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"I think I knew for years": Andy Lee spills on proposal

<p>In their first photoshoot and interview as an engaged couple, Andy Lee and Rebecca Harding have revealed how the sweet proposal unfolded. </p> <p>The couple are the cover stars on this week's <em>Stellar</em> magazine and featured as guests on the <em>Something To Talk About</em> podcast. </p> <p>In the interview, Andy explained that he'd known "for a long time" that he wanted to marry his girlfriend of 10 years. </p> <p>“I think six, maybe to eight months [beforehand] was when I really started thinking about it. I think I knew for years. Then getting the ring, and hoping Bec liked it – that would have been the most nerve-racking part. And getting her there on time to the actual proposal,” he said.</p> <p>Andy popped the question in May, and proposed at the couple's home in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn. </p> <p>He recalled how Rebecca was running late on the day and kept him anxiously waiting for more than an hour before she showed up. </p> <p>“It doesn’t matter. The important thing is, we went home together,” she told the publication. </p> <p>While their proposal was nothing glamorous, it had sentimental value, as he handed her a napkin asking for her hand in marriage, a callback to their first meeting when she was working as a waitress at a Melbourne cafe and he wrote his number on a napkin for her. </p> <p>“It was just happiness,” Rebecca said of the proposal.</p> <p>“It’s such a nice feeling to know someone has gone and put all of this effort into something, to ask you to spend the rest of your life with them. I mean, we’d been dating for 10 years, so I kind of was like, maybe getting married is not for us. There was enough in our life that I knew he was serious about me.”</p> <p>She also shared the external pressure she felt over the years for the couple to get engaged, and explained why it took them so long. </p> <p>“Andy doesn’t like being told what to do. So in my mind, I was like, can everyone please stop pressuring him to propose? Because he’s not going to do it,” she said. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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"Wasn’t my choice": Star spills on Neighbours exit

<p><em>Neighbours</em> star Ryan Moloney has revealed the truth about his surprise exit from the soap opera after almost 30 years on the show. </p> <p>The actor made the announcement that he would be leaving the show, and his character Toadfish, in a video posted to <em>Neighbours'</em> Instagram account in late June. </p> <p>In a recent interview with Australian soap opera website <em>Back to the Bay</em>, he finally opened up about leaving Toadfish behind after all these years. </p> <p>“Well, it actually wasn’t my choice. It was their choice,” he told the outlet.</p> <p>“So, yeah, I’ve been wanting to leave for quite a long time, but <em>Neighbours</em> is one of those jobs that you work with awesome people. You get paid really well. And if you had a mate who had one of these jobs, you’d be saying, ‘oh, mate, what are you doing? You’ve got to stay there. See it out for as long as you can.’”</p> <p>The actor said that he felt pressure to “suck it up and stay” despite wanting to move on - so in the end, he was “quite grateful that they actually made that decision for me because I don’t think that I could ever say no to a contract.”</p> <p>“And that’s kind of not the way you want to be doing Neighbours. You don’t want to have that kind of level of resentment in there. So I was very grateful for it,” he said.</p> <p>Moloney made his debut on <em>Neighbours</em> as a teen in 1995, and stayed with the show until it was axed in 2022.  He was then a  returning cast member when the show was rebooted a year later.</p> <p><em>Image: Network 10</em></p>

TV

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Hughesy spills the beans on major shows set to be axed

<p>Dave Hughes has shared his prediction that <em>The Masked Singer</em> is die to be axed from Network Ten's lineup this year as the network continues to battle dwindling ratings. </p> <p>The host of the show made the admission on his radio show on Tuesday, saying he hadn't been given any updates on when filming was due to commence. </p> <p>“We’ve been waiting on a production schedule. That production schedule has not come through, so as far as I know, <em>The Masked Singer </em>won’t be filmed this year for Channel 10,” Hughes said on his show Hughesy, Ed and Erin on 2DayFM.</p> <p>“We’ve had such a great time over those years, it’s been such a fun show to be on, so many great singers have been on,” he continued. “We’ve had great panels. We started with Jackie O, Dannii Minogue, [Lindsay] Lohan, then Urzila Carlson came in, we’ve got Abbie Chatfield, Chrissy Swan, Mel B. All stars in their own right."</p> <p>“It’s a tough one for the production team.”</p> <p>Later during the radio show, Hughesy and the team called Osher Günsberg to question whether <em>The Bachelor </em>was facing the same grim fate as <em>The Masked Singer</em>. </p> <p>“I tell you what, I haven’t cancelled our trip to Fiji, which is in the middle of the shooting window we normally have [for <em>The Bachelor</em>],” Günsberg, who has been host of the dating show since 2013, said.</p> <p>Osher went on to criticise Australian TV for putting British and American shows on prime time, rather than favouring homegrown talent. </p> <p>“I personally feel we really need to value our own stories, and our culture, and our own voices far more highly,” he said. “And we’ve got to do what we need to do to make that happen on our screens."</p> <p>“If we’re not going to sing our own songs and tell our own stories – we’re just going to be this weird echo of the US and the UK, and that’s not going to work out well for us.”</p> <p>Last year's season of <em>The Bachelor</em> premiered to the franchise’s lowest ratings in its decade-long history, while personalities involved with <em>The Masked Singer</em> have repeatedly said "it is a very expensive show to produce". </p> <p><em>Image credits: Ten </em></p>

TV

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Insider spills on Robert Irwin's plans for I'm a Celeb

<p>Robert Irwin received rave reviews for his co-hosting skills alongside Julia Morris on this year's<em> I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here</em>, but an insider has claimed that he won't be returning for another season.  </p> <p>"His easygoing and faultless live TV skills have won over the nation. But his career at Ten will only be short-lived, and he is heading back to Seven," a source told <em>Woman's Day</em>. </p> <p>The negotiation is believed to have been orchestrated by the ultimate "mumager" Terri Irwin. </p> <p>"The Irwins are very smart when it comes to negotiations," the insider added. </p> <p>The source also claimed that Robert's decision to join<em> I'm a Celebrity</em> was seen as a one-off opportunity to elevate his television profile - which he has achieved after bringing fresh energy into the show. </p> <p>Channel Seven is reportedly keen to welcome Robert back with a massive deal, according to the source. </p> <p>"Seven want Robert back and have thrown a king's ransom at him," they said.</p> <p>If the deal goes through, Julia Morris will have to find a new partner to head to the jungle with. </p> <p>Many fans have praised Robert for bringing some fun into the jungle. </p> <p>"I have not ever been keen on watching this show but Robert you have brought some class and good honest fun to the jungle. Thank you," one fan wrote under a clip of the show's grand finale that Robert posted on his Instagram. </p> <p>"How awesome was Robert? This gig was like it was made for him. What a natural," another added. </p> <p>"Best year of I'm a Celebrity, and it was because you added something to the show as Co-Host. Brilliant job for somebody with no experience but with a lot to give," commented a third. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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"Roaring with laughter": Joh Griggs spills on embarrassing career moment

<p>As a former Olympic swimmer and now beloved host of <em>Better Homes and Gardens</em>, Johanna Griggs clearly has a lot of talent. </p> <p>But there's one thing she admitted she can not do - act. </p> <p>She jokingly described her brief appearance as a Swedish tourist on <em>Home and Away</em> in 1992 as a form of “torture”, and recalled the moment she realised impersonating others was just not for her. </p> <p>“I was working with Nicolle Dickson (who played Bobby), who was so much shorter than me, and we’d get to the end of every take and just be roaring with laughter,” she said in an interview with <em>TV Week</em>. </p> <p>“In my head I was like, ‘mortifyingly terrible!’</p> <p>“I don’t know how anyone pretends to be someone else.</p> <p>“It was hilarious and mortifyingly terrible, but a good way to learn that I didn’t want to be an actor.”</p> <p>Funnily enough, after her appearance on <em>Home and Away</em>, she started getting more acting offers.</p> <p>“My manager would say to people, ‘look, we politely decline’ (and) they’d go, ‘No, no, I think there’s a real possibility here’,” she recalled.</p> <p>“And (my manager would) be like, ‘Yeah, I could send you 30 seconds of vision that would probably change your mind’.”</p> <p>Griggs has since realised that she as better off just being herself, and has had a successful career being the host of Better Homes and Gardens for 20 of its 30 years on air.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

TV

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Insider spills on Liza Minnelli's condition

<p>After spending years in the limelight entertaining people, Liza Minnelli now lives her life secluded, according to an insider. </p> <p>The 77-year-old is receiving round the clock care while she's living alone at home surrounded by her dogs, favourite movies, and the memories of her stardom. </p> <p>The actress, known for her role as Sally Bowles in the movie <em>Cabaret,</em> reportedly doesn't leave home much because her condition has deteriorated. </p> <p>"Liza doesn't leave home much anymore," an insider told the <em>National Enquirer</em>. </p> <p>"She's surrounded by her dogs, her favourite movies and her memories.</p> <p>"She has spent a lifetime making other people happy, now it's time to focus on herself."</p> <p>However, there is still some hope that the actress might return to the stage for one last goodbye. </p> <p>"She does have plans to return to the stage one more time to say goodbye, even if it's in a wheelchair," the same insider said.</p> <p>Minelli has dementia which is reportedly getting worse, and in 2000 she was diagnosed with viral encephalitis, which is an inflammation of the brain which causes weakness or loss of movement in parts of the body, difficulty speaking, confusion or disorientation, among other things. </p> <p>She hasn't been seen in public for nearly a year. </p> <p>"Liza often fidgets, her hands shake, and she looks look horrible," a source said about the star's condition to  <em>RadarOnline.com </em>at the time. "She sometimes doesn’t know who she’s talking to and has a hard time focusing."</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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

<p>Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge have opened up about their long-running feud that began when the pair started working together on <em>My Kitchen Rules</em>.</p> <p>On Wednesday night's episode of the popular cooking show, Manu revealed to the contestants how the judges "hated" each other's "guts" when they started filming the show together in 2014. </p> <p>Their feud began when Colin accused Manu of "selling out" by joining the TV show. </p> <p>Manu opened up about their previous dislike for one another, after contestants Amber and Mel explained that the name of their restaurant, Salty Secrets, was meant to encourage their fellow <em>MKR</em> contestants to share little-known facts about themselves.</p> <p>“Do you want to hear about salty secrets from us?” Manu asked the table.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxaP02IBB8q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxaP02IBB8q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by MKR (@mykitchenrules)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“The salty secret is Colin and I started on the wrong foot. Because when I started TV, most chefs in the industry thought I’d sold my soul.”</p> <p>Colin added, “I said he’s sold out.”</p> <p>Explaining the criticism, Manu said, “They said I was no longer a chef, I was a TV celebrity.”</p> <p>They went on to say that their feud made working together very difficult in the early years when Colin joined the <em>MKR</em> team, </p> <p>“I got told, ‘Oh we’re going to bring in a new chef - Colin Fassnidge.’ And I went, ‘What?! The guy hates my guts and I hate his guts’,” Manu said.</p> <p>Colin added. “So day one of <em>MKR</em>, I turn up and they’re like ‘Have you met Manu?’ And I was like, ‘S***’."</p> <p>“We did the season. It was a tough learning curve for me.”</p> <p>Manu explained that it wasn't until the end of the first episode that they resolved their differences and became friends. </p> <p>“So we finished the show, I went into my room, he went into his,” he said.</p> <p>“And suddenly I heard [knocks on table], open my room and he went ‘I would like to apologise for being an a***hole.’</p> <p>“And we’ve been good friends ever since!”</p> <p><em>Image credits: My Kitchen Rules</em></p>

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Dave Hughes spills on worst celebrity interview

<p>Dave Hughes is the latest media personality to open up about his worst celebrity interview. </p> <p>The <em>2Day FM</em> breakfast host named and shamed the singer in an interview with <em>news.com.au’s Shock Jocks, </em>where radio hosts have to answer tough questions or be "electrocuted". </p> <p>“Avril Lavigne was a shocker,”  he said, referring to the pop-punk sensation, who peaked during the early 2000s. </p> <p>“She had a bad attitude, it was back around Sk8er Boi when she was at the height of her fame,” he added. </p> <p>“She wouldn’t look at any of us. I’m not saying I’m the most attractive person in the world, but you can just look at me once.”</p> <p>Hughesy's confession comes just over a week after Chrissie Swan revealed that former AFL legend <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/absolutely-the-worst-chrissie-swan-fires-up-on-sam-newman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Newman was the worst interview</a> of her career.</p> <p>“It was terrible,” Swan said about Newman on Nova last week, “it was a terrible, terrible situation and so unusual in my career to feel so attacked.”</p> <p>The interview was so bad that Swan had to walk out, and the interview itself never aired. </p> <p><a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/sam-newman-hits-back-at-chrissie-swan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newman hit back</a> in response to Swan's comments and said: “What a coward to ask someone to come in, then walk out of the studio about an opinion over a topic we were talking about.</p> <p>“I just gave my opinion and she walked out, how unprofessional. What a coward."</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

TV

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Ben Fordham spills on worst gift he ever gave his wife

<p dir="ltr">Coming up with a surprise is already a hard enough task, but Ben Fordham might’ve been a bit too creative when he planned this hilarious gift for his wife Jodie Speers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 2GB radio host shamefully - and hilariously - spilled the tea on the "one-of-a-kind" gift he got for his wife on the latest episode of <em>He Said She Said</em> with Shelly Horton.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fordham recalled visiting a building site with their three children and letting them spray-paint parts of the building, including an old toilet.</p> <p dir="ltr">He then decided to bring the painted toilet home as a surprise, which ultimately, didn’t impress his wife.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Jodie didn't like it, and so she said, 'Get it out of the house,'" he told Horton.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fordham admitted that it stayed in the "corner of the backyard for about a year" before he got rid of it.</p> <p dir="ltr">He tried to hilariously justify his thought process, "I thought she'd think it was cute, it was painted by her children, her flesh and blood!"</p> <p dir="ltr">Horton quipped that this was "possibly one of the worst presents I've ever heard of."</p> <p dir="ltr">The radio host then shared that he and his wife usually "tip each other off" about the gifts that they want, but they occasionally try to surprise each other.</p> <p dir="ltr">Both hosts eventually came to the conclusion that "experiences" are excellent gifts for long-term couples who already have "everything."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/9Honey</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

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Lionel Richie spills the one thing “no one knows” about King Charles

<p dir="ltr">Lionel Richie has spilled the tea on his interactions with King Charles over coronation weekend.</p> <p dir="ltr">The American singer, who attended the coronation and headlined the concert at Windsor Castle on May 7, shared some of the highlights in an interview with <em>Extra</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Richie praised King Charles’ “amazing” sense of humour, and shared how he convinced the Royal Couple to make a guest appearance on <em>American Idol </em>last Sunday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think the highlight for me was that I actually walked up to the King the day after the coronation and said, ‘Would you like to be on “American Idol?” he told <em>Extra.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Surprisingly, King Charles replied: “Yeah” and asked if it was alright to “bring the queen?”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I've known the King for quite a long time. He does have this amazing sense of humour that no one knows about.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He's a secret comedian, I'll put that out there,” Richie added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For him to actually take the step and go out of the comfort zone — that was actually his comfort zone, he was hamming it up… It’s so good for the world to know.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Thanks to Richie’s little quip, the surprise cameo made headlines and gave viewers insight into the Royal couple’s playful rapport.</p> <p dir="ltr">The cameo, which was streamed live in the palace’s Throne Room, occurred shortly after Richie performed at the coronation concert.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I just wanted to check, how much, how long will you be using this room for?” King Charles quipped, suggesting that he wanted Richie out of the throne room as soon as possible.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have to give the room up right away,” Richie replied.</p> <p dir="ltr">King Charles and Richie’s friendship came after the latter was appointed the First Global Ambassador and First Chairman of the Global Ambassador Group for The Prince’s Trust in 2019.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: ABC American Idol/ YouTube</em></p>

Music

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"We got in trouble a lot": Fergie spills all on Princess Diana arrest

<p>Sarah Ferguson has opened up about the time she and the late Princess Diana got themselves arrested in 1986. </p> <p>The pair were celebrating at a nightclub when they were arrested for impersonating law enforcement officers. The two had decided to dress up as police for Fergie’s bachelorette party, unaware that they were setting themselves on a path to trouble in an event described by Royal Expert Tom Quinn as a “riot”. </p> <p>Speaking to <em>The Sun</em>, Fergie claimed that once authorities came to the realisation that she and Diana were actually royals, it wasn’t long before they were released. </p> <p>And while appearing on <em>The Kelly Clarkson Show</em>, she expanded on the tale, outlining exactly how the two had gotten themselves into such a situation in the first place. </p> <p>“It was extraordinary,” the 63-year-old Duchess of York said, “because we went to a nightclub, of course, you go to a nightclub with the Princess of Wales.</p> <p>“We sat down, and the waiter came up to us and said ‘excuse me, this is a members club. It’s for fun, and we don’t serve police officers here’."</p> <p>“They thought you were real police officers?" host Kelly Clarkson exclaimed. </p> <p>Fergie confirmed the detail with a confident "yes!"</p> <p>She explained that once they had been arrested and ushered into the police van, they opted to hide their engagement rings. </p> <p>Fergie went on to recall that Diana had been told off for eating some chips - “smoky bacon-flavoured” she’d found in the vehicle.</p> <p>Their brief encounter with the law didn’t ruin their fun though, with the party continuing on into Annabel’s nightclub - an establishment known to be one of the world’s most exclusive. </p> <p>And their fun reportedly wasn’t limited to their own celebration, with <em>Town and Country Magazine</em> claiming that the two got up to some more mischief when they decided to lock Andrew out of Buckingham Palace after his bachelor party. </p> <p>Their fun kept the two close over the course of their friendship, and Fergie has admitted that she carries Diana everywhere she goes, telling Kelly, “she’s with me all day”. </p> <p>“She and I, we laughed a lot,” Fergie reminisced, “we got into trouble a lot.</p> <p>“You know what she used to do? She used to tell me the worst story, joke story, just before I had to be serious."</p> <p>Although, despite her admiration for Diana’s sense of humour - and her belief that Diana would be “incredibly proud” of her grandchildren - Fergie did once share on <em>Good Morning America</em> that if the two had had the chance to go head-to-head as grandmothers, she believed they’d “have a ‘Granny-off’. Because she would run faster in the races, I wonder … she’d probably be funnier. No, I think I’d be funnier.” </p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Jacinda Ardern’s resignation: gender and the toll of strong, compassionate leadership

<p>“Uneasy is the head that wears the crown”, wrote Shakespeare, way back in the 1500s. It’s not a new idea that top-level leadership jobs are intensely <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984316300923">stressful</a> and pose a heavy toll. Extended periods of stress are known to put people at <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397">risk of burnout</a>.</p> <p>Yet probably few of us can ever grasp just how unrelentingly demanding and difficult leading a country actually is. Especially in times of crisis and with our modern media and online environment, every statement and every move a leader makes is subject to extensive scrutiny and commentary. </p> <p>Increasingly, a troubling feature of the commentary about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been its abusive, violent, sexist and misogynistic tenor.</p> <p>While she has not focused on this as a reason for her decision to <a href="https://theconversation.com/arderns-resignation-as-new-zealand-prime-minister-is-a-game-changer-for-the-2023-election-198149">resign yesterday</a>, being targeted in this way, and knowing <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2022/03/where-is-clarke-gayford-jacinda-ardern-laughs-off-conspiracy-theories-reveals-the-answer.html">her partner</a> and even <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/482761/the-hatred-and-vitriol-jacinda-ardern-endured-would-affect-anybody">her child</a> were also targeted, must surely have made an already difficult job so much more challenging.</p> <h2>Crises, kindness and courageous decisions</h2> <p>Crises have long been understood as the most intensive tests of a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984322000649">leader’s skill and character</a>. They involve making weighty decisions, at times about matters that quite literally have life and death implications. Decisions have to be made at speed, but often with insufficient information to confidently predict the consequences of the choices made.</p> <p>Ardern’s premiership has thrown crisis after crisis her way. And time and time again, she has displayed a strength of character and <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003099109-10/leading-crisis-adaptive-leadership-jacinda-ardern-deidre-le-fevre">considerable leadership skills</a> in responding to them. </p> <p>Her handling of the Christchurch terror attacks won <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/03/18/new-zealands-prime-minister-wins-worldwide-praise-her-response-mosque-shootings/">global admiration</a> for her composure, compassion and decisive resolve to ensure such heinous acts could not be repeated here.</p> <p>Her response to the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/white-island-eruption-how-good-is-ardern-world-praises-pm-for-disaster-response/4S5BZ6NCOWXN4R63HDIEV4KXVM/">Whakaari White Island eruption</a> garnered similar praise, showing yet again her intuitive grasp that a leader offering support to those caught up in such a distressing event actually makes a difference. That Ardern has sought to combine compassion and kindness with the courage to make tough decisions is a key feature of <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-80262-157-020221003/full/html">her style</a>.</p> <h2>Unrealistic expectations of a leader</h2> <p>Throughout the pandemic, Arden has repeatedly proved her willingness to make courageous decisions. Combined with her prowess at <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1742715020929151">mobilising the public’s understanding</a> and support for the government’s COVID response, this was critical to the success of the elimination strategy. Many <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2022/03/21/two-years-since-nz-first-locked-down-expert-reaction/">lives and livelihoods have been saved</a> due to her leadership.</p> <p>When Delta and then Omicron emerged, Ardern <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-jacinda-arderns-clumsy-leadership-response-to-delta-could-still-be-the-right-approach-169926">sought to continually adapt</a> the government’s policies to a changing context. While tenacity and resilience may number among her many strengths, dogmatism is not one of her weaknesses. </p> <p>Of course not all decisions <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300763211/ombudsmans-criticism-of-miq-virtual-lobby-doesnt-go-far-enough">proved to be optimal</a> – expecting them to be so would be wildly unrealistic. Some of her decisions have sparked a <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/summer-2022/04-01-2023/the-day-the-grounds-of-parliament-burned-2">strong negative response</a>. But it’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Differently-About-Leadership-Critical/dp/1784716782">foolish to expect perfection from leaders</a>, and the job unavoidably means making tough calls not everyone will agree with.</p> <h2>Rise in sexist and mysogynistic abuse</h2> <p>No leader is omnipotent, especially in a democracy and in a globally interconnected world. </p> <p>The latest crisis Ardern has been grappling with – the cost of living – is in large measure <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/21/economy/central-banks-inflation-global/index.html">driven by global forces</a> far beyond the control of any New Zealand prime minister. New Zealand’s situation is <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/129353834/think-inflation-is-biting-spare-a-thought-for-turkey">better than many other countries</a>, but unfortunately for Ardern this holds little sway for some people. </p> <p>The reality, then, is that her growing unpopularity has in part been rooted in people having unrealistic expectations of what leaders can and can’t actually do, and needing someone to blame. But there’s also no getting away from the fact that far too much of the criticism directed at her has been coloured by sexist and misogynistic attitudes. </p> <p>There’s a continuum in how this is expressed. It starts with one C word – <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/122658284/shes-not-a-doll-so-dont-call-the-prime-minister-cindy">Cindy</a> – which is a sexist attempt to belittle her authority and status as an adult woman who is the elected leader of our country. </p> <p>It ends with the other C word. Research by the <a href="https://thedisinfoproject.org/2022/11/29/dangerous-speech-misogyny-and-democracy/">Disinformation Project</a> shows its usage is enmeshed within a wider discourse that denigrates other aspects of her identity as a woman and extends to <a href="https://twitter.com/justinsight/status/1616144565433663488">fantasising about her rape and death</a>.</p> <p>This kind of behaviour is simply inexcusable. It should be to New Zealand’s eternal shame that Ardern has been subjected to this. It cannot be justified by arguing her policies have been controversial and she “deserves” this abuse: that line of reasoning simply replicates the defence long used by rapists and domestic abusers.</p> <p>Ardern is New Zealand’s third woman prime minister. The <a href="https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=277628">glass ceiling</a> for that role is well and truly broken. We now also have <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/477290/women-will-have-equal-share-of-seats-in-parliament-with-soraya-peke-mason-s-swearing-in">equal representation of women</a> within parliament. But the sexist and misogynistic nature of so much of the criticism and abuse directed at Ardern also shows we are a very long way from having equal treatment of women in leadership.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/jacinda-arderns-resignation-gender-and-the-toll-of-strong-compassionate-leadership-198152" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Retirement Life

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Dutton announces mistake while taking the reins

<p>Just hours after assuming the position of leader of the Liberal Party, Peter Dutton has admitted he "made a mistake" by boycotting the 2008 National Apology to the Stolen Generations. </p> <p>The Dickson MP was one of a handful of conservative politicians who refused to attend the formal apology, delivered by former Labor PM Kevin Rudd, on behalf of Australian governments to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.</p> <p>After being sworn is as Scott Morrison's successor for the Liberal party's top job, Dutton admitted his wrongdoing. </p> <p>“I made a mistake in relation to the apology and largely that was because of my own background and experience,” he said.</p> <p>“Many of you have lived out in regional areas and many of you haven’t.”</p> <p>"I understand the symbolism and I made that mistake."</p> <p>Mr Dutton has been named Liberal leader with former environment minister Sussan Ley as his deputy after both MPs ran unopposed for their respective leadership positions, and were sworn in on Monday in Canberra.</p> <p>Former Prime Minister Scott  Morrison told waiting journalists in the Parliament House corridor, “I heartily congratulate Peter and Sussan.”</p> <p>“They are incredibly experienced, well versed, deeply committed Australians to both the Liberal cause and of course the cause of the nation. I think they’ll do an outstanding job,” he said.</p> <p>It was a big day for party leaders in Canberra, as David Littleproud toppled Barnaby Joyce to take over the leadership of the National Party. </p> <p>Littleproud vowed to steer the Coalition towards “the sensible centre” as he emerged victorious, saying it was the “proudest day of my political life”.</p> <p>“This is not about the National Party, lurching left or lurching right, it’s using common sense and being in the sensible centre,” he told reporters at Parliament House.</p> <p>“That’s where you win elections — not chasing extremities.”</p> <p>After his overwhelming defeat, Barnaby Joyce assured reporters he was not upset by the loss, and said he looked forward to getting back to his family and the people of New England.</p> <p>He said, “I gave every ounce of my energy to make sure that I looked after the people of regional Australia.”</p> <p>“Thank you for all your support, I look forward to continuing my work on behalf of my nation and on behalf of my electorate,” he said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Thomas Markle Jr spills secrets on Big Brother

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Appearing on </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Big Brother VIP</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the UK, Thomas Markle Jr has begun to share intimate details about his half-sister Meghan. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He claims that since marrying into the Royal Family in 2018, Meghan treats her family as if “she’s embarrassed of where she comes from”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thomas said he was once close to his sister, but the last time he saw her was at their grandmother’s funeral in 2011. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She took off after that anyway and went to Canada... What happened to her? Nobody can figure it out,” Thomas said of his half-sister.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Money changed her I guess. Money and fame just went to her head really bad.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thomas also went on to discuss Meghan’s first marriage to American film producer Trevor Engelson, who she was married to between 2011 and 2013. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to their divorice papers, the pair split due to “irreconcilable differences”, as Trevor described the way Meghan handled the divorce as “cold”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The thing that gets to me is the guy that she was married to the first time, Trevor. This guy just took care of her like, man she was adored by him and she just walked all over him and dumped him, that fast... after being married,” Thomas told his fellow </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Big Brother </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">housemates.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Sent the ring back in the mail. Is that cold or what?”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But Harry’s next, Harry’s on the chopping block next,” he told them.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He doesn’t seem like a bad guy,” Bernard Curry told Thomas.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The only difference between now and then is all the photos prior to that he had a smile on his face, all the ones after he doesn’t,” Thomas replied.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meghan’s family have repeatedly slated her in the media, with her father, Thomas Markle Sr, repeatedly giving </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">incendiary interviews about the royal family. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the 2021 interview with Oprah, Meghan said she has felt “betrayed” by her family’s actions over the years. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Channel 7 / Getty Images</span></em></p>

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Hermann Rorschach spills the ink

<p><span style="font-size: 14px;">Splash red wine on a white tablecloth and, along with receiving a scolding, you might also be invited to partake in an impromptu Rorschach test, a method of psychological examination created 100 years ago by Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach and detailed in his book </span><em style="font-size: 14px;"><a rel="noopener" href="https://journals.lww.com/jonmd/Citation/1922/09000/Psychodiagnostik.64.aspx" target="_blank">Psychodiagnostik</a></em><span style="font-size: 14px;">.</span></p> <div class="copy"> <p>The Rorschach test involves a subject being presented with a set of 10 ambiguous inkblots printed on card paper, each with a near-perfect symmetry to them. They are then invited to offer their perceptions of them, which are recorded and analysed by an administrator. It was a technique widely used, particularly back in the 1960s, as a way to help a person reveal hidden emotion and internal conflicts which they presumably project through their interpretation of the shapes.</p> <p>In his 2017 book <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=OYxIDwAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PR9&amp;dq=hermann+rorschach+biography&amp;ots=HFGJtff0kn&amp;sig=b7JqgVP6O4HnAvCYaybiyJOhliw#v=onepage&amp;q=hermann%20rorschach%20biography&amp;f=false" target="_blank">The Inkblots: Hermann Rorschach, His Iconic Test, and the Power of Seeing</a></em>, author Damion Searls says the psychologist’s now famous inkblots are “probably the 10 most interpreted and analysed paintings of the 20th century”.</p> <p>“Of the large number of diagnostic tools available to clinicians today, perhaps none has been so widely used yet remained so controversial as the Rorschach test,” says Rorschach scholar John E. Exner Jnr, with Beth Clark, writing in a 1978 edition of the journal <a rel="noopener" href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4684-2490-4_5" target="_blank">Clinical Diagnosis of Mental Disorders</a>.</p> <p>Exner and Clark report that, since the publication of <em>Psychodiagnostik</em> in 1921, dozens of books and more than 5000 articles have been written on the test.</p> <p>They note that during its existence, “five major systems of Rorschach administration, scoring, and interpretation have arisen. Each approach offers its own unique postulates, yet each unavoidably adds to the confusion about the uses and the philosophy of the test.”</p> <p>Hermann Rorschach was born in Zurich, Switzerland, on 8 November 1884. His father was a painter and art teacher, whose young son “showed great interest in drawing from a young age”, according to <a rel="noopener" href="ttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7077865/" target="_blank">Ricardo Vieira Teles Filho</a>, a researcher from the Federal University of Goias, in Brazil.</p> <p>Filho says Rorschach was especially fond of klecksography, “a popular game among schoolchildren at the time, which consisted of filling a piece of paper with ink and then folding it, thus obtaining singular and fun figures”.</p> <p>Searls adds: “In a twist of fate that seems too good to be true, Rorschach’s nickname in school was ‘Klex’ [or klecks], the German word for ‘inkblot’.”</p> <p>Searls says that when it came time to move into secondary education, Rorschach had the choice of art or science. Having made the acquaintance of Prussian academic <a rel="noopener" href="https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/ernst-haeckels-biogenetic-law-1866" target="_blank">Ernst Haeckel</a>, Rorschach was inspired by the renowned proponent of Darwinism to take up the study of medicine.</p> <p>Rorschach enrolled in medical school at the University of Zurich, graduating in 1909, which, Filho notes, coincided “with the widespread dissemination of research on the new ideas of a then unknown psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud”.</p> <p>He then went to work at a local mental hospital while he finished his doctoral dissertation in 1912, under psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, who coined the term “schizophrenia” and <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eugen-Bleuler" target="_blank">is regarded</a> as “one of the most influential psychiatrists of his time”.</p> <p>His dissertation didn’t focus on inkblots, but rather examined hallucinations in schizophrenia. Also in 1912, Rorschach published <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.proquest.com/openview/63fd5edc9ef665dbd354c3ef3e64f5fa/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&amp;cbl=1820903" target="_blank">a paper</a>, “Reflex Hallucinations and Symbolism”, and was a co-founder of the Zurich Psychoanalysis Society.</p> <p>In 1914, he specialised in psychiatry at the University of Zurich, and from 1915 to 1922 he worked in a hospital as chief physician. It was between the years 1917 to 1920 that Rorschach created, refined and studied his inkblots, developing his approach after studying more than <a rel="noopener" href="https://x7a7w8w2.rocketcdn.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/what-is-the-rorschach-inkblot-test-2795806.pdf" target="_blank">400 subjects</a>’ responses to early versions of them.</p> <p>His final set of 10 stimuli was published in 1921. Before publication, Rorschach experimented with 40 or more versions of inkblots, many of which appear to be less complex, nuanced and detailed than the final set.</p> <p>Researchers agree they were artistically embellished by Rorschach himself to ensure that each figure contained numerous distinctive features that could easily be identified as similar to objects stored in the memory traces of any individual.</p> <p>“Thus,” <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.utoledo.edu/al/psychology/pdfs/meyer/MeyerViglione2008IntroRorschach.pdf" target="_blank">write Gregory Meyer and Donald Viglione</a>, “despite common belief to the contrary, the images are not arbitrary, haphazard, or accidental inkblots. Instead, they are purposively altered images that were refined through trial-and-error experimentation to elicit informative responses.”</p> <p>They describe the inkblots as each having a white background: five are grey or black, two are “achromatic” red, and three are “in an array of pastel colours without any black”.</p> <p>Just a few months after <em>Psychodiagnostik’s</em> publication, Rorschach died, on 2 April 1922, of peritonitis, by several accounts the result of a ruptured appendix.</p> <p>Despite its popularity, the Rorschach test has attracted considerable controversy, much of it based on the many and various methods of scoring and analysing responses.</p> <p>Writing in 2001 in the journal <em>Psychological Assessment</em>, Donald Viglione says, “A large body of empirical evidence supports the reliability, validity and utility of the Rorschach. This same evidence reveals that the recent criticisms of the Rorschach are largely without merit.”</p> <!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=158859&amp;title=Hermann+Rorschach+spills+the+ink" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/hermann-rorschach-spills-the-ink/" target="_blank">This article</a> was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/jeff-glorfeld" target="_blank">Jeff Glorfeld</a>. Jeff Glorfeld is a former senior editor of The Age newspaper in Australia, and is now a freelance journalist based in California, US.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Flicker</em></p> </div>

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“I felt like a loser”: Sam Burgess spills on cheating scandal

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NRL star Sam Burgess has admitted to having an affair during his four-year marriage to Phoebe, with the details to be revealed on Monday night’s episode of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SAS Australia</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The retired Souths captain has <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/former-nrl-star-sam-burgess-bombshell-cheating-confession-on-sas-australia/news-story/e2228fa0f76c9c04044d0b34ccaad7c2" target="_blank">finally spoken out</a> about the incident, three years after becoming embroiled in a sexting scandal with a Melbourne woman who alleged he had cheated on Phoebe with her in 2017.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The last 18 months I felt like a loser, my marriage broke down, I had just retired from sport, my ex-father in law had taken out an AVO against me, and whether you like it or not, losing can become a habit, so I’m here because I want to show myself I can still be a winner,” Burgess says on the show.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTT9fS0P7y8/?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/CTT9fS0P7y8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Sam Burgess (@samburgess8)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The identity of Burgess’ mistress has never been made public.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burgess and Phoebe ended their marriage following the scandal and three weeks after their second child was born.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After briefly reconciling in 2019, the couple ended their relationship again that same year.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843971/0449a964731e489d1fb3981bbf290243.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ebdc4c23d7a945d69350afcbba190e72" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: SAS Australia</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burgess is one of 18 recruits set to appear on the second season of Channel 7’s </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">SAS Australia</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which promises to be filled with drama.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Producers are hoping to outdo the success of the previous season, with a controversial tear gas stunt and a recruit getting caught cheating among some of the dramas.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The recruits will be tested by former Special Forces soldiers Mark ‘Billy’ Birmingham, Jason ‘Foxy’ Fox, Ollie Ollerton, and chief instructor Ant Middleton.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other recruits include </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Neighbours </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">actor Bonnie Anderson, Bra Boy gang member Koby Abberton, model Erin Holland, retired tennis player Mark Philippoussis, and former Labor politician Emma Husar.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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Law & Order star finally spills on the real reason he left the show

<p>Christopher Meloni has made many <em>Law &amp; Order </em>fans happy by returning to the popular crime drama after leaving 10 years ago. Now he tells us the real reason he left.</p> <p>Known for his portrayal of the no-nonsense Detective Elliot Stabler on <em>Law &amp; Order: SVU</em> for a long run of 12 seasons between 1999 and 2011, Meloni left the show at the end of the 12th season.</p> <p>His sudden departure was a major shock to his detective partner on the show, Mariska Hargitay. As her character, Olivia Benson, she portrayed this shock in the Season 13 premiere.</p> <p>At the time, it was reported that Meloni left the show because of a contract dispute and finally, when <em>Men’s Health</em> interviewed Meloni recently, he confirmed this was the case.</p> <p>Meloni told <em>Men’s Health</em> he was negotiating with the show's executive producer, Dick Wolf, for less screen time in the 13th season but he was having trouble getting his message across.</p> <p>"My thought was: instead of 22 episodes, bring me back for nine episodes, or bring me back for 18 episodes," Meloni told <em>Men's Health</em>.</p> <p>In the end, Meloni sad they came to me on a Thursday night and said: “This is the deal. We want the answer by tomorrow. It’s our way or no way.”</p> <p>Because the producer wasn’t offering anything Meloni had asked for, Meloni said he just agreed that if he couldn't have it his way, he wouldn't have it any way at all. So, he decided to bring an end to his character's time on the show.</p> <p>"I don't want to f--k around with you guys. This is what I want. If you can't do it, that's fine. Let's figure out my exit," he said of his last discussion with Wolf.</p> <p>However, now that Meloni is back on the set of <em>Law &amp; Order</em> in <em>Organized Crime</em>, which you can watch in Australia for free on 9Now, there is far less stress involved, and the actor is finding himself having a good time taking the character of Elliot Stabler back on.</p> <p>"I'm not stressed by, ‘Will it go well? Will it not go well?' Not that I know how it's going to go. Just that, eh, just ride. Just do, just be," Meloni said to <em>Men's Health</em>.</p> <p><strong><em>You can stream the complete seasons of </em></strong><strong><a rel="noopener" href="https://stream.9now.com.au/9OoBaVXFsib" target="_blank" title="Law &amp; Order"><em>Law &amp; Order</em></a><em>, </em><a rel="noopener" href="https://9now.app.link/E94KXzqypfb" target="_blank" title="Law &amp; Order: Organized Crime"><em>Law &amp; Order: Organized Crime</em></a><em>, and </em><a rel="noopener" href="https://stream.9now.com.au/q2h127aGsib" target="_blank" title="Law &amp; Order: Criminal Intent"><em>Law &amp; Order: Criminal Intent</em></a><em> for free on 9Now.</em></strong></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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“Prince Charles wasn’t happy”: Royal cake-maker spills on Charles and Diana’s wedding creation

<p>Dave Avery, the man who designed and made Prince Charles and Diana's wedding cake for their big day, has revealed it was the prince who called him to make changes to the design – after Diana had approved it.</p> <p>The head baker of the Royal Naval Cookery School, Avery designed the couple's five-tier fruit cake which stood at 165cm for the July wedding 40 years ago in 1981.</p> <p>Avery, then 37, had been selected to bake the royal wedding cake – an auspicious task but one that he was more than capable of. Avery, now 78, told 9Honey via Zoom from the UK, he still clearly remembers walking into Buckingham Palace for his first meeting with Princess Diana – known at the time as ‘Lady Di.’</p> <p>“I’ll never forget it," says Avery. "She was beautiful. She was very pleasant, very polite, we had a few little chats.”</p> <p>Avery had been given the task of designing the wedding cake and he’d gone to the palace to show his plans to Diana. She had approved the designs with no changes but when Avery arrived back at the Royal Navy Cookery School in Chatham, he received word from the palace that Prince Charles was not happy.</p> <p>"I got a phone call that Prince Charles wasn't happy," says Avery. But thankfully, it wasn't a criticism but rather – something the Prince wanted added.</p> <p>"We hadn't put on the Red Dragon," says Avery. Once we added the Red Dragon symbol of Wales, which was Prince Charles' call sign when he was flying helicopters with the Navy, the Prince was happy.</p> <p>The cake’s design included hand-painted symbols representing Prince Charles' military roles, the Prince of Wales emblem, St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and Highgrove – one of which took eight hours to complete.</p> <p><strong>How big was this Wedding Cake of the Century?</strong></p> <p>The five-tier cake stood at 165cm and took some time to bake with the bottom tier alone taking Avery 12 hours. As well, Avery used a spirit level and set square to ensure the dimensions were perfect.</p> <p>He was sworn to secrecy during the 14-week process of designing and making the cake and says the pressure was on to get everything perfect: "If there was anything wrong, the whole world would have known about it, not just me," he says.</p> <p>When it came to the baking of the cake, Avery turned to a favourite recipe he had from his mother for a rich fruit cake.</p> <p>"But I had to take things out and add things in to improve it. I had worked on that recipe for up to five years until I got it absolutely perfect."</p> <p>As perfect as it is, Avery says he won’t be sharing this recipe: “I’ve been asked many times, but no,” he adds.</p> <p><strong><em>The Wedding of the Century</em></strong></p> <p>2021 marks 40 years since Prince Charles married Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral on July 29th - a wedding which drew a global television audience of more than 750 million people.</p> <p>A new documentary has been made to mark the occasion which will screen on BritBox Australia, aptly titled <em>Wedding of the Century.</em></p> <p>The original documentary includes remastered footage of the wedding plus never-before-seen interviews with those closely involved in the wedding planning, including the florist and one of the photographers.</p> <p><strong>Was it all successful?</strong></p> <p>After the wedding, Avery received a letter from the new Prince and Princess of Wales saying "how thrilled they were with the cake."</p> <p>They even saved the second tier to use at Prince William's christening on August 4th, 1982. Diana loved Avery's work so much she asked him to make William's first birthday cake, too, "a sponge with nursery rhymes around it.”</p> <p>These days Avery has retired from the Royal Navy after serving for 22 years. He went on to open a cake shop, baking wedding cakes (naturally) before going back into teaching.</p> <p>As Avery says: "It's the wedding of the century, it's the cake of the century.”</p> <p><strong>Image: Getty Images</strong></p>

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Alan Jones joyous at Barnaby Joyce's return

<p>Controversial commentator Alan Jones has hailed Barnaby Joyce's return to politics as a move that will "paradoxically save" Prime Minister Scott Morrison after a "rather tumultuous political day in Canberra”.</p> <p>Barnaby Joyce has resumed his former position as Deputy Prime Minister after three years on the backbench when he resigned due to expecting a child with a former staff member.</p> <p>Joyce defeated Michael McCormack in a party room spill and has returned as Nationals leader as well as the Deputy PM.</p> <p>Jones slammed Mr McCormack, saying “anyone who thinks that McCormack was a leader is in serious need of medication”.</p> <p>“Rural Australia has had a gutful of no leadership and the National Party were staring into political oblivion,” Mr Jones said.</p> <p>Sky News' Peta Credlin was thrilled about Joyce's return and said that he's a "great retail politcian".</p> <p>“He’s gregarious, he actually likes people. He’s a lot smarter than his detractors give him credit for and he works hard,” she said on her program Credlin.</p> <p>However, she said that Joyce could be "ill disciplined" and "prone to shooting his mouth off before he thinks, or worse, doesn't do his homework to actually get the detail right".</p> <p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison has welcomed Joyce to the role, saying that he looks forward “working closely together to ensure Australia continues its recovery from Covid-19 and the recession it caused”.</p> <p>Joyce has also made an effort to "acknowledge my faults".</p> <p>"Well, I acknowledge my faults," he said.</p> <p>"And I resigned as I should and I did.</p> <p>"I've spent three years on the backbench and you know, I hope I come back a better person.</p> <p>"I don't walk away from the fact that you have to have time to consider, not only the effect on yourself, but more importantly, the effect on others.</p> <p>"I've done that. I don't want to dwell on the personal, except to say hopefully one learns from their mistakes and makes a better person of themselves."</p>

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“Absolutely humbling”: Barnaby Joyce returns as deputy PM

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Barnaby Joyce has been re-elected as the leader of the National Party and will return as deputy prime minister, following a leadership spill triggered on Monday that ousted Michael McCormack.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A spill motion was called by Matt Canavan, the former resources minister, with Mr Joyce securing a majority of 21 votes to reclaim the top job.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nationals whip Damian Drum said that “nothing changes” as a result of the spill other than the change in leadership.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He has to go through a process now to be sworn in, to have the conversations, to talk to the prime minister, and effectively get on with the job of representing our people,” he said.</span></p> <p><strong>McCormack’s departure</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking to reporters outside of Parliament, McCormack said: “I’m proud to have held the position.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s absolutely humbling.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McCormack will continue as deputy prime minister until Joyce is sworn in, and will take Scott Morrison’s chair during Monday’s Question Time while the prime minister is in quarantine.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">David Littleproud, the agriculture minister, will also continue as deputy leader of the Nationals, though Mr Joyce is likely to change the Nationals’ ministry representation under a new coalition agreement to be negotiated with Mr Morrison.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite his loss, McCormack noted that there are “a lot of Australians out there doing it tougher today”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When asked whether Mr Joyce’s personal life and history of sexual assault allegations would have an impact on female voters, Mr McCormack declined to comment.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You’d have to ask women in regional Australia that,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A statement from Mr Morrison’s office welcomed Mr Joyce to the role and thanked Mr McCormack “for his dedicated service as deputy prime minister”.</span></p> <p><strong>Barnaby speaks</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When asked by reporters whether he was expecting something to happen today, Mr Joyce said that if he had he would have brought his hat.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’d like to say to my colleagues how humbled I am and that the task going ahead first and foremost is to make ourselves a team that is formidable for the next election,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The most important thing is this is about, first and foremost, the people of Australia, the people of regional Australia and to be brought about by that wonderful team, the Nationals.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Joyce was also asked about how women might feel about his return and why he resigned in the first place.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Let’s start with the most difficult one first,” Mr Joyce said. “I believe that you have to clear the air, that even though I absolutely clearly said that if there was ever an issue of that sort, it should be taken to the police, I completely deny it and said that they were spurious and defamatory.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I will try, always, to be the better person. I acknowledge my faults. I resigned, I’ve spent three years on the backbench. I don’t walk away from making sure that I can be a better person to do a better job.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Joyce was asked about whether Mr McCormack was not reflecting the values of the Nationals Party, but abruptly ended the press conference to attend question time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m not gonna give a press conference about anything but the path forward. I absolutely respect Michael McCormack.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We all have different attributes, and he has a suite of attributes and I have another suite of attributes, and they apply in different ways to the circumstances that come before us. And now I’ve got to go to question time,” he said before turning and walking away.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: ABC News</span></em></p>

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