Unlikely global star sitting at ARIA Awards power table
Nobody would have had American supermodel Tyra Banks on their bingo card to sit front and centre at the power table at the ARIA Awards. Details in this week’s Unleashed.
Nobody would have had American supermodel Tyra Banks on their bingo card to sit front and centre at the power table at the ARIA Awards.
But there she was – Sydney is now her adopted new home, after all – sat next to ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd and across from federal Arts Minister Tony Burke.
Also at the table were a very bemused rock star Josh Pyke and his wife Sarah.
Of course, Confidential brought readers all the coverage from Wednesday’s event at the Hordern Pavilion, but the seating arrangements inside the venue were almost as intriguing as what was happening on the stage.
Chrishell Stause might be regretting her front-row seats and the ever-present camera catching her every reaction, and notably a very disappointed scowl when her partner G Flip missed out on Best Pop Release to Thelma Plum.
Stause was also visibly frustrated when G and Tim Blackwell struggled to be heard over the tequila-fuelled crowd when presenting an award.
Also in the room were NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister, Opposition arts spokesman Julian Leeser, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, teal MP Sophie Scamps and NSW Minister for Music and regular gig-pig John Graham.
Stause’s fellow Selling Sunset star Breana Tiesi was also in the room, as was top Aussie fashionista Pip Edwards.
Keli Holiday (AKA Adam Hyde from Peking Duk) and Abbie Chatfield’s table was the most action-packed of the night, leading standing ovations and dancing for most of the performances and awards.
AFTER 45 DAYS, STAR COUPLE’S $1.8M HOME IS SNAPPED UP
After 45 days on market, the Gold Coast home of star couple Cody Simpson and Emma McKeon has gone “under offer”.
The couple, who attended this week’s ARIAs dressed in matching black, paid $1.82m in early 2023 for the five-bedroom, three-bathroom house on 500sq m at Labrador.
Simpson, the 28-year-old singer-turned-swimmer-turned-singer who was born on the Gold Coast, intends to release more music next year, after writing 30 songs.
Having taken a “gap year” after her November 2024 retirement from the pool after the Paris Olympics, McKeon recently established two companies, Emma McKeon Enterprises and Emma J Super.
Neither the couple’s plans, nor the sale price, have been revealed by their listing agent Chris Crasto, who marketed the home as “subtle Hollywood Hills glamour” offering “the calm of coastal living”.
It’s “La La Land living with Gold Coast grounding”, it suggested.
The two-storey house had been built in 2022, then taking more than 100 days to sell, according to Cotality.
The agent had been keen to keep the listing under the radar to stop stickybeaks, but there are no further inspections given it is “under offer.”
The home attracted close to 3000 page views while being marketed on realestate.com.au.
The property, which includes a rear pool and sauna, has periodically featured on their social media.
McKeon and Simpson have been dating since 2022 and went “Insta-official” holding hands while on holiday in Barcelona in July 2022.
Before her retirement, McKeon had won 14 medals in three Olympics, including a record six gold medals. She remains the most decorated Australian Olympian, and has held eight world records.
The 31-year-old McKeon was born in Wollongong, moving in 2012 to Brisbane, and then the Gold Coast.
Her parents, Ron and Susie, remain at Mount Kembla.
HOUSEWIFE’S TRAITOR GIG A CHALLENGE
The Real Housewives of Sydney was a walk in the park compared with Krissy Marsh’s next foray into reality television.
The popular Sydney woman is on The Traitors Australia, having filmed the show in New Zealand last month.
“It is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life,” Marsh told Confidential.
“I am very comfortable sitting at a boardroom table from my years in business, however this pushed me in all sorts of areas that I never expected, both physically and mentally.”
The Aussie version has had a refresh, with Gretel Killeen on board to host, replacing Rodger Corser, and a raft of familiar faces competing, including comedian Rhys Nicholson, former Australian Idol judge Ian “Dicko” Dickson and Olympic great Shane Gould.
The season is scheduled to air on Ten in 2026.
Marsh is widely known for her vivacious personality and distinct (loud) voice on the Real Housewives Sydney franchise.
Never one to shy away from sharing her thoughts, Marsh has rebranded her podcast with a new name, Wildly Appropriate.
“Vodka Lectures (the previous name) was about tough love and real talk, while Wildly Appropriate captures the real essence of life and what you have to do to succeed and sometimes that is not being wildly appropriate,” she said.
CONSERVATIVE BIFFO
A war of words has broken out between two prominent centre-right campaigners following the Coalition’s decision to ditch net zero, with conservative lobby group Advance firing back at an accusation it has spent “millions of dollars” attacking the Liberal Party.
In an interview with the ABC last week, Charlotte Mortlock, founder of Hilma’s Network – which works to recruit women to the Liberal Party – hit out at MPs for “lending their faces” to Advance.
“We have Liberal MPs lending their faces to Advance Australia who are then using their campaigns to attack us. Now, that seems completely illogical to me”, Ms Mortlock said.
“Why would we let our talent go and be part of this massive campaign that’s putting millions of dollars behind campaigns that are then targeting the Liberal Party and of course result in increased vote in the polls for One Nation?”
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Advance’s executive director Matt Sheahan dismissed Ms Mortlock’s suggestion as “ludicrous”.
“The idea that Advance is spending millions attacking the Liberal Party is ludicrous,” Mr Sheahan said.
“This is the same old story from the moderate bedwetters in the Liberal Party.
“Advance does not exist to boost the Liberal Party, One Nation or anyone else.”
While Advance collaborated with Jacinta Nampijimpa Price in the Voice referendum, the group – which is registered with the Australian Electoral Commission as a significant third party – has no formal links with current Coalition MPs.
In the past month, Advance – which has long campaigned to ditch net zero – used its social media accounts to criticise prominent Liberals over their support for the policy, including NSW Senator Andrew Bragg and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman, while posting supportively on conservative MPs including Michaelia Cash, Henry Pike and Ben Small.
Advance’s website also makes reference to “climate weaklings in the Liberal Party and Nationals” who have expressed support for net zero.
The Daily Telegraph contacted Ms Mortlock for comment.
REALITY BROUGHT A STROKE OF LUCK
Anna Heinrich and Tim Robards have endured where so many have failed in the reality TV dating game.
Married and with two daughters, it has been 12 years since the pair met and fell in love on the first season of The Bachelor Australia.
“If I didn’t go on that show, I probably would still be single and be in my legal career not liking it,” Heinrich told Confidential, hosting an event for activewear brand, Sweaty Betty.
“So yeah, definitely no regrets.”
While others from the format have struggled to maintain careers in the public eye, both have gone on to thrive in the industry.
Robards is now an actor and famously appeared on Neighbours. Heinrich hosts a podcast (In Your Skin) and runs her own supplement business, intu wellness.
“I think about this all the time and I think how lucky we are,” she said.
“Where we’ve come from, to have actually met on a reality show is crazy, and to be happily married and we’ve got two amazing kids, so to think that all came … taking a chance, but also having the right intentions.”
REDMAYNE STUNS AT CHARITY GIG
Home and Away actor Jessica Redmayne has stunned audiences at a charity gig.
Redmayne sang at artist Brendan de la Hay’s recent party and cabaret show at Home The Venue, which raised money for the charity Lou’s Place.
Hay worked with the women’s refuge while he was the creative director and a performer at The Emerald Room in Darlinghurst, which went into administration on March 7, owing thousands to staff and suppliers.
Redmayne has a background in musical performance, but has worked in television for 10 years.
Hay described her performance as “the surprise of the season” and Redmayne said to have the “opportunity to sing, dance and celebrate alongside Brendan and so many talented friends felt truly special”.
For Hay, the inspiration for the charity event was “manifesting beauty out of what can be a pretty tragic world sometimes (and it) broke my heart” to see The Emerald Room close.
“It was my creative baby and I’m so grateful for all of the humans I got to work with throughout the project,” he said.
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