feel good, you will look good in your photos! Steer clear of clothes with big and busy patterns though as they can distract potential dates from the real subject of the photo – you. No hats or sunglasses either.</p> <p><strong>Relax and smile!</strong></p> <p>Feeling comfortable is key to taking a great photo. Get a good friend to take the photo for you and distract yourself by having a conversation. Don’t focus on having the photo taken and you’ll get a relaxed and natural looking picture. However, the most important thing is to smile! Nothing is more attractive than a big warm smile.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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