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Indigenous netball player shares "disgusting" hate letter after sponsorship drama

<p>An Indigenous netball star has shared a vile hate letter she received from a netball fan, two years on from the Netball Australia sponsorship drama.</p> <p>Prior to her first game with the Australian Diamonds national team in 2022, Donnell Wallam, a Noongar woman from Western Australia, refused to wear the uniform which featured the logo of Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting.</p> <p>The 30-year-old athlete shared that her reasoning was over racist comments made by Rinehart's late father in the 1980s, when he suggested Aboriginal people should be sterilised.</p> <p>In response to Wallam's boycott, Gina Rinehart dramatically tore up her $15 million sponsorship deal with Netball Australia, which had been set to run until the end of 2025.</p> <p>Now, two years on from the sponsorship drama, Wallam shared a photo on of hate mail she received about the controversy, from a woman named “Mary”.</p> <p>The letter posted to Instagram, which accused Wallam of being "radicalised by the Aboriginal left", includes a mocking imitation of an Indigenous Acknowledgement of Country paying “respects to British and European elders”.</p> <p>“As if the hate online wasn’t enough, Mary thought she’d send me a letter,” the netballer wrote. “I’m beyond disgusted and hurt but I will never stop advocating for my people. Blak, Loud and Proud. ALWAYS.”</p> <p>The letter reads, “I am writing to you to express my sadness that your [sic] cost the Australian Diamonds, of $15,000,000, caused by your radically influenced comments about Gina Rinehart’s father, Lang Hancock.” </p> <p>“Mr Hancock’s comments about serialisation [sic] of Aboriginals was disgusting and made by one man. However, at the time his daughter was not yet born as you were not yet born. You were influenced by the nasty activist Aboriginal clique that hates everything Australia. You fell into their spell and caused such loss of donations to Australia Netball. Hang your head in shame girl, for being manipulated by the radical Aboriginal filth.”</p> <p>Mary adds that she went to school in Perth “and had many good Noongar friends that I still love today”. </p> <p>“You are a disgrace to the Noongar Tribe,” she wrote. “I will never watch you play, ever.”</p> <p>Wallam’s supporters slammed the letter as “disgusting”, saying they will always support the inspirational athlete.</p> <p>“You are such an inspiration for so many, I am completely disgusted but sadly not shocked, what an absolute piece of s**t this woman is,” one wrote.</p> <p>“I will defs be watching your next game to support you,” another said. “Sounds like Mary’s loss!”</p> <p><em>Image credits: DARREN PATEMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Legal

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No gavels, no hearsay and lots of drinking: a law expert ranks legal dramas by their accuracy

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dale-mitchell-1468293">Dale Mitchell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a></em></p> <p>From Elle Woods in Legally Blonde to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10383441.2015.1087367">Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk</a>, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird to Denny Crane in Boston Legal, our popular culture is often where we first see and witness legal practice.</p> <p>Sometimes this comes via the silver screen, other times television. But it would be wrong to think that all we see on legal television shows is accurate – even when it claims to capture reality.</p> <p>Most legal dramas are terrible at capturing the realities of law.</p> <h2>Not accurate: Law(less) and (dis)Order</h2> <p>Law and Order (1990-) innovated television drama by showcasing both the investigation of a crime by police, and then its prosecution in court. With its multiple spin-offs, including Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-) and the shortlived Law and Order: Trial by Jury (2005-2006) (which had the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aolG65V1Dx8">best theme song of all the series</a>), the Law and Order franchise is a televisual legal juggernaut.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aolG65V1Dx8?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>As with most serials, Law and Order presents the criminal justice system as moving quicker than you can say <em>dun dun</em>. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The mean duration of criminal law matters in Australian higher courts was <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/criminal-courts-australia/latest-release">almost one year</a> (50 weeks) across 2021-22.</p> <p>While <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s5.html">procedural rules in civil matters</a> require courts to facilitate the “just and efficient resolution of disputes at minimum expense”, in criminal law, speed and efficiency must not be prioritised over accuracy: a person’s liberty is at stake.</p> <p>Most criminal matters do not proceed to a full trial as an accused will often plead guilty to the charges. As a result, the matter proceeds to sentencing without prosecutors needing to prove the offence. The rates of this occurring are quite alarming. <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/criminal-courts-australia/latest-release">Data across 2021-22</a> reveals over 75% of defendants in Australian courts entered a guilty plea, and almost four in five criminal convictions (79%) resulted from a guilty plea.</p> <p><a href="https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1705761/32_1_8.pdf">Research suggests</a> defendants plead guilty for a variety of reasons, including to avoid the cost of a trial and to receive a lesser sentence. <a href="https://theconversation.com/pandemic-pushed-defendants-to-plead-guilty-more-often-including-innocent-people-pleading-to-crimes-they-didnt-commit-165056">Data from the United States</a> suggests the pressures of the pandemic led to innocent people pleading guilty to crimes they didn’t commit.</p> <p>If Law and Order was a more accurate reflection of criminal law, matters would proceed immediately to sentencing due to guilty pleas. And should an accused be found guilty, a chunk of their sentence would be reduced by time served awaiting trial.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/60GV5lv8h3o?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Not accurate: Suits</h2> <p>Suits (2011-19) centres around law firm partner Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and his mentorship of Mike Ross (Patrick Adams) – the “lawyer” who never graduated law school and provides legal advice thanks to his photographic memory.</p> <p>This is, obviously, a brutal ethical breach for all involved, and clearly fraud. In Australia, law students who present themselves to be lawyers are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-07/law-graduate-jacob-reichman-fined-posing-solicitor-gold-coast/7824324">subject to sanctions</a> by the Legal Services Commission. They can <a href="https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/biglaw/35821-fake-lawyer-cops-suspended-jail-sentence">cause harm to clients</a> who have hired their services. And the Legal Admissions Board may <a href="https://www.qlsproctor.com.au/2020/11/chief-justice-wants-answers-before-considering-lawyer-impersonators-bid-to-become-legal-practitioner/">deny their entry</a> into the profession.</p> <p>(Spoilers) Ross is eventually sentenced to two years in prison for this fraud, a similar sentence to <a href="https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/almID/1202786675709/">a recent case in the United States</a>, but he only serves three months before solving a crime and earning early release. More unrealistic than this early release is that Ross does fairly quickly thereafter gain admission to the profession, which seems unlikely to occur so soon after such an act of fraud.</p> <p>While Suits has left its mark(le) on the popular imagination of law, it fails to address one of the primary duties of civil litigation: the duty of disclosure.</p> <p>The MacGuffin-ing of law is common in TV serials. It’s the “smoking gun” found on the day of the trial, or for the lawyers in Suits, the random document which shows up <em>during</em> the trial to turn the case - dramatically presented by our protagonists as they flail into court armed with this data sans ethics.</p> <p>This is not quite accurate.</p> <p>In adversarial legal systems like Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US, civil litigation rules <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s211.html">require parties</a> to disclose to one another all documents in their possession or control which are directly relevant to a matter in dispute.</p> <p>This is a continuing duty, so if you discover such a document at any time during the case, it must be disclosed. While <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s212.html">exceptions</a> based on various privileges may apply, this essentially means civil litigation must be run in an “all cards on the table” manner. Randomly producing undisclosed material at trial requires the leave of the court and may result in orders of contempt and <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s225.html">cost penalties</a>.</p> <p>It’s not like the lawyers of Suits have ever really been concerned about ethics, though.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wUh9jomHZp4?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Not accurate: How to Get Away with Murder(ing rules of evidence)</h2> <p>While most lawyers would support making it a criminal offence to critique Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder (2014-20) presents one of the most common offences within legal dramas: the haphazard approach to rules of evidence.</p> <p>Annalise Keating (Davis) and her ragtag team of morally illiterate law students (although I never see them studying?!?!) manipulate people to obtain evidence and then dramatically prompt witnesses on the stand to read this information into the record, or otherwise “sneak” it into the trial.</p> <p>This is not accurate. And it ignores the basic reality that so much of legal practice is about not just obtaining evidence, but ensuring that evidence is admissible in court.</p> <p>One of the most important rules of evidence deals with <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ea199580/s59.html"><em>hearsay evidence</em></a>. A court cannot allow evidence to be considered if its reliability is unable to be interrogated. Witnesses can only present evidence that they saw, heard or perceived themselves. Unless an exception to the hearsay rule applies, such evidence would be inadmissible.</p> <p>Like in Suits, these approaches to presenting evidence may have serious implications. This poor trial management results in <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/rpp074.pdf">delays to criminal trials.</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rMB_Gw5-T-I?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Accurate: Fisk</h2> <p>Fisk (2021-) follows Helen Tudor-Fisk (Kitty Flanagan), an established contract lawyer whose personal dramas lead her to move to the boutique Melbourne probate law firm of Gruber and Gruber (played by Marty Sheargold and Julia Zamero).</p> <p>Fisk excels in showing the importance of lawyer-client relations and the word-of-mouth that sustains much of small legal practice. It’s the anti-Suits, and Fisk is more powerful for it.</p> <p>The discussions of wills and estates and most basic legal principles in Fisk are mostly sound – and the show doesn’t need to get into “legalese” as matters are resolved out-of-court.</p> <p>This is a distinct reality of law: litigation is a last resort. Forms of <a href="https://www.qls.com.au/Practising-law-in-Qld/ADR/Alternative-Dispute-Resolution/Types-of-Alternative-Dispute-Resolution-(ADR)">alternative dispute resolution</a>, including mediation, negotiation and conciliation, have become the primary way of resolving legal disputes.</p> <p>Fuelled by <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/alternative-dispute-resolution/civil-dispute-resolution-act-2011">legislative changes</a> which require the exhaustion of alternative dispute resolution measures before proceeding to litigation, and a pursuit of reduced costs, the drama of trial is not something anyone should yearn for.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N1Qt0Wo1gGo?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Accurate: Rake</h2> <p>Cleaver Greene, a character said to be loosely based on the career of a Sydney barrister, shows us the absolute madness of work as a “<a href="https://nswbar.asn.au/the-bar-association/senior-counsel#:%7E:text=Senior%20counsel%20are%20barristers%20who,a%20QC%20or%20queen's%20counsel.">silk</a>”. Rake excels at showing the reality of law. The show raises interesting and accurate questions of law (yes, it is true there is no <a href="https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/18992/1/2011006119.pdf">explicit offence</a> of cannibalism in New South Wales) and presents Australian court process accurately.</p> <p>Thankfully, there’s not a gavel in sight. <a href="https://www.survivelaw.com/post/941-working-hardly-random-facts-about-the-gavel">Australian courts <em>do not</em> use gavels</a>, and their presence in legal dramas in Australian and UK courts shows a lack of attention to detail. The presence of the gavel as a symbol of justice is <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/NSWBarAssocNews/1994/17.pdf">an entirely American invention</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qWWI2EdOssk?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Rake is accurate, in part, because the site of drama is rarely the courtroom, but rather Greene’s personal life. The accuracy of that element for law I will leave up to the jury. But with a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13218719.2013.822783">2014 study</a> finding 35% of lawyers engaged in hazardous or harmful drinking and another showing <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-15/study-finds-high-rates-anxiety-depression-in-legal-profession/11412832">high rates of anxiety and depression</a> in the legal profession, the evidence is compelling.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/212880/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dale-mitchell-1468293"><em>Dale Mitchell</em></a><em>, Lecturer in Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</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/no-gavels-no-hearsay-and-lots-of-drinking-a-law-expert-ranks-legal-dramas-by-their-accuracy-212880">original article</a>.</em></p>

Legal

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"Get my voice back": Kathy Griffin's intense pre-op drama

<p>Kathy Griffin has shared footage of her pre-operation appointment before she undergoes vocal cord surgery in an effort to save her voice.</p> <p>The American comedian took to TikTok to show fans the process of her surgeon sticking a camera scope up her nose and through to her vocal cord to get a clearer view of the damage.</p> <p>"First step is the numbing spray. Then the scope goes up the nose, down into the vocal cords!" she explained with captions.</p> <p>"As you can see, the left chord is paralyzed.”</p> <p>After she was instructed to make noises to test the cords, Griffin is seen following the doctor’s orders and watching her vocal cord movement on the screen.</p> <p>Griffin reflected post-operation in the same clip, with the 62-year-old lying in a recovery bed following the surgery.</p> <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7242029180651687214&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40kathygriffin%2Fvideo%2F7242029180651687214&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp19-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F202ea4a9813e435c92a1c6996f018c11_1686166329%3Fx-expires%3D1686236400%26x-signature%3D%252Bk5fTTtG0O6jMWR7Pnky9ekvIlw%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>"I just had my latest surgery on my left vocal cord, because I want to be in good shape for my big Vegas show," she said.</p> <p>"This is just part of my recovery post-lung cancer surgery," she added. "I'm cancer-free, so anyway a little scratchy today, but I'll be in good shape.”</p> <p>"I so appreciate you guys following along on my journey to get my voice back after lung cancer,” Griffin captioned the video, also sharing it to her Instagram.</p> <p>Griffin had part of her lung removed in 2021 after being diagnosed with lung cancer and was in remission four months later.</p> <p>Her latest hospital visit comes after she revealed her diagnosis of “complex PTSD” in early 2023.</p> <p>Griffin shared her diagnosis in a TikTok in April, asking her followers for recommendations on how to cope with anxiety and depression.</p> <p>"Let's talk about PTSD. Never talked about it publicly," she said. "You can laugh or whatever, but I've been diagnosed with complex PTSD, and it's called an extreme case."</p> <p><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Caring

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Cafe owner responds to extortionate avocado drama

<p dir="ltr">A Sydney cafe has responded after being slammed for their $10.90 side of avocado.</p> <p dir="ltr">Little Jack Horner, situated right in front of Coogee Beach, also charges $11.90 for halloumi and $9.90 for a side of bacon, all of which are meant to be shared.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cafe owner BJ McHatton spoke to <em>9Honey</em> about the avocado side dish that made waves.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The smashed avocado is portioned at almost one and a half avocados, as well as containing other ingredients to make it a dish, not just an avocado in a bowl," he said of the dish. </p> <p dir="ltr">"The price of avocados does fluctuate, two months ago we were paying double what we are today," he said, adding that the venue works with local providers who go to the market daily to provide them with quality produce.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Of course, this comes at a higher cost that allows us to have a quality offering for our customers.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He pointed out that this is the first price increase in 10 years, with "the hospitality industry as a whole all the way from the suppliers to the actual venues himself have seen prices explode over the last 12 months.”</p> <p dir="ltr">McHatton added that the cafe is in a prime location, with live music five nights a week, 160 indoor plants that are professionally cared for, and their efforts to support local teams, clubs, schools and charities all contribute to their prices.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Obviously, running a business of this size, and in this destination has a lot of associated expenses. All of this has to be taken into account when we set prices for our products.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite increased media coverage, McHatton says they haven’t received any backlash.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Obviously being on a few radio stations and covered by a few news stations it has generated some interest on those stories. However, after reading the comments, most of them are supportive. Most people genuinely seem to understand how hard running a business is the associated cost to come with running a business," he told <em>9Honey</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, he expressed disappointment at the Google reviews that were allegedly left overnight by people who had never been to the cafe.</p> <p dir="ltr">"[It's] disappointing that people will go to the trouble of leaving a review having never actually experienced the venue. If anyone has ever been to our place, they know it's a lot more about an experience, which includes the food than just the food and the price," McHatton said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other reviewers have dubbed the food “grossly overpriced”, with one reviewer revealing their Easter lunch of two breakfasts and fruit juice was almost $100. Another added that the prices were "pushing close to that of what you would expect for dinner," though they did say the food "was great".</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-58292ee2-7fff-ec9e-cede-50a6da2915f7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Ita Buttrose slams Meghan Markle’s drama toward Royal Family

<p dir="ltr">Ita Buttrose has slammed Meghan Markle and her recent attacks on the Royal Family in her podcast <em>Archetypes</em> and <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/meghan-markle-gets-candid-in-groundbreaking-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with The Cut</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The ABC chair appeared at her old workplace at Studio 10 where she called out the Duchess of Sussex for continuing to cause drama for the royals.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don't want to be unkind, but she's just a celebrity,” the 80-year-old said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“There's nothing wrong with being a celebrity, but she's one of many. </p> <p dir="ltr">“[She and Prince Harry] don't have the royal family to fall back on [anymore]. So they have to make every interview count.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So, because of the other plans she's got – you know, the books, the movies, whatever – she wants to make sure she stands out in a crowd. So she makes provocative statements.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Once, she was a princess of the realm. [Now] she goes on about her business of being a celebrity.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Meghan has released two episodes from her podcast <em>Archetypes</em> as well as <em>The Cut</em> interview where she spoke of the Royal Family’s “red flags”, the difficulty of moving to California, losing her father and trying to "forgive" her in-laws.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also compared herself to Nelson Mandela, saying that a cast member of the Lion King that South Africans “danced in the street” when she married Prince Harry - just like when “Mandela was freed from prison”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some of <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/australia-s-top-breakfast-tv-hosts-attack-meghan-markle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia’s top TV show hosts</a> called out the Duchess for her “tone deaf” comments. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

News

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Grace Tame delivers snide dig amid ScoMo’s cabinet drama

<p dir="ltr">Amid the news that Scott Morrison reportedly gave himself powers to run three government portfolios, activist Grace Tame has joined in with a scathing hot-take of her own.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3a8e4b21-7fff-e8dc-7a3f-2096b881246e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“You see now, we had to stop him from swearing himself in as Australian of the Year 2022,” the 27-year-old tweeted, sharing the infamous photo of herself with the former Prime Minister when she met him at the Lodge at the start of the year.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">you see now, we had to stop him from swearing himself in as Australian of the Year for 2022 <a href="https://t.co/qlWsxyHi4f">pic.twitter.com/qlWsxyHi4f</a></p> <p>— Grace Tame (@TamePunk) <a href="https://twitter.com/TamePunk/status/1559022544518545408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Many were quick to praise Tame and jump in on the fun, joking that Mr Morrison made himself the ‘minister for side-eyeing’ and the minister for women.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You had him figured from the start Grace,” New England MP Tony Windsor commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Who didn't know that he was a risky choice from day one? He is a friend of Harvey Norman for God’s sake,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tame’s jab comes after the current Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, announced that the government would investigate claims that Mr Morrison secretly appointed himself as the minister for health, finance, and resources during the pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Albanese said the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is seeking legal advice from the solicitor-general in the wake of the claims, published by <em><a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&amp;dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Fscott-morrison-appointed-by-gg-to-take-control-of-department-of-industry-science-energy-and-resources-11months-before-he-scuttled-offshore-gas-project%2Fnews-story%2F38338e07f09df91fa68409cde43e013c&amp;memtype=anonymous&amp;mode=premium&amp;v21=dynamic-low-test-score&amp;V21spcbehaviour=append" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Australian</a></em> and <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/scott-morrison-shocked-minister-by-secretly-swearing-himself-into-cabinet-portfolio/news-story/ac7505f1648a335ccd01f88faf881086" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>’s coverage of <em>Plagued</em>, a new book from political journalists Simon Bensen and Geoff Chambers.</p> <p dir="ltr">Governor-General David Hurley confirmed that he secretly signed instruments to allow Mr Morrison to administer the portfolios, “consistent with section 64 of the constitution”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Hurley said it wasn’t uncommon for ministers to be appointed to other departments, but that the decision to publicise it “is a matter for the government of the day”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-15/scott-morrison-secret-ministry-appointments-to-be-investigated/101332916" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a></em> reported that then-Health Minister Greg Hunt was aware of Mr Morrison’s joint position and agreed to it as a safeguard in case he was struck down by COVID-19, but that Matthias Cormann, the former Finance Minister, wasn’t told the Prime Minister had appointed himself as joint finance minister.</p> <p dir="ltr">Keith Pitt, the former Resources Minister, told the ABC that Mr Morrison used his self-appointment to the resources portfolio to stop a controversial gas drilling project on the NSW south coast.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Albanese said the revelations were “extraordinary” and “just weird”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The people of Australia were kept in the dark as to what the ministerial arrangements were, it’s completely unacceptable,” he said on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is very contrary to our Westminster system. It was cynical and it was just weird that this has occurred.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Albanese said the allegations were serious, and that they might explain the controversial rollout of COVID-19 vaccines at the height of the pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Perhaps this explains why we didn’t order enough vaccines. I mean, the Minister for Health might have thought the Prime Minister was ordering them because he was also the Minister for Health, and he thought the Minister for Health was ordering them,” Mr Albanese said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-08221e9c-7fff-1108-2d88-b20a69ab6b52"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">According to <em>Sky News</em>, Mr Morrison has declined to comment on the accusations, claiming he hasn’t “engaged in any day to day politics” since his election loss in May.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Kieran_Gilbert?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kieran_Gilbert</a> asked former Prime Minister Scott Morrison whether he wished to respond to today's revelations &amp; PM Albanese.</p> <p>Mr Morrison said -- "No, haven’t seen what he has said. Since leaving the job I haven’t engaged in any day to day politics". <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNewsAust?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SkyNewsAust</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a></p> <p>— Cam Reddin (@CamReddin) <a href="https://twitter.com/CamReddin/status/1559032433529393152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“No, haven’t seen what [Mr Albanese] has said,” Mr Morrison told <em>Sky News</em> reporter Kieran Gilbert.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Since leaving the job I haven’t engaged in any day to day politics.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, <em>AAP </em>New Zealand correspondent Ben McKay confirmed that New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hasn’t engaged in similar behaviour.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-71694b42-7fff-2cab-c1ad-4affe41c2401">“Thought best to double check. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she has never secretly sworn herself into other ministeries,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/benmackey/status/1559025854914895872" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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Bridgerton – how period dramas made audiences hate the corset

<p>When you think of a corset, you might imagine period drama dames sucking in as they cling onto a bedpost as a feisty lady’s maid aggressively laces them in. Nextflix’s hot Regency inspired drama Bridgerton features similar such tortuous scenes.</p> <p>In the run up to the show’s second season, Simone Ashley, who plays the new heroine Kate Sharma, complained to Glamour Magazine about the <a href="https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/simone-ashley-bridgerton-interview-2022">horrors of wearing a corset</a>. She claimed that her corset caused her “a lot of pain” and “changed her body”.</p> <p>In the first season, Prudence Featherington (played by Bessie Carter) was tight-laced into a corset. Prudence’s mother urges her daughter on: “I was able to squeeze my waist into the size of an orange-and-a-half when I was Prudence’s age”. Rather unnecessary, when regency gowns fall from an under-bust empire line, which obscures the waist. Unlike their later Victorian counterparts, regency corsets focused on enhancing a lady’s assets, not shrinking her waist.</p> <p>This scene is ubiquitous in period dramas, from Elizabeth Swan fainting in Pirates of the Caribbean, to Rose DeWitt Bukater unable to breath in Titanic, and, of course, Mammy’s iconic line, “Just hold on, and suck in!”, as Scarlet O’Hara clings to a bedpost in Gone with the Wind. It may be on screen shorthand for the restricted lives of historical women, but it stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of historical corsets and women alike.</p> <p>After centuries of women (and some men) wearing corsets to support and shape the body, it was Victorian men who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNwTqanp0Aw">taught us to hate corsets</a>. Corset-related health issues were a myth, constructed by doctors, to promote their own patriarchal perspectives. So, you might be surprised to hear that period dramas are perpetuating Victorian misogyny.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FZ7r2OVu1ss?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p><strong>Medicine, misogyny, and the corset</strong></p> <p>The list of medical complaints that 19th-century doctors attributed to the corset seem unending. Constipation, pregnancy complications, breast cancer, postpartum infection and tuberculosis were all blamed on the corset. One Victorian doctor, Benjamin Orange Flower, author of the 1892 pamphlet <a href="https://archive.org/details/fashionsslaves00flow">Fashion’s Slaves</a>, claimed that “if women will continue this destructive habit, the race must inevitably deteriorate”.</p> <p>As science has developed, the medical root of these illnesses has been identified, and the corset’s culpability disproved. The corset offers an example of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/nov/13/the-female-problem-male-bias-in-medical-trials">gender bias within medical research</a>. The many ailments of <a href="https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/discover/2016/04/22/inside-georges-breeches-the-health-of-george-iv/">George IV</a>, one of the many men to wear a corset in the 19th century, were never blamed on his corset wearing.</p> <p>Some corsets were even specifically designed to be healthy and supportive. Lingerie company Gossards published <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Corsets_from_a_Surgical_Viewpoint.html?id=hztGtwAACAAJ&amp;redir_esc=y">Corsets from a Surgical Perspective</a> in 1909, which promoted the flexibility and supportive possibilities of the corset, which could “preserve the lines demanded by fashion, but without discomfort or injury”.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/file-20220330-5868-a1x92v.jpg" alt="Regency stays sought to shape women’s breasts by separating and lifting them. V&amp;A" width="754" height="1005" /></p> <p><em>Regency stays sought to shape women’s breasts by separating and lifting them. Image: <a href="https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O138889/stays-unknown/?carousel-image=2010EE8174">V&amp;A</a></em></p> <p>But the hourglass shape of the late 19th-century period was not what women of the regency desired. They were only interested in their breasts, as <a href="https://www.yalebooks.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780300218725">Hilary Davidson has shown</a>. Breasts needed to be lifted and separated into two round orbs. Regency corsets (or “stays” as they were known) were often <a href="https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O138889/stays-unknown/">short, always soft, and never heavily boned</a>. Their purpose was bust support, never restriction. I wonder what regency women would have thought of modern bras with straps that pinch and underwire that rubs.</p> <p>Historical corsets were ingenious, light and bendy. Whalebone (which is baleen from the mouth of a whale, and is not actual bone) is wonderfully flexible, and moulds to the body beneath it – and many corsets were simply reinforced with cotton cording. Corsets reduced back pain from bad posture and <a href="https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/staff-pick-pregnancy-corset/">had expanding portions for pregnancy</a>.</p> <p><strong>Historical myth making</strong></p> <p>The problem then in the depiction of corsets in period dramas is not “historical accuracy”, an idea <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br_tGCadJPE">widely debunked by historians</a>, including Bridgerton’s own <a href="https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/period-dramas-should-not-be-judged-on-historical-accuracy-say-historians/">historical advisor</a>. Bridgerton’s costumes are joyously reminiscent of designer <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/80018036">George Halley</a>’s highly embellished and brightly coloured empire line fashion designs from the 1960s. Bridgerton’s costumes are historically inspired fantasy.</p> <p>Bridgerton is to Regency England what Game of Thrones is to the Wars of the Roses, and there is nothing wrong with that. It is a fantastical reimagining, creatively inspired by the past. The idea that its costumes should be “historically accurate”, or that such an aspiration is even possible, is not what is at stake here.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qYNCws-a6CQ?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>This is an issue of historical fallacy. Women of the past had agency over their bodies and how they were dressed. They were clever about how they achieved the fashionable proportions, padding out the <a href="https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O354882/bustle-pad-unknown/">hips</a> and <a href="https://risdmuseum.org/art-design/collection/bust-improver-6003412">bust</a>, rather than reducing the waist. Like the show’s famed dressmaker, Madame Delacroix, many of the professionals dressing them were themselves women. We strip away that agency and ingenuity when we assume historical women were passive dolls, dressed up and cinched in by a patriarchal society.</p> <p>For historical women, corsets were a support garment, which allowed them to follow the fashionable silhouette without having to diet, exercise, or have cosmetic surgery. It would be a refreshing change to see period dramas embrace this feminist history of the corset, instead of falling back on a misogynistic stereotype.<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/180267/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/serena-dyer-1127384">Serena Dyer</a>, Lecturer in History of Design and Material Culture, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/de-montfort-university-1254">De Montfort University</a></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/bridgerton-how-period-dramas-made-audiences-hate-the-corset-180267">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: @bridgertonnetflix (Instagram)</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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“I was floored”: Mother-in-law poses as husband to announce pregnancy online

<p dir="ltr">A pregnant woman has asked the internet whether she was justified in losing her temper after her mother-in-law announced her pregnancy behind her and her husband’s back - all while pretending to be the husband.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taking to Reddit’s ‘Am I The A**hole’ thread, the 23-year-old woman explained that her pregnancy wasn’t planned, and that since she and her husband still hadn’t decided whether they would go through with the pregnancy, that they wouldn’t tell anyone until they did.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the husband told his mother about their pregnancy news, making her swear not to tell anyone either.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He didn’t tell her we aren’t sure about it but just to stay quiet,” the woman wrote.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-fe72ed58-7fff-e0e4-948a-2c1ee9390453"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Well, she begged and begged that she announce it on Facebook under the guise of using our permission but I said absolutely not, and lied and said my husband and I wanted to announce it ourselves later if we decide to go through with it.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/https___prod23.static9.net_.jpg" alt="" width="396" height="290" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Reddit  </em></p> <p dir="ltr">“Just a day ago I found out she logged into my husband’s Facebook account and dropped the bomb (made the announcement and yes she pretended to be my husband!) behind our back.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman explained how “floored” she was by her mother-in-law’s actions and that she called her to confront her.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I called her and she said she figured if she made the announcement using one of our social media accounts then we won’t mind and it’d still look like we made the announcement,” the woman continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But like I stated earlier, we’re still trying to make a decision. I lost my temper and yelled at her which made her cry. I said she overstepped and messed up completely then hung up.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Her husband then became upset and yelled about her “poor treatment and abuse” towards his mother.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I told him it violated our privacy and put us in more pressure to finally make a decision for the baby since the family are now calling to say ‘congratulations’,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He said that it was his fb (Facebook account) so none of my privacy was ‘violated’ and that I shouldn’t have yelled and hurt her feelings and made her cry no matter what, period.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The husband asked her to apologise and that they’d “talk about the pregnancy later”, but she didn’t answer and wouldn’t go with him to his mother’s house to “grovel with apologies”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Asking the forum whether she was in the wrong, she was met with numerous answers supporting her and some that questioned whether she should get a divorce.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Think hard about whether you want to be tied to this family for the next 18 years,” one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Is your husband going to yell at you and side with his mom every time you disagree about your kid? Termination and say you miscarried is one option. Sounds like your husband’s family is trying to force your hand. This marriage sounds over already tbh (to be honest).”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another commented: “Like she so clearly crossed a line and the fact that neither of them see it that way is very concerning.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"Yes...why does she have his FB (Facebook) password?" another queried. "Sounds like she also has other SM (social media) passwords as well. This is so odd and a HUGE red flag. Add the fact that he feels mommy did nothing wrong and wife needs to apologize? I see an awful future ahead."</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-88b02a91-7fff-3e58-00e1-0922f3f70af8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“An embarrassment”: Ben Fordham weighs in on Will Smith drama

<p dir="ltr">Will Smith has publicly apologised to Chris Rock for <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/the-slap-heard-around-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slapping him</a> on-stage at the Oscars over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith wrote in a screenshot shared on Instagram on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0abc6f8c-7fff-96cc-e912-16e0b28c2185"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbqmaY1p7Pz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbqmaY1p7Pz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The apology comes after the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, the organisation that awards the Oscars, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/could-will-smith-lose-his-oscar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condemned</a> Smith’s behaviour and said they would investigate the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others have also been quick to weigh in on the situation, with radio host Ben Fordham questioning how Smith was able to stay in the audience and go on to receive an award.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking on 2GB, Fordham questioned why Smith hadn’t faced any repercussions after he “belted (Rock) in the face”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The best the Academy could do was send out a pathetic tweet … You absolutely condoned it. You let him return to his seat. You didn’t kick him out and you then handed him an award,” Fordham <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/awards/oscars/double-standards-ben-fordham-lashes-out-over-will-smiths-oscars-slap/news-story/ab86b57d23709fc4e9da0b9a7801af56" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The double standards are extraordinary.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They lecture everyone else about how to behave, but when the bad behaviour happened on their stage it was a case of see no evil, hear no evil.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Academy Awards are an embarrassment. They preach one thing and they do the opposite.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The radio host and journalist acknowledged why Smith would have been upset, while also pointing out that Smith initially laughed at the joke until he saw his wife’s reaction.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If that was said about my wife, I would have struggled to stay in my seat,” Fordham admitted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wouldn’t have belted anyone, but I can understand how rage could build when you see something like this happen to someone you love.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-be03ca59-7fff-b29e-20ca-27e3072a6e48"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The slap has also prompted the resurfacing of footage showing Smith behaving similarly and slapping a ‘reporter’ in 2012.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Y’all must’ve forgot <a href="https://t.co/OhGHFCOAbT">pic.twitter.com/OhGHFCOAbT</a></p> <p>— Jiles (@Jiles) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jiles/status/1508276702258024452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The star <a href="https://www.scoopwhoop.com/entertainment/oscar-2022-will-smith-slapped-reporter-for-kissing-him-old-video/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> slapped Ukrainian prankster Vitali Sediuk, who was posing as a reporter when he attempted to kiss Smith.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily, the 2012 incident ended in apologies from the prankster - who went on to repeat the stunt with other celebrities - but the run-in between Rock and Smith hasn’t gone as smoothly.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rock’s joke during the awards ceremony referred to Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3b7b138b-7fff-cd9e-5361-f77bfd0e237f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">She was diagnosed with alopecia (the medical term for baldness) in 2018 and has since spoken out about her experience losing her hair.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Australia’s longest-running soap ends

<p dir="ltr">Hailed as one of Australia’s longest-running TV dramas, <em>Neighbours</em> will come to an end after 37 years on air. </p> <p dir="ltr">The TV soap that gave national sweethearts like Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, Guy Pearce and Liam Hemsworth a name around the globe, ended its streak after failing to secure another UK broadcaster.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement on their social media, <em>Neighbours</em> announced the devastating news to fans. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We are so sorry to say that after nearly 37 years and almost 9000 episodes broadcast we have to confirm that Neighbours will cease production in June,” the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Following the loss of our key broadcast partner in the UK and despite an extensive search for alternative funding, we simply have no option but to rest the show.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The team thanked their loyal fans and promised to end the show on an “incredible high”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To our amazing, loyal fans, we know this is a huge disappointment, as it is to all of us on the team. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We thank you for all your messages and support and promise to end the show on an incredible high. From here on, we are celebrating Neighbours.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The news comes just weeks after Channel 5, the British production company that aired the show in the UK since 2008, announced it won’t do so anymore.</p> <p dir="ltr">The final episodes are expected to air in September 2022. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p></p>

TV

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Woman brutally dumped after donating an organ to her partner

<p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p> <p>Donating a kidney to somebody in need is not an easy decision. But when a young woman named Colleen had the chance to change her boyfriend’s life six years ago, she didn’t think twice about donating the vital organ.</p> <p>In a series of viral videos, the TikTok star explained how she made the decision to have the procedure to save his life according to<span> </span><em>The Sun.</em></p> <p>When they first got together, Colleen said her boyfriend had been upfront about how he’d been struggling with chronic kidney disease since the age of 17. This meant he had to be on dialysis and his kidneys functioned at just 5% at average capacity.</p> <p>She explained: “I decided to get tested to see if we were a match because I didn’t want to watch him die.” Luckily for the couple, the surgeries went well and both parties recovered.</p> <p>But while you’d naturally assume the man would be eternally grateful to his girlfriend for what she did for him, he then cheated on her seven months later.</p> <p>In a follow-up video, Colleen explained how her ex-boyfriend told her he was going to Las Vegas for a bachelor party with some guys in his church. At the time, the TikToker was in a busy exam period and trusted her boyfriend completely so didn’t think anything of it.</p> <p>Until he turned up on her doorstep and confessed to cheating.</p> <p>“A lot of arguments later, I eventually forgave him and gave him a second chance,” she said. However, three months later the now ex brutally dumped Colleen over the phone.</p> <p>She claims he said: “If we are meant for each other, God will bring us back together in the end.”</p> <p>Unfortunately, the break-up only got messier from there, when her ex told her: “You only donated your kidney to look good”.</p>

Relationships

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Bride in hot water after uninviting stepdad who paid for her wedding

<p dir="ltr">A bride-to-be has caused a rift in her family after uninviting her stepdad from her wedding, despite the fact he paid for it.</p> <p dir="ltr">Posting to the ‘Am I The A***hole’ Reddit forum, the bride wrote about the uncomfortable situation she found herself in just a few weeks out from her big day. Her brothers informed her that they would not be attending her wedding if their stepdad was also in attendance, forcing the bride to make an incredibly difficult decision.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman explained that she and her brothers went through a difficult time when their parents divorced and their mum subsequently remarried, with her brothers not wanting anything to do with their mum’s new husband. The bride, being five years younger than her brothers, lived with her mum and stepdad, however, and developed a good relationship with him.</p> <p dir="ltr">She wrote, “My stepdad did what he could to help me out with school and everything, he even offered to fund my wedding which is going to be in five weeks time and I’m very grateful for that though this was his decision. I sent Dean and Kevin invitations but once they found out that our stepdad was going to be there, they said they might not come.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They took time to think then gave me an ultimatum saying that if our stepdad is coming then they won’t be. I literally freaked out because I definitely want my brothers to be at my wedding so badly and I tried talking to them but they were being stubborn.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After discussing the problem with her fiance, she came to the conclusion that she had no choice but to “politely uninvite” her stepdad, which she did via email. She continued, “Later I got a call from my mum yelling at me, calling me hurtful stuff saying I was acting like an ungrateful b**** by excluding her husband from the wedding after everything he’s done for me.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I told her that my brothers threatened not to come which pushed me to make this difficult decision because if it was for me I’d have everyone there. She cussed me out for prioritising my hateful and cold-hearted brothers over my stepdad and showing him that I’m not worthy of his grace which was really really hurtful for me to hear.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman was then left wondering whether she’d made the right decision, and the general consensus on Reddit was that she had. One commenter wrote, “Your stepdad obviously cares about you and is PAYING for your wedding. He is in no way the problem here. Your brothers are being childish and are the ones you can’t just get along to be there for their sister’s wedding without being petulant little babies about it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another wrote, “Unless there’s more to this than meets the eye, they seem to have no legit reason for disliking your stepdad other than the fact that he is not your actual dad. He has been good to you, and I’m not surprised your mum is raging. I can’t imagine the hurt your stepdad must be feeling right now.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: quavondo</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

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Tanya and Mark face off over Block cheating drama

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tensions have continued to grow between contestants on </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Block</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> as they approach the finale, with Tanya and Mark reigniting past conflicts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On Sunday night’s episode, Tanya and Vito were accused of cheating a second time after they tried to obtain a free laundry install after the deadline.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After Tanya told producers the couple were hoping to get a “cheeky freebie”, their plans were discovered by Georgia and Mitch and Mark’s connections with cabinet company Kinsman.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I probably was under the assumption that they probably would do it for free, because money was never discussed,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My story would have been well you guys got it for free so we got it for free too! It would have been a cheeky freebie. Obviously that wasn’t the case.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The conflict came to a head when Tanya faced the other contestants with claims she was prepared to pay the whole time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Because (our laundry) was so huge there was no way we were gonna get it done (during living room week), so we just opted to get it done this week,” she explained to Mark, referring to why she and Vito didn’t complete their laundry when instructed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 280.859375px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844720/mitch-tanya.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f05e9a224e814152b78518270ef174fe" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: The Block / Channel 9</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“(It was a) huge out of pocket expense,” she said, showing Mark her invoice for the installation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mark called out her claims, saying: “I understand that invoice was issued because Scotty and Keith found out what was happening”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He added that Kinsman had also told him Tanya wasn’t expecting to pay.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Come and speak to me next time,” Tanya rebutted.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest tense exchange came after Tanya made a comment earlier in the season calling Mitch and Mark “pigs”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tanya and Mark debated whether Tanya’s comment, “Don’t fight with pigs because you get dirty and they love it”, was a direct insult or not.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We probably still have never resolved one of those comments about us being pigs,” Mark said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, Mark and Tanya were able to come to a kind of resolution, with Tanya saying, “I am sorry that you took it that way”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mark also thanked her for showing him the Kinsman invoice.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As for her apology, he said, “I’ll have to process that.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a parting comment while walking away with Vito, Tanya said: “I love how he wants me to apologise when it’s like ‘oh also, you called Vito a ***, but hold on, I’ll apologise because I’m not a condescending old man’.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: The Block / Channel 9</span></em></p>

Real Estate

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Netflix forced to cut Squid Game scene for bizarre reason

<p>The popularity of Netflix's new show <em>Squid Game</em> is breaking international records, and is on track to become the most popular show of all the on the streaming service.</p> <p>The show is a violent and dystopian Korean drama that sees 456 destitute 'players' enter a game arena to win a hefty sum of prize money upon the completion of six children's games. </p> <p>In the first episode of the show however, Netflix have made a grave mistake that has had very interesting consequences. </p> <p>When the 'players' were approached to take part in the game, they were given a business card and told to call the number. </p> <p>The number was in fact a real person's phone number, and the owner has been inundated with phone calls from strangers since the show's release on September 17th. </p> <p>The real-life owner of the phone number told the Korean publication <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mt.co.kr" target="_blank">Money Today</a> that she has been receiving "endless" calls and texts, as well as offers to buy the phone number.</p> <p>“It has come to the point where people are reaching out day and night due to their curiosity. It drains my phone’s battery and it turns off,” the woman, who is from the Gyeonggi province of South Korea, said.</p> <p>“At first, I didn’t know why, then my friend told me that my number came out [in the series].”</p> <p>The woman, who is a small business owner and is unrelated to Netflix or the <em>Squid Game</em> production, has been assured by Netflix that measures will be taken to protect the woman's identity.</p> <p><span>“Together with the production company, we are working to resolve this matter, including editing scenes with phone numbers where necessary,” Netflix told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/squid-games-netflix-phone-number-b1931823.html" target="_blank">The </a></span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/squid-games-netflix-phone-number-b1931823.html" target="_blank">Independent</a>.</p> <p>Certain regions have had the scene altered to no longer feature the phone number. </p> <p>Netflix even offered to buy the woman's number for a measly $1,000AUD, which the woman rejected as the number has been tied up in her small business for almost twenty years. </p> <p>The production crew upped the compensation to almost $6,000AUD which was also rejected, before a new offer from an unlikely source was offered. </p> <p>Presidential candidate for South Korea Huh Kyung Young <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.koreaboo.com/news/squid-game-phone-number-controversy-presidential-candidate-buy-100-million/" target="_blank">offered the woman over $116,000</a> for the number, in a bid to win the position of high office. </p> <p>The issue the mystery phone number is not the first backlash Netflix's <em>Squid Game</em> has received. </p> <p>Due to its explosive popularity, a Korean internet service provider announced they were suing Netflix for clogging up the internet with traffic.</p> <p>Check out the trailer for <em>Squid Game</em> here. Viewer discretion is advised. </p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oqxAJKy0ii4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em>Image credits: Netflix</em></p>

TV

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Wild Republic: The new drama thriller set in the Alps

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dubbed the “<em>Lord of the Flies</em> for a new generation”, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wild Republic</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the latest series to take inspiration from the classic novel.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The German television series starts with a bunch of juvenile delinquents who are undergoing an experiential rehabilitation program in the rugged German Alps.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 250px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843508/luis_zeno_kuhn-fotografie-munchen-03363.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2e998bf45e6343b482cc559525562674" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: SBS</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following the sudden death of one member, the troubled youths face a tough choice: wait for the authorities to investigate the crime or take fate into their own hands and make an escape?</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tO0LVkF-Vuk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Directed by Markus Goller and Lennart Ruff, the eight-part series tackles issues about how to survive, what choices are made, and at what cost.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 238.57142857142858px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843509/wild_republic.jpeg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/584d5f7e05394894bbb871d15f9e9387" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: SBS</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The series is now exclusively streaming in German with English subtitles at </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/wild-republic" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">SBS On Demand</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: SBS</span></em></p>

TV

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Chandler Powell chimes in after Bindi Irwin takes a break from social media

<p>Bindi Irwin’s husband Chandler Powell has given a message of support for his wife after she announced she was stepping down from social media and “taking a break”.</p> <p>The decision follows after Bindi publicly exposed her fractured relationship with her grandfather, Bob Irwin.</p> <p>The Australian conservationist took to Instagram on Monday evening to announce she was temporarily stepping back “from social media and most of my work in the public eye” to be with her “beautiful daughter” and “wonderful family”.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBindisueIrwin%2Fposts%2F329952148500766&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="759" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></p> <p>The previous evening, the 22-year-old claimed she suffered psychological “abuse” because of her estranged grandfather’s silence.</p> <p>The bombshell post followed with the revelation that Bob had “shown no interest” in spending time with her family.</p> <p>“He has returned gifts I’ve sent him after he opened them, he has ignored my correspondence and from the time I was a little girl he has ignored me, preferring to spend time doing anything else rather than being with me,” she said.</p> <p>“He has never said a single kind word to me personally.</p> <p>“It breaks my heart but it is not healthy to engage in an abusive relationship.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841925/bindi-irwin-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/caccff06b61d488cb4a855233711402f" /></p> <p>Speaking on <em>The Latest</em> on Monday evening, Amanda French, who is the author of the book <em>The Last Crocodile Hunter</em>, revealed he was “deeply upset” by the comments.</p> <p>“Naturally Bob’s quite upset about it, and to be perfectly honest we haven’t told him the full extent of the comments because we’re quite concerned about how he might take that,” she said.</p> <p>Following the reaction, Bindi announced she was stepping down from social media temporarily.</p> <p>“I feel tremendously grateful to share our life and conservation work with you but I need some time to focus on the happiness that is my family (both human and animal),” she revealed.</p> <p>“Recently, I’ve had many people reaching out to share their own stories of working hard to protect their mental health. Thank you for sharing and speaking your truth.</p> <p>“To my friends who are dealing with depression, anxiety and other battles every day - I see you.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQYWHY0BN8t/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQYWHY0BN8t/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Chandler Powell (@chandlerpowell)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“These issues are very real and deserve to be discussed and addressed. Surround yourself with the light of people who genuinely care about you and will support you during the good times and the hard times.</p> <p>“Remember there are helplines available. Mental health deserves more understanding and support instead of being dismissed or patronised. You are absolutely worthy of love and kindness,” she concluded.</p> <p>On Monday night, Bindi’s husband Chandler Powell shared a strong message of support for his wife.</p> <p>“You inspire me with your unwavering kindness and your ability to stand up for what is right,” he wrote on Instagram.</p> <p>“You are the strongest and most beautiful person inside and out.</p> <p>“Grace has an amazing mama to look up to.”</p>

Family & Pets

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Ash Barty pulled into Osaka drama

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post-body-container"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>An American journalist has dragged World No. 1 Ash Barty into the current drama surrounding Naomi Osaka, claiming that Barty's press conferences are proof of racial bias within the media.</p> <p>Osaka withdrew from the French Open on Tuesday morning after boycotting press conferences during the Open sparked controversy.</p> <p>Osaka revealed that she would be taking some time away from tennis to focus on her mental health.</p> <p>New York reporter Chris Spargo believes otherwise, saying that the issue stems from much more than Osaka's mental health.</p> <p>“Take a look at the questions Ash Barty is asked in a post-match interview as compared to Naomi Osaka,” Spargo wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “Same journalists, same tournament.</p> <p>“This is just as much about race as it is about mental health, be it Venus, Serena or Naomi in the press room.”</p> <p>In the transcript, Barty was asked "Is thet hte best start you think you've had to a grand slam?" and "You're playing so well, what's the next step?" whereas Osaka was asked "You looked a bit nervous" and "Why was it intimidating to see Serena Williams on the other side of the net?".</p> <p>However, the transcript doesn't mention that Barty's questions were different due to her defeating Montenegrin Danka Kovinic 6-0 6-0 whereas Osaka's questions came after defeating Serena Williams, her tennis idol growing up.</p> <p>Spargo pointed out that he had to delete the tweet due to "ignorant and racist responses".</p> </div> </div> </div> </div>

News

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Nanny drama details revealed: Why Meghan and Harry couldn’t take it anymore

<p>Reports have revealed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were “put off” hiring nannies after a bizarre “incident with a night nanny”.</p> <p>In the event after Archie’s birth, the couple hired help to aid in the toddler’s bedroom routine.</p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/meghan-markle-put-off-childcare-24175073" target="_blank">According to<span> </span><em>The Mirror</em>,</a><span> </span>author of<span> </span><em>Finding Freedom</em><span> </span>and rumoured friend of Meghan’s Omid Scobie told Channel 4, they had to fire the nanny just days into their employment.</p> <p>“Very few people know the real story behind it,” he revealed on the broadcaster’s documentary<span> </span><em>A Very Royal Baby: From Cradle to Crown.</em></p> <p>“After Archie’s arrival, Harry and Meghan wanted some help to establish a sleep pattern. They hired a night nanny.</p> <p>“Whilst I can’t go into someone else’s employment details for legal reasons, it was an incident on one of the first nights that put the couple off from having a night nurse.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841450/meghan-markle-archie-harry.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/82abcc9c358e471c93aaede7febe2e9d" /></p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p> <p>The incident reportedly scarred the couple and put them off of hiring permanent help.</p> <p>“Meghan and Harry were forced to let the nurse go in the middle of her second night for being unprofessional and irresponsible,” he explained.</p> <p>The royal pair then went on to hire another nanny but were reportedly so disturbed by their last experience that they the night nurse not too long after.</p> <p>The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly then looked for someone in the day.</p> <p>“They moved onto number three. Which was a woman that worked for them for quite some time actually, until they moved to California,” Scobie said.</p> <p>“She helped them out on very much a 9-5 basis, and it was a great working relationship actually despite reports.”</p> <p>The royal family routinely uses nannies for day-to-day duties, and Prince William and Prince Harry are still very close to their childhood carer.</p>

Family & Pets

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Why Bridgerton’s hottest property said no to season two

<p>Regé-Jean Page isn’t returning to<span> </span><em>Bridgerton</em><span> </span>because he disliked the plans producers had for his character, the Duke of Hastings.</p> <p dir="ltr">A Hollywood source told<span> </span><em>Page Six</em> that the actor won’t be returning to<span> </span><em>Bridgerton</em><span> </span>because of “creative differences with [executive producer] Shonda Rhimes and her team”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He wasn’t happy with what was planned for his character for Season 2, which would have kept him a player but not the focal point of the show.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Page has also been “inundated with offers for other interesting and challenging leading roles”, the source continued.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLZ34Rej-4c/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLZ34Rej-4c/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bridgerton (@bridgertonnetflix)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Despite these “creative differences”, Page is leaving the show on good terms.</p> <p dir="ltr">Originally signed on with a one-year deal to play male lead Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings, Page was drawn to the show because of the role’s “one-season arc” with a “beginning, middle, end”, he told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/rege-jean-page-bridgerton-season-2-1234942827/" target="_blank"><em>Variety</em></a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The recent announcement of his departure from the popular Netflix drama - watched by 82 million households worldwide - left fans distraught ahead of the second season.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLpX0A1DMbG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLpX0A1DMbG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bridgerton (@bridgertonnetflix)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Show creator and script writer Chris Van Dusen hoped both the Duke (Page) and Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) would return following their romance in the show’s debut season.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I would love to be able to see them again and also at the same time explore the other brothers and sisters of the family,” Van Dusen told<span> </span><em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The British actor was reportedly offered an opportunity to return in Season 2 “as a guest star in three to five episodes'' but turned it down, according to<span> </span><em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>. Although he had several reasons, this included “an awareness that Simon would not be a focal point in Season 2.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, Page is focusing on his movie career and has been offered a flood of film offers. He is also set to star in the upcoming film<span> </span><em>Dungeons and Dragons</em><span> </span>alongside Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Justice Smith.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNK71Dxjer8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNK71Dxjer8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Regé-Jean Page (@regejean)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In his farewell to the show, posted along with a picture of himself on horseback as Simon, Page wrote, “The ride of a lifetime. It’s been an absolute pleasure and privilege to be your Duke. Joining this family - not just on screen, but off screen too.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our incredibly creative and generous cast, crew, outstanding fans - it’s been beyond anything I could have imagined. The love is real and will just keep growing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As for<span> </span><em>Bridgerton</em>, the next season will see the return of Dynevor playing Daphne Bridgerton, though the focus will be on eldest brother Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey, and his quest for marriage.</p>

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