Search

Why Greg Lynn could walk free from prison

<p>Greg Lynn has applied to be freed from jail until his sentencing hearing over the murder of Carol Clay. </p> <p>The former Jetstar pilot, who was found guilty of murdering the 73-year-old while she was camping with her secret partner Russell Hill in March 2020, is appealing the guilty verdict which the jury came to after a weeks-long trial in June. </p> <p>The 57-year old appeared in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Friday where Justice Michael Croucher heard the convicted killer had been the victim of prison attacks during his six-week trial. </p> <p>The court heard Lynn's barrister Dermot Dann KC is in the process of compiling submissions calling on Justice Croucher to hold of on sentencing his client until an appeal over his conviction can be heard by the Court of Appeal. </p> <p>If granted, the "stay" of sentence could allow Lynn to apply for bail while his appeal goes through the court. </p> <p>The court also heard that Lynn had been placed in isolation within the Metropolitan Remand Prison for his own safety since the guilty verdict was read, but now fears he will be targeted by inmates at whatever prison he ultimately ends up in. </p> <p>Mr Dann said a successful appeal could result in Lynn being set free altogether without the possibility of a re-trial, due to doubts over whether he could obtain a fair trial because of the significant publicity surrounding the case and the murder conviction. </p> <p>"The chances of a fair re-trial are non-existent," Mr Dann said. </p> <p>The experienced barrister said any potential jurors would have been "polluted or poisoned" by the "inadmissible evidence" that has "flooded" news sites since the guilty verdict was delivered. </p> <p>The court heard Mr Dann believed his client had multiple reasons to push for an appeal over his verdict, including the "unfair" way in which he claimed the Office of Public Prosecutions carried out the trial. </p> <p>Mr Dann reiterated to the court that his client has always maintained his innocence, saying, "He maintains that he's never killed any person at any time, at any place, anywhere, ever."</p> <div data-component="EmphasisedText"> <p>"The long-term future of that guilty verdict must be seen as being in grave doubt."</p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">The case was adjourned until a pre-sentence hearing on September 12th. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">Image credits: Facebook</span></em></p> </div>

Legal

Russell Hill's daughter shares her outrage over Greg Lynn's sentence

<p>Russell Hill's daughter has expressed her anger over the jury's verdict of former pilot Greg Lynn, who was found not guilty for Hill's murder. </p> <p>Greg Lynn faced a lengthy trial over the deaths of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay, but after a week of jury deliberations, was only <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/shocking-verdict-in-trial-of-murdered-campers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found guilty</a> for the murder of Carol and was cleared of charges relating to Russell's death. </p> <p>Following the shock verdict, Hill's daughter Debbi, said she was “angry” at the jury and that she felt her father didn’t get the justice he deserved. </p> <p>“It’s new, we’ve only just found out, but the more I think about it, the more angry I get at the fact that it didn’t have to be this way,” Ms Hill told <em>60 Minutes</em> on Sunday. </p> <p>“My dad was not a violent person in any way. He wouldn’t have provoked anything.”</p> <p>Ms Hill went on to say that she thinks about what happened to her father every day. </p> <p>“I’m just really angry that he went camping that day, that time, that he is the person he is and he happened to be right there with my dad and Carol, and this is what happened,” she said. </p> <p>“I think it was just really bad luck for Dad and Carol that they were there at the time, but it wouldn’t have happened if he [Lynn] wasn’t such an awful person.”</p> <p>After the trial concluded, more information has come to light about Lynn's past after non-publication orders were lifted.</p> <p>His first wife Lisa Lynn, 34, was found dead in the front yard of her home in 1999, with a coroner’s report indicating a blood-alcohol level of 0.21 and high levels of anti-depression medication present in her system at the time of her death. </p> <p>No suicide note was ever found and Lynn was never charged over her death, however detectives are now looking to have the Victorian coroner conduct a full inquest into the 1999 death.</p> <p>Ms Hill said it was quite concerning to learn about Lynn’s history, saying, “I hope he doesn’t get away with this, but I’ve lost a bit of faith in the whole system.”</p> <p>“I’m not trusting of it now. We’ll have to wait and see. He’s just such a terrible person.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook / Victoria Police </em></p>

Legal

"No disrespect": Home and Away star's swipe at Robert Irwin's Logie nomination

<p><em>Home and Away</em> veteran Lynne McGranger has taken a savage swipe at Robert Irwin, who has earned his first Gold Logie nomination. </p> <p>The young wildlife warrior is among a group of Aussie TV old-hands in the running for the 2024 Gold Logie, with the 20-year-old being the youngest male ever nominated for the award. </p> <p>Also battling it out for the Gold is Larry Emdur, Andy Lee, Asher Keddie, Julia Morris, Sonia Kruger, and ABC's Tony Armstrong.</p> <p>The nomination comes hot on the heels of Irwin's TV debut as co-host of <em>I'm A Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!</em> alongside Julia Morris, as he took over from Dr Chris Brown for the 2024 season. </p> <p>After Robert's nomination was announced, despite how well the new season of <em>I'm A Celeb</em> was received, many wondered how someone with so little TV experience could find himself in the running for the award. </p> <p>One of those skeptics was <em>Home and Away</em> actress Lynne McGranger, who made a cheeky swipe towards Robert when commenting in support of her Channel Seven colleague Larry Emdur who is up for the award for the first time.</p> <p>"I'm sorry but ol'mate Irwin has been on telly for a bloody minute!! No disrespect intended. #Lazforgold 🫶🏾🥇😍" she wrote on Larry's Instagram post, with over 300 people liking the comment.</p> <p>The comment came after Larry shared a screenshot of a message he was sent, with someone congratulating him on the nomination but telling him they'd be voting for Irwin.</p> <p>Lynne's rogue comment was met with mainly support from people.</p> <p>"You said what everyone is thinking," one person said. "I agree 💯 #Lazforgold all the way! No disrespect intended for Irwin … Larry has my vote 🙌 he truly deserves to win 🥇," another commented.</p> <p>"You have my first vote ever today, only for you Larry, for the laughter that lights up my life!" another dedicated fan said.</p> <p>Lynne's comments weren't the first time someone called out Robert's nomination, after sister Bindi Irwin was quick to <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/it-just-got-real-bindi-irwin-s-cheeky-swipe-at-brother" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tease</a> on Instagram. </p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">Bindi took to social media to share a cheeky throwback post of her clutching her own Silver Logie in 2008, for Most Popular New Female Talent for her work in <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bindi the Jungle Girl</em>. </p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">“Hey Australia, vote for my awesome brother so he can catch up to me 16 years later …” she captioned the post.</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">"At least mine's gold," Robert teased, to which Bindi replied "You haven't won it yet..." alongside a laughing emoji. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p> <p> </p>

Families of murdered campers finally break silence after Greg Lynn verdict

<p>The families of Russell Hill and Carol Clay have issued an emotional statement following the shocking <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/shocking-verdict-in-trial-of-murdered-campers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">verdict</a> in the murder trial against former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn. </p> <p>On Tuesday, the jury found Lynn guilty of murdering Carol Clay in March 2020, but was found innocent on charges of murdering Russell Hill. </p> <p>The jury came to their shocking split decision after seven days of deliberation following the five-week trial. </p> <p>After the jury made their decision, the families of the two late campers issued an emotional statement. </p> <p>“Russell Hill and Carol Clay’s families are both relieved and devastated at the verdicts in the trial of Gregory Lynn,” a joint statement from the pair’s loved ones said.</p> <p>“We thank the jury for their verdict of guilty in the murder of Carol Clay. It was an extremely difficult task given that the accused destroyed so much evidence."</p> <p>“The verdict of not guilty in relation to the murder Russell Hill is devastating. There was not enough evidence to be sure of how he died.”</p> <p>The families said they understood the prosecution had an “enormous job putting a case together with limited evidence”.</p> <p>“The accused was the only person who saw and experienced what happened,” loved one said.</p> <p>“He was also the only person who emerged alive.”</p> <p>The statement thanked Victoria Police and its missing persons squad for their hard work in the case, volunteers who spent weeks searching for their loved ones, and Hill and Clay’s friends and family for their “support throughout this harrowing experience”.</p> <p>“We are heartbroken at the loss of our loved ones. It will take time to absorb the verdicts, put this behind us and set about healing and getting on with our lives,” the family said.</p> <p>Victoria police assistant commissioner Martin O’Brien said the Hill and Clay families had endured a difficult four years.</p> <p>“Their courage and resilience in the face of their grief, amidst enormous public attention, has been nothing short of extraordinary,” O’Brien said.</p> <p>“We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision.”</p> <p>Throughout the trial, Lynn maintained his innocence, saying he did not kill the two campers, but admitted <span style="caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '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;">to destroying their bodies and the crime scene. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; background-color: #ffffff;">However, both prosecutors said he killed both of the campers intentionally and then tried to cover up his crimes. </span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji;"><span style="caret-color: #212529;">Following the jury's verdict on Tuesday,</span></span></span><span style="caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '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;"> Lynn was taken back to prison where he awaits his sentence.</span></p> <p><em><span style="caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '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;">Image credits: Victoria Police</span></em></p>

Caring

Footloose star dies aged 78

<p><em>Footloose</em> star Lynne Marta has died aged 78. </p> <p>The actress' friend, Chris Saint-Hilaire, confirmed the sad news to <em>The Hollywood Reporter </em>this week, and revealed that the New Jersey native died in her LA home following a battle with cancer. </p> <p>Another friend, Joan Sobel also confirmed the devastating news with a tribute on Facebook. </p> <p>"We lost a beautiful light today," she wrote in the heartfelt post. </p> <p>"My friend, Lynne Marta lost her good fight. A wonderfully talented actress and a beautiful singer whose voice was of the angels.</p> <p> "A dear heart who adored her friends both human and furry. I will miss her terribly," she added with a picture of the actress. </p> <p>Marta played Lulu Warnicker alongside Kevin Bacon in the hit 80s film <em>Footloose</em>. </p> <p>She was also known for her roles in <em>Starsky and Hutch</em> and <em>Joe Kidd</em>.</p> <p>Her last few onscreen appearances were in the early 2000s and included a few episodes of <em>ER</em> and <em>Crossing Jordan, </em>and the movie <em>Time of Fear</em> in 2002 and a 2004 episode of <em>American Dreams</em>.</p> <p>Marta's death comes just weeks after her ex-partner and <em>Starsky & Hutch</em> actor David Soul died, on January 4 at the age of 80. </p> <p>The actress is survived by her sister MJ according to <em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">The Hollywood Reporter.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

Johnny Ruffo farewelled in emotional memorial

<p>Johnny Ruffo's friends, family and co-stars have gathered at Balcatta Senior High School in Perth on Saturday to bid farewell to the former <em>Home and Away </em>star at his memorial service. </p> <p>Ruffo tragically <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/beautiful-soul-johnny-ruffo-passes-away-at-35" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost his battle with brain cancer</a> on November 10 at the age of 35. </p> <p><em>Home and Away</em> co-star Lynne McGranger, Guy Sebastian, and former Seven journalist, Mark Gibson were among the attendees at the service. </p> <p>McGranger, who delivered the eulogy, recalled Ruffo’s sense of fun and humility. She also shared an emotional tribute on Instagram after the memorial. </p> <p>“Said ‘goodbye for now’ to this magnificent human today,” she recounted. </p> <p>“So many emotions, so much love, so blessed to be included in his huge and crazy family. So many people came to say goodbye, so many more couldn’t get here.</p> <p>“We cried and laughed and danced and sang and ate and drank and hugged and cried and …. - exactly how he would have wanted it.</p> <p>“Fly high my friend, I hope you know how much you’re loved," she ended her post. </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/C0EgWRxp8pb/?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/C0EgWRxp8pb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lynne McGranger (@lynnemcgranger)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The actress was a really close friend of Ruffo's and received messages of support from fans and co-star Ada Nicodemou who commented: “What a tough day Lynne, I know how hard it would’ve been.”</p> <p>“You were such a wonderful friend to Johnny and he loved you very much.</p> <p>"He will always be in our hearts, he touched everyone he came in contact with, just a beautiful human. Rest in peace our people friend.”</p> <p>Ruffo's girlfriend, Tahnee Sims was also in attendance, and shared that his humour stayed with him to the very end, and and that his “big cheeky grin had brightened even the darkest of days," reported <em>Perth Now</em>. </p> <p>Sims, who loved and supported Ruffo through two brain cancer diagnoses, couldn't hold back her tears as she shared that the couple were determined to pack as much joy, love and laughter into every day. </p> <p>“I know that not everyone gets to experience that kind of love, which is why I will be forever grateful,” she said. </p> <p>“John liked to say I was his guardian angel. But I think soulmates is more accurate. Everything I gave, he gave back tenfold. And more often than not he was my source of strength and courage.</p> <p>“For six and a half years I watched him go through a hideous cancer diagnosis, dealing with setback after setback and still act with courage and gratitude right to the very end.</p> <p>“I will miss every single thing about John ... Mostly I will miss the way he always managed to make me laugh, no matter the occasion or how inappropriate the joke ... until we meet again John, I love you.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Home and Away star shares shocking injury

<p>Beloved <em>Home and Away</em> star Lynne McGranger has documented a shocking injury she sustained while she was walking her daughter's dog. </p> <p>The 70-year-old shared that she "face planted the road" after taking a tumble and not looking where she was going. </p> <p>She shared a before and after photo of the accident, sharing how quickly her morning had changed.</p> <p>“One minute walking your daughter and son-in-law’s dog with your MOG (mother of the groom). Nek minit (sic) you’ve face planted the road 😳😱😢🤦‍♀️,” she captioned the post.</p> <p>Addressing her caption she later added, “I must’ve been shaken up. I made punctuation mistakes 🤣😱🤦‍♀️”.</p> <p>The close-up of the injuries showed the actress with a bloodied lip and bruising on her chin, right cheek and nose.</p> <p>Friends and followers shared their best wishes for a speedy recovery after the painful accident. </p> <p>“Oh gosh Lynnie!!!! Sending love - I was hoping that was on-set makeup 😮 xx,” former <em>Home and Away</em> actress Sarah Roberts said.</p> <p>“Aww Lynny ❤️❤️❤️ hope you’re all good!” Johnny Ruffo’s partner Tahnee Sims wrote.</p> <p>“Damn, that looks pretty badass! Hope you’re all good though Lynne ❤️,” Home and Away’s Ethan Browne said.</p> <figure><picture>Diehard fans of the show also shared their messages of support, with one person writing, "<source srcset="https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=100&impolicy=sevennews_v2 100w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=150&impolicy=sevennews_v2 150w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=250&impolicy=sevennews_v2 250w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=320&impolicy=sevennews_v2 320w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=414&impolicy=sevennews_v2 414w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=500&impolicy=sevennews_v2 500w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=640&impolicy=sevennews_v2 640w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=828&impolicy=sevennews_v2 828w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=1024&impolicy=sevennews_v2 1024w" media="(min-width: 0px)" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 95vw,(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1020px) 50vw,650px" data-ratio="1080:1350" />Ouch, now how to write that into the script.”</picture> <p>“Oh Lynne. I hope you are ok. That’s a mess. On the plus side, it could make a great story for Irene. Hope you heal quickly, love you lots xxx,” another agreed.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p> </figure>

Caring

Home and Away star's glam post on daughter's big day

<p><em>Home and Away a</em>ctress Lynne McGranger could not hide her joy as she celebrated her daughter's wedding over the weekend. </p> <p>The beautiful ceremony marked the union of her daughter, 32-year-old Clancy McWaters, and her fitness coach beau, Luke Dickson.</p> <p>In a few gorgeous snaps of Clancy's big day posted on Instagram, Lynne can be seen tenderly assisting her daughter into her beautiful Rue De Seine wedding dress. </p> <p>The doting mum cherished the moment shared between the two with a heartfelt caption that read: "Getting my baby girl ready for her big day." </p> <p>“Thank you @dianelewiscouture for my gorgeous MOB outfit and @donnygalella for your styling genius.”</p> <p>The <em>Home and Away </em>star looked stunning in a magenta Daniel Lewis Couture pantsuit, which she complemented with a pearl necklace and bracelet. </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/CweO3hxJiTT/?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/CweO3hxJiTT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lynne McGranger (@lynnemcgranger)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>A flood of heartwarming messages poured in from Lynne's friends and fans. </p> <p>"Gorgeous Lynne. Congratulations to your beautiful family," <em>The Morning Show</em> host Kylie Gillies praised. </p> <p>“What a special moment and such a beautiful photo of you and Clancy. Well done Mama and congratulations Clancy and Luke,” fellow soap star Emily Symons commented. </p> <p>Co-star Ada Nicodemou who plays Leah in <em>Home and Away</em>, wrote: “What a beautiful photo and a beautiful day.”</p> <p>Ada, also attended the wedding and shared a picture of her celebrating Clancy's big day as she posed alongside Lynne. </p> <p>In a follow up post, Lynne shared a few snaps with her partner and Clancy's dad Paul McWaters, and a few other friends who they celebrated the special day with. </p> <p>"What a perfect, magical day it was. Our beautiful daughter @clancy.movement married her love, our handsome son in law @_luked," she captioned the post. </p> <p>"Surrounded our family and Luke’s family and all our close friends we witnessed the gorgeous marriage of Luke and Clancy.</p> <p>"We laughed, we ate, we drank , we danced and we partied - all in celebration of the 2 gorgeous newlyweds," she added. </p> <p>She then thanked everyone who attended the wedding, adding that "our hearts are full". </p> <p> </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/CwhWUqGyjwP/?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/CwhWUqGyjwP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lynne McGranger (@lynnemcgranger)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"So gorgeous! Congratulations to your beautiful daughter and of course, your lovely self Lynne! Love you so very much on Home & Away, thank you for always giving me laugh!" commented one fan. </p> <p>"Congratulations. I wish them a long lifetime of good health & happiness ❤️" wrote another. </p> <p>"Ah, these are beautiful, Lynne! So, so happy you all had such a lovely day x," commented a third. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

"What the hell is he doing here?" Home and Away star's first impressions of Johnny Ruffo

<p>Lynne McGranger has opened up about how her first impressions of Johnny Ruffo were "so, so wrong", before the pair formed an unlikely friendship. </p> <p>Opening up to <em>7Life</em>, the veteran <em>Home and Away</em> actress shared when she first met Ruffo, when he joined the cast of the soap in 2013 after finding fame on <em>The X Factor</em>.</p> <p>Lynne recalled watching Ruffo, who is now battling terminal brain cancer, on the singing competition and “thinking he was such a talent”.</p> <p>“I do remember him coming onto the show and, to be honest, probably rolling my eyes and thinking, bloody reality television star,” Lynne tells <a href="https://7news.com.au/entertainment" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline"><em>7Life</em>.</a></p> <p>“I did see him on <em>X Factor</em> and I remember thinking he was gorgeous, smart, funny and a beautiful guy."</p> <p>“I thought he was such a talent, but then rolled my eyes going, well he’s not an actor so what the hell is he doing here?”</p> <p>Lynne says despite her reservations on his first on-set day, the pair had an instant connection and became the best of friends.</p> <p>“Those initial thoughts of mine were so, so wrong,” she admits.</p> <p>“It couldn’t have been further from the truth because he was a hard worker; he really, really wanted to nail it and learn about acting.”</p> <p>Looking back on Ruffo’s three years on the show, Lynne says he was “fun to be around and naughty”.</p> <p>“We just hit it off from day one, and I’m sort of like his older sister or he calls me his ‘East Coast Mama’ because his actual mama is on the west coast.”</p> <p>Despite their 35-year age gap, Lynne believes the two remain close friends mainly because their “sense of humour is the same”.</p> <p>“He is the most irreverent person you could ever, ever meet but because he’s funny and cheeky he gets away with murder,” she laughs.</p> <div> <p>“He’s just naughty and irrepressible and all those things, and I think that’s what I loved about him."</p> <p>“Johnny doesn’t take himself too seriously, you know, for a young, handsome, talented man - he must have had women falling all over him.”</p> <p>While Johnny has been battling brain cancer, Lynne has been a fierce supporter of him and has stuck by his side while he goes through treatment. </p> <p>Previously <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/she-s-been-amazing-the-friendship-helping-johnny-ruffo-through-cancer-treatment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speaking</a> to <em>TV Week</em>, Ruffo said, "She's been amazing."</p> <p>"I can't stress enough how people like her help get through tough times. She's just a wonderful person. Having people like that to say 'Oh, how are you feeling this week?' and little sweet things like that make all the difference. It's a great support network."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p> </div>

Caring

"She's been amazing": The friendship helping Johnny Ruffo through cancer treatment

<p dir="ltr">Johnny Ruffo said he owes everything to his girlfriend Tahnee Sims for constantly being by his side as he battles through his terminal brain cancer. </p> <p dir="ltr">But behind-the-scenes is one more person that the former <em>Home and Away</em> star has to thank for her support.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lynne McGranger, who plays Irene Roberts, has also been a rock in Johnny’s life as he pushes through his chemotherapy. </p> <p dir="ltr">"She's been amazing," the former <em>X-Factor</em> star told TV Week.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She constantly checks in and asks how I'm doing. She always wants to go out for dinner.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I can't stress enough how people like her help get through tough times. She's just a wonderful person. Having people like that to say 'Oh, how are you feeling this week?' and little sweet things like that make all the difference. It's a great support network."</p> <p dir="ltr">When it comes to Tahnee, Johnny admits that he wouldn’t have been able to go through his diagnosis without her. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Having Tahnee by my side every step of the way, literally and metaphorically, she's incredible. I couldn't do it without her,” he previously said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She does it just as hard as I do. She's having to deal with all the doctors and what they're saying, and then she has to deal with me once we get home as well.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The singer is going through chemotherapy once every three weeks and said he wanted to give gave as the holiday season creeps up. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ruffo partnered with Amazon Australia to help twelve superhero children from the Starlight Children’s Foundation to become official toy testers for the festive season.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It brings such joy to me. It's a privilege to be able to know that you are helping them forget about everything that they're going through," he said in the Starlight Children's Foundation campaign.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I feel like I get as much out of it as the kids. It's quite cathartic for me to be able to bring joy to these children who are somewhat in a similar position."</p> <p dir="ltr">The 34-year-old was first diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017 after struggling with multiple headaches.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ruffo then announced in 2019 that he was in remission, but by November 2020 the cancer had returned, before confirming in 2022 that his illness is terminal.</p> <p dir="ltr">He has also recently released a memoir called No Finish Line, dedicated to his girlfriend, in which he details his experiences recording music, acting, his family and loved ones.</p> <p dir="ltr">The title, he explains, is that “it wasn’t the end”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Loretta Lynn was more than a great songwriter – she was a spokeswoman for white rural working-class women

<p>Loretta Lynn’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/04/arts/music/loretta-lynn-dead.html">death at the age of 90</a> marks the end of a remarkable life of achievement in country music.</p> <p>Her dramatic life story – retold in the 1980 award-winning film “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080549/">Coal Miner’s Daughter</a>,” based on <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">Lynn’s 1976 biography</a> – made Lynn a household name. She grew up in poverty in a small Kentucky mining town, marrying and starting a family as a teenager before reaching unprecedented heights of commercial success as a recording artist of modern country music.</p> <p>But as a <a href="https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/music/faculty/faculty-directory.host.html/content/shared/arts-sciences/music/new-faculty-profiles/vander-wel-stephanie.html">scholar of gender and country music</a> and author of “<a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p084959">Hillbilly Maidens, Okies, and Cowgirls: Women’s Country Music, 1930-1960</a>,” I know that Lynn represented more than just star power and fame in country music – she spoke to the concerns of women, especially white working-class women in rural and suburban America.</p> <h2>Speaking up, singing out</h2> <p>Lynn’s rise in the 1960s took place when country music appeared tied to conservative politics. It was a time when Merle Haggard’s “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/california-scholarship-online/book/28551/chapter-abstract/238414028?redirectedFrom=fulltext">Okie from Muskogee</a>,” with its attacks on counterculture, marijuana and draft-card burning, became a populist anthem for the country’s cultural conservatives.</p> <p>In contrast, Lynn’s songwriting continued the legacy of <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-kitty-wells-20120717-story.html">Kitty Wells</a>, <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/09/25/country-music-hall-famer-jean-shepard-dead-82/76568704/">Jean Shepard</a> and other women in country music who were willing to speak up about the concerns of American women.</p> <p>Lynn’s songs defied societal expectations by connecting her musical representations of working-class and rural women to broader social issues affecting women across the U.S.</p> <p>She aimed for her music to articulate the fears, dreams and anger of women living in a patriarchal society. It railed against those who idealized women’s domestic roles and demonized outspoken feminists.</p> <h2>‘There’s gonna be some changes’</h2> <p>Specifically, for a generation of predominantly white women in the 1960s and 1970s who did not identify as urban or college-educated feminists, Lynn’s music offered candid conversations about their private lives as wives and mothers.</p> <p>As Lynn <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">stated in her autobiography</a>, her audience recognized her as a “mother and a wife and a daughter, who had feelings just like other women.”</p> <p>She did this through clever and witty songwriting and lyrical techniques that combined the vernacular of her audience with her resonant voice.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the song arrangements of Owen Bradley of Decca Records directed Lynn’s musical talents to a broad audience. He combined the edgier sound of honky-tonk instrumentation – electric guitars, pedal steels and fiddles – with the polish of the Nashville sound by including the smooth sounding vocal harmonies of the vocal quartet the <a href="http://www.jordanaires.net/">Jordanaires</a>, as heard in numerous country, gospel and rock ‘n’ roll recordings.</p> <p>This provided a sound of strength and conviction to accompany Lynn’s bold and forthright songs as she laid bare the double standards of gender roles. </p> <p>With her assertive and resonant voice, Lynn, in her 1966 track “<a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/loretta-lynn-best-lyrics-songwriting-175002/">Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)</a>,” warns men not to expect women to be waiting at home, sexually available for them after they’d spent the night drinking: </p> <blockquote> <p>Well, you thought I’d be waitin’ up when you came home last night</p> <p>You’d been out with all the boys and you ended up half tight</p> <p>Liquor and love, they just don’t mix</p> <p>Leave that bottle or me behind</p> <p>And don’t come home a drinkin’ with lovin’ on your mind</p> </blockquote> <p>In a similar vein, Lynn, who <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">claimed that her songs about wayward husbands</a> were inspired by her fraught marriage to Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn, confronted the “other woman” in songs such as 1966’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough” and 1968’s “Fist City.” </p> <h2>A lasting legacy</h2> <p>Fully aware that her personalized accounts became political messages for her fan base of women, Lynn co-wrote and recorded “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/10/04/loretta-lynn-the-pill/">The Pill</a>” in 1975. It was a rare foray into the topic of women’s reproductive rights for country music. In typical fashion, though, Lynn approached the issue from the perspective of a rural working-class woman: </p> <blockquote> <p>I’m tired of all your crowin’</p> <p>How you and your hens play</p> <p>While holdin’ a couple in my arms</p> <p>Another’s on the way</p> <p>This chicken’s done tore up her nest</p> <p>And I’m ready to make a deal</p> <p>And ya can’t afford to turn it down</p> <p>‘Cause you know I’ve got the pill</p> </blockquote> <p>The song’s sexual innuendos about cavorting roosters and hens incorporated the double entendres and humor of early blues and country, while providing a frank discussion about female sexual pleasure. It also addressed the right for women to take control over their bodies and reproduction.</p> <p>The song came out just two years after <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/410/113/">the Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade</a>, granting women the ability to govern their own reproductive health through abortion.</p> <p>Indeed, Lynn commented on the Supreme Court’s ruling in her autobiography “Personally, I think you should prevent unwanted pregnancy rather than get an abortion. It would be wrong for me. But I’m thinking of all the poor girls who get pregnant when they don’t want to be, and how they should have a choice instead of leaving it up to some politician or doctor who don’t have to raise the baby.”</p> <p>Her recording “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/10/04/loretta-lynn-the-pill/">The Pill</a>” spoke to married women who wanted to be able to space out their children and prevent unwanted pregnancies so that they could pursue educational and professional opportunities. </p> <p>In interviews, Lynn discussed at length how female listeners flocked to her after concerts, relieved to find a public figure with whom they felt comfortable to discuss birth control. </p> <p>Not everyone was thrilled, though. Male country <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/after-country-stations-banned-loretta-lynns-the-pill-it-became-her-biggest-pop-hit">disc jockeys banned</a> “The Pill” from the airwaves. Nonetheless, the recording became her biggest seller in 1975 and furthered Lynn’s reputation as a spokeswoman for white rural working-class women. </p> <p>Her music also inspired the women in country music who followed her to further explore issues of gender roles. Lynn’s legacy lives on in the music of female country artists – such as <a href="https://www.reba.com/">Reba McEntire</a> and <a href="https://www.mirandalambert.com/">Miranda Lambert</a> – who learned from Lynn how to create music that confronts and triumphs over the societal obstacles that women face.</p> <p>While all of country music will mourn the death of Lynn, it is perhaps her female fans who will feel the loss more acutely. Lynn gave them a social and political voice, and helped make country music a genre relevant to the complexities of women’s lives.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/loretta-lynn-was-more-than-a-great-songwriter-she-was-a-spokeswoman-for-white-rural-working-class-women-191932" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Music

“Rest easy ma’am”: Tributes flow for singer Loretta Lynn

<p>Loretta Lynn, the country singer behind <em>Coal Miner’s Daughter</em> and <em>You Ain’t Woman Enough</em> and a leading feminist in the country music scene, has passed away aged 90.</p> <p>Her family broke the news in a statement on Twitter on Tuesday.</p> <p>“Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home in her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills,” the statement read.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Loretta Lynn ♥️ A pioneering daughter that changed music and the world forever for all the daughters that followed. We’ll miss you but your spirit lives on! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thepill?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thepill</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/forher?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#forher</a> <a href="https://t.co/9XTPwLkVru">pic.twitter.com/9XTPwLkVru</a></p> <p>— The Chicks (@thechicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/thechicks/status/1577421929673543681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>With a career spanning six decades, Lynn built her reputation as a feminist voice in the male-dominated world of country music, tackling issues including the freedom provided by birth control and the inequities of heterosexual relationships.</p> <p>Her choice of subject matter was controversial for country music in the 1960s and ‘70s, with Lynn telling one interviewer that 14 of her songs had been banned by radio stations.</p> <p>“I wasn’t the first woman in country music,” she said in a 2007 interview with <em>Esquire </em>magazine.</p> <p>“I was just the first one to stand up there and say what I thought, what life was about. The rest were afraid to.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Loretta Lynn and Sissy Spacek after the 53rd Academy Awards (March 31, 1981).</p> <p>Spacek, who was personally selected by Lynn to portray her in the biographical musical film 'Coal Miner's Daughter,' earned the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as the country music icon. <a href="https://t.co/mbFnBhY1Ic">pic.twitter.com/mbFnBhY1Ic</a></p> <p>— The Academy (@TheAcademy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAcademy/status/1577424584709705728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Even so, Lynn became an icon of the genre with more than 50 top 10 hits according to her website.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lynn went on to become the first woman to win the Country Music Association’s ‘Entertainer of the Year’ award in 1972, as well as seven other CMA awards, 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, and three Grammy Awards as an artist.</p> <p dir="ltr">She won an additional two Grammys in 2004 for her work on the album <em>Van Lear Rose</em> in collaboration with White Stripes frontman Jack White, where she either wrote or co-wrote every song.</p> <p dir="ltr">The singer also received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2010.</p> <p dir="ltr">In 1988, she was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and in 2013 she was presented with a Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-president Barack Obama, who <a href="https://twitter.com/ObamaFoundation/status/1577428821590282242" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that she “opened doors for women not only by winning tremendous achievements, but also by raising issues few dared to discuss”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d90b7fc5-7fff-0de4-1cad-b78e3987bb9e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Since the news of her passing broke, tributes have begun to flow for Lynn from fans, fellow singers and friends.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">My heart is broken with the news of my sweet friend Loretta Lynn passing. I will remember all the sweet visits and laughs we shared. RIP sweet Angel. <a href="https://t.co/X5IqiD63an">pic.twitter.com/X5IqiD63an</a></p> <p>— Stella Parton (@StellaParton) <a href="https://twitter.com/StellaParton/status/1577314224078217217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Stella Parton penned an emotional tribute to her “sweet friend” and “angel”, accompanied by a photo of the pair together.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My heart is broken with the news of my sweet friend Loretta Lynn passing. I will remember all the sweet visits and laughs we shared. RIP sweet Angel,” Parton wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6759ed07-7fff-3668-31d6-09c08f584b8e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“She was an inspiration. R.I.P. Loretta Lynn ❤️‍,” Carole King tweeted.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">She was an inspiration. <br />R.I.P. Loretta Lynn ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/VqwmkcOAqy">pic.twitter.com/VqwmkcOAqy</a></p> <p>— Carole King (@Carole_King) <a href="https://twitter.com/Carole_King/status/1577318037912330240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Joyous. Fierce. One of a kind. I loved meeting and working with Loretta Lynn ❤️‍🕊️🙏,” singer k.d. Lang <a href="https://twitter.com/kdlang/status/1577381590736388096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fadb031b-7fff-50fc-027c-01011cd9263e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Loretta Lynn gave me this ring of hers many moons ago and I’ve cherished it ever since. Rest in peace. We will all miss you so dearly ❤️‍,” actress Brooke Shields said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Loretta Lynn gave me this ring of hers many moons ago and I’ve cherished it ever since. Rest in peace. We will all miss you so dearly ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/KdgmIiXhXP">pic.twitter.com/KdgmIiXhXP</a></p> <p>— Brooke Shields (@BrookeShields) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrookeShields/status/1577371993611059232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">American band The Oak Ridge Boys tweeted: “Loretta Lynn has gone home… Great Britain lost their Queen … now we have lost ours … Rest easy ma’am. You were loved by all … 😢”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ken Burns, the documentarian behind Country Music, the 2019 miniseries that Lynn took part in, <a href="https://twitter.com/KenBurns/status/1577397952569643009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>: “Loretta Lynn turned life into song, providing a voice to the experiences of American women. </p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ef6ceebc-7fff-6fb8-a768-0e86d3fc59d3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“She will always be celebrated as a central part of the history of country music.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

Britney Spears shares texts sent from mental health facility

<p dir="ltr">Britney Spears has shared - and quickly deleted - a series of screenshots of messages she sent her mother, childhood friend and former lawyer during a 2019 stay in a mental health facility she alleges she was forced into.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-be7e98ca-7fff-540d-2be6-a1f8b2823146">“It’s a little different with proof,” Spears captioned the now-deleted post on Instagram on Monday, per <em><a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/07/25/britney-spears-shares-texts-she-sent-from-mental-health-facility/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page Six</a></em>.</span></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/brit-text2.jpg" alt="" width="1279" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Britney Spears claimed her messages went unanswered in a now-deleted post on social media. Image: Page Six</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The first screenshot shows texts the Toxic singer sent to her mum, Lynne Spears, which she claimed Lynne didn’t respond to.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was saying he wants to UP the seraquil [sic] and I’m like whoaaaaaaa horsey go f**k yourslwf [sic],” the first text reads.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is unclear whether the pop star was referring to a doctor at the facility or her dad, Jamie Spears, who controlled her medical care as her conservator.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Seraquil I thought was a sleep aid but it’s for bipolar and is WAAAAAY Stronger than lithium,” she continued in the text messages.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I literally feel alll [sic] the sick medicine in my stomach.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I feel like he’s trying to kill me. I swear to god I do.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <a href="https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-4718/seroquel-oral/details" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WedMD</a>, Seroquel, also known as quetiapine, is an antipsychotic medication used to treat mood disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.</p> <p dir="ltr">Spears claimed that she got “no response” from Lynne at the time, but heard from her when she checked out of the facility.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f1897ebd-7fff-94cf-c771-221c384f61e5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Her words were, ‘You should have let me visit you and give you a hug’,” Spears wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/brit-texts1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Britney Spears shared screenshots of texts sent to her mother (left) and her childhood friend Jensen Fitzgerald (right) which she claims went unanswered. Images: Page Six</em></p> <p dir="ltr">In the second screenshot, Spears messaged her friend Jansen Fitzgerald to help her find a new lawyer, having been appointed a lawyer to represent her when her conservatorship began in 2008 and not having the right to hire her own counsel until 2021.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I need John bells [sic] number please,” the text to Fitzgerald reads. “When u can.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to ask her friend about lithium, the mood-stabilising drug Spears said made her feel “drunk” after her medication was changed without her say.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have a feeling well you will say OK but it still doesn’t make sense,” Spears wrote, adding in the caption that she “never heard back” from Fitzgeral either.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, her friend took to social media on Monday afternoon and insisted she “did respond”, speculating that “some of [her] messages were deleted” from Spears’ phone, which Jaime allegedly monitored.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When she left the facility my phone number was blocked from her and we have never spoken again,” Fitzgerald added. “I have tried to reach her through every possible outlet and always failed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Lynee shared Fitzgerald’s response on her own Instagram pagel and that she has “all the ‘whole conversations as well”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the final screenshot, Spears can be seen messaging her court-appointed lawyer, Samuel D Ingham III, telling him she wanted to change after she was released from the facility.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want to talk about going to court when this is done and getting my medical rights,” she wrote..</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7cd90e57-7fff-3652-6652-6663af93272d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“When this program is over I don’t want to work at all … I want to live for me and have an adventurous life,” Britney told Ingham.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/brit-texts2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A screenshot of messages between Britney Spears and her court-appointed lawyer were also shared in the since-deleted post. Image: Page Six</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Ingham went on to resign in 2021, being replaced by former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart.</p> <p dir="ltr">In her caption, Spears also claimed her sister, Jaimie Lynn Spears, texted her the message: “They’re not gonna let you go so why are you fighting it”.</p> <p dir="ltr">During her <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/i-am-traumatised-britney-spears-speaks-out-against-dad-for-the-first-time-ever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first-ever public court speech</a> last year, Spears claimed her father sent her to a mental health facility against her will after a disagreement over her Las Vegas residency.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My dad and anyone involved in this conservatorship – and my management, who played a huge role in punishing me when I said no – ma’am, they should be in jail,” she told the judge at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-712814d6-7fff-9700-f41b-eae8f7f15fe4"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @britneyspears (Instagram)</em></p>

Caring

Lynne McGranger’s brutal COVID message: “Don’t be that d***head”

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Home and Away</em> star Lynne McGranger has sent a very special message to those in NSW not following the COVID-19 advice given during lockdown, as the state reaches new highs in positive cases not seen since the beginning of 2020. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a post to Instagram, Lynne shared a sign with health advice, including reminders to wash your hands, wear a mask and continue social distancing. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842426/kmart-plus-lynne-home-and-away-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/dd991d4706d943bb958b1c0a76a030a7" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Instagram</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, Lynne received a flurry of comments for the part on the sign which read: “We’re one d***head away from disaster… Don’t be that d***head.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The actress echoed the statement written on the sign, pleading with fans in the caption: “Please don’t be that d***head.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">People took to the comments to point out the comedic side of the sign, with one person writing “Gotta love Aussie PR.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another said: “That’s the campaign we need out there. I think all Aussies will listen to that.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPr10ETsfJI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPr10ETsfJI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Lynne McGranger (@lynnemcgranger)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Believe me Lynne, they are everywhere!” someone else wrote. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lynne shared earlier this year, in June, that she had received her first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. </span></p> <p> </p>

Retirement Life

Vale Dame Vera Lynn

<p>Iconic songstress Dame Vera Lynn has died at the age of 103.</p> <p>In a statement, the singer’s family said she passed away on Thursday “surrounded by her close family”.</p> <p>The Forces’ Sweetheart, who had sold over a million records by the age of 22, was best known for performing hits such as <em>We’ll Meet Again </em>to troops in World War Two, as well as <em>The White Cliffs Of Dover</em>, <em>There’ll Always Be An England</em>, <em>I’ll Be Seeing You</em>, <em>Wishing</em> and <em>If Only I Had Wings</em>.</p> <p>She was also known for her charity commitments, having been involved with organisations concerned with military veterans as well as polio, breast cancer, blindness and cerebral palsy.</p> <p>Her last public performance was at Hyde Park, in a 1995 ceremony that marked the 50th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.</p> <p>Days before her 100th birthday, she released a compilation album titled <em>Vera</em> <em>Lynn 100</em>, featuring re-orchestrated versions of some of her most popular tunes. The album rose to number 3, making her the first centenarian to enter the UK charts.</p> <p>In April, the Queen referenced the song during a speech to Britons who were separated from families and friends due to the coronavirus lockdown, saying: “We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again.”</p> <p>Following the speech, Dame Vera beat her previous record to become the oldest artist to get a top 40 album in the UK after the song re-entered the charts at number 30.</p> <p>Dame Vera is survived by her daughter Virginia.</p>

Music

Reese Witherspoon’s emotional tribute to Lynn Shelton after tragic death

<p>Actress Reese Witherspoon has spoken of her “complete shock” over the sudden death of prolific television director Lynn Shelton.</p> <p>The director and independent filmmaker passed away on Friday in Los Angeles after suffering from a blood disorder, according to a statement from her spokesperson, Adam Kersh. She was 54 years old.</p> <p>Shelton was recently known for directing several episodes of the popular Hulu series<span> </span><em>Little Fires Everywhere</em>, starring Witherspoon. Other popular shows she’s worked on include T<em>he Mindy Project, New Girl, GLOW, Mad Men</em><span> </span>and<span> </span><em>Fresh off the Boat</em>.</p> <p>In a statement to<span> </span><em>IndieWire</em>, Shelton’s romantic partner, comedian and writer Marc Maron said she collapsed on Friday morning after having been ill for a week. He added that “a previously unknown, underlying condition” unrelated to COVID-19 played a role in her death.</p> <p>He shared his devastation by the sudden loss.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAQ3op5gqnd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAQ3op5gqnd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">I’m so devastated to hear about Lynn Shelton’s passing yesterday. I’m in complete shock that this vibrant, talented, and soulful filmmaker is no longer with us. Lynn was so passionate about our show, Little Fires Everywhere. She said the book truly spoke to her, and that she longed to direct a show that spoke meaningfully about motherhood, sexuality, race, and class in America. And she did. She cared deeply about the WHOLE cast and crew, making sure we all felt heard, seen and appreciated. Lynn also shared so much of her life with us. Her love of her son, how motherhood changed her life, her life changing decisions that made her the woman she was. I feel so fortunate that I got to collaborate with Lynn on both The Morning Show and Little Fires Everywhere. Her spirit touched so many people in the filmmaking world. Her memory lives on in our vivid days together on set and in her wonderful films. Please watch her work and see her talent for yourself. #RestInPeaceLynn 🙏🏻💫💜</a></p> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/reesewitherspoon/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Reese Witherspoon</a> (@reesewitherspoon) on May 16, 2020 at 2:19pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“I loved her very much as I know many of you did as well,” he told the outlet. “It’s devastating. I am leveled, heartbroken and in complete shock and don’t really know how to move forward in this moment. I needed you all to know.”</p> <p>Witherspoon took to Instagram to pay tribute to Shelton.</p> <p>“I’m in complete shock that this vibrant, talented, and soulful filmmaker is no longer with us,” she wrote. “Lynn was so passionate about our show,<span> </span><em>Little Fires Everywhere</em>. She said the book truly spoke to her, and that she longed to direct a show that spoke meaningfully about motherhood, sexuality, race, and class in America. And she did.”</p> <p>The actress said that Shelton “cared deeply about the whole cast and crew” and was always willing to share her life with the world.</p> <p>“Her love of her son, how motherhood changed her life, her life changing decisions that made her the woman she was,” Witherspoon continued.</p> <p>“Her spirit touched so many people in the filmmaking world. Her memory lives on in our vivid days together on set and in her wonderful films. Please watch her work and see her talent for yourself.”</p> <p>Shelton is survived by her son, Milo Seal, husband of many years Kevin Seal, her parents, two brothers, one sister and partner Marc Maron, with whom she spent the last year of her life.</p>

Caring

"It was too late": Home and Away star Lynne McGranger recalls Belinda Emmett thinking her cancer was "just a cyst"

<p><em>Home and Away</em><span> </span>icon Lynne McGranger has opened up about the tragic death of her co-star Belinda Emmett in 2006.</p> <p>McGranger appeared on<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://7plus.com.au/the-all-new-monty-ladies-night" target="_blank">The All New Monty: Ladies Night</a><span> </span></em>on Sunday night to raise awareness of breast cancer.</p> <p>During her emotional speech, she revealed that when Belinda first found a lump in her breast, she thought it was just a cyst.</p> <p>"I would be absolutely honoured [to do the show] and I have to tell you why," the 66-year-old actress said in the clip.</p> <p>"I worked with Belinda Emmett. She was 23 at the time, and I clearly remember we were talking about about breast cancer.</p> <p>"I remember her sitting in the makeup chair [saying] 'I've got a little lump'."</p> <p>McGranger continued telling her story through tears.</p> <p>"And we all went... [gasps]. And she said, 'Oh, no, look. It'll be just a cyst.'</p> <p>"And I think we hounded her enough, over the weeks and months that followed. And she did get it seen to, but of course, as we know, it was too late.</p> <p>"It was so sad. We all know somebody," she said.</p> <p>Belinda was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, when she was 24.</p> <p>In 2001, she was diagnosed with secondary cancer in her spine and tragically passed away six years later in 2006.</p>

Caring

Home and Away star Lynne McGranger gives health update on Johnny Ruffo

<p>Lynne McGranger has taken on many co-stars as friends throughout her 27 years on Australia’s favourite show <em>Home and Away</em>, and this includes the loveable singer turned actor Johnny Ruffo.</p> <p>Ruffo played Chris Harrington from 2013 to 2016 and was known on the show as a boyish joker who everyone adored. In one memorable episode, Ruffo’s character drove Irene’s diner out of business when he poisoned Alf and Leah after serving wild mushrooms in risotto.</p> <p>McGranger, 66, revealed to<a href="https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/perth-singer-actor-johnny-ruffo-in-good-health-according-to-lynne-mcgranger-ng-b881123198z"> Perth Now</a> on Saturday, the 30-year-old is in good health following his brain tumour diagnosis in 2017.</p> <p>“A couple of years ago things weren't good for him, but now he is much much better,” the actress revealed, saying the two catch up regularly.</p> <p>“He is great, he is in good health and he is really good.”</p> <p>Jonny’s aggressive brain tumour diagnosis in 2017 resulted in the star undergoing surgery to remove a 7cm tumour from his skull before undergoing chemotherapy.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmIl6SDBVYj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmIl6SDBVYj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">Today is exactly a year since i was rushed to hospital to have an emergency operation to remove a brain tumour, it has been a crazy ride and im not quite finished yet but i want to share some snaps of the past year and say thank you to everyone who has been there for me and supported me throughout this time 😃 #braincancer #fuckcancer</a></p> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/johnny_ruffo/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Johnny Ruffo</a> (@johnny_ruffo) on Aug 6, 2018 at 3:34am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>At the time of his battle, he told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6763323/Lynne-McGranger-says-Johnny-Ruffo-good-health.html">Daily Mail:</a> “I’m doing really good. My net scan is in three weeks and provided that’s all clear then I’m in the clear completely.</p> <p>“That will be my last scan for now and then I've got to get another one every three months - you've got to keep checking up on it.”</p> <p>The singer and actor has revealed he has a lot in store for 2019 with new music on the horizon.</p> <p>“I've got some new music coming out, the next song that I'll release is called Broken Glass,” he said.</p> <p>“It's kind of about my experience over the last two years. Just dealing with everything and what I've been through, and the people who have supported me.”</p> <p>Ruffo was a finalist on the <em>X Factor</em> in 2011, reaching national fame and accruing adoring fans all throughout Australia, before he moved onto <em>Home and Away</em> in 2013. </p>

Caring

Home and Away’s Lynne McGranger gets her second tattoo at 65

<p><em>Home and Away</em> star Lynne McGranger has gotten inked again – getting her second tattoo at the age of 65. But the body art has a very special meaning behind it.</p> <p>Sitting down with <em>The Morning Show</em> hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies this week, Lynne spoke about everything from celebrating 25 years of acting on <em>Home and Away</em>, to why she decided to get another tattoo in her mid-60s.</p> <p>“We went to Hawaii at Easter for my partner Paul’s 60th,” Lynne revealed. </p> <p>“We’d already said, ‘When we’re over there, why don’t the whole family get tattoos?’” </p> <p>The star, who plays Irene Roberts on the long-running Aussie soap, chose a holiday-inspired palm tree tattoo on her left thigh. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BhVGtaoHobp/" target="_blank">A huge Thankyou to the lovely and talented @mistahrussell of @electricparadisetattoo for the wonderful memory of my first visit to #honululuhawaii #palmtree #mahalo</a></p> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" href="https://www.instagram.com/lynnemcgranger/" target="_blank"> Lynne McGranger</a> (@lynnemcgranger) on Apr 8, 2018 at 5:34pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Coincidentally, Lynne’s first tattoo was in celebration of her own milestone, during a birthday trip to New York five years ago.</p> <p>“I said to Paul, ‘I might get a tattoo for my 60th’ and I said, ‘Why don’t you get one too?’ … And he’s like, ‘Yeah, okay.’</p> <p>“I got an apple on my ankle, but he saw what I was going through, and he bailed,” Lynne recalled.</p> <p>However, the actress confirmed her partner “did get one in Hawaii!” before joking that she might continue the holiday destination tattoo theme and “go to Germany and get a schnitzel somewhere”.</p>

Body

Lynne McGranger reveals losing her parents was the wake-up call she needed

<p>She’s been Irene Roberts on Home and Away for the past 25 years, but in her real life Lynne McGranger prefers to keep a low profile away from the spotlight.</p> <p>"I deal with the fame of the show's notoriety," Lynne, 65, tells <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celeb-news/home-and-aways-lynne-mcgranger-on-health-45687">TV Week</a></span></strong>. "But it [being a public figure] is a bit weird. Especially with personal stuff – word gets out."</p> <p>McGranger likes to keep her private life private, but as she’s grown older she’s relishing her profile to speak out on the importance of looking after your health as you age.</p> <p>As ambassador for <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.hearingawarenessweek.org.au/" target="_blank">Hearing Awareness Week</a></strong></span>, McGranger recalls the heartbreak of losing her parents and how it has changed her life today.</p> <p>"Dad's health had a huge impact on my life," she says. "He was a smoker since a young age and eventually quit when he turned 50."</p> <p>McGranger’s father, Bruce, sadly passed away in 2005 of oesophageal and skin cancer at the age of 79.</p> <p>As a smoker at the time, her father’s death was a huge wake-up call.</p> <p>"At the time, I had been trying to give up smoking and wasn't able to," she explains. "Two weeks after Dad died, I decided to visit a hypnotist – I haven't touched a cigarette since."</p> <p>McGranger didn’t just quit the ciggies, she decided to overhaul other facets of her life, including cutting her alcohol intake and exercising regularly.</p> <p>"I used to have a few glasses of red wine every night while cooking dinner," she admits. "It doesn't seem like a lot, but it was the equivalent of nearly three bottles a week. As soon as I stopped, I lost two or three kilos,” she recalls.</p> <p>"When you get to 60, your body says, 'Hang on, I just can't do that anymore.'"</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BR98P51BCYX/" target="_blank">A post shared by Lynne McGranger (@lynnemcgranger)</a> on Mar 22, 2017 at 9:50pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>When McGranger’s mother passed away from a stroke in 2015, it was another wake-up call for the actress.</p> <p>Although she knows her mother, who died at 92, lived a happy life, McGranger is certain more could have been done in her final years.</p> <p>"In the last 10 years of her life, she was as deaf as a post," McGranger explains. "We would have to stand in front of her and yell in her face – it was awful and incredibly sad to watch."</p> <p>Since her mother’s passing, McGranger has been more determined than ever to spread the message of health and longevity to Australia's senior community.</p> <p>"I thought, 'I'm no spring chicken and could be heading down that path,'" she says. "I'd hate for people to miss out on a big part of their life."</p>

Mind

Our Partners

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Why Greg Lynn could walk free from prison

Russell Hill's daughter shares her outrage over Greg Lynn's sentence

"No disrespect": Home and Away star's swipe at Robert Irwin's Logie nomination

Families of murdered campers finally break silence after Greg Lynn verdict

Footloose star dies aged 78

Johnny Ruffo farewelled in emotional memorial

Home and Away star shares shocking injury

Home and Away star's glam post on daughter's big day

"What the hell is he doing here?" Home and Away star's first impressions of Johnny Ruffo

"She's been amazing": The friendship helping Johnny Ruffo through cancer treatment

Loretta Lynn was more than a great songwriter – she was a spokeswoman for white rural working-class women

“Rest easy ma’am”: Tributes flow for singer Loretta Lynn

Britney Spears shares texts sent from mental health facility

Lynne McGranger’s brutal COVID message: “Don’t be that d***head”

Vale Dame Vera Lynn

Reese Witherspoon’s emotional tribute to Lynn Shelton after tragic death

"It was too late": Home and Away star Lynne McGranger recalls Belinda Emmett thinking her cancer was "just a cyst"

Home and Away star Lynne McGranger gives health update on Johnny Ruffo

Home and Away’s Lynne McGranger gets her second tattoo at 65

Lynne McGranger reveals losing her parents was the wake-up call she needed

Our Partners