Placeholder Content Image

Loch Ness monster back in headlines after "most exciting" photo in decades

<p>A recent potential Loch Ness monster sighting has generated immense excitement among monster enthusiasts, who claim these photographs are the most captivating seen in decades.</p> <p>The incident unfolded when Chie Kelly, 51, inadvertently captured images of an unidentified, sizeable creature gliding across the surface of Loch Ness five years ago in August.</p> <p>At the time, she hesitated to release the images, fearing public ridicule. However, her decision changed after the largest 'Nessie' search in over half a century took place last month – called The Quest Weekend.</p> <p>Kelly, accompanied by her family, was enjoying a meal at an inn nestled on the shores of the Scottish loch when she began snapping photos.</p> <p>According to the <a href="https://lochness.com/findings-revealed-from-the-quest-weekend/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lochness.com website</a>, Chie Kelly "had lunch in the Dores Inn and then started walking around. I was just taking pictures with my Canon camera of Scott and our daughter Alisa, who was then five, when about 200 metres from the shore, moving right to left at a steady speed was this creature.</p> <p>"It was spinning and rolling at times. We never saw a head or neck. After a couple of minutes, it just disappeared and we never saw it again.</p> <p>"At first I wondered if it was an otter or a pair of otters or a seal, but we never saw a head and it never came up again for air.</p> <p>"It was making this strange movement on the surface. We did not hear any sound. There were these strange shapes below the surface. I could not make out any colours – the water was dark. I could not accurately assess its length, but the two parts that were visible were less than two metres long together.</p> <p>"I don’t know what it was, but it was definitely a creature – an animal. At the time I did not want to face public ridicule by making the photographs public. But I met Steve Feltham at the weekend and showed him the images, and he said immediately that they were ‘very interesting’.”</p> <p>Feltham has dedicated more than 30 years to the search for Nessie since abandoning his job and selling his house in 1991. After looking at the images, he said, “These are the most exciting surface pictures I have seen. They are exactly the type of pictures I have been wanting to take for three decades.</p> <p>"It is rare to see something so clear on the surface. They are vindication for all the people who believe there is something unexplained in Loch Ness. They are remarkable. I have studied them and still do not know what it is. I persuaded them that these pictures were so important they should make them public. They warrant further investigation. It is not driftwood – it is a moving creature and totally unexplained.”</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/CrRewR8txip/?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/CrRewR8txip/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Chie Tchié Kelly-Kano (@kelly.chie)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Reports of the Loch Ness monster have spanned ancient history, with stories dating back to an Irish missionary allegedly rescuing a swimmer from a creature in the loch during the 7th century.</p> <p>The completion of a road adjacent to the loch in 1933 led to a surge in monster sightings. Despite numerous searches over the years, a DNA survey conducted in 2018 failed to provide any evidence of a plesiosaur or other large animals residing in the lake.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram / Chie Kelly</em></p> <p> </p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

House of Hope: Fresh start for Kelly's kids

<p>Gold Coast mum Kelly Wilkinson, who tragically passed away two years ago, has left behind three young children between the ages of two and nine.</p> <p>Her life was cut short in April 2021, allegedly at the hands of her estranged husband, Brian Earl Johnston. The horrific incident resulted in Kelly's body being found badly burned in her Arundel home's backyard, while Mr Johnston was discovered nearby with severe burns to his hands and airway.</p> <p>Since then, Kelly's children have been under the care of her sister, Danielle Carroll, and her husband Rhys. The Carroll family, along with their five children and Kelly's three kids, have been living together in a cramped four-bedroom house, where living spaces were converted into sleeping quarters. The challenges of accommodating such a large family in limited space have been immense, and at times, they find themselves with five people sharing a single bed.</p> <p>However, their situation took a positive turn when businesswoman Tamika Smith, a relative of Mr Carroll, heard about the tragedy and decided to lend her support.</p> <p>The founder of My Bella Casa and Top 100 Women launched a campaign called "I Stand With Kelly" shortly after Ms Wilkinson's passing. The campaign aimed to build a new home for the 10-person family.</p> <p>With the help of an anonymous contributor, Ms Smith secured a plot of land, and the renowned homebuilder, Metricon, generously donated an entire house for the cause.</p> <p>After two years of hard work and dedication, the family's fully furnished new home was finally revealed to them.</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/CvGO3pfBjbH/?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/CvGO3pfBjbH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tamika Smith (@tamika_stephanie)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Mr Carroll expressed his excitement about the new house, especially for Kelly's three children, as it will provide them with a fresh start and a place they can call their own. While the loss of their mother is deeply felt, the children are constantly surrounded by love and care from their extended family.</p> <p>Kelly's kids have not forgotten their mother, and though they miss her dearly, they understand that she is no longer with them.</p> <p>“They know she’s gone," Mrs Carroll told A Current Affair. "They constantly say that they miss her. The two year old does ask for mum but they know she’s not coming back.” </p> <p>The Carroll family, along with their own children, have written heartfelt letters to thank the builders for their incredible efforts in creating this new home.</p> <p>The house not only represents a new beginning for Ms Wilkinson's children and the Carroll family but also serves as a reminder of the love she brought to her family before her untimely passing.</p> <p>Though the pain of her loss remains, the community's support in building this new home has been a heartwarming gesture, one that Kelly's family deeply appreciates and will surely treasure forever.</p> <p><em>Images: Today Show / Instagram / GoFundMe</em></p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

Placeholder Content Image

To the Manor Born star passes away

<p>The family of Angela Thorne has paid tribute to the veteran actress who passed away on June 16 at age 84.</p> <p>Thorne is best known for her role in the British sitcom, <em>To the Manor Born.</em> The actress is also the mother of the actor Rupert Penry-Jones.</p> <p>Rupert Penry-Jones said in a statement, "The actress Angela Thorne died peacefully at her home on the 16th of June. She was 84 years old.</p> <p>"She was the beloved wife of Peter Penry-Jones and is survived by her two sons Rupert and Laurie Penry-Jones and her grandchildren, Florence, Peter, Giorgio and Delilah. We will all miss her very much.”</p> <p>Thorne played Marjory Frobisher in the BBC sitcom, <em>To the Manor Born</em>, with other Hollywood greats Penelope Keith and Richard DeVere from 1978 to 1981.</p> <p>She was nominated for an Oliver Award for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in <em>Anyone for Denis?</em></p> <p>The actress also voiced the Queen of England in the 1989 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s <em>The BFG</em>.</p> <p>However, it was her role as Marjory Frobisher that gripped fans.</p> <p>Thorne reprised the role twice, one for a 10-episode radio series in 1997 and once more in 2007 for a one-episode Christmas special on TV.</p> <p>Fans of the actress are remembering her on Twitter as a “sitcom legend”.</p> <p>"RIP Angela Thorne, ACT past Chair of 15 years' service, wise champion of actor-parents' needs, and devoted to the elderly actors at @DenvilleHall. It was a joy and a privilege to work with you," a trust that worked with Thorne wrote.</p> <p>"Ah, Angela Thorne has died. Proper sitcom legend. Farrington of the FO was much underpraised," a fan wrote.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Cleo Smith's mother speaks out after abductor's sentencing

<p>Cleo Smith's mother has shared her thoughts on the jail sentence handed down to the man who abducted her four-year-old daughter. </p> <p>Ellie Smith was in Western Australia's District Court on Wednesday when Terence Kelly was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/sentence-handed-down-for-cleo-smith-abductor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to 13 years and six months behind bars for abducting Cleo in October 2021. </p> <p>Shortly after the sentence was handed down, Ellie and her partner Jake Gliddon shared they will always feel "angry" towards Terence. </p> <p>"I think the anger always will be there," Ellie Smith told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/terence-kelly-sentence-update-cleo-smith/6306636b-7c6d-4f6b-9b92-48dd3296dace" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Nine News</em></a>. </p> <p>However, she added she "also feels contentment he is behind bars".</p> <p>"And we do have a number to hold with us of how long he is away."</p> <p>"But there is always going to be anger, always - how could there not be?" she added.</p> <p>While Ellie and Jake largely avoided the media outside the courtroom on Wednesday, WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch was quick to condemn the kidnapper and suggested the 13-year-sentence was not long enough. </p> <p>"Early on in my career I spoke to a father of a victim of a serious crime. And he said to me, as a dad, a million years isn't enough and that's driven by emotion - and as a father I understand that," he said.</p> <p>"And I would expect that the community would never think that 13-and-a-half years is enough."</p> <p>Terence Kelly snatched Cleo from the Quobba Blowholes campsite, a remote coastal area in WA, as she slept beside her parents and baby sister on the night of October 16th, 2021.</p> <p>He then held her captive in his home in the rural town of Carnavon for 18 days before she was found by police. </p> <p>During the course of the sentencing hearing, new details came to light on <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/frightening-new-details-emerge-on-cleo-smith-kidnapping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">just what went on</a> during those 18 days of Cleo's captivity.</p> <p>Commissioner Blanch added that the investigation to track down and rescue Cleo was the "gold standard" for an operation of this type.</p> <p>"This is an evil crime. He committed a heinous crime. A parent's worse nightmare. As I said before, I'm Police Commissioner and I respect the rule of law, but as a father, that's something I could never forgive."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine News</em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Frightening new details emerge on Cleo Smith kidnapping

<p>New details have come to light regarding four-year-old Cleo Smith’s 2021 abduction, one day after the man responsible was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/sentence-handed-down-for-cleo-smith-abductor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced to at least 11 years and six months in prison</a>.</p> <p>Cleo was taken from her family’s Western Australia campsite and was missing for a total of 18 days. After an intense police investigation, and a $1 million reward offered by the Western Australia government, detectives found Cleo at a property 75 km south of where she’d been kidnapped by the 37-year-old Terence Kelly.</p> <p>While appearing before Judge Julie Wager in court, Kelly had nothing to say, offering only a nod to acknowledge both his own name and his guilty plea. Cleo’s parents - mother Ellie and stepfather Jake - also did not share any words outside of the courthouse in the wake of Kelly’s sentencing. </p> <p>But what was said inside has revealed frightening new insight into what young Cleo went through during her days of captivity, with Commissioner Blanch - who was Assistant Commissioner at the time - noting that he did not believe the community would ever think Kelly’s time behind bars would be enough. </p> <p>“Judge Wager had to weigh up many things,” he said, “and there were many mitigating circumstances, and I respect the court’s decision.”</p> <p>For the entire 18 days of her nightmare situation, Cleo was kept in Kelly’s Carnarvon property, often locked alone in a bedroom while Kelly was out - the door had been modified, and Cleo was unable to open it from her side. He reportedly attended a number of employment meetings in person, and even visited his relatives.</p> <p>It was also revealed that Cleo would plead with him to be allowed to see her parents, leading Kelly to play the radio at a loud volume to mask her noise. </p> <p>“When the young victim heard her name on the radio, she said ‘they’re saying my name’,” Judge Wagner told the court. </p> <p>As the University of Newcastle’s criminologist Dr Xanthe Mallett told <em>Sunrise</em>, “eighteen days is a really long time in a four-year-old’s life, and to hear her name on the radio and not understand why he wouldn’t return her to her mother must have been incredibly traumatic for her.”</p> <p>Additionally, in a police interview, Kelly admitted that he grew frustrated and was rough with a number of times, but that she was “a bit of a fighter” when he attempted to restrain her. </p> <p>He even added Cleo’s mum as a Facebook friend while he had Cleo, although as he told police, he was never “planning to keep her forever.” </p> <p>Following Kelly’s arrest, social media played a role again, with pictures of his home emerging, showcasing his collection of Bratz dolls, one Judge Wager described as being “consistent with your anxiety.” </p> <p>Those in the courtroom were informed that Kelly had a “significant interest” in dolls, and that it was possible he had imagined his very own family with them. </p> <p>“You’d opened Facebook pages,” Judge Wager stated, “for your fantasy children and communicated with them.”</p> <p>She also shared her understanding that Cleo played into Kelly’s “fantasy of having a little girl he could dress up and play with”, although she still considered his actions to be “at the highest level of seriousness”.</p> <p>“This isn’t a case of luring a child away, that would be serious enough, but the taking of a little four-year-old girl from the zipped-up family tent in the middle of the night when her parents assumed she was safe is even more concerning,” Wager continued. </p> <p>“Her parents woke to find her missing, not knowing if she was alive or dead for the next 18 days. They didn’t know what had happened to her, or whether she’d ever be returned. This shattered her family, and has been damaging and traumatising for the child.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

"I loved him very much": Pink reveals heartbreaking inspiration behind hit track

<p>Multi award winning singer-songwriter Pink has opened up about the heartache that inspired her 2006 hit song ‘Who Knew’. </p> <p>The 43-year-old was chatting to fellow singer Kelly Clarkson on Kelly’s talk show when she made the tragic admission that ‘Who Knew’ is about the loss of two of her friends to drug overdose. </p> <p>“I lost several friends, unfortunately, to overdose,” she told Kelly, “and the second one was very, very, very close to me, and I loved him very much.” </p> <p>The singer was referring to her dear friend Sekou Harris, who died of a heroin overdose at just 14 years old.</p> <p>In a 2012 interview with <em>Entertainment Weekly</em>, Pink said of the song and its inspiration, “I always wanted to write a song for a friend of mine, Sekou Harris, who overdosed on heroin and died. And I never knew how because I didn’t want to force it and write some cheesy overdose song.”</p> <p>When Kelly mentioned that experiencing so much loss “sucks”, Pink countered that loss is unavoidable and that people “need music for that”. </p> <p>“I need music to help me through my feelings,” she said, “and I can numb down really easy.” </p> <p>She opened up about how the song has evolved over the years, and provided her comfort when faced with the deaths of those close to her heart. </p> <p>"But the thing that I love about the song now, after all these years, is that I never get tired of performing it, and it's taken on so many different meanings over the years,” she admitted, “it was about my grandmother at one point. It was about my dog.</p> <p>"I've lost people, so it's always sort of fresh in my heart." </p> <p>This isn’t the first time that Pink has been honest about her history with drugs. In her 2012 <em>EW </em>interview, the singer confessed that she understood addiction, as she “was a hardcore partier from 12 to 15. I was like a candy raver and I was on all the club drugs. Selling Ecstasy and crystal meth and Special K. I overdosed on Thanksgiving of ’95. And then I never took drugs again, ever.”</p> <p>In the same year, Pink told <em>Shape Magazine </em>that although she wasn’t hospitalised, she got the wake-up call she needed, and turned her attention to her wildly successful music career. </p> <p>Viewers of <em>The Kelly Clarkson Show</em> got a bonus look at that very career after the interview, with Pink and Kelly taking to the stage to perform a stunning duet of Pink’s ‘Who Knew’. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

"Clueless": Meghan Markle told to show some gratitude

<p dir="ltr">American journalist Megyn Kelly has once again called out Meghan Markle for always talking about herself. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Duchess of Sussex came out swinging in her latest podcast titled <em>To ‘B’ or not to ‘B’?</em>, in which she hit back at her nickname, “Duchess Difficult”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She said the nickname was a way of gaslighting women and “is really a codeword for the B-word”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kelly had enough of the Duchess’ incessant nagging and said there was another word to call her. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I wouldn’t necessarily call her the B-word, but I would definitely call her the C-word: clueless,” she said on the GB News <em>Dan Wootton Tonight</em> program.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She’s utterly clueless and I am so sick of her off-point irrelevant musings about her non-problems.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to reveal that the homicide rates of more than 100,000 homeless people in California, where Meghan lives, “reached an all-time high”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“And we are supposed to give a damn if someone is calling [Meghan] the b-word or difficult?” Kelly continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We don’t, she doesn’t get it. No one gives a damn about these non-problems.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She should stop complaining and start showing some gratitude for what appears to be a very beautiful life of which she finds nothing to celebrate.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We don’t care. Shut up! Stop talking about yourself and show some humility and gratitude.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Meghan was given the nickname back in 2018 when she was accused of displaying “dictator” style behaviour towards her staff members - which led to one of them quitting.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My friend said to me, there’s a certain point when you come to terms with the fact that not everyone is going to like you,” Meghan continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The goal can’t be for everyone to like you, but the goal can be for them to respect you.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty/GB Tonight</em></p>

TV

Placeholder Content Image

“We get it!”: Journalist slams Meghan Markle's flaunting of "her husband"

<p dir="ltr">American journalist Megyn Kelly has called out Meghan Markle for constantly referring to Prince Harry as “her husband”, claiming the former royal is doing it for attention.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the latest episode of her podcast, Kelly criticised the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for “ripping on the royals”, to whom she said the couple owed literally “all of their fame and most of their fortune”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also took great annoyance with Meghan referring to Harry, who she married in 2018, as her husband.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We get it, you bagged the gorilla,” Kelly said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Congratulations, you got the big bear, [and] you want us all to know.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Her criticism comes after Meghan spoke at length about Harry’s parenting skills in the latest episode of her podcast, <em>Archetypes</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh, my husband? Oh, he's great!” the 41-year-old said when asked whether Harry contributed much to parenting duties.</p> <p dir="ltr">She said that Harry would help Archie while she cooks breakfast during their “chaotic” mornings.<br />“I make breakfast for all three of them. It’s very important to me. I love doing it,” Meghan added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kelly also took aim at Meghan for claiming she had never looked up the royal family prior to her relationship with Harry, calling the duchess a “liar”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The claim in question dates back to Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, where she said she “never looked up my husband online”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I just didn't feel the need to because everything that I needed to know, he was sharing with me — or everything we thought I needed to know, he was telling me,” she said at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Christopher Anderson, who appeared on the episode of Kelly’s podcast to talk about his new book, The King: The Life of Charles III, said that Meghan was like “every other young woman” and in love with the royals.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She, like every other young woman that age, they were all in love with [the royals]. There are pictures of her at the gates of Buckingham Palace when she was a teenager,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Let's get real, there's always that eligible bachelor,' Kelly replied.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For my age, it was JFK Jr., for her age it was Prince Harry.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She was a liar...that's really what we're both saying. She lied about it, she lied.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Anderson also claimed the comments made about what colour skin Meghan and Harry’s child would have - said by an unknown family member - happened before their engagement was announced, rather than while Meghan was pregnant.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was an instant conversation about two people who are going...if they are going to be grandparents, Charles and Camilla [were] speculating on what the kids might look like,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Obviously, you have two very attractive people here and ‘Gee I wonder what colour their eyes will be, what their hair would be like.’ You know this kind of thing it was something I would say [was] relatively benign and witnessed by several people and then spun into something toxic.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Kelly added that the conversation between Charles and Camilla shouldn’t be considered racist.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You're just curious about how your baby's gonna look,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A negative judgement attached to a darker skin would be racist, but just wondering, that's not racist.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c7e4d5b4-7fff-8494-c3a3-25d07acece8a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Megyn Kelly (YouTube) / Spotify</em></p>

Relationships

Placeholder Content Image

“Rest, great soul”: Dame Angela Lansbury exits to the "theatre in the sky"

<p dir="ltr">Dame Angela Lansbury, known for her roles on TV, stage and film, has died aged 96 just days before her birthday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her family broke the news in a statement on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles at 1.30am today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday,” they said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Murder, She Wrote </em>star was one of the most decorated actors in stage history, winning five Tony Awards for her performances on Broadway and a lifetime achievement award.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lansbury scored one for her best-known work on Broadway, where she starred as the piemaker Nellie Lovett in <em>Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street</em>, winning the Tony for best musical actress in 1979.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her other three Tony awards for best actress in a musical were for her roles in <em>Mame </em>(1966), <em>Dear World</em> (1969) and <em>Gypsy </em>(1975).</p> <p dir="ltr">She earned Academy Award nominations for her work in film as a supporting actress in <em>Gaslight </em>(1945), <em>The Picture of Dorian Gray</em> (1946), and again in 1962 for <em>The Manchurian Candidate</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The star displayed her singing talents off-Broadway when she voiced the character of Mrs Potts in the 1991 animated movie <em>Beauty and the Beast</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">For the film’s 25th anniversary in 2016, Lansbury took to the stage in New York and brought the house down with a rendition of the movie’s titular tune.</p> <p dir="ltr">But her widespread fame came when she took on the role of a mystery writer and amateur sleuth in <em>Murder, She Wrote</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Running for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996, the series was loosely based on Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple stories and followed Jessica Fletcher, a widowed mystery writer living in the village of Cabot Cove, Maine.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lansbury earned 12 Emmy award nominations for <em>Murder, She Wrote</em>, making her the record-holder for the most Emmy nominations for lead actress in a drama series.</p> <p dir="ltr">While the show became a hit, Lansbury said she found the first season exhausting.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I was shocked when I learned that had to work 12-15 hours a day, relentlessly, day in, day out," she recalled.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I had to lay down the law at one point and say, 'Look, I can't do these shows in seven days; it will have to be eight days.’”</p> <p dir="ltr">But, she was pleased that her role as Fletcher had become an inspiration for older women.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Women in motion pictures have always had a difficult time being role models for other women," she observed.</p> <p dir="ltr">"They've always been considered glamorous in their jobs."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1b20cdf8-7fff-ae6e-6c24-ba9d2ae25ea2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">After the news broke of her passing, tributes have poured in across social media as fans and Hollywood stars remember the legendary actress.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Angela Lansbury, who graced the stage for decades winning five Tony awards and brought the sleuthing Jessica Fletcher into our living rooms for a dozen years, has passed. A tale old as time, our beloved Mrs. Potts will sing lullabies to us now from the stars. Rest, great soul.</p> <p>— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/1579922852761198592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d0eee1f4-7fff-cefb-67a5-22743d890760">“Angela Lansbury, who graced the stage for decades winning five Tony awards and brought the sleuthing Jessica Fletcher into our living rooms for a dozen years, has passed. A tale as old as time, our beloved Mrs Potts will sing lullabies to us now from the stars. Rest, great soul,” George Takei tweeted.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dame Angela Lansbury has fallen asleep and gone to the ‘theatre in the Sky.’ She epitomised grace and exhibited a gifted natural talent. One of the world’s greatest actors. I had the privilege of meeting her.</p> <p>— David_Suchet (@David_Suchet) <a href="https://twitter.com/David_Suchet/status/1579961581672497155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-cce3176b-7fff-f3b0-01a5-3260a870716b">“Dame Angela Lansbury has fallen asleep and gone to the ‘theatre in the Sky’. She epitomised grace and exhibited a gifted natural talent. One of the world’s greatest actors. I had the privilege of meeting her,” <em>Poirot </em>star David Suchet wrote.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tale as old as time<br />True as it can be</p> <p>In memory of Angela Lansbury, we offer this cosmic rose plucked by our Spitzer Space Telescope. <a href="https://t.co/V1N0QynRDJ">https://t.co/V1N0QynRDJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/zPduniVBsl">pic.twitter.com/zPduniVBsl</a></p> <p>— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1579939011606769664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Even NASA paid tribute to Lansbury, offering a “cosmic rose” to the star.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-858f8d34-7fff-0867-0ae5-305543c3556c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Lansbury is survived by her two children, Diedre Angela Shaw, 69, and Anthony Pullen Shaw, 70.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

"An incredible gift": Grace Kelly remembered 40 years on

<p dir="ltr">The royal family of Monaco have shared a series of stunning tribute photos to the late Princess Grace, 40 years after her death.</p> <p dir="ltr">Princess Grace, formerly known as Grace Kelly an American actress, died in a car accident at the age of 52 after suffering a stroke.</p> <p dir="ltr">She appeared in several movies including <em>Mogambo</em> (1953), <em>To Catch A Thief</em> (1955) and three <em>Alfred Hitchcock</em> thrillers before retiring from acting at the age of 26.</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to marry Prince Rainier III in April 1956, earning her the title of Princess of Monaco, and the couple had three children, Princess Caroline, 65, Prince Albert, 64, and Princess Stéphanie, 57.</p> <p dir="ltr">The official Instagram page of the Monaco Royal Family shared a series of photos of Princess Grace in her memory.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In Memoriam Princesse Grace de Monaco 1929 - 1982,” the caption simply read.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her son Prince Albert said it doesn’t feel like 40 years had passed and people still remember his mother.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It doesn't seem like 40 years," he told <a href="https://people.com/royals/prince-albert-remembers-his-mother-princess-grace-on-the-40th-anniversary-of-her-death/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PEOPLE</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Many times during a day, a week, not only do I find myself thinking of her, but numbers of people still recall her to me.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They remember her and that's a great tribute to her and who she was — to what an exceptional human being she was.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Forty years on, she still captures people's imagination. She managed to capture the imagination and attention of several younger generations and not many have done that. It's an incredible gift that she had.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She had charm and incredible allure about her. And It's not only her beauty or the fashion icon that she was that attracts people, It was her warmth, her heart, the humanity people saw in her that they remember."</p> <p dir="ltr">He said if he could speak to his mother again, he would want her to meet his children.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If I could speak to her, I would say that I wish she were here to see her grandchildren and how great they are. They're great kids."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram/Fausto Picedi, Georges Lukomski, Gianni Bozzachi, Italo Bazzoli</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Kelly Slater’s former beachside stay goes under the hammer

<p dir="ltr">The coastal home that hosted US surfing champion Kelly Slater has been listed for sale.</p> <p dir="ltr">It isn’t the only reason Slater has been in the news lately, after he made waves when he spoke out against the Australian government’s <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/those-are-the-rules-kelly-slater-barred-from-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">handling of Novak Djokovic’s deportation</a> and its response to the NSW flood crisis, which he said was “nothing short of appalling”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The home’s current owner, former Quiksilver International boss Bruce Raymond, has listed the home with plans to stay local following the sale. Raymond, who learned how to surf when he was just four-years-old, has lived near the beach all his life and continues to surf everyday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This was to be our forever home but I’m scaling down now. I’ll stay in the area,” he told <em><a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/news/kelly-slaters-sydney-crash-pad-home-of-exquiksilver-boss-bruce-raymond-at-bilgola-beach-for-sale/?rsf=syn:news:nca:news:spa:strap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">realestate.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Bilgola in Sydney’s Northern Beaches boasts stunning views of the ocean and Avalon’s beachfront.</p> <p dir="ltr">The house includes hardwood floors throughout, pool views from the kitchen, and even a self-contained guest suite on the ground floor.</p> <p dir="ltr">Outside, the alfresco terrace and its entertaining area are protected from the area’s harsh southerly winds. Raymond has also transformed the garden into a micro farm, including three veggie plots, a shed, and a mini windmill.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-bilgola+beach-138894855" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listing</a>, the home will be heading to auction on April 12 with a price guide of $5,375,000.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1b8aee2e-7fff-fe05-15f4-6082fb3176d3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @kellyslater (Instagram), realestate.com.au</em></p>

Real Estate

Placeholder Content Image

Terence Kelly confesses to abducting Cleo Smith

<p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p>Cleo Smith’s abductor Terence Kelly has confessed to kidnapping the four-year-old from her family tent and keeping her captive for 18 days.</p> <p>Kelly, 36, was arrested after detectives raided his Carnarvon house at 12.46 am on November 3rd and found the little girl alone inside a bedroom playing with toys.</p> <p>The next day Terence was charged with child abduction and flown to Perth where he remains in custody at Casuarina Prison. During an appearance in Carnarvon Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Kelly pleaded guilty to child abduction via video link.</p> <p>Kelly appeared solemn and spent much of the hearing looking down. He spoke only one word, ‘guilty’, when asked by Magistrate Ben White what his plea to the kidnapping charge was.</p> <p>He admitted taking Cleo from her family’s tent on October the 16th at Quobba Blowholes campsite as her parents slept metres away.</p> <p>Following one of the largest missing persons investigations in Australian history, Cleo was rescued 18 days later after four detectives stormed Kelly’s home in a midnight raid.</p> <p>In the days after Cleo’s rescue, WA Police acting Commissioner Col Blanch said mobile phone data and CCTV footage of a car entering Carnarvon the night Cleo vanished led police to raid Kelly’s house.</p> <p>The details of why Kelly took Cleo, or how police solved the case, are yet to be revealed in court.</p> <p>Cleo’s family have declined to speak to media since her safe return, only issuing a statement thanking the community for its support and requesting privacy.</p> <p>The Nine Network, which publishes this masthead, will pay almost $2 million for an interview with the family in what is believed to be one of the largest deals in Australian television history.</p> <p>Outside court, before Kelly’s admission, a former neighbour of Kelly’s, Esther Mingo, told media she hoped Kelly would “open his mouth up” and tell the truth.</p> <p>She also voiced repeated frustration that none of his family members were attending his court hearings.</p> <p>“He’s got stacks of family ... where are his mother and father, why don’t they come here?” she said.</p> <p>After the hearing, Ms Mingo and two other women refused to speak to the media. His lawyer, Kate Turtley-Chappel, also declined to comment.</p> <p>Kelly will appear in Perth District Court on March 25th for a date to be set for his sentencing.</p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

"Those are the rules": Kelly Slater barred from Australia

<p>Surfing legend Kelly Slater has been told he will not be able to enter Australia without a Covid-19 vaccination. </p> <p>The 11-time world champion has previously refused to disclose his vaccination status and spoken out about his exasperation about making the jab mandatory, but assured fans he's not anti-vax. </p> <p>He has, however, publicly defended American podcast host Joe Rogan over dishing out dangerous health advice, and more recently blasted the Australian government over the decision to deport Novak Djokovic. </p> <p>After Novak's highly publicised deportation last week, Slater took to social media to say, <span>"maybe Stockholm Syndrome can now change its name to Melbourne/Australia syndrome", and "so much brainwashed hatred in people's hearts regardless of vax status".</span></p> <p><span>After receiving backlash over his views, the surfing champ deleted the posts. </span></p> <p><span>Despite his opinions, Slater now faces the same fate as Novak Djokovic, as he risks being barred from entering the country if he continues to refuse to disclose his vaccination status, unless he proves he is eligible for a legitimate exemption. </span><span></span></p> <p><span>Slater is planning to enter Australia for the upcoming World Surf League championship events, which will take place in Victoria in April, before another event in Western Australia. </span></p> <p>Federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck said Slater "has no chance of getting into the country" if he is not vaccinated.</p> <p>"I reckon he knows the rules. It doesn't matter whether you're a surfer, or a tennis player, a tourist or anyone else, those are the rules. They apply to everyone," Colbeck said.</p> <p><span>"I don't like the chances of him competing in Victoria, and I'd hate to think of what the chances were of him competing in Western Australia."</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

Terence Darrell Kelly's nanna speaks out

<p>After a recent court appearance, Terence Darrell Kelly's nanna has spoken about about the alleged abduction of Cleo Smith. </p> <p>Speaking to reporters outside the Carnarvon courthouse, Esther Mingo said she is concerned for Terence's safety while he remains in Perth's <span>maximum-security Casuarina Prison.</span></p> <p><span>“We all know what Casuarina prison is (like). People go there and spend life and they kill people. They belt them until they kill them,” she said, adding that she hoped Terence was being kept in isolation and away from other prisoners.</span></p> <p><span>Esther went on to say that she "cried and cried" when she learned of Terence's arrest in relation to the abduction of 4-year-old Cleo </span>Smith. </p> <p>She described Terence as a “nice person” and said she was going to ask him to “tell me the truth” when she went to visit him in prison on Tuesday.</p> <p>“I do feel upset. I need something to be done right for him,” she said.</p> <p>Terence Kelly appeared via video link in the Carnarvon Local Court, where he was charged with multiple offences, including forcibly taking a child under 16. </p> <p>His recent court appearance was the first time he was seen since he was escorted onto a plane by police a month ago. </p> <p>He was not considered eligible for bail and was remanded in custody.</p> <p>He will next appear in court on January 24 for a hearing for further legal advice.</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News / WA Police</em></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Why Terence Darrell Kelly’s neighbour is clearing out

<p><em>Images: 7NEWS</em></p> <p>The neighbour of accused Cleo Smith kidnapper, Terence Kelly is so scared of what will happen once police leave the area that he’s packing up and leaving.</p> <p>Ever since Cleo was found at the home 18 days after she went missing, there has been a strong police presence at the Carnarvon property.</p> <p>Detectives and forensic officers have been at the Tonkin Crescent house each day, but security guards have also protected the house from vandalism or vigilante attacks while Kelly is in custody and police carry out their work.</p> <p>Kelly’s neighbour believes once police and security presence stops, the duplex could become the target “revenge” attacks and vandalism.</p> <p>“The house will be smashed,” he told 7NEWS.</p> <p>“A lot of people are disappointed and angry about what has happened, so there’s a greater chance that once the police are gone, we expect something will happen.</p> <p>“100 per cent sure they will come here and smash the house.”</p> <p>As he was packing up on Thursday, Kelly’s neighbour showed 7NEWS through his property, which is a mirror image of the home next door where Cleo Smith was held captive.</p> <p>The two bedrooms are positioned away from the common wall, which is hardly sound proofed, with only fibro and a timber frame separating the living rooms of the two properties.</p> <p>“I find it hard to know that it was right next door to me. It took me a while to absorb it.”</p> <p>Kelly was described as the perfect neighbour. He didn’t drink, didn’t smoke or take drugs and the two would occasionally chat when taking the bins out. Kelly would keep an eye on his house if he was away.</p> <p>Kelly’s neighbour has been offered a new place to live in wake of what allegedly happened next door.</p> <p>Police have stripped Kelly’s home gathering evidence, all but the sleeping bag which still remains missing.</p> <p>Police tape is set to come down once a final sweep of the home has been done. Those who have become accustomed to street presence have growing fears about what might happen next.</p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

The best fashion on the Melbourne Cup field

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As lockdown restrictions finally ease in Victoria, thousands of eager racing fans flocked to the Flemington racecourse for the annual Melbourne Cup.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There was a sea of bright coloured frocks, as everyone took the opportunity to dress up their springtime best. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Among those attending the race that stops the nation was songstress and former judge on <em>The Voice</em> Delta Goodrem. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Delta wore a show-stopping strapless green jumpsuit, adored with a giant pink bow on her hip and pink hat to match. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Delta spoke with </span><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10154643/Delta-Goodrem-Jessica-Rowe-tease-glamorous-outfits-ahead-Melbourne-Cup.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daily Mail Australia</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as she said she was just thrilled to be out of the house again. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">And I guess that's a gift to us to know that it's been so tough for all of us these last couple of years, and hopefully this marks a really exciting comeback for all of us.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Also dressing up for the big race were <em>Studio 10</em> hosts Sarah Harris and Angela Bishop, as Sarah made a bold statement in a one-shoulder red dress with a matching geometric headpiece. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Angela Bishop donned a pastel floral dress, with a stand-out gold headpiece to complete the look. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Michelle Payne, who became the first and only female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in 2015, wore a backless turquoise dress, with a tinsel-inspired headdress. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers was also in attendance, as her pastel yellow dress and bright red accessories made the perfect spring statement. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As James McDonald won the race with his horse Verry Elleegant, all the spectators cheered and roared, some over their winning bets and some to be out in the Victorian sunshine with a glass of bubbly once more. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram</span></em></p>

Beauty & Style

Placeholder Content Image

"That's rude": Tina Arena's explosive comment to Angela Bishop

<p>Australian music icon Tina Arena has slammed the lack off support given to the entertainment industry throughout the pandemic in a passionate plea on <em>Studio 10</em>. </p> <p>The singer, who will be featured in the upcoming <em>Young Talent Time</em> 50th anniversary special, blasted the "double standard" of the government cancelling music shows across the country, but sporting events still being allowed to go ahead. </p> <p>“I also hate the differentiation between sport and arts in Australia. As the artistic community, we will draw the line in the sand now and say, ‘No more of your double standards now,’” she continued.</p> <p>“Sport is a great thing, but life is not just about sport, life is about art and culture … I would encourage the artistic community to come forward, and I’d encourage anybody else to start thinking straight now.”</p> <p>Entertainment reporter Angela Bishop agreed with Tina, noting how much events has been cancelled on short notice, but "<span>never the footy match”.</span></p> <p><span>Tina was visibly outraged, </span>saying "That's a categoric disrespect."</p> <p>Tina Arena is one of millions of Melbourne natives who have been coping with seemingly endless lockdowns, <span>which is due to have had the most days under lockdown of any city in the world on October 4th. </span><br /><span></span></p> <p><span>“I’ve really struggled, and I’m comfortable in saying that. I’ve had a very difficult time, like many people. I’m profoundly against being locked up – the injustice is too much,” Arena said.</span></p> <p><span>Continuing on the injustice of the music industry, Tina noted how little financial support the arts have received during the pandemic. </span></p> <p><span>“I’m sorry, that’s rude, disrespectful, and shouldn’t be at all allowed to play out." </span></p> <p><span>"Never, ever silence an artist – we play an important role in the social fibre of any country. It’s freedom of expression, and I’ll fight for it until the day I die.”</span></p> <p><span>Angela Bishop noted that one of Tina's few stage performances in recent years was the February 2020 Firefight </span>concert to raise money for those affected by the bushfires. </p> <p><span>“It seems people have forgotten about the arts community when </span>they’re <span>in need,” Angela suggested, to which Arena agreed.</span></p> <p>“If anything goes wrong, the artistic community has always lifted their sleeves up."</p> <p>"We’ve gone in there and done what we needed to do. We’re very happy to play that role to help people – it’s what we do,” said Arena.</p> <p>“Now we’re in trouble, is someone helping us? No. It’s amazing how people just fly away and disappear..."</p> <p>“You know what? DONE. We’re done, and now we’re saying it. Just stop this ridiculous, preposterous behaviour. It’s got to stop,” she said.</p> <p>Tina's impassioned speech struck a chord with viewers ion Studio 10, as many agreed that more should be done to support Australian artists. </p> <p>One fan tweeted, "I'm ready for Tina Arena to be PM."</p> <p>Another said, "Tina articulating how we all feel. We are an incredibly resilient community but we are beyond exhausted."</p> <p><em>Image credit: Studio 10</em></p>

Music

Our Partners