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Original Bee Gees star passes away aged 78

<p>Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen has passed away aged 78. </p> <p>News of his death was posted on the official Facebook page of tribute band Best of the Bee Gees. </p> <p>“It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our dear friend Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen,” they began. </p> <p>“He enriched our lives and bound our group with love, care and respect.</p> <p>“Not sure how we can go on without his glowing smile and deep friendship. We love you Col. Rest in Peace.”</p> <p>Petersen who was one of the original members of Australian band Bee Gees was born in Kingaroy, Queensland, has been credited for contributing to the band's rise to global superstardom. </p> <p>He was the band's first drummer and performed some of their most beloved songs including <em>Massachusetts, To Love Somebody</em> and <em>Words</em>.</p> <p>Petersen attended the same school in Redcliffe, Queensland as bandmates and brothers Barry Robin and Maurice Gibb, where he first developed an interest in music. </p> <p>After graduating, Petersen moved to the UK to break into the film industry, before he joined the Bee Gees in the 60's becoming the first non-Gibb brother to join the group. </p> <p>“There was an understanding that when the Gibbs’ arrived in England, that if the film thing didn’t work out, I’d join their band,” Petersen told Geelong Independent in 2022.</p> <p>“So I became the fourth Bee Gee, and that was obviously a big turning point in my life.”</p> <p>He left the band after the first phase of their career, just before they reached peak stardom in the '70s disco era, due to conflicts with the group's then-manager Robert Stigwood.</p> <p>Petersen moved back to Australia with his family in 1974, and in 2019 he joined the tribute group Best of the Bee Gees.</p> <p>His death comes after Maurice's sudden death in 2003, which prompted the Bee Gees to retire after 45 years. </p> <p>Robin later died in 2012 aged 62, leaving Barry, Vince Melouney and Geoff Bridgford as the last surviving members of the group.</p> <p>Petersen is survived by his ex-wife Joanne Newfield and their sons Jaime, born in 1971, and Ben, born in 1976.</p> <p><em>Image: </em><em>Everett Collection</em><em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p> </p>

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Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel team up for new show

<p>With the 2024 season of <em>My Kitchen Rules</em> coming to a close, Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel have teamed up for a brand new show. </p> <p>At their annual Upfronts event, Channel Seven announced that the pair will host a show called <em>Off The Grid</em> in 2025.</p> <p>Speaking exclusively to <a href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/mkrs-colin-fassnidge-announces-new-series-with-manu-feildel-in-2025-044819605.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Yahoo Lifestyle</em></a>, Colin reveals that the series is an “off-the-beaten-path food adventure” where he and Manu travel around New Zealand for a month in a caravan.</p> <p>“We did the North Island and the South Island, and it was sort of like a chef’s dream scenario where you get to shoot, fish and hunt,” he details. “We did a lot of cooking with the Māori people, Manu and I got tattoos which wasn’t planned, I managed to split my head open - you’ll have to watch the series for that one.”</p> <p>The Irish chef explains that <em>Off The Grid</em> was a long time in the making, and was filmed “a few months ago” in between production for <em>MKR Australia</em> and <em>MKR New Zealand</em>.</p> <p>“We’ve been talking to Seven about it for years, just getting on the road,” he shares. “Manu had an idea to do a thing called ‘A Big Lap Around Australia’ and no one wanted to do it, but when we were in New Zealand I said, ‘We should do it in a caravan’. It was Manu’s idea, but I made it better."</p> <p>“We saw this little caravan in the garden one day when we were shooting <em>MKR</em> over there and we said, ‘Wouldn't it be great to do it in a 1960s caravan?’. We sent it to the producer of Screentime in New Zealand, who works very closely with Channel Seven, and he said, ‘Let’s make it happen’, and then Seven jumped on board.”</p> <p><em>Off The Grid</em> is set to air early next year on Channel Seven before the fifteenth season of <em>MKR</em> premieres, with Colin saying, “I’ve just seen the teaser for it and it looks amazing.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

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Colin Farrell completes marathon while pushing friend in wheelchair

<p>Colin Farrell has completed the Dublin Marathon by pushing his friend in a wheelchair across the finish line. </p> <p>The 48-year-old actor ran the final 4 kilometres of the 42km race while pushing his friend Emma Fogarty, who lives with a rare skin condition, to the end of the race. </p> <p>Back home in his native Ireland, Farrell ran the marathon to raise money for DEBRA, an Irish charity supporting people who, like Fogarty, have the incurable genetic condition epidermolysis bullosa (EB) – also known as butterfly skin.</p> <p>Fogarty is Ireland's oldest surviving person with the condition, and after reaching a milestone of turning 40 in June, her and Farrell pledged to complete the race together. </p> <p>According to the<em> PA Media</em> news agency, Emma was born with a severe form of the condition, as she was born with no skin on her left foot and right arm and can develop very painful blisters from even the slightest touch.</p> <p>Farrell told <em>PA</em>, "I have known Emma for many years and she epitomises bravery, she is what courage and pure determination are all about."</p> <p>"That run was nothing compared to the pain she is forced to endure every single day, even though she doesn't show it."</p> <p>"It was an honour to see her waiting for me with 4km to go, each of those representing a decade of her life, and to do the final stretch together. I'll never forget it."</p> <p>Also speaking to <em>PA</em>, Fogarty said, "This was a dream come true for me and I want to thank Colin, who has been the most supportive, generous and loyal friend I could wish for."</p> <p>"He has always shown his compassion and empathy for people living with EB and is a true champion in my eyes. Running a marathon is never easy but once he committed to it there was no going back, he is a man of his word."</p> <p>Fogarty and Farrell originally set out to raise €400,000 ($660,000 AUD) for the charity but now aim to hit the million-euro mark ($1.6 million AUD), after the pair completed the marathon in just over four hours. </p> <p><em>Image credits: CNN</em></p>

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Legendary broadcaster dies at age 87

<p>Legendary broadcaster and journalist Colin Chapman has passed away at the age of 87. </p> <p>After years of suffering from poor health, Chapman - who was known for his work in the media and as an author - died over the weekend. </p> <p>Chapman’s career spanned three continents and saw him as a print reporter as well a TV presenter, working for <span id="U842243185388XfE">BBC TV</span>, as well as having stints at the <span id="U842243185388uG"><em>Sunday Times</em>, <em>Financial Times</em> </span>and <span id="U842243185388pRF"><em>Observer</em>.</span></p> <p>He said previously, “There will not be many journalists who have been both writers and executives in the print media, and also on-camera performers and senior managers in radio and television.”</p> <p>He also enjoyed stints at the <em>New York Times</em>, <em>Washington Post</em> and <em>ABC</em>, where he was a founding producer of the network’s <em>The World Today</em>.</p> <p>Most recently, Chapman was the editor-at-large for the <em>Australian Outlook</em>, where his work included columns on elections around the world this year.</p> <p>During his renowned career, Chapman was not only an expert political analyst but also a revered foreign correspondent, including covering terror attacks in Hong Kong in the 1960s and international conflicts in Africa and the Suez region.</p> <p>He spent three periods in Australia - the last in 2004 - and was granted citizenship.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p> <p> </p>

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"This guy hates my guts and I hate his": Manu Feildel spills on his feud with Colin Fassnidge

<p>Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge have opened up about their long-running feud that began when the pair started working together on <em>My Kitchen Rules</em>.</p> <p>On Wednesday night's episode of the popular cooking show, Manu revealed to the contestants how the judges "hated" each other's "guts" when they started filming the show together in 2014. </p> <p>Their feud began when Colin accused Manu of "selling out" by joining the TV show. </p> <p>Manu opened up about their previous dislike for one another, after contestants Amber and Mel explained that the name of their restaurant, Salty Secrets, was meant to encourage their fellow <em>MKR</em> contestants to share little-known facts about themselves.</p> <p>“Do you want to hear about salty secrets from us?” Manu asked the table.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxaP02IBB8q/?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/CxaP02IBB8q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by MKR (@mykitchenrules)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“The salty secret is Colin and I started on the wrong foot. Because when I started TV, most chefs in the industry thought I’d sold my soul.”</p> <p>Colin added, “I said he’s sold out.”</p> <p>Explaining the criticism, Manu said, “They said I was no longer a chef, I was a TV celebrity.”</p> <p>They went on to say that their feud made working together very difficult in the early years when Colin joined the <em>MKR</em> team, </p> <p>“I got told, ‘Oh we’re going to bring in a new chef - Colin Fassnidge.’ And I went, ‘What?! The guy hates my guts and I hate his guts’,” Manu said.</p> <p>Colin added. “So day one of <em>MKR</em>, I turn up and they’re like ‘Have you met Manu?’ And I was like, ‘S***’."</p> <p>“We did the season. It was a tough learning curve for me.”</p> <p>Manu explained that it wasn't until the end of the first episode that they resolved their differences and became friends. </p> <p>“So we finished the show, I went into my room, he went into his,” he said.</p> <p>“And suddenly I heard [knocks on table], open my room and he went ‘I would like to apologise for being an a***hole.’</p> <p>“And we’ve been good friends ever since!”</p> <p><em>Image credits: My Kitchen Rules</em></p>

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M*A*S*H star passes away

<p><em>M*A*S*H</em> star Judy Farrell has passed away at the age of 84, her son has confirmed to <em>TNZ</em>. </p> <p>The actress, who is best known around the world for her portrayal of Nurse Able, died in hospital nine days after suffering a stroke which left her unable to communicate. However, <em>TNZ </em>have reported that Judy was conscious still and able to squeeze the hands of her loved ones. </p> <p>While Judy’s son Michael - whom she shared with fellow <em>M*A*S*H </em>actor Mike Farrell - has not yet spoken publicly about her mother’s passing, her former co-star Loretta Swift spoke to <em>Fox News Digital</em> about losing “family”.</p> <p>“Judy was a most beautiful woman - inside and out. We grew up together," the actress behind Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan said. "She was family. This has been a painful loss, but we will always have the beauty of her memory. </p> <p>“Rest in peace, Nurse Able."</p> <p>Farrell starred as Nurse Able in eight episodes of the hit series, and was the only actress to ever be credited as the character. Initially, Nurse Able was a minor role - often just a placeholder for the instances where a background nurse had a line - and from Seasons 2-11 she was played by no fewer than 11 different people. By the fourth season, the role progressed so that she became involved in the show’s plot. </p> <p>It was in the sixth season that Judy Farrell secured her place in television history as Nurse Able, taking over for the character’s final appearances on screen in Seasons 6-11 for eight episodes. </p> <p>During her time on the show, Farrell starred alongside the likes of Loretta Swift, Alan Alda, and ex-husband Mike Farrell. The latter joined <em>M*A*S*H</em>’s cast in 1975, replacing Wayne Rogers, and remained until the 1983 finale. </p> <p>The couple had married in 1963, but went on to divorce 20 years later, in the same year that <em>M*A*S*H </em>bid farewell to its audience. Their split was reportedly amicable, with the two going on to remarry and co-parent their children, son Michael and daughter Erin.</p> <p>And as Farrell’s loved ones mourn her loss, fans and followers of the actress have taken to social media to share their grief, and to honour her work, sharing some of their fondest memories of her time bringing their beloved Nurse Able to life. </p> <p>“RIP Nurse Able. I was so thrilled to have known you, Judy Farrell,” wrote comedian Murray Valeriano. </p> <p>“Condolences to the Farrell and MASH families,” one fan said. </p> <p>And for another, it came as a tragic opportunity to share a clip of Farrell’s work, showcasing the actress alongside some of her former co-stars, with Classic MASH writing “Sad news today.” </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sad news today. Judy Farrell has passed away. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClassicMASH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClassicMASH</a> <a href="https://t.co/hCfSpL7c0W">pic.twitter.com/hCfSpL7c0W</a></p> <p>— Classic MASH 🍸 (@ClassicMASH) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClassicMASH/status/1643275688017903616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p><em>Images: Getty, Twitter, MASHFandom.com</em></p>

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Royal biographer hints at Queen's cause of death

<p dir="ltr">A royal expert claims Queen Elizabeth II was suffering from a “relatively painless” but “invariably fatal” condition before announcing her death 90 minutes before Buckingham Palace.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a video uploaded to YouTube at 5pm local time (2am AEST), controversial royal biographer Lady Colin Campbell claimed the Queen had passed away at 2.37pm (11.37pm AEST).</p> <p dir="ltr">Buckingham Palace announced the monarch’s passing 90 minutes later, at around 6.30pm UK time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her announcement came at the end of a lengthy clip where the royal expert spoke about a condition the Queen was allegedly suffering from.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lady Campbell, who is most well-known for her books about Princess Diana and the Queen Mother, claimed that Her Majesty was suffering from a serious bone condition, though she wouldn’t reveal “the word that accurately conveys her diagnosis” out of respect for her “dignity and privacy”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If she wants to reveal that word, or her advisors wish to reveal it, that is up to them. I don’t think one needs to use the word to get across the point that I think most people will be able to pick up, that this is a really serious situation,” Lady Campbell said in the video, prior to announcing the monarch’s passing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The condition has been induced, in part, according to people who know her well, has been created by the tremendous stress to which she has been subjected over the last three years.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Palace has not confirmed the Queen’s cause of death.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Can you imagine an older woman, as her life is winding down, and she is hoping to enjoy the last few years of her life in good health being bombarded by the tremendous abuse to which she and the monarchy have been subjected,” Lady Campbell said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to say she had tried to warn people that the Queen was “far more ill than they thought she was” over the past few months.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have on several occasions in the last few weeks, if not months, made the point that she had been affected to her bones. I used that repeatedly to get across the point that what she was suffering from was a malady of the bones,” she continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There are two maladies of the bones, one is more painful than the other. Fortunately the Queen’s malady, although it falls in the same category and condition of the more painful one, has been the less painful one.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It has been restrictive, and I will not go into the medical treatments she has been receiving. I have previously indicated that her bruising was due to cannulas and I have left it at that.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After the video cuts away, Lady Campell continued filming, claiming she had found out about the Queen’s passing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Having just made this video it is with great sadness that I have to inform you that events have yet again overtaken one’s plans, and I am reliably informed that the Queen died at 14.37pm this afternoon,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And that the reason why the announcement has not been made so far is that they are waiting for Harry and Meghan to arrive at Balmoral, after which the announcement will be made.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Buckingham Palace went on to announce the news of Her Majesty’s passing before Harry arrived at Balmoral, while Meghan remained in London.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think we should be very grateful for having had such a wonderful monarch,” Lady Campbell continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And I think we can be also grateful for the fact that her death was relatively painless. Bone cancer is not fun.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But she was fortunate enough to have the lesser of the forms of bone cancer, and she kept her spirits and her vitality to practically the end.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And now, I would say, my sympathies to all her loved ones, all her family, and really, all her subjects many of whom love her.”</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the <em><a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/world/queen-elizabeths-cause-of-death-may-never-be-released/news-story/47ceca6491d9ef44b1d9112061674cdb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courier Mail</a></em> reported that medical experts said frailty and “geriatric syndrome” - a term describing a group of common health conditions older people experience that don’t fit in distinct disease categories - could have been contributors to her passing.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her symptoms reportedly met five of seven criteria used by Britain’s NHS to classify people as frail, including being over 85, having ongoing health conditions, requiring regular help, being forced to cancel activities and using a walking stick.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1630db36-7fff-3f8c-cae6-c2b858607b4b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">In the hours before her death, a statement from Buckingham Palace said doctors were “concerned” for the Queen’s health and that she was “comfortable” at Balmoral.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Lady Colin Campbell (YouTube)</em></p>

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Man who helped his father die finds out his fate

<p><strong><em>Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide which may be distressing to some readers</em></strong>.</p> <p>After a lengthy battle against aggressive bowel cancer, in May 2021, Colin Stratton decided he'd had enough.</p> <p>Just a few days shy of his 81st birthday, the loving man asked his family to do something for him.</p> <p>Colin, along with his late wife, had been long term supporters of the voluntary euthanasia bill and members of Dying with Dignity.</p> <p>On May 24th, Colin visited his GP and asked for a suicide pill in order to die on his own terms.</p> <p>When the doctor hold him the paperwork would take up to two weeks, he informed his GP he would simply take matters into his own hands.</p> <p>Impaired from extensive chemotherapy, Colin was unable to complete the task of ending his life by himself.</p> <p>Instead, he asked his 54-year-old son Glenn to help him. Glenn initially refused.</p> <p>“Don’t make me make a bloody mess of it, I can’t do it by myself,” Colin told the middle of his three children.</p> <p>Glenn and his father exchanged "I love yous", and Glenn completed one last task for his father.</p> <p>“The psychological pressure on you must have been enormous,” Victorian Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth said in a renewed hearing on Wednesday.</p> <p>“You finally pulled the trigger spontaneously out of love and respect for his wishes,” she said.</p> <p>Glenn explained to the court that his father had always done everything he could for his family, and in return they would've done anything for him.</p> <p>His family are all supportive of his actions, as they saw the impact Colin's illness had on the last years of his life.</p> <p>“They also understand how important it was for him to be able to end his life on his own terms when the pain and burden of illness became too great for him,” Justice Hollingworth said.</p> <p>“They describe your actions in helping your father achieve his wish as loving, courageous and selfless.”</p> <p>Glenn Stratton was initially charged with murder after confessing his actions to police, and he spent 46 days behind bars, causing him to miss his father's funeral.</p> <p>Glenn pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting his father's suicide, and Justice Hollingworth declared there would be no benefit to keeping him in jail.</p> <p>He was instead ordered to undergo mandatory counselling.</p> <p>Mr Stratton's family have said they hope voluntary euthanasia will become more widely available so other families don't have to go through the same thing.</p> <p><strong><em>If you or a member of your family need help in a crisis, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em></strong></p> <p><em>Image credit: 7News</em></p>

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Colin Firth takes on Hitler in new spy movie

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After appearing as the fictional spy Galahd in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kingsman</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> trilogy, Colin Firth </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/colin-firth-plots-to-trick-hitler-operation-mincemeat-trailer/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">is portraying</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> a real-life spy in the new trailer for </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Operation Mincemeat</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the grisly name, the movie is named after the real operation run by British intelligence officers during World War 2, where they attempted to thwart the Nazis by planting a dead body in enemy waters with a briefcase full of fake documents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">See the trailer here:</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YQ7ZXOXHZ20" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Firth is set to play Ewen Montagu, the British naval intelligence officer who came up with the idea for Operation Mincemeat along with Matthew Macfadyen’s Charles Cholmondeley.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844679/mincemeat1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2c9d93e8b1b5492c9927d09c869a96d5" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">British musician Johnny Flynn portrays author and intelligence officer Ian Fleming.</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alongside the scheming duo, the cast includes Penelope Wilton as Hester Leggest, Johnny Flynn as <em>James </em></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Bond</em> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">author and intelligence officer Ian Fleming, and Kelly Macdonald’s Jean Leslie.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844680/mincemeat2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/54cdfbaa95fb4ef7a57d71c0714e4eea" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kelly Macdonald as Jean Leslie, the MI5 clerk whose image was used in the operation.</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jason Isaac is set to play skeptical John Godfrey, while Winston Churchill will be portrayed by Simon Russell Beale.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">John Madden - the director behind </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shakespeare in Love</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> - is directing the all-star cast.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Operation Mincemeat </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">is </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.flicks.co.nz/movie/operation-mincemeat/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">due to be released</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in cinemas in early April of next year.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: @netflixfilm / Instagram</span></em></p>

Movies

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Colin Fassnidge addresses his feud with Manu Feildel

<p>Colin Fassnidge has spilled on his past feuds with fellow celebrity chefs Manu Feildel and Miguel Maestre.</p> <p>On I'm A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!, Fassnidge said he used to "fight everybody" as he tried to make a name for himself as a chef.</p> <p>“Me and Miguel didn’t get on, me and Manu didn’t get on,” he told camp mate Grant Denyer.</p> <p>“I don’t know. We just never stopped fighting.”</p> <p>Fassnidge revealed his feud with Feildel came to a head when he joined My Kitchen Rules in 2015.</p> <p>“When I did<span> </span><em>MKR</em>, they knew me and Manu didn’t get on because we’d had Twitter wars and all this sh*t,” he explained. “First day on set I was like, ‘oh f**k,’ it’s his baby, he’s the Daddy of the show.’ I walk on and they’re like, ‘This is the new guy,’ and he’s like, ‘f**k this.’”</p> <p>Fassnidge claimed Feildel immediately pulled an "alpha" move and said to him: “Well buddy, welcome to my home. If there’s anything you need, I’ll tell you how to do it.”</p> <p>But as the end of the season approached, Fassnidge decided to end the feud once and for all.</p> <p>“I just went into his dressing room and said, ‘Mate, I apologise for whatever.’ And he’s like, that’s it, buried it,” Fassnidge said. “Same with Miguel.”</p> <p>The three chefs have since become good friends.</p> <p>“All the wives hang out, the kids hang out … we’re like, ‘Why did we waste so long getting to know each other?’” Fassnidge said.</p>

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Why Colin Firth and wife Livia Giuggi have separated now

<p>Colin Firth and his estranged wife Livia Giuggioli have made the decision to separate after attempts to rebuild their marriage failed, according to a report from<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://people.com/movies/why-colin-firth-and-wife-split-2-years-after-her-affair-nothing-could-erase-her-betrayal/" target="_blank">People</a>.</em></p> <p>On December 13th, the pair revealed that they are separating after 22 years.</p> <p> “They maintain a close friendship and remain united in their love for their children,” a rep said in a statement.</p> <p>Those who were close to the couple weren’t surprised by this development when it came out that Livia, 50, had an extramarital relationship with Italian journalist Marco Brancaccia when Firth and her were separated between 2015 and 2016.</p> <p>“Things never really came around for them [after that],” a film industry source tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “No matter what was decided when they stayed together after her affair, nothing could erase that betrayal. It was time to move on, even though they had a solid family relationship and really wanted to save it.”</p> <p>The pair met on the 1996 BBC drama Nostromo, were married in 1997 and have two sons, Luca, 18 and Matteo, 16.</p> <p>“They love their sons and respect and care for each other, but it was just time,” says the source. “They want to protect their privacy and just move on.”</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see the couple in happier times.</p>

Relationships

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A life in pictures: Colin Firth turns 59!

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">British actor Colin Firth is celebrating 59 laps around the sun today. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Firth is widely known for starring in blockbuster hits including </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Love Actually, The King’s Speech</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mamma Mia. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The charming Hollywood veteran reached a new high in his career in 2010 when he was nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars. He didn’t take out the win then, but it wasn’t long before he deservedly claimed the trophy as his own in 2011 for </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The King’s Speech. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The film also went on to earn a BAFTA and a Golden Globe. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I have a feeling my career just peaked," he joked, as he accepted his incredible award back in 2011 and dedicated it to his mother, Shirley. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He thanked "all the people who have been rooting for me back home" and his wife Livia for "putting up with my fleeting delusions of royalty". </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I think I'm feeling not joy – but relief that it's over. That seems to be the default position. You could say I'm grateful – and relieved," he said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Colin Firth has been married to Livia Giuggioli since 1997 and he has three songs, Will, 28, Luca, 18, and Matteo, 16. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scroll through the gallery above to see Colin Firth's life in pictures. </span></p>

Art

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“She winds me up!” The unlikely feud between Delta Goodrem and this My Kitchen Rules judge

<p>When the words “celeb feud” come to mind, the names Colin Fassnidge and Delta Goodrem usually don’t.</p> <p>But in the most unlikely of scenarios, the<span> </span><em>My Kitchen Rules</em><span> </span>star has taken a dig at the singer.</p> <p>The Irish chef says while he’s a fan of<span> </span><em>The Voice</em>, Delta Goodrem “winds” him up.</p> <p>Sitting down with Jana Hocking on her podcast<span> </span><em>Sex Love Magic</em>, Colin recounted an incident that occurred at the Logies in 2018, when he had to pose with Delta.</p> <p>“They put me sitting in front of her at the Logies the last time and she’s behind me, and the photo of me with Delta … I was making a face,” he revealed.</p> <p>“My Missus said to me, ‘You realise you’re representing your company [sic]?’</p> <p>“I have no interest in Delta Goodrem!” he said, while adding: “I like<span> </span><em>The Voice,</em><span> </span>I think it’s a good show.”</p> <p>Delta has always attracted unwanted attention, especially after criticism surfaced over how she chooses to support her team on the show.</p> <p>The<span> </span><em>Born to Try</em><span> </span>singer told<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/" target="_blank">The Daily Telegraph</a></em><span> </span>in 2017 about the backlash, saying it’s “all just water off a duck’s back, because the reality of what I get to live with is very different.”</p> <p>“I have only the intention of making people’s day better, and if someone has an intention that’s the opposite of that, then that’s their problem,” he said.</p>

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Farming hero Brendan Farrell breaks down over mate’s death in emotional video

<p>Burrumbuttock Hay Runners founder Brendan Farrell is a hero to many in the outback.</p> <p>He delivers donated hay to drought-affected Aussie farmers but it means Brendan has seen first-hand the utter distress of famers in the midst of a crippling dry spells.</p> <p>But today, the hardened fourth-generation farmer broke down as he found out that one of his mates he had been helping on a rural NSW cattle farm had taken his own life.</p> <p>In a heart-wrenching Facebook video which has been viewed over 197,000 times and shared by over 4,000 people at the time of writing, the man who was recently awarded a Queen’s Birthday honour, said the news of the man’s death was a “real kick in the guts”.</p> <p>The pair first met when Brendan was delivering dog food in 2015 to drought-affected farmers in outback NSW.</p> <p>“I saw this old bloke at the side of the road,” he said. “I pulled up and said: ‘Mate, do you want some dog food? And, he said: ‘Yeah, righto.’</p> <p>“I put five bags of dog food in the back of his Jeep and we got talking there and he had the oldest pair of wire strainers in the world. They must have seen more kilometres of wire than I can imagine.”</p> <p>The next time he was down that way, Brendan dropped off a pair of new wire strainers and a note telling the farmer to “keep his chin up”.</p> <p>The unnamed, single farmer was “gobsmacked” and the two stayed in touch ever since.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fburrumbuttockhayrunners%2Fvideos%2F2079473492301830%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=267" width="267" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>“Bonds are formed in special ways and that’s what hurt,” Brendan said as his eyes filled with tears in the video. “It’s just a real kick in the guts today, that’s all.</p> <p>“To all those farmers who are thinking of doing something silly, think of a bond or a special moment.”</p> <p>Brendan added the pressure of drought “is absolutely horrendous” and took aim at the government and corporations for exacerbating the mental and physical strain on the nation’s farmers.</p> <p>“I’d been looking after this farmer for a while,” he said.</p> <p>“I thought I was winning the battle with this fella but depression is a very dark place – I’ve been there.</p> <p>“The problem is I can’t see a farmer ringing some random person in an office to spill out all their problems … I just don’t know which way you go with this.”</p> <p>He said he’d hand back his award in an instant to have this bloke back.</p> <p>““Every award in Australia cannot bring a life back … I would hand back my award to have this bloke back,” he said.</p> <p>“He couldn’t get his cattle to market because they were too poor,” he later told <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/06/21/15/54/hay-runner-left-devastated-by-suicide-of-cattle-farmer-mate">Nine News</a>.</strong> </span>“He couldn’t sell his property because it was worth nothing. Couldn’t feed his cattle because he didn’t have enough money to buy the feed or the freight. So he is gone.”</p> <p>Brendan pleaded with farming families to hang in there and urged any person contemplating the worst to just stop and think of the repercussions for family, friends, children.</p> <p> “Think of a special moment, for Christ’s sake,” he begged.</p> <p>“Just keep getting up out of bed, put your shoes on and your hat on, because the sun keeps rising every day.”</p> <p><em><strong>Lifeline 13 11 14</strong></em></p> <p> </p>

Mind

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Why MKR judge Colin Fassnidge is outraged

<p><em>MKR</em> judge Colin Fassnidge is outraged with the closure of a Sydney pub that was once famed for the award-winning kitchen he operated, labelling the incident a “disgrace”.</p> <p>Fassnidge spend 10 years behind the grill plate at the Four In Hand at Paddington, but left the venue after it was purchased by Public House Management Group in 2015.</p> <p><a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The Daily Telegraph reports</strong></em></span></a> the venue is back on the market for $6 million, and early indication suggest it will be redeveloped into residential property.</p> <p>The famously opinionated <em>My Kitchen Rules</em> judge said it took taken 10 years of his own “blood, sweat and tears” to turn the Four In Hand into the success.</p> <p>“I had a full restaurant and a full bar,” he said.</p> <p>“It took 10 years to build and they destroyed it in a year.”</p> <p>Fassnidge, who has opened other restaurants in the Harbour City including Surry Hill’s acclaimed 4 Fourteen, blamed poor management decisions for the closure.</p> <p>“I’m very passionate about it. I think a lot of people think it is a disgrace,” he said. “It was a Sydney icon before I got there and we had a duty to look after it. It was one of the last remaining real pubs for locals.</p> <p>“It wasn’t my choice to leave, I didn’t own the building.”</p> <p><a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The Daily Telegraph reports</strong></em></span></a> Fassnidge believes Public House Management Group turned the Four In Hand into a “generic pub with no soul and no love”.</p> <p>“Most of the publicans in Sydney are having a quiet little laugh, they’ve taken a Ferrari and turned it into a Morris Minor,” he said.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Do you think more must be done to preserve historic venues? Or are we better off turning them into residential properties?</p>

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Colin Firth’s wife admits to affair with her alleged stalker

<p>Colin Firth’s wife Livia Giuggioli has admitted she had an affair with the man she is now accusing of stalking her.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/colin-firth-s-wife-livia-giuggioli-admits-affair-with-stalker-journalist-marco-brancaccia-0zh5cc566" target="_blank">Livia Giuggioli has accused an Italian journalist of harassing her</a></strong></span> with a campaign of “frightening” messages, The Times reports.</p> <p>The 48-year-old film producer, who married Firth, 57, in 1997, claims journalist Marco Brancaccia, 55, was stalking her.</p> <p>He denied the accusation telling the publication that she was lying to cover up their relationship which occurred between 2015 and 2016.</p> <p>In a statement, the couple confirmed Giuggioli’s past relationship with Brancaccia, explaining, “A few years ago Colin and Livia privately made the decision to separate. During that time Livia briefly became involved with former friend Mr. Brancaccia. The Firths have since reunited.”</p> <p>The statement continued, “Subsequently, Mr. Brancaccia carried out a frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is documented. For obvious reasons, the Firths have never had any desire to make this matter public.”</p> <p>“The reporting this week on this case is understood to be the consequence of a leaked court document. This is greatly to be regretted,” the statement concluded.</p> <p>Brancaccia has denied the harassment claims, saying they were “romantically involved.”</p> <p>“She wanted to leave Colin for me,” he said, adding that the marriage had “been over for years.”</p> <p>“My ‘stalking’ consisted of two messages via WhatsApp after she ended our relationship in June 2016, and an email. I wrote an email to Colin about my relationship with Livia, which I now regret sending, and she filed a complaint against me for stalking out of fear that I could go public with what she had revealed to me about her marriage and work,” he said.</p> <p>Brancaccia said, “In a year she sent me hundreds of messages of love, photos and videos, even a diary.”</p>

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“Mamma Mia!” sequel confirmed

<p> A <em>Mamma Mia!</em> sequel has been announced and it will hit cinemas next year in July.</p> <p>The 2008 original film followed the story of a struggling hotelier in the Greek islands who was planning her daughter Sophie’s wedding.</p> <p>Without her mother knowing, Sophie was preparing for wedding but inviting three men from her mother’s past in the hope of discovering who her father was so he could walk her down the aisle.</p> <p>The musical combined humour, emotion and ABBA for a film that was enjoyed by mothers and daughters around the world.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">IT'S OFFICIAL MAMMA MIA: HERE WE GO AGAIN in cinemas JULY 2018<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HereWeGoAgain?src=hash">#HereWeGoAgain</a></p> — MAMMA MIA! (@MammaMiaMusical) <a href="https://twitter.com/MammaMiaMusical/status/865840812432777217">May 20, 2017</a></blockquote> <p><em>Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again</em> will have Meryl Streep, Julie Walter, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Copper all returning to star in the film.</p> <p>The film will be set in the same location as the original, the Greek island of Kalokairi.</p> <p>The sequel will feature ABBA songs that didn’t feature in the original musical.</p> <p>English film director, Oliver Parker, is writing and directing this anticipated sequel. Parker was in charge of the screenplay for the 2011 film <em>The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel</em> and its 2015 sequel.</p> <p><em>Mamma Mia!</em> was released in cinemas in July 2008 and it made more than $600 million (USD) at the box office.</p> <p>Until this year’s <em>Beauty and The Beast</em> was released, it held the record for the biggest musical ever made.</p>

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