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Trump "happy" with trainwreck viral interview

<div class="body_text "> Donald Trump was reportedly "happy" with Jonathan Swan's viral TV interview, which showed the US president in a conversation about the coronavirus pandemic and how the US has handled it. The Australian journalists' viral interview has been called a "train wreck" and watched by tens of millions around the world. However, Swan, said that in a brief 35 minute grilling, Trump appeared to be pleased with the outcome and wanted the interview to be broadcasted in its entirety. “After the interview President Trump said to me, ‘You’ve got to run it in full. You can’t be editing, you can’t be cutting me off, you’ve got to let the sentences flow’,” Swan said. “So we went with the President’s editorial judgment in this instance.” Swan explained that in the Trump interview, the US President had tried to spin his way out of the reporter pressing that 1,000 Americans are dying daily from coronavirus. “But, you know, it can’t be spun,” Swan said. “I really wanted to keep bringing it back to that … very raw fact, that’s undeniable, that can’t be spun away. “Which is America, the leader of the free world, with all of its advanced science and medicine is doing so much worse than … all of these other advanced countries on that metric of death as a proportion of population for this virus. “What I was talking about was Mr President, America, when you take its population and the number of deaths is not doing the worst in the world, but (it’s) pretty close. “I think he’s deeply, deeply frustrated that his old moves aren’t working with this crisis. “The problem with this virus, it resists this type of publicity. It is resilient to any type of spin.” In the interview, Trump seemed friendly to the reporter, but Swan denied having any special relationship with the President. “I don’t really have a relationship with him that’s sort of more than someone who’s covered him now for almost five years,” Swan told Fran Kelly. “The thing you’ve got to understand about this President is he is obsessed with media and driven by media in a way that, no matter what you read about him, it still doesn’t fully explain about the level of obsession with media. “He is a media creation. He’s created himself through television, through media. “He’s obsessed with it. He knows programming, he watches an inordinate amount of television. “He’s obsessed with ratings. He knows the nuances of different shows, he knows the hosts. “If you cover him, he is aware of you in an intense way, and particularly if you are not only covering him in print but appearing on television.” Swan recognised that his opportunity to sit down with the President was "rare" as he had been doing a "spree" of interviews. “I went in with frankly the knowledge that I’m probably not going to get another TV sit down with him,” Swan said. “To get that opportunity I recognised it was incredibly rare, “We are at a moment when a President of the United States is in absolute crisis. “Handling the worst pandemic in a century, with an economic crisis overlaid over the top of it. “He is like no other president in my lifetime … or even in American history. “I really wanted to try and explore with him … how does he grapple with the fact that when he was a private citizen he was always talking about leadership and responsibility. “He used to be so tough on (former president Barrack) Obama, he even called for Obama to resign when ebola reached America “Only two people died of ebola. “I was curious whether there was any level of remorse, regret, self reflection, even admission that he’d made some mistakes to create a situation where America has just such a horrible outcome compared to other advanced countries on the measure of death.” </div>

"Oh geez!": Karl Stefanovic's awkward gaffe with Nick Kygrios

Things quickly turned awkward for Karl Stefanovic as he couldn't contain his excitement over interviewing tennis star Nick Kyrgios. Kyrgios joined The Today Show to discuss his withdrawal from the US Open as well as speak briefly about his personal life. Stefanovic quickly asked how things were going, saying "How is Anna?". <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Nick Kyrgios has hit out at his "selfish" competitors who are not observing COVID-19 restrictions. Do you agree with him? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://t.co/RoYB6HQbc0">pic.twitter.com/RoYB6HQbc0</a> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1291151836242677762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2020</a></blockquote> Kyrgios was in shock as he and Anna Kalinskaya broke up last month and he has moved on with Chiara Passari. “Seems like someone else is making you happy. How are things - can I ask how are things with Anna? Is it all cool?” Stefanovic asked. To which Kyrgios replied: “Oh, geez! No, I've actually got a new girlfriend, mate.” Stefanovic’s co-host Allison Langdon burst into laughter after a photo of Kyrgios and Passari flashed on the screen. “It was the right pictures, wrong name,” she said. Kyrgios took it in his stride, joking “You've just thrown me under the bus on live television, you absolute potato.” “Who is the new girl? Tell us all about it,” Stefanovic asked as Langdon watched on in surprise. Kyrgios was quick to gush about his new partner, saying that her name is Chiara. “You’d love her, mate. Don’t get too jealous. Incredibly happy obviously this time," he said. <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/CCOu8K0JTjj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCOu8K0JTjj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Mine</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/k1ngkyrg1os/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Nick Kyrgios</a> (@k1ngkyrg1os) on Jul 4, 2020 at 11:27am PDT </div> </blockquote> Kyrgios also shared that he has been using the time in lockdown to spend time with his family. "It has been awesome just spending time with my family. I haven't seen them in a while. It is good seeing them. My sister is back home as well and I had a lot of things I had to change the last couple of months. It's all going on track and obviously lucky enough to have met her and she makes me incredibly happy. Moving forward, I'm happy with her.” Kyrgios opened up about his decision to skip the US Open, explaining that it was an easy one. “Obviously with everything going on over in the States at the moment, obviously with COVID but I mean even with the movement and you know the whole protest and all that type of stuff going on over there, I don't think at the moment it is the correct time to go ahead with sport in my opinion,” he said. “But obviously with safety issues it wasn't too hard of a decision for me to stay home during this time and I'm continually training but also just staying home with my family and friends, making sure everyone is safe. “I think the effort that Australia's gone to, to originally have gone to zero restrictions around Australia, obviously now it is starting to inflate again but hopefully we can get back on track and have no restrictions.”

Heartbreak for Steve Price as lockdown hits home

Melbourne’s unprecedented stage 4 coronavirus lockdown is taking a toll on those residing in the city - including the hosts of The Project. Steve Price couldn’t help but get emotional after presenting a segment on the tough new lockdowns Victorian’s are having to face. “It feels so much different this time, doesn’t it. I feel sad, I feel anxious … I feel sad for all of the businesses that aren’t going to recover. I feel very anxious for the state that I’ve spent much of my life living in, that many of the things we take for granted may never come back. The first time around it was sort of unique; we didn’t really know what it was going to be like. Now we know what it’s going to be like, and you can’t see an end,” he said. Host Carrie Bickmore also shared her sentiments by confessing things have become tougher in her household, as she’d noticed her children “really struggling for the first time”. “(They have) this feeling of, ‘What is this world we’re living in?’ And maybe looking at us for comfort, but we’ve stopped being all, ‘We’ll be right,’” she said. Price then made a confession about his own family situation. “My mother’s in her late 80s; I’ve seen her once this year. She’s in the zone where anything could happen. I just feel gutted that I might never physically see her again. It’s awful. It’s awful,” he said, as his co-stars rushed to console him. “Oh, Steve … You have to have hope that at the end of this we will get on top of it, and you will be able to see her. That’s the sort of stuff you have to look to; you can’t think like that,” Bickmore said. Co-host Waleed Aly agreed: “There’s every chance you will see your mum in the not-too-distant future.” “I hope so, ’cos it just breaks my heart,” Price said. “It would break anybody’s heart – but we can do this. We can,” Aly said. Melburnians are now facing some of the toughest lockdown conditions in the world, as the government tried to desperately contain the number of infections every day.

"NSW on a precipice": Kerryn Phelps warns on Q+A

<div class="body_text "> Former Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Kerryn Phelps made her feelings clear about the "nonsensical" mask debate on last night's episode of ABC's Q&A. She was appearing on the panel with other medical practitioners, including respiratory physician Dr Lucy Morgan and clinical nurse Abbey Fistrovic and was initially asked whether or not she felt there should be criminal charges for people breaking quarantine. Phelps deflected the legal question but made a call for all Australians to wear masks in public. "The thing that we can do, which is such a simple thing, is to have everyone in the community in masks," the former AMA chief said. "We need to anticipate that there will be a next wave in New South Wales. "At the moment, the numbers are relatively low but there's nothing to say they will remain low." Host Hamish McDonald inquired as to whether she thought masks should be "compulsory". "We need to head towards them being compulsory," Dr Phelps said. "We know with aerosol transmission now, airborne transmission, wearing a mask is some of the best protection that you can have — you protect yourself, you protect others. "There's been a nonsensical debate for months now, which has been so frustrating because it has not been evidence-based about wearing masks. "It is one of the single-most responsible things that we can do as members of the community to protect each other." When asked a question about whether Australian families will be able to gather interstate at Christmas, she said that NSW would be well served if it shut its air border with Victoria. "I'm concerned that there are still planes coming in from Melbourne to Sydney without any checking and with people just being asked to self-isolate in Sydney when they arrive," she said, to a question about whether Australian families will be able to gather interstate at Christmas. "We don't know how many people are actually doing the self-isolating when they arrive. "There are 17 planes coming from Sydney to Melbourne tomorrow [Tuesday] — that's not a closed border. "We know there are thousands of active cases in Victoria, there could be up to 10 times as many people who are infected who don't know it and we're just letting people get on planes without having a test before they get on the plane, arriving in Sydney and dispersing into the community. "NSW is on a precipice and unless we take it seriously and actually have an effective closed border, we are going to see leakage of these cases from Victoria over to New South Wales." </div>

Ellen DeGeneres could be replaced

Rumours are rife that a frontrunner has already emerged to replace Ellen DeGeneres - despite the star not yet confirming is she’s saying goodbye to her TV hosting gig. According to reports by The Sun, host of the Late Late Show James Corden is “in line” to replace DeGeneres, and “could be the shock winner after dozens of employees accused the $50 million-a-year presenter of turning a blind eye to racism, bullying and sexual harassment on her hit daytime show”. The publication revealed insiders claim Corden has been seen as DeGeneres’ “long-term successor” even before the recent allegations came to light. It follows reports over the weekend that the 62-year-old is soon to call quits on her hugely successful show, due to negative publicity and workplace allegations. According to the Daily Mail, the host has told executives at TelePictures and Warner Bros that she’s had enough and wants to walk away. “She feels she can’t go on and the only way to recover her personal brand from this is to shut down the show,” a source told the publication. “The truth is she knew what was going on, it’s her show. The buck stops with her. She can blame every executive under the sun – but Ellen is ultimately the one to blame.” Staff was also left unimpressed by the apology letter she had sent out last week, saying she’s a “phony” and claiming anyone who complained to her about ongoing issues “would’ve been fired”. “Don’t think for a minute anything she has said in that apology means anything. She created and then enabled this toxic culture to go on for so long,” one staffer said. “If anyone had come to her or those three (executive producers) to complain, they would’ve been fired.” “Inside Telepictures we’ve had enough of her. She is a phony who does not practice what she preaches,” another source told Daily Mail. “The behaviour of her show executives has been appalling, but (Ellen) is no better. In fact, she is the worst. It’s outrageous that she is trying to pretend that this is all a shock to her. The fish rots from the head, and Ellen is the head.” The insider went on to claim that DeGeneres “hates coming to work”, “struggles to be nice to people” and has “utter contempt for her audience”. “She has been phoning it in for so long, and only staying for the money and celebrity it affords her,” the source said. “We’ve dealt with her BS for so many years, she’s not innocent at all, she’s not nice and the show is not filled with happiness.”

Lisa Wilkinson slams “mixed messages” over face masks

As Victoria is forced to adopt an extraordinarily tight lockdown complete with a curfew, many are confused over the mandatory use of masks to help contain the spread of coronavirus. Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Sunday afternoon the state would now enter stage four restrictions, after an additional 671 new cases were confirmed. The Project host Lisa Wilkinson said mixed messages from state and federal leaders have confused many as the calls for New South Wales to introduce a mandatory policy grow louder. “One of the biggest questions people have been asking since the beginning of the pandemic is do we wear a mask or don’t we,” she said. “The messages have been mixed. Now in Victoria it’s mandatory. Gladys Berejiklian in NSW is saying she’s encouraging everyone to do it. “Today the Prime Minister put on social media a photograph of himself in a mask.” On Sunday, the Berejiklian urged those who live in New South Wales to wear masks when visiting known hot spots and closed public areas such as shopping centres and churches. “I want to stress it’s not compulsory but it’s a strong recommendation from health,” Berejiklian told reporters. “I can’t stress enough that the next few weeks will make or break us.” But the comments weren’t adequate for NSW opposition leader MP Jodi McKay, who said the government’s reluctance to commit a mandatory policy has created ambiguity. “Make face masks mandatory on public transport,” she tweeted. “It’s good the premier is finally inching closer, led by Labor, businesses and the community, but her position is still confusing. “By the time she gets there, we don’t want a second wave to have washed over us.” University of Melbourne epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely issued a warning, saying NSW is dangerously close to a second wave as aggressive as Victoria’s. “I’m really concerned about NSW,” he said, speaking on Channel 10’s The Project He said, despite contact tracing in NSW has been more proactive, community transmission is still taking place as seen by the multiple outbreaks across Sydney. “I’m very concerned NSW is going to tip over into something like what Victoria was four or six weeks ago,” Prof Blakely said. “If I was the Chief Health Officer in NSW, I might become unpopular for saying this, I would be doing mandatory face masking but I’d put Sydney into stage three lockdown now before things get worse because you don’t want to end up where Victoria is.” Berejiklian explained to media on Sunday her changing position on face masks, saying people in NSW should wear them in four circumstances. These include if you’re in an enclosed space like public transport or a supermarket. “Firstly, if you are in an enclosed space and you cannot guarantee social distancing, such as public transport, such as when you are buying groceries, you should be wearing a mask,” she said. “We would also like to see more staff to a customer facing wearing masks, whether they are in hospitality venues or whether they are in retail. Whenever they are facing customers, we strongly recommend that they wear masks. “If you are attending a place of worship, we want you to wear a mask. If you are attending a church, synagogue or mosque, we would like you to wear a mask. “And finally, if you are in an area where there is high community transmission or a number of cases, we want you to wear a mask.” The Premier described wearing a mask as “the fourth line of defence”.

Ellen DeGeneres pens open letter to staff

Ellen DeGeneres has penned a letter to the staff of her talk show in the wake of allegations of a toxic workplace culture. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the note to crew is part of an effort to change the culture behind the scenes of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which will reportedly also see one of the show’s producers ousted. In her apology note published by THR, DeGeneres insisted that steps will be taken to “correct the issues” going forward. “As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again,” she writes. DeGeneres opens the letter with an apology, saying that what has happened was “the opposite” of what she intended for the show. “Hey everybody – it’s Ellen. On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show,” she writes. Elsewhere in the letter, DeGeneres says she’s “learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop”. The talk show host said if it wasn’t for the pandemic, she would have “done this in person”, and said she was “so sorry” to those who did not have a good experience working on the show. The Ellen DeGeneres Show is reportedly under investigation after numerous accusations by former staffers that it is a “toxic” work environment.

“Heartless”: Expert sparks fury by “advocating” for Australian deaths

Economist Gigi Foster has come under fire for talking about "body counts" on Monday night’s episode of Q&A and championing for Australia to replicate Sweden's relaxed response to the coronavirus pandemic. When her University of New South Wales colleague Adjunct Professor Bill Bowtell, who is also a strategic health adviser, told the panel he felt the virus could be eliminated from Australia, Professor Foster called his opinion an "unrealistic vision". She then used Sweden as an example by pointing out the Nordic nation chose not to impose lockdowns. She also said that social distancing and working from home have been completely voluntary. "I think that Australia can follow in the footsteps of many other countries in the world, some of which have not had lockdowns as strict as we have had here, such as again, Sweden — and look at the death tolls in those countries," Professor Foster said. Q&A host Hamish Macdonald however would not let this fly and said: “Let me pull you up there. Sweden has had 5,697 deaths. "Are you comfortable with advocating that for Australia?" Professor Foster responded with: "I'm comfortable with saying let's be data driven in our policy choices and look at what's happened in other countries." However Macdonald said the strategy Sweden has implemented holds no advantages, citing the country’s GDP (down 7 per cent) and unemployment rate (9 per cent). "How can you point to Sweden and say there's the model?" he asked. Professor Foster responded: "If you look at what's happening to those death counts around the world, in every country that has had a proper first wave, [they are] somewhere between 0.5 per cent and 0.1 per cent of the population. "That translates in Australia to about 12,000 to 25,000 deaths for people who are predominantly elderly or immunocompromised. "But it's a body count." Macdonald said her comment was "heartless" and read out Victoria's daily coronavirus statistics. "[In] Victoria today, there was six further deaths announced, there are 44 people in ICU, 245 people in hospital," he said Professor Foster replied by saying it is “horrible” but when asked by the show’s host why she was “advocating for them to die,” she pointedly refused the suggestion. "I'm not advocating for anybody to die, I am advocating for the least people to die as possible," Professor Foster said. "What about everything else that kills people and makes them suffer? "Have we even thought about the cost of mental stress and anguish, the unemployment effects?" Professor Bowtell said the “Swedish example is a fiasco”. "The idea of locking old people in aged care homes, not allowing them to be treated in hospitals — as became the norm in Sweden — is or should be abhorrent. "You cannot segment out one sector of the population and ask them to undergo great misery, suffering, death in the interests — spurious interests — of saying all the rest of us will benefit. "That's not how societies work."

“You look amazing:” Peter Helliar praised for quarantine weightloss

Beloved TV host Peter Helliar has been praised for his incredible weight loss during quarantine which has left him slimmer and trimmer. The Project co-host became visibly bashful when his fellow panelists and friend Carrie Bickmore gushed on his trimmed-down physique. Helliar attributes it all to having more time to exercise in isolation. The Aussie TV star also previously revealed he’d been cutting back on the midweek beers of late. “We actually made the panel bigger to make us all look smaller,” he quipped, in reference to U.S. tailoring businesses undergoing a massive boom during quarantine as more people are getting their clothes taken out due to iso-snacking. However Carrie couldn’t let the throwaway comment slide without drawing attention to Pete’s slimmer figure. <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/CC776csh2kZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="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/CC776csh2kZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Richard Harris (@realriskpodcast)</a> on Jul 22, 2020 at 12:46am PDT </div> </blockquote> “Not you! someone is needing to add holes to their belt,” she said. “You should feel proud!” as Pete shuffled awkwardly in his seat. “But I had a fair bit to work on,” he joked. “You’ve got more time (to eat or exercise in isolation) and I have chosen to do a bit more exercise.” “You look amazing, and fit, Pete,” Carrie said. <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/CCpOOD5jXxH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="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/CCpOOD5jXxH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Carrie and Tommy (@carrietommyshow)</a> on Jul 14, 2020 at 6:21pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Helliar opened up about his weight loss journey first back in May, when he told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/" target="_blank">The Sydney Morning Herald</a> that he had hit his sub-100kg goal. “I’m under 100 kilos for the first time in years,” he told the publication. “I made a choice at the end of last year to get into shape and I’m not drinking during the week and I’m exercising every day.” The father-of-three admitted he’d been self-conscious about his shape in the past. “I was always the kid wearing T-shirts while swimming,” he said. However he did go on to say that breaking in under the 100kg mark “felt really good” and was encouraging him to continue.

Ellen DeGeneres show staff overjoyed at recent bad press

After BuzzFeed News exposed the racism, fear, retaliation and intimidation on the set of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, staff members are reportedly rejoicing about the information coming to light. Along with a “toxic work environment," there has allegedly been situations of producers “bullying” staff, along with racist comments being hurled at black employees. They also allegedly fired an employee who took medical leave after a suicide attempt. However, the horrific allegations coming to light and gaining public interest has left staff members rejoicing. The source told US weekly, “They’ve been calling and texting each other about the story. They’re loving that the truth—which has been an open secret for years in the industry—is finally receiving more interest.” Ellen has remained eerily silent and has not issued a statement regarding the toxic work culture on her show. However producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner told E! News they were “heartbroken” by the reports made by employees. "We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience,” they said. “It's not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us. For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. “We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better."

"Sorry, what was your medical degree?": Allison Langdon shoots down Bunnings 'Karen'

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Today show hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon were forced to cut an interview short with a woman known as 'Bunnings Karen' after she defended her right not to wear a mask in Victoria. Elizabeth 'Lizzy' Rose appeared on the program Tuesday morning to discuss her coronavirus views, but the hosts were uninterested in them. As Rose argued that people had a right to make their own choices regarding their health, Langdon quickly cut her off. 'Sorry, what was your medical degree?' Langdon asked. Rose then claimed to have had experience as a medic but hasn't worked in the field for about four years. "I am not a doctor," she clarified on air. "'I am not a scientist but I worked as a medic. Obviously, quite a while ago, not when COVID was around." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> "My health comes first." Anti-masker Lizzy believes COVID-19 is bio-chemically engineered and refuses to wear face masks. What are your thoughts on this? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://t.co/Dgl4zuOjYh">pic.twitter.com/Dgl4zuOjYh</a> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1287877635180118016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2020</a></blockquote> Rose explained that she had no issues wearing the mask previously when attending an eyelash appointment, but had issues when Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made them mandatory. "Did you Lizzie know the elderly and aged care homes... now 700 of them affected with COVID, do they have a choice? The answer is no," Stefanovic said. "You deliberately went into that place to antagonise workers who are literally just trying to do their bit for the country right now, to protect other people from this killer virus, which it is. "I can't listen to you anymore," he said as he instructed producers to cut the segment short. "It's wrong, I'm sorry. I thought that we would in some way shape or form get to a reasonable excuse as to why she was doing that. Otherwise we wouldn't have got her on." Langdon then explained that there was a discussion as to whether or not to give Lizzie air time. "We had this discussion last night whether we would give her air time. It is important. Bunnings staff members doing the right thing faced with this kind of activity and we felt it was important to hear from her point of view. I back you 100% calling quits on that," Langdon explained. "Apologies if you are offended," Stefanovic added. After the Bunnings video went viral around Australia, an adjunct professor of law and criminal justice at the University of South Australia came forward to explain whether or not the masks are infringing on human rights as claimed in the video. "The executive government under the constitution has every right to make executive decisions," Rick Sarre, adjunct professor, said to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/face-mask-requirement-does-not-infringe-on-human-rights-or-constitutional-freedoms-lawyers-say/ar-BB17fAEp?li=AAgfLCP" target="_blank" class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtflink">ABC</a>. "You can't make a decision on the basis of parliamentary debate very, very quickly. "We'd be in a complete and utter shambles [if that was the case], because how do you then get a Parliament to come back and do something that when the Parliament's in recess, for example? "So once the government says we have a pandemic and … we're now going to mandate the wearing of masks in our state — of course they can do that. "That's always premised upon the fact that we are in a state of emergency or we're in a situation that requires good decisive government action. "So anyone who suggests that has to be parliamentarily debated is speaking nonsense." He also explained that discrimination on the basis of your clothing doesn't exist. "In every state and territory we have an equal opportunity or anti-discrimination act," he said. "You cannot discriminate against the person on the basis of their race, on the basis of their age, on the basis of their gender, on the basis of their sexuality. "Wearing a mask is not one of those. There's nothing that says you cannot discriminate against me on the basis of my dress." He said some specific exemptions in some jurisdictions applied for religious attire such as turbans or hijabs, but a face mask is neither of those. </div> </div> </div>

“I was furious”: Natalie Barr reflects on devastating moment in her career

She’s a household name now thanks to her role on Sunrise, but Natalie Barr has looked back at one of the most devastating setbacks in her career. Sitting down with Stellar Magazine, Barr recalls the year 2001 where she was having a particularly challenging year. Pregnant and suffering from terrible morning sickness, she had just come off live TV, where she had been reading the late news, to learn that her beloved dad died of a heart attack at the age of 61. Months later, after only being back at work for a few short weeks, she was juggling her grief with a newborn who still wasn’t sleeping when she found out the bad news: Her news reading role was given to someone else and she was heading back into the pool of reporters. “I was furious,” she recalls. “I told the news director if I was going to lose my job I’d have taken more maternity leave. I went home and cried, then I panicked, then I talked to my husband and then to a lawyer.” In the end, Barr chose to do something that changed the course of her life. “I decided not to pursue things with the lawyer. I walked back into Channel 7 and I sorted it out,” she says. “I told the news editor that going back on the road wouldn’t work for me and he came up with a role where I became a fill-in newsreader.” Eight months later, Barr was contacted by broadcasting wunderkind Adam Boland asking if she would want to be a part of the new-look Sunrise as it rivaled with Nine Network’s Today. And the rest is history, as Barr proved to be a hit with viewers since joining the program in 2003. “It was a sliding doors moment,” she tells Stellar with a smile. “It was a real lesson. I often think if I’d gone heavy and stomped out and consulted a lawyer, it wouldn’t have worked for me. Instead, 20 years later I’ve travelled the world and had the career of my dreams – because of that moment.”

Fury as Big Brother finale chucks social distancing out the window

Big Brother fans took to social media to display their fury as they watched contestants fail to follow social distancing measures on Wednesday night’s live episode. While the housemates managed to maintain a safe distance from one another for a large portion of the episode, they rushed in to warmly embrace Chad Hurst when he was announced the winner of this year’s Big Brother. “Seriously, social distancing is still a thing and should be represented on our screens,” one disgruntled viewer wrote on Twitter. “I care less about the result than the fact they're all hugging and not social distancing,” another said. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.35313531353137px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837038/big-brother-4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7dc37d3941664a7087e667d2a69b708e" /> A further comment said: “'How's that social distancing going at the end there?!?' and 'Social distancing just went out the window.” One viewer also took to social media to pose the question as to what New South Wales Health would think of the antics as the finale was filmed in Sydney. “Curious if NSW Health or NSW Police think Big Brother is exempt from social distancing on live TV. Everyone hugged and kissed at the end,” they said. Chad won by public vote and was announced as victor during the finale over Sophie Budack, 25, and Daniel Gorringe, 28. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.1965811965812px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837041/big-brother-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5b5bac761b3d4d56b1e3c78686da9033" /> Host Sonia Kruger asked what was going through his mind to which Chad responded: “You know, I went on [Big Brother], I honestly think it's fate. The old boy (his late father), it's his show. “I had me Ma next to me, that's all that mattered. So thank you, everyone.” Chad previously told Daily Mail Australia that he applied for Big Brother to honour his late father.

Karl shares hilarious photo of daughter wearing inappropriate outfit

Karl Stefanovic is well known for his humour on and off screen, and his latest Instagram post about his daughter’s newest outfit has proven so. On Friday, the Today show host shared a picture of his beautiful newborn wearing a hilariously inappropriate baby romper that emblazoned “S**ts and giggles” across the front of Harper May’s outfit. Harper didn't seem to mind as she happily posed for the picture. “Have an awesome weekend everyone. This ones for the great folks in Victoria,” Karl wrote in the caption. <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/CCvFRqTJUF7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="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/CCvFRqTJUF7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by karl stefanovic (@karlstefanovic_)</a> on Jul 17, 2020 at 12:58am PDT </div> </blockquote> He continued: “Hope it brings a smile. All our love.” In early July, Karl watched on air when his co-host Allison Langdon shared sweet footage of the newborn. “Befote we go, I have got a surprise for you. Because we have been sent in a video from two of our favourite viewers this morning - Jasmine and Harper,” Ally announced. “Oh, what!” Karl delightedly laughed. The tiny tot appeared on-screen in a pink patterned jumpsuit. “Who is the cutest baby in the world? Me,” Jasmine could be heard saying. She added: “Who kept mummy up all night?” Allison who is mum to two kids apologised to Jasmine Yarbrough for her lack of sleep the previous night. “I’m sorry Jas you got no sleep last night. Karl is on his way home now and you can take the day off,” she said.

“You must have been filthy”: Karl Stefanovic grills PM

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to criticise Premier Daniel Andrews over the Victorian government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreaks. Speaking to Karl Stefanovic on the Today show on Friday, Morrison said he would not comment on the state government’s management of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. “It is my job to support them, Karl,” Morrison said. “It’s time to help, not for me to run a commentary.” Stefanovic replied: “You are a straight shooter. You must have been filthy.” “It’s not about how I feel. It’s about what I do,” Morrison said. Stefanovic insisted: “It does matter how you feel.” “No, not for me. It doesn’t, mate. I’m sorry. Prime ministers don’t get that indulgence. We have a job to do and get on with it,” the PM said. The statement came as an additional 1,000 Australian Defence Force personnel were deployed to assist Victoria with contact tracing, virus testing, police control points and quarantine compliance. Morrison told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-victoria-scott-morrison-says-adf-to-give-much-needed-leadership-amid-daniel-andrews-criticism/7d1f315b-fe4b-4f3c-8da1-a79081c1d674#close" target="_blank">3AW</a>’s Neil Mitchell the Commonwealth would not play a bigger role to take over from the Victorian government. “It’s a Victorian problem and it requires a Victorian government to deal with it and we will give them every help and support we can for the decisions that they need to make and ultimately they will be accountable for that,” Morrison said. “The ADF are very good at managing very significant logistical tasks and that is something that is becoming an even greater burden in Victoria as the scale of this is ramped up.”

Carrie Bickmore's most embarrassing mum story wins, pants down

The Project’s Carrie Bickmore may have taken the top spot for most “embarrassing mum” story of all time – as she revealed she once answered the door with no pants on to one of her son’s friends. Sharing the hilarious story with panellists Waleed Aly, Peter Helliar and Rachel Corbett on Wednesday night, the host had her colleagues in stitches as she recalled the moment she thought her 12-year-old son had come to the front door after forgetting something for school. It came as the host sympathised with those who are currently quarantined after ACT Police warned them to “pop on some pants before they answer the door.” “Being home in the nude is fine but honestly, legitimate question, not just in the cold, who is answering their door without putting something on?” an alarmed Rachel Corbett had asked her co-stars, before Peter Helliar ratted his co-star out. “’I’ve said this before on this show … accidentally once,” Carrie replied. “I thought it was Ollie coming back from school, he left for school and I was heavily pregnant and went to have a shower and I heard the gate click and saw a school kid in uniform, and I thought it was Ollie and I said, what have you forgotten, and it wasn’t him, it was one of his mates,” she went on, laughing. But it gets worse, with the star going on to share that she continued to stand there, pantless, chatting to her son’s friend. “I didn’t want to make it awkward, so I asked how he was going!” she said, adding: “We get along well, he can have a laugh about it.”

The Aussie TV icons in crisis

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> As TV struggles to compete with streaming platforms, popular Aussie icons in media are finding it tough to bring in the ratings they once were in their heyday. Some fans of breakfast morning shows are concerned that favourites such as Sam Armytage, Karl Stefanovic and Kerri-Anne Kennerley might be heading in a different direction career-wise if things don't improve. Grant Denyer has also hinted that he might be done with appearing on the small screen, as the father-of-two has had enough. "I'm lucky to have a wonderful career in TV," he wrote on Instagram. "But I've also been super hungry to learn a completely different skill," he continued, telling his 158,000 followers he's training to become a pilot. "It's bloody rewarding hitting the books and learning a completely different craft... and it's also just so damn dreamy playing above the clouds," he continued. Denyer has been well known for his role on Family Feud, which had a 10-episode special announced for later this year. <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/CB2ar44nWvR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CB2ar44nWvR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">I thought I’d up-skill during Covid. Been curious about flying since I was a boy, so I had to finally answer the question. I’m lucky to have a wonderful career in TV but I’ve also been super hungry to learn a completely different skill and stretch the brain muscle again with a good solid challenge. I haven’t been a student since high school. So that’s been... um... wobbly 🧐 ✏️ 🤪 It’s bloody rewarding hitting the books and learning a completely different craft... and it’s also just so damn dreamy playing above the clouds! ⛅️ Big thanks to @centralwestflying and Diego my instructor for helping me fall in love with it all. I like setting goals and chasing challenges, its given me some truly incredible experiences in my life. Let this one begin...</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/grantdenyer/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Grant Denyer</a> (@grantdenyer) on Jun 25, 2020 at 12:49am PDT </div> </blockquote> Sam Armytage has also had fans questioning whether she is happy in her role as she is engaged and has faced fierce controversy as of late. As her Sunrise co-host David Koch often refers to the television industry as "bullshit", this is an attitude that Armytage has had in the back of her mind as she admitted that she was a fan of lockdown. "It's been a fantastic turning point… my private life is extremely happy so it's a wonderful time to press pause and assess what I'm doing. It's been very valuable," Armytage, 43, said. Armytage is currently being sued for racial vilification after a 2018 on-air discussion about the Stolen Generation and was put on a four-day workweek as a result. She has also announced her engagement to businessman Richard Lavender. <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/CCPMBl-nNp6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="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/CCPMBl-nNp6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Samantha Armytage ⭐️ (@sam_armytage)</a> on Jul 4, 2020 at 3:41pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Kerri-Anne Kennerley is no stranger to controversy as well, as she faces criticism for her divisive opinions and getting annoyed at producers. "[Production] really go, 'Now, you know, maybe, we don't want you to pull back, but you know, maybe,' and I go, 'Oh what the, so fire me!'" she revealed of the tension her strong opinions are causing. She's also revealed that she "can't resist" make controversial comments, which included joking about running over climate change protestors. Studio 10 launched in 2013 and has struggled to retain viewers, as they pulled 66,000 metro viewers in the last week of June and had a record low of 33,000 viewers in March. "The show went from fan favourite and media darling to a show no one seems to care as much about any more," dishes one insider about the future of the show. <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/B-gC7z5p56E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="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/B-gC7z5p56E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Kak 💁🏼‍♀️ (@kerriannekennerley)</a> on Apr 2, 2020 at 6:44pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Today show legend Karl Stefanovic is also well aware that his days could be numbered at Nine. In order to make the most of the $3 million contract which ends in December, Stefanovic now appears on Today, A Current Affair and 60 Minutes. An insider revealed to Woman's Day that his expiry date is causing him stress, especially with a newborn. "He's very worried about what's next in his career," says one friend. "With a newborn and the 3 am starts he's endured for the better part of 15 years, anyone would want out of Today, but where would he go?" Despite Karl favouring the flexible hours of 60 Minutes, an episode that including his report on a conman Peter Foster saw figures drop 32 per cent from the previous week. <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/B-FtaffJ0XW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="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/B-FtaffJ0XW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by karl stefanovic (@karlstefanovic_)</a> on Mar 23, 2020 at 1:15pm PDT </div> </blockquote> </div> </div> </div>

Julia Gillard hits out at “strongman” leaders over coronavirus response

Former prime minister Julia Gillard has slammed “strongman” leaders around the world for their “catastrophic” response to the coronavirus pandemic, calling for science-based action. Speaking on <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-14/julia-gillard-coronavirus-pandemic-trump-morrison-ssm-q+a/12451610">ABC’s Q&A</a> on Monday night, Gillard said “blustering” leaders – such as Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, the UK’s Boris Johnson and the USA’s Donald Trump – were not doing the right thing by ignoring facts and evidence. The US and Brazil have the highest number of confirmed <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">COVID-19 cases and deaths</a> across the globe. “What you can’t do in this time is that blustering strongman, ‘I know, I can tell you, facts don’t really matter’ style of leadership – that’s catastrophic,” Gillard said. “This is a time when – unless you’re following the science – you can’t possibly be doing the right thing. “Evidence matters.” She said male and female leadership are viewed in different ways. “A female leader, to succeed, has to manage a balance between strength and empathy. If she’s too strong, people will go, ‘Ugh, she’s not very likeable’,” she said. “If she’s too nurturing and caring, people will say, ‘She hasn’t got the backbone to lead’. So women leaders are already very highly skilled in this balance of strength and empathy. “And I think at a time like this, people want both – they want to know that someone’s getting the job done, but they also want someone to care about how they’re feeling. “I think people like Jacinda Ardern and Erna Solberg in Norway have been able to put that together.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Does the future of global politics lie in the adoption of a ”feminine style of leadership”? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QandA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QandA</a> <a href="https://t.co/SLiYbnmvza">pic.twitter.com/SLiYbnmvza</a> — QandA (@QandA) <a href="https://twitter.com/QandA/status/1282643299921039362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2020</a></blockquote> The comments came days after Gillard warned voters that their voice in the ballot box is <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/whom-you-vote-for-is-a-matter-of-life-or-death-julia-gillard-20200709-p55apw.html">a matter of life and death</a>. “I’m not saying people shouldn’t have a laugh or a joke but selecting who is going to represent you in Parliament is a serious thing,” Gillard told a British audience in an online Guardian event on Thursday. “It’s been so serious in 2020 that the capacity of people [whom] voters have selected right around the world has increased or decreased people’s chances of living or dying.” She cited Brazil’s Bolsonaro as an example of the “absolute macho strongman” leader. “’Oh, a virus, it’s not going to get me’. Well guess what? This is nature. It’s science. And it’s not going to respond to confident posturing or blustering. That’s not how this works. So that pure strongman model I think has had adverse consequences and people have looked for the warmth and empathy.” When asked about Australia’s efforts in the virus containment on the ABC program, Gillard praised Prime Minister Scott Morrison and state leaders for their coordinated “national effort”. “Across Australia, people have done very, very well,” Gillard said. “I’ve been really pleased to see the spirit of bipartisanship that has been brought to the task. A conservative prime minister working with Labor premiers – the opposition leaders at every level helping support the government.” Gillard said errors can be expected amid the recent surges in the number of cases in Victoria. “I think the realisation now is really with us that, for the next few years – until we get a vaccine – that there will be times of restrictions, times of loosening … getting the economic settings right for that is incredibly complicated and something that I think leaders at all levels are still working through.”

The Voice song that drove Guy Sebastian to tears

It’s usually the artists who become emotional during rehearsals, but this time, the tears came from coach Guy Sebastian, who struggled to fight back the waterworks as he admitted he has been going through “a whole lot of personal stuff at the moment”. Guy was working with his artist Johnny Manuel and was surprised when the hopeful artist revealed he wanted to sing his smash hit track, Before I Go. Johnny mentioned how “deeply” the song resonated with him. "I thought [it] might be kinda fun," Johnny admitted. "But it could also be disastrous." As he watched the singer deliver the powerful lyrics, Guy began to tear up. As Johnny finished, Guy's first reaction was to joke with his band, who were backing Johnny up. "That's what it's supposed to sound like," he laughed. Quietly, he confided in Johnny, "From my personal point of view, I'm going through a whole lot of personal stuff at the moment which is like, related to when I wrote this song. "And it's like, properly helping me, you singing that. It's a moment for me." "That's great man. I'm just glad you like it," Johnny said, while Guy sucked in a deep breath, fighting tears. "I do," he managed. "I hope they're not getting me right now," he said, of the nearby camera crew. "’Cause I am in struggle town." Guy managed to get back into the swing of things as Johnny took to the stage to perform the hit for the remaining coaches. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> How does Johnny continue to blow our minds week in week out? 🤯 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheVoiceAU?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheVoiceAU</a> <a href="https://t.co/ctV6INHUEU">pic.twitter.com/ctV6INHUEU</a> — The Voice Australia (@TheVoiceAU) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheVoiceAU/status/1282261363910295552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2020</a></blockquote> His face was again full of emotion as Johnny delivered a fiery version of the track, looking on as Johnny sang, 'You thought you had me You thought that I was done but, I'm stronger up against the ropes. I am, a fighter Before this fight is over You'll know my name before I go.' "That was a song that I wrote in a particularly tough and vulnerable time," Guy confessed. "After you sang it, I actually went home and on my drive home just burst into tears. "To hear you sing it is like… wow," Guy finished, once again fighting tears. "It's just a gift." The rendition was flawless, with Kelly Rowland admitting he could win the entire competition. "You make me nervous," she said. "I gotta watch out for you." "He's one of the best singers that has ever graced the stage," agreed Delta Goodrem. "I've never been in a position where I'm hearing my own song being sung and it's like there's this whole new life in it," Guy explained later, joking he would never again be able to perform the track after Johnny nailed it so well. Johnny had his own motivations for selecting the tune. The hardworking artist has had a long history with false starts and is hoping his time on The Voice is finally the big break he is so desperate to get. "It feels like my exact journey," Johnny said. "I have been fighting for a very long time to make this dream happen."

MasterChef star Melissa Leong admits dealing with “appalling racism” from social media trolls

MasterChef judge Melissa Leong has opened up about receiving endless amounts of racist abuse since she debuted on the Network 10 program earlier this year The 38-year-old, who is of Singapore-Chinese heritage, has candidly addressed the vile backlash in a brave interview with TV Week magazine by explaining: “When it happens to you every day of your life, you develop a way to cope.” She went on to say she does her best to deal with the vitriol with intelligence and humour. “The best thing is to greet it with intelligence, humour and maybe some empathy, because you can't sink to that level yourself,” she said. Leong did admit though that some days are harder than others to follow her own advice. “There are days when I'm blindsided and feel this palpable jolt to the chest. But having tremendous friends like Andy and Jock helps, we have each other's backs,” she said. Asian Australians have made up one-third of the contestants on MasterChef this season, and Melissa says she couldn’t be prouder of the diversity on the program when speaking to The Herald Sun. “Everybody deserves to be seen and to be heard. Regardless of whether that is your culture, your language, who you love, your ability, or the way you chose to live your life, everybody deserves to be seen and be heard,” she said. Contestants Brendan Pang, Khanh Ong, Reynold Poernomo and Poh Ling Yeow are all of Asian descent, as are Sarah Tiong, Jess Liemantara and Amina Elshafei, who is of Korean and Egyptian descent. MasterChef: Back to Win has also been praised for being the most diverse in the show's history. Some of its contestants included a number of openly gay constants such as Brendan Pang, Reece Hignell, Courtney Roulston and Khanh Ong. Melissa recently hinted she would be returning for the thirteenth season of MasterChef, after the 2019 season proved to be a major ratings victory. “I’m open-minded to the possibility of doing MasterChef season 13,” she told Who magazine.

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Trump "happy" with trainwreck viral interview

"Oh geez!": Karl Stefanovic's awkward gaffe with Nick Kygrios

Heartbreak for Steve Price as lockdown hits home

"NSW on a precipice": Kerryn Phelps warns on Q+A

Ellen DeGeneres could be replaced

Lisa Wilkinson slams “mixed messages” over face masks

Ellen DeGeneres pens open letter to staff

“Heartless”: Expert sparks fury by “advocating” for Australian deaths

“You look amazing:” Peter Helliar praised for quarantine weightloss

Ellen DeGeneres show staff overjoyed at recent bad press

"Sorry, what was your medical degree?": Allison Langdon shoots down Bunnings 'Karen'

“I was furious”: Natalie Barr reflects on devastating moment in her career

Fury as Big Brother finale chucks social distancing out the window

Karl shares hilarious photo of daughter wearing inappropriate outfit

“You must have been filthy”: Karl Stefanovic grills PM

Carrie Bickmore's most embarrassing mum story wins, pants down

The Aussie TV icons in crisis

Julia Gillard hits out at “strongman” leaders over coronavirus response

The Voice song that drove Guy Sebastian to tears

MasterChef star Melissa Leong admits dealing with “appalling racism” from social media trolls

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

TV

Trump "happy" with trainwreck viral interview

"Oh geez!": Karl Stefanovic's awkward gaffe with Nick Kygrios

Heartbreak for Steve Price as lockdown hits home

"NSW on a precipice": Kerryn Phelps warns on Q+A

Ellen DeGeneres could be replaced

Lisa Wilkinson slams “mixed messages” over face masks

Ellen DeGeneres pens open letter to staff

“Heartless”: Expert sparks fury by “advocating” for Australian deaths

“You look amazing:” Peter Helliar praised for quarantine weightloss

Ellen DeGeneres show staff overjoyed at recent bad press

"Sorry, what was your medical degree?": Allison Langdon shoots down Bunnings 'Karen'

“I was furious”: Natalie Barr reflects on devastating moment in her career

Fury as Big Brother finale chucks social distancing out the window

Karl shares hilarious photo of daughter wearing inappropriate outfit

“You must have been filthy”: Karl Stefanovic grills PM

Carrie Bickmore's most embarrassing mum story wins, pants down

The Aussie TV icons in crisis

Julia Gillard hits out at “strongman” leaders over coronavirus response

The Voice song that drove Guy Sebastian to tears

MasterChef star Melissa Leong admits dealing with “appalling racism” from social media trolls

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