The Scoop: Qld celebrity, influencer, politics and dining gossip
Former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her partner Reza Adib have been spotted attending a star-studded event while she also has a tell-all book in the works. WE’VE GOT THE SCOOP
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Former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is writing a tell-all book about her time at the top of Queensland politics, Scoop can reveal.
Amid questions about whether she’ll return to politics for a run in the Senate, Ms Palaszczuk has told confidantes she’s quite busy balancing writing a book with her new role as an international ambassador with the Smart Energy Council.
Political junkies can expect the book to be packed with tales from the top office and have a strong focus on Ms Palaszczuk’s partner, Reza Adib. Her celebrity agent Max Markson was tight-lipped about the details of the book and its release date.
Speaking of the loved-up couple, they were out on the red carpet (again!) on Friday night for a star-studded event to celebrate designer Sonia Stradiotto’s career - with the ex-premier in a sparkly Stradiotto jacket.
The pair chatted to Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner’s wife Nina Schrinner- who was also wearing Stradiotto. Other big names at the event were Brisbane Fashion Festival director Lindsay Bennett, Real Housewives of Melbourne star Simone Elliott, and stylist Kimberly Gardner.
WAR DRUMS
A sour note has hit Queensland’s peak music body, with a public slanging match erupting over the awarding of contracts to a former long-serving board member and vice-president.
Veteran Brisbane music magazine publisher Howard Dugganhas been on the warpath in recent weeks, accusing the taxpayer-funded QMusic of conflict of interest.
QMusic, whose voluntary directors include former Powderfinger bassist turned Fortitude Valley venue ownerJohn ‘JC’ Collins, has awarded media and publicity partnerships for the flagship Queensland Music Awards and BIGSOUND festival to one of Duggan’s rivals, Stephen Green. Green, owner of Valley-based SGC Media and themusic.com.au, was a QMusic board member and vice-president for many years. Duggan, who started what is now known as scenestr magazine in 1993, has been using his website to criticise what he alleged was a conflict of interest.
QMusic has strongly rejected the allegations, saying procurement has been above board and conflict of interest management is “stringent”.
Duggan, who met recently with Collins and fellow QMusic board member Aaron Dahl to air his concerns, is persisting with his campaign and has been publicly backed by identities including singer-songwriter Katie Noonan, who said she had “many issues for many years with QMusic”.
QMusic rejected the allegations on its LinkedIn page and doubled down in a letter to Duggan last week, saying “a thorough investigation … found no material issues related to inappropriate practices”.
“QMusic adheres to a strict conflict of interest policy and management process, which includes maintaining a regularly updated register of interests,” the body’s current vice-president D-J Wendt told Duggan.
Duggan said he had no gripe with Green, who once interned at scenestr, and believed he had done a professional job. Music industry insiders accused Duggan of “sour grapes”, saying the themusic.com.au had a much bigger audience than scenestr.
SEEBOHM DELAYS HER WEDDING
Gold medallist Emily Seebohmhas put her wedding plans with fianceRyan Gallagheron hold as the demands of her swimming career and new motherhood take precedence.
Originally the couple had envisioned a laid-back wedding in the Gold Coast hinterland for 2024, complete with food trucks and line dancing.
“We like the idea of the Gold Coast hinterland,” Seebohm had shared with the Courier-Mail last year.
“Food trucks is one idea that we really, really like because it gives us a chance to enjoy ourselves more than waiting around for meals to come out.”
However, the arrival of their son Sampson and the demands of Seebohm’s swimming career have shifted priorities.
This week, Seebohm revealed that the wedding is now on indefinite hold.
“We haven’t even spoken about it, to be honest,” she admitted, highlighting the whirlwind nature of their daily lives.
“Life is so crazy, like every day goes so quickly. And we just don’t have the time to sit and talk about where we would have it, how many people we would invite … It’s just sort of on the backburner. We’re in no hurry, because it’s so crazy, and weddings are so expensive”
The couple, who have been engaged since December 2022, are parenting their eight-month-old son and managing Seebohm’s training schedule.
HEMSWORTH IN THE FRAME
Chris Hemsworth turned his gaze on Burleigh Heads for the launch of cult eyewear label Valley’s flagship store.
Hemsworth was joined by his father, Craig, and trainer, Luke Zocchi. Brisbane Broncos captain Adam Reynolds and partner Tallara Simon-Phillips, and Gold Coast Titans players AJ Brimson and Tanah Boyd also turned out to celebrate the opening of the sleek boutique. Valley was founded in 2011 by Palm Beach couple Tenielle and Michael Crawley, with the frames now shipped around the world and the shades of choice of Hemsy and his wife, Elsa Pataky.
BART AT THE ZOO
Transport Minister Bart Mellish made a cheeky visit to a massive showcase of Brissie talent celebrating the final days of the iconic The Zoo on Friday night.
Mr Mellish - who confessed to spending a few nights at The Zoo in his youth - said he enjoyed seeing some of his faves back on stage, including Patience Hodgson from The Grates and Violent Soho - but he couldn’t stay too late, saying “it was really kicking off when we were about to leave”.
“It was a really great evening of a lot of industry people who were sort of a bit sad about the closure of the venue,” he said.
“I went there myself a fair bit and hopefully something can happen with that going forward. But really sad if it’s to close permanently.”
The gig comes ahead of the venue’s official shutdown next month, after 32 years.
There was a near reunion for beloved Brisbane bands Powderfinger on the night, with drummer Jon Coghill taking to the stage for the first time in four years, while guitarist Ian Haug belted out hit (Baby I’ve Got You) On My Mind and bassist John Collins also made an appearance.
FRENCH DINING HOTSPOTS UNVEILED
French fare is proving the flavour of the month, with two of Brisbane’s most successful hospitality operators to launch new Gallic venues this week.
Romain Maunier, co-owner of Spring Hill’s La Cache a Vin, is taking the classic cuisine of his homeland to the city’s northern suburbs, launching Little Provence in Eatons Hill Village. The 40-seater will offer an authentic taste of France with restored wine barrels as tables, images of France on the walls, and a menu encompassing everything from snails with parsley and garlic cream to lamb shank with ratatouille, duck a l’orange with homemade mash potato and creme brulee.
“We want to offer people a taste of the real French food from where I am from in the south of France through a family friendly neighbourhood restaurant,” said Maunier.
Meanwhile, brothers Cameron and Jordan Votan, behind Asian eateries Happy Boy and Snack Man, will unveil Petite on the corner of Ann and East St in Fortitude Valley, adjacent to their other venues.
Petite is a neighbourhood bistro-cum-bar, with a wine matched to every dish, such as Jura sparkling to complement a cheese souffle, and a Burgundy pinot noir to be drunk alongside the confit duck.
BIGG WHITEY
The jailing this week of notorious former bikie Adam White on drug charges brought back memories of what should have been one of the most lopsided police versus bad guy battles in Queensland criminal history.
Instead, it was a classic David versus Goliath showdown.
White, a 200cm, 120kg giant nicknamed “Bigg Whitey”, was one of the key figures in the infamous 2013 Broadbeach bikie brawl when dozens of Bandido outlaw motorcycle gang members stormed the busy Glitter Strip restaurant precinct hunting a gang rival before laying siege to Southport watch-house where some of their “crew” were being held.
White was one of 18 bikies charged over the incident and Southport Magistrate Court heard how a petite rookie cop, the 165cm, 50kg Constable Annelise Young, took him down with a taser shot.
Const Young was a first-year officer patrolling Broadbeach when the brawl erupted outside Aura restaurant.
“I was looking the other way and heard a loud bang. I turned around and they were all fighting each other,’’ she told the court.
“I drew my taser and I saw that one of the males is punching the other male repeatedly on the ground.’’
Const Young said she and other police fired their tasers.
Hers hit 200cm White, the Bandidos’ then-Gold Coast president. “As soon as we deployed our tasers, the fighting stopped,’’ she told the court.
White and the other Bandidos escaped with suspended sentences for charges including riot, affray, assault and public nuisance. Speaking outside court, White admitted his conduct was “appalling” and thanked the magistrate for a “really good” sentence.
He was this week sentenced to eight years’ jail for smuggling millions of dollars worth of cannabis into Queensland while a member of the Comanchero bikie gang, but will be eligible for parole next March.
BLUEY CAMPAIGN HITS US
Queensland’s new tourism campaign promoting the state as the home of cartoon canine Bluey has gone global, with star Melanie Zanetti thrilling fans and charming TV hosts in an appearance on America’s version of The Today Show in New York.
Zanetti, who voices Chilli, featured in a segment on Today aired to an estimated 5 million viewers, where she gushed about Queensland. Asked by host Al Roker Junior what made Queensland so special, she said visitors would be spoiled for choice.
“The gorgeous beaches, the natural wildlife that you can only find in places in Australia, there’s so many special things about Queensland and Australia in general,” she said.
There were some nervous moments ahead of the segment as Zanetti had been sick as a dog the night before.
MEMOIR BASED PLAY TAKES A TOUR
The compelling stage adaptation of award-winning journalist Shannon Molloy’s best-selling memoir, Fourteen, is set to begin its nationwide tour this month with a grand return to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane.
Produced by the acclaimed Shake & Stir Theatre Co, Fourteen captures Molloy’s experiences as a gay teenager in 1990s regional Queensland.
“There was a lot of physical violence, bullying, torment,” Molloy said.
The play’s national tour aims to bring Molloy’s story back to the regional areas that are similar to where his own journey unfolded. After its debut at QPAC on June 12, the tour heads to Townsville, Maryborough, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Gold Coast and Cairns.
Molloy expressed a mixture of excitement and apprehension about bringing the story to regional areas where discussions on queer identities might still provoke tension.
“I know ... it can still be tough to be queer in small towns,” he said.
He said the play resonated with diverse audiences and sparked conversations about acceptance and resilience.
“It’s about being able to be who you are and be safe in doing so,” he said.
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