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Olympian killed at just 33 years of age

<p>Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, has tragically passed away at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, where she had been receiving treatment for severe burns sustained in an attack by her former boyfriend.</p> <p>A hospital spokesperson, Owen Menach, confirmed that Cheptegei succumbed to her injuries after suffering multiple organ failures.</p> <p>Cheptegei, who competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics just weeks ago, sustained burns to 80% of her body after her ex-partner, Dickson Ndiema, allegedly doused her in petrol and set her on fire during a domestic dispute.</p> <p>Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom revealed that Ndiema also suffered burns in the incident to 30% of his body, and that he remains in intensive care but is in a stable condition.</p> <p>Cheptegei's parents stated that she had recently bought land in Kenya’s Trans Nzoia County to be near athletic training centres in the region. A report from the local chief indicated that Cheptegei and her former boyfriend were involved in a heated argument over the property before the attack occurred.</p> <p>The Uganda Athletics Federation and the Uganda Olympic Committee have expressed their grief over the loss of Cheptegei. In a statement shared on the social media platform X, the Athletics Federation wrote, "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence." They further condemned the attack, calling for justice.</p> <p>Uganda Olympic Committee president Donald Rukare added, “May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women. This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure.”</p> <p><em>Image: Narnabi / Wikimedia Commons</em></p>

Caring

Cancer survivor becomes world's strongest great-grandmother

<p>An Australian great-grandmother has become a world-record holder for an impressive feat in the gym. </p> <p>Heather Maddern, 80, found a new love of weightlifting after she decided to hit the gym to regain strength after beating cancer three times. </p> <p>Now, she is officially the world's strongest great-grandmother. </p> <p>"I hold the Australian and world record for an 80-year-old lady. It's amazing," she told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/great-grandmother-strongest-powerlifting-world-records/ffe9aa0e-9fc9-40b5-b8ff-d8744b37de0c" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em></a>.</p> <p>"I just absolutely love the life I am living and I put it all down to powerlifting."</p> <p>Maddern, who suffers from Parkinsons, lifted the record-breaking 80kgs in Brisbane at a powerlifting competition, saying she is "absolutely chuffed" to break the world record for her age group. </p> <p>Reflecting on the moment she broke the record, Maddern said, "I just put it [the bar] down and went through the crowd with a big smile on my face, I was absolutely chuffed."</p> <p>Before the great-grandmother discovered her love for lifting weights, she was barely able to walk up and down stairs due to extensive chemotherapy and radiation to treat her cancer, and decided to make a change.</p> <p>"I was very weak, my posture wasn't very good. I was extremely tired. I knew I had to do something to change it, otherwise it would keep getting worse and worse," she said. </p> <p>Her coach, Jill Cox, said, "We had to help Heather walk down the stairs to get into the gym. She is inspirational. what she can do, anybody can do."</p> <p>Heather's life has changed drastically since she regularly started going to the gym, and despite being 80 years old, she has never felt better. </p> <p>"My son six months ago thought I was totally crazy, now they are all so very proud of me," she said. </p> <p>"I just feel so fit. Mentally I feel clearer headed and happy all of the time."</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair</em></p>

Body

"It was a relief": Rebecca Gibney opens up on mental health struggles

<p>Rebecca Gibney has revealed what a "relief" it was to finally open up about the mental health struggles she faced from 14 to 30-years-old. </p> <p>The New Zealand actress, 58, said she spent a lot of that time "pretending" she was okay despite growing up around domestic violence, as her mother suffered from abuse in the hands of Gibney's late father, Austin. </p> <p>In an interview with <em>Stellar</em> on Saturday, the <em>Packed to the Rafters </em>star shared that she is "loving" how mental health is now being framed. </p> <p>“When I started talking about my mental health struggles and anxiety ... it was a relief,” she told the publication. </p> <p>“I could drop the mask of pretending that I was OK. What I’m loving seeing is that more and more people are now going, ‘I’m not OK’”.</p> <p>Gibney first opened up about her struggles in 2017, when she opened up about the abuse her mother faced and how she was “beaten so badly she had bruises for six months on her legs.</p> <p>“She’d always shut the doors ... you’d hear the yelling and the shouting and the slapping, but you’d never actually see it," she told <em>Women's Day</em>, at the time. </p> <p>After Gibney's father died in 1982, the actress began seeing a therapist, but was "on Valium and in a dark place for quite a while”.</p> <p>In her latest interview with <em>Stellar</em>, Gibney also added that more needed to be done to prevent domestic violence and help survivors. </p> <p>“We still don’t want to talk about it. We need to really drill down (and question), ‘Why is this happening?’ We need more education, more centres," she said. </p> <p>“We need people to be able to get the help they need.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Mind

Rebecca Loos claims Beckham is "playing the victim" over affair scandal

<p>Rebecca Loos, the woman at the centre of the alleged <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/legal/woman-at-the-centre-of-alleged-beckham-affair-breaks-silence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affair scandal</a> with iconic football legend David Beckham, has recently shared her thoughts on the new <em>Beckham</em> docuseries, which was released on Netflix.</p> <p>Loos, now 47 and residing in Norway with her husband and two children, expressed her concerns regarding the way the affair was handled in the docuseries, which was produced in collaboration with Beckham's production company.</p> <p>In the early 2000s, Loos gained notoriety for her claims of a romantic involvement with David Beckham during his time as a football superstar. In the docuseries, the Beckhams primarily discussed the media frenzy that ensued following Loos' revelations in 2003, but skirted around the specifics of the affair itself.</p> <p>It was during that tumultuous period that Loos had declared her connection with the football player while working as his personal assistant, even suggesting that the Beckhams had been dealing with marital issues before her involvement came to light. At the time, the celebrity couple vehemently denied any wrongdoing and even considered legal action against Loos.</p> <p>Victoria Beckham, 49, revealed in the docuseries, "It was the most unhappy I have ever been in my entire life," while David Beckham, 48, tearfully stated, "Victoria is everything to me. To see her hurt was incredibly difficult… what we had was worth fighting for."</p> <p>Loos, however, took issue with David's statement. In a <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12657157/rebecca-loos-affair-david-beckham-netflix.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">candid interview with the Daily Mail</a>, she expressed her frustration: "The [worst] bit for me is that he says he didn't like seeing his wife suffer. That bothered me. Because he's the one that's caused the suffering. He can say whatever he likes, of course, and I understand he has an image to preserve, but he is portraying himself as the victim and he's making me look like a liar, like I've made up these stories. He is indirectly suggesting that I'm the one who has made Victoria suffer."</p> <p>Loos also argued that the docuseries had thrust the affair back into the spotlight, an issue that many had forgotten about since the news first broke 20 years ago, thereby further impacting her reputation. She emphasised, "Yes, the stories were horrible, but they're true. He talks in the documentary about this ultimately being his private life, shutting it down. I think it's one thing to keep your private life to yourself. It's another thing to mislead the public."</p> <p>She suggested that David could have chosen to acknowledge that it was not one of his proudest moments or characterised it as a challenging period and moved on from the subject. However, she felt that he continued to phrase his statements in a way that indirectly shifted the blame onto her.</p> <p>"If you don't want to take responsibility for things because of your family and your children, that's absolutely fine," Loos commented, "But he specifically made it look like… my fault, that he had nothing to do with this."</p> <p>Loos, after the 2003 allegations, embarked on a path as a media personality, participating in various English and Dutch TV shows. In 2008, while filming the Dutch TV show <em>71 Graden Noord</em>, she crossed paths with her future husband, Norwegian doctor Sven Christjar Skaiaa. After becoming pregnant, the couple decided to relocate to Norway in 2009. Today, she works as a yoga teacher and a massage therapist in Norway while raising her two sons and only occasionally making media appearances.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Woman at the centre of alleged Beckham affair breaks silence

<p>Rebecca Loos has decided to speak out amidst the wave of criticism she's facing in light of her <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/david-and-victoria-beckham-open-up-about-alleged-affair" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleged affair with David Beckham</a>. The former model, now 46, is pushing back against the 'disturbing' remarks being made about her on social media, which have resurfaced following the release of the Netflix series about Beckham.</p> <p>On October 6, a fan expressed their support for Loos amid the renewed attention and online harassment she's enduring. They voiced their disgust at some of the comments they had seen, stating, "Some of the comments on here are disgusting!!!" They went on to offer words of encouragement, saying, "Stay strong. You have a beautiful life with your gorgeous family, which, unlike others, doesn't have to involve Netflix!!!"</p> <p>Loos responded to this supportive message on Instagram, expressing her gratitude and resilience, stating, "Thank you 🙏🏼 am taking in the nasty comments with as much humour as I can," and ending her comment with a heartfelt red heart emoji.</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/Cx2cV7zMX2U/?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/Cx2cV7zMX2U/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by REBECCA LOOS (@rebeccaloosofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Numerous other users also came forward to support Loos on her most recent Instagram post, where she was pictured practicing yoga with the reflective caption: "Letting go and finding strength in the mountains of life."</p> <p>One individual commented, "I have always admired your strength Rebecca! Keep being strong!" while another person hoped she was doing well and encouraged her not to let the negativity of others affect her soul.</p> <p>Another fan commented on the renewed criticism and social media attacks on a woman they don't even know, urging people to "do better."</p> <p>Back in 2004, Loos was accused of having an affair with Manchester United star David Beckham while she was working as his personal assistant. At the time, Beckham had been married to Spice Girls singer Victoria Beckham since 1999, and the allegations became a significant media sensation.</p> <p>On October 4, Netflix released the documentary series <em>Beckham</em>, which delves into the football player's career and marriage, including addressing the rumours of his infidelity in the early 2000s. Both David and Victoria Beckham discuss the impact of tabloid rumors on their marriage during the series.</p> <p>Victoria, in an individual interview for the series, admitted, "It was the most unhappy I have ever been in my entire life," and she shared how challenging it was, especially because they felt pitted against each other. David also acknowledged the difficulty of that period, emphasising Victoria's importance in his life and how hard it was to see her hurt but doubling down on their determination to overcome it together.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Legal

“There was a hole inside of me”: Rebecca Gibney's secret struggles

<p dir="ltr">TV star Rebecca Gibney has opened up about her mental health, revealing she has battled with crippling panic attacks.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Kiwi actress spoke about her struggles during Monday’s episode of <em>This Is Your Life</em>, saying her mental health began to falter in the 1990s when she was rising to fame and her marriage to musician Irwin Thomas broke down.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was pretty tough,” she told the program.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And that was the hard thing, you do put on a front. My career was going great guns.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I just couldn't verbalise there was a hole inside of me and I was tumbling into it."</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Packed to the Rafters</em> star said that at one point she was having 15 panic attacks a day, and recalled one of her lowest moments on a flight from France to Australia on which she said she needed five Valium to “survive”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I had anxiety attack after anxiety attack. I was in such a hole, and I thought I'm not going to make it," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I was struggling, and I couldn't verbalise what was wrong. I just knew there was a hole inside me and it was getting bigger and bigger, and I was tumbling into it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I didn't even tell Mum, I couldn't even tell my family, because I couldn't explain it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's so important that now, people talk about their struggles. Because if you get the help, you can get through it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Now I know that if I start to slide into that pit, I know that there's a way out of it."</p> <p dir="ltr">The 57-year-old credits therapy for helping in her recovery.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-58e7b796-7fff-eab8-667a-e0031a7b6340">Following the airing of Gibney’s episode of <em>This Is Your Life</em>, the actress took to Instagram to thank those involved and described it as a “joyous and humbling experience”.</span></p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkoYi8TBQkK/?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/CkoYi8TBQkK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rebecca Gibney (@rebeccagibney_)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“So much laughter, so many tears,” she wrote, sharing a collection of snaps from the show.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you to all the beautiful people that showed up on the night and continue to show up in my life. I was blown away by the love - such a joyous and humbling experience.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Host Melissa Doyle also took to social media both to praise Gibney, describing her as “one of the world’s loveliest people”, and shared how the star was told she would be on the show.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2f54a39c-7fff-3060-fc51-41c74782b608"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“The surprise is always the best part! We sprung @rebeccagibney_ in stunning New Zealand, on the set of ‘Under the Vines’,” Doyle wrote.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ckpnq5wrPmz/?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/Ckpnq5wrPmz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Melissa Doyle (@melissadoyleofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I hid in the lighting truck waiting for the low-loader with her car on the back to arrive. To say she was surprised is an under statement (sic)!</p> <p dir="ltr">“Rebecca is truly one of the world’s loveliest people. The applause on set from her colleagues is testament to how much she is loved.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-839cbd24-7fff-55a7-89e6-a7f9dd273fbc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @rebeccagibney_ (Instagram)</em></p>

Caring

Source of nasty Novak leak revealed!

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just one day after video footage was leaked of two Seven newsreaders slamming Novak Djokovic, an investigation by the television network </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/channel-7-identify-caption-company-aimedia-as-behind-rebecca-maddern-and-mike-amor-leak/news-story/e8dbb4eac4bd14079d3ea6baa8e3f3df" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">has identified the culprit</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All Channel 7 employees have been cleared of leaking the brutal footage, as reported by </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Australian</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, with one key detail identifying the external company who was responsible.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The footage emerged on Wednesday of Mike Amor and Rebecca Maddern calling the tennis star an “a**hole” before the airing of the 6pm bulletin, prompting the pair to </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/caught-out-leaked-audio-as-channel-7-stars-slam-novak" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">make headlines</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> around the country.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Whatever way you look at it, Novak Djokovic is a lying, sneaky a**hole,” Maddern said in the clip.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“That’s it, I mean he’s an areshole. He got a bulls*** f***ing excuse and then fell over his own f***ing lies. It’s just what happens, right, that’s what happened,” Amor said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rumours began to swirl as some attempted to identify the source of the leak, with some speculating it was a disgruntled colleague, mischievous audio director, or even a PR ploy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, a timestamp visible in the top corner of the footage led Seven’s internal investigators to caption company Ai-Media, which provides captions for the hard of hearing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Australian</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> reported that high-level discussions between Seven and Ai-Media have occurred after the discovery of the timestamp - which doesn’t appear on internal Seven video outputs - led bosses to the company.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846787/novak-news2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d4dc1b4344a340598b9f19cbf15bb8a9" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">A timestamp in the top, right corner of the footage led investigators to identify who was responsible. Image: Twitter</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Staff interviews and thorough IT network tracing are currently underway to determine who recorded and distributed the footage, according to the publication.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tony Abrahams, the chief executive of Ai-Media, is reportedly leading the investigation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Seven Network Director of News and Public Affairs, Craig McPherson, said in a statement that the act of leaking the footage was “underhanded” and “cowardly”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The illegal recording was of a private conversation between two colleagues,” Mr McPherson said on Wednesday morning.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was an underhanded, cowardly act in breach of the Victorian Listening Devices legislation the perpetrator of which will be accordingly dealt with when found.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Channel 7 managing director Lewis Martin followed up with reassurance while appearing on 3AW radio, saying the incident was “being looked at thoroughly”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are going to have an outcome. What has happened here is illegal,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is understood that the investigation will be finalised on Thursday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While Maddern herself has apologised for the rant, a number of viewers have seemingly <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/viewers-rally-around-rebecca-maddern-for-calling-novak-djokovic-an-ahole/news-story/9d6711693a0f61d7cf6f2c8a1dbb5a63" target="_blank">deemed it unnecessary</a>.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It fact, some have claimed it was the best news segment they’d seen in a long time given it reflected the mood of a number of frustrated Aussies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Every Australian needs to stand by Rebecca Maddern & Mike Amor. They are only saying what we – & the rest of the world is thinking,” one wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Great watch. Just saying what 90% of Australians think,” another agreed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Now this is news I’d watch. Rebecca Maddern has certainly made a strong return to Channel 7 hey,” was another response.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I hope Mike Amor and Rebecca Maddern are promoted on the basis of that leaked video,” added another.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Twitter</span></em></p>

Reminiscence stars Hugh Jackman

<p>With a stellar cast including the man ‘who can do no wrong’ – Hugh Jackman – it’s a pity this movie just doesn’t seem to stack up.</p> <p>The critics are united in saying it just doesn’t excite or appeal as it should. One said, perhaps the movies’ ‘greatest crime’ was how ‘effortlessly it wastes the collective appeal of it’s a-list cast.’</p> <p>This movie is a moody, snail-paced mix of neo-noir and sci-fi. Set sometime in the future along the Miami coast - now, devastated by climate change and partially sunken - with a modified version of life still persisting on its belt nocturnally since days are just too hot.</p> <p>You can see the aim for <em>Reminiscence </em>was an existential, film-noir, but sadly, the result is a vaguely pessimistic dystopia at best.</p> <p>You’ll see nods to the likes of <em>Chinatown, Blade Runner</em> and even <em>Minority Report</em>, and while this is not a bad thing, the problem is <em>Reminiscence</em> does so little that's original it’s a pity.</p> <p><strong>Stellar cast including our own Hugh Jackman</strong></p> <p>Hugh Jackman plays the lead character, Nick Bannister and he a private eye who gets to investigate the depths of his clients’ memories. He and his fellow ex-military business partner Watts, (played by Thandiwe Newton) work together and they have a good, platonic thing going in a world where the future offers no hope and past is the only avenue that comes with jolts of optimism buried within.</p> <p>While the duo give freebies to repeat customers often, they still manage to make a living with their memory machine - a cocoon bed and a wired headpiece that plays and projects any memory the client chooses from stashes of discs, as a 3D hologram.</p> <p>The resident femme fatale of <em>Reminiscence</em> arrives in the form of Mae, the sad jazz singer played by Rebecca Ferguson. She’s clad in a spectacular, crimson-red gown that could disarm any lethal human in its presence.</p> <p>Bannister and Mae soon embark on a steamy romance but that’s only the beginning. There’s far more that happens in this dystopian future world but the problem is, when the movie’s finished, you probably won’t remember it.</p> <p>While the director, Lisa Joy, has taken some risks here and has produced an interesting film, there’s not enough to pull all the interesting effects together, which is a pity.</p> <p><strong>You can watch <em>Reminiscence</em> in cinemas if they’re open and you can rent it online at <a href="mailto:https://www.primevideo.com/?ref_=dvm_pds_amz_au_dc_s_g_mkw_sXeT8JnzH-dc_pcrid_332954201944&mrntrk=slid__pgrid_34931321457_pgeo_9071803_x__ptid_kwd-2850171361">Prime Video</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Photo: Courtesy of Reminiscence </em></p> <p> </p>

Movies

The Packed To The Rafters reboot has arrived

<p>That’s right - Australia's favourite family are back and you can catch up with all of them by watching the new season of <em>Back To The Rafters</em> on Amazon Prime Video.</p> <p>You can take a look at the trailer here which gives you a taste for what's in store for our beloved Rafters with the return of the series.</p> <p>The new series will show us what’s happening with Julie (Rebecca Gibney) and Dave Rafter (Erik Thomson) and their loveable, if sometimes complicated, children.</p> <p>When last we left off, Dave and Julie had sold the family home to pay off Grandpa Ted's (Michael Caton) gambling debt. They decided to turn lemons into lemonade, so they hit the road in their green kombi van to travel around Australia with their late-in-life baby, Ruby.</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/moQ4N4Ogm7E" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>So, where are they now, six years later?</strong></p> <p>In a new trailer, we catch our first glimpse of what the family are up to. But it's not looking completely rosy, Julie and Dave have settled outside of Sydney in the quaint country town of Buradeena.</p> <p>A brief return to the city unveils a whole host of problems in their family and Julie realises she wants to return to Sydney to help her children with their troubles.</p> <p>In one tense scene, Julie is seen telling her husband she wants to "move back" while he asks her to stay.</p> <p>In another, the pair are seen arguing in front of Ben's house, with Julie tearfully telling him: "We're drifting, Dave."</p> <p>Could there be trouble brewing just when the couple are about to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary?</p> <p>In the meantime, Nathan (Angus McLaren) still seems to be struggling to have the life he's always wanted. He's living in Sydney with his son Edward (Kaspar Frost), from his previous marriage to Saskia (Lauren Clair).</p> <p>"My life has just fallen apart mum," the single dad tearfully tells Julie in one scene.</p> <p>Ben (Hugh Sheridan) is happily married to a new character, Cassie (Haiha Le), and hoping to start his own family. However, the trailer hints at baby dramas, with the couple seen fighting over children and their future together.</p> <p>Rachel, formerly played by Jessica Marais and now played by Georgina Haig, briefly appears in the trailer. However, we're yet to see what's in store for her as she’s now living in New York and leads what seems like a secretive life.</p> <p>As the years have gone by, Ruby is now played by Willow Speers and we see her maturing into a young girl.</p> <p>"One stage of growing up, is realising your parents are just as vulnerable as you," her mother tells her in the trailer.</p> <p>While some things have changed, others remain same. Carbo (George Houvardas) is back and living the dream as a social media influencer. Donna (Merridy Eastman) is working with Ben and she's as flustered as she ever was by all of his shenanigans.</p> <p>Thankfully, the family is still celebrating all of their milestone moments at the Shanghai Express.</p> <p><strong>The new six-part series for <em>Packed To The Rafters</em> premieres on September 17th, with all six seasons of the original shows available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video.</strong></p> <p><em>Photos: Amazon Prime Video</em></p>

Rebecca Gibney shares heartfelt message for Tilly Ramsay

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following her stint filming </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Celebrity Masterchef Australia</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Matilda “Tilly” Ramsay has flown home to the UK and received a heartwarming message from her new friend and fellow competitor, Rebecca Gibney.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The daughter of celebrity chef, Gordan Ramsey, has just wrapped up her time on the Australian cooking show, though how far she progressed on the show is yet to be revealed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an emotional message to the 19-year-old, Rebecca shared a slew of pictures from their days of filming the show on her Instagram page.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This sweetheart @tillyramsay has just landed back in the UK, and I just wanted to say on behalf of those of us lucky to be in her orbit for the last little while what an absolute pleasure it has been,” Rebecca captioned the gallery.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“See you very soon gorgeous girl. And SO loved the look on your mums face </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">😭😭😭</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The former </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Packed to the Rafters</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> actor dedicated the rest of her message to Tilly mum, Tana Ramsay, praising her for raising her daughter so well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“@tanaramsay - you must be thrilled to have your girl home, and you should be super proud of the wonderful young woman you have raised. She’s an angel. Big hugs from your @masterchefau family @tillyramsay - we miss you already.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CR0hwJHKWz7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CR0hwJHKWz7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Rebecca Gibney (@rebeccagibney_)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tilly then commented with a sweet message of her own under the post.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Missing you so much already,” she wrote, “massive thank you for looking after me so so well and just being the best </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">🥰🥰 see you very very soon xxxx.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This isn’t the first time the pair have shared their friendship online, after Rebecca shared a selfie of the two of them. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ-3BVZnxxi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ-3BVZnxxi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Rebecca Gibney (@rebeccagibney_)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a gallery of her own, Tilly shared a selection of snaps of the pair - and other stars from the show - enjoying themselves behind the scenes.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRbBWKOjLe1/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRbBWKOjLe1/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Matilda Ramsay (@tillyramsay)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Best couple weeks with even better people,” Tilly captioned the post.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“HUGE thank you to @masterchefau, all the crew and judges … for the most incredible and challenging experience!! I had an absolute blast and have made some friends for life.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Rebecca Gibney / Instagram</span></em></p>

Relationships

Rebecca Gibney’s honest message to her fans

<p>Rebecca Gibney is embracing her true self this New Year – and taking to Instagram to tell her followers they should too.</p> <p>In a side-by-side shot, the former <em>Packed to the Rafters</em> star showed two selfies – one heavily filtered and another with no editing. In her post, she highlights the importance of embracing your best self in 2019.</p> <p>“There’s nothing wrong with making the most of yourself – whack on a filter now and then if it makes you feel better, lipstick, makeup, surgery, weight loll, weight gain – whatever (sic),” the actress wrote in an Instagram post.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsJNh8ih_da/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsJNh8ih_da/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">Fantasy versus reality. There’s nothing wrong with making the most of yourself - whack on a filter now and then if it makes you feel better, lipstick, makeup, surgery, weight loss , weight gain - whatever 👍🏻👌🏻 but let’s also remember that what we often see on social media are the best bits of peoples lives. We’ve all got shonky bits, mucky bits, downright grotty bits but at the end of the day we are really all the same underneath the costumes. And we’re all just muddling through the best we can so let’s keep embracing the real in 2019. As Oscar Wilde once said - “Be Yourself - Everyone else is taken” And thank you for all your kindness and love - I read every comment and really do appreciate them. Sending love back at you 💕💕💕</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/rebeccagibney_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Rebecca Gibney</a> (@rebeccagibney_) on Jan 2, 2019 at 11:28am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“… Let’s also remember that what we often see on social media are the best bits of people’s lives.</p> <p>“We’ve all got the shonky bits, mucky bits, downright grotty bits but at the end of the day we are really all the same underneath the costumes. And we’re all just muddling through the best we can so let’s keep embracing the real in 2019.”</p> <p>The 54-year-old actress is an advocate for mental health awareness, featuring in a series of images called Imperfectly Perfect – <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/imperfectlyperfectcampaign">a campaign to raise awareness</a> for mental illness and suicide prevention.</p> <p>Fans of Gibney thanked her for her honest and kind words, one user writing: “… It’s revolutionary to see women and especially older women being real, alive, action packed, strong, brave and beautiful.”</p> <p>“As Oscar Wilde once said,” Gibney wrote before finishing: 'Be Yourself – Everyone else is taken.'"</p>

Body

Rebecca Gibney's heartbreaking confession about her depression battle

<p>Much-loved actor Rebecca Gibney has spoken candidly about her depression and anxiety, and the poignant turning points in her battle with mental health.</p> <p>In an interview with <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar/rebecca-gibney-here-i-am-53-and-a-lesbian-heartthrob/news-story/d874ae702a2127733826edb5a69cb68b" target="_blank"><em>Stella</em></a> magazine, the star of <em>Wanted</em>, <em>Packed to the Rafters</em>, and <em>The Flying Doctors</em> said that motherhood had a cathartic effect on her.</p> <p>“Motherhood doesn’t complete you, but being a mother to Zac did help me overcome some of my own issues because all of a sudden it became all about him,” she said of her son, now 14 years old. “I was at a point in my life where I needed that.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bobk0RvgtxH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bobk0RvgtxH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">When did that happen? 4 - 14. Happens in a blink 👁 I even miss the tantrums 🤷‍♀️ Love you Zac. You can stop growing now. XMum PS it’s not his birthday - I just looked at him last night and he is soooo big and grown up and beautiful..... my heart 💓</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/rebeccagibney_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Rebecca Gibney</a> (@rebeccagibney_) on Oct 2, 2018 at 5:33am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The actor admitted she experienced an “emotional collapse” in her early 30s, experiencing hourly panic attacks (she would even ask to be seated near an exit at the Logie Awards) and agoraphobia. </p> <p>She endured a difficult childhood – her father Austin Gibney was an alcoholic who sexually abused her mother Shirley Gibney. While she attempted to confront her issues at the time with a therapist, the star said it became too much.</p> <p>“I’d built up a library of self-loathing which I covered up with make-up and roles and pretending, but deep down I was dying inside,” she told the magazine. </p> <p>“I felt like a failure in my first marriage, I felt a failure as an actor because I was pretending, and I felt like a failure in my friendships because they weren’t real. A lot about me felt fake and I hated it.”</p> <p>But the Gold Logie winner found a novel way to deal with her frustration – smashing crockery.</p> <p>“I had all this rage and my therapist encouraged me to go to op shops and get crockery, which I’d go outside and smash on the ground. It’s a relief to get that anger out.”</p> <p>For the first time, Gibney spoke in detail about one of the hardest days of her life – the day she found herself contemplating suicide. It was a turning point in her ongoing battle with depression.</p> <p>“I’d been given prescription medication and on this particular day I put it all out on the coffee table and started writing a letter to my mum,” she said. “I got halfway through the letter and thought, ‘She’ll never understand. I can never do that to her.’ I started picturing my brothers and sisters and friends and I thought, ‘If I go through with this it will create way more pain for them than the pain I’m in now.’ I stopped, ripped up the letter and only told my mum years later. She was mortified and sad I didn’t tell her at the time.”</p> <p>The actor, who now lives in her native New Zealand with her son, and husband Richard Bell, after living in Australia for over 30 years, has found ways to deal with her anxiety, including breathing techniques. She also shares her mental health journey on social media in the hope they will offer hope to those suffering mental illness.</p> <p>“Perhaps they’ll think, ‘If it can happen to her, maybe I can take that extra breath, maybe I can go to sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow and do something about it’.”</p> <p>If you are troubled by this article, experiencing a personal crisis or thinking about suicide, you can call the Depression Helpline at 0800 111 757 or visit depression.org.nz.</p>

Mind

Can you guess which Packed To The Rafters star has joined Home and Away?

<p>If you loved popular Aussie drama <em>Packed To The Rafters</em>, you’ll be thrilled to know that one of its regular cast members is set to star in <em>Home and Away</em>. </p> <p>Angus McLaren, who became a household name thanks to his portrayal of Nathan Rafter – who he played for six years – in the family-oriented TV series, is set to make his debut on <em>Home and Away</em>.</p> <p>Speaking to <em><a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/packed-to-the-rafters-star-angus-mclaren-joins-home-and-away-reuniting-with-james-stewart/news-story/97315b4e630b33fca1ec9f92e9db3e8d">The Daily Telegraph</a></em>, the actor said starring in <em>Home and Away</em> was “like a bucket list item”.</p> <p>“Meeting Irene (Lynne McGranger) in the diner felt like I was having a dream,” the 29-year-old said.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 62.5% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></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/BhYDanAFZlY/" target="_blank">A post shared by Angus McLaren (@mrangusmclaren)</a> on Apr 9, 2018 at 9:03pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>McLaren will guest-star on the long-running Aussie soap for six weeks, playing federal police officer Lance, and reuniting with his former <em>Packed To The Rafters</em> co-star James Stewart.</p> <p>“I bumped into Jimmy on the first day on set and it felt like old times,” McLaren told <em>The Daily Telegraph</em>.</p> <p>McLaren and Stewart starred alongside each other on <em>Packed To The Rafters</em> in 2009, with the Channel Seven TV series breaking hearts all over the nation when it ended in 2013.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 62.5% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></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/BZP0wM4lK2G/" target="_blank">A post shared by James Stewart (@__jamesstewart__)</a> on Sep 19, 2017 at 8:10pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Speaking to <em>TV Week</em> late last year, Rebecca Gibney – who played family matriarch Julie Rafter – reminisced about her time on the show, admitting she would definitely be involved if a reunion episode was planned.</p> <p>The Gold Logie winner said “she’d love to work with Erik Thomson again, as he was her ‘best ever on-screen husband’”, while McLaren revealed he “would love to reunite with his old on-screen family”.</p> <p>Would you like to see the <em>Packed To The Rafters</em> family reunited on TV? Tell us in the comments below.</p>

Why so many people disappear on cruise ships

<p>When we hear about people going missing at sea, our minds flood with hundreds of possible explanations. Did they fall? Did they jump? Were they pushed? And while it might seem like a rare occurrence, it’s believed around 200 people have vanished from cruise ships since the year 2000 alone.</p> <p>The shocking statistic was released by industry expert and author of <em>Cruise Ship Blues: The Underside of the Cruise Ship Industry</em>, Dr Ross Klein, after the parents of a British nanny who disappeared at sea ramp up the search for their daughter.</p> <p>Rebecca Coriam, 24, vanished six years ago while working as a nanny on a Disney cruise. Her parents, Mike and Ann, believe their daughter’s death was not an accident, claiming she was murdered, and that Disney bosses covered up the tragic incident to protect the company’s reputation.</p> <p><img width="497" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/38536/image__497x280.jpg" alt="Image_ (362)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>According to Dr Klein, however, many of the 200 missing from cruise ships appear to be passengers who drank too much on the last night of their cruise, falling overboard and drowning. But alcohol has been ruled out as a factor in Rebecca’s disappearance. Instead, it is claimed she was the victim of an attack.</p> <p>The “shambles” investigation into the incident, carried out by a single Bahamian police officer, has only added to the uncertainty into what really happened to Rebecca. Even her local MP, Chris Matheson, who has done extensive research into the matter, described the investigation as “very seriously flawed”.</p> <p>“There has been a whole wealth of contradictory evidence,” he told<em> The Sun</em> last year. “I think a crime has been committed here and I want justice for my constituents.”</p>

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