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"I'm officially cutting ties": Sunrise star quits media for glittering new career

<p>Former <em>Weekend Sunrise</em> TV presenter Talitha Cummins is embarking on a new chapter in her life, bidding farewell to her 20-year-long media career.</p> <p>Cummins, widely recognised for her role as a newsreader on <em>Weekend Sunrise</em> and more recently as a newsreader on Triple M Sydney, recently shared on social media her decision to step away from the media industry. Her departure is driven by her passion for a new venture in the world of jewellery.</p> <p>In a heartfelt Instagram post, the 43-year-old former journalist reflected on her two decades in journalism and television while also announcing her exciting shift toward launching her own diamond and jewellery business:</p> <p>"It’s a big day for me today," she wrote. "I’m officially cutting ties with a 20 year career in journalism/television + media consulting and launching my business in diamond and jewellery creating.</p> <p>"It’s a big shift, but the move to launching my own business has given me an energy and drive like never before.</p> <p>"Our family has been creating diamond jewellery for 50 years and I’ve joined forces with my uncle Craig and cousin Kara to create @thecutjewellery - Bespoke diamond ring and fine jewellery using lab diamonds - all crafted by our team of jewellers in Sydney....</p> <p>"I’m excited to be a part of what’s proving to be the biggest disruptor to the jewellery industry."</p> <p>Cummins gained widespread acclaim as a member of Seven's <em>Weekend Sunrise</em> team in 2014, where she assumed the role of newsreader following Jessica Rowe's departure. However, her journey took an unexpected turn in early 2017 during her maternity leave with her first child, Oliver. She received a call from Seven News chief Craig McPherson, who informed her that her contract as a newsreader on the show had been terminated.</p> <p>This abrupt decision was met with astonishment and disappointment, especially as Cummins had anticipated resuming her role on the popular weekend breakfast show. Instead, she was offered a weekday 5am time slot, leaving her feeling blindsided by the sudden change.</p> <p>The timing of this development was particularly challenging for Cummins, as she was gearing up to promote her episode on <em>Australian Story</em>, aired on ABC, in which she candidly shared her personal battle with alcoholism and her remarkable four-year journey to sobriety.</p> <p>Cummins contested her dismissal, asserting that it had been unjust. In a mere four months, the Seven network and Cummins reached a confidential settlement, putting an end to the legal dispute.</p> <p>Cummins' departure from the media world marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in her life as she immerses herself in the world of diamonds and jewellery, following in her family's tradition and pursuing her passion.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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"Ice in his veins": Stunning result in First Ashes Test

<p>Australia has emerged victorious in the first Ashes Test, with captain Pat Cummins chasing down 281 with just two wickets left inside the final five overs on the last day at Edgbaston.</p> <p>Cummins scored an unbeaten 44 as he and Nathan Lyon (16) put on 55 for the ninth wicket to bag the win — a thrilling reversal of Australia’s famous two-run loss at the same ground in 2005.</p> <p>The captain and Lyon hit occasional boundaries, wearing several short balls on the body before Cummins got a thick edge to third man off Robinson and Harry Brook’s fumble on the boundary saw Aussie fans and players erupt in raptures — reigning in a 1-0 lead in the series.</p> <p>"Ice in his veins," England great Michael Atherton said in commentary when Cummins' boundary sealed the result.</p> <p>"Pat Cummins has led his side to a famous victory here at Edgbaston.</p> <p>"Seventy-two they needed when he came to the crease and he has got his team over the line.”</p> <p>Aussie cricket legend Ricky Ponting was astounded.</p> <p>"What an end to a Test match, what a game of cricket," the former captain said.</p> <p>Needing 174 runs to win at the start of the day, in-form opener Usman Khawaja laid a platform for the late charge with 65 off 197 balls, before being bowled late in the day.</p> <p>He admitted he was “Sh****ng [himself]” as he watched the rest of the brutal run chase from the sheds.</p> <p>Despite being confined to a knee brace, Ben Strokes brought himself on to bowl and claimed the wicket of the eventual man of the match, Usman Khawaja.</p> <p>As the Aussie dressing room spiralled into a frenzy, an elated Cummins raced over to Lyon at the opposite end of the wicket and lifted his batting partner off the ground.</p> <p>The pair were then seen in a triumphant embrace as ecstatic Aussies in the Birmingham crowd celebrated the incredible result.</p> <p>The victory — initially appearing highly unlikely when Lyon joined Cummins with the visitors needing 54 runs to win — made for Australia’s highest successful run chase against England since 1948.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

News

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Nick "Honey Badger" Cummins welcomes "little badger cub"

<p>Former Bachelor and rugby star Nick Cummins AKA the “Honey Badger” has welcomed a baby with girlfriend Alexandra George.</p> <p>In a heart-warming post shared to Instagram, Cummins shared a cute photo of him kissing his partner as she cradled the newborn.</p> <p>“What an amazing life experience, so much love for my mob,” he wrote.</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/CjXkl_2LSbD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjXkl_2LSbD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Honey Badger (@nickbadger)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Celebrities wished them well in the comments, with swimmer Shayna Jack writing “Congratulations to you both! Amazing news.”</p> <p>The couple are yet to make a public comment regarding the baby's name or gender.</p> <p>Earlier this year, Cummins shared an intimate Instagram post in which he announced that he and Ms George were expecting a “little badger cub”.</p> <p>The "Honey Badger" and girlfriend Alexandra have been public with their relationship since March 2021, after having secretly dated since June 2020. It has been rumoured they spent lockdown together on the NSW mid-north coast.</p>

Family & Pets

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Guy Sebastian slams SAS Australia's violence against women

<p>Guy Sebastian has called out Channel 7’s <em>SAS Australia</em>, saying he felt “sick” after he tuned in to Monday night’s episode.</p> <p>In the episode, the 17 celebrity recruits were challenged to fight one another in a boxing fight.</p> <p>AFLW player Sabrina Frederick picked Nick ‘Honeybadger’ Cummins, which shocked her fellow contestants and those watching at home.</p> <p>Honeybadger did not hold back, and Sebastian came on to Nova 93.7’s <em>Nathan, Nat &amp; Shaun</em> show on Thursday morning to speak about the confronting scene.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838373/sas-guy-sebastian-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1770343db2e749c2938ebcd79e504fce" /></p> <p>“My wife and I run a foundation where we deal with domestic violence,” he said on radio.</p> <p>“I thought that was pretty p**s poor, if I’m being honest.</p> <p>“I think it makes it very difficult to tell your kids, to tell your boy, ‘You never hit a girl! It doesn’t matter what the circumstance is, you just never, ever hit a girl. Violence against women is always wrong.’</p> <p>“I felt quite sick if I’m being honest, watching that,” Sebastian continued.</p> <p>The Australian Idol winner made it clear that he was not “having a crack at Nick (Cummins)”, but rather “whoever is in charge of the show”.</p> <p>A fierce debate erupted regarding Monday night’s episode and whether it was right for Cummins to agree to the challenge.</p> <p>Speaking to <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/nick-cummins-boxes-aflw-player-leaving-people-in-tears-c-1414088" target="_blank">7 News</a>, <em>SAS Australia </em>chief instructor Ant Middleton said: “The hand-to-hand combat task was the ultimate test of character and bravery.</p> <p>“Sabrina had the luxury of choosing her enemy and she chose a tough opponent, showing true strength of character and how much she wanted to test herself and get the absolute most out of this experience.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838374/sas-guy-sebastian-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bef74f62933d4737a84a0ab5ea5f484a" /></p> <p>“Nick did exactly what was asked of him,” Middleton added.</p> <p>“They both held a good and correct account of themselves.”</p> <p>Frederick spoke to Seven News about the incident and revealed why she wanted to challenge Cummins.</p> <p>“I volunteered first and I picked Nick for two reasons,” she said.</p> <p>“Firstly, I wanted to select the person I thought was the biggest challenge. Secondly, I knew our respect was mutual and he would give me a fair fight, regardless of my gender.</p> <p>“In battle, the enemy doesn’t care about your gender or size and we had to think like soldiers to get through each and every task.</p> <p>“Yes, I was scared but that’s the whole point of SAS selection – not letting the fear consume you and instead harnessing it to empower you.</p> <p>“I am truly grateful for Nick and for that experience.”</p>

Music

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World reacts to Pat Cummins’ crazy IPL pay day

<p>Australia’s Pat Cummins has become the most expensive overseas buy ever in the Indian Premier League after the Kolkata Knight Riders paid a staggering $3.1 million for the fast bowler at auction.</p> <p>The 26-year-old who ranked No. 1 in Tests was the subject of an intense bidding battle between the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Delhi Capitals on Thursday before Kolkata swept in to have him play for them in the 2020 tournament.</p> <p>Cummins has previously played for Kolkata in 2014 and 2015 and last played in the tournament in 2017 for Delhi. The Mumbai Indians nabbed him the following year, but he was unable to play due to a back injury.</p> <p>“Absolutely pumped to be back on board,” said Cummins. “It’s where I played my first couple of years. Can’t wait to work with Baz McCullum, Eoin Morgan, back with Andre Russell, Sunil Narine – can’t wait to get over there.”</p> <p>Before Cummins, England all-rounder Ben Stokes was the most expensive overseas player with Pune paying $3 million in 2017, while India’s Yuvraj Singh had the highest bid for a home-based cricketer at $3.2 million in 2015 from Delhi.</p> <p>Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum was thrilled to have Cummins on his team which also includes England’s World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan.</p> <p>“Two outstanding gentlemen will return to Kolkata Knight Riders! Eoin Morgan with his power middle order game and outstanding leadership help for Dinesh Karthik and one of the game’s premier fast bowlers Pat Cummins who I feel was the best player on offer for this year’s IPL auction. Welcome boys!”</p> <p>But some people questioned the decision, saying Kolkata had overpaid for a player who might not score as heavily as an all-rounder like Stokes.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Pat Cummins...15.50 Cr 😳😳😳...Worth it...???</p> — Samip Rajguru (@samiprajguru) <a href="https://twitter.com/samiprajguru/status/1207640938224316417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">19 December 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Most bids were expected barring KKR paying so high for Pat Cummins. I think he does not offer much with the bat and needs to be on the money bowling in the Death at EDEN. They have Lockie and Gurney. Interesting selection. RCB have started well. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction2020</a></p> — Gaurav Sundararaman (@gaurav_sundar) <a href="https://twitter.com/gaurav_sundar/status/1207617113633906688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">19 December 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">WHAT WAS THAT? How fierce was that bid? <a href="https://twitter.com/patcummins30?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@patcummins30</a> is sold to <a href="https://twitter.com/KKRiders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KKRiders</a> for 15.5Cr <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> 👏👏</p> — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1207611903687589888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">19 December 2019</a></blockquote> <p>A total of 62 players were sold at the auction for the 13th edition of the world’s leading T20 competition.</p>

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