The Scoop: Bikie-busting cop accused of stealing $400k in designer watches quits force
Former Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her surgeon partner Dr Reza Adib were the life of the party at the annual Gambaro Ball on Friday night.
Entertainment
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Former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was spotted letting her hair down at the prestigious Gambaro Taittinger Ball on Brisbane’s Caxton Street on Friday night.
Dressed in a chic off-the-shoulder black gown and adorned with elegant pearl jewellery, Palaszczuk was glowing as she mingled and laughing with fellow attendees.
By her side was her partner Dr. Reza Adib, who was given a special shout out by restaurateur John Gambaro during the speeches.
The couple appeared very in love, holding hands and soaking in the festive atmosphere of the event and enjoyed fish and chips for dinner.
The night took a lively turn when Palaszczuk and Adib rushed to the dance floor as the DJ cranked out classic ‘90s hit Push It by Salt-N-Pepa.
The duo stayed on to dance to The Killers’ Mr. Brightside and Sean Paul’s Temperature.
Palaszczuk, known for her cool and composed demeanour, let loose, dancing with joy alongside other partygoers who enjoyed her company.
The Gambaro Taittinger Ball, key event on Brisbane’s social calendar, successfully raised $145,000 for The Courier-Mail Children’s Fund.
BIKIE-BUSTING COP ACCUSED OF THEFT LEAVES FORCE
A bikie-busting police officer accused of stealing more than $400,000 worth of designer watches he seized during a raid has quietly resigned from the Queensland Police Service.
Zac Chudleigh, formerly a senior constable with Taskforce Maxima, was listed among resignations in the latest police gazette.
Chudleigh is yet to enter a plea to charges of fraud and stealing by a person employed in the public service.
He is alleged to have taken the watches from the Gold Coast home of Jordan Roman Brennan (who this week was found guilty of attempted possession of commercial quantities of unlawfully imported drugs) and his girlfriend, social media influencer Kate Szepanowski.
MALLRAT POSTPONES
Fans of Brisbane’s pop princess, Mallrat, were left heartbroken after a last-minute cancellation of her high-profile gig at The Triffid last week.
Live Nation, organisers of the Smirnoff Future Fresh event, pulled the pin just 24 hours before the scheduled event on Thursday due to “personal circumstances”.
They were unable to explain whose “personal circumstances” the cancellation related to.
Mallrat, aka Grace Shaw, was set to appear, alongside Genesis Owusu and Young Franco.
Mallrat withdrew from Vivid Sydney last month due to a “family tragedy”.
She also pulled out of a North American tour in 2022.
In good news for fans, though, The Triffid event has been rescheduled for June 27 and those who can’t attend the new gig can contact Moshtix for a full refund – as long as they get in before June 11.
IN A LEGAL PICKLE
A pickleball feud that has ricocheted off the court and into a Queensland courtroom is showing no signs of ending any time soon as legal serves and volleys continue.
Gold Coast auctioneer and pickleball fanatic Phil Black lobbed a Supreme Court lawsuit on some of the booming sport’s officials late last year after he was allegedly kicked out of his local club and banned from playing.
His initial claim against the Gold Coast Pickleball Association and Pickleball Association of Queensland alleged he was the victim of “false witness, bullying, lying, extortion, harassment, conflicts of interest (and) denial of natural justice and procedural fairness” and demanded his reinstatement and a public apology.
But the claim, which pickleball authorities are vigorously defending, was struck out in April after the judge deemed it deficient on grounds including that the court had no power to order an apology.
Mr Black, who is self-represented, then filed a second claim calling for his Gold Coast Pickleball Association membership termination to be declared “void, valid and ineffective” and Pickleball Queensland to “cease their action to expel me”, as well as an inquiry into the national pickleball body.
But he has been forced to lodge another amended claim after pickleball association lawyers argued his latest one was “substantially similar” to his first action and flagged another strikeout application.
Another Supreme Court hearing has been set down next week, with the tenacious Mr Black vowing to keep the shots coming.
PNEUMA BECOMES PERMANENT IN BRISBANE CBD
CBD favourite Pneuma has officially become a permanent addition to the Brisbane City dining scene, after launching as a pop-up at the end of last year.
Two of Queensland’s best chefs, Restaurant of the Year owner Dan Arnold (Restaurant Dan Arnold and La Cache A Vin) and Matt Blackwell (ex-GOMA), launched the venture as a temporary fixture six months ago to test their contemporary, casual fine dining concept on the market.
Now, with lunchtimes packed and dinner customers begging for more seatings, the kitchen kings have decided to make Pneuma an enduring fixture, signing a long-term lease on the hidden George St site previously home to French bistro Greenglass.
The change means the restaurant – loved by top barristers and well-heeled foodies – will now open for Saturday night dinners with a set menu to meet customer demand, while it will close for Monday lunches to give staff a break.
Blackwell will also be changing up his globally inspired menus more regularly, with dishes running from aged cheddar and comté custard tart to roasted monkfish tail or Sanchoku wagyu with cipollini onion.
The gents have been slowly renovating the tenancy, adding in softening curtains, acoustic panelling, new tables and chairs made from recycled Queensland doors and windows, and a closed-off private dining room for 12.
BRISBANE’S RACHEL BURKE’S OUTFITS STUN ACTOR AMY POEHLER
Brisbane fashion icon and design extraordinaire Rachel Burke stole the show at the Inside Out 2 premiere in Sydney this week, transforming the event’s purple carpet into a vibrant fashion spectacle.
Known for her big, fun, colourful, and often sparkly creations, Burke crafted ten unique outfits for the premiere, dressing notable figures such as drag icon Courtney Act, children’s entertainment star Emma Watkins, comedian Tania Hennessy, influencer Maddy Macrae, celebrity reporter Justin Hill.
“It was a big event for the Inside Out 2 movie with Vivid. Working with Disney on this was absolutely a dream come true,” she said.
Each garment was inspired by a different emotion, mirroring the characters from the new film, including Joy, Anger, Disgust, Ennui, and Envy.
Burke herself made a grand entrance on the purple carpet, adorned in a 4.5 metre-long multi-coloured coat representing all the emotions.
“I called it the Mixed Emotions coat because each look I created represented one of the emotions from the new film,” she said.
The dazzling, sparkly ruffle outfits even caught the attention of the film’s star, Amy Poehler.
“It was obviously so surreal to get to chat with her in person and speak to her about what I’ve created,” Burke said.
“I think she really liked them, she had a look at them all and we got some amazing photos together.“
In addition to her fashion triumphs, Burke is eagerly anticipating the theatrical adaptation of her children’s book, Fancy Long Legs.
“I’m about to release a new kids’ book called Fancy Long Legs, and it’s being adapted into a kids’ musical, which we’ll be launching in September as part of Brisbane Festival. It’s really exciting,” she shared.
Fancy Long Legs tells the story of Fancy, a spider who loves to create but struggles to stay focused on her web-building.
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