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Billy Connolly shares candid admission about Parkinson's battle

<p>Billy Connolly has shared his candid thoughts around death as he discussed his ongoing battle with Parkinson's. </p> <p>The comedian and actor, 81, recalled how he was told to "confront his illness" after being diagnosed with Parkinson's and prostate cancer on the same day. </p> <p>"You just confront it and make decisions based on it," he told <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/sir-billy-connolly-reveals-first-33564191" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Mirror</em></a>.</p> <div> <div id="adspot-mobile-mobile-3-above"></div> </div> <p>"You just have to think 'Don't think you are being badly treated [in life] or you have the bad pick of the straws. You are one of millions'."</p> <p>"Then you then realise death is not the big thing everyone has made it out to be. It is nothing. It is just a sudden nothing."</p> <p>Despite the dual diagnosis, Connolly reflected on the "funny week", as he said, "On the Monday, I had hearing aids. On the Tuesday I got pills for heart burn, which I have to take all the time, and on the Wednesday I got news that I had prostate cancer and Parkinson's."</p> <p>The star then joked that he probably got the disease following his several appearances on Michael Parkinson's chat show, saying, "I just thought 'I have got Parkinson's. I wish he (Michael) had kept it to himself!' It was easy (making fun of it)."</p> <p>Earlier this year, Billy issued a health update in which he said being sick feels "strange", telling <em>GB News</em> in February, "Being unwell is strange. Everybody else is OK and you've got this thing that's wrong... you're out of step."</p> <p>Two years ago, ahead of receiving an award, he told <a title="bafta.org" href="https://www.bafta.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bafta.org</a> he's determined to not let the condition "dictate" who he is and is determined to not let it get him down.</p> <p>"It's really important to work, to draw, to write, to walk silly for your grandchildren," he said at the time.</p> <p>"Doing the same thing you've always done is good for you. I don't let the Parkinson's dictate who I am – I just get on with it. I've had a very successful career and I have no regrets at all."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Joanne Davidson/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font" style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; min-height: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.16px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif;"> </p>

Caring

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Billy Slater rocked by family tragedy

<p>Billy Slater has suffered a heartbreaking family tragedy, after his brother-in-law drowned while trying to save his nine-year-old daughter when she fell from their boat near Mackay, Queensland over the weekend. </p> <p>Ryan Craig - who was married to Slater's older sister Sheena - reportedly managed to keep his daughter afloat until a passing jet ski was able to pick her up. </p> <p>The father-of-four's body was found on Monday morning, with Slater and his family left devastated following the incident. </p> <p>Slater's former teammate, Cameron Smith, has opened up about the devastating phone call he had with the footy legend. </p> <p>"I found out Monday morning about this absolute tragedy. It happened Saturday afternoon up in the Mackay area where Billy's sister Sheena and her family live," <em>Smith told SEN's The Captain's Run with Cameron Smith and Denan Kemp.</em></p> <p>"They were just out on the water. They live very close to the dam where Ryan tragically passed away. And it's their regular place where they just go for family outings.</p> <p>"I rang Billy and spoke with him and he just said, 'Look, it's an absolutely tragic (set of) circumstances, given the situation'.</p> <p>"It's somewhere they spend a lot of time with the kids growing up. They've got four kids. They've got four little girls," he added. </p> <p>Smith then claimed that after Craig's daughter fell in the water, "a bit of weather blew up and and it blew the boat away from where they'd fallen," adding that the boat couldn't be started</p> <p>"It was a heroic effort, really, from Ryan to stay afloat as long as he did to save his daughter.</p> <p>"He eventually ran out of energy. Some jet skiers came along a little bit later and I don't know how - it's just a miracle - that the little girl was still afloat.</p> <p>"Ryan went under and subsequently passed away. Really tragic events and we send our condolences out to Sheena, who is Billy's sister and the wife of Ryan. Those four little girls that have lost their dad."</p> <p>Queensland Police have not yet released the full circumstances of what occurred, but Inspector Glenn Cameron said preliminary investigations have revealed "the actions of the man who is now deceased saved his young daughter’s life." </p> <p>Inspector Cameron reportedly said that Craig's daughter was taken to Mackay Base Hospital as a precaution, and whether they were wearing life jackets will be part of the investigation. </p> <p>A report will also be prepared for the coroner. </p> <p>"Our thoughts are with the family who've lost a loved one in these tragic circumstances," Cameron said.</p> <p>"We never want to see something like this happen."</p> <p><em>Images: Seven/ Facebook</em></p>

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Sir Billy Connolly gives sad health update

<p>Sir Billy Connolly, the legendary Scottish comedian, has shared a sombre update on his ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease. In an interview with his wife, author Pamela Stephenson, for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/sep/30/billy-connolly-interview-pamela-stephenson-connolly" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Guardian</em></a>, Connolly revealed that he has experienced a significant setback in his health.</p> <p>The 80-year-old comedian disclosed that he is now grappling with a new symptom of the degenerative disorder: balance issues. He mentioned that he has recently endured "a couple of serious falls" due to a noticeable decline in his balance. Connolly expressed his surprise at this development, explaining, "That was never such a problem before, but in the last year, that has come, and it has stayed."</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Connolly was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2013, a diagnosis that came on the same day he learned he had prostate cancer. Fortunately, he has received a clean bill of health regarding the prostate cancer after undergoing surgery in the same year. However, these health challenges forced him to retire from live performances in 2018.</span></p> <p>Stephenson, who also serves as Connolly's caregiver, pointed out that the loss of balance has been the most significant issue they have faced since his Parkinson's diagnosis, leading to "a couple of serious falls."</p> <p>In a moment of levity during the interview, Connolly reflected on one of his falls, saying, "It's funny, that fall I had when I landed on my jaw reminded me of a thing I used to do on stage. I used to say: 'I fell out of bed, but luckily my face broke my fall.'"</p> <p>The Scottish icon added that this new symptom has further limited his ability to enjoy activities like long walks: "I feel like I want to go for a walk, but I go for 50 yards and I want to go home because I'm tired. I'm being encroached upon by this disease. It's creeping up behind me and stopping me from doing things. It's a cruel disease."</p> <p>Connolly and Stephenson also discussed how their relationship has evolved since his diagnosis. As his caregiver, Stephenson assists him with daily tasks such as getting dressed, and provides transportation since he can no longer drive. Despite describing his disease as "pretty slow-moving", Connolly emphasised that its gradual progression doesn't make it any less challenging.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty / YouTube</em></p>

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Billy Joel lists New York estate for $73 million

<p>Legendary rocker Billy Joel is <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/billy-joel-in-tears-over-career-announcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying goodbye to The Big Apple</a> as he prepares to sell his jaw-dropping estate.</p> <p>The New York native’s property on the affluent Oyster Bay Harbour has a price guide of a staggering US$49 million (AU$73.4 million).</p> <p>According to the Wall Street Journal, the 26-acre estate comprises the original 14-acre property Joel bought for $22.5 million in 2002 and the adjoining area he’s purchased over the years.</p> <p>The property covers more than 600m of frontage on Centre Island, with the focal point of the estate being the 1,858 sqm main house with breathtaking water views.</p> <p>The home includes five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two half-baths, a playroom, a spa and hair salon, a bowling alley, and a wine centre.</p> <p>There is also an indoor pool, which the Piano Man singer has covered up to use as a music room as it offers fantastic acoustics, according to listing agent Bonnie Williamson, of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty.</p> <p>Parts of the main house are under renovation and are expected to be finished over the next several months.</p> <p>The magnificent estate also has a three-bedroom beach house, a three-bedroom guest apartment, and a four-bedroom gatehouse.</p> <p>Other amenities include a floating dock and boat ramp, two outdoor pools, and a helicopter pad.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty / Realestate.com.au</em></p>

Real Estate

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Billy Joel in tears over career announcement

<p>American singer and ‘Piano Man’ Billy Joel is set to conclude his “extraordinary” Madison Square Garden residency with his 150th lifetime show. </p> <p>Joel, MSG CEO James Dolan, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams were at a press conference at the venue when the announcement was made, with Dolan taking to the stage to share that the first of the star’s final ten concert will take place in October 2023, with the final one scheduled for July 2024. </p> <p>"What Billy Joel has accomplished is extraordinary," Dolan said. "Although the residency is coming to an end, we look forward to an exciting closing run to celebrate all that you have accomplished and forever welcoming you back home to the garden anytime, anytime you like."</p> <p>An MSG Entertainment representative went on to discuss Joel’s time at the venue - with the singer having headlined over 60 times more than any other artist, and having sold more than 1.6 million tickets - before a video tribute was played in his honour, prompting another round of tears from him.</p> <p>In the wake of the announcement, Joel went on to offer his own words, telling the crowd, “Madison Square Garden is more than just our office, it's our home.</p> <p>"I'm kinda flabbergasted it lasted as long as it did.</p> <p>"It's hard to end – even 150 lifetime shows, but as I said, we're not abandoning New York, we're just spending a bit more time someplace else.”</p> <p>Reportedly, Joel’s team had advised him that the show could have gone on, but he had reached the decision that it was time to bring it to a close. </p> <p>“It keeps selling, people keep coming, people keep buying tickets,” he said, “[but] I'm now 74, seems like a nice number to just [say] 'okay'.”</p> <p>And as Mayor Adams went on to share, Joel’s music wasn’t going anywhere, even if the residency was moving on. </p> <p>"There's only one thing that's more New York than Billy Joel – and that's a Billy Joel concert at MSG," he said. "For more than 50 years, Billy's music has defined our city and brought us together. </p> <p>“On behalf of 8.5 million New Yorkers, congratulations, Billy, on a historic run of sold-out shows at MSG, and thank you for a lifetime of bringing joy to us all."</p> <p>When the news broke on social media, fans were sad to know the performances would be over, but wasted no time in congratulating him for a job well done, and thanking him for sharing his music with the world. </p> <p>“All good things must come to a end,” one wrote, “congratulations on this amazing run and thank you for some special memories”.</p> <p>“OMG I hope to see one of your shows by then,” another shared. “You give great concerts. That final performance there will be such a heartfelt sadness for all your fans who just love hearing and seeing you perform. Billy Joel, you are amazing and loved.”</p> <p>And as one other told the beloved Piano Man, “incredible! Congratulations and thank you for sharing your beautiful creativity with us. You've entertained, soothed and made us think. All the best!!”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Music

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Billy Crystal recreates iconic Harry look

<p>Get ready for a trip down memory lane as Billy Crystal has recreated his iconic sweater moment from <em>When Harry Met Sally</em> to celebrate his 75th birthday.</p> <p>Crystal shared a picture in the timeless knitted pullover on Twitter, sparking nostalgia and pure joy among his fans.</p> <p>In the tribute tweet, Crystal is crouching down in white sneakers, jeans and a preppy cream cable-knit pullover; although not exactly the same style seen in the iconic rom-com, it certainly got the nostalgia flowing.</p> <p>“Thank you all…,” he captioned the snaps, in tribute to his character from the 1989 film, Harry Burns.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you all.. <a href="https://t.co/EySEYTBJMc">pic.twitter.com/EySEYTBJMc</a></p> <p>— Billy Crystal (@BillyCrystal) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillyCrystal/status/1635673188519796737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>The post even caught the attention of the official Merriam-Webster Dictionary Twitter account, they tweeted, “Icon | noun | a person or thing widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sweater.”</p> <p>Actor Richard Lewis joined in, writing, “Finally, you’re my age. You’re a blessed artist. I’m proud to have started our comedic journey together.”</p> <p>Devoted fans shared their own takes on the sweater, with various people wearing cable knits and cosplaying as Harry Burns.</p> <p>The star shared some of his favourite recreations with his 738,000 followers on Twitter.</p> <p>Norah Ephron, the writer of the classic 80s film, has long inspired fashion in her films, with many people embracing “Nora Ephron fall” in 2022.</p> <p>Dressing as an Ephron-approved character calls for linen shirts, tweed blazers, sneakers, and of course, cosy knits.</p> <p>Three decades after the icon movie’s release, Crystal still has Ephron dressing down to a tee.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter</em></p>

Relationships

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“I’ve written some real stinkers”: Billy Joel reveals controversial songs

<p>Singer and songwriter Billy Joel has revealed two non “woke” songs that may not have been written given today’s political climate.</p> <p>The Piano Man singer is one of the best-selling musicians to date, but the 73-year-old admitted in an interview with the <em>LA Times</em> that if he were to do it all over again, he would take away “at least 25 per cent” of his songs.</p> <p>“I’ve written some real stinkers I wish I could take back,” he said, citing ‘When in Rome’ from his 1989 album <em>Storm Front</em> and ‘C’était Toi’ from 1980’s <em>Glass Houses</em>.</p> <p>“I don’t even speak French, so I don’t know what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get six or seven songs I thought were pretty damn good, then there’d be a couple of squeeze-outs at the end just to fill up the album. I realise now I shouldn’t have done that.”</p> <p>Joel released 12 successful pop and rock albums between 1971 and 1993 but then stopped writing new material, save for <em>Fantasies and Delusions</em>, his 2001 album of classical compositions.</p> <p>Joel also told the <em>LA Times</em> that he didn’t make that decision “based on whether it was right or wrong”.</p> <p>“It just felt like it was time for me to stop writing songs,” he said. “I didn’t have the same motivation anymore. You need inspiration to create good new music, and if you don’t have it, don’t bother. Get off the treadmill, for Christ’s sake.”</p> <p>He was asked whether he considered “the current cultural and political climate” when organising a setlist, Joel said that it crossed his mind with a song such as ‘Captain Jack’, which references “the junkies and the closet queens”.</p> <p>“You mean are they woke? It crosses my mind,” he admitted.</p> <p>“But ‘Captain Jack’ has gotten real boring to me. The verse is just two chords over and over again, and it’s this dreary story of some suburban kid jacking off at home. My mind starts to wander during the song, so I don’t do it even though people want to hear it.”</p> <p>He agreed that ‘Only the Good Die Young’ was also a tough sell by ‘modern woke standards’. The song, featured on 1977’s <em>The Stranger</em>, was written from the perspective of a young man determined to have sex with a Catholic girl.</p> <p>The song has not aged well by today’s standards, with lyrics such as, “come out Virginia, don’t let me wait, you Catholic girls start much too late” and “they say there’s a heaven for those who will wait, some say it’s better, but I say it ain’t”.</p> <p>“It’s occurred to me recently that I’m trying to talk some poor innocent woman into losing her virginity because of my lust,” Joel said.</p> <p>“It’s kind of a selfish song — like, who cares what happens to you? What about what I want? But on the other hand, it was of its time. This was written in the mid-‘70s, and I was trying to seduce girls. Why bulls**t about it?”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Music

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Why Peter FitzSimons has defended Prince Harry

<p>Outspoken journo and author Peter FitzSimons has defended Prince Harry in the wake of the slew of intimate bombshell revelations the young royal’s memoir <em>Spare</em> has presented to the public. </p> <p>Mr FitzSimons, who is the husband of Lisa Wilkinson, responded firmly to a Twitter commenter who branded the prince a “sook” and a “weak man” who was effectively being “controlled by a manipulative woman” – stating that Harry’s wife Meghan Markle was in fact the direct cause for him “knifing his own family” with the release of <em>Spare</em>, and that “this is her revenge…using him to do the dirty work.”</p> <p>“That is way too simplistic, in my view,” wrote FitzSimons in response to the Twitter user.</p> <p>“His broad point is, "They have leaked against me and my wife for years. I am not leaking, I am putting my name to my views, and this is what happened." And to me he sounds credible.” </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">That is way too simplistic, in my view. <br />His broad point is, "They have leaked against me and my wife for years. I am not leaking, I am putting my name to my views, and this is what happened." <br />And to me he sounds credible. <a href="https://t.co/S0owBdBiMP">https://t.co/S0owBdBiMP</a></p> <p>— Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Peter_Fitz/status/1612380697603473408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Prince Harry has recently defended his actions in revealing family secrets in the biography during interviews with UK and US TV networks, saying that he was simply retaliating against being leaked against by other royals – including his stepmother Camilla Parker Bowles.</p> <p>FitzSimons appears to agree with this stance, continuing: “As to the notion that he shouldn't tell family secrets, his equal point is that everyone else in the Royal Family has been leaking to the press for years. They have told several books worth, courtesy of the tabloid press. So, for once, he can tell his own story.”</p> <p>In response to a different Twitter user who asked why an “intelligent man” would waste time thinking about the royal family, FitzSimons further revealed his reasons for defending Prince Harry, suggesting that the fallout between the young prince and the rest of the royal family would almost certainly have implications in the Australian republic debate. </p> <p>“One reason is, the whole imbroglio speaks to the republic. The notion that this is a special family - put there by God to be so much better than the rest of us, that they must reign over us - is wearing a bit thin, yes?” he tweeted.</p> <p>Despite having stepped down as head of the Australian Republican Movement last October, FitzSimons continues to lobby for Australia to dispense with heads of state that lie within a royal family. </p> <p>On Tuesday morning Jan 10, Bill Shorten – Minister for Government Services for the Albanese government – also pushed for Australia to become a republic by saying on the Today show: “It's a shame to see a family bust-up but perhaps at the deepest level, why do we need to keep borrowing a dysfunctional British family to be the Head of State of Australia? </p> <p>'It's gossip but scintillating. To me it just shows there's a lot of damage and trauma but at another level this is just family gossip.</p> <p>“And it reminds me that this family are the head of state of Australia, so it really puts a question mark around our government structures, where we've got a feuding family on the other side of the world who seem to really not like each other very much - they're actually the head of Australia.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram </em></p>

News

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"The sport's greatest player": Billie Jean King's praise for Serena

<p dir="ltr">Serena Williams will be remembered as tennis’ “greatest player”, according to World Tennis Association (WTA) founder Billie Jean King, after the World No. 1 announced she would be retiring from professional tennis at this year’s US Open.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since her career began in 1995, Williams has won 39 Grand Slam titles, including 23 singles, 14 women’s doubles, and two mixed doubles, with King adding that the star player has “inspired a new generation of players and fans”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When Serena steps away from tennis, she will leave as the sport's greatest player,” King said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“After a career that has inspired a new generation of players and fans, she will forever be known as a champion who won on the court and raised the global profile of the sport off of it”</p> <p dir="ltr">Williams, who turns 41 next month, found it difficult to announce the news, writing in an op-ed published in Vogue that she felt “a great deal of pain” in deciding to hang up her racquet.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There is no happiness in this topic for me. I know it’s not the usual thing to say, but I feel a great deal of pain. It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine. I hate it. I hate that I have to be at this crossroads,” Williams said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I keep saying to myself, I wish it could be easy for me, but it’s not. I’m torn: I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-23f21c73-7fff-ce1d-d2de-9b48b3bbfa3c">Taking to Instagram, Williams shared photos from her <em>Vogue </em>cover, alongside a heartfelt message for fans.</span></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/p/ChCgQH0rFbQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChCgQH0rFbQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“There comes a time when we have to decide to move in a different direction,” she began the post.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That time is always hard when you love something so much. My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun. I have to focus on being a mom, my spiritual goals and finally discovering a different, but just exciting Serena. I’m gonna relish these next few weeks.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Williams announced she would be retiring following her departure from the WTA Toronto Masters on Wednesday, after losing to Swiss Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though she didn’t specify a retirement date, Williams is expected to compete again in Cincinnati before travelling to the US Open, which begins on August 29.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c1a1c350-7fff-0020-2b59-62b81d97f2d2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @serenawilliams (Instagram)</em></p>

Retirement Life

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Billy Joel's surprise touring announcement

<p>Musical icon Billy Joel has delighted fans by announcing that he will be coming to Australia for a special one-off performance.</p> <p>The legendary superstar will belt out his greatest hits at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the 10th of December this year.</p> <p>As the the third-best selling solo artist of all time, Billy Joel has racked up more than 150 million record sales across his career. The 73-year-old’s one-night-only show at the MCG is part of Always Live, a collaboration between the Victorian Government and Frontier Touring.</p> <p>“It’s strange to go all the way to Australia to do just one show, but I guess that’s the deal,” Joel said.</p> <p>Joel has promised fans will get to hear his biggest songs when he takes the stage, which could include: Uptown Girl, Piano Man, Just the Way You Are, Movin’ Out, Allentown, She’s Always A Woman and The River Of Dreams.</p> <p>“You’ve got to do songs that people know. You can’t just do all your obscure album tracks because a lot of people may not know them,” he said.</p> <p>“You’ve got to have a good amount of hits, but you’ve also got to do songs you like to do.”</p> <p>It’s the second time Joel will have performed at the MCG after he sang with Elton John there in 1998.</p> <p>Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp told Sunrise, event organisers and all levels of government in Victoria are “pulling out all the stops” to keep her city’s status “as the events and arts capital of Australia” post-pandemic.</p> <p>General admission tickets go on sale on the 4th of July from 10 am <a href="http://www.frontiertouring.com/billyjoel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and Frontier members can access pre-sale tickets on 30th of June from 11am.</p> <p>Telstra Plus Members can access pre-sale tickets on the 27th of June at 10 am <a href="http://www.telstra.com/music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>

Music

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“I don’t let it dictate who I am”: Billy Connolly opens up on living with Parkinson’s

<p dir="ltr">Billy Connolly has opened up about living with Parkinson’s in a rare interview as he prepares to receive one of the highest accolades from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) at the awards next week.</p> <p dir="ltr">Connolly will be receiving the BAFTA Fellowship - which is awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions in film, games and television - at the May 8 ceremony.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to <a href="https://www.bafta.org/media-centre/press-releases/sir-billy-connolly-to-be-honoured-with-bafta-fellowship-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bafta.org</a>, Connolly discussed his neurodegenerative condition and how he doesn’t let it “dictate” his day-to-day life.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s really important to work, to draw, to write, to walk silly for your grandchildren,” he said. “Doing the same thing you’ve always done is good for you.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-64596dfa-7fff-1483-6149-0267844f75f0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t let Parkinson’s dictate who I am - I just get on with it. I’ve had a very successful career and I have no regrets at all.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGDwIKDgfy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGDwIKDgfy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by BAFTA (@bafta)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Connolly was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2013 and retired from live performances in 2018.</p> <p dir="ltr">He still continues to record projects and make TV appearances.</p> <p dir="ltr">Although his extensive filmography has earned him a slew of awards, Connolly revealed that he was never in show-business for the accolades. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I have a collection of shiny things that I’m very proud of. But I never set out to get them or hunt them down,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He added that he was humbled to be receiving the award, which has previously been awarded to David Attenborough, Dawn French, and Jennifer Saunders.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t believe in aiming at it because if you don’t get it for whatever reason you’re all disappointed. Just do what you do well and you’ll find yourself a fellow before you know it.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-58064ccf-7fff-301b-71e4-bafe6798c4cb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @bafta (Instagram)</em></p>

Caring

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More calls to rename Margaret Court Arena

<p dir="ltr">Columnist Peter FitzSimons is once again <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10461501/Peter-FitzSimons-Rename-Margaret-Court-arena-tennis-legends-anti-gay-rights-stance.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leading calls</a> to rename Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena in response to the tennis star’s stance on gay marriage.</p><p dir="ltr">In 2017, Margaret Court shared her “disappointment” in Qantas in a letter she penned to the airline over its support of the federal government’s plebiscite to legalise gay marriage. She also revealed she would no longer fly with the company as a result.</p><p dir="ltr">“I am disappointed that Qantas has become an active promoter for same sex marriage,” she said in the letter published in the West Australian newspaper.</p><p dir="ltr">“I believe in marriage as a union between a man and a woman as stated in the Bible. Your statement leaves me no option but to use other airlines where possible for my extensive travelling.”</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1f2a3abb-7fff-bc46-ce66-c5cb3c32e5b6"></span></p><p dir="ltr">Fitzsimons, who has previously called on officials to change the stadium’s name, posted a poll to Twitter on Sunday night asking his followers whether they thought the name should be changed, with one option including naming the venue after First Nations icon Evonne Goolagong Cawley.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Margaret Court Arena should be</p>— Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Peter_Fitz/status/1487380481641353216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2022</a></blockquote><p dir="ltr">After receiving 5382 votes, the results showed that 80 percent of voters thought Goolagong Cawley should receive the honour of having the stadium named after her, just over 14 percent thought the name should be unchanged, and about 5 percent said it should be named after someone else.</p><p dir="ltr">Fitzsimons has previously spoken glowingly about Goolagong Cawley, describing the seventh-time grand slam winner as one of the “more generous” people he knows.</p><p dir="ltr">“Personally, I know of no finer person, no more generous and inclusive than Evonne Gollagong Cawley,” he said.</p><p dir="ltr">“I run into her about once a year in airports around Australia and she is always on her way to do something to help someone.</p><p dir="ltr">“How ‘bout the Evonne Goolagong Arena, as a name that tennis can be proud to put up in lights?”</p><p dir="ltr">The Melbourne Park arena was named after Court in 2003 “as a tribute to Australia’s most successful tennis player”, according to the venue’s <a href="https://margaretcourtarena.com.au/about/our-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">In a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/margaret-courts-antigay-rights-stance-deserves-a-boycott-of-its-own-20170525-gwda2w.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2017 column</a> for <em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em>, Fitzsimons said Tennis Australia should be doing more to separate themselves from the controversial player and that it was time that tennis ended its association with Court.</p><p dir="ltr">“Tennis is an inclusive game, and ever more inclusive in the 21st century,” he wrote at the time.</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dad08968-7fff-2b48-c01e-71da83e3fff5"></span></p><p dir="ltr">“Does Melbourne Park really want to have an arena named after someone who stands so firmly against such inclusiveness, who is becoming a byword for bigot?”</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wiradjuri legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley …<br /><br />Handing the Australian Open trophy to Ngarigo champion Ash Barty …<br /><br />On Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung land.<br /><br />How. Awesome.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ausopen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ausopen</a> (Pic: <a href="https://twitter.com/wwos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wwos</a>) <a href="https://t.co/o4XmtQ11tW">pic.twitter.com/o4XmtQ11tW</a></p>— Dan Conifer (@DanConifer) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanConifer/status/1487374968434298880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2022</a></blockquote><p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, others have taken to social media to petition the arena be renamed after Ash Barty following her stunning Australian Open win over the weekend.</p><p dir="ltr">“She’s much more deserving of the honour. I mean, a dog turd bag is more deserving but anyway… bloody change it already,” one person wrote.</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f78e74b2-7fff-af76-b33e-98a6f40cb4e2"></span></p><p dir="ltr">“Ash Barty arena has a nicer ring than Margaret Court, don’t you think,” another said.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wiradjuri legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley …<br /><br />Handing the Australian Open trophy to Ngarigo champion Ash Barty …<br /><br />On Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung land.<br /><br />How. Awesome.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ausopen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ausopen</a> (Pic: <a href="https://twitter.com/wwos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wwos</a>) <a href="https://t.co/o4XmtQ11tW">pic.twitter.com/o4XmtQ11tW</a></p>— Dan Conifer (@DanConifer) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanConifer/status/1487374968434298880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2022</a></blockquote><p dir="ltr">Others were quick to discourage the change, saying it was too early in her career for her to receive that kind of honour.</p><p dir="ltr">“I love Barty but I don’t think it should be named after someone who is still active in the sport,” one person posted on Reddit.</p><p dir="ltr">“Wait until she retires. I would love for them to rename it after Evonne Goolagong Cawley though!”</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-993bec17-7fff-cc92-04e1-13406b1c7184"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Don Arnold (Getty Images) / Morgan Hancock (Getty Images)</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Peter FitzSimons hits back at Stan Grant for mocking wife

<p><span>Peter Fitzsimons has hit back after ABC political journalist and former friend Stan Grant mocked the writer and his wife Lisa Wilkinson.</span><br /><br /><span>Grant took aim at the couple’s annual harbourside party, which usually occurs on the highly controversial January 26.</span><br /><br /><span>“What a woke leftie love-in that was: actors, writers, couple of ex-Wallabies (well it was the North Shore), a few washed up politicians,” Grant wrote in a chapter for <em>The Australian's</em> serialised murder mystery <em>Oh Matilda: Who Bloody Killed Her?</em></span><br /><br /><span>“Even a couple of liberals (small l of course) and a former managing director of the ABC for good measure.</span><br /><br /><span>“Everyone there voted yes for same-sex marriage - the year ­before last, they'd all tearily ­applauded their first gay married couple guests - they hated the Catholic Church and had cried when Kevin Rudd said sorry.”</span><br /><br /><span>FitzSimons responded in a fiery rebuttal for the <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em> on Sunday, calling Grant's comments “rather odd”.</span><br /><br /><span>“Stan has been a semi-regular attendee [of the couple's parties], only to write a mocking piece about it in The Australian a fortnight ago,” he wrote.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839898/stan-grant-lisa-wilkinson-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b22a6b80fe854991930f3ec6ea8792c5" /></p> <p><em>Image: Instagram @LisaWilkinson</em><br /><br /><span>FitzSimons responded to a comment where Grant mentioned that the hosts “adored Indigenous culture”.</span><br /><br /><span>“There were dot paintings on the wall, a photo with their arms around Cathy Freeman at Sydney Olympic Stadium, and a framed copy of Paul Keating's Redfern Statement signed by the last great Australian prime minister himself.”</span><br /><br /><span>FitzSimons hit back though and fiercely denied owning any Indigenous artwork.</span><br /><br /><span>“For the record, and contrary to what Stan wrote, I don't have a framed Redfern speech on my wall, nor a photo of me hugging Cathy Freeman, nor Indigenous paintings,” he wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>“We don't even have the party on Australia Day any more, having moved it to an Independence Day gathering the day before, for obvious reasons.”</span><br /><br /><span>FitzSimons also said his friendships have “never been confined by political allegiances” in response to Stan's “lefty love-in” remark.</span><br /><br /><span>He ended his piece by writing that anyone who wondered why they weren’t invited in recent years to the annual party should “fear not” as a “couple of vacancies have just opened up” – a curt reference to Grant no longer being invited.</span></p>

Relationships

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Lisa Wilkinson sweetly reveals how she met husband Peter FitzSimons

<p>TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson has shared the lovely story of how she met her husband of almost three decades and it's all thanks to her fellow reporter Liz Hayes.</p> <p>Wilkinson shared a sweet snap of herself and husband Peter FitzSimons in front of the Channel 9 studio buildings, which is where they met almost 30 years ago.</p> <p>"Well this is one for the grandkids (which we don't have yet, by the way)...but I digress.," she began her caption.</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/CH2XLizFmTd/?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/CH2XLizFmTd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Lisa Wilkinson (@lisa_wilkinson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>She then goes on to explain how the duo met.</p> <p>"It wasn't much more than a brief introduction and a handshake – we were both charmed, but also in separate relationships," she wrote. "Eighteen months later, and both now single, a special someone (thank you @thelizhayes) decided to play matchmaker and nine months after that, we were walking down the aisle."</p> <p>The happy couple married in 1992 and now share three kids in their 20s, sons Jake and Louis and daughter Billi.</p> <p>"Three kids, four changes of address, five animals, the occasional disagreement, and a million good times later, the marriage has survived," Wilkinson wrote.</p> <p>Wilkinson explained her reason for sharing the touching story, as the building where they met is going to be demolished and redeveloped into an apartment building.</p> <p>"So of course, we raced over today for a selfie out the front of the place that started it all for us. Sweet memories of another time."</p> <p>She ended the story by thanking the photographer.</p> <p>"A big thank you to the lovely young film student called Josh who was also there marking the occasion by taking photos (and kindly took ours), and who told us of his big dream of one day making it in the industry. We really hope you do, Josh."</p>

Relationships

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Dining with Dolly Parton: Sir Billy Connolly shares his bucket list

<p>Sir Billy Connolly has revealed the people he would like to have at his dream dinner party.</p> <p>In a recent interview with <em><a href="https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/dining-with-dolly-parton-sir-billy-connolly-reveals-his-fantasy-dinner-party-guests/">The Sunday Post</a></em>, the Scottish comedian said his fantasy guest list, featuring both alive and deceased figures, includes country musician Dolly Parton.</p> <p>“I had a brilliant experience seeing Dolly in Glasgow, being swept along with thousands in the crowd and no one recognised me,” he said.</p> <p>“No one could see me until a little girl shouted: ‘Look! Its Billy Connolly!’ She came and gave me a big cuddle. She was wonderful. I met her again in a shop and she did the same thing.”</p> <p>Another singer he would like to invite is Bob Dylan, who created his favourite album <em>Blonde On Blonde</em>.</p> <p>Other famous figures in Connolly’s wish list are authors Charles Dickens and Iris Murdoch as well as artists John Byrne and David Hockney.</p> <p>Byrne, who is an old friend of the Big Yin, paid tribute to the comedian with <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-39947883">a portrait in the 1970s and another in 2017</a>.</p> <p>The 77-year-old went public with his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2013 and <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/billy-connolly-quits-stand-up-comedy-amid-parkinson-s-diagnosis">retired five years later</a>. He is now working as an artist.</p>

Retirement Life

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Billy Connolly quits stand-up comedy amid Parkinson’s diagnosis

<p>Sir Billy Connolly has confirmed his career as a stand-up comedian has ended due to his Parkinson’s diagnosis.</p> <p>The 77-year-old made his diagnosis public in 2013 and retired five years later, but said last year he had hoped to continue performing in some way.</p> <p>“I’m finished with stand-up – it was lovely, and it was lovely being good at it,” he told <em><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/sir-billy-connolly-comedian-says-im-finished-with-stand-up-as-he-talks-about-his-new-career-as-an-artist-11950537">Sky News</a></em>.</p> <p>Connolly, who now works as an artist, said he does not want Parkinson’s to define him.</p> <p>“I’m always being asked to go to Parkinson’s things and spend time with Parkinson’s people, having lunch or something like that. And I don’t approve of it,” he said.</p> <p>“I don’t think you should let Parkinson’s define you and all your pals be Parkinson’s people. I don’t think it’s particularly good for you. So I don’t do it.”</p> <p>He said living with the condition was difficult at times.</p> <p>“Certain things go wrong, your brain goes adrift and affects your body, and so you walk differently, you walk like a drunk man sometimes. And you’re frightened you’ll be judged on it. And you shake sometimes.”</p> <p>However, he said he had “no regrets at all” and urged more people to “listen to comedians and poets”.</p> <p>“More people should listen to comedians, and fewer people should listen to politicians,” he said.</p> <p>“People should listen to comedians and poets, they’re telling the truth.”</p>

News

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Peter FitzSimons slams Israel Folau’s “absurd” claims

<p><span>Peter FitzSimons has laid waste to Israel Folau’s claims he could have captained the Wallabies to a World Cup win. </span></p> <p><span>Earlier this year, Folau was let go from his contract with Rugby Australia for anti-gay comments made on social media, and is in the process of demanding $14 million in damages, further claiming he could have been a Wallabies skipper </span></p> <p><span>The star lodged an updated statement of claim in the Federal Circuit Court, where he has upped his compensation demands from $10 million to $14 million. </span></p> <p><span>Former rugby star turned journalist and author FitzSimons has laid waste to Folau’s claims and has Gina step further to slam his “worrying” beliefs about gay marriage and bushfires. </span></p> <p><span>“It just gets ever more absurd,” FitzSimons incredulously told TVNZ. </span></p> <p><span>“From a distance, I just thought, ‘What? Captain?’... but Michael Cheika, who was the Wallabies coach of course, he moved through seven vice-captains.</span></p> <p><span>“Now, if Michael Cheika had seven vice-captains and Israel Folau wasn’t one of them, I think by definition he was a very unlikely man to be captain.”</span></p> <p><span>FitzSimons said he and a current Wallaby team member, who he decided not to name, discussed Folau’s captaincy claim and the player “burst into laughter”.</span></p> <p><span>"The last time Australian rugby had a fullback as captain was in 1980. It was Paul McLean, it was one Test, and after that the theory in Australian rugby was that fullback was too far from the main game to be the captain, so the tradition in Australian rugby is we don’t have a fullback as a captain,” FitzSimons said.</span></p> <p><span>“I find the claim absolutely absurd.”</span></p> <p><span>Folau made headlines again recently for claiming Australia’s bushfires, which took six lives over its tenure, were a result of legalising same-sex marriage and abortion - a claim FitzSimons has labelled as worrying.</span></p> <p><span>“It doesn’t have the closest grip on reality and I worry about that kind of stuff,” he said.</span></p> <p><span>“If he actually believes that, then I respectfully submit his remaining friends need to sit him down, give him a hug and say, ‘C’mon mate, we’ve got to get you some help here. This is not real’.”</span></p> <p><span>Folau said his contract termination will cost him $4.2 million from 2019-2022, as well as $300,000 in match payments from 2019-2021.</span></p> <p><span>He also has made claims he stood to make up to $1.5 million a season with an overseas club for two-to-three years when his contract with RA was up.</span></p> <p><span>Lost sponsorship dollars, the missed revenue of competing at World Cups and the possibility of captaining the national team were also used to justify the controversial star’s new $14 million demand.</span></p>

News

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Peter FitzSimons’ furious rant at Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>An explosive<span> </span><em>7.30 Report</em><span> </span>investigation into the slaughter of Australian racehorses continues to make shockwaves across the industry.</p> <p>After Peter V’landys defended Racing NSW’s efforts to protect horses after they’ve retired, he’s been receiving an increasing amount of criticism. Speaking to Channel 10 on Saturday, he said he was “proud of our animal welfare program where we try to re-home every horse that’s been domiciled in NSW”.</p> <p>The comment pushed sports commentator Peter FitzSimons from Channel 9’s<span> </span><em>Sports Sunday</em><span> </span>over the edge, as he asked, “Mate, what would it take before you’re not proud of it?”</p> <p>FitzSimons suggested the investigation – which claimed hundreds and possibly thousands of racehorses were being sent to slaughter each year – was so concerning that V’landys should reconsider his plan to take over as Australian Rugby League Commission chairman.</p> <p>“I mean this as a serious point,” tweeted FitzSimons. “If I was involved with either racing or the NRL, I would not be happy with V’landys having the dual roles of running Racing NSW and the NRL. He will, and should, have his hands completely full sorting out the atrocities of racing.”</p> <p>Also appalled was fellow<em><span> </span>Sports Sunday</em><span> </span>panelist Richard Freeman, who belongs to a famous horse racing family.</p> <p>“We’ve known for a long time in horse racing the whole future of our sport depends on how we treat the horses,” said Freedman.</p> <p>“Five years ago we have no rules or regulations around how horses were treated once they left racing. We’ve instituted a lot … around the people who are involved in horse racing, but it’s not enough.</p> <p>“What we saw on Thursday night … it was sickening. I’ve been around horse racing for 50 years. I couldn’t watch what I was seeing.”</p> <p>But Freedman jumped to V’landys’ defence, saying he shouldn’t be singled out.</p> <p>“In Peter’s defence he’s the first to institute some rules and regulations, which we had none of five years ago,” he said.</p> <p>“I’ve spoken to Peter privately, and he’s just as appalled as everyone else. He may express it differently and you may take a different view of that, but I can tell you he will not rest until we fix this problem.”</p> </div> </div> </div>

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The Project’s Lisa Wilkinson shares hilarious fail: "You are kidding?"

<p>While Lisa’s away, the family will play.</p> <p><em>The Project</em> co-host Lisa Wilkinson has been away travelling for the last two weeks and has left her husband, Peter FitzSimons and her daughter Billi in charge of holding down the fort.</p> <p>However, Lisa quickly discovered that things don’t run quite as smoothly as they do if mum’s around.</p> <p>She shared a hilarious mix-up on her Instagram, naming and shaming her hubby's domestic duties mishap, where he was tasked with washing two loads of dirty laundry from a camping trip – but used the wrong appliance. </p> <p>The post is a funny text exchange between Lisa and her daughter Billi, with Lisa asking whether or not the dryer is actually broken and if Billi has checked the filters.</p> <p>Billi quickly replied:</p> <p>“Dad threw washing machine powder in with the clothes because he thought it was the washing machine,” Billi replied.</p> <p>“Soo probs filter? I don’t know.”</p> <p>“You. Are. Kidding??????????” Wilkinson replied.</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/BzkKSPGlLda/" 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="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><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/BzkKSPGlLda/" target="_blank">When you’ve been away from home for almost two weeks and your daughter thinks there’s something you should probably know... Anyone got a spare washing line I can borrow? #Husbands 🙄#He’sBloodyLuckyHe’sGoodAtOtherShit</a></p> <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/lisa_wilkinson/" target="_blank"> Lisa Wilkinson</a> (@lisa_wilkinson) on Jul 5, 2019 at 11:19pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Thankfully, Lisa saw the funny side, asking whether or not any of her followers had a spare washing line she could borrow.</p> <p>The post struck a chord with her female followers, with many commenting on the washing knowledge and experiences of their partners.</p> <p>“This is both hilarious and shocking @lisa_wilkinson @billifitz!” Channel 7 journalist Jodie Speers wrote.</p> <p>“It’s fitting that he was hanging out with @benfordham9 this afternoon because their domestic common sense seems to be at a similar level.”</p> <p>“Oh I hear you!! Why do they do this ??? asked my husband to put the pies in the O for oven but he put it under the G for grill and nearly burnt the house down! Smoke alarms went off! So I know the pain !!!” one follower wrote.</p> <p>Another shared an anecdote with their father trying to “help” their mother.</p> <p>“My Dad put the cutlery inc spoons into the Washing machine trying to "help Mum" in the 50s. We spent much of our childhood giggling as we ate with the bent/ twisted spoons. Love your story,!!”</p> <p>Lisa and her husband have been married for more than 26 years and have three children together, daughter Billi and sons Lois and Jake.</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/Bwo0aypFZEH/" 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="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><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/Bwo0aypFZEH/" target="_blank">Well, that was one I never could have imagined...completely blown away and humbled today to receive an Honorary Doctorate Of Letters from The University Of Wollongong, just a few kilometres from the hospital where I was born, and my grandparents’ house where I spent so many of my school holidays growing up. My beautiful grandfather, William Charles Wilkinson, who, 101 years ago tonight fought in the bloody WW1 Anzac Day battle of Villers Bretonneux in France, would have been so incredibly proud. As am I. And huge congrats to all the wonderful graduating students I met and addressed today. It was an absolute honour.👩‍🎓 @uow #UniversityOfWollongong #LestWeForget #AnzacDay #WW1 #Wollongong #TheGong</a></p> <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/lisa_wilkinson/" target="_blank"> Lisa Wilkinson</a> (@lisa_wilkinson) on Apr 24, 2019 at 5:10am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote>

Home & Garden

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Lisa Wilkinson’s “forever home” is for sale

<p>The gorgeous Mosman residence in NSW once owned by Lisa Wilkinson and her husband Peter Fitzsimons with Harbour Bridge and Opera House views has hit the market.</p> <p>It’s got a lot of more modern features since the beloved couple first moved out, but it houses a lot of memories for the couple and their three children, Jake, Louis and Billi Fitzsimons.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824526/gettyimages-819086378.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/01d427a6228f4a589d1f9a08d740dad9" /></p> <p>The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home – with a market value of $7.5 million – hosts gorgeous harbourside views as well as a healthy mix of informal and formal living spaces so everyone in the family has a place to call their own.</p> <p>The property spans over 1143spm, just a jump, hop and a skip away from Australia’s beloved Taronga Zoo, Balmoral Beach and a number of parks by the Harbour.</p> <p>The prime real estate is one of the largest freestanding properties located close to Mosman village, and is not too far from where Wilkinson’s former <em>Today </em>colleagues, Karl Stefanovic and Georgie Gardner reside.</p> <p>With high ornate ceilings and leadlight window, it's hard to understand just why Wilkinson and her husband let this home go.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BugDf2xFqhp/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=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/BugDf2xFqhp/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Lisa Wilkinson (@lisa_wilkinson)</a> on Mar 2, 2019 at 1:26am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In an article she wrote for <a href="https://10daily.com.au/lifestyle/homes/a190303lxr/lisa-wilkinson-why-our-first-house-will-forever-be-our-home-20190303">Ten Daily,</a> the TV show host explained the importance of her and Fitzsimons very first property together.  </p> <p>“What our house did have… was a warm hug for us from the moment we walked through that front door,” she wrote.</p> <p>“Like that great philosopher from <em>The Castle</em>, Darryl Kerrigan, always said, it was about ‘the vibe’.</p> <p>“…All the bones of the home we loved so much were all still there.</p> <p>“The memories too: from the tyre that used to hang in the gnarly old camphor laurel tree in the backyard, sleepless nights spent with newborns, tooth fairies, scraped knees, Easter egg hunts, birthday parties and fairy bread... they all came flooding back.”</p> <p>Wilkinson and Fitzsimons sold the Mosman home in 1998 for AUD$1.655 million after purchasing the property for AUD$875,000 five years before in 1993.</p> <p>Swipe through the gallery above to see the stunning Federation home.</p>

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