Search

Shock after baseball champion's 14-year-old son dies while on family holiday

The baseball world is grieving alongside former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner and his family after the tragic and unexpected passing of his 14-year-old son, Miller. Miller Gardner died in his sleep on Friday, March 21, while on holiday with his family. According to a statement released by Brett and his wife, Jessica, through the Yankees organisation, Miller had fallen ill during the trip along with several relatives. The family did not disclose further details about the nature of the illness or their location at the time. “We have so many questions and so few answers at this point,” the grieving parents shared. “Miller was a beloved son and brother, and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile.” Brett and Jessica, who also share an older son, Hunter, requested privacy as they mourn and seek healing. They described Miller as a vibrant and adventurous young boy who had a passion for football, baseball, golf, hunting and fishing. “He lived life to the fullest every single day,” they wrote, adding their gratitude to those who have offered condolences and support. They also extended their thoughts to other families who have suffered similar losses, saying, “We share their grief.” The Yankees, where Brett Gardner spent his entire 14-season Major League Baseball career, also released a heartfelt statement. They described Miller as having “a spark in his eyes, an outgoing and feisty personality, and a warm and loving nature.” “Words feel insignificant and insufficient in trying to describe such an unimaginable loss,” the team shared on social media. “It wasn’t just Brett who literally grew up in this organisation for more than 17 years – so did his wife, Jessica, and their two boys, Hunter and Miller.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Statement from Brett and Jessica Gardner: With heavy hearts we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller. He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation. We have so many… <a href="https://t.co/lBCBVmKGUe">pic.twitter.com/lBCBVmKGUe</a> — New York Yankees (@Yankees) <a href="https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1903854341737386272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote> Brett Gardner, now 41, was a key part of the Yankees’ 2009 World Series-winning team and became a fan favourite for his grit and dedication to the game. Messages of love and prayers continue to pour in, a testament to the impact Miller had on those who knew him and to the deep respect held for Brett and his family. Images: X (formerly Twitter)

Caring

Devastated mum warns of flu dangers after losing 11-week-old son

A heartbroken mother is pleading with Australians to get vaccinated against the flu this season after losing her 11-week-old son to the virus. Samantha Miller, 37, from Bathurst, NSW, was in the hospital battling her own illness when she received a devastating phone call – her infant son had also fallen ill. By the time he reached the hospital, it was too late. “I came down quite ill, so I ended up in hospital, and then we got a phone call saying he’d been brought into hospital not breathing, and we found out that he’d passed away,” Ms Miller told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/mothers-harrowing-warning-as-11-weekold-son-dies/news-story/9a453f35136ec6ec0085e10392fd5163" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au.</a> It has been 13 years since her son’s tragic death, but the pain remains fresh. Now, she is using her heartbreaking experience to encourage others to get vaccinated against the flu. “It took a little while to get some autopsy results, but it came back with bronchial pneumonia caused by H1N1 swine flu,” Ms Miller said, describing the loss as an unimaginable shock. Her son had been seen by a paediatrician the day before his death and had shown no serious signs of illness beyond a runny nose. A photo from the night before, showing the baby peacefully asleep on his grandfather’s chest, still haunts her. “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my entire life. I would not wish it on anybody … it’s been 13 years and it hurts as if it was yesterday,” she said. Determined to prevent other families from suffering the same heartbreak, Ms Miller is now an advocate for flu vaccinations. “I know what it’s like to lose a child to influenza, and vaccination can help prevent other families from going through what we have been through for the past 13 years,” she said. She believes that there is a lack of education about the importance of vaccinations and the dangers of influenza, leading to misinformation and vaccine hesitancy. “Why are some people pushing for anti-vaccination when the numbers are there? They need to look at the data and get a vaccination. I mean, it’s easy enough … take ten minutes out of your life to get the vaccination,” she urged. Ms Miller also highlighted the strain that preventable illnesses place on the already overwhelmed healthcare system. “Anyone who ends up in hospital is putting a strain on the health services that are already under strain,” she said. With flu season approaching, her message is clear: vaccination saves lives. She hopes that by sharing her story, she can help prevent other families from experiencing the same devastating loss. Images: Courtesy of Samantha Miller

Caring

Young and the Restless actor's cause of death revealed

Award-winning soap actor Billy Miller's family have spoken up about his official cause of death. News of The Young and the Restless <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/young-and-the-restless-actor-dies-at-just-43" target="_blank" rel="noopener">actor's death</a> shocked the world, as he tragically passed away just two days shy of his 44th birthday. Miller’s devastated mother, Patricia, released a statement to the Soap Opera Digest on Wednesday to confirm that the actor's cause of death was suicide, and debunk any rumours or speculation behind his death. “I want to personally thank the many fans & personal friends for the overwhelming amount of love, prayers & condolences sent to me and my family on the devastating death of my beautiful son BJ — Billy Miller,” she began the statement. “He fought a long hard valiant battle with bipolar depression for years. He did everything he could to control the disease. “He loved his family, his friends and his fans but in the end the disease won the fight and he surrendered his life. "The other causes of death being told are not true. I wish they were but they just aren’t. “We all loved him so much and are desperately trying to deal with our loss. I will have nothing further to say. Thanks for the love and support," she concluded. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Patricia Miller has asked me to share the following on her behalf. <a href="https://t.co/90ze1MZHGy">pic.twitter.com/90ze1MZHGy</a> — Marnie Sparer (@TalktoMarn) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalktoMarn/status/1703919692455559264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2023</a></blockquote> Miller is a three-time daytime Emmy winner for his work as Billy Abbott in The Young and the Restless. The actor started his career in 2007 on the ABC series All My Children, which he starred in for 130 episodes. He also starred in the hit legal drama Suits as Harvey Specter's brother Marcus. Gabriel Macht, the actor who played Harvey, paid tribute to Miller in a tweet. "RIP my tv bro #BillyMiller I am touched by ur thoughtfulness, ur authentic honest approach 2 ur art, ur kind nature & big smile that Litt us all. May ur memory always be a blessing to ur Mother, ur Sister & her children. & 2 so many you’ve touched. Peace&❤️" Miller is survived by his mother, Patricia, sister Megan, brother-in-law Ronnie, nephew Grayson and niece Charley. Image: Getty

Caring

Young and the Restless actor dies at just 43

Award-winning soap actor Billy Miller has passed away, just two days before his 44th birthday. Miller's manager confirmed the devastating news in a statement to <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/billy-miller-dead-the-young-and-the-restless-1235725784/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a>, saying the actor has been "struggling with manic depression when he died". The actor was best known for his roles in General Hospital and The Young and the Restless, winning three Daytime Emmy's for his portray in the soaps. Billy's name was put on the map after a role in All My Children, and then signing on to become a model. He went on to have credits in some of the biggest shows in the US, such as NCIS, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, as well as Clint Eastwood blockbuster American Sniper. Former colleagues of Billy's have been devastated by the news of his passing, with many taking to social media to share fond memories and express their heartbreak. The Young and the Restless alumni Eileen Davidson said she was "so sad to hear of Billy Miller's passing". "His infectious charm and warmth left lasting impressions on all of us who were lucky enough to have him in our lives," she continued. "I'm gonna miss that mischievous smile. Love you Billy." General Hospital co-star TK Weaver told fans it was "hard to find words" after learning of the tragedy. "You always gave me such good advice. You were always there for me. You were an amazing person. Billy Miller, I'll never forget you." In another emotional tribute, The Young and the Restless star Adrienne Frantz said, "Billy Miller you lit up every room you walked into with your light, your chair and you gave the best hugs ever". "I'll always remember the laughs and the great times we had together. I hope you've found peace, my dear friend. I'll love you forever." If you or someone you know is in need of support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 Image credits: Getty Images

News

Assault victim breaks silence after Rolf Harris' death

Warning: This article contains information about sexual assault which some readers may find distressing. One of Rolf Harris's victims has spoken out about the "impact of evil" the disgraced entertainer had on her life, after the news of his death broke around the world. Karen Gardner, a presenter for the the BBC, accused the convicted pedophile of assaulting her three times when she was his 16-year-old bag carrier for the show Star Games in 1977. Upon hearing the news of his death, Gardner wrote on Twitter, "Very few of us escape the impact of evil people. What we have to do is expose them, share and stand together to dilute the pain." "For me it was Rolf Harris but he inflicted much worse on other girls." Ms Gardner shared the details of her harrowing experience in the recent ITV documentary Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight, which aired just last week. She told the program, "In the space of I guess about 35 minutes, he assaulted me three times in plain sight. And it was horrible because you're surrounded by people, and he had a method of operating." "I won't talk about the actual details, but he was paying me attention, he was saying how great I had been, and he, he hugged me, and that that's when, when it happened. And it was humiliating and degrading and awful and your, your blood turns to concrete." "And then it was mid-afternoon and they had organised a couple of taxis and one of the cars came to get him. And I had to get in the back seat of the car." Ms Gardner said Rolf got beside her and assaulted her again, adding, "Maybe because there wasn't anyone there, I did tell him to f**k off. And he said something, which makes, still makes me feel sick now. He said to me, 'You're irresistible.' I was 16. He was 48. He was 10 years older than my dad." Harris was acquitted of assaulting Ms Gardner after the jury could not reach a verdict at two trials. Rolf Harris' <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/rolf-harris-cause-and-date-of-death-confirmed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">death</a> was confirmed on May 23rd, while his death certificate states he died at the age of 93 on May 10th, after a battle with neck cancer. Image credits: ITV / Getty Images

Caring

Groom’s tragic update after bride killed on wedding day

A US man whose bride died on their wedding day after an alleged drunk driver rear-ended their golf cart is recovering at home and planning his wife’s funeral, his family revealed. Aric Hutchinson, from South Carolina, suffered severe injuries, leaving him with bleeding in his brain, two broken legs, facial fractures and a broken vertebrae in his back, according to a post on GoFundMe, written by his mother, Annette Hutchinson. The 36-year-old and his new wife, Samantha Miller, 34, had just left their wedding reception when the accused drunk driver Jamie Komoroski crashed her car into the golf cart the newlyweds were riding on. Ms Miller sadly died instantly. Two family members on the same golf cart suffered injuries. Ms Hutchinson shared that her son is now “physically recovering at home while trying to come to terms with the loss of his beautiful wife. Now he is doing the unimaginable of planning Sam’s funeral along with her family”. “We are missing Sam more than anything. She instantly fit into our family from the first day Aric and Sam met. She was everything to my son and changed him for the better,” she continued. “She could light up a room with her presence and had an ease about her. They shared many hopes and dreams for their future, including children and building a house. “What started as the happiest day for Aric and Sam ended with a tragedy … our hearts are broken along with the Millers’.” Ms Komoroski has been jailed without bond, and charged with three counts of driving under the influence causing death and reckless vehicular homicide. Authorities claimed the 25-year-old was driving at 104km/h in a 40km/h zone and reportedly only hit the breaks of her Toyota Camry right before the crash. Ms Komoroski told police she had consumed a tequila shot and one beer an hour prior, but refused to take a field sobriety test following the collision. A blood test was later conducted at a hospital, the results of which have not been released. In a statement to Fox News, Ms Komoroski's lawyers urged the public not to “rush to judgement”. Ms Miller’s mother Lisa revealed her heartbreaking final exchange with her beloved daughter. Speaking to WCIV, Lisa Miller said that “on the beginning of the golf car ride, [Samantha] said, ‘I wish this night could go on forever.’” “[It was] the best night of her life,” she added. Ms Miller said she was unaware of “what the distraction was” that caused the accident, but Ms Komoroski “literally ran into my daughter going 65 miles an hour”. “Sammie and Aric were on the back of the golf cart and so she basically just whammed into my child.” The bride’s sister, Mandi Jenkins, told WCIV, “That person made a careless mistake. And it’s not a mistake. It is a life-changing event,” “I never thought it would happen to us and to my beautiful sister, your beautiful daughter and all the 150 people that were there.” Image credit: Instagram/GoFundMe

Caring

Veteran honoured following Kokoda Track death

Paul ‘Dusty’ Miller, veteran and beloved father of five, has passed away of a suspected heart attack while walking the Kokoka Track. Paul, who had joined the Australian Army in 1991 and experienced four deployments, had been trekking as part of a fundraising effort by fellow veterans and first responders with the support group Operation Unity SA. Paul was on the second day of the challenging hike with his 17-year-old son, Aaron, when the tragedy occurred. His partner of 23 years, Amanda, confirmed the devastating news. “Paul wore many hats - a Father of 5, Partner, Son, Brother, Uncle, mate, Veteran, an even (46th class), sports fan, and a passionate advocate for veterans,” she wrote on Facebook. “As many of you will know, Paul and Aaron went to Kokoda together last week. Unfortunately on the second day, Paul had what is believed to be a heart attack. Despite all efforts of assistance and of CPR, Paul was airlifted out and it has been confirmed that he had passed away on arrival at the hospital. She went on to offer thanks for the efforts to revive Paul, and for the safe return of their son, Aaron, before noting that “in true Dusty style, he went out with a bang - doing something that he has always wanted to do … Kokoda.” Meanwhile, Paul’s daughter Sarah shared her own emotional tribute to social media, writing that her “whole word [was] falling apart.” “I still don’t want to believe it,” she said. “I still want to believe that Dad will call me and tell me everything will be okay. “My best friend, my hero, my safety blanket is gone, but I know his memories will live on forever and I will always be meeting people that loved and knew him.” The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade released a statement of their own to confirm the news, sharing that they were “providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian man who died in Papua New Guinea. We send our deepest condolences to the family.” When Operation Unity SA shared the news of Paul’s passing - and Amanda’s original post - the late veteran was met with an outpouring of love, with condolences flowing for his family memories, and his surviving legacy. “He was a colleague, a mate and brother to many. Dusty was always there for others. I will miss my mate and brother. Till we meet again in Valhalla big man,” wrote one friend. “Lest we forget.” “RIP Ole mate glad [I] had the opportunity to know you and your caring nature,” wrote another. “Thanks for being a part of our lives you will be sorely missed by all mate.” “All of our love and condolences to Paul's family. Paul was a true champion and a gentleman, who made the ultimate sacrifice serving others, again, for which there truly is no honour great enough,” shared Diving Veterans & First Responders Program. And as another friend said, everyone would be “sending love and thoughts to your whole family and everyone Paul touched during his life. He was an amazing asset to both the veteran and greater community and will be sorely missed by everyone.” Images: Facebook

Caring

AFL star marries amid cancer battle

AFL star Jeremy Finlayson and his partner Kellie Gardner have tied the knot in an intimate ceremony. The Port Adelaide player and his now wife, both 27, exchanged vows in South Australia's Tennyson Beach on Sunday with only 21 close friends and family in attendance. Kellie shared a photo of the beaming newlyweds showing off their rings on Instagram with the caption, "THE FINLAYSONS", as well wishes for the couple flooded in. Jeremy and Kellie's wedding was a long time coming, as the couple originally planned to marry in October 2022, but had to postpone their nuptials after Kellie underwent chemotherapy, radiation treatment and surgeries for a devastating cancer diagnosis. Gardner was diagnosed with bowel cancer two years ago, just three months after their daughter Sophia was born in August 2021. However, in January came the awful news the cancer had spread to her lungs after the mum-of-one felt a tightening in her chest. After ruling out COVID-19 as the reason for the pain, it was discovered a mass "a bit bigger than a tennis ball" was discovered in her chest cavity. In February, Gardner told Mark Soderstrom's The Soda Room podcast she experienced a series of stomach problems ahead of her diagnosis and wishes she got a medical check-up sooner. "If I had got all of my tummy problems checked and not just been thinking I had a lactose intolerance like every other Joe, Dick and Harry these days. If I had got it checked…" she said on the podcast. "You hear cancer and you attach it to a 60-year-old. You don't attach it to a 25-year-old who is quite healthy, who runs marathons and who just had a baby." "I was a fit, young mum. You just don't attach it to that." Jeremy and Kellie are planning a more extravagant wedding bash for October this year once the AFL season is over, with Gardner hoping to have kicked cancer for good by then. Image credits: Instagram

Relationships

Quaden Bayles' blockbuster new role

A young Indigenous boy with dwarfism, who captured hearts after an emotional plea to his school bullies went viral, has been offered a role in the new Mad Max movie. Quaden Bayles, an 11-year-old Queensland boy with achondroplasia, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/quaden-bayles-puts-vicious-rumours-of-fake-age-to-rest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">went viral in 2020</a> after his mother live-streamed a video on Facebook following the latest cruel bullying incident. The heartbreaking video, in which Quaden asks for a knife so he can kill himself, captured the world’s attention and Quaden received support from celebrities like Australia’s A-listers such as Hugh Jackman, Mark Hamill and Jon Bernthal. The boy’s anguish was also seen by Oscar-winning Australian filmmaker George Miller, who invited Quaden to appear in his upcoming film Three Thousand Years of Longing, which is due for release next month. Miller was so impressed with Quaden’s performance in the film, which also stars Hollywood heavyweights Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, that he invited him to appear as an extra in his next film Furiosa. Furiosa is set to be the fifth instalment in the Mad Max franchise and a prequel to 2015’s smash hit Mad Max: Fury Road. “It was good for us and it was good for him,” Miller told Good Weekend magazine. “And he did such a good job that he’s got a small role in Furiosa.” Due for release in 2024, Furiosa will star Anya Taylor-Joy and Australia’s Chris Hemsworth, and is expected to focus on the origins of Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa character, who was introduced in the six-time Academy Award winning Mad Max: Fury Road. Image credits: Getty Images / Supplied

Movies

5 minutes with author Patti Miller

In the Over60 “5 Minutes With” series, we ask book writers about their literary habits and preferences. Next up is Patti Miller, who is debuting her novel True Friends - <a href="https://www.uqp.com.au/books/true-friends" target="_blank" rel="noopener">out now</a>! Patti Miller is an Australian writer and holds a Bachelor in Communications and a Masters in Writing from the University of Technology. She is the author of 10 books and numerous articles and essays that have been published in national newspapers and literary magazines. In True Friends, a memoir, Patti reflects on the making (and unmaking) of some of her most treasured friendships, the importance of this relationship in our lives, how we choose our friends and how they shape our lives. Over60 spoke to Patti and asked about where her love of writing came from, and how her experiences helped shape her book True Friends. 1. How did you come up with the idea for True Friends? To be truthful, it came more from a feeling than an idea. I was boarding a flight in Paris and suddenly saw someone ahead of me on the air-bridge who looked like a friend who had recently ended her friendship with me. It wasn’t her, but I noted the turmoil it caused in me and once I was on the plane I started taking notes about it. I realised that while the endings of romantic relationships were often the subject of novels, memoirs, poems, song and films, the hurt of a friendship ending was rarely written about. By the time I arrived back in Sydney, I knew I had a book to write. 2. What do you look for when making friends? I think I am drawn to someone’s energy – their engagement with the world, their attention to it. I value self-awareness, openness, thoughtfulness, kindness, interest in and connection to the world. And then if I find out they like books and reading – well that’s a big plus! 3. If you're comfortable sharing, what was the greatest friendship loss that happened to you? There’s two kinds of losses in friendship – a break-up, and death. A friend has recently died and I have felt that loss deeply as she was formative for me. She shaped my thinking and my life to a certain extent. But I have also lost a friendship due to break up, which was bewildering and which became a central thread in True Friends. 4. What is your advice for your readers who are looking to make new friends? It’s so different for everyone that I don’t think I can give advice. Generally though, it’s a matter of being open to others. Listening to them, asking questions, rather than talking about yourself too much. That way, you can start connecting to them. 5. What is the importance in knowing oneself and one's friends? I’m going to quote from True Friends to answer this one: “Friends also share similar versions of the world... Together you and I not only acknowledge the reality of each other, but of our world. It is really there, that stand of gum trees, that mad leader, that childhood we told each other about, it all exists. Because we agree that it does.” That is, in knowing yourself and others, you re-affirm each other’s version of existence. 6. What book(s) do you think people should read? Well, clearly “True Friends”!! But also the wonderful set of novels by Elena Ferrante, starting with “My Brilliant Friend”. They are the best novels about a long friendship that I’ve come across. My book is nonfiction, drawing on my own experience, but I suspect Ferrante’s novels also draw on her own experience of friendship.

Books

Olympian Scott Miller arrested in major drug bust

Police claim the arrest of Olympic swimmer Scott Miller is a major coup in dismantling a criminal syndicate they say was intent on causing "death and misery" across regional NSW through the alleged supply of methylamphetamine. Police arrested two men on Tuesday, including the 45-year-old, following an investigation into the ongoing supply of over $2 million, or at least 4kg, worth of ice. Police also seized another 2kg of what they believe is a prohibited drug that is undergoing testing, bringing the estimated street value up to $3 million. Mr Miller was arrested at his waterfront home in Rozelle while another man, Wayne Allan Johnson, was detained at home in Balmain. Police have now charged Mr Miller with two counts of supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, dealing with the proceeds of crime and directing a criminal group. He spent the day being questioned at the police station. His lawyer Hugh Salter told the court his client would not be applying for bail and asked for the matter to be put off for eight weeks. Mr Miller’s co-accused, Mr Johnson, was also charged on Tuesday afternoon with supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and taking part in a criminal group. They are both expected to face court on April 13. Police will allege the pair concealed 4kg of the drug known as "ice" inside candles. It is believed eight candles, each with 500g of ice hidden inside them, were intercepted in a vehicle on its way to Albury in regional NSW. “The ice (inside the candles) is of very high purity ... it was moulded inside the glass in each candle,” Drugs and Firearms Squad commander John Watson said.

News

“Very, very wrong”: Margaret Court hits back at McEnroe and Navratilova

Tennis legend Margaret Court has slammed tennis stars John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova for their protest, saying that their actions were “very, very wrong”. Court has developed into a controversial figure due to her views on homosexuality and transgender athletes, which lead to McEnroe and Navratilova protesting for a name change of the Margaret Court Arena. McEnroe and Navratilova held a homemade sign which read “Evonne Goolagong Arena” as the Australian Open was celebrating Court’s achievements in the world of tennis. Court spoke to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/margaret-court-australian-open-interview-controversy-fundamentalist-views/53475172-0613-4f50-80cd-edb436911284" target="_blank">Nine News</a> about the incident, saying that she “felt sorry” for McEnroe. “I always got on quite well with John McEnroe. I always thought we got on and I’ve always respected him,” Court said. “I feel sorry for him that he can’t separate one part of life to another.” She also labelled their actions as “very, very wrong” as Court feels that they should not have protested the way that the pair did on Australian soil. “I’d never go to another nation, whatever I thought of a person, I would never say, ‘Hey, you should take their name off a building’,” Court said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> “She is a great Australian and a great tennis player… but Margaret Court still doesn’t acknowledge the damage she’s done with her opinions about homosexuals and same-sex marriage.” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://t.co/DEPt87kXpk">pic.twitter.com/DEPt87kXpk</a> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1224785361597014019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2020</a></blockquote> “I would never do that … I think that was very, very wrong.” Court has also slammed Tennis Australia for the treatment of her, labelling it “very sad”. "I think they said they were going to honour me but not celebrate me," the 77-year-old told 9News' Georgie Gardner. "Because of my stance and my views on gay marriage and all of those areas, and I've got nothing against people. "From the tennis side they've pointed the finger at me and tried to discriminate in everything that I've done and I think that's very sad."

Legal

“We’ve had our bumps”: Georgie was always leaving with Karl returning to Today

Karl Stefanovic has announced that he will be returning to Today in 2020, but it’s alongside Allison Langdon and not his former co-host Georgie Gardner. This came as a shock to some, as they have previously worked together on the show, but some believed that their union was doomed from the start. It was reported that Gardner had quit her role in 2014 after getting tired of Stefanovic’s blokey on-air antics. She acknowledged that the duo have had their “bumps” when it was announced that they were co-hosts in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/morning-shows/nine-announces-georgie-gardner-as-new-host-of-today-show/news-story/e7935154578a7b5142c82562666cfa05" target="_blank">November, 2017</a>. “I’m assuming with you we pick up where we left off. That is me running amok and you keeping me in line,” Gardner said. “Jokes aside, you know how much respect I’ve had for you. There’s been a bit of conjecture over the last few weeks how we feel about each other, loathe each other,” she joked. “You know, we have had our bumps, we’ve had our laughs.” <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/BqvUzf5AQFD/?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> <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/BqvUzf5AQFD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">@robynlawley is on a mission to change the fashion industry’s perception of what a real woman looks like! #9Today</a> <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/thetodayshow/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> thetodayshow</a> (@thetodayshow) on Nov 28, 2018 at 1:40pm PST </div> </blockquote> Things would only get worse between the pair after the infamous Uber-gate scandal, where Stefanovic accused Gardner of “sitting on the fence” and saying that she needed to “step up” if “she wanted to stay on the show”. Viewers immediately tuned into the next show to see if there was any tension between the pair, which came to light in an unlikely segment about sausage dogs. “You have to face your fears, Karl,” newsreader Deb Knight told him. “That’s right, and that’s coming up – don’t you worry about that,” Gardner responded pointedly, looking him directly in the eye. When Karl continued to air his fears about sausage dogs, Gardner told him: “Well, it’s probably about now I should call you pathetic.” Tensions continued to rise after reports from an executive at 9 spoke to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/" target="_blank">Sunday Telegraph</a> about how Gardner wanted Stefanovic gone. <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/B22xMIOJUcY/?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> <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/B22xMIOJUcY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">We know who we’re supporting for the AFL Grand Final this weekend... do you? #9Today</a> <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/thetodayshow/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> thetodayshow</a> (@thetodayshow) on Sep 25, 2019 at 6:20pm PDT </div> </blockquote> “Georgie simply demanded she won’t work with Karl anymore,” a Channel 9 executive told the Telegraph. “She hates Karl and has done for a long time. They didn’t like each other before she joined the show. Then the Uber thing tipped it over the edge. And then the wedding, she didn’t go when she was invited. You’d think your co-host would support you by being there but Georgie can’t stand Karl and has been waiting for this moment for a long time.” After hearing about Stefanovic’s return to the breakfast show, Gardner gave a statement to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/as-shocked-about-this-as-everyone-else-karl-stefanovic-back-at-today-20191108-p538o8.html" target="_blank">Sydney Morning Herald</a> earlier today. She said that she was made aware about the show’s direction two weeks ago and is “disappointed with the outcome”. “I have no regrets, even though the scrutiny and public discourse has been daunting and disproportionate. It’s also at times been cruel,” she finished.

Nine slams newspaper over “shameful” reports on Erin Molan and Sonia Kruger

Nine has slammed The Sunday Telegraph over the publication’s “sustained attack” on the network’s female presenters. The defence of Nine stars came after the Sunday tabloid published an article claiming that <a href="https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2019/10/28/nine-defends-female-presenters-after-shameful-attack-from-sunday-telegraph">a reshuffle at the network</a> would see Georgie Gardner demoted into the Today Extra hosting role, and Sonia Kruger facing the axe. Another article suggested that sports presenter Erin Molan has been “sidelined” by a “boys club” at the network amid an alleged feud with Andrew Johns. An online version of the article was later updated to inform that Molan had taken time off work for surgery on a broken shoulder. A Nine spokesperson has denied the reports, saying “all of the talk is made up”. “The sustained attack by The Sunday Telegraph on the female presenters of Nine is aimed to damage the standing of some of Australia’s most talented women in the media,” the spokesperson told <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/tv/2019/10/28/nine-slams-news-ltd/">The New Daily</a>. “Working mums Georgie Gardner, Erin Molan, Sonia Kruger and Deborah Knight are just some of the Nine women who are performing great roles across the business, yet have been targeted ina shameful onslaught of stories.” This is the second time this year that Nine clashed with a News Corp tabloid. In February, Nine news and current affairs director Darren Wick criticised a Daily Telegraph report on Georgie Gardner as “one of the most <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/the-heartwarming-moment-georgie-gardner-was-moved-to-tears-on-today-show/">deliberate acts of bullying</a> I’ve ever seen”. In response to the tabloid’s claims that Gardner was described by audience focus groups as “ice maiden” and “smiling assassin”, Wick said, “Nine’s position is that this is an outrageous, false, reckless and defamatory attack on Georgie Gardner and the Today show. The claim by the Daily Telegraph reporter that Nine has conducted focus groups this year is wrong.”

News

“Kids are like dogs:” Pauline Hanson compares raising children to “training pets”

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has shared some outlandish opinions by comparing raising children to training animals. The politician told The Today Show on Monday there are similarities with disciplining your children and pets. Ms Hanson also said reports suggesting parents should “train” their babies as a dog was not so far off from the truth. “Kids are like dogs... you actually look after them, treat them well, give them that love and care and attention,” she said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> “Kids are like dogs, if you actually look after them, treat them well, give them that love and care and attention. The problem today is parents aren’t allowed to discipline their kids. We are losing respect, they lose respect for authorities.” <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulineHansonOz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PaulineHansonOz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://t.co/DboCmqm5OP">pic.twitter.com/DboCmqm5OP</a> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1163195148760518656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2019</a></blockquote> The outlandish comments amused the morning show host Georgie Gardner, who said she was reluctant to end the segment. “Pauline, I loathe to interrupt because I'm scared I'm going to get in trouble but we have to go now,” she said. “Its been enlightening and everyone is awake across the country and terrified of you.” A controversial new British television show has caused a stir for it’s hosts, behaviourist Jo-Rosie, sharing her own parenting tips. She said she would be applying the same techniques as she would to train an animal with a three-year-old toddler. Ms Hanson said the “technique” gets results, and would use the same methods on her own children. “I would give them a clip over the ear if they didn't do what they were told. I had to control five of them and they had to do what they were told... and my grandkids get it too,” she shared. Radio host Neil Mitchell, another panelist sitting in on the controversial segment, sat shocked by Hanson’s admission to hitting her children. “You can't hit dogs, let alone children,” he said. The politician argued children need strong discipline. “The problem today is parents aren't allowed to discipline their kids. We are losing respect, they lose respect for authorities,” she said.

Family & Pets

"I'm not interested": Pauline Hanson tells Georgie Gardner what she really thinks about Julie Bishop

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson has weighed in on Julie Bishop’s rumoured TV show, saying she has no interest in tuning in to watch the program hosted by the former foreign minister. The Conversation with Julie Bishop – a big-budget talk show which has reportedly been pitched around to major networks by production company Screentime – could see the Liberal veteran travelling around the world to interview various female public figures. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/pauline-hanson-weighs-in-on-julie-bishop-talk-show-proposal/news-story/9be6a977b3d6f8e587d9bd48422e37c7" target="_blank">The Australian</a> reported on Monday that the guest list for the show’s first season included Princess Mary, Michelle Obama, Jacinda Ardern and Oprah Winfrey among others. Speaking on Today Tuesday morning, Hanson dismissed the topic when asked by host Georgie Gardner if she would watch Bishop's TV show. “Do I really want to watch [Bishop]? No, I don’t. Leave it up to the other people. No, sorry, I’m not interested,” she said. “She is retiring on over $200,000 a year from the taxpayers so she really doesn’t have to find another job.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> “It doesn’t interest me whatsoever to actually tune in. I wasn’t tuned in when she was in parliament so I’m really not going to tune in.” <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulineHansonOz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PaulineHansonOz</a> says she wouldn’t watch a talk show hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/HonJulieBishop?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HonJulieBishop</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://t.co/93rm7m0u0m">pic.twitter.com/93rm7m0u0m</a> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1145801957598040065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2019</a></blockquote> Hanson was asked if she would consider doing The Pauline Hanson Show after she left politics. “No, I don’t think anyone would tune in to watch me either,” she said. Author Nikki Gemmell, who appeared on the morning show with Hanson, was more welcoming of the idea. “Apparently she wants to go all over the world, interview people like Michelle Obama, Sia, those kind of people who are perhaps a little bit shy about going on talk programs,” she said. “Often we get men fronting these programs. I think the questioning would be different and the people she would be interviewing would be more likely to talk to her because they would feel like she is one of them. “Lawyer background, really interesting questions, I imagine. Bring it on.” Screentime producer Andrew Garrick said while the company had approached Bishop about the TV show, she has yet to come on board. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> So you quietly suggest to an exec at a TV network that a show built around someone genuinely clever could be good to make, and they leak the entire pitch. Classy industry this one. For everyone's clarity: we went to <a href="https://twitter.com/HonJulieBishop?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HonJulieBishop</a>, she wasn't on board yet. <a href="https://t.co/MAJG6C48Jg">https://t.co/MAJG6C48Jg</a> — Andrew Garrick (@ajgarrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajgarrick/status/1145551670643789824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2019</a></blockquote> According to the document published by <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/pauline-hanson-weighs-in-on-julie-bishop-talk-show-proposal/news-story/9be6a977b3d6f8e587d9bd48422e37c7" target="_blank">The Australian</a>, the show was proposed as a “pure conversation” between guests from “diverse professional and cultural backgrounds” and host Julie Bishop, who is “accustomed to disarming the most tricky of personalities”. The interviews would be “filmed on the street of a city of the guest's choice, in full view of passersby”. In the meantime, it has been revealed that Bishop has re-entered the private sector with an appointment to the board of international consultancy firm Palladium, less than two months after leaving politics. Labor said Bishop’s new corporate job could mean a breach of ministerial standards. The Opposition’s foreign affairs spokesperson Penny Wong said Palladium had profited more than $500 million from the decisions made when Bishop was in office. “Not only doesn't it pass the pub test, it looks on the face of it like another breach of the ministerial standards,” Wong told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/julie-bishop-lands-palladium-board-position/841ecec5-4fe8-4dc3-9183-4ccae759d380" target="_blank">ABC News</a>.

News

Gold Logie nominee Tom Gleeson wreaks havoc on Today show

Gold Logie nominee and comedian Tom Gleeson appeared on the Today show on Wednesday morning and caused a ruckus, much to the chagrin of the hosts. The Hard Quiz presenter is known for not holding back and he lived up to his reputation as was interviewed by the breakfast show's hosts Deborah Knight, Georgie Gardner and Tom Steinfort about his current campaign to win this year’s Gold Logie. Naturally, Gleeson did not disappoint as he presented the hosts with a show full to the brim with campaign merchandise. It included t-shirts with his face on it, cushions and a box of condoms with the word “hard” printed on them. “I got them extra large for Richard [Wilkins],” Gleeson quipped as he passed the condoms to the sniggering Today hosts. “This is reckless television!” cried Georgie Gardner as Gleeson continued to unveil the show bag goodies. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> I misbehaved on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheTodayShow</a> this morning. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tvweeklogies?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tvweeklogies</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gleeson4Gold?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gleeson4Gold</a> Vote here now: <a href="https://t.co/oIgKOm3nip">https://t.co/oIgKOm3nip</a> <a href="https://t.co/tyQnlPHv3X">pic.twitter.com/tyQnlPHv3X</a> — Tom Gleeson (@nonstoptom) <a href="https://twitter.com/nonstoptom/status/1143658934034563072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">25 June 2019</a></blockquote> There were innuendoes everywhere as the hosts played a clip of Gleeson joking he wanted to replace the Today show with a show called Hard Day. After playing the clip, Gardner joked, “Which is probably preferable to Soft Day.” Steinfort chimed in with, “Depends who you ask.” “It writes itself,” Gleeson said before pitching a slogan for the show. “Wake up hard in the morning!” Naturally, Gleeson saved the best for last as he asked where former Today host Karl Stefanovic was. “I need to ask a question before I go. Where is Karl? What have you done with him? When is he coming back?” he asked. Gardner was quick on her feet and retorted, “I told you last time where he was, I ate him,” before changing the topic. Gleeson also spoke to KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O, where he maintains that he helped last year’s Gold Logie winner Grant Denyer win the award. “Well, I did start the hashtag #Denyer4Gold,” Gleeson said, according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/morning-shows/tom-gleeson-wreaks-havoc-on-today-show/news-story/808ce4eacae171164cca38a15c9c4bf2" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. “The night before I launched my campaign I plugged it into Twitter, there were no matches. By the time the red carpet had ended there were two million. So I think it might have had an impact. Gleeson reflected, “Think of it this way: He [Denyer] didn’t have a show on air last year and he won the Gold Logie. This year he’s had five shows on air and no support from me, wasn’t even nominated. “I conclude that I might have had a hand in it,” he added.

News

“Nothing to apologise for”: Georgie Gardner hits back over controversial Dr Teo interview

Georgie Gardner has responded to those who criticised her for the treatment she gave brain surgeon Charlie Teo during his appearance on the Today show. Taking to Twitter, the breakfast show host told naysayers to “go away”, saying she had “nothing to apologise for” and that Dr Teo “was happy with the interview”. Since the interview aired last month, Gardner has been heavily criticised over her line of questioning. Dr Teo is considered a “hero” by many, as he is famous for conducting operations on those who have been told there is nothing that can be done. But despite his life-changing surgery, fellow surgeons seem to disagree with his price point, with the neurosurgeon saying the medical world is “gunning for him”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> Please watch the i’view or go away. I have nothing to apologise for & I repeat Prof Teo was happy with the i’view <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheTodayShow</a> <a href="https://t.co/wEnPMWqncS">https://t.co/wEnPMWqncS</a> — Georgie Gardner (@GeorgieG) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgieG/status/1137959761280811008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">10 June 2019</a></blockquote> His interview with Gardner in May started a fiery feud on Twitter, as those in the profession slammed the surgeon for accepting six-figure sums, with patients resorting to crowdfunding to help pay for his services. During his exchange with Gardner, the journalist asked him why the procedure isn’t covered by Medicare, which prompted Dr Teo to tell the host to get her “facts straight”. “Let’s get our facts straight first,” he said. “The fact is, although some patients do have to pay over $100,000, that doesn’t all go to the surgeon or even the team. “It is in a private hospital, which is accounting to their shareholders. They have to make a profit. “So, for example, that $120,000 bill that Henry Woo is talking about, $80,000 to the private hospital. $40,000 then gets dispersed among not only the surgeon, the assistant, anaesthetist, pathologist, radiologist, radiographer. “It is not that great an amount to each individual person, when you get your facts straight…” Gardner then continued to probe into how much Dr Teo personally makes in those circumstances. “I got $8000,” he said. “But it is really not the total amount that each person gets. It is really the fact that people do have to pay for their private healthcare. “It is a little bit unfair. If I was a child with cancer in a foreign state who wants the very best care, I think you should be able to be done in the public system. “But unfortunately, if you are done in the public system a few people have swallowed their egos.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> Dr Charlie Teo defends the high cost of his procedures, instead putting the onus on other neurosurgeons who won't swallow their egos and says "I would do it free of charge" if Australia's healthcare system covered the costs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://t.co/mwjmuMU8Se">pic.twitter.com/mwjmuMU8Se</a> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1133489260051410944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">28 May 2019</a></blockquote> Dr Teo made a startling admission to 6PR host Jane Marwick, saying the medical profession had deeply rooted problems, as he revealed he once abused his power to prevent another surgeon from reaching the top. “I hate to say it but I’m guilty of it myself,” he said. “I remember when I sat on a credentialing board at one of the hospitals I was at. This guy applied for privileges at this hospital. About three months before he’d written a pretty nasty letter about me, so I didn’t like him. So what do I do? “With the power that I had, I go, ‘No, he can’t have privileges at this hospital.' And, for no other reason than because I didn’t like the guy. He was probably a good surgeon. He’d paid up all his dues. But I didn’t like him, so I didn’t give him privileges.” Dr Teo said he did it “because I could”. “I was totally unaccountable. Nobody came down on me and said, ‘Give me the reasons why’ or ‘You can’t do that just because he’s not a nice person’.”

“Let’s get our facts straight”: Surgeon’s tense clash with Georgie Gardner

One of Australia’s most acclaimed and reputable medics, neurosurgeon Charlie Teo has come face to face with Georgie Gardner in a tense interview on the Today show this morning. He appeared on the show to set the record straight, after users on Twitter criticised Dr Teo for his hefty costs forcing many of his patients to use crowdfunding services so they can afford the surgery. Gardner started off the interview by quoting Henry Woo, a professor from the University of Sydney, who was the catalyst of the social media storm that erupted. Prof Woo tweeted: “Something is seriously wrong if a terminally ill girl with a brain tumour has to raise $130,000 to have surgery Dr Charlie Teo has offered to do for $60-80,000.” Gardner then began her line of questioning as she asked the doctor to provide answers as to why his life changing surgery is not covered by Medicare and the public hospital system. However, the interview took a drastic turn as Dr Teo took the reigns and told Gardner to get her “facts straight”. He then went into detail about where the money goes. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> Dr Charlie Teo defends the high cost of his procedures, instead putting the onus on other neurosurgeons who won't swallow their egos and says "I would do it free of charge" if Australia's healthcare system covered the costs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://t.co/mwjmuMU8Se">pic.twitter.com/mwjmuMU8Se</a> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1133489260051410944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">28 May 2019</a></blockquote> “Let’s get our facts straight first,” he said. “The fact is, although some patients do have to pay over $100,000, that doesn’t all go to the surgeon or even the team. “It is in a private hospital, which is accounting to their shareholders. They have to make a profit. “So, for example, that $120,000 bill that Henry Woo is talking about, $80,000 to the private hospital. $40,000 then gets dispersed among not only the surgeon, the assistant, anaesthetist, pathologist, radiologist, radiographer. “It is not that great an amount to each individual person, when you get your facts straight …” Carrying on, Gardner then pressed into how much Dr Teo would receive after completing the surgery. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> Something is seriously wrong if a terminally ill girl with a brain tumour has to raise $120K to have surgery Dr Charlie Teo has offered to do for $60-80K. If it was valid surgery, it could/should be performed in the public system under Medicare <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a> <a href="https://t.co/8s7L5mcuAZ">https://t.co/8s7L5mcuAZ</a> — Henry Woo (@DrHWoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrHWoo/status/1131808554254458880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 May 2019</a></blockquote> “I got $8000,” he said. “But it is really not the total amount that each person gets. It is really the fact that people do have to pay for their private healthcare. “It is a little bit unfair. If I was a child with cancer and in a foreign state who wants the very best care, I think you should be able to be done in the public system. “But unfortunately, if you are done in the public system a few people have swallowed their egos.” He claimed that a “centre of excellence” can operate on patients from interstate free of charge in the public system. “But, to be called a centre of excellence you need at least three or four neurosurgeons to say that, that doctor is doing something different to us and that is not going to happen,” he said. The neurosurgeon also revealed how he offers surgery at no cost to the patient if they are unable to cover the sum or don’t have private health insurance. “They have two options,” he said. “They come to the private system in NSW and get done privately where they have to pay. “Or I say to them, ‘Listen, if you can get your neurosurgeon from your state to invite me to your hospital, I will operate free of charge in the public system with benefits not only to you but will benefit hopefully the whole neurosurgical community where they can learn my techniques’. Have I ever been taken off on that offer? Never. “All they need to do is swallow their ego.” According to Dr Teo, it’s that same ego that started the fiery Twitter feud. “The whole Twitter thing is all about trying to destroy or discredit my reputation,” he said. “I would say to that person, ‘Listen, there is a lot better things to do we should be doing as doctors rather than trolling through websites looking for ways to discredit a colleague’. “Get back to your lab, try and find a cure for prostate cancer. I will try and find a cure for brain cancer, thank you.” Dr John Quinn, the TACS executive director of surgical affairs said that patients should not have to resort to crowdfunding to be able to afford treatments. "The College of Surgeons is not in favour of patients funding treatments by GoFundMe or other means like re-mortgaging their homes and accessing funds from their superannuation," he said. "If urgent treatment is required, all of these treatments are available in a public hospital at no cost.

Caring

Love is in the air! LEGO Masters Miller and Kaitlyn reveal their new romance

Nine’s LEGO Masters wasn’t intended to be a dating show, but turns out, two of its contestants have revealed that they’ve found love! Speaking to <a rel="noopener" href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/2019/05/10/18/41/lego-masters-2019-miller-and-kaitlyn-are-a-couple" target="_blank">9Honey Celebrity</a>, Miller and Kaitlyn – who started the show with their teammates Jordan and Marielle – said it was through the show that the pair discovered their feelings for one another. “We were friends from when we first met, and we’d hang out during free time in between filming. But I had no idea Kaitlyn liked me,” said Miller. “I was completely oblivious to Kaitlyn’s flirtations. The other contestants had a lot to do with us getting together.” Henry and Cade, another team on the hit show built a strong friendship with Miller, and knew he was interested in Kaitlyn. <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/BxWz4_sBfJI/" 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> <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/BxWz4_sBfJI/" target="_blank">Lego Masters became Love Island for Kaitlyn and Miller after falling for each other on @legomastersau #lego #legomasters #love #realitytv #couple #legolove #@channel9</a> <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/fionahamiltonphoto/" target="_blank"> fiona hamilton</a> (@fionahamiltonphoto) on May 12, 2019 at 1:51am PDT </div> </blockquote> “And then Kaitlyn’s partner Marielle told Cade that she was interested in me, so he ended up telling me,” said Miller. But their romance didn’t start right away. “We went out on a few dates, but it was still kind of as friends,” said Miller. “Then we went and had breakfast one day, and I kind of just leaned over the table and said, ‘Kaitlyn, I’ve just gotta get something out of the way. I just want to make sure … is this … is this a date?’ “And she kind of said, ‘I don’t know. Is it?’ and I said, ‘I guess it is now?!’” While the new couple managed to keep it a secret from everyone on the show until now, the two say their LEGO Masters co-stars could not be happier. “Everyone was really supportive, they were all really happy,” says Kaitlyn.

Relationships

News

Shop

Catalogues

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Shock after baseball champion's 14-year-old son dies while on family holiday

Devastated mum warns of flu dangers after losing 11-week-old son

Young and the Restless actor's cause of death revealed

Young and the Restless actor dies at just 43

Assault victim breaks silence after Rolf Harris' death

Groom’s tragic update after bride killed on wedding day

Veteran honoured following Kokoda Track death

AFL star marries amid cancer battle

Quaden Bayles' blockbuster new role

5 minutes with author Patti Miller

Olympian Scott Miller arrested in major drug bust

“Very, very wrong”: Margaret Court hits back at McEnroe and Navratilova

“We’ve had our bumps”: Georgie was always leaving with Karl returning to Today

Nine slams newspaper over “shameful” reports on Erin Molan and Sonia Kruger

“Kids are like dogs:” Pauline Hanson compares raising children to “training pets”

"I'm not interested": Pauline Hanson tells Georgie Gardner what she really thinks about Julie Bishop

Gold Logie nominee Tom Gleeson wreaks havoc on Today show

“Nothing to apologise for”: Georgie Gardner hits back over controversial Dr Teo interview

“Let’s get our facts straight”: Surgeon’s tense clash with Georgie Gardner

Love is in the air! LEGO Masters Miller and Kaitlyn reveal their new romance

Our Partners