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"It makes my blood boil": Today reporter fires up over athletes' pay

<p>Sports reporter and <em>Today</em> presenter Roz Kelly has fired up over a list revealing the highest paid athletes in 2024 for one major reason. </p> <p><a href="https://www.sportico.com/feature/highest-paid-athletes-in-the-world-1234765608/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sportico</a> revealed the list on Friday, which features one concerning theme that caught Kelly's attention: not a single female athlete features in the top 100 list.</p> <p>The salary figures for each athlete combine their reported annual salary as well as endorsement deals that are often worth millions. </p> <p>The lucrative list is topped by football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, who reportedly pocketed $411 million in 2024.</p> <p>"It makes my blood boil, it makes me so, so angry," Kelly said. "It's just proof of the gender pay gap in sport."</p> <p>"Some of these women are some of the most marketable in the world right now, they are on billboards everywhere."</p> <p>"I know like tennis players and surfers, they have equal prize money. There's still a long way to go in cricket, and soccer... I'm on a rant now."</p> <p>"When it comes to endorsement deals they are severely underpaid compared to their male counterparts."</p> <p>Five of the top 10 paid athletes in 2024 were football players, while basketball, golf, and American football also feature heavily in the top 20.</p> <p>Ben Simmons is the lone Aussie athlete in the top 100 after he earned $65m last year, coming in at 85th on the list.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today / Shutterstock </em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.333; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: #333333; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"> </p>

Money & Banking

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Today reporter shares joyous news after heartwarming home birth

<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Popular <em>Today</em> Entertainment Reporter </span>Renée Bargh has shared an exciting life update: she's welcomed her second child!</p> <p>Bargh and her partner Andrew Lange announced the news in a heartwarming Instagram post recently that they have lovingly welcomed a little girl named Soléil James.</p> <p>"Our beautiful sunshine girl joined us earthside a week early in the most magical birth," <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Bargh told her 106,000 followers</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">. "Born peacefully at home in the water, surrounded by love."</span></p> <p>The journalist shared several black-and-white photos, including one of her holding her newborn daughter after giving birth. She also posted an adorable picture of her nearly two-year-old son, Tide, with his sister.</p> <p>Bargh also expressed her deep gratitude to her midwife and doula: <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">"Forever grateful for our incredible midwife @janineatibirth for creating the most peaceful and safe environment for this to take place and giving us the healing experience we dreamed of," she wrote. "Thank you to our doula @thehealingshed for your tender love, calming presence and support." </span></p> <p>The post was flooded with congratulatory messages from friends and fans. Model Megan Gale commented, "She is precious ♥️ Congratulations beautiful Mama xx."</p> <p>Journalist Lisa Wilkinson added, "These are the magical moments. Congrats Renée, and enjoy every second xx."</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/DF_HWckzF_Z/?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/DF_HWckzF_Z/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Renée- Claire Bargh (@reneebargh)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Bargh and Lange welcomed their first child, son Tide, in March 2023.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Journalists rumoured to replace Alex Cullen on Today

<p>Two female Channel Nine journalists are rumoured to be the front runners for Alex Cullen's sports presenter role on the <em>Today </em>show, after he was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/we-ll-miss-him-terribly-alex-cullen-steps-down-from-today" target="_blank" rel="noopener">axed for accepting a $50,000 gift</a> from billionaire Adrian Portelli. </p> <p>Insiders have told the <em>Daily Mail </em>that Roz Kelly and Danika Mason are the top contenders for the role, alongside Sarah Abo and Karl Stefanovic. </p> <p>They also claim that Kelly is "the obvious first choice" with her current role as the sports presenter on Friday and Saturday evenings, but she might not be too keen on taking the role. </p> <p>"She's polished and the viewers already know her and love her. But she's got two young sons and her husband has to travel to India a lot for work," the source told the <em>Daily Mail. </em></p> <p>"Right now, her life is really finely balanced and in a good place so she might not be too keen to take on all the pressures and demands of live television five days a week." </p> <p>"Danika is also equally amazing and is the other really strong contender that everyone is talking about at the moment," the source continued. </p> <p>Another source suggested that Mason was actually the top pick for the position, as she already has a loyal NRL fan base. </p> <p>"Danika would have to be the top pick - she's an absolute live wire, which is what you need at breakfast, and is a hard-worker who throws herself into every challenge with everything she's got," they said. </p> <p>"While nothing has been decided as yet, she's definitely in strong consideration." </p> <p><em>Image: Nine/ Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

TV

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Karl Stefanovic lifts the lid on former Today co-hosts

<p>Karl Stefanovic has shared what he really thinks about the women he has shared <em>The Today Show</em> hosting duties with, such as Jess Rowe, Tracy Grimshaw and Lisa Wilkinson. </p> <p>In a candid tell-all interview with <em>Stellar</em> magazine's <em>Something To Talk About podcast</em>, Stefanovic discussed the highs and lows of hosting Today since he joined alongside Tracy Grimshaw in February 2005. </p> <p>“I wasn’t overly nervous, I just knew that I didn’t know enough,” Stefanovic admitted, adding that it took “some time” for him to feel he was no longer out of his depth.</p> <p>After just one year on the show, Grimshaw announced she would be leaving <em>Today</em> to host <em>A Current Affair</em>, as Karl recalled the cheeky way she informed him of her imminent departure. </p> <p>“I remember I was late for work because I’d left my shoes at home – I ended up getting Ray Martin’s shoes,” he told the podcast host. </p> <p>“So I came into the studio like, ‘Hey, Trace, look at this. I’ve got Ray Martin’s shoes.’"</p> <p>“Tracy leans across and goes, ‘You got his shoes? I got his job.’ That’s how she broke it to me. She denies that story, but it’s 100 per cent accurate.”</p> <p>Grimshaw was then replaced by Jess Rowe, whose hosting role with <em>Today</em> was short-lived, as Karl  admitted Rowe had been “pilloried”.</p> <p>The mum-of-two was sacked from <em>Today</em> after returning from maternity leave, and her departure made headlines at the time when it was alleged then-Nine boss Eddie McGuire had spoken about wanting to “bone” (fire) Rowe during a meeting with Nine executives.</p> <p>“It was shocking, the treatment that she had. She was called the most heinous things, and I was just trying to survive,” he explained on <em>Stellar’s</em> podcast.</p> <p>“I’ve apologised to Jess since then, but at the time I just didn’t know how to navigate my own future, let alone be there for her in the way that I should have.”</p> <p>Rowe was then replaced by Lisa Wilkinson in 2007, who stayed with the show for ten years. </p> <p>While there was much public speculation about Lisa and Karl's relationship after her dramatic exit from <em>Today</em>, Stefanovic told <em>Stellar</em> that he doesn’t “waste any time” of his life “thinking about any negative parts” of their long professional stint together.</p> <p>“But this I will say about Lisa: genuinely adored working with her. I found her to be an incredibly interesting, intelligent, funny woman,” he insisted.</p> <p>“She taught me so much about the craft of conversation, and we had a really beautiful relationship. So there is no ill will. Only great things came from that.”</p> <p>The longtime breakfast TV host currently sits alongside Sarah Abo at the desk, for which he describes himself as “so fortunate”.</p> <p>“In this game, there’s stuff you have control of and there’s stuff you don’t. At any point on any given day, I can be replaced. The show is bigger than I am,” Stefanovic pointed out.</p> <p>“I don’t see Sarah ever being replaced. And I genuinely have no interest in working with anyone else."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine</em></p>

TV

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"We'll miss him terribly": Alex Cullen steps down from Today

<p>Alex Cullen is "stepping down permanently" from <em>Today</em> after accepting a huge cash prize from billionaire Adrian Portelli. </p> <p>After Cullen referred to Portelli as "McLaren Man" on the Channel Nine morning show and pocketed $50,000 for using Portelli's preferred moniker, Cullen disappeared from screens for several days for breaching the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) Journalist Code of Ethics.</p> <p>Despite handing the money back, which has since been <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/billionaire-adrian-portelli-responds-to-50k-mclaren-man-controversy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated to charity</a>, Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo confirmed on Friday morning that Cullen would not be retuning to the show. </p> <p>“As most of you are well aware, our colleague Alex Cullen has not been on air with us this past week,” Stefanovic said.</p> <p>“There has been widespread reporting on the circumstances surrounding this, what I can say is that last night, Alex and Nine agreed that he would finish with the network."</p> <p>“Alex has, of course, been part of the <em>Today</em> family for five years now, he’s always ready with a smile and a laugh and without hesitation speaking for all of us here, we can say that we are going to miss him terribly, that’s for sure."</p> <p>“Alex is a terrific fella, what you see is what you get and he has been a great mate to all of us over these years and we wish Alex, his wife Bonnie and his beautiful kids all the very best for the future.”</p> <p>The scandal began when Portelli put a call out on social media, challenging journalists to refer to him publicly as "McLaren Man" instead of his common nickname "Lambo Guy", which he earned after showing up to <em>The Block</em> auctions in a bright yellow Lamborghini. </p> <p>Portelli said whoever completed the challenge would earn a hefty cash prize, and after Cullen used the new nickname live on <em>Today</em> just hours later, Portelli shared a screenshot of a bank transfer to Cullen for a whopping $50,000. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Today </em></p>

TV

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Today entertainment reporter signs off for special assignment

<p><em>Today</em> entertainment reporter Renee Bargh has been farewelled by her co-hosts as she prepares to give birth to her baby daughter. </p> <p>The 38-year-old journalist, who welcomed her first child Tide with partner Andrew Lange in 2023, was joined by Karl, Sarah and the entire <em>Today</em> cast on Wednesday morning to commemorate her last day on the show before becoming a mum of two. </p> <p>"I'm going to miss you guys a lot and I love that everyone keeps saying, 'how excited are you going on maternity leave? You're going to get so much rest, like, no more alarm clocks'," Renee laughed at the idea of having two children under the age of three to look after.</p> <p>With Renee ready to welcome her little girl into the world, the <em>Today</em> team gave her a fitting send off, with a bouquet of pink flowers and an adorable <em>Today</em> onesie for the newborn to wear proudly.</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/DE0wExuOBbU/?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/DE0wExuOBbU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by thetodayshow (@thetodayshow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"From all of us here, it's such a special time and you're a special lady - it's wonderful to see you off and we can't wait to meet the little one," Karl beamed.</p> <p>Renee first <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/today-entertainment-reporter-announces-special-news-on-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> her pregnancy in August during a live cross for <em>Today</em>, just weeks after joining the panel of the show. </p> <p>Bargh debuted her growing baby bump while on hosting duties for the TV Week Logies, sharing an Instagram post of her in full glam the bump with the caption, "Baby girl's first red carpet."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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"An enormous privilege": Karl Stefanovic celebrates 20 years on Today

<p><em>The Today Show</em> team has surprised Karl Stefanovic with a trip down memory lane as he celebrates 20 years hosting the popular morning show. </p> <p>After first joining the show in 2005 alongside the then host Tracy Grimshaw, Stefanovic has covered events such as the Beaconsfield Mine disaster in 2006, Royal deaths, US presidential elections, multiple Olympic Games and the biggest natural disasters from across the globe.</p> <p>To celebrate his time at the helm, the team surprised him with a look back at some of his biggest highlights from this time.</p> <p>"That's two whole decades of passion, dedication, fun, and of course, the cheeky Karlos we all know and love," current co-host, Sarah Abo said.</p> <p>"We are lucky to work alongside this man each and every day, so to celebrate all things Karl, we thought we'd take a little walk down memory lane."</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/reel/DEvfvkWTacY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEvfvkWTacY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by thetodayshow (@thetodayshow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"I can't believe it's 20 years, I'm very grateful to have been here this long and to have worked with the best people in the business," Karl said.</p> <p>"And to be able to come into people's homes every morning is an enormous privilege, so I'll just keep on keeping on as long as I can."</p> <p>Sarah Abo added, "We are so lucky to sit next to you and all the viewers at home are so lucky to have you in their lounge rooms and their kitchens every single morning on their devices, listening to you and your shenanigans."</p> <p>The team also surprised Karl this morning with a special message from his former co-host and current <em>A Current Affair</em> host, Ally Langdon.</p> <p>"Karl, I love you, I don't miss those 3am wake up calls, but I do miss sitting next to you in that chair because you are the very best, we talk about how good you are in the big news stories, but I reckon when there's no news around is actually when you shine," she said.</p> <p>"That's when you just, you know, you've got that magic touch, you create something special that gets us through."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today </em></p>

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Harold Holt is a meme today, but when the prime minister went missing in December 1967, it was no laughing matter

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joshua-black-729708">Joshua Black</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a></em></p> <p>At some point, Australians stopped grieving Harold Holt’s death and many started to laugh about it instead. The sudden disappearance of a prime minister at a Victorian beach in December 1967 has furnished many wisecracks and <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/mapporncirclejerk/comments/ogof5t/map_of_all_the_countries_where_the_prime_minister/?rdt=40282">memes</a>. Former Cronulla Sharks coach Jack Gibson <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161104143853/http:/www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/sharks/harold-holts-grandson-will-cheer-for-cronulla-in-sundays-nrl-grand-final/news-story/58e542e3298dd2ebb1fd84c199588ec2">famously said</a> that waiting for the team to win was like “leaving a porch light on for Harold Holt”.</p> <p>The Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Pool in Malvern, commemorated in his honour in 1969, attracts its fair share of mirth. So do the conspiracy theories, deeply unserious as they are, of “double agent” Holt’s abduction by a Chinese submarine. A few years ago, Holt’s grandson <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/holt-submarine-theory-madness-grandson/uwbjrewla">pointed out</a> that Cheviot beach was “too shallow for such a vessel”, and the late prime minister “wasn’t a fan of Chinese cuisine” anyway.</p> <p>For all its comic potential today, Harold Holt’s disappearance was no joke at the time.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dvdgSKgD86Q?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Rough waters</h2> <p>Holt had not enjoyed 1967. The war in Vietnam – effectively his war – was increasingly divisive. Old questions about the HMAS Voyager <a href="https://www.robertmenziesinstitute.org.au/on-this-day/voyager-disaster/">disaster</a> in 1964 had caused political mayhem for him in parliament. Another <a href="https://theconversation.com/storm-clouds-ahead-scandals-that-have-rocked-australian-politics-216825">scandal</a>, this one about the misuse of VIP flights, had damaged his standing and that of his government.</p> <p>In the final weeks of Holt’s life, he had faced off against his deputy prime minister, Country Party leader John McEwen, over Australia’s decision not to devalue the dollar in line with Britain’s <a href="https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/original/00001721.pdf">devaluation of sterling</a>. The exchange rate affected primary and secondary producers and was politically controversial enough to almost split the Liberal-Country Party Coalition.</p> <p>There were personal challenges, too. Holt’s brother Cliff died in March, and by December the prime minister was suffering with shoulder and back pains. On Saturday December 16, the front page of The Australian reported that Holt’s doctor had advised him to “swim less”.</p> <p>The prime minister was a man who thrived on physical risk and loved the water, so he ignored the advice. On Sunday morning he and a few companions, including lover Marjorie Gillespie and friend Alan Stewart, went to Portsea to catch a glimpse of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/03/shoestring-sailor-alec-rose-round-the-world-sailing">world-famous sailor</a> Alec Rose’s yacht.</p> <p>They then went to Cheviot beach, where an overheating and reckless Holt insisted on swimming. As the press reported the next morning, there were “strong currents and a heavy surf”. Holt looked to be caught in a rip. He dived and never resurfaced.</p> <h2>Everywhere and nowhere</h2> <p>Stewart and Gillespie quickly raised the alarm. What followed, according to Holt’s <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/3428288">biographer</a> Tom Frame, was “one of the largest search operations in Australian history”. The Victorian Police, the Royal Australian Air Force and Navy Search and Rescue were all involved, providing several teams of professional divers, though the surf was too dangerous for them to work in that night. Airlines TAA and Ansett both contributed an aircraft each to the search mission.</p> <p>News of the “missing VIP” quickly spread, and media outlets began breaking the story in the later afternoon. The prime minister’s wife Zara and press secretary Tony Eggleton were quickly flown from Canberra to Melbourne.</p> <p>After several hours of dangerous operations, the search was suspended for the night, to be resumed at 4.54am the following morning. At dawn, there were 50 divers on hand and 340 people involved throughout the day.</p> <p>Large headlines such as “PRIME MINISTER MISSING” and “MR HOLT BELIEVED DEAD” dominated the newspapers on Monday morning. Topographical pictures and maps with arrows and labels (“Mr Holt Disappeared Here”) were printed in most of the metropolitan broadsheets.</p> <p>There was a constant stream of radio and television <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MST9Oz2MDfs">interviews with rescue personnel</a>, and no fewer than nine press conferences at Portsea in the hours and days after the disappearance. Even Marjorie was prevailed upon to speak <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MST9Oz2MDfs">on camera</a>. The journalists wanted to know whether Holt had been doing an “overarm stroke” or “the breaststroke” before he vanished.</p> <p>Given the circumstances, the media were mostly well behaved. Reporters kept a respectful distance from Zara as she landed in Melbourne, and they “were fantastic” in their <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/profound-and-personal-a-witness-to-political-trauma-and-farce-20230524-p5day9.html">treatment of</a> Eggleton, who had to repeatedly put on a brave face for the cameras despite his obvious grief.</p> <p>The hunt for Holt’s body ran through to early January 1968. Nearby sharks were captured and dissected in case they had secrets to reveal. Several weeks later, <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/8669803">another biographer</a> notes, fisherman picked up “a thigh bone” and additional “leg bone”, but these were never identified. The live reporting on the search was grim and macabre, the lack of a body morbidly fascinating. Holt’s body was everywhere and nowhere all at once.</p> <h2>Saying goodbye</h2> <p>A blanket of respect fell where only recently there had been passionate criticism. The obituaries described the lost PM as “essentially a ‘nice bloke’”. The Courier-Mail said Holt was “the most courteous, personable, likeable and accessible Prime Minister this country has ever had”. There were tender tributes from former colleagues like Sir Robert Menzies and opponents including the new Labor leader Gough Whitlam. International tributes came thick and fast.</p> <p>Holt’s memorial service, just days before Christmas, led to “the largest influx of overseas heads of state in Australian history”. There were several influential Asian leaders present. A tearful US President Lyndon Johnson flew in to mourn the loss of his “cherished friend” and commiserate with Zara before breaking off for urgent discussions about Vietnam.</p> <p>Dignitaries, journalists and a handful of ticketed members of the public attended St Paul’s cathedral in Melbourne and a further 20,000 mourners lined the streets outside. Four television cameras were on hand to capture the occasion, which was broadcast live across Australia’s TV and radio networks.</p> <p>For most, it was a solemn occasion. Brisbane’s Archbishop Philip Strong <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fudKQx12iIo">eulogised</a> that Holt’s loss would be “impossible to calculate”. But <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fudKQx12iIo">according to</a> Don Chipp, a low-ranking Liberal minister, the minds of federal politicians were elsewhere.</p> <h2>‘I want to be prime minister’</h2> <p>Australia’s Constitution offers no advice about what to do when the prime minister goes swimming and doesn’t come back. In fact, it says nothing about the job of prime minister whatsoever. Holt’s death, therefore, was followed by an unseemly power struggle.</p> <p>The first problem was one for Governor-General Lord Casey: when should an acting prime minister be appointed? After two leaderless days, Casey called on McEwen as deputy prime minister to lead an interim government. McEwen accepted, promising to resign as soon as the Liberal Party chose its new leader.</p> <p>The Liberal deputy leader and treasurer, Billy McMahon, was unimpressed with this. He and McEwen had been at constant loggerheads in recent times and they deeply detested one another. It only got worse from there. In a tense meeting, McEwen vetoed McMahon’s candidacy entirely. He explained to the press afterwards:</p> <blockquote> <p>I have told Mr McMahon that neither I nor my Country Party colleagues would be prepared to serve under him as Prime Minister.</p> </blockquote> <p>It was no empty threat, and the Liberal Party quickly moved on (though McMahon didn’t). Some Liberal operatives thought it best to keep McEwen in charge, whereas others began mobilising to elevate someone from a group of ministers who, The Bulletin thought, had been “reinforcing each other in their triviality” of late.</p> <p>In the end, there were four candidates. Labour and National Service minister Leslie Bury was an early favourite. Immigration minister Billy Snedden threw his hat in the ring and was eliminated early, though he would be a future contender. Allen Fairhall, the much-liked defence minister, was thought a chance but chose not to stand. The Bulletin said his health wasn’t up to it, and he wasn’t even sure he wanted to be a politician anyway.</p> <p>The two strongest contenders were the external affairs minister, the respected Paul Hasluck, and the government’s senate leader, the gregarious John Gorton. The latter had run a highly visible campaign, and the eminent journalist Alan Reid later <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/1937415">wrote that</a> he was different from the late Holt: Gorton “had the air of being prepared to be rough, tough and nasty if he had to be”.</p> <p>On January 9, decision day for the Liberals, The Sydney Morning Herald <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=lL5f5cZgq8MC&amp;dat=19680109&amp;printsec=frontpage&amp;hl=en">claimed</a> Gorton’s backers had “lost a little of their strong confidence”. He needn’t have worried. After a motion of condolence from Holt, a dignified speech from McMahon and two ballots, Gorton became prime minister.</p> <p>Gorton quickly assumed the prime ministership and won a by-election to represent Holt’s electorate in the House of Representatives.</p> <p>In a matter of weeks, our politics had been completely transformed. Some said it was a characteristically Australian thing to lose our prime minister in the surf. For us today, it is national folklore. At the time, it seemed an embarrassingly trivial way to let our leader go.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243146/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joshua-black-729708">Joshua Black</a>, Visitor, School of History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: The LBJ Presidential Library</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/harold-holt-is-a-meme-today-but-when-the-prime-minister-went-missing-in-december-1967-it-was-no-laughing-matter-243146">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Travel Trouble

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Sam Armytage's stunning return to breakfast TV

<p>Samantha Armytage has made a stunning return to breakfast television. </p> <p>The beloved journalist made her debut as co-host of the <em>Today</em> show on Monday morning alongside <em>Weekend Today</em> weather presenter Dan Anstey. </p> <p>The pair took over the reins from <em>Weekend Today</em> hosts David Campbell and Sylvia Jeffreys who were filling in for Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo. </p> <p>This is the first time Armytage has appeared on morning TV, since she last co-hosted Seven’s rival breakfast show <em>Sunrise </em>with David Koch from 2013 to 2021.</p> <p>“I’ve remembered where I am, on channel Nine. Isn’t it lovely to be on channel Nine?” she asked, addressing the elephant in the room, before saying, "Hi guys, good morning, it's nice to be here and nice to look at this new team."</p> <p>“Well, we met at Melbourne Cup, didn’t we? You were handsome as always,” she told co-host Anstey, who jokingly replied: "I can't remember that now." </p> <p>"You may have confused me with another Dan."</p> <p>Armytage, who started her TV career on Nine, was recently welcomed back as host of the new dating program, <em>The Golden Bachelor</em>, which will premiere next year. </p> <p>Her appearance on the breakfast TV show comes after a dramatic development in her personal life, following news of her<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/the-reason-behind-sam-armytage-s-shock-split-from-husband" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> split from husband</a> Richard Lavender after four years together. </p> <p><em>Images: Today</em></p>

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Today Extra bids farewell to beloved reporter

<p>Davina Smith has delivered all the latest breaking news to<em> Today Extra</em> viewers across the country for the last 10 years. </p> <p>In an emotional send off on Thursday, the beloved journalist became teary-eyed as she said her goodbyes on the show.</p> <p>"I'm just so thankful, it's the best job in the world, we have heartbreaking stories to tell, but the team behind the scenes are extraordinary," Davina said through tears. </p> <p>"We're so lucky to sit beside incredible people, but have people in our ears and in our hearts every day who are helping so much - thank you."</p> <p>Her colleague and dear friend David Campbell also had a special message for her. </p> <p>"I actually can't believe I'm doing this video," he began. </p> <p>"I just want to say that it's been a real honour to sit next to you, to work with you, I've learned so much over this period of time working with you.</p> <p>"I know we've had a lot of laughs, I know we've had a lot of banter, I know you've thrown a lot of pens at me, but I also wanted to tell you how much I actually respect you, not only as a journalist, but as a person, as a human and very much so as a parent.</p> <p>"You are going to be sorely missed, my friend, don't make me cry."</p> <p>Davina will continue to work for Nine, but is taking on a new role as a reporter for<em> A Current Affair </em>in Queensland.</p> <p>Her new role will give her more time to spend with her daughters, Hope and Rose and her husband mark. </p> <p><em>Images: Today</em></p>

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Readers response: What are some things older generations did as couples that we rarely see today?

<p>We asked our readers what simple acts of romance they encountered in their lives, that younger generations don't partake in anymore, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Sharon Watson</strong> - Men would walk on the outside of the lady on the road. Also, walking hand in hand and doors &amp; car doors were opened by men for women.</p> <p><strong>Jo Hoffman</strong> - Went to cabarets for old time ballroom dancing to beautiful music!</p> <p><strong>Ann MacCann</strong> - Taking walks holding hands.</p> <p><strong>Judith Turpin</strong> - Ate breakfast and evening meal at the table as family. We communicated!</p> <p><strong>Margaret Gerlach</strong> - Visited family and in-laws every week.</p> <p><strong>Lorna Johnson</strong> - Gentlemen tipped their hats at ladies and held the door open for you.</p> <p><strong>Jan Bradley</strong> - Dancing at the town hall, drive in movies, stayed together.</p> <p><strong>Jane Reynolds</strong> - Spending time together as a family, playing games, talking to each other. No phones, writing and receiving letters, supporting each other, staying together, caring and helping each other.</p> <p><strong>Myfawny Jones</strong> - One partner read the road map while the other drived, often on corrugated gravel roads.</p> <p><strong>Lindi Williams</strong> - Played cards together.</p> <p><strong>Cherylyn Thornton</strong> - Went to the drive in movies.</p> <p><strong>Patricia Sutton</strong> - We had children because we wanted them, not because of the economy or that we couldn't afford them!</p> <p><strong>Di Richardson</strong> - Shotgun marriages!</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Relationships

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Pauline Hanson levels lawsuit at Lidia Thorpe and Today show

<p>Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation party, has initiated defamation proceedings against Senator Lidia Thorpe and Channel Nine’s <em>Today</em> show after being described as “a convicted racist” during a live television interview.</p> <p>Legal letters sent to both parties demand immediate apologies and retractions, claiming the statement is false and defamatory.</p> <p>Hanson’s legal team, represented by barrister Sue Chrysanthou and solicitor Anthony Jeffries, has labelled the situation “highly irresponsible” and warned of further legal action if the demands are not met.</p> <p>In the letter to Senator Thorpe, Hanson’s lawyers argue, “You alleged during that interview that Senator Hanson has been convicted of racism. That never occurred.” They insist no criminal conviction of that nature exists and called on Thorpe to issue a public correction.</p> <p>The dispute arises in the wake of a Federal Court ruling earlier this month, where Hanson was found to have racially vilified Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi. The ruling stemmed from a 2022 social media post in which Hanson told Senator Faruqi to “pack your bags and p*ss off back to Pakistan”. Justice Angus Stewart described the tweet as an “angry personal attack” that conveyed “a strong form of racism”.</p> <p>Hanson has appealed the court's decision, arguing that the statement did not target Faruqi’s race, religion or ethnicity and should not be classified as racist. Her legal team claims the tweet was directed solely at Senator Faruqi and was not reflective of broader discrimination. They further argue that the original judgment misinterpreted the context of the remarks.</p> <p>In the same <em>Today</em> show interview, Senator Thorpe also described Australia as “a very racist, divided country”. Thorpe has not yet publicly addressed Hanson’s legal warning.</p> <p>Hanson, whose supporters have donated nearly $700,000 to fund her legal efforts, appears ready for a protracted legal battle. Her legal filings challenge the broader interpretations of offensive speech and the legal thresholds for defamation and racial vilification.</p> <p><em>Images: Today Show</em></p>

Legal

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"Unimaginable curse": Karl Stefanovic pays tribute to fallen father

<p>Karl Stefanovic has paid tribute to Lachlan Webb, a young Queensland dad who sadly passed away from a rare genetic brain disorder. </p> <p>Webb first started showing symptoms of Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) early last year, a rare degenerative brain disorder where the inability to fall asleep is just one of the many symptoms of the condition which many describe to be a living nightmare. </p> <p>From there the symptoms progress to the inability to walk, loss of sight and speech and eventual total shutdown of the body's ability to keep itself alive among others. </p> <p>The Queensland father had already lost his grandmother, aunties, uncles and his mum Narelle to the disease, with his mum passing away just six months after she was diagnosed. </p> <p>The condition is so rare that only 50 families worldwide are known to carry the gene. </p> <p>Karl Stefanovic first met Webb and his sister Hayley back in 2016, after they both learned that they carried the fatal gene. Despite the diagnosis the siblings were determined to ensure the "curse" ended with them, travelling to the US to participate in a clinical study.</p> <p>The siblings also both underwent IVF with their respective partners to ensure that their children won't carry the gene. </p> <p>"Lachlan was a remarkable man battling an unimaginable curse," Karl said on the <em>Today</em> show. </p> <p>"Everyone at Today is thinking of the Webb family, Hayley, Lachlan's beautiful wife Claire and his little boy Morrison."</p> <p>"Hayley also has that gene, their bravery and resilience was incredible to witness firsthand and it's such an important message - everyday is a gift and our thoughts, our prayers and our love are with you all this morning."</p> <p><em>Images: Nine</em></p>

Caring

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Babyfaced Sam Armytage unrecognisable in resurfaced clip

<p>Aussie TV presenter Sam Armytage appears unrecognisable in a resurfaced clip. </p> <p>A video has emerged of a baby-faced Armytage early on in her media career, presenting for news for WIN in Canberra in the '90s.</p> <p>Armytage appeared on the <em>Today</em> show on Monday morning to discuss the launch of Nine's new reality series <em>The Golden Bachelor,</em> which she will host.</p> <p>It didn't take long before <em>Today</em> host Karl Stefanovic teased her with a throwback video. </p> <p>“You were part of the Nine family going way back to the early ’60s, have a look at this,”  Stefanovic joked.</p> <p>Today co-host Sarah Abo and Armytage laughed as footage of a younger Armytage appeared onscreen wearing a white blazer and rocking a bob cut. </p> <p>Abo told Armytage “you haven’t changed at all!”</p> <p>“Oh darling, thank you. Listen to that little high-pitched voice — I was a baby,” Armytage replied.</p> <p>Armytage's new stint comes just months after she left the Seven Network, where she was previously the host for another reality TV show, <em>Farmer Wants A Wife</em>.</p> <p>The show will air in 2025, with Armytage explaining that it is a similar show to<em> The Bachelor</em> that Aussies love but with a focus on those in their 50s and 60s. </p> <p>“This is bringing it forward to the golden ages, as we like to call it. We’re all heading towards some of this faster than others,” Armytage joked before announcing that they're currently casting. </p> <p>“What we’re looking for here is a Golden Bachelor, most likely in his 60s, and some ladies who will be in their 50s or 60s … because we’re casting now.</p> <p>“This is for people who are looking for love again, so people who’ve got some miles on their tyres who are ready to fall in love again.”</p> <p>She said there would be some “great stories” along with some “kind of sad” ones; however, the aim is for a “happy fairytale ending”.</p> <p>Stefanovic then joked that it was a shame Richard Wilkins was “off the market” before adding he was shocked people over the age of 50 were “so active”.</p> <p>“It’s shocking. I just feel like it’s like a lot to look at on the TV,” Stefanovic said, admitting that he'd watched the US version of the show that debuted last year. </p> <p>“I just find some of it confronting in a physical way.”</p> <p>Abo and Armytage were quick to cut off Stefanovic's train of thought before it went down “a path perhaps that we don’t want it to go down”.</p> <p>“I know what you’re talking about, but I don’t think it’s confronting. I think it’s lovely,” Armytage said.</p> <p>“I think that it’s life. It is. And there’s a huge percentage of the population in this age bracket who are active and looking for love.”</p> <p><em>Images: Today</em></p> <p> </p>

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Today reporter walloped by Melbourne Cup horse

<p>A hilarious on-air moment has been captured by the <em>Today Show</em>, as a reporter was shoved by a winning race horse. </p> <p>Christine Ahern was reporting live from Flemington on Monday to celebrate the launch of the 2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival, as she got up close and personal with Twilight Payment, who won the Cup in 2020. </p> <p>Perhaps not used to all the attention - given the 2020 Cup had no trackside crowd due to the pandemic - as the horse made his TV debut on <em>Today</em>, things quickly went awry. </p> <p>"Can I say I'm normally quite nervous around horses, but Twilight Payment is absolutely beautiful and as you can see, quite a calm horse as well," Christine started as she cautiously petted the large animal.</p> <p>Twilight Payment patiently munched on some carrot as Christine spoke with <em>Today</em> host Karl and Sarah back in the studio, but when the horse's snacks ran out, he got a little fidgety. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBo_40OOCBa/?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/reel/DBo_40OOCBa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by thetodayshow (@thetodayshow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>While in the middle of a sentence, the retired horse cheekily shoved Christine out of shot, prompting Karl and Sarah to burst into a fit of laughter. </p> <p>"They are very good judges of character, he can smell her fear," Karl Stefanovic laughed.</p> <p>"I was beginning to wonder why she was so frightened of them, now I can see why," Sarah Abo added.</p> <p>After all the excitement, Christine was okay and Twilight Payment even let her go back in for a hug with him after the fact.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today</em></p>

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"Most loathed woman in parliament": Karl Stefanovic grills Lidia Thorpe

<p>Karl Stefanovic has labelled Lidia Thorpe as “the most loathed woman in parliament” during a fiery interview on the <em>Today </em>show. </p> <p>The <em>Today </em>host interviewed the politician on Thursday morning, noting that her decision to <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/you-are-not-my-king-lidia-thorpe-interrupts-charles-parliament-house-visit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heckle King Charles</a> was not winning her much support. </p> <p>“Lidia, good morning to you. Nice to see you. I think it’s fair to say you might very well be the most loathed woman in parliament in Canberra at the moment. And that’s really saying something,’’ Stefanovic said. </p> <p>However, the Senator had no regrets and said that she was used to being "the black sheep" of politics. </p> <p>“Oh, well, it’s just another day in the colony, Karl. I’m used to that treatment,” she said.</p> <p>“You know. I am the black sheep of the family, if you like. But I wanted to send a message to the King. I got that message across. The whole world is talking about it.</p> <p>“And my people are happy because my people have been protesting for decades and decades. As you all know, for exactly this. And so the message has been sent, delivered. Now it’s up to the King of England to respond.”</p> <p>Stefanovic then asked her: “The question this morning you were being asked is, why the hell doesn’t Lidia Thorpe just do everyone a favour and get out of Canberra? Will you?”</p> <p>To which she replied: “I’m about truth telling. I’m loud, proud, black. Get used to it and listen to what I have to say.</p> <p>“We need to grow up as a nation and get rid of him and have our own head of state.”</p> <p>The broadcaster then showed a video of her swearing allegiance to the late Queen Elizabeth. </p> <p>“Did that hurt a little when you swore your allegiance? Did it take a little bit of your soul?’’ Stefanovic asked.</p> <p>“Absolutely it did. And I had to go through a process with my family prior to doing that, because swearing allegiance to someone else from another country whose ancestors have done a lot of damage to my ancestors, I think is completely inappropriate,” she replied. </p> <p>This comes after Thorpe's <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/lidia-thorpe-s-pledge-to-queen-elizabeth-raises-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pledge to Queen Elizabeth's</a> "hairs" instead of "heir" came to light.</p> <p>“We don’t need to be paying the Governor-General $800,000 a year to sign a piece of legislation. And we paid for that man to come here. How many millions of dollars did that cost?” she continued. </p> <p>Karl hit back saying that Thorpe herself is “getting paid pretty well to be part of the process and to be part of parliament, a place you clearly despise.”</p> <p>She replied: “Yeah. I’m being paid to do my job. You could say it’s paying the rent if you like." </p> <p>“This government has walked back a treaty. I know the opposition is not interested in treaty. So where else do you go? You go to the King of England. Who? Whose ancestors treated with other countries but didn’t treaty here. So there’s unfinished business. I’ll spend the next three years getting that unfinished business done.”</p> <p><em>Images: Nine</em></p>

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Former Today Show host's surprise return

<p>It's been almost two months since Brooke Boney wrapped up her final <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/today-show-star-s-teary-farewell" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Today Show</em></a>, and bid farewell to viewers after five years on the show to further her studies at Oxford University in the UK. </p> <p>The former news and entertainment presenter made a surprise return to the Today show on Thursday morning, sharing updates on her latest adventure to hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo. </p> <p>Since settling in London, she was a guest at a reception held by none other than King Charles and Queen Camilla. </p> <p>The royals hosted a luncheon for Commonwealth countries at St James Palace, and the event was attended by other high-profile Aussies such as Cate Blanchett and Kathy Lette. </p> <p>"It was so wonderful, you go there and the whole experience is pretty surreal," the proud Gamilaroi Gomeroi woman told the<em> Today</em> hosts.</p> <p>"And I think especially as an Aboriginal person, it's like, oh how do I engage with this?' You know, it's a very complicated history between us and the royals but I thought, I'd rather be someone who's in the room and having conversations, than someone who's not."</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/DAoszVotXgp/?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/DAoszVotXgp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Kathy Lette (@kathy.lette)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>She also admitted that she was curious to see the inside of the palace, and while her brush with royalty was exciting, there was another guest at the event she was equally excited to see. </p> <p>"Do you know who else was there? Grace Jones," she revealed.</p> <p>"I was like, 'wait, oh, hang on, hang on, that is THE Grace Jones! I'm sure this was the tamest party that she's ever been to, because I've heard some very wild stories about Grace Jones."</p> <p><em>Image: Today</em></p>

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Quirky grandfather shocks Today hosts with unusual funeral plans

<p>Michael 'Skip' Field has decided he doesn't want his family crying for him at an ordinary funeral when he dies. </p> <p>Instead, the quirky Queensland grandfather wants a celebration for his final send off and wants his family to remember him in a very unique way. </p> <p>Skip shared his funeral plans with <em>Today</em> hosts Sarah and Alex, who were perplexed by Skip's plans for his final send-off. </p> <p>"I've been to a lot of funerals over the years, I'm an old fart and I never enjoyed any of them," Skip said.</p> <p>"So come the time I turn toes up, they're going to cart me off to the crematorium for a big barbecue, where I'll be the guest of honour, then when the heat dies down, they're going to put me in a little shoe box and give my young son a ring," he said.</p> <p>"He'll come and pick me up and I'm an avid cowboy shooter, we load our own ammunition and one of the things that happens to cowboys when they pass on is they have a cowboy salute where you get a big, long line and everybody fires a shotgun, bang, bang, bang, bang, and have a salute."</p> <p>"Well, I'm going to get my ashes mixed into the shotgun shells and donate the shotgun shells to the range and they can shoot me off down the range."</p> <p>"Plus all the smoke that comes out at the end of the barrel is a bit blue, but being a Queenslander, I've got a bit of maroon chalk that's going to go in with the ashes, so when they come out at the end of the barrel it's going to be a maroon tinge on it," he said.</p> <p>Today hosts Sarah and Alex were gob-smacked by the idea of Skip donating his ash-filled bullets to the local firing range, but that's not all he has planned.</p> <p>"The other thing is a friend of mine's got a cannon and we're going to shoot part of the ashes out of the cannon at Pleasant Range near Dalby," he said.</p> <p>"Then the kids don't need a big, morbid ceremony, so they're going to have a party here at my house and I bought this thing called the 'loved one launcher' that is like a giant party popper, you put your ashes in and it'll shoot you 75 yards into the air with confetti and streamers and all that - Yeehaw! It's going to be great."</p> <p>Skip said the whole process cost less than getting a casket for the ground and it would be the last big thing he gets a say in.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today</em></p>

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Channel Nine revamps Today show line up

<p>Big changes are coming to Channel Nine's flagship <em>Today</em> show, following the <a href="https://o60.me/7hh8v2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">departure</a> of popular newsreader Brooke Boney. </p> <p>The shake-up to the morning show's line-up was confirmed on Monday and will affect both the weekday and weekend programs. </p> <p>Jayne Azzopardi, a former Sydney news reporter, will replace Boney on the morning news desk. </p> <p>Azzopardi's role as co-host of <em>Weekend Today</em> will now be taken over by Sophie Walsh, who will co-host alongside fellow veteran Nine presenter Clint Stanaway. </p> <p>Walsh has worked at Channel Nine for 15 years, after first joining the broadcaster as a news reporter in 2009. </p> <p>In another change for <em>Weekend Today, </em>senior journalist Lizzie Pearl will cover the news while Dan Anstey will present the weather. </p> <p>Renee Bargh, who has regularly featured on the <em>Today </em>show in the past has been officially welcomed to the team as an entertainment reporter. </p> <p>Confirmation of the changes comes after an emotional week among staff at the <em>Today</em> show with Boney's departure last Friday. </p> <p>"Thank you for accepting me. I know that I don't fit the mould and I'm grateful for each and every one of you for tuning in every day," Boney said during her farewell. </p> <p>The journalist, who was joined by her mother on the couch, became emotional as she reflected on her experience. </p> <p>"I'm so grateful for every opportunity that I've been given here, I've done things I never dreamed possible," Boney said.</p> <p>"For someone like me, I grew up in housing commission, so this is really beyond my wildest dreams.</p> <p>"I mean, I just spent a month at the Olympics. I've been to the Oscars... all around the world to do things that most people don't get to do."</p> <p>During her final show last week <em>Today</em> host Karl Stefanovic also told her that she was well loved and respected.</p> <p>“We love you and everything you represent, how hard you work,” he said.</p> <p>Boney announced her departure earlier this year after she was offered a position to study at Oxford University.</p> <p><em>Image: Nine/ Instagram</em></p>

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