Alice Coster: The good, bad and ugly of 2021. Scandals that shocked and celebs who inspired

From Nadia Bartel’s snorting storm to the identity of her new squeeze (hint, he’s fit), this is the good, bad and ugly of 2021 celebrity scandals. A to Z.

Nadia Bartel was perhaps the biggest scandal of the year, caught on video snorting white powder off a Kmart plate. Picture: Wayne Taylor

A - ANDREWS’ TUMBLE:

The Premier’s unfortunate accident sent conspiracy theorists from both sides of politics into overdrive. Everything from Dan getting on the beers to scrapping with Mornington Peninsula’s high-flyers got a run.

B - BOYS’ CLUB RUMBLE

Jeff Kennett launching Mick Warner’s best-selling AFL expose, The Boys Club, upset more than a few. The great man got the last laugh in a verbal punch-up with Gold Coast boss Mark Evans. Kennett called the CEO a “puffer fish”.

C - CUP CELEBRATIONS

Midas touch owners Ozzie Kheir and Brae Sokolski certainly know how to throw a party. The first big shindig post lockdown came after Verry Elleegant won the Melbourne Cup and it was memorable for many reasons (we won’t mention the C-word).

Brae Sokolski at the winners’ party at Society. Picture: Supplied

D - DICK PIC

Game day sexting by Australian wicketkeeper Tim Paine took ball tampering to extreme and hard lengths. Sending a pic of his “bat” to a Cricket Tasmania staffer cost him the captaincy and his career.

E - EDELSTEN’S WIDOWS

Looming legal battles add another wacky chapter to the deceased doctor’s bizarre life story with two busty-and-bedazzled wives suddenly showing renewed interest.

Gabi Grecko posted a tribute to Geoffrey Edelsten on her Instagram following his death. Picture: Instagram

F - FAT-SHAMING HOUSEWIVES

Well manicured claws sharpened when Real Housewives of Melbourne original Lydia Schiavello posted a photoshopped image of her rival Chyka Keebaugh looking rather rotund while miraculously losing a few kegs herself.

G - GODFATHER OF MUSIC

Melbourne music icon Michael Gudinski sadly passed but the memorial in his honour, featuring megastars Ed Sheeran and Kylie Minogue, was a concert worthy of the Mushroom founder’s trademark No. 1 salute.

H - HALLOWEEN HIJINKS

Jordan De Goey’s American night out ended in a New York courtroom with the Pies star wearing his Halloween costume er, bathrobe, after a stint in the slammer following assault charges.

Bad boy Jordan De Goey’s New York holiday took a turn for the worse. Picture: Supplied

I - INFLUENCER IGNORANCE

The vaccine rollout saw influencers move into dangerous territory with their anti-jab gibberish. We’re talking about you Sam Frost.

J - JEROEN WEIMAR

Chief medical officer Brett Sutton was so last year, with 2021 being the Year of the Weimar. The contract tracing commander became a steadying presence throughout the madness, earning poster boy status.

K - K-MART PLATE

The unsung hero of the Nadia Bartel nose beers scandal was the $1.50K-Mart dinner plate the high-profile WAG was filmed using to hoover up the white stuff.

Nadia Bartel snorting very expensive white powder from a very cheap plate. Picture: Supplied

L - LOVE LOST

A feline furore erupted after former Bachelorette Georgia Love posted a picture of a cat in an Asian restaurant, captioned shop attendant or lunch? Channel 7 back-benched the reporter over what was called “casual racism” and Love lost an ambassador role with Chadstone shopping centre.

M - MOJITO MADNESS

Kew MP Tim Smith indulged in too many Cuban style cocktails before driving his car off the road and into the side of a house on his way home. But that wasn’t the only car crash, with his “one too many” press conference, the last drinks for his political career.

N - NEWTON LEGACY

Showbiz queen Patti Newton’s heartbroken tribute followed her husband Bert’s state funeral. Patti said Bert “loved to be loved”. Victorians gave him plenty of that.

O - ONLY FANS

The social media platform (let’s be honest it’s almost like a porn site) is where D-grade celebrities go to die and make heaps of coin. Think Liz Cambage, Bernard Tomic’s squeeze Vanessa Sierra and yes, the St Kilda schoolgirl.

Vanessa Sierra is not the only celeb to embrace OnlyFans. Picture: Instagram

P - PETER DUGMORE

Never heard of him? Well, you will know all about him soon. The word coming out of one interested camp is that the personal trainer is Nadia Bartel’s new squeeze.

Q - QUARANTINI

Toorak toffs in their Range Rovers drove to Covid lockdown parties in underground car parks all over 3142 with rolled up $100 notes deemed the super spreader.

R - REGIFT

We all do it but in the influencer world it’s a big no-no. Queen bee Bec Judd got busted dumping yummy mummy WAG Lorinska Merrington’s latest designs in a Salvation Army charity bin just days after she’d modelled them for her on the ‘gram.

S - SOCKLESS SOCIALITE

Chapel St bar owner Hayden Burbank felt the full brunt of the wild west after being branded the grand final border-hopper and thrown in maximum security for multiple Covid breaches.

Hayden Burbank has paid the price for celebrating at Optus Stadium after the Demons won the AFL grand final. Picture: Supplied

T - TELSTRA HOOK-UPS

Burner phones, extra-curricular hook-ups and multiple NDA’s forced the telco giant to issue an extraordinary zero tolerance statement after the behaviour of some (now former) high-flying execs was revealed.

U - ULTRA TUNED

Car repair magnate Sean Buckley was charged with stalking and assaulting his Playboy-model ex who was also in trouble for secretly recording some of their very interesting pillow talk. It’s still revving.

V - VICTORIAN LIBERALS

Liberal Party leader Michael O’Brien’s kumbaya attempt at team bonding all but sunk at his Mornington Peninsula secret party powwow thanks to a leaky boat that had every media outlet present. Things didn’t exactly improve after that.

W - WHITE-OUT WIPEOUT

Eddie McGuire pulling out the white-out to alter a prepared statement for Collingwood’s Do It Better report to include the words “proud and historic” blew up his 23-year reign as president.

It’s been a helluva year for Eddie McGuire. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

X - X-FILES

Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick shacking up with a Tigers staffer got the ball rolling for big-name breakups.

Y - YACHT’S AHOY

A mysterious super yacht Lady E had Brightonites tongues’ wagging after it took up residence in the bay. It turns out the floating palace belonged to one of their own, Brighton Grammar old boy David Russell.

Z - ZERO TO HERO

Ben Cousins’ Brownlow Medal red carpet in his hometown of Perth almost stole the show. The AFL does redemption stories better than most and the loveable bad boy looked healthy and seriously hot, helped by his plus-one lady in red.

Ben Cousins return was one of the highlights of 2021. Picture: Getty Images