Gold Coast gossip: Regina King and Peter Flowers’ Yoo-hoo awards 2020

2020 was not one for celebrating but there were some things that were worthy of mention in what we consider to be the worst annual ceremony in Australia. Yes folks, it’s time for the 2020 Yoo Hoo Awards

2020 was not one for celebrating but there were some things that were worthy of mention in what we consider to be the worst annual ceremony in Australia.

Yes folks, it’s time for the 2020 Yoo Hoo Awards.

SURPRISE CONFESSION

Jeannie Pratt Picture:Wayne Ludbey

“I used to do that!” The speaker was Jeannie Pratt, widow of Richard of Visy Industries fame, and the ‘that’ was doing what we do by covering social events in Sydney before she met and married her husband. “It was so much fun and I absolutely loved covering all the big glamorous events,” she said. Who knew we had something in common?

WILD HORSES

Ronan Keating - Wild Horses

The big surprise at the Magic Millions launch in the hockerdome on Surfers Paradise beach was the appearance of singer Ronan Keating. The reason for his guest spot was that his good friend Mike Tindall was asked to help with the entertainment after he complained about a particular song. He explained it all when he introduced Ronan to the stage. “I said that if they played ‘The Horses’ by Daryl Braithwaite this year I wasn’t coming back and I was told to get someone so I got Ronan to perform as a favour.”

THE LAST DANCE

Brittany Scullion, Lauren Johnson and Justine Aouali - The Last Dance Picture: Regina King

There always has to be a final everything and for large gatherings in 2020 it was St Patrick’s Day on March 17th. The craic was huge at Finn McCool’s in Surfers Paradise before everything was closed and we all went home to discover the joys of binge watching everything. For Brittany Scullion, Lauren Johnson and Justine Aouali it was definitely a case of last drinks.

GOOD CITIZENS

Ian Cousins and James Frizelle

Creating a community with heart takes the efforts of very good people. The Gold Coast is blessed to have many such folk but two of the best are in this picture. In November James Frizelle (right) was inducted into the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards Hall of Fame. It was a fitting reward for his extraordinary contributions to business and his eponymous charitable foundation. With him is Ian Cousins who, over his working life, has contributed enormously to so many causes and charities, always willing to do whatever he can to help. They have made the city a better place by their efforts.

BEST DRESSED

Grace Kim. Picture: Regina King

This was a year of limited functions but it didn’t stop Grace Kim from shining bright in the fashion stakes. Her ability to mix high-end brands with her own innate style made this fashion designer our number one pick when it came to dressing to impress in 2020

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE

Regina King and Rebel Wilson. Picture: Regina King.

This goes to Rebel Wilson (pictured with moi) for her generous offer to auction off a lavish lunch at her Sydney home to the highest bidder. At the end of the bidding she generously decided to host not one but two feasts with each party agreeing to pay $50,000 to the bushfire appeal to join her in her waterfront mansion. One of the bidders was our own Hoss and Gillian Heinrich who due to Covid restrictions have been unable to enjoy Rebel’s wit and wisdom over lunch but sometime, somewhere it will be happening.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Mayor Tom Tate and Professor Mark von Itzstein.

It was a very big year for Professor Mark von Itzstein AO because 2020 marked the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Institute for Glycomics at Griffith University. He was also named the Gold Coast Citizen of the Year at an Australia Day ceremony in recognition of the ground breaking research he and his team are conducting. Awards and ceremonies over, Mark and the team then joined the global hunt to find a vaccine for the coronavirus. The good work never ends folks.

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BIG FOOT

Jarrod Witts. (AAP Image/Darren England)

You would be hard pressed to find a nicer man than Gold Coast Suns co-captain Jarrod Witts. Although at 209cms he is, to use modern parlance, a big unit. At the Suns season launch at HOTA earlier in the year it was revealed that he had broken his foot and had been wearing a moon boot. Some of his team mates then anonymously let it be known that he was walking his dog at night as part of his rehab. The thought of seeing big Jarrod clumping out of the shadows with dog in tow would have been a sight to give any passer-by a sudden start.

IN THE PINK

Robyn Cameron and Brett Cook.

There were fears that the 13th annual Pink Ribbon Cup Race Day would not leave the starting gate. Somehow Robyn Cameron (pictured with GCTC chairman Brett Cook) and her merry band of volunteers wrangled and wrestled their way through the myriad problems and managed to stage another stunning event. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Sky Racing, Birkbeck’s Jewellers, other sponsors and the Gold Coast as a whole, a stunning $120,374 was raised for the National Breast Cancer Foundation which amazingly beat the sum raised in 2019. Adding to the fun was the sight of Robyn wearing, for the first time in our memory, a pink ensemble.

SAVE THE CHILDREN

Angela Simson and Nicole Blundell

One of the very special charity functions we attended when things started to slowly get back to normal in October was the Project Rescue Children lunch at GCCEC. After hearing some of the horrific stories about the sexual exploitation of children as young as six months, Nicole Blundell (pictured with Angela Simson) simply could not look away. She sent out word about the function which quickly sold out and by the end of the day $126,000 was raised to help stop this disgusting abuse.

LOWRIDER AWARDS

Lowrider Award

We haven’t covered a school formal for a few years but it was great to see that when it comes to making an entrance, nothing has changed. This Chevrolet Impala with all the bells, whistles and high flying air suspension was taken at the Miami State High School formal function at Sea World. The students were wonderful, the crowds of parents and well-wishers really get into it and the organisation was superb.