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Hollywood icon reveals plans for retirement

<p>Denzel Washington has revealed that he is going to retire after his next batch of films. </p> <p>The Hollywood icon appeared via videolink on Tuesday’s episode of the <em>Today Show</em>, alongside his co-stars to promote his new film <em>Gladiator II</em>.</p> <p>“I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. Probably not that many,” the actor, who turns 70 next month, told <em>Today</em> host Richard Wilkins. </p> <p>“I want to do things I haven’t done. I’ve played Othello at 22, I’m about to play Othello at 70,” he said.</p> <p>Denzel will play the role in the Shakespeare play on Broadway alongside Jake Gyllenhaal from February next year.</p> <p>“After that I’m playing Hannibal. After that I’ve been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that Ryan Coogler’s writing a part for me in the next <em>Black Panther.</em>”</p> <p>He added, “After that I’m going to do the film Othello. After that I’m going to do King Lear. After that I’m going to retire.”</p> <p>Based on the interview, the actor has six upcoming projects across stage and film, so fans will still get to enjoy a few more of his roles before he retires, following a career that has spanned almost 50 years. </p> <p>Speaking to <em>news.com.au</em>, the actor offered some insight into why he is planning to retire, saying that there are “less and less challenges”, after previously revealing that at this point in his career, there are very few roles he is willing to take. </p> <p><em>Image: Masatoshi Okauchi/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p> </p>

Readers response: Is there any item of memorabilia you’ve passed down to family or plan to in the future?

<p>As in many families, there are often sentimental items and memorabilia that are passed down from several generations. </p> <p>We asked our readers if there are any heirlooms that they have passed down to their younger family members, or if they plan to, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Marjorie Gale</strong> - The christening gown made by my Aunt in the UK in 1955 for my eldest daughter, worn by my two other daughters. Now been worn by my 9 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, and another due soon. So far 24 babies have worn it.</p> <p><strong>Dawn Douglas</strong> - Yes, I have my Mums jewellery box and my eldest daughter will get it when I’m gone. I also have a brooch that belonged to my Nana.</p> <p><strong>Sue Crawley</strong> - I have a 1925 gold embossed book by AA Milne “When We Were Very Young”. My most cherished memory was sitting on my great grandfathers knee whilst he read it to me. Not sure yet which grandchild will receive it.</p> <p><strong>Greg Browning</strong> - A Winchester rifle my great grandfather bought in the 1800s. Have already passed it on.</p> <p><strong>Marion Ingram</strong> - Family bassinets. Now on its 4th generation!</p> <p><strong>Margie Buckingham</strong> - My grandmother’s costume jewellery was stunning. She was a racehorse breeder always in the Flemington Racecourse members, even had many Group One winners, so her jewellery had to look special.</p> <p><strong>Paul Uttley</strong> - A silver pocket knife that belonged to my great grandfather now belongs to my oldest grandson (six generations apart)!</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Family & Pets

"I miss her daily": Fergie opens up on friendship with Diana

<p>As the Duchess of York wraps up her visit Down Under, she has shared some of her most cherished memories in an interview with <em>9Honey</em>.</p> <p>Following a busy schedule of meet and greets as part of her book tour, Sarah Ferguson opened up on her friendship with the late Princess Diana, who, like the duchess, is a beloved member of the royal family.</p> <p>"The thing about Diana was that she had the best sense of humour of any single person I know – that's quite a big thing, so it's a really big hole because she'd get my sense of humour," the duchess told the publication.</p> <p>"It's really, really hard to really make me cackle with laughter like she used to.</p> <p>"And so, yes, I miss her daily, and I think in the '80s it was just her and I, wasn't it?"</p> <p>The two women were brought together by their marriages to then Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, and the royal affectionately recalled their strong bond.</p> <p>"There isn't anybody else to know, really, what we know because there was no social media and it was just newspaper headlines.</p> <p>"I was so proud of her, what she achieved, and she would be SO proud of her grandchildren.</p> <p>"Oh, my goodness. Can you imagine? She would be just loving every moment.</p> <p>"She was a great lady, and she still is a great lady."</p> <p>The <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">duchess</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">was originally scheduled to visit Australia in October, after she was invited by her Western Australia-based publisher, Serenity Press to showcase her commitment to literature, wellness and empowerment. However, she postponed her visit to not overshadow the King and Queen's tour. </span></p> <p>The <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">soon to be grandmother of four</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">celebrated the launch of her newest books including </span><em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Flora & Fern: Wonder in the Woods</em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> which is a children's book, and Fabulous Food Art, which is a cookbook she created in collaboration with Melbourne mother and TikTok star Laleh Mohmedi, of Jacob's Food Diaries.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Image: </span>Alisdair Macdonald/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

Family & Pets

Jelena Dokic's teary admission about 2001 Australian Open controversy

<p>Jelena Dokic has shared that she would endure "100 years of abuse" to go back in time and represent Australia at the 2001 Australian Open. </p> <p>During an emotional interview with Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little, the tennis champion recalled the earlier years of her career, and the abuse she faced at the hands of her father, who was also her coach. </p> <p>At 17 years old, Jelena was booed off Rod Laver Arena at the 2001 Australian Open after losing to Lindsay Davenport, after she announced plans to turn her back on Australia and represent her native Yugoslavia instead. </p> <p>The decision not to represent Australia was made by her father, and at that point in her career, he had been banned from attending her matches. </p> <p>“I would take 100 years of abuse if I could take back not playing for Australia for a few years,” an emotional Dokic told the <em>Carrie & Tommy Show</em>.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCBcdwFPDVE/?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/reel/DCBcdwFPDVE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Carrie and Tommy (@carrietommyshow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“He took away from me, something that I loved so much."</p> <p>“He took that away from me in that moment. He’s sitting in a hotel room watching this while I’m getting booed by 15,000 people. I just wanted to kind of drop into the ground and disappear and never come back."</p> <p>“I would take any abuse, anything in this world to not even just go through that personally, but that it didn’t take my people, Australians and my fans and everyone that always cheered for me, that it didn’t take 10 or 15 years until my book came out for them to know the truth and just how much I really love Australia.”</p> <p>Jelena switched allegiances back to Australia in 2005 and went on to represent Australia in the 2009 Fed Cup, winning several matches.</p> <p>Dokic said getting booed by the Australian crowd was a low point of her career, given there was nothing she loved more than representing Australia.</p> <p>“I came to this country as an 11-year-old and I really accepted it and loved Australia,” she said, </p> <p>“I loved representing Australia. I loved team events. Everything that had to do with team events, I always won. I had like a 99 per cent win rate. There’s a reason for that."</p> <p>“He (Damir Dokic) took that away from me for those few years. I wanted to come back earlier but I was worried about people’s reaction, even though I did come back three, four years later."</p> <p>“Everyone did embrace me when I did come back but people still had doubts. They didn’t look at me as someone who was this patriotic Australian, and it hurt me because I was."</p> <p>“I really accepted this country. I always say, I was born in a different country but I am Australian. I always looked at myself that way. I love Australia. I love my fans so much."</p> <p>“It doesn’t matter what match it was, every time you would hear from the crowd,’ Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi’ when I was playing, I would literally get goosebumps.”"</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Jill Farnham opens up on John's health battle

<p>John Farnham's wife Jill has opened up about her husband's devastating cancer battle, and how his health journey took a toll on their entire family. </p> <p>Jill, who has been notoriously private throughout her marriage to the Aussie music legend, has penned two chapters in Farnham's memoir <em>The Voice Inside</em>, sharing how John's cancer diagnosis changed everything, and shared her opinions on his future singing. </p> <p>“I don’t know if John will sing again,” she wrote. “It just depends. Because of the radiation, that whole side of his face is rock hard. The flesh, the muscle, the tendons, none of it is supple."</p> <p>“The surgeons need to work out how to loosen it all, so we have to be patient. He’s disappointed, naturally, because he may not be up on a stage again and he loved that.”</p> <p>Jill also revealed it was her who pushed Farnham to see a doctor before his diagnosis with cancer in August 2022, explaining, “He had a big white mass on the inside of his cheek and you could physically see it.”</p> <p>“For several months I was saying to him, ‘Let’s go see about that thing in your mouth,’ and he’d say, ‘No, it’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright.’ He kept putting it off and putting it off. I pleaded with him to go see a doctor and finally he did.”</p> <p>Jill explained how her husband's attitude as "a classic Cancerian” impacted the time it took to get a diagnosis, and how she has had to be strong for her whole family through the scary health ordeal. </p> <p>“Over the years I’ve had to be strong,” Jill wrote. “I’ve had to be a wife, a mother, a psychiatrist, a doctor, I’ve had to be all those things in one. I’ve had to be strong and bossy to keep the family together, to keep moving forward, and I have done that because I love John and I love my family."</p> <p>“John is a classic Cancerian, he likes to walk sideways and go around everything, rather than face any issues head-on,” Jill continued. “To this day he acts like that when he’s faced with a tough decision or situation. He always beats around the bush rather than deal with it and then, of course, that just makes a situation worse for him.”</p> <p>Later in the chapter detailing Farnham’s health, Jill set the record straight on some media reports relating to the surgery to remove the cancerous tumour.</p> <p>“And, just for the record, they didn’t take his jaw,” she wrote. “I know lots of people think that’s what happened, but in the end they removed the cancer from his cheek and they also scraped his jaw to make sure it hadn’t gotten into his bones."</p> <p>“Thankfully the cancer wasn’t in his bones, which was great news, and so he’s still got his bottom jaw, even though the radiation has messed that up a little bit."</p> <p>“In hospital they were feeding him through a tube in his stomach, which was pretty grim. I started taking in my home cooking. Things I knew John would like. He would eat a couple of mouthfuls and that would be it, he wouldn’t be able to manage any more. For a while there, it felt like one thing on top of another for John."</p> <p>“It was a traumatic time for all of us, but we got through it. Now he’s back to eating, which is a good sign, but he can’t open his mouth very far, so it’s hard.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine </em></p>

Caring

Longtime friend opens up on John Farnham's potential return to singing

<p>John Farnham is back in the spotlight following the release of his brand new memoir, <em>John Farnham: The Voice Inside</em>. </p> <p>The memoir explores the legendary singer's extraordinary almost six-decade career, with an insight into the star's notoriously private family life. </p> <p>As he slowly and steadily recovers from mouth cancer, the beloved singer's voice has been heard for the first time as he narrates the <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/john-farnham-s-voice-heard-for-the-first-time-since-throat-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">audiobook</a> for his memoir. </p> <p>Now, long-time friend Gaynor Wheatley has shared an exciting update on whether the music icon would ever perform again. </p> <p>"As soon as I saw him in the studio doing the audiobook and as soon as he got behind the microphone, the twinkle was in the eye," she told <em>Today</em>.</p> <p>"That's when I thought, you know, we're still in with a shot and he can still sing, his voice box is still great, there's just a few more things to do with the mouth recovery, but we all know he's as strong as a boxer so if he wants to do something, he'll do it.</p> <p>"If I say to him, 'You won't sing, you can't sing, what a shame', then he'll go, 'Yes I can, I'll prove you wrong'."</p> <p>In another interview with <em>The Project</em>, she recalled how the legendary singer still wants to perform despite his facial disfigurement from the surgery. </p> <p>“He’s a singer,” she said at the time. </p> <p>“I know when he got back in the studio doing the audiobook, he was like, ‘I want to get back, I want to go back’."</p> <p><em>Image: Today/ Facebook</em></p>

Caring

"So ashamed": John Farnham opens up about years of abuse

<p>John Farnham has shared explosive claims that he suffered years of abuse at the hands of his former manager at the beginning of his career. </p> <p>Revealing all in his new memoir <em>The Voice Inside</em>, which is set to be released on October 30th, the Aussie music legend opened up about the mistreatment he endured from former manager Darryl Sambell when he was a teen pop idol in the 1960s with hits like <em>Sadie the Cleaning Lady</em>.</p> <p>In an excerpt of the book published by <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_NEW&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Farts%2Freview%2Fhe-drugged-me-for-years-john-farnham-reveals-predatory-industry-life-after-cancer-in-memoir-finding-the-voice%2Fnews-story%2Fc1dfc413b3bee553a0bda380bc3bec01&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=HIGH-Segment-2-SCORE&V21spcbehaviour=appendend" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Australian</em></a>, Farnham wrote that Sambell “drugged me for years and I had no f**king idea,” until he found a half-dissolved pill at the bottom of a cup of coffee. </p> <p>Asked what it was, Sambell told Farnham: “That’s just something to keep you awake.”</p> <p>Farnham also writes that his manager, who was openly gay, was “aggressively sexual” towards him and he was constantly fending off his advances.</p> <p>He wrote, “I said it often enough that I can see now that this rejection turned his attraction into jealousy, hatred and a desire for control.”</p> <p>The toxic relationship went on for years, with Sambell controlling “where and when I worked, what I sang, what I wore, what I ate,” as Farnham ended up “isolated from friends and family,” even from wife Jill, who he married in 1973.</p> <p>Farnham finally sacked Sambell in 1976, later forming one of Australian music’s most successful partnerships with music manager Glenn Wheatley, who helped Farnham become a household name with his major hits of the 1980s and 90s. </p> <p>After Sambell died in 2001, Farnham wrote that he was forced to reflect on the early years of his career, and was overcome with a mixture of sorrow and shame: “I feel so ashamed of myself for not realising what Darryl was up to or speaking up more often to put him back in his place.”</p> <p>He admitted he had found it hard to “unpick” what had happened to him, until forced to confront it while writing his memoir.</p> <p>“But now that I’ve confronted it, I look back on that time with sorrow. I’m annoyed at myself for being so gullible and trusting,” he writes.</p> <p><em>Image credits: news.com.au / Facebook</em></p>

Caring

"One more shot": Nick Kyrgios makes major career announcement

<p>After two years of dealing with an injury, Nick Kyrgios has made a major announcement about his career future. </p> <p>The 29-year-old Aussie tennis champion has confirmed he will be returning to the court for Australian Open in 2025, after not playing any professional tennis for 492 days. </p> <p>His last match dates all the way back to June 13th in 2023, which he lost against China’s Yibing Wu before he took a step back from the court to deal with serious knee and wrist injuries. </p> <p>While many fans have speculated whether he would ever return to the sport, Kyrgios made the announcement himself while speaking at South by South West (SXSW) in Sydney on Thursday. </p> <p>“The injury I had was brutal,” he said as a keynote speaker on stage.</p> <p>“The surgeon said I probably wouldn’t be able to play again. But I said whatever, just try and get me another 2-3 years of my career."</p> <p>“Everything has gone semi-well and I will be playing the Australia Open this summer.”</p> <p>While on his hiatus from playing, Kyrios has dabbled in the world of commentating, but he admitted it has been tough to sit on the sidelines for so long. </p> <p>“It’s been a brutal last couple of years ... but just being out there to play in front of a home crowd ... I just want to be out there, lighting up the crowd and playing in front of my own country,” Kyrios added.</p> <p>“Whether it is good or bad, it will certainly be a lot of fun, for sure. I am looking forward to it.</p> <p>“My only motivation to come back and play is to try and win a grand slam, and I’ll give it one more shot.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

News

Cruise passengers share why you never leave your cabin balcony door open

<p>A couple on a cruise ship have learned the hard way why you should never leave the balcony door in your cruise cabin open and unattended for too long. </p> <p>While on a cruise around the US and docked in the port of Orlando in Florida, the couple took to TikTok to share their "horror" experience of when their cabin filled up with birds. </p> <p>In the video, they opened the door to their room and were swarmed by a flock of birds as they captioned the video, "When you go on a cruise and you come back to a bunch of (bird emoji) everywhere."</p> <p>"Felt like we were living in a horror movie scene. I can breathe now because I can (laugh)about it," the passenger added.</p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: currentcolor !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: currentcolor !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7423175328480136491&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40greedy810%2Fvideo%2F7423175328480136491&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-pu-sign-useast8.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2FoM5JajVJBIUqbExUAiiApxIM8Af9zqBEi0wBCg%3Flk3s%3Db59d6b55%26x-expires%3D1729123200%26x-signature%3DC%252F8Xte%252FDJymZpHuGaa4Y8zX%252F6AA%253D%26shp%3Db59d6b55%26shcp%3D-&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>The video was taken on the Carnival Freedom cruise ship in the USA, with the couple later posting another video of a room steward catching two birds in a cardboard box.</p> <p>Viewers in the comments were a mix of amused and horrified, as one person wrote, "You're not supposed to leave your balcony door open when you're gone."</p> <p>"You have a whole Alfred Hitchcock movie in your room," another commented, comparing the scene with the film,<em> The Birds</em>.</p> <p>Others speculated that the unusual behaviour of the birds could be impacted by the nearby Hurricane Milton. </p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Cruising

"In shock ever since": Aussie TV legend opens up on divorce

<p>Noni Hazelhurst has opened up about her high-profile divorce from actor John Jarratt in 1999, admitting she has "been in shock ever since" the relationship split. </p> <p>The former <em>Play School </em>host, 71, wrote candidly about her former husband in her new memoir <em>Dropping The Mask</em>, sharing the real reason they called off their marriage. </p> <p>Hazelhurst and Jarratt were married for 12 years, from 1987 until 1999, and share two sons together, Charlie, 36, and William, 30. </p> <p>The couple even co-hosted <em>Better Homes and Gardens</em> together, but sadly, the show wound up playing a role in their divorce.</p> <p>“John and I had some wonderful times together – and then we didn’t," Hazlehurst told <em><a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/noni-hazlehurst-ex-husband/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woman’s Day</a></em> in a new interview.</p> <p>“That’s true of many relationships. They start off full of hope and optimism and, along the way, buried issues come to the surface.”</p> <p>Noni went on to say their relationship started to end when John grew closer to a member of the <em>Better Homes</em> crew, saying “At that moment, I knew the marriage was over.” </p> <p>“We simply wanted different things. I wanted a family. John wanted another woman… The ending of my previous relationships had been hard enough, but this was far worse. In some ways, I think I’ve been in shock ever since.”</p> <p>Despite the divorce, Hazlehurst insisted she had no hard feelings toward her ex, saying, “The end result of our marriage was two beautiful children. Whatever happened can’t negate the joy they’ve brought me.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram / news.com.au</em></p>

Relationships

High-speed rail plans may finally end Australia’s 40-year wait to get on board

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/philip-laird-3503">Philip Laird</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a></em></p> <p>Australia has debated and studied high-speed rail for four decades. The High Speed Rail Authority has begun <a href="https://www.hsra.gov.au/project">work on a project</a> that could finally deliver some high-speed rail in the 2030s.</p> <p>The Albanese government set up the authority in 2022. It also committed A$500 million to plan and protect a high-speed rail corridor between Sydney and Newcastle. This corridor was prioritised due to significant capacity constraints on the existing line, among other reasons.</p> <p>The ultimate plan is for a high-speed rail network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast. The network would help Australia in its urgent task to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport. These <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/towards-net-zero-transport-and-infrastructure">continue to increase</a> even as emissions from other sectors fall.</p> <p>The authority has now publicly outlined plans for the first stage of this east coast network. After a history of failed proposals dating back to 1984, the new plans provide some cause for optimism that Australia could have some high-speed rail by 2037.</p> <h2>What is high-speed rail and why do we need it?</h2> <p>The International Rail Union of Railways <a href="https://uic.org/passenger/highspeed">defines high-speed rail</a> as new lines designed for speeds of 250km/h or more and upgraded lines for speeds of at least 200km/h.</p> <p>High-speed rail could greatly reduce transport emissions by replacing <a href="https://theconversation.com/wondering-how-to-get-from-brisbane-to-melbourne-without-wrecking-the-climate-our-transport-choices-make-a-huge-difference-237396">air travel in particular</a>.</p> <p>For example, the <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/domestic_airline_activity-monthly_publications">7.92 million passengers</a> flying between Melbourne and Sydney in 2023-24 produced about 1.5 million tonnes of emissions. Including <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-air-travellers-can-cut-their-door-to-door-emissions-right-now-by-as-much-as-13-on-the-sydney-melbourne-route-211099">travel to and from airports</a> and other flight routes along the corridor (Sydney or Melbourne to Canberra, Albury etc), this adds up to about 2% of <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/strategies/annual-climate-change-statement-2023">annual domestic transport emissions</a>.</p> <p>A Sydney–Melbourne high-speed rail link could cut emissions to a fraction of those from <a href="https://theconversation.com/wondering-how-to-get-from-brisbane-to-melbourne-without-wrecking-the-climate-our-transport-choices-make-a-huge-difference-237396">air</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-compared-land-transport-options-for-getting-to-net-zero-hands-down-electric-rail-is-the-best-234092">road</a> transport. If Australia is to achieve <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/emissions-reduction/net-zero">net zero by 2050</a>, a <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-compared-land-transport-options-for-getting-to-net-zero-hands-down-electric-rail-is-the-best-234092">shift to rail will be essential</a>.</p> <p>High-speed city-to-city rail services will be needed to become an attractive alternative to air travel.</p> <h2>What is the authority working on?</h2> <p>Early this year the High Speed Rail Authority gained a new CEO, Tim Parker, with extensive experience in delivering mega-projects. In late August, the authority outlined its plans at an industry briefing in Newcastle.</p> <p>The authority has commissioned eight studies, including a business case for a Sydney–Newcastle line. Significantly, it will include the cost of future highway upgrades if high-speed rail does not proceed. This study, along with a report on how high-speed rail will proceed along Australia’s east coast, is due by the end of this year.</p> <p>Also under way is a <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/all-aboard-high-speed-rail-accelerates-first-investigation-works">geotechnical study</a> that includes drilling 27 boreholes. It will help determine the proposed depths of two long rail tunnels and guide decisions on crossing the Hawkesbury River and the route to the Central Coast and on to Newcastle.</p> <p>All going well, including land acquisition and agreements with the New South Wales government (which could include funding), work could <a href="https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/8743698/newcastle-high-speed-rail-possible-by-2037-as-tunnel-plan-emerges">start in 2027 and be completed by 2037</a>.</p> <h2>Many questions remain</h2> <p>Given the time and money required to deliver a Sydney–Newcastle line, bipartisan support will be needed. However, the federal opposition is yet to make a clear commitment to high-speed rail.</p> <p>There are other uncertainties too. Will the trains be operated by the public or private sector? The latter was the intention for projects that were scrapped decades ago, such as the CSIRO-proposed Very Fast Train (<a href="http://www.repositoryofideas.com/VFT_information.html">VFT</a>) linking Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, and the Sydney–Canberra <a href="https://trid.trb.org/View/1203853">Speedrail</a>.</p> <p>And how will the engineering projects be delivered? The new authority must learn from the project management <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/news/independent-review-inland-rail-released">problems in delivering the Inland Rail</a> freight line. The project is running late and costs have blown out.</p> <p>Some major federally funded government projects have worked well. These include upgrades of the national highway system (by state road authorities and contractors) and the new <a href="https://www.westernsydneyairport.gov.au/">Western Sydney International Airport</a>, which is nearing completion.</p> <h2>And what about a full Sydney–Melbourne line?</h2> <p>The big question is when work will start on a Sydney–Melbourne high-speed rail service. In 2019, International High-Speed Rail Association chairman <a href="https://ara.net.au/media-release/ausrailplus-2019-conference-exhibition-3-5-december-2019-in-sydney/">Masafumi Shukuri estimated</a> building this line could take 20 years.</p> <p>The present line is 60km longer than it should be as the route dates back to the steam age. It also has far too many tight curves. This means train travel on this line is slower than cars and trucks.</p> <p>As former NSW State Rail chief Len Harper <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-ever-its-time-to-upgrade-the-sydney-melbourne-railway-187169">said</a> in 1995, this railway was already “inadequate for current and future needs” even back then.</p> <p>When the VFT was proposed in 1984, questions were raised as to whether our population was big enough for such a project. Now, more than 15.5 million people live in NSW, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. Melbourne–Sydney is the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/travel-news/the-world-s-busiest-flight-routes-and-airports-revealed-20231222-p5et7n.html">world’s fifth-busiest flight route</a>.</p> <p>Advocacy group Fastrack Australia <a href="https://www.fastrackaustralia.net/hsr-implementation-plan">has called</a> for a Sydney–Melbourne track built to high-speed standards and able to carry freight. The estimated travel time is four hours.</p> <p>This group and the <a href="https://www.railfutures.org.au/category/submissions/%20July%202024%20reducing%20emissions%20in%20freight">Rail Futures Institute</a> propose the line be built in stages, with priority given to the section from near Macarthur to Mittagong in NSW. This would reduce the current line’s length by about 18km and allow for better Sydney–Canberra train services.</p> <p>Urgent action is needed to protect the rail corridor from encroaching urban development.</p> <h2>Australia needs to catch up</h2> <p>In June 2023, when the new authority started work, I <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-the-new-high-speed-rail-authority-deliver-after-4-decades-of-costly-studies-206287">observed</a> that Australia must surely hold the world record for studies into high-speed rail with no construction.</p> <p>In stark contrast, this October marks the 60th anniversary of the world’s first dedicated high-speed rail line, the Tokaido Shinkansen in Japan linking Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. The network has since grown in stages to about 3,000km of lines.</p> <p>Today, high-speed rail <a href="https://uic.org/passenger/highspeed/article/high-speed-data-and-atlas">operates in 21 countries</a> over about 60,000km of lines – China has about 40,000km. Indonesia’s high-speed rail service between Jakarta and Bandung started running last year. India and Thailand are in the advanced stages of delivering high-speed rail. It’s also under construction in another 11 countries.</p> <p>Australia could finally join them in the next few years if it starts building the Sydney–Newcastle line.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/238232/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/philip-laird-3503">Philip Laird</a>, Honorary Principal Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/high-speed-rail-plans-may-finally-end-australias-40-year-wait-to-get-on-board-238232">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Domestic Travel

"Violent threats": The Block star opens up after sudden exit

<p>Paige and Jesse, contestants on the 2024 season of <em>The Block</em>, have finally addressed the intense backlash they've received following their portrayal on the popular reality show.</p> <p>The couple, who became social media’s latest "villains" due to multiple on-screen arguments, have opened up about the toll it has taken on their mental health. Fans of the show have accused the duo of having a "toxic relationship", and some online commentators have left harsh, often cruel comments directed at them.</p> <p>The 27-year-old Paige expressed her dismay at the negativity, calling it "really sad" to see so many of her fellow contestants also receiving hate. “It's just a TV show as well," she told <a href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/lifestyle/what-you-dont-see-on-tv-the-block-star-on-horrific-consequence-of-being-a-reality-villian-053436673.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Lifestyle</a>. "I don't think it's appropriate whatsoever.”</p> <p>The attacks have gotten so bad that Paige revealed that Jesse has taken control of her Instagram to filter hateful messages, and she has deleted her Facebook presence completely, to avoid the barrage of negativity.</p> <p>In her interview with Yahoo Lifestyle, Paige revealed how serious the situation has become, explaining that the constant harassment has led her to turn off comments on her social media to safeguard her “sanity”. “I've had a lot of death threats, violent threats, and nasty comments that are unimaginable. I turned the comments off for my own wellbeing,” she said, explaining that the online abuse began almost immediately after the first episode aired.</p> <p>While Channel Nine has provided counselling and mental health resources for them, Paige says that her biggest support has come from her family and from Jesse. Her family, who have moved in with them temporarily, have been a source of strength, with Paige explaining that her brother also experienced severe online bullying when they were younger. “I think just being around grounded people, it's a lot harder to fall into those traps,” she shared.</p> <p>Jesse also opened up about the difficulties of watching themselves on TV, admitting that the negative portrayal has made them question their self-identity. However, they’ve found comfort in reconnecting with their co-stars, who remind them of the fun, positive moments that weren’t aired. “You start to question yourself when you’re watching yourself on TV,” Jesse said, adding that they often reflect on the good times during filming, despite what viewers see.</p> <p>Despite the negative attention, Paige and Jesse have also experienced an outpouring of support. Following Paige’s <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@paigebeechey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">candid three-part TikTok series</a>, where she revealed details about their experience on the show and their decision to leave on bad terms, the couple received a flood of encouraging messages. “The response that I got was pretty huge,” Paige said. “I received so many wonderful messages from women, men, current contestants, past contestants.”</p> <p>Jesse echoed her sentiments, sharing that for every few negative comments, there were significantly more positive ones. “It’s like, okay, there actually are people who understand and care and realise that it's more than just a show,” he said.</p> <p>As part of her post-exit TikTok series, Paige levelled a parting shot at the long-running renovation show itself, saying “The Block is over to me. All I want to do now is implore the network that when this show continues, there needs to be serious reform on how you prepare contestants.”</p> <p><em>Images: Channel Nine</em></p>

Ian Thorpe opens up on darkest moment of his career

<p>Ian Thorpe has recalled the moment an irregular drug test almost upended his life and destroyed his reputation. </p> <p>The Aussie swimming legend opened up about a few key moments in his personal life that coincided with the height of his swimming career in a tell-all new book. </p> <p>The 41-year-old athlete singled out the drug test chapter as one of the darkest moments of his career in a new book Profiles In Hope, written by former NSW Liberal leader John Brogden.</p> <p>In 2006, Thorpe underwent a routine drug test that returned an irregular result, with French newspaper <em>L’Equipe</em> reporting that he had returned an unusual level of testosterone.</p> <p>However, results also showed a hormone called leutenising hormone, another naturally occurring substance.</p> <p>The news of the test gained international attraction, and resulted in Thorpe launching a lawsuit against the newspaper.</p> <p>“An irregular test isn’t uncommon. They happen. So firstly, no one should know that information to begin with,” Thorpe says in the book, according to the <em><a title="www.dailymail.co.uk" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-13845887/Ian-Thorpe-goes-public-never-heard-devastating-admission.html">Daily Mail</a></em>.</p> <p>“An irregular test means nothing. An irregular test gets thrown out."</p> <p>He said at the time the speculation that he was a cheat was “so upsetting” and the way the information was leaked to French journalist made him feel “deeply alarmed”.</p> <p>He also admitted that during the media storm around the testing, he did not want to leave his home and says now he had thoughts about taking his own life and staging it as an accident.</p> <p>The “Thorpedo” now has the tools in place for his mental health to look back and think he could have handled it better. </p> <p>“In that kind of state, you’re entirely irrational, your logic is warped,” he tells Brogden.</p> <p>“It’s only in the periods when you have clarity of mind, when your mental health is good, that you can actually reflect on things and say, ‘Well, I could have done this’. </p> <p>“I realised what I was doing wasn’t working, and that I needed help. So I got that help, and even though I was still in a long-term depressive state, I got better. I wasn’t at the point of suicide.”</p> <p><em><strong>Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or <a href="http://lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://lifeline.org.au" data-sk="tooltip_parent">lifeline.org.au</a></strong></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Caring

Quirky grandfather shocks Today hosts with unusual funeral plans

<p>Michael 'Skip' Field has decided he doesn't want his family crying for him at an ordinary funeral when he dies. </p> <p>Instead, the quirky Queensland grandfather wants a celebration for his final send off and wants his family to remember him in a very unique way. </p> <p>Skip shared his funeral plans with <em>Today</em> hosts Sarah and Alex, who were perplexed by Skip's plans for his final send-off. </p> <p>"I've been to a lot of funerals over the years, I'm an old fart and I never enjoyed any of them," Skip said.</p> <p>"So come the time I turn toes up, they're going to cart me off to the crematorium for a big barbecue, where I'll be the guest of honour, then when the heat dies down, they're going to put me in a little shoe box and give my young son a ring," he said.</p> <p>"He'll come and pick me up and I'm an avid cowboy shooter, we load our own ammunition and one of the things that happens to cowboys when they pass on is they have a cowboy salute where you get a big, long line and everybody fires a shotgun, bang, bang, bang, bang, and have a salute."</p> <p>"Well, I'm going to get my ashes mixed into the shotgun shells and donate the shotgun shells to the range and they can shoot me off down the range."</p> <p>"Plus all the smoke that comes out at the end of the barrel is a bit blue, but being a Queenslander, I've got a bit of maroon chalk that's going to go in with the ashes, so when they come out at the end of the barrel it's going to be a maroon tinge on it," he said.</p> <p>Today hosts Sarah and Alex were gob-smacked by the idea of Skip donating his ash-filled bullets to the local firing range, but that's not all he has planned.</p> <p>"The other thing is a friend of mine's got a cannon and we're going to shoot part of the ashes out of the cannon at Pleasant Range near Dalby," he said.</p> <p>"Then the kids don't need a big, morbid ceremony, so they're going to have a party here at my house and I bought this thing called the 'loved one launcher' that is like a giant party popper, you put your ashes in and it'll shoot you 75 yards into the air with confetti and streamers and all that - Yeehaw! It's going to be great."</p> <p>Skip said the whole process cost less than getting a casket for the ground and it would be the last big thing he gets a say in.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today</em></p>

Retirement Life

Olivia Newton-John's daughter reveals special plans to honour mother's legacy

<p>Olivia Newton-John's daughter Chloe Lattanzi has revealed that she will be returning Down Under later this year to honour her mother's legacy. </p> <p>Chloe took to Instagram on Thursday to announce that she will be taking part in Olivia's Walk for Wellness in Melbourne on October 6.</p> <p>"Hi everyone! I am so excited to be coming to Melbourne once again to keep my momma’s legacy alive," she wrote in the caption, before inviting her followers to join her on October 6 in Melbourne's scenic Alexandra Gardens.</p> <p>She added that it "will be an amazing day of raising funds to support people on their cancer journey. Funds raised will help provide free wellness programs at the ONJ Cancer Centre."</p> <p>She invited her followers to join her for the cause, which aims to raise funds for cancer research. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-87Phuy1N7/?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/reel/C-87Phuy1N7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Chloe Lattanzi (@chloelattanziofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Chloe also said that the theme for the 2024 walk was "Let's Get Physical" with participants encouraged to dress in "80s retro outfits," which appears to be a tribute to Olivia's 1981 smash hit song<em> Physical</em>.</p> <p>"And please bring your puppies," she said in the video. </p> <p>She then signed off her message with: "Hope to see you all there! With love, light and gratitude, Chloe!" </p> <p>The Olivia Newton-John Wellness and Research Centre opened in 2012 and its services have helped thousands.</p> <p>The performer also travelled to Australia last year to take part in the popular event. </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

"Really unexpected": Lisa McCune opens up on Dancing With The Stars win

<p>Lisa McCune has opened up about her journey on <em>Dancing With The Stars</em> following her "unexpected" <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/dancing-with-the-stars-champion-crowned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">win</a>. </p> <p>Monday night's finale of the show saw Lisa McCune and her dancing partner Ian Waite took home the mirrorball trophy against finalists Ant Middleton, James Stewart, Nikki Osborne, and Samantha Jade.</p> <p>After the win, McCune told <a href="https://7news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/lisa-mccune-spills-on-unexpected-dancing-with-the-stars-win-c-15683539" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>7News</em></a> that she was as shocked by the win as viewers were. </p> <p>“It really was unexpected,” McCune said. </p> <p>The actress added that she was extra thrilled for her dancing partner Ian Waite who has now taken out the Mirrorball Trophy for the first time.</p> <p>The win comes weeks after the gruelling <em>DWTS</em> process, which she admitted was more involved than she originally thought.</p> <p>“My agent said to me that somebody else had told them how difficult it was. And I thought, ‘Well, I probably needed a bit of a kick up the bum to do a bit more exercise’,” she says.</p> <p>“So I thought, ‘Well, it’d be good for me’. I started and I pretty quickly realised that the techniques involved and the different disciplines is pretty intense."</p> <p>“I think you underestimate how aerobically fit you actually need to be. But I gave it a red-hot go, and we had a really good time.”</p> <p>While McCune knew she did well through the competition, she said "Watching it back, I couldn’t recall any of the scores that we got because when you’re in the moment your adrenaline is kind of heightened, and (it’s like) watching it fresh.”</p> <p>As part of being crowned the<em> Dancing With The Stars</em> champion, Lisa was awarded $20,000 for her chosen charities: the RCD Foundation and the Harrison Riedel Foundation.</p> <div> </div> <p>“Both the charities I have a personal connection to in my local area, based on Victoria, both of them headed up by two amazing mums. These initiatives are spectacular.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram / Seven </em></p>

Meghan Markle opens up about past trauma

<p>Meghan Markle has opened up about her mental health struggle in a new interview. </p> <p>In a joined interview with <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">her husband Prince Harry for <em>CBS Sunday Morning</em>, </span>the Duchess of Sussex admitted that she hasn't "really scraped the surface" on her struggle, as the couple launched their new project <a href="https://archewell.org/theparentsnetwork/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Parents' Network</a>. </p> <p>The Parents’ Network aims to support parents who lost or almost lost their child to cyberbullying and other traumas related to social media use. </p> <p>While speaking about online bullying and its effects on young children, <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">the Duchess of Sussex spoke about her own experience and connection to the families, as she also had suicidal thoughts in 2021. </span></p> <p>“When you’ve been through any level of pain or trauma, I believe part of our healing journey — certainly part of mine — is being able to be really open about it,” she told Jane Pauley. </p> <p>"And you know, I haven't really scraped the surface on my experience. But I do think that I would never want someone else to feel that way," she continued.</p> <p>"And I would never want someone else to be making those sort of plans. And I would never want someone else to not be believed."</p> <p>"So, if me voicing what I have overcome will save someone, or encourage someone in their life to really genuinely check in on them and not assume that the appearance is good, so everything's OK, then that's worth it.</p> <p>"I'll take a hit for that."</p> <p>In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan revealed that she had suicidal ideation while pregnant with son Archie due to the pressure of life as a royal and the way the British media treated her. </p> <p>“I just didn’t want to be alive anymore,” she said at the time.</p> <p>She also recalled reaching out to palace officials and said that she did not receive any mental health help. </p> <p>The initiative, launched with the couple’s Archewell Foundation, aims to make sure that no other families go through what they did. </p> <p>“Our kids are young; they’re 3 and 5. They’re amazing,” she told Pauley. </p> <p>“But all you want to do as parents is protect them. And so, as we can see what’s happening in the online space, we know that there’s a lot of work to be done there, and we’re just happy to be able to be a part of change for good.”</p> <p><em>Images: CBS Sunday Morning</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

Sydney Olympics icon opens up on domestic violence abuse

<p>In a rare and candid interview, former child star Nikki Webster has spoken about her challenging journey of recovery from domestic violence.</p> <p>The 37-year-old, known for her iconic performance at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the hit song "Strawberry Kisses", shared her experiences on KIIS FM’s The Kyle and Jackie O Show.</p> <p>Webster, now a mother of two and the owner of a dance school, opened up about her struggles during a segment of the show. When co-host Kyle Sandilands inquired about her dating life, he seemed unaware of her much-publicised marriage breakdown in 2019, where her ex-husband was charged with a domestic violence offence.</p> <p>“I’m single,” Webster replied, prompting Sandilands to ask, “Why? Where’s your bloke?” She described the situation as “a long story” and “not a very happy story", revealing she had faced “a pretty hard few years”.</p> <p>Webster was previously married to Qantas flight attendant Matthew McMah. The couple, who married in 2012, separated eight years later. In November 2019, it was revealed that McMah had been convicted of assaulting Webster earlier that year. He received an $880 fine at the Downing Centre Local Court.</p> <p>Encouraged by Sandilands' lighthearted questions, Webster chose to share more about her past, mentioning her challenging experiences with domestic violence. “I come from quite a bad background of some domestic violence and stuff. So, I’m happy to be on the other side of that and, you know, focusing on life and kids,” she said. Webster confirmed she is doing "great" now, focusing on her children and her life.</p> <p>In a previous interview with <em>Woman’s Day</em>, Webster expressed hope for future love while reaffirming her commitment to her children. "I hope one day the right person will come along and it will just happen," she said, adding, "But I’m really happy with being a mum; it’s my favourite job in the world."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram / KIISFM</em></p>

Family & Pets

"I really thought he would kill me": Erin Molan opens up about abusive relationship

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains discussions of domestic violence which some readers may find confronting</strong></em></p> <p>Radio and TV presenter Erin Molan has opened up for the first time about horrific abuse she endured at the hands of an ex-partner. </p> <p>Speaking candidly to the <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/exclusive-interview-erin-molan-opens-up-about-horrific-abuse-she-suffered-from-a-man-she-dated/news-story/d2921145ef5010a413bab6c9a830f3bc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Sunday Telegraph</em></a>, the 40-year-old presenter recalled many of her "worst" moments with her former boyfriend, sharing how she feared for her life when he became physically abusive. </p> <p>'“He came in drunk and dragged me out of bed and started stamping his foot into my head over and over and over,” she told the publication. </p> <p>“I was lying on the floor screaming and normally if I screamed really loudly he would stop because neighbours would hear. But that time he just kept going and going and it felt like my skull was going to crack open.”</p> <p>She said the relentless physical violence became a pattern of behaviour, and she would regularly be brutally injured. </p> <p>“One time he smashed a bottle over my head,” she says. “Another time I was terrified he’d throw me off a balcony. Once I ran to hide in my car and he got a rubbish bin and started smashing it against the windscreen and I feared I would be killed by glass shattering over me.</p> <p>“Another time he covered my face with a pillow so I couldn’t breathe. I was crying for my mum. I really thought he would kill me.”</p> <p>Molan said she chose not publicly discuss the abuse while her beloved dad, Senator Jim Molan, was alive because she didn’t want to break his heart, but now she wants others to know what she went through.</p> <p>In sharing her heartbreaking story, she also hopes she can give other victims of domestic violence the courage to come forward. </p> <p>“I’m not sharing my story because I want to. My preference would be for this part of my life to never be shared but with every single death I see in this space, a part of me wonders whether I could have made a difference,” she says.</p> <p>“Could my experience have made these beautiful, innocent women feel less alone, less ashamed, less scared and could that have been the tiny thing that may have empowered them to ask for help, the thing that might have helped to save their lives?”</p> <p>Molan added that while it’s confronting for her to speak out, she wants things to change, not just for her generation but for her daughter’s.</p> <p>As she says, “I want to worry about my daughter’s first boyfriend breaking her heart, not her bones.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: for AWAPAC/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Caring

Why Ray Martin is planning his own funeral

<p>Ray Martin is planning his own funeral as he prepares for his 'Last Goodbye', as part of an eye-opening new series. </p> <p>The veteran journalist will be planning his memorial service for an upcoming SBS documentary series which explores cultural traditions surrounding death.</p> <p>The three-part series, called <em>Ray Martin: The Last Goodbye</em>, will explore various taboos surrounding death with comedic and witty anecdotes. </p> <p>The series will investigate various funeral trends and rituals around the world and will address some deep questions, including why people choose certain ceremonies, songs and resting places, and how geography, religion and social class impacts these choices. </p> <p>At 79 years old, Ray said in a statement that statistically he is only four years away from his own death and wants to explore the topic with a serious yet funny nature. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9QoU-goAtY/?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/reel/C9QoU-goAtY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by SBS Australia (@sbs_australia)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Martin will also have a range of special guests on the show, including veteran presenter Gretel Killeen, 61, and comedian Alex Lee.</p> <p>SBS Commissioning Editor Bethan Arwel-Lewis said, "At SBS we aren't scared to tackle those subjects that are sometimes provocative or difficult in our programming."</p> <p>"So an exploration of death – one of our last taboos is the perfect subject for us to lift the lid on, and who better to take us into this world and get us talking and even laughing about death, than Ray Martin."</p> <p>Last year, Martin insisted that he still has a lot of life left in him, as he grows older gracefully and continues to work. </p> <p>"I'm never going to retire. David Attenborough is in his 90s and he's my role model. He says you've got to keep doing what you love," he told <em>Woman's Day</em> magazine.</p> <p><em>Ray Martin: The Last Goodbye</em> will premiere on Wednesday, August 14 at 8.30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.</p> <p><em>Image credits: SBS</em></p>

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