Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 31, 2024 i Woman's Day

I recently watched Celine Dion’s documentary and was brought to tears by the unimaginable pain she has suffered as she battles a cruel and debilitating illness. So to see her take to the stage last week in Paris, in a miracle comeback to doing what she loves, was certainly something. Now a family friend has told us this is just the beginning for Celine and we know her Aussie fans are going to be thrilled (p22). Speaking of the Olympics, it’s hard to pick a favourite moment, but we share some of our highlights on page 6. As for the ones to watch this week, we’ll be cheering on our marathon-running Aussie mums (p30), who chatted to us days before the Games about just how special this run will be.…

Richard “Dickie” Wilkins tells Woman’s Day it makes him “a bit cranky” when people assume that his 28-year-old son Christian has “had an easy ride” into the cut-throat entertainment biz. “He’s following his dream,” the star says proudly of the model and aspiring actor, who is currently carving out a career for himself in the US. “He worked really hard. To see him over there, settling in, making it his home, it’s what every parent wants.” Despite being on opposite sides of the world, the pair still talk daily. “Just to say hi and love you,” says Christian – and to brainstorm for their popular podcast, The Apple & The Tree, on which they chat to famous Aussie families. LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON Christian says one of the biggest keys…

Sydney high-schooler Alex Noble had big dreams of becoming a professional rugby player. But one Sunday morning in 2018, the then-16-year-old was catastrophically injured during a tackle at a training session. In his memoir, I Fight, You Fight, Alex recalls the moment when his life changed forever. “Everything went cold,” he writes. “Everything went numb. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t feel a thing.” Rushed to the Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital for surgery, he then spent four days in a coma. “The only thing I could do when I woke up in intensive care was roll my eyeballs,” Alex, now 21, tells Woman’s Day. After Alex’s surgery, his parents Kylie and Glen were told their son was paralysed. Kylie writes in Alex’s book how she could barely…

ABBREVIATIONS st(s): stitch(es); k: knit; p: purl; s: stocking stitch (k on right side and p on wrong side). Ridged cushion MEASUREMENTS Approximately 35 x 45cm MATERIALS 4 x 50g balls of purple 8 ply merino (100% wool) 1 x 25g ball of lilac 2 ply mohair blend (approx 70% kid mohair, 30% acrylic) Pair of 4mm knitting needles 35 x 45cm cushion pad. TENSION 22 stitches and 28 rows, to 10 x 10cm, over stocking stitch, using 4mm needles and purple 8 ply. NOTE To create the cushion texture, you will be making ridges by working sts together with their corresponding st 6 rows below, as follows: insert your needle into next st, then insert needle into the back of the corresponding st from 6 rows below, and k…

Sydney-born author Melanie Milburne has written 97 books since she first began penning novels professionally at the age of 40. “I read my first romance novel, Mills & Boon, when I was 17,” she tells Woman’s Day in our exclusive interview. “A girlfriend handed me one, and I just got completely hooked.” It’s been 50 years since the very first Mills & Boon books hit shelves in Australia, and despite newcomers over the years such as the Fifty Shades Of Grey novels, it continues to be one of the most enduring popular romance brands in the world. The publisher has also been a key champion of women writers over the past five decades. Melanie explains, “I know that people sort of mock what women read. It’s seen as fluffy and…

A babe in arms! The sun was shining and the living good in Calabasas as Brian Austin Green hit the streets with kids Noah, 12, and Zane, two. Le freak, c’est chic! We’re counting down the months till the Freaky Friday sequel hits screens. Lindsay Lohan and Jamie-Lee Curtis are having a ball filming it! Euro summer From the Olympics in Paris to the beach in Italy, Queen Mary is having a summer to remember! The royal enjoyed time with daughter Josephine, 13, and family. Three blondes... …walk into a garden party! Cameron Diaz celebrated the launch of her wine Avaline in the Hamptons with Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow. Beauties & the beach! They could be twins! Jessica Alba and her lookalike daughter Honor, 16, rocked bikinis on holiday…

It’s the gig of a lifetime, with Karl Stefanovic revealing he’s “beyond grateful” for the opportunity to commentate at the Paris 2024 Olympics. But the larrikin TV star is reportedly also trying to shake off a string of negative press, after some fans were quick to criticise his efforts, calling them “beyond cringe”. ‘Can someone shut up Karl Stefanovic?’ “The Channel 9 commentary is so bad, I wonder (if) it’s been beset by technical difficulties beyond Karl Stefanovic’s personality?” asked another. Indeed, some viewers were calling for Karl to be bumped from the commentary box all together! “Todd Woodbridge by himself would have been perfect,” wrote one, referring to the 53-year-old tennis great who co-hosted the opening ceremony alongside Karl and fellow Nine star Ally Langdon. But these harsh and…

It would be hard to find a celebrity dad as protective of his young daughter as David Beckham, but his refusal to accept that little Harper is growing up is causing all sorts of problems at home with his wife, Victoria! For Harper’s milestone 13th birthday recently, the retired football star went all out with a wholesome family holiday in Sardinia and a private party on their yacht. But just days earlier, Harper showed she’s outgrown the girlie balloons when she was spotted at a festival in London without her parents to accompany her. ‘She’s no longer Daddy’s little girl – it’s breaking his heart’ “David really is doing his best, but he’s not coping at all with his little girl growing up,” an insider says. “Victoria’s trying to be…

Doreen Watt never needs to go to the library. If she ever wants to read a novel, all she has to do is open the door to her spare room. In there, she has 44,000 Mills & Boon books displayed in custom-made bookcases – that’s almost one copy of every Mills & Boon story ever published. The 85-year-old from Weetangera, ACT, has loved the famous romance books since she first read one 45 years ago. “In 1979 my children were in their late teens and suddenly I had some time on my hands,” Doreen tells Woman’s Day. “I went to see the movie, Leopard In The Snow, and decided I wanted to read the book. It was a Mills & Boon story. I loved the ‘boy meets girl, there’s a…

Little Man is set to stick around AMANDA SAYS Little Man tells me that he is still living at the ripe old age of 18. He’s in relatively good shape apart from having renal and hyperthyroid problems. He tells me that there are other cats living with him and he’s the oldest. Little Man fades in and out of the connection as he has dementia. He tells me he has known Vanessa all his life but did not come to live with her until he was about seven years old. He loves his human dad very much and shows me that they watch TV together. A lovely man who has passed over comes through. He’s Vanessa’s father-in-law who passed about four years ago, and loves animals. He brings through a…

CORNED BEEF WITH SPICY TOMATO RELISH SERVES 4 PREP 15 MINS COOK 1 HOUR 15 MINS • 1.5kg piece corned beef • ½ cup brown vinegar • 2 tbsp brown sugar • 4 cloves • 6 black peppercorns • mashed potato, small parsley leaves, to serve RELISH • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion, finely chopped • 1 red capsicum, seeded, diced • 4 long green chillies, chopped • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 400g can diced tomatoes • ¼ cup brown sugar • ¼ cup white vinegar 1 Place meat in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil. 2 Add vinegar, sugar, cloves and peppercorns. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer 1 hour until tender. Cool in liquid. 3 RELISH Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan,…

NAILED IT! MARC JACOBS Never mind The Tote Bag, the bold designer is about to make ridiculously long, acrylic nails the look of the season. Need a hand zipping up that hoodie? Coffee run! MILLIE BOBBY BROWN It was clearly a two-coffee kinda day for the Stranger Things star... And from the looks of that energetic expression, the caffeine has well and truly hit! Baz’s besties BAZ LUHRMANN If there was an Olympic medal for most popular celeb, Baz would win it! The Aussie schmoozed with tennis star Novak Djokovic, rock icon Mick Jagger, Vogue’s Anna Wintour and singer Ariana Grande in Paris. THE STRUGGLE IS REAL! PRINCE ALBERT & PRINCESS CHARLENE He may be in charge of a small country, but when it comes to putting on a plastic…

MAKING AN ENTRANCE Emerging from a plume of pink feathers, Lady Gaga opened the Paris 2024 Olympics on the banks of the River Seine while Dawn Fraser waved to the crowds. RECORD BREAKER! Kaylee McKeown celebrates as she wins the women’s 100m backstroke final and sets a new Olympic record. Emerging from GOLDEN SMILES Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan show off their medals after competing side by side for Olympic glory in the 200m freestyle.…

He isn’t taking his eye off the ball, but sources say Cruz Hewitt has had his head turned by fellow junior tennis player, Emerson Jones. The pair, both 15, see each other often on the tennis circuit. And Cruz has been singing his fellow young sports star’s praises on social media. And he’s right to be impressed! Emerson, who hails from Queensland’s Gold Coast is the top-ranked Australian in the latest ITF World Tennis Tour junior girls’ rankings. She’s also the highest-ranked Australian junior girl since Ash Barty peaked at world No. 2 in 2011 when she was also 15.…

Lily Allen recently admitted she can go days without talking to her actor husband David Harbour when he’s away for work, insisting, “I feel like absence makes the heart grow fonder.” But the British singer, 39, may start to rethink that marital motto after seeing her husband of four years, 49, getting close to his new co-star, Florence Pugh, 28, at Comic-Con in San Diego. The actors were promoting their upcoming superhero film, Thunderbolts, and couldn’t stop hugging each other and laughing as they posed for pictures. “Lily knows David wouldn’t cheat on her, but she’s annoyed that he would get so close to Florence and risk the cheating rumours,” an insider tells Woman’s Day. “He’s lucky she knows him so well. It’s easy to assume he’s being a flirt…

There wasn’t a dry eye among Celine Dion’s fans as her extraordinary voice soared around the world from the Olympics Opening Ceremony in Paris last week. In her first live performance in four years, the 56-year-old made a powerful comeback singing Edith Piaf’s Hymne A L’Amour in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower. “That was incredible – she is the gold winner for vocal athletes,” said Olympics TV co-host and singer Kelly Clarkson. Friends say Celine, who revealed her stiff person syndrome diagnosis in 2022, is “still on a high” from her triumphant return to the stage, even posting a few hours later, “I’m honoured to have performed tonight... and so full of joy to be back in one of my very favourite cities!” And after succeeding in her vow…

Susie Elelman will never forget her debut as a guest on the 1995 TV WEEK Logies red carpet. What should have been remembered as a night of exciting memories became a nightmare the following day, with the TV favourite copping a barrage of bullying for wearing her now famous black and white cleavage-baring gown. “I couldn’t believe I’d been invited to the Logies. I was beyond elated, like an excited kid jumping up and down,” shares Susie, 70. “As it’s Australian TV’s night of nights, naturally, I wanted to look my best and make a splash. “My hairdresser and close friend Sherryl McFarlane had recently returned from the US and had a copy of Cosmopolitan magazine with supermodel Stephanie Seymour on the cover wearing a black and white Herve Leger…

Just six months after giving birth to her second child, Jessica earned her spot alongside two of her closest mates. “It was a real ‘pinch me’ moment – Sinead and Gen I regard as friends and role models, so it is special to be working towards this together,” she shares from her altitude training camp in Switzerland days out from the race. “It helps we can relate to each other as mums and offer each other support.” The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal champion is married to fellow Australian middle-distance runner Dylan and admits their two kids, son Billy, three, and daughter Ellie, 11 months, are a little young to properly understand why their mum is running around Paris! “I don’t think Billy quite knows what to expect – he’s…

KEEP TOUCH WITH MITCHELL ONLINE! Visit mitchell coombes.com Q We lost our dad last year. I miss him and our mum is on her own now, will she be OK? I also feel stressed as my son has been trying to buy a house but keeps missing out.  Hopeful Virgo MITCHELL SAYS Your beautiful dad is coming through from spirit with so much love and care. He tells me he is so proud of you. Your dad says your mum is the love of his life and says, “Tell her thank you for the roses.” I’m told that a piece of your mum’s heart went with your dad when he passed, but she will be OK. Your dad says she has a lot of happiness to look forward to and he…

MASK UP At-home masks really are the best product for achieving clearer, smoother skin from the comfort of your couch. Great for lathering over fresh, washed skin, leave on for five to 10 minutes to reap all the nourishing benefits. TIP Take a gentle approach to your skincare by avoiding hot water and over-exfoliating. BARRIER WARRIORS A strong skin barrier helps to tolerate aggressors, retains moisture and keeps skin hydrated. A healthy barrier should feel smooth and look radiant. Look to masks, balms and creams to help keep it protected. DEEP CLEAN Spend at least two minutes every morning and night gently cleansing your skin with one of these calming yet effective formulas. Great for removing makeup and impurities, a good cleanser is key to achieving hydrated, soft skin. TOOL…

ORANGE CARDAMOM SOUR CREAM CAKE SERVES 8-10 PREP 15 MINS COOK 50 MINS • 125g butter, softened • 1 cup caster sugar • 1 tsp vanilla paste • 2 eggs • 2 oranges, finely grated zest (about 2 tbsp) • 1½ cups self-raising flour • 1 tsp ground cardamom • 200g light sour cream • ¾ cup flaked almonds • pouring custard, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease and line base and sides of a 22cm springform pan. 2 In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla together until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in zest. 3 Sift flour and cardamom together onto a piece of kitchen paper. Lightly fold into creamed…

Cacio e pepe tagliatelle A gluten-free dish complete with buttery spring greens and toasted walnuts SERVES 2 Bring a large saucepan of water to boil and cook 250g fresh gluten-free tagliatelle (160g if using dried pasta), according to the packet directions or about 4-6 mins for fresh pasta, depending how cooked you like it. Meanwhile, dry-fry 30g roughly chopped walnuts in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat for a couple of minutes until lightly golden. Set aside. Pop 10g of salted butter into the pan with 1 tsp olive oil, then increase the heat to medium-high and add 150g spring greens or cavolo nero (tough stalks removed and leaves thinly sliced), plus a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Toss the greens in the butter…

$38,000 INDIANA JONES Fedora $380,000 JAMES BOND Skyfall suit $30,000 FORREST GUMP Box of chocolates $76,000 SCREAM Ghostface costume Thirty thousand dollars might seem a lot to pay for a box of chocolates but that’s what it’s predicted movie lovers might stump up for Forrest Gump’s famed confectionery! Just like Forrest once said, “Stupid is as stupid does”… Propstore’s auction of movie memorabilia is expected to fetch a cool $10 million for items such as the hat that Harrison Ford wore in Indiana Jones to James Bond’s Skyfall suit to the iconic Scream mask… now that’s just scary! $38,000 THE GOONIES Data’s stunt coat $122,000 GLADIATOR Battle costume $23,000 PRETTY WOMAN Pearl earrings…