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Larry Emdur's crazy pledge ahead of Logies

Channel Seven presenter Larry Emdur is up for his first Gold Logie and he's so sure he won't win that he's made a wild pledge if he does end up being crowned. “I’m so confident I won’t win, I’ll happily get all the nominees name initials tattooed on my arse on the Morning Show live on Monday [if I do],” he told news.com.au. Despite the presenter hosting popular TV shows for over 30 years, including The Price Is Right, Wheel of Fortune, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, this is his first Logie nomination ever. Before his hosting hobs on TV, Emdur was a cadet journalist at Seven, where he earned the title of ‘Australia’s youngest ever national newsreader’ when he presented the overnight news at just 19. While the title sounds pretty cool, the host revealed the truth behind how he got the role. “There’s a bit of a twist to that... it’s been slightly misrepresented over the years, but it was an overnight shift that no one wanted to do,” he said. “For me, I wanted to surf all day, so I was like, ‘OK, I’ll do the overnight shift’. And that gave me the title back then as the youngest national newsreader.” He landed his first job as a paperboy for Fairfax, and while it was "the crappiest early entry job", Emdur said he initially "wasn’t in there to be part of the media. I really just wanted to surf all day.” It wasn't until a journo gave him a tip-off suggesting he rewrite an existing article about crime in Bondi and offer it to a community newspaper when things started to kick off for his career. He wrote his very first article 'The Bondi Crime Plague by Larry Emdur’ on a typewriter and sent it to the Bondi Spectator’s office. “They were only doing bowling reports, commercials, adverts and stuff. So they weren’t big on news. And I just wrote a note saying, ‘I’m interested in getting into the media. Dear editor, could you let me know what you think of this?’,” he said. “That was a Monday, and Mum came into my room on a Thursday morning, woke me up and said, ‘Is this you?’ And [there it was] on page 3." “So, I was a reporter now. I was basically stealing stories, but I was a journalist. I thought, ‘This is unbelievable’.” He then interned for Seven during the Christmas period and got his early break producing a story that made it to air with the help of late New Zealand musician Ricky May. “I put that down to Ricky May. He just picked me out his crowd and went, ‘Follow me. I’ll make a story with you.’” This was a pivotal moment in his career before he was eventually promoted to national news reading, and is now a popular figure on Aussie TV. Despite this, the Morning Show co-host still stands by his Logie prediction. “I feel confident that I won’t be getting a tattoo on my arse on the Morning Show,” he said. Images: Instagram

"This is crazy": MasterChef Australia 2024 winner crowned

MasterChef Australia has crowned its 2024 winner! Nat Thaipun has emerged as the winner of the coveted title and took home a whopping $250,000. In the intense finale, the final two contestants Josh Perry and Nat Thaipun had 75 minutes to cook up something spectacular for the judges using black peppercorns as the key ingredient. While Perry went with a rib-eye with some brussels sprouts and peppercorn sauce, with a spin on the vegees and some pureed sauce, Thaipun went with a Thai twist on a hearty pub meal, the scotch egg. In the first round, Thapun managed to secure a total of 36/40, while Perry walked away from round one with 33/40. In the second round, the contestants were asked to recreate renowned British chef Claire Smith's "Core-teaser", an incredibly detailed version of the classic Malteaser, with 113 steps to follow. Both contestants struggled with the dessert, but Perry ended up struggling the most with one of the dish's key elements which resulted in his malt sugar ball going "pear-shaped". Perry "absolutely nailed it" despite missing an element of the dessert, and Thaipun was "pretty bang on" with the flavours of the dish, but the judges thought her texture was off. Despite this, it was the extra points in the first round that gave Thaipun the advantage of winning the show. <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/C9e3cmaP66A/?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/C9e3cmaP66A/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by MasterChef Australia (@masterchefau)</a> </div> </blockquote> Speaking about her huge win, she told the judges: “I feel so good. This is crazy, it feels like a dream, but it’s not!” Former MasterChef winner Julie Goodwin congratulated Thaipun on her win on Instagram. "Congratulations Nat and to all who competed. Best wishes for whatever adventures come next!" she wrote. Fans also congratulated Thaipun. "From the immunity pin winner to the Masterchef winner !!! 👏👏👏" wrote one. "Omg, congratulations! She's so consistent and strong and clever innovative from start to the grand finale!🙌" added another. "What a great finale cook!!! Truly enjoyed this season. So many talented cooks but so delighted Nat won 💛" a third wrote. Images: Channel 10/ Instagram

Food & Wine

"It seems crazy": Shane Dixon's gambling friend breaks his silence

The man who befriended Shane Dixon on a P&O Cruise before he plunged overboard has broken his silence, saying he too fell victim to seductive gambling tactics. The man, James, and his friends met Shane on the first day of the Elvis themed cruise and casually socialised throughout the entire trip. James, his friends, and Shane all spent time together in the onboard casino, where James was shocked by the blatant practices used by the cruise line to lure gamblers to the table. "We all got given free cruises to use in the next six months from the casino director and I myself racked up almost $2,000 gambling which was charged to my credit card, something I would never normally do in a million years," James told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13415149/p-o-cruises-gambling-shane-dixon-suicide-pacific-adventure.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a>. "He [Shane] was a great guy and it’s so wrong how the casinos push so hard to get you to gamble more.'" When onboard a P&O cruise, customers use their room key, or "cruise card", as a form of currency to pay for various items onboard the ships. Passengers can either pay "cash" by topping their cruise card up with set cash amounts using machines located around the vessel or by "card" by linking it to a credit or debit card. James said the same payment methods extend to the casino, as every time a passenger plays a game in the casino they need to scan their cruise card, regardless of which type of payment arrangement they have set up. When funds are depleted, players have the option to select "charge room" to add more money and the bill will be charged to the card associated with your room at the end of every day. James said paying with this method makes it difficult to track how much you have spent, particularly as there is no internet on board to monitor transactions through online banking. When James, luckily, won back most of his debt and chose to walk away from the table before any more damage occurred, he asked the cashier if he could enter a self-exclusion arrangement to bar him as he didn't trust himself to not spend the cash. However, James said the cashier told him self-exclusion was not an option. "They should have been able to [disable my room key] just like they do with minors, but the cashier said they don’t know how or if it’s even possible," he said. "It seems crazy!" According to P&O's website, self-exclusion is one of the initiatives punters can access under the company's "commitment to the responsible delivery of gaming on our ships". The last time James saw Shane was while they were all dancing together in a bar at midnight on Monday. While he left to go to a club, Shane went back to the casino and just four hours later, the father-of-three was dead. "We were all drinking heavily but he was full of energy and happy," James said, recalling their last encounter. "He had been saying how he had lost heaps at the casino but we didn't know his situation so didn’t know how much of a big deal it was. He didn’t seem overly upset about it at the time. He seemed fine." Shane had racked up over $4,000 in gambling debt, and went overboard while the ship was making its way into Sydney Harbour. Image credits: Facebook / Shutterstock

Cruising

"This is crazy": Teenager goes fishing and emerges a millionaire

A 19-year-old fisherman has reeled in a million-dollar barramundi as part of a years long fishing competition. Keegan Payne, a self proclaimed "mad keen" fisherman, caught the fish that had been tagged as part of a nine year long fishing competition in the Katherine River. When the teenager from the Norther Territory was told that he had taken home the prize, he said he planned to use his winnings to help his parents pay off their home loans. "This is crazy for us, we're a big family, there's eight of us. This is more money than we could ever ask for. This is just great," Payne said. "It means so much. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I'm happy, really happy." "I can buy what I want, maybe help Dad and Mum out with the home loans," he said. Payne was on a fishing trip with family and a friend at the Katherine River when he caught the prized barramundi, and quickly made a call to the hotline for the competition. The organisers confirmed he had caught the million-dollar fish, and invited him and his family to collect the prize. The competition has been running since 2015, but until now, nobody had reeled in one of the million-dollar barramundi. Every season, more than a hundred fish tagged with special markings are released in waterways across the Northern Territory, and while most of the fish are worth $10,000, some are worth the major prize of $1 million. Keegan chose charity partner Cancer Council NT to receive $10,000 from Sportsbet, a sponsor of the competition. NT Major Events Company chief executive Suzana Bishop said organisers were "so happy and excited for Keegan". "We guaranteed a winner this season and we're delighted to see the prize go off," said Sportsbet chief executive Barni Evans. Image credits: Million Dollar Fish

Domestic Travel

"You're crazy": Adele accidentally confirms long-running rumour

Adele has reignited a long-standing rumour about her relationship status during her concert in Las Vegas. During her residency show on Saturday night, one excited concertgoer jokingly proposed to the iconic singer, with the moment being captured on video by another fan. Adele, 35, replied to the fan's tongue-in-cheek proposal by saying, "You can't marry me. I'm straight, my love, and my husband's here tonight," referring to her partner of two years, NBA agent Rich Paul, 41. The female fan asked Adele if she'd be willing to "try", to which the singer quipped, "No, I don't want to try! I'm with Rich... you're crazy, leave me alone." The clip of the moment was then posted to TikTok, as fans flocked to the comments to speculate if she was joking about her relationship status, or if she had married her partner in secret. Since the pair first started dating in July 2021, they have attracted a slew of marriage rumours. She last addressed the rumours in 2022 in a candid chat with <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a40803238/adele-interview-elle-september-cover-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elle</a> magazine, in which she said "I'm not married. I'm not married!...I'm just in loooove! I'm happy as I'll ever be." The couple first met at a mutual friend's birthday party and immediately hit it off. "I was a bit drunk," Adele revealed in a 2021 interview with <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/adele-british-vogue-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vogue</a>. "I said, 'Do you want to sign me? I'm an athlete now.'" "He was dancing. All the other guys were just sitting around. He was just dancing away," the singer added. Image credits: Getty Images

Relationships

"Crazy" development stuns John Farnham

John Farnham has been left stunned by a "crazy" resurgence in his popularity following the premiere of the documentary about his life. John Farnham: Finding the Voice aired on Monday night and follows the highs and lows of his remarkable career. The documentary has smashed viewing records, with the television broadcast of the film quickly becoming the most watched entertainment program on Monday. The film, which became the highest Australian grossing feature length documentary of all-time since opening at cinemas in mid-May, had 1.3 million viewers nationally for the Seven broadcast. In the days following the premiere, Farnham’s popularity has had a massive resurgence, with his albums dominating more than half the ARIA charts. Speaking to The Morning Show hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies, entertainment editor Peter Ford said that “everybody has kind of rediscovered John Farnham” after seeing the award-winning doco. “Yesterday, at one point John had 12 of the top 20 in the albums charts and then he had another five in the 20 to 40,” Ford said. “This includes Greatest Hits Collections, Age of Reason, Full House, of course, Whispering Jack, even his Christmas album with Olivia Newton-John got into the charts in July." “So, you know, it’s just fantastic that people have gone and discovered that music again." “John’s still going through a challenging time, even though we’ve got the great news that he is cancer free. Obviously it’s still a tough road." “And so to have this success in the box office at the movies, the biggest documentary ever to go in cinemas, the TV success and now the chart success ... good, good days.” The resurgence of Farnham's popularity comes just days after his son Robert gave a <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/he-sings-at-home-again-john-farnham-s-son-gives-heart-warming-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heart-warming update</a> on his father's health following his major surgery. The 74-year-old underwent a 12-hour operation after being diagnosed with throat cancer, with surgeons removing a tumour in his mouth and reconstructing his jaw. Now, Robert says his dad is now “cancer free” and is “really really happy”. “He’s doing fantastic,” he said on Sunrise. “Just the other day he was, you know, walking around with his cane and did a little bit of a dance, which was pretty fabulous." “He’s walking with his dog a lot — so he’s really, really happy.” “Like we’ve said before, cancer is a terrible, terrible thing. And it’s his time to walk that road, but he’s cancer free." “He sings at home again, the whole thing.” Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

5 negotiation tactics to grab crazy property deals in a slowing market

Rising interest rates have started to put the handbrakes on Australia’s runaway property market, and that’s good news for homebuyers who are now in a far stronger position to negotiate on a property than they have been over the last few years. One of the most apparent advantages for buyers in the current market is the reduced levels of competition. Fewer buyers mean that prices aren’t being driven higher, and if you’re a good negotiator, it’s possible to swoop in and find yourself a bargain. If you’re new to negotiating for property or unsure where to start, here are five tactics that will help you achieve a strong result at the negotiating table. <ol> <li>Know the market</li> </ol> You can’t succeed in a negotiation if you don’t know the value of the asset that you’re trying to buy in the first place. That’s why any good negotiator will always start by doing their research. You need to know the market better than your competition and don’t get caught up in any hype or opinions from a sales agent. Start by finding what comparable properties are selling for in the market. Look for the last three months of sales around your property. The sales should be of similar property types, sizes, ages, and land components. Another good way to get an idea of the price is to speak with local agents in the area. When you have a fair market value, you then know your “walk away price,” and you won’t find yourself getting emotional and overbidding. <ol start="2"> <li>Understand the vendor’s motivations</li> </ol> In any negotiation, there is a saying that whoever needs the deal least will likely be the one that comes out on top. When looking at potential properties to buy, you can be the world’s best negotiator, but if the vendor doesn’t need to sell, they will likely either wait for their price or walk away. Whenever you start looking at a property, try to ascertain as much information about the vendor as possible. That will give you an understanding of how motivated they are to sell, which will then impact how much you initially want to offer. <ol start="3"> <li>Be the strong bidder, not the highest</li> </ol> In a property transaction, price is just one piece of the puzzle. When a vendor weighs up an offer on their property, they are interested in the price, but the terms can also play a big part. For example, if you’re a cash buyer who can settle quickly, that might be far more appealing to a vendor than a higher offer that needs three months to settle. Similarly, a larger deposit could give a vendor more certainty that the transaction will occur. As a buyer, getting your finances in place ahead of time and then tailoring your terms to suit the vendor might give you an edge in a negotiation even if you’re not the highest bidder. Ultimately, the vendor wants their problem solved, and your job is to find out what it is and then make a strong offer that addresses those immediate needs. If you are ever tempted to make an unconditional offer, be sure you’ve done extensive due diligence and can secure finance, as there could be significant costs if you have to back out of the deal. <ol start="4"> <li>Unique offers</li> </ol> A great way to make your offer seem stronger than it might actually be is to come in with an odd-numbered amount. An offer price of $596,200 instead of $590,000 or $600,000 reflects that you’ve taken the time to do your due diligence, making your offer stand out. Another approach is to make a written offer with a deadline. That way, you can speed up the negotiation process, and it might prevent the sales agent from pitting your bid against another buyer to drive up the price. <ol start="5"> <li>Know the property</li> </ol> It’s critical to clearly understand what you’re buying before entering any negotiation. While you might have done your comparable sales analysis and have an excellent overall picture of what similar properties are selling for, you still need to investigate this particular property. Several things can impact the property’s value, which can help you negotiate. For example, if an awkward tenant occupies the property, it will be less appealing to many homebuyers, which you can use to your advantage. There may also be issues with the property, such as problematic zoning, service locations, or even large trees that can alter its value. The most obvious factor to consider is the state of the property and whether it needs renovation or repairs. In the current market, homebuyers are less interested in buying a property that needs work due to the cost of materials and difficulty finding tradespeople. That will give you a strong starting point to negotiate around the price. While getting a great deal is essential, it’s crucial not to compromise on the property’s quality. Quality is more important than a bargain, and a property’s performance will ultimately determine its value. A slowing real estate market presents an opportunity for buyers to negotiate and secure a great property deal. By understanding the local market, paying attention to the vendor’s motivations, and putting forward intelligent offers, you can potentially grab an excellent property deal in a slowing market. Rasti Vaibhav is the author of The Property Wealth Blueprint (RRP $39.95) and Founder of Get RARE Properties, a bespoke independent buyers' agency that has been helping hundreds of clients across Australia secure their financial freedom through property. For more information, visit <a href="https://getrare.com.au">https://getrare.com.au</a> Image credits: Getty Images

Real Estate

5 money mistakes that drive experts crazy and what to do instead

Cost of living has hit us hard across the board, from interest rate rises through to inflation increasing the price of a weekly shop along with a range of goods and services. As a financial planner, I spend a lot of my time talking to clients about how to get the most value from their earnings. No matter the income level, there’s often key money mistakes people make that can have a real impact on their financial life in addition to the cost of living pressures. In good news, these can easily be fixed once you start paying attention to them. Let’s take a look at the 5 most common and how to solve them. Thinking too short term People generally spend more time on planning their holidays than to planning their financial lives. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking to short-term. If we get paid weekly or fortnightly or monthly we tend to think about planning and spending in the same timeframe. There is real benefit though too having some medium and long term planning. Medium term planning is especially important for paying off debts and savings goals. Long term planning is especially important for your retirement planning including your superannuation and even paying off a home loan. So spend some time thinking about your medium and long term goals too. The average weekly wage in Australia is $1,769.80 per week. Over 12 months that is $92,029.60. Over a 45 year working life that amount is over $4.1 million. That’s a lot of income! Respect your earnings and make a plan to make the most of it, not only in the short term, but the medium and long term too. Not paying attention to your spending As a financial planner I’ve genuinely lost count of the number of clients I’ve had sitting across the desk from me who earn great money but don't know where a great deal if it goes. They earn a good wage and they have a sense that things are going OK, because they think too short term. They also don’t pay attention to their spending. As a result they miss out on medium and long-term opportunities to make the most of their earnings. Paying attention to your spending doesn't mean that you have to give up the things you love for example a morning coffee on your way to work either. Paying attention to your spending is not like being on a diet. It’s not about going without. It’s about making sure when you do spend your hard earned money you shop around to try and get the best value you can. Credit cards, loans, car insurance, mobile phones, electricity bills and health insurance are all regular expenses most people have. They should however never be set and forget. Find better value and pay attention to your spending. It will give you the opportunity to save and invest more and achieve your goals sooner. Being uninterested in interest rates Ask anyone with a home loan right now and they will tell you about the impact of rising interest rates on their life. Interest is the cost of money. If you’re a lender, it’s what you pay for borrowing money. It might be a short-term loan like a credit card, a medium-term loan like a personal loan for a car, or a long-term loan to help you buy a mortgage. If you’re an investor interest also matters. Let’s say you’ve saved $50,000 and were getting a 4% return, that’s an extra $2,000 a year on top of your current wage or salary. I’m sure there’s lots you could do with that money. Regardless if you’re a borrower or an investor, the interest rate you’re paying or earning matters. Over time, interest adds up. Over 5 years, for example, that $2,000 becomes $10,000, plus there’s interest earned on the interest too. If you’ve got debt pay it back as quickly as you can comfortably afford to. And if you’re about to get a debt, factor in a few additional interest rate rises. It is really important to make sure you stress-test your ability to pay back the loan under higher interest rates. Not keeping it real Most things we do in life have a financial consequence and it’s important to keep it real. I spend a great of my time as a financial planner asking people what really matters to them. Is life really about showing off to family and friends new purchases on Instagram? Probably not. Having a focus on your own goals makes a world of difference. It provides you with something that can drive you forward. One of the real dangers of the social media world we live in today, especially for younger Australians is the desire to keep up with their friends. What they often don’t see is the financial stress their friends are putting themselves under to have everything right now or the difficult conversations behind closed doors about how to keep it going or reduce the financial stress they’re not telling you about. Your only obligation in your adult financial life is to yourself, your spouse and your kids if you have them. Being overconfident is just as dangerous for your financial health as being too under confident in your financial life. Being overconfident may make you take too much risk. Being too conservative might mean you miss out on opportunities. At the end of the day you need to find the right balance for you and make sure the goals you set and the financial decisions you make are within your own comfort zone. Forgetting to reward and celebrate success along the way If you’re going to set yourself some medium and long-term goals, pay attention to your spending and interest rates as well as keeping it real, then you also need to reward yourself along the way. Rewarding yourself for achieving goals makes setting goals much easier. And if you’ve got medium and long term goals like paying off a car loan, paying down the mortgage or saving into super for your retirement, celebrate key milestones. For example it might be going out for a nice dinner or getting concert tickets for every $25,000 that’s saved into super or paid off a home loan. Your financial life done well shouldn’t be a chore or a bore. If it is you’re doing it wrong. Spend some time and energy to rethink your financial life, learn more about how money works and go forward more confidently to achieve your goals. Luke Smith is a licensed Australian financial planner and author of the new book, Smart Money Strategy – Your Ultimate Guide to Financial Planning (Wiley, $34.95), published by Wiley. Luke is also the host of the popular podcast ‘The Strategy Stacker – Luke Talks Money’ and appears every Friday afternoon on Canberra’s 2CC. Find out more at <a href="http://www.thestrategystacker.com.au">www.thestrategystacker.com.au</a> Image credits: Getty Images

Money & Banking

"This is crazy": Ellen shares worrying update from storm-lashed LA

Former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres shared an update on Twitter showing the intensity of the wild storms hitting Los Angeles. The 64-year-old gave an up close and personal look at how the storm was wreaking havoc near her Montecito mansion. "Montecito is under mandatory evacuation. We are on higher ground so they asked us to shelter in place. Please stay safe everyone," she wrote. The video shows DeGeneres bundled up in a grey raincoat and hoodie as the rising floodwaters in the creek raged behind her. "This creek next to our house never flows, ever. It’s probably about nine feet [2.7m] up. It could go another two feet [60cm] up. We have horses ready to evacuate," she said. DeGeneres lives in an affluent area with other A-listers including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Montecito is under mandatory evacuation. We are on higher ground so they asked us to shelter in place. Please stay safe everyone. <a href="https://t.co/7dv5wfNSzG">pic.twitter.com/7dv5wfNSzG</a> — Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) <a href="https://twitter.com/EllenDeGeneres/status/1612591946635284480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2023</a></blockquote> DeGeneres referenced the five-year anniversary of the deadly mudslides that struck Southern California in 2018, leaving 23 people dead and over 160 others injured. "This is crazy, on the five-year anniversary. We’re having unprecedented rain,” she said. DeGeneres ended the video with a friendly reminder that: “We need to be nicer to mother nature, cause mother nature is not happy with us. Let’s all do our part. Stay safe everybody.” Various fans have commented their support and prayers for the former talk show host. "Wow, so sorry you have to go through that. Stay safe," one commented. "It’s 5 years to the day since 23 people died in the Montecito mudslides. Stay safe Ellen and everyone else," commented another. Image: Twitter

Travel Trouble

"This is crazy": Ben Fordham blasts gender-neutral terms at all-boys school

Ben Fordham has called out an all-boys private school that have encouraged teachers and students to use gender-inclusive terms. The principal of St Bede's College in Melbourne said in a letter to staff this week that the school was looking to change the language it uses following updated Victoria Child Safe Standards. The letter discouraged school staff from using terms such as "boy" and "young man" in an attempt to be more inclusive to non-binary students. "Can I ask that we start to use gender neutral language in our communications where possible?" the letter read, reports <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/victoria-education/st-bedes-push-for-more-inclusive-language/news-story/a1709b55ccdf81b2fdde3111a2942b08" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">The Herald Sun</a>. "I know it can be challenging when communicating with the parents of senior students and calling them 'children', so if anyone has a better gender neutral term than this, please let me know." "The use of the term 'student' rather than 'young man' or 'boy' can easily be made. I'm yet to find an alternative for 'Beda Boy' (graduated students), and given the history of this term, we would need to think carefully on any changes here." After the letter was made public, 2GB's Ben Fordham blasted the school policy saying it was political correctness gone too far. "This is crazy. Cancel culture has hit this all boys school in Melbourne," he said. The college confirmed "staff were asked to use gender neutral language where possible" to comply with new standards to ensure all students were included. "There are, and will continue to be, boys, young men and 'Beda Boys' within our College community," a statement from the school read. "At the forefront of our minds is, and will remain, the inclusion of all students at St Bede's College." Image credits: Instagram / St Bede's College

News

5 crazy cruise practices you won't believe are real

Cruising is one of the world’s oldest forms of travel, so naturally, a few crazy rituals have cropped up over time. Here are five of the strangest. <ol start="1"> <li>Baked Alaska parade – the dessert favourite has been subject to a strange ritual ever since the 20th century, when waiters would bring out trays of baked Alaska while performing a song and even dancing. It’s believed the parade first began when refrigeration first came to cruise ships, which was a source of celebration for many workers.</li> <li>Crab racing – this classic pirate game is still played on modern cruises quite regularly. Passengers choose their crab, perhaps make a small bet, and watch the critters battle it out to the finish line.</li> <li>Polar plunges – cruise routes which take passengers around some of Earth’s icier regions often offer an unorthodox activity: a dip in ice-cold waters. Those who brave the cool conditions may be rewarded with a certificate, but for many, the biggest reward is simply being able to say you’ve done it.</li> <li>Unlucky 17 – on dry land, 13 is considered to be the unluckiest number. However, for seafarers (particularly in Italy), the number 17 is cautiously avoided at all cost. This is because the Roman numeral XVII is an anagram for VIXI. Translation? “I have lived” or, “my life is over” in Latin.</li> <li>Tiramisu ceremony – you’re most likely to witness this ritual on Italian cruise ships, where it is traditional for waiters to bring out the famous dessert while singing and waving napkins.</li> </ol> Tell us in the comments below, have you witnessed any of these crazy cruise practices? Images: Getty

Cruising

Wedding photographer photoshops "crazy eyes" over blinking guests

A bride has gone viral for sharing her hilarious wedding photos that had been photoshopped to "fix" the faces of people blinking. Anaya Ramos-Bridgeford, from Pennsylvania in the US, took to Facebook to celebrate her recent marriage with a selection of photos from her big day. However, most of the people in the photos, including the bride herself, had "crazy eyes" after the photographer had attempted to edit out the people blinking. Anaya admitted feeling "upset" about the photoshop blunder, but said she "couldn't help but laugh". <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fanaya.ramos.31%2Fposts%2F1076308886431509&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="758" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> "My photographer called to allow me to view my photos before he released them to our entire family to view. I noticed that some of the pictures looked ODD," Anaya said in the Facebook post. "I am so upset but can’t help but laugh. I’ve been laughing all day." The now viral post has racked up much online attention, with a flood of comments praising the woman for sharing the hilariously altered pictures. One person said, "Thank you for sharing. I didn't know this was a thing but holy moly." Another said, "I see this a lot. Hire a pro, you won't regret it." Image credits: Facebook

Relationships

The crazy mango hack that’s gone viral

Mangoes are a warm-weather treat in Australia, and the presence of mangoes on grocery store shelves often signals the arrival of summer. In fact, Australians love mangoes so much that in the 2018 to 2019 year, around 11 million trays of mangoes were produced domestically. However, it seems that mango-lovers have been cutting up the delicious treat all wrong. A new mango-cutting hack has appeared on the internet, and it is genius. Simply use a knife to slice a mango right around the middle, then twist! However, there is a catch – this trick only works if your mango has a more cylindrical seed, than a flat disc-shaped seed, and it needs to be very ripe. There you go, another tip to enjoy a delicious Australian mango! Image: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Real estate in the metaverse is booming. Is it really such a crazy idea?

The idea of spending thousands or even millions of dollars to buy fictitious “land” in a virtual world sounds, to be frank, absurd. But in recent months, we’ve seen significant investments in virtual land within the metaverse. PwC is among <a href="https://www.consultancy.uk/news/30011/pwc-buys-virtual-land-nft-in-the-sandboxs-metaverse">the latest</a> to dive in, having purchased real estate in The Sandbox, a virtual gaming world, for an undisclosed amount. If other reported sales are anything to go by, it would have been a handsome sum. One person recently bought a plot of land in <a href="https://fortune.com/2021/12/09/snoop-dogg-rapper-metaverse-snoopverse/">the Snoopverse</a> – a virtual world rapper Snoop Dogg is developing within The Sandbox – for <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/sandbox-decentraland-virtual-land-sales-soar-metaverse-nfts-1267740/">US$450,000</a> (around £332,500). Meanwhile, the Metaverse Group, a real estate company focused on the metaverse economy, reportedly bought a piece of land in Decentraland, another virtual platform, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/metaverse-property-decentraland-nft-decentraland-b1965973.html">for US$2.43 million</a>. Let’s refresh on what the “metaverse” is. You probably heard the term a lot when Facebook re-branded to <a href="https://about.facebook.com/meta/">Meta</a> in October 2021. Other companies, such as <a href="https://www.theverge.com/22833369/nike-rtfkt-nft-sneaker-shoe-metaverse-company">Nike</a> and <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/5-household-names-companies-plans-metaverse-digital-crypto-2021-12">Microsoft</a>, have also announced they will launch into this space. The metaverse describes a vision of a connected 3D virtual world, where real and digital worlds are integrated using technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). This immersive environment will be accessible through the likes of VR headsets, AR glasses and smartphone apps. Users will meet and communicate as digital avatars, explore new areas and create content. The idea is the metaverse will develop to become a collaborative virtual space where we can socialise, play, work and learn. There are several metaverses already – for example in virtual gaming platforms like The Sandbox and virtual worlds like Decentraland. In the same way a website is part of the broader 2D world wide web, individual metaverses will form a larger, connected metaverse. Importantly, as in the real world, it is and increasingly will be possible to buy things in the metaverse – including real estate. <h2>Virtual land as an NFT</h2> Transactions in the virtual world are generally monetised using cryptocurrency. Other than cryptocurrenies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the primary method for monetising and exchanging value within the metaverse. An <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/nfts-digital-revolution-embodies-metaverse-theofilos-tzanidis/">NFT</a> is a unique digital asset. Although NFTs are primarily items of digital art (such as videos, images, music or 3D objects), a variety of assets may constitute an NFT – including virtual real estate. On platforms like <a href="https://opensea.io/">OpenSea</a>, where people go to buy and trade NFTs, there are now plots of land, or even virtual houses. To ensure digital real estate has value, supply is limited – a concept in economics called “scarcity value”. For example, <a href="https://decentraland.org/">Decentraland</a> is made up of 90,000 pieces or “parcels” of land, each around 50 feet by 50 feet. We’re already seeing examples where the value of virtual real estate is going up. In June 2021, a digital real estate investment fund called Republic Realm reportedly spent the equivalent of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fintech-nft-land-idCAKCN2DU1GA">more than US$900,000</a> to buy an NFT representing a plot on Decentraland. According to <a href="https://dappradar.com/blog/investors-buy-most-expensive-virtual-real-estate-ever-in-decentraland">DappRadar</a>, a website which tracks NFT sales data, it was the most expensive purchase of NFT land in Decentraland history. But then as we know, in November 2021, the Metaverse Group bought their plot in Decentraland for <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/virtual-real-estate-plot-sells-record-24-million-2021-11-23/">US$2.4 million</a>. The size of this purchase was actually smaller than the former – 116 land parcels compared to 259 bought by Republic Realm. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439652/original/file-20220106-27-dimlq9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="A man wears VR goggles." /> There are already several metaverses. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bearded-man-wearing-virtual-reality-goggles-519893707" class="source">SFIO CRACHO/Shutterstock</a> It’s not just Decentraland seeing appreciations. In February 2021, <a href="https://coinquora.com/axie-infinity-land-nft-sells-for-2-3-million-surpasses-record/">Axie Infinity</a> (another virtual gaming world) reportedly sold nine of their land parcels for the equivalent of US$1.5 million – a record, the company said – before one land parcel sold for US$2.3 million in November 2021. While it appears that values are climbing, it’s important to acknowledge that real estate investment in the metaverse remains extremely speculative. No one can be certain if this boom is the next great thing or the next big bubble. <h2>The future of metaverse real estate</h2> Financial incentives aside, you may be wondering what companies and individuals will actually do with their virtual land. As an example, the Metaverse Group’s purchase is in Decentraland’s fashion precinct. According to the buyer the space will be used to host digital <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/virtual-real-estate-plot-sells-record-24-million-2021-11-23/">fashion events</a> and sell virtual clothing for avatars – another potential area for growth in the metaverse. While investors and companies are dominating this space at the moment, not all metaverse real estate will set you back millions. But what could owning virtual land offer you? If you buy a physical property in the real world, the result is tangible – somewhere to live, to take pride in, to welcome family and friends. While virtual property doesn’t provide physical shelter, there are some parallels. In shopping for virtual real estate, you could buy a piece of land to build on. Or you could choose a house already built that you like. You could make it your own with various (digital) objects. You could invite visitors, and visit others’ virtual homes too. This vision is a while away. But if it seems completely absurd, we should remember that once upon a time, people had doubts about the potential significance of the internet, and then social media. Technologists predict the metaverse will mature into a <a href="https://www.matthewball.vc/all/themetaverse">fully functioning economy</a> in the coming years, providing a synchronous digital experience as interwoven into our lives as email and social networking are now. This is a strange fantasy come true for someone who was a gamer in a former life. Some years ago, a younger version of my conscience was telling me to stop wasting time playing video games; to go back to study and focus on my “real” life. Deep inside I always had this wish to see gaming overlapping with real life, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/">Real Player One</a> style. I feel this vision is inching ever closer.<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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174021/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/theo-tzanidis-1295734">Theo Tzanidis</a>, Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-west-of-scotland-1385">University of the West of Scotland</a> 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/real-estate-in-the-metaverse-is-booming-is-it-really-such-a-crazy-idea-174021">original article</a>. Image: denisik11/Shutterstock

Real Estate

“It is crazy”: 25-year-old woman stricken by Delta strain reveals ongoing symptoms

25-year-old Claudia Waitsman is still experiencing lingering COVID-19 symptoms more than a month after contracting the virus. The Eastern Suburbs woman was exposed to the virus during a trip to Joh Bailey’s hair salon in Double Bay, where the Delta strain outbreak started on June 16. However, Ms Waitsman has said she initially did not show symptoms. “I had been to the hairdressers on the Saturday, then I was told on the Wednesday I had to get a test and isolate. I started to get a headache on Wednesday evening but didn’t think it was related,” she told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/australia/sydney-woman-who-caught-covid-after-joh-bailey-hair-cut-reveals-symptoms/news-story/5f1d25cf7b845c21898a54812f4b4a61" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. “On the Friday, I thought I might have symptoms so I got tested on the Saturday - which turned out to be positive. “Once it hit I had shortness of breath, my body aching, that kind of agony, a headache. It was similar to the flu or glandular fever. I lost my sense of taste and smell which I still don’t have back almost a month later.” Since the start of the Delta strain outbreak, there have been 864 locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in New South Wales, with the state recording 97 new cases on Wednesday. Ms Waitsman, a real estate agent, said she was not surprised by the rapid spread of the virus. “It is crazy,” she said. “I was in lockdown in my bedroom, like completely in there I didn’t leave. But somehow my dad caught it, it is an absolute miracle my mum didn’t get infected. “I was even wearing gloves to eat my food to try and stop it from spreading.” Most of the cases recorded in the last few days have been revealed to be close and household contacts of those who are already infected. On Tuesday, three out of four new infections were found to be household contacts, according to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Image: Claudia Waitsman / Instagram

Body

Russell Crowe "put through a wall" on crazy night out

NRL great Bryan Fletcher has opened up about his encounter with Russell Crowe that left the two scrapping on a boozy night out. Featuring on Brett Finch’s 'Uncensored' podcast, Fletcher revealed the wild night he had with his South Sydney teammates and Crowe in the mid-2000s. Fletcher was the Rabbitohs captain in 2003 when he joined the club from the Roosters, however the team had suffered a nightmare season after winning only three games. The 47-year-old said he'd never met Crowe before his move to South Sydney, but had heard a rumour that the Hollywood star had promised to take the 2002 team to the Playboy Mansion if they made the finals. Fletcher says he was left with his mind in a scramble after Crowe contacted him near the middle of the 2003 season. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841241/rabbitohs-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/03710573c68e4e7699511d8951dec960" /> Fletcher however believed it was not actually Crowe on the other end of the line, and instead one of his teammates was pranking him. “I said, ‘How’s Meg? Is she good in the cot?’” Fletcher told Finch, referring to Meg Ryan who Crowe was dating during that time. “I said something more crude than that. “Then there was awkward silence and he goes, ‘Fletch, it’s Russell. Russell Crowe’. "And when he dropped his voice I knew straight away it was him and I’ve just gone, ‘F***, how do I get out of this?’” It turns out Crowe had wanted the South Sydney players to bring a pair of nice clothes after their training in order to take them out. “My imagination just starts going so by the time I get to Sutto (John Sutton) who’s the 17th bloke, I said, ‘Sutto, you’re not going to believe this bro, we are going to the Playboy Mansion’,” Fletcher said. “Everyone is frothing, thinking they’re going to the Playboy Mansion.” Sadly enough, the Rabbitohs didn’t go to LA, but instead arrived at a hotel in Woolloomooloo where cricket greats Shane Warne and Merv Hughes were waiting to kick them into gear with some inspirational words. However the night took a turn around 9 pm when Crowe brought out some bottles of Absinthe. “We went through 10 bottles. Ten bottles later and we’re going mad. It’s on. Blokes are cheering and carrying on,” Fletcher said. He went on to say Crowe had challenged him to some footy. “It was an odd time but I’m thinking, ‘You’ve got to humour Russ, he’s put this drink on for us’,” Fletcher said. “So Russell comes running at me and I tackle him how I always have my whole career and I miss him. He runs behind me and dives down behind an imaginary set of posts. “I said, ‘Good on you Russ’ and kept walking. I take two steps and I get pushed in the back. It’s Russ. He just stops in front of me and he goes, ‘You f***ing dog. You’re a f***ing cat. You’re a waste of money, you’re South Sydney’s worst ever captain’. "He was right but he didn’t have to say it to my face. “The boys have jerried to what’s going on … I got the s**ts and said, ‘Let’s just do this again’. “He basically gets up and runs at me and I get under his ribs and drive him … and put him through a wall and the boys are just going, ‘What the f*** are you doing? Why are you doing this?’ “Russ pops up, just shakes his head and goes, ‘That’s what I want to see!’ That was his motivation, so we end up having a terrific night, getting on the p***.” Crowe's motivational tactics seemed to do the job as the Rabbitohs would go on to thrash Melbourne Storm that weekend. However their victory was short-lived. “We beat them 42-10 and we did not win another game all year,” Fletcher admitted. Images: Getty

News

"Crazy": Terrifying three-metre find clogging up toilet

A man has had to call in the fire department after a "crazy" find in his toilet. Crews from Iskandar Puteri Fire Station in Malaysia were called to the bathroom of a house after the man was reportedly bitten on the bottom last month. The toilet was checked and firefights removed a 3.6-metre python from the toilet bowl. The size of the serpent was so large that it broke some of the piping, the fire department revealed. The snake was released safely outside. On Facebook, the snake’s “scary” bathroom exploits had some people spooked. “Be careful in the bathroom after this,” one woman wrote. “Don't forget to close the bathroom door too.” One man called it “crazy”, while another woman wrote it had her worried about using the bathroom at work. As for why the snake was slithering through the pipes, some suggested it’s possible the recent hot weather was to blame and the toilet-dwelling serpent was seeking a place to cool down.

Family & Pets

Woman's warning after Botox treatment leaves her with "crazy eyes"

A US woman has taken to social media to warn about the possible perils of Botox after she suffered an unusual side-effect from the procedure. Whitney Buha, who runs a lifestyle blog called Something Whitty, has documented the results after a botched Botox job made one of her eyes go droopy, making her look "two-faced." The correct name for the reaction is eyelid ptosis, where the upper eyelid droops over the eye. It's usually caused by ageing, an eye injury or as a result of eye surgery, but in Buha's case it happened because Botox was injected into the wrong part of her eyebrow. Taking to Instagram and TikTok, the 33-year-old from Chicago explained how it happened and to raise awareness of the potential side-effects of Botox. Buha went for a second treatment after she realised her right eyebrow hadn't "lifted" as well as her left. But unfortunately, round two did not go according to plans it made her eyelid droop significantly. After consulting with a plastic surgeon, she was told the left eye is overcompensating for the droopy right eye. “I look two-faced, it’s so embarrassing,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m showing this, like, are you kidding?” The plastic surgeon told her it was the worst case of eye droop she had ever seen. Now, Buha has to take special eye drops and do workouts so that her body metabolises the Botox more quickly. Despite the botched Botox job and her embarrassment over her “crazy eyes”, Buha said she wouldn’t stop getting injections, which she started at the age of 30. “You can judge me and say I’m crazy, but I’ve had Botox for three years, and I’ve never ever had a problem until this,” she said.

Beauty & Style

Parents condemned for crazy clifftop camping spot

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> A couple has been slammed for camping with their child on the edge of a cliff in Yorkshire, UK. The Coastguard in the UK was furious and needed to move the family away from the area. “Today’s call was to attend a section of the Cleveland Way to issue safety advice to two adults and a child camping on the cliff edge,” the Staithes Coastguard said. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstaithes.coastguard%2Fposts%2F1857131324439338&width=500&show_text=true&height=752&appId" width="500" height="752" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe> “An Officer from North Yorkshire Police also attended due to breach of coronavirus restrictions. “Safety advice was given from Coastguard Rescue Officers due to the dangerous location of their tent, especially with recent landslips. “If you see anyone at risk or in danger at the coast, immediately call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.” As a social media post was put up about the incident, people have slammed the couple for being "braindead". “Not just being stupid for themselves & putting a child in danger but using up valuable time with the coastguard when they could be elsewhere,” one user wrote. Another agreed, saying: “Beggars belief! You can see where the ground has partially broken away! Braindead”. People were particularly angry as the trail where the family were found has recently seen devastating landslides. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Travel Trouble

Crazy fan removed during Australian Open

An unruly fan was removed from Rod Laver Arena after she yelled during Rafael Nadal's second-round clash against Michael Mmoh. While Nadal attempted to serve out the second set, a woman launched into a bizarre tirade. Nadal attempted to ignore it and play on but when it continued the match halted. A female crowd member appeared to be yelling while fans around jeered. The umpire interjected over the microphone: "Thankyou madam, you are delaying everyone", which only provoked the woman further. Reports say that she yelled out from the stands "hurry up you OCD f---" to the Spaniard. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839877/tennis.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/535092fcb9294556b0bc7f79cc86e330" /> She then gave the finger directly toward Nadal who was seen laughing at centre court. The crowd booed the woman while Nadal laughed off the situation. The play did resume but just two points later, the woman could be heard yelling “w**ker” as Nadal attempted to serve. A security guard eventually came over to remove the woman, who then appeared to change her tune and apologise to Nadal. "A little bit of a disturbance there in the crowd," Aussie tennis great John Fitzgerald said as the madness ensued courtside. "I couldn't hear the specific language, there was a little bit of ill will between two ladies. "Well there is one lady that is getting rather animated, she might be asked to leave, actually. I think she's having a crack at Rafa, I'm not sure why, she's the first person I've seen do that. "She's a bit inebriated I think, this is chaos. This is so unnecessary, it's just one individual that has made a complete goose out of themselves." The World No.2 ended up claiming the match in straight sets 6-1 6-4 6-2. Asked about the disturbance post-match, Nadal laughed as he said: "No (I don't know her). “And honestly, I don't want to know."

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Wedding photographer photoshops "crazy eyes" over blinking guests

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Real estate in the metaverse is booming. Is it really such a crazy idea?

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Russell Crowe "put through a wall" on crazy night out

"Crazy": Terrifying three-metre find clogging up toilet

Woman's warning after Botox treatment leaves her with "crazy eyes"

Parents condemned for crazy clifftop camping spot

Crazy fan removed during Australian Open

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