Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 16, 2021 i New Idea

Growing up, my family loved watching Spicks and Specks each week. Not only was the show a lot of fun, but we especially got a kick out of seeing team captain, Myf Warhurst. She had attended my high school in the tiny town of Red Cliffs, in rural Victoria, and was quite the homegrown celebrity! Needless to say, I was very excited when the New Idea team got the opportunity to chat with Myf ahead of Spicks and Specks’ return, after a 10-year hiatus. You can read her heartfelt interview on page 82. Enjoy!…

Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins has once again found love within the popular children’s group, following the news of her engagement to band member, Oliver Brian. The performer took to Instagram to show off her new fiancé, who plays the banjo with The Wiggles, captioning her snap: “When life gets more sparkly.” Emma, 31, who was previously married to Purple Wiggle Lachlan ‘Lachy’ Gillespie, went public with her relationship with Oliver a year after her marriage split, and confirmed the engagement last week. Emma’s ex, Lachy, also recently found love on set – making something of a ‘love square’ out of the romantic band members. Lachy fell for ballet dancer, Dana Stephenson, after she made a cameo on the show in 2018. The pair were engaged in April 2020 and then…

Queen Elizabeth knows a thing or two about writing letters. And, a new documentary has revealed that the 94-year-old monarch used to send “wickedly funny” letters on behalf of her beloved corgis to her equerry’s Jack Russell. English actor Alexander Armstrong revealed that he stumbled upon the letters at the home of one of the monarch’s former officers, Sir Blair Stewart-Wilson. “He would write these letters from their Jack Russell to the corgis, and the Queen would write these letters back,” he said.…

It’s hard to imagine the heartache of being separated from your children, but following her high-profile 2001 divorce from Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman’s relationship with their two adopted children Connor and Isabella was shattered forever. And while years have passed since Nicole’s eldest kids sided with their staunch Scientologist father, New Idea is told the actress, 53, has not given up hope of a reunion, with insiders exclusively revealing she wants Connor to move to Australia! Currently in Los Angeles filming the Lucille Ball biopic, Being the Ricardos, insiders maintain Nicole is quietly planning to reach out to her 26-year-old son, who lives in Clearwater, Florida. “She’s never been particularly thrilled about him living there,” explains the source, who notes that Connor is constantly under the “watchful eye of Scientology”,…

Rebecca Zemek claimed production was shut down after an unwanted kiss from Bryce, which left the 27-year-old in tears. Now, a petition to force Nine Network to apologise for Bryce and Melissa’s controversial relationship is gaining momentum among fed-up fans, throwing a dark cloud over the ratings juggernaut. At press time, the change.org petition has more than 13,000 signatures and is urging Nine to apologise for “creating a distressing viewing experience”, and for failing to “showcase that the relationship is clearly not healthy”. In a statement, Nine said: “At no time did Endemol Shine Australia or Nine consider Bryce and Melissa’s relationship to be characterised by domestic violence or the like. If that had been the case we would have intervened immediately.”…

At the beginning of 1989, John Wayne Glover went on a 14-month horror spree. He murdered six women aged between 60 and 92, and molested five others, during visits to nursing homes and retirement villages. His penchant for preying on old ladies dubbed him, ‘The Granny Killer’. Working as a pie salesman and with his grey hair, friendly smile and middle-aged spread, Glover looked like the cuddly grandfather type as he stalked the safe suburban streets of Mosman, NSW. Killing his victims on weekdays between 3pm and 6pm, he approached them by making small talk or offering to carry their shopping. Back at their houses, the savage senior citizen slayer – whose choice of prey is thought to be fuelled by a deep resentment towards his mother and mother-in-law…

One year after he inadvertently helped millions of Aussies get through lockdown, self-proclaimed ‘Tiger King’, Joe Exotic, is back in an explosive new series looking to solve one of the biggest questions in true crime today – what happened to Carole Baskin’s missing millionaire husband? While more than two decades have passed since Don Lewis vanished in 1997, the case was catapulted back into the spotlight when the wildly popular docuseries, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, premiered on Netflix last year. Now, retired homicide investigator Jim Rathmann claims to have uncovered new evidence that could prove Carole, 59, who founded Big Cat Rescue in Florida, knows more about her second hubby’s murder than first thought. Jim, who leads the investigation in the new three-part special Joe Exotic: Tigers, Lies…

Gnocchi Boscaiola Bake Serves 4, Prep and Cook: 40 mins 500g pkt fresh gnocchi 200g pkt shortcut bacon rashers, chopped 200g cup mushrooms, sliced 300ml tub light thickened cooking cream 100g baby spinach leaves 1½ cups grated 4-Cheese Melt 1 Cook gnocchi according to packet directions until tender. Drain. 2 Heat an oiled large frying pan over a high heat. Add bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4›minutes, or until golden. Add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for a further 3 minutes, or until soft. 3 Add cream and ¼ cup water. Bring to boil. Gently boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add gnocchi and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Transfer to an ovenproof dish (8-cup capacity). Sprinkle with cheese. 4 Cook in a hot oven (200C)…

Warm Choc-Raspberry Dessert Slice Serves 6-8, Prep and Cook: 1 hour, 30 mins 125g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature 1 cup caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 3 eggs, at room temperature ½ cup desiccated coconut 1 cup plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 150g dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped 1½ cups frozen raspberries Icing sugar mixture, to decorate Chocolate ice-cream, to serve 1 Grease an 18cm x 28cm rectangular slice pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 4cm above pan edges. 2 Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Transfer to a large bowl. 3 Add coconut and combined sifted flour and baking powder. Stir until combined.…

Dry, curly, straight or frizzy – we all have different hair types and face different hair dilemmas. Since this is the season to embrace our natural texture, there are a few new hair heroes worth knowing about… THICK HAIR Those with a thick set of locks have their share of challenges. With hair often parched from lengthy blow-dries, it’s important to reverse that moisture loss with nourishing oil such as (4) Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil, $49.95, adorebeauty.com.au. Thick hair will soak up this superstar treatment that’ll nourish it, heat protect it and bring back its natural shine. Keratin is well known to strengthen and repair damage, and it’s an ingredient you’ll find in the (5) Marc Anthony Bye Bye Frizz Keratin Smoothing Blow Dry Cream, $18.99, priceline.com.au. It softens, protects,…

READER Q&A Q I would like to learn more about my purpose and my spiritual path. Can you see anything in my stars? CHRISTINE, BALLINA, NSW. A Your horoscope shows a lively, enquiring mind – in fact, thanks to your Gemini moon, you’ll be a student for life. An underlying interest in ‘hidden worlds’ is growing stronger, and with Neptune being awakened, a desire to learn more about meditation, music and spiritual realms is likely to intensify. You might even tap into hidden healing or psychic abilities, so keep exploring – and remember to keep an open mind! Q I have a son who lives in America with his wife and family. Do you think there is any chance of them coming home to Australia to live at some point?…

Starting out in the chorus of Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, New York, she knew “with a mouth like mine, I just had to be a star or something”. Yet even Barbara Joan Streisand – she changed the spelling to Barbra at 18 – could never have dreamt of this. She’s racked up 52 gold and 31 platinum albums and became one of the few entertainers to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. But the 78-year-old still isn’t satisfied, revealing she has “so much more to learn”. But Barbra does know the secret to her success: “You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.” 1 “My mother used to tell me I would never make it. I wasn’t conventional-looking,” Barbra admitted. “That has been…

Fans of Bridgerton are distraught that Regé-Jean Page won’t be reprising his role as Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, in Season 2 of the hit Netflix drama. Regé-Jean explained Bridgerton and his character of the Duke were pitched to him as a “one-season arc ... I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on”. He will next appear in The Gray Man with Ryan Gosling, and is a contender to be the next James Bond.…

Last September, Drew Barrymore admitted she hadn’t been on a date in five years following her third divorce in 2015. But sources say she’s since reconnected with her ex-boyfriend Fabrizio Moretti, and “sparks are flying!” “She’s been checking up on a lot of old friends this past year, and she and Fabrizio still have that spark,” tells a close friend. “They talked for hours and still are. There’s no doubt they’re getting close and romance is on the cards. Drew’s been single since her divorce and has no intention of dating yet, but Fabrizio always knew how to make her weak at the knees. He’s always adored Drew and didn’t want to split, so he’ll be doing his best to win her back.” The couple dated from 2003 to 2007.…

With the Friends reunion special underway, sources tell New Idea that a planned cameo by Jennifer Aniston’s ex-husband, Brad Pitt, almost ended the project! The actor’s appearance is said to have caused uproar among the cast and crew, with many feeling that Brad and Jen’s romantic history would overshadow the entire reunion. “When the list of cameo appearances came out, Brad’s name was the ‘big surprise guest’ and there’s no doubt it will get a lot of attention for the show,” says a well-placed insider, who notes that for some, it was the problem. Indeed, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry took issue with it, while Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow were worried “the whole ‘Brad and Jen’ saga would overshadow everything”. Brad famously made a cameo in a…

She might be on an acting hiatus, but it hasn’t stopped Jessica Marais from keeping in close contact with her co-stars! Last week, Jess was spotted alongside Andy Ryan, who starred opposite the mother-of-one in Nine’s hit 1960s-based series, Love Child. The pair was seen getting close as they enjoyed Sydney’s warm weather at Coogee Beach – with 36-year-old Jess appearing to be in good spirits as she went about her day chatting away to Andy. The pair then headed to a nearby cafe, where Jess got tongues wagging after she posted an Instagram pic of a Coke bottle with the label, “Hubby”. With fans pondering the romance riddle, Jess captioned the snap: “I don’t know why I find this so funny.” It’s understood Jess is currently single following her…

Long live the original ‘Bennifer’! Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were once a celebrity power couple, before they called off their 2003 wedding. But fans are now convinced a romantic reconciliation could soon happen, after Ben gave a glowing interview about J.Lo, 51, last week – in which he gushed over her “good work ethic” and “ageless appearance”. His comments come weeks after reports emerged that J.Lo had split from her fiancé, Alex Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Ben, 48, is single again after calling it quits with Knives Out star, Ana de Armas, earlier this year.…

Prince Harry appears to have adjusted well to the relaxed Californian lifestyle since stepping down as a senior member of the royal family. Last week, he looked every inch the Montecito local while taking dog Pula for a walk along a Santa Barbara beach. And it appears that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new relaxed lifestyle is set to rub off on their children. Royal biographer Andrew Morton tells OK! magazine that Archie and the couple’s unborn daughter will likely develop a passion for surfing. “I suspect the kids will be surfer dudes,” Morton said. “Although I have not been inside Meghan and Harry’s house, it’s only a short walk from the beach and there’s a nice surfing spot just by their house.”…

Despite their short time on TV’s toughest social experiment, Married at First Sight’s Kerry Knight and Johnny Balbuziente have proven to be this year’s most promising couple. With Season 8’s bombshell reunion just a week away, the happy duo tell New Idea they’re excited for what their future holds – and it includes the pitterpatter of tiny feet! “We’re in a really good place – we’re spending a lot of time together,” Johnny says. “Neither of us went into this looking for a career change or in need of a profile boost,” adds Kerry. “So we’re very pleased with the outcome of this process”. The Queensland-based couple, both 30-year-old divorcees, has felt like a perfect match from the minute they laid eyes on each other. “From the start he was…

Most seniors would be dialling back on the glam makeovers, but superstar Cher is going all out to look her very best before she turns 75! The ‘Believe’ singer celebrates her milestone birthday on May 20. Sources tell New Idea she’s planning a head-to-toe splurge to mark the occasion, including botox, fillers and high-quality laser to enhance her enviable figure. It comes as a makeup-free Cher was seen showing off her toned midriff in LA on April 1, following a business meeting. “Cher is in great shape thanks to her extreme dieting and home workouts, which includes hours of tennis most days, plus cardio and weights with a personal trainer,” explains a source. Despite this, Cher is still “hyper conscious” about every line and wrinkle. “She’s lined up a bunch…

White Chocolate and Caramel Tiramisu Serves 8-10, Prep and Cook: 45 mins 180g block white cooking chocolate, chopped ¾ cup caramel spread 250g block cream cheese, chopped, at room temperature 2 tblsps hazelnut-flavoured liqueur (Frangelico) 2 tsps vanilla bean paste 300ml tub thickened cream 300g sponge finger biscuits (36 biscuits) Cocoa powder and halved fresh strawberries, to decorate COFFEE LIQUID 2 tblsps instant coffee granules ¹/ ³ cup hazelnut-flavoured liqueur (Frangelico) 1 Invert base of a 23cm round springform pan (base measures 22cm). Grease and line base and side with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above pan edges. 2 To make coffee liquid, dissolve coffee in ²/ ³ cup boiling water in a heatproof jug. Stir in liqueur. Transfer to a shallow dish. 3 Place chocolate and ¼ cup of…

4-Ingredient Lemon Ricotta Hand Pies Makes 12, Prep and Cook: 40 mins 4 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, just thawed 230g (1 cup) fresh ricotta 2 tblsps icing sugar mixture, plus extra to dust ½ cup lemon curd 1 Line a large oven tray with baking paper. 2 Using a 9cm round cutter, cut six rounds from each sheet of pastry. Place half the rounds onto prepared tray about 2cm apart. 3 Combine ricotta and sugar in a bowl. 4 Spread 1 tblsp of the ricotta mixture into the centre of each pastry round. Spoon over 2 tsps lemon curd. Top with remaining pastry rounds, pressing edges together with a fork. 5 Cook pies in a hot oven (200C) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Remove.…

1 Always cut stems on an angle and submerge into water immediately before the stem seals up again. 2 Make sure there is no foliage submerged in the water or below the waterline. 3 Find inspiration from the gardens around your neighbourhood, and of course, don’t forget Instagram. Go to facebook.com/ iBoughtAU for shopping tips!…

In the early 2000s, Vanessa Amorosi dominated the music charts with hits like ‘Absolutely Everybody’ and ‘Shine’ – but 20 years later, the Aussie singer has been dragged into a legal battle with her mother over her missing music earnings! The 39-year-old, who has sold more than two million records worldwide, recently filed an action in the Victorian Supreme Court against her mum, Joyleen Robinson, alleging that she engaged in “unconscionable conduct” by depriving Vanessa of touring income and royalties. The court filing revealed Joyleen established the company Vanjoy Ltd in 1999 and arranged for Vanessa’s music income to be deposited to the business when the then-teenager was on the cusp of breaking into the industry. The new court claim alleges that Joyleen controlled Vanjoy’s finances and, though she has…

Kate Ritchie became an Australian TV icon for her 20-year portrayal of Home and Away darling, Sally Fletcher. But in a recent episode of Anh Do’s Brush with Fame, the 42-year-old struggled to fight back tears as she explained that quitting the show caused a personal identity crisis, for which she sought therapy. “I didn’t know where she [Sally] ended and I began,” admitted the Nova radio host, adding she was unsure how people would “react” to her when she was no longer playing the beloved character. After walking away in 2008, Kate revealed she wound up in therapy to help her through the transitional period. “I had to work out whether I was more than that [character],” Kate said. “[Sally] gave me purpose and a sense of achievement ……

As Daryl Somers burst onto the freshly polished dance floor for his big return on Dancing with the Stars: All Stars last week, it was clear – some things never change. Funny, charming and witty, 69-year-old Daryl was every bit the larrikin people remembered him to be from his Hey Hey It’s Saturday years. And while DWTS is bigger and better than ever thanks to its mix of new and returning contestants, a wave of scandal has cast a dark cloud over the presenter’s 50-year legacy – and it has the network concerned. Top insiders tell New Idea that the heavy criticism and bad headlines currently plaguing Daryl’s career “could spell trouble for the show” and have caused angst for Channel Seven, who worked hard to reinstate him as host…

Judy Buenoano went down in history as the first woman to be executed in the state of Florida for 150 years. The wife, lover and mother embarked on a spree of murders planned to perfection. Fuelled by greed, the Texas-born beauty salon owner preyed on her family to pocket their life insurance funds. Over a decade spanning the ’70s and ’80s, Judy mysteriously lost three loved ones, but it was only when another nearly went to an early grave that police grew suspicious of her. A single mother to a son named Michael, Judy appeared head over heels in love with Air Force Sergeant, James Goodyear. They married and went on to have two more kids. When James returned from a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1971, he was…

For over 55 years, celebrities including Nicole Kidman, Tina Arena, Miranda Kerr and even Crown Princess Mary of Denmark have adorned themselves in the elegant and perfectly tailored garments created by legendary Australian designer, Carla Zampatti. Sadly, over the Easter long weekend, the style icon’s family announced that she’d passed away following a tragic accident on March 26. The 78-year-old was attending the Sydney premiere of La Traviata when she fell and lost consciousness before she was rushed to hospital. Taking to social media, Carla’s daughter, Bianca Spender, also a fashion designer, paid an emotional tribute to her mother. “I lost my mother, my inspiration, my mentor and my friend,” she wrote. “I am lost for words and totally heartbroken.” A proud Italian-Australian woman, Carla was born in Lovero, a…

When Giselle Tadros gets a quiet moment, she loves to show her son, Charbel, a picture of him as a tiny embryo. And when he’s old enough, she can’t wait to share the miraculous story of his conception. At just 21, Giselle, from Sydney, NSW, was diagnosed with stage-four Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Fearing treatment would prevent her from having a family, she froze her eggs plus tissue from her ovaries. Six years later, she had the ovarian tissue grafted onto her abdomen wall – resulting in her bouncing baby boy. “I look at him and think how blessed I am,” Giselle, now 33, tells New Idea. When she was diagnosed with cancer at such a young age, Giselle feared her chances were dashed. “I had to start intensive chemotherapy and docs…

Semi-Naked Hummingbird Cake Serves 12, Prep and Cook: 1 hour, 50 mins 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1½ cups vegetable oil 1¾ cups brown sugar, firmly packed 2 cups self-raising flour 1 cup plain flour 2 tsps mixed spice 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 440g can crushed pineapple in juice, well drained 1 cup mashed banana (2 bananas) ½ cup finely chopped pecans ¹/ ³ cup desiccated coconut Fresh flowers, to decorate FROSTING 1½ x 250g block cream cheese, chopped, at room temperature 75g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind 1½ cups icing sugar mixture 1 Grease three 20cm round cake pans. Line bases and sides with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above pan edges. 2 Beat eggs, oil and sugar in a small bowl…

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RESEARCH FIRST Don’t just head to the pet store to buy a tank and fish – first research exactly what you want. Saltwater or freshwater? There’s a whole world to discover and it’s exciting to do the planning. Want to keep it simpler? Go freshwater. GET A SUITABLE TANK AND FILTERS A bowl or vase is not suitable for fish. Depending on the amount of fish you wish to keep, you will need to get a tank that is large enough for them to swim in. Additionally, you will need a heater and filter that suits the size of the tank. KEEP IT CLEAN A water testing kit is a must to test the water quality of your tank. According to petcircle.com.au, you will need to make sure the nitrite…

ARIES MAR 21 – APR 20 As money planet Venus spins into your chart’s finance sector, your taste for luxury will grow: gourmet foods, cosmetics, clothes… just sleep on big decisions. Life looks busy this month, but don’t worry, you’ll fly through. If an unexpected opportunity lands in your lap, don’t procrastinate: show them what you’re made of. LUCKY DAYS: FRIDAY AND SUNDAY TAURUS APR 21 – MAY 21 You’ve always got good taste, but as Venus settles into your sign, you’ll be firing on all cylinders. If the shopping bug bites, add some quality pieces to your wardrobe or jazz up your homewares or art. Why not revisit a neglected craft or pastime towards the weekend – or pass on some skills to the younger generation? LUCKY CRYSTALS: ROSE…

Our gorgeous 2-year-old, Aayilah, snuggling up with a bunny. Her smile says it all. MELISSA REEVES, LOWER BARRINGTON, TAS. BIG BOOTS TO FILL Master 8 announced that he had a relief teacher at school today. I enquired what she was like. He replied, “She is just like you when you collect me from school after you have been at work and you wear those boots with the big sticks on the bottom.” The relief teacher was wearing high-heeled shoes! MICHELLE WURFEL, HILLCREST, SA. My beautiful granddaughter, Isabelle, loves exploring the outside world again. LOUISE WIGHT, OFFICER, VIC. THE GOOD OLD DAYS I wish to commend you on your wonderful write-up on the late and great actor Christopher Plummer. I remember my mother taking me to see The Sound of Music…

Kate Winslet is “proud as punch” of her daughter Mia, say friends, after her 20-year-old mini-me made her film debut last year. “Kate is tentatively thrilled that Mia wanted to follow in her footsteps into acting,” says a source. “It’s a rough industry, but Kate knows she is a mature young woman with a good head on her shoulders.” Indeed, like Mia, Kate caught the acting bug early. She got her big break at 17 when she was cast in her first movie, Heavenly Creatures. “Mia is determined to pave her own path without her mum’s help, too, which Kate hugely respects.” Still, insiders say it’s been a big help that Mia is the mirror image of her mum and her film director dad, Jim Threapleton, who Kate divorced when…

Beauty and wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow has found herself in hot water after experts slammed the actress for her skincare tutorial. The Goop founder caused uproar when she revealed she only applies sunscreen to her “nose and the area where the sun really hits” in a beauty video for Vogue. Experts have since warned others not to follow Gwyneth’s advice. “Her sunscreen game is completely ineffective,” celebrity esthetician Renée Rouleau wrote on Instagram. A spokesperson for Goop responded to the criticism, stating: “In the Vogue video, Gwyneth applies sunscreen to her entire face, though the video is edited down for timing’s sake and does not show the full application.”…

A big congratulations are in order for Pixie Geldof, who is reportedly expecting her first child with husband, George Barnett! The youngest daughter of The Boomtown Rats rocker, Bob Geldof, and the late Paula Yates was simply glowing as she showcased her growing baby bump for the first time while out in London recently. Pixie looked chic in a blue floral dress that skimmed over her growing stomach, as she stepped out for a stroll with her musician husband. At press time the couple – who tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Mallorca back in 2017 – are yet to officially confirm the exciting news.…