Rebel Wilson joins celebrity dating app Raya at the Australian Open
Nadia and Jimmy Bartel have hooked up with new flames, and there’s a surprise connection between their partners. Sounds like a game of mixed doubles.
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Who’s playing centre court? It’s about the last question on a celebrity’s mind attending the Australian Open.
It’s more who is lobbing on to the location geo-mapper of celebrity dating app Raya, aka Illuminati Tinder, which has the Melbourne “it” crowd barely containing their excitement outside Rod Laver Arena.
Apologies in advance for the tawdry tales about to be told.
It’s been a long summer sojourn, so anything with a whiff of highfalutin is simply too much of an ask this week.
Just like our summer reading, Page 13 will unashamedly, (OK, a little shamefaced) delve into the trashy, tacky and downright below-the-belt shenanigans of our rich, famous and wannabes, just this once. Nudge-nudge, wink-wink.
So where to start? How about some mixed doubles?
GAME, SWIPE, MATCH
Actor Rebel Wilson is the latest big name to drop shot into Raya, the dating app for celebrities.
Wilson was active as of last week, and not picky on which gender we hear.
Elsewhere the app, which is rapidly getting infiltrated by influencers, is proving a ripe playground for our international players looking to court some action.
The membership invite only dating app, which requires a minimum of followers and a heavily vetted entry, is littered with the international players — albeit mostly doubles players — a la German tennis player Dominik Koepfer or Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
Tap twice for a love match.
LOVE ALL
The summer romances between the Bartels has provided plenty of fodder.
Before we hear cries of “who cares”, “stunning and brave” or “leave them alone”, believe us when we tell you the people involved play the media game harder than a Pete Sampras serve and volley.
Shortly after, ahem, media shy Jimmy Bartel proudly flaunted his new flame, executive assistant Amelia Shepperd on the gram in December came news and pap shots of Nadia and her new man.
No, not Richmond premiership player Josh Caddy, that’s sooo 2021.
But former footballer turned “fitness expert” and model, Peter Dugmore.
Then things got a little spicy. Turns out this is not their first rodeo, or should we say love match.
It appears the new Bartel plus ones, Dugmore and Shepperd, were actually an item back in the not so distant past. Quite the changeover.
SPARRING PARTNER
Over at the Piper-Heidsieck champagne bar soiree on Thursday night, outside Rod Laver Arena, and there was nary a mention of ball boys.
Members of The Australian Club would have been furious, as it was all about the ladies.
Ambassador Maria Thattil quite literally turned heads and persuasions, in a stunning Cappellazzo Couture ensemble.
Her dress was so tight the concierge at her apartment block had to zip her into the showstopper before she arrived. It worked a charm.
The eloquent Miss Universe winner revealed this week during her stint on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here she was “bi-curious” and open to exploring all things woman.
Well she can drop the curious tag.
The beauty queen was seen stilettoing off into the distance with recently returned LA-based designer to the stars, hottie Rochelle Gregory, of “it” label Rocky Rafaela.
The tongues were again wagging over at The Botanical where the two were later seen, er locked in some serious tongue wagging. Uncorked!
WHAT A RACQUET
Don’t mention the war! Down at the Happy Slam, it’s become don’t mention the Djoker.
Tennis boss Craig Tiley, who was very much bunkered down this week, copped some booing followed by a cringey interview with Channel 9 following the he-who-shall-not-be-named debacle.
Not so Tiley’s boss, the unflappable and seemingly unscathed Tennis Australia president Jayne Hrdlicka who has been out every day pressing the flesh, in what is dubbed the Prez Rez. This is where bigwig corporate sponsors are treated like tennis royalty.
American-born Hrdlicka, the chief executive of Virgin, became the first female president of Tennis Australia in 2017.
Last year, her men’s finals presentation speech got booed at the mere mention of a vaccine. Who knows what tennis fans have in store for her this time around.
Just ask Ruski hot shot Daniil “low IQ” Medvedev!
Tiley will be front and centre again on Monday to support the first AO Pride Day when 5000 rainbow flags will be handed out to fans. Now that’s something to cheer about.
ADVANTAGE SET
Back at Piper-Heidsieck where the French bubbles flowed well into Thursday night and we did tell a porky, there was most definitely some testosterone in the room: Vince Colosimo. “There is something about Vince….”, was the line heard among the breathless, and we ain’t talking Covid, doll.
Despite dubious headlines over the years, some written in this column, and his former partner Sabella Sugar making a court appearance this week to quell a reported opportunistic conwoman out to extort him, Colosimo just can’t be cancelled.
Oozing with charm, the recently single Underbelly star told Page 13 he is done with all the histrionics and toxic relationships.
Now great friends with his former ex-actor partners and mothers of his children, Jane Hall and Diana Glenn, Colosimo said he is firmly focused on his career with a soon to be stint on Celebrity Apprentice and starring in the highly anticipated thriller The Girl at the Window, not to mention Wog Boy 3. Woah baby!
Following the death of his father last year, Colosimo said it put his life into perspective, refusing to be weighed down by the opportunists, or haters, of which there were certainly none in the room. Pant, pant, swoon.
DOUBLE FAULT
Once upon a time an invite to the Australian Open served up some famous faces.
Everyone from Matt Damon, Will Smith and Anna Wintour graced centre court.
But that’s not enough for some of our reality drainers.
Not satisfied with an exclusive sponsor invite, they get their managers to ring asking if they will receive an attendance fee.
When the “appearance fee” is refused, the managers double down, asking for “better seats” or if possible “the courtside ones”.
What a backhand, or should that be backhander?
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