The Source: Shane Charter recovering from major heart attack

Essendon supplements figure Shane Charter is recovering from lifesaving quadruple bypass surgery after suffering a massive heart attack.

Putting the squeeze on Victoria’s movers, shakers and headline makers.

Essendon supplements figure Shane Charter is recovering after a major heart attack.

The Source has been told the controversial biochemist has had emergency quadruple bypass surgery to save his life.

Charter, in his mid 50s, remains in hospital where his condition is believed to be improving.

The news has surprised many, given his age and his involvement in wellness enterprises, such as Dr Ageless, which specialised in “disease prevention, anti ageing and executive wellness”.

The health scare has been preceded by a particularly turbulent period.

In July, police hit Charter with 70 more charges over an Echo taskforce investigation into activities at his Nicholson St, Fitzroy, medical clinic.

Biochemist Shane Charter with shooting survivor and client Sam Abdulrahim

Charter intends to fight the new counts, which are related to allegations of drug trafficking, possession, false documents, obtaining a script from a pharmacist and fraudulent prescriptions.

Charter was arrested in September last year as part of that investigation.

On the same day, he was hit with a $2 million bill by the Australian Taxation Office.

Charter had that very morning won a Supreme Court battle with former Tony Mokbel money man Tom Karas for control of the Nicholson St property.

Karas had lived in the two-storey residence until one day in 2019 when he went to a funeral and Charter and his brother Craig came in and changed the locks.

Charter’s heart attack comes after a particularly turbulent period in his life.

The Charters ultimately won the legal stoush and sold the house for $3.6 million earlier this year.

Charter might be inspired by the kind of improvement one of his clients made after a life-threatening episode of his own last year.

Kickboxing organised crime figure Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim almost died in June last year when a hit team blasted him with shots as he sat in his car at a cousin’s funeral at Fawkner Cemetery.

Charter treated Abdulrahim for months in the aftermath of the ambush, and by this year Abdulrahim was back in the ring with a winning comeback.

Melbourne Girls Grammar waltzes out of saga with gala ball

Calls continue for more transparency and accountability over the handling of abuse claims against Melbourne Girls Grammar former teacher David Simpson.

Yet it seems the school community has glitzier demands to consider.

As the Herald Sun reported, Simpson died after police investigations into his conduct, centring around him allegedly sending a year ten girl a lewd image.

Embattled principal Dr Toni E. Meath could have directly addressed questions about what was raised about Simpson, and when.

Instead, as she puts it, she is grateful for the “kindness and care” of the school community.

The show must go on — in this case, the $245 a head black tie Navy Blue Gala Ball this Saturday.

Teacher David Simpson died after a child safety complaint was made.

To be held at the Plaza Ballroom in Collins St, the invitation promises “an ornately palatial Spanish Baroque style ballroom in the heart of the city, (to) celebrate our wonderful community, enjoy the evening with friends, dine on a fabulous three-course dinner, participate in the Live and Silent Auction and dance the night away to live entertainment.”

One former parent says it is a “disgrace” that the event is going ahead.

“They should cancel it in light of everything that’s going on – it sends entirely the wrong message.”

Refunds for the gala ball closed on August 18 – well before the police investigation into Simpson began.

‘Filthy way to do business’: Tina Arena drops radio bombshell

Radio silence is an absolute broadcasting no-no. The abyss of dead air is to be avoided at all costs.

However, the numb sound of nothingness would be reverberating across the dial today after mic-drop claims from sassy songbird Tina Arena regarding pay-for-radio-play.

On the Time To Talk podcast, with broadcaster Sean Sennett, Arena claimed major record labels pay radio stations to play an artist’s music.

Arena said the music industry was “commodified” and run by label bosses who say “This is the template you’ve got to follow... then you go to him because he makes hits, then you’ve got to play this game if you want to get on to radio.”

Tina Arena has accused radio of operating a ‘pay-to-play’ business model. Picture: Mark Stewart

She claimed: “Radio is all about money. If a record company is prepared to pay, you’ll get played. If you’re not prepared to do that, forget it, the doors shut.

“It’s a filthy approach to business. I can tell you some conversations I’ve been privy to that would make your toes curl. But I’m not going to pay a radio station to play my music.”

The powerhouse singer’s hits include Chains, Sorrento Moon and Heaven Help My Heart.

Arena also spoke about her time at Sony Music, where her career was partly guided by former chief executive Denis Handlin.

Handlin left Sony amid harassment and bullying allegations.

“It was run by who it was run by,” Arena said without naming Handlin.

“He ran a tight ship. You couldn’t question him. He was god. The minute you started to question him, he would look at you and go, ‘Who the f**k are you?’

Arena said defiantly: “I, like many others, are the reason you have the job.”

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