PICTURES: Inside Ellen DeGeneres' Melbourne party
CHAMPAGNE flowed while a slink of sequins and big hair-dos shone at a black-tie party for talk show host Ellen.
NO expense was spared as 300 VIPs made their way to The Residence event space in The Grand Hyatt to meet Ellen and wife, Portia de Rossi at a chic cocktail party.
Champagne flowed, of the smart Laurent Perrier kind, while a slink of sequins and big hair-dos created a black-tie party vibe.
A big cast list of party ‘hosts’, from the head honchos of Qantas, Swisse, GTV9 and the state of Victoria, all gave rousing speeches before the main act zipped onto the stage.
Speeches were looooong – that happens when a swag of big gun execs are given the job of thanking a Hollywood type.
The premier, Doctor Denis Napthine, was effusive in his praise, support and love of Ms DeGeneres.
The good doctor would not be drawn on his comments from earlier in the day when he said he is not a fan of marriage equality on Melbourne radio, instead he said how much he loved the talk show host and comedian.
Once Ellen made it to the stage, after a generous red carpet run, the understated and unflappable entertainer says she has never, ever had such a welcome anywhere around the world, vowing to be back for a real holiday.
“I shouldn’t put it out there, but I can see us living here one day,’’ she said to a room of wolf-whistles.
“Not for a while as I’ve got shows to do, but I can see it happening.’’
Ellen went on to say that although she lives next door to Jennifer Aniston in Los Angeles she never goes out, aside from heading to work, so coming to Australia was a huge ‘going out’ event.
She went on to thank Qantas for the pyjama and peanuts. Oh, and a plane tagged the Ellen Express.
The cult-like status of ‘Ellen in Oz’ has astounded the woman herself. The whipped-into-a-frenzy Aussie crowds have not been able to get enough of the talk show queen. Guess it proves her show, which airs here in the middle of the day, is hot property.
The event was MC-ed by dynamic Big Brother host Sonia Kruger, who dressed in a figure-hugger sleek red gown. VIPs who attended to included designer Peter Morrissey, Qantas boss Alan Joyce, actress Magda Szubanski (wearing a killer Peter Lang cocktail ring) and always the man with an illuminating presence, Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum.
We caught up with Crown’s PR doyenne Anne Peacock who is gearing up to host an Autumn ‘Ladies Lunch’ with Gretel and Ros Packer and Women’s Weekly boss Helen McCabe at Guillaume in Sydney next month.
We also bumped into the super svelte Brynne Edelsten who says her latest foray into TV, Celebrity Splash, is the hardest thing. Ever.
“I thought attempting to act in my show was bad but this is just so hard and the training is painful,’’ she said.
Other fine faces included Patti Newton, jeweller Adrien Lewis, John Bertrand, Gary Sweet, Shane Jacobson, Nine’s Ian Paterson, Tracey Grimshaw, Rhonda Burchmore, Swisse’s Radek Sali and Mitch Catlin, Derryn Hinch and the very pregnant pair, Fifi Box and TV judge, Nat Bassingthwaite.
While the chosen 300 stayed around to party, Ellen and Portia swiftly worked the room to lots of hand-shakes, kisses and media grabs, before making a quick exit back to the huge grins of omnipresent fans keeping vigil at the Collins Street hotel.
