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Chika on a roll

FOR four long years, from 1998 and 2002, Kerry Chikarovski led the Liberal Party in NSW.

TheAustralian

FOR four long years, from 1998 and 2002, Kerry Chikarovski led the Liberal Party in NSW.

So it's good to see that she has kicked on to bigger and better things and is set to launch something called SUPREXXA for MEN. While it sounds like a cross between a high-powered car and a designer deodorant, it is in fact a legitimate health product for blokes. "Kerry Chikarovski and her formulations team began work in May 2010 to create a unique formula specifically targeted to assist men with their metabolism, energy and support liver and digestive function," said Chika's spokeswoman and daughter Lisa Chikarovski, formerly Joe Hockey's press secretary. In a farewell email to the Canberra press gallery this week, Lisa assured her media contacts: "Don't worry, I won't be spamming you with PR material, but do feel free to pass this info on to any of your health-related media contacts if they might be keen to chat with Kerry!" We remain in the dark about the exact nature of Chika's magical bloke potion. But the name alone makes Strewth feel big and strong and full of beans.

Bloke stuff

A DUEL at 10 pork buns - or was it theatre? - between Melbourne media titans Neil Mitchell and Eddie McGuire ended in an uncertain truce yesterday. A day after 3AW's Mitchell publicly identified two of Eddie's Collingwood AFL players as helping police with their investigations into a sexual assault, the duo met for a pre-arranged luncheon date in Chinatown. Despite the pre-lunch slanging match over the rights and wrongs of Mitchell's action, McGuire and Mitchell shook hands in front of the media, above, and quickly turned the whole circus into an ad for Melbourne tourism. "You can actually talk as gentlemen over these things and maybe that's the difference between what happens in this town to what happens in other places," said McGuire, a short-lived Sydneysider. For the record, Eddie and Neil "agreed to disagree" over their spat. But they did agree it was time to move on.

Piping hot

FOR those who always thought soccer superstar David Beckham and his singer-turned-fashion designer wife Victoria live in another universe, America's Marie Claire magazine provides compelling evidence in a recent interview in which the former Spice Girl lashes out at those who mock her husband's high-pitched voice. "I just think he's so goddamn perfect that people have to find something wrong with him. The other day he was sitting at the end of the bed, and he had no clothes on whatsoever. I was getting out of the shower, and I just stood there looking at him. He never looks like shit in the morning. Never! So he's sitting there sending his emails, all ripped. Not an ounce of fat on him. And I thought, 'You done good, girl.' I sure wasn't thinking of his high-pitched voice."

Dobbed in

AUSSIE sprinter Sally Pearson was understandably upset yesterday after she was stripped of her Commonwealth Games gold medal for a false start. But if being dudded four hours after victory wasn't bad enough, she also had to deal with the speculation that English officials lodged their protest against Pearson's win as payback for an incident at the previous Commonwealth Games, in Melbourne, when the Australians successfully appealed against an English runner's interference in the 4x400m relay. But Strewth reckons there is an obvious upside to Sally's downfall at the hands of the dibber-dobber Poms. With the battle for the Ashes less than seven weeks away, any angst our cricketers can generate towards the mother country is welcome. It's hard to still feel cheated about Bodyline, given that it was 77 years ago. So let's do it for Sally.

Service extra

ATHLETES in Delhi may be unimpressed with the standard of accommodation in their village, but things could be worse: they could be staying at the Hyatt hotel in Deerfield, Illinois, in the US. The hotel corporation is being sued by a female guest who allegedly found a male hotel worker wearing her panties, skirt and high-heeled shoes. Dayanara Fernandez, 36, claims she stumbled on Oscar Garcia-Franco wearing her clothes during her stay at the Hyatt hotel in Deerfield earlier this year. Fernandez said she entered her room to discover Garcia-Franco with an "unusual expression on his face", before he uttered the words "Me like, me like" in reference to the skirt and high heels. Garcia-Franco then decamped into the bathroom but left the door ajar, allowing Fernandez to witness the ultimate hotel room horror: the guy who was supposed to be cleaning her room was wearing her Reg Grundies. Rather optimistically, Garcia-Franco is said to have shouted, "Don't tell, don't tell" when he was sprung. He later pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was fined $US187 ($192).

strewth@theaustralian.com.au

James Madden
James MaddenMedia Editor

James Madden has worked for The Australian for over 20 years. As a reporter, he covered courts, crime and politics in Sydney and Melbourne. James was previously Sydney chief of staff, deputy national chief of staff and national chief of staff, and was appointed media editor in 2021.

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/strewth/chika-on-a-roll/news-story/a3604b53ef937165f36434ada8e04536