Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 48, 2024 i Woman's Day

There’s something inspiring about being brave enough to change up your life, as beloved Logie winner Sam Johnson explains to Woman’s Day in an exclusive chat on page 24. The actor and charity campaigner reveals why taking time out from acting to become a volunteer postie has been nothing short of a Christmas miracle for him – and how it sparks joy for him every day! Speaking of spreading joy, my husband, daughters and I were lucky enough to head to the premiere of Moana 2 at the weekend (a serious perk of the job!) and I was laughing into my popcorn throughout the film. This is your invitation to take the kids or grandkids to see it this school holidays but before you do, read our exclusive chat with…

It’s no secret that Brad Pitt has been estranged from his six children since splitting with wife Angelina Jolie in 2016. But in a welcome turn of events, it seems his youngest – twins Knox and Vivienne – are considering reaching out to their dad’s family as the holidays approach. Last week, photos emerged of Brad’s niece Reagan playing with the twins when they were little, revealing the close bond they once shared. The happy family snaps only highlight the fact that Brad’s entire family felt the loss of his children in the wake of his acrimonious divorce. According to reports, the actor’s parents, William “Bill” and Jane Pitt, have attempted to maintain their connection with the kids over the years, regularly sending them all birthday and Christmas cards.…

It’s battle of the popstars with Bob Geldof and Ed Sheeran going head to head over the 40th-anniversary re-release of the Band Aid charity single, Do They Know It’s Christmas?. Ed, 33, contributed to the 2014 version of the song, but voiced his displeasure about his vocals being used in the new track without his permission – saying he believed the single pushed outdated stereotypes of people in Africa. “A decade on, my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed, eloquently explained by [singer] @fuseODG. This is just my personal stance, and I’m hoping it’s a forward-looking one. Love to all x,” Ed shared on Instagram. It’s something Bob, 73, strongly disagrees with and so does Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley – who has weighed in saying he wishes…

It looks like Hugh Jackman’s big holiday plans have hit a snag, with estranged wife Deborra-lee Furness apparently shutting down his hopes for a cosy blended family Christmas. Sources say Hugh, 55, was keen to introduce his new flame, Broadway star Sutton Foster, to their kids this festive season – but Deb’s not sold on the idea. FAMILY DRAMA “Hugh and Sutton would love to get together with their kids for the holidays but it’s still awkward and Hugh is conscious of respecting Deb’s feelings,” a family insider dishes. “It’s going to take more time for loved ones to adjust to the new normal and so that means Hugh and Sutton are bracing themselves for way less time together than they’d like during the holidays.” Though Hugh and Deb,…

As one of his daughter Ella Bleu’s biggest cheerleaders, John Travolta couldn’t have been prouder to watch her embark on her music career and release her first EP into the world. But as an actor and singer for five decades in cutthroat Hollywood, John, 70, is uneasy about how his daughter will fare in an industry that tends to chew talent up and spit them out just as easily. “John’s doing his best to be supportive but he does have sleepless nights over Ella’s big steps into the spotlight,” an insider tells Woman’s Day. “He also knows what it’s like to make mistakes in the public eye and go through scandals and heartbreaks with all the world’s worst trolls on attack. “Even though Ella has the advantage of growing…

When Rhonda met Mike LOOKING BACK ON MAGIC MEMORIES WITH MIKE! Leggy showbiz favourite Rhonda Burchmore bursts into a beaming smile when she talks about her first TV appearance – singing on The Mike Walsh Show as a 21-year-old budding performer with stars in her eyes. “I owe Mike so much. I made my TV debut in 1981 and it was terrifying. Millions of Australians dropped everything to tune in to The Mike Walsh Show at midday,” recalls Rhonda, 64, of the performance that launched her career. “Mum made my gown, and prior to my rehearsal I was a bundle of nerves. I sang Judy Garland’s The Man That Got Away.” “Mike welcomed me with open arms and settled my jitters instantly. He was so generous and kind,…

After spending most of his career in the army, Ben Wallace, 41, thought he could never love another job as much. That is, until he became a firefighter eight years ago. “There’s just something special about being a firefighter,” he says. “We get to help people on their worst day. Everyone’s always happy to see you. It’s very rewarding.” Ben is no stranger to rewarding work. During his army career he was deployed to Iraq three times and Afghanistan once. His time in Afghanistan was spent as part of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. “Our job was to push the Taliban out of an area and then rebuild schools and other community buildings that they’d destroyed,” he says. “It definitely opened my eyes to how fortunate we are in…

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MITCHELL ONLINE! Visit mitchell coombes.com Q My mum recently passed away very unexpectedly. Is she with my brothers and dad? We miss her so much and would like her to know that. Angela MITCHELL SAYS As I read your question, I can see all of your loved ones in the spirit world begin to step forward. I can see your beautiful mum and she is excitingly waving hello to you. She smiles and tells me that she has reunited with your dad and also your brothers. Your mum says they were all there and waiting to greet her when she passed. Your dad tells me that he is happy he has been able to hold your mum in his arms and dance with her…

1 DITCH THE STICK While lipstick tends to last longer, it can also be very drying on the skin (especially matte formulas). And believe it or not, the shade you choose can change the shape and fullness of your lips. Picking a colour that contrasts with your skin too much can give the illusion of thinner lips. For a fuller, plumper pout, opt for a neutral shade a few shades deeper than your skin tone. Add in a comfy lip oil or balm for added hydration. 2 SWITCH UP YOUR BASE Coming into summer, the last thing we want is to apply a heavy foundation that looks cakey on the skin (thank you humidity!). Luckily there’s been an influx of hybrid base products that provide light coverage while also being…

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED ASPARAGUS & HALOUMI BUNDLES SERVES 4 (MAKES 8) PREP 25 MINS COOK 15 MINS • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil • 100g sourdough bread, torn into small pieces • 12 slices (200g) prosciutto • 2 bunches (16) asparagus, trimmed, halved widthways • 225g haloumi, cut into 8 long slices • 8 sage leaves, plus extra fried leaves, for serving 1 Heat ¼ cup oil in a large frying pan. Add crumbs, cook, tossing 5 mins or until golden. Set aside to cool. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the same pan. Cook 4 prosciutto slices 2 mins each side or until crisp. Set aside to cool. 2 Place breadcrumbs and prosciutto in a food processor and process until a fine crumb. Set aside. 3 Place a…

LEESA RONALD Where did the idea for Special Delivery come from? The premise came to me while wondering whether it would be extreme political correctness or incorrectness to call a male midwife a “midhusband”. That led to some hilarious daydreaming and thus my novel was born! Why did writing a romance for a single mum particularly appeal to you? I adore rom-coms but in my early 30s I increasingly felt like I couldn’t relate to so many of the female leads as my day-to-day life had changed so abruptly after having kids. I began writing the book I wanted to read: a sexy, flirty rom-com overlaid with the craziness of early parenthood. Did you come across a male midwife during your birthing experiences? A lovely male midwife apparently helped me…

Father & son Richard Gere took his eldest son, 24-yearold Homer, along to the premiere of his new TV show The Agency in New York. Turn it up Rita! Rita Ora looked white-hot – and said she “had the best time” performing at Hits Radio UK in Manchester, England. Beach babe “My happy lil baby,” Jules Robinson cooed of her smiley baby Carter. The TV star and her four-month-old “dreamboat” hung out by the seas in Sydney. Family fun day Jamie Durie, fiancee Ameka Jane and their cutie-pie kids, daughter, Beau, three, and son Nash, one, hit the sand at Sydney’s Avalon Beach near their home. Jess tee-ses music merch Tee-ing up a perfect new look, Jessica Mauboy spruiked her new collab with Support Act to raise funds for Australian…

Lady Louise isn’t the first woman in her family to be charmed by the idea of life in Oz! It turns out her mother Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was once enamoured with a young ski instructor from Australia, who she met while working as a ski rep in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana. Long before she met her prince, Edward, a young Sophie followed her holiday fling back to Australia – where she began working as a courier and even started deep-sea diving! And according to late author Garth Gibbs, who co-wrote a book on Sophie and husband Prince Edward’s love story, the royal was even thinking about putting down roots Down Under. “I think she was hoping to get married and settle down [there],” Garth revealed back in 1999.…

While on the promotional trail for her new film Maria, Angelina opened up about her kids in a rare candid moment. During an interview with Good Morning America, the 49-year-old revealed that nothing compares with being a mum. “Motherhood – it’s my happiness. You can take everything else away from me. Nothing else matters,” she said. But while her kids mean everything to her, her ongoing court battle with Brad over her right to sell their French vineyard, Chateau Miraval, is in danger of sending her broke! A judge recently ruled in favour of the case heading to trial. “Ange has serious cashflow problems,” an insider tells Woman’s Day. “It’s nice to have critical hits like Maria, but she needs a box office cash grab, and with Maleficent 3 completely…

Kate Winslet may have received a warm introduction from her Titanic co-star and close friend Leonardo DiCaprio at a recent screening for her film Lee, but friends say she’s not interested in reuniting on screen! Despite Leo’s attempts to team up again, an insider reveals Kate, 49, has her reasons for resisting – and it’s not just because their post-Titanic film Revolutionary Road was a flop. “As a mother, she wants to maintain the career longevity and respect of stars like Meryl Streep and refuses to rely on past glories,” the source says of moving past her breakthrough role with Leo, 50. “Plus, she’s never approved of Leo’s playboy lifestyle!”…

Who’d have thought? Here I am, waking up with Today,” Sam Armytage chortled on social media while promoting her new show The Golden Bachelor on the brekkie program last month. Now there’s talk that she could be offered a permanent seat on the Today show couch. According to reports, the former Seven Sunrise veteran will fill in for Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo for a week and a half during the summer. However, speculation is rife it could be a trial to see if Sam’s a good fit to take over for good. And there’s been serious backlash from some of Nine’s “old guard”. “There have been crisis meetings back to back since Sam was signed – the fact is the big bosses did…

Long before the Logies and the limelight, a 10-year-old Samuel Johnson would get up early each morning and do his paper round. “It was seven days a week,” says the star, who is “going backwards to go forwards” after a near-fatal cycling accident in 2021. “I’m a little apprehensive about being on the road. But this is next-level self-care,” says the 46-year-old mental health and cancer charity advocate. “I live a very public life. It gives me some much-needed quiet time and it also gives me a spectacular view for breakfast. I take my melon with me in my saddlebags and I eat it on the top of the hill looking over the valley. “I’m very careful of taking care of myself because I come from a background of…

Dave Moore, 54, has “seen a few things” during his 22 years as a firefighter, but taking part in the Australian Firefighters Calendar over the past five years has been one of the most challenging. “The first photoshoot was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done,” he tells Woman’s Day. “Being told to strip off half naked in front of complete strangers was quite daunting.” He’s since learned to overcome any nerves and loves being involved in the photoshoots. “I’m the token old bloke,” he laughs. “I’m 10 years older than anyone else in the calendar, but I believe age is just a number. I still feel like I did at 25. I hope I can show people that as we get older we don’t have to wither away…

Sagittarius NOV 23 –DEC 22 Look at you! That confidence is shining through. An amazing idea connected to your home could take shape this week or a social function will leave you on a high – and that’s just for starters. Your love life also stands to benefit, so plan a hot date or book a babysitter. STAR TIP If travel arrangements are looking wobbly, have a Plan B and C ready to roll. AMANDA SEYFRIED Mamma mia! It’s the star’s 39th birthday on December 3. Capricorn DEC 23 – JAN 20 Stop and smell the roses. Delays may feel frustrating, but what a great opportunity to reconnect with loved ones and reassess where you’re headed. Now’s your chance to revisit the basics – fly a kite,…

LEMON & GINGER RIPPLE CAKE PREP 30 MINS + 8 HOURS CHILLING COOK 30-40 MINS SERVES 15-20 • 250g mascarpone • ½ cup lemon curd, plus extra to decorate • 600ml thickened cream • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2x 250g packets gingernut biscuits • 50g white chocolate, to decorate • 125g raspberries, to decorate 1 In a medium bowl, stir mascarpone and lemon curd together until smooth. Set aside. 2 In a large bowl, whip the cream and vanilla together until firm peaks form. Fold in mascarpone mixture until smooth. Spread a layer of the cream mixture on a serving plate in the shape of a wreath approx. 24cm wide. 3 Sandwich some of the cream between two gingernut biscuits and stand them upright on the…

All his life, King Charles waited and prepared for his time on the throne. But just two years into his reign and staring down the face of cancer, the ailing monarch could be about to do the unexpected – give up the title he waited so long for. “Charles came to terms with a short-lived reign many years ago, but he’s definitely finding it harder to hide how difficult things are for him these days,” a royal insider tells Woman’s Day. “He’s a lot weaker and tires easily, and doctors are begging him to slow down.” The King, 76, has been leaning on his heir, Prince William, more and more to keep the royal family intact, his schedule dictated by his treatment and limited by his health issues. And…

There’s also more movement over at Seven, where buzz is that Sunrise news presenter Edwina Bartholomew could be in line to replace veteran newsreader Ann Sanders if she opts to retire this year. Ann, 64 – who’s been presenting the news since 1988 – is said to be on a massive salary, a hangover from the golden years of TV. “Eddy has always been Seven Chairman Kerry Stokes’ No. 1 pick to eventually replace his favourite, Ann Sanders,” says an insider. “After Eddy’s cancer scare, the network’s very keen to make sure Eddy remains in a star role, but there will be no more gruelling 3am starts.” Meanwhile, while Ann decides what’s next after being at Seven for more than 40 years, Eddy, 41, continues to be a trooper and…

Lloyd Wright, 38, has been a firefighter for 13 years – and in recent years it’s become a family affair. He now works in the same fire station as his brothers, Mal, 41, and Andrew, 28. “It’s definitely fun working together,” he says. Lloyd and Mal were both born in Papua New Guinea, where their mum is from, and moved to Australia when Lloyd was six. “It was a bit of an adjustment as it was a cultural change for us,” he says. “Australia is home though now – I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.” Lloyd, who lives in Cairns, Qld, has been taking part in the calendar for the past 10 years. Mal has also made several appearances, but the 2025 calendar is the first time all three…

All the Scruffys send their love AMANDA SAYS Scruffy tells me that she’s still living. She shows me that she is a big dog and is very nervous and scared of a lot of things. The only man she trusts is her dad John, who she adores. Scruffy tells me she’s the fourth Scruffy to have belonged to the family, and she’s about 14 years old now. I then see a young man named Pete come through. This is John and Glenda’s son, who tells me that he passed suddenly from an accident at the age of 15. He brings through three other Scruffys. Number one tells me she firstly belonged to a neighbour, but was not treated too well so she came to live with Glenda and John.…

TIP If chicken is browning too quickly, place a sheet of foil over the breasts. GARLIC & LEMON ROAST CHICKEN SERVES 4 PREP 20 MINS + OVERNIGHT REFRIGERATION COOK 45 MINS • 1.8kg free-range whole chicken • 125g unsalted butter, room temperature • 6 cloves garlic roughly 68 WD chopped • 1 lemon, zested and halved, plus extra cheeks or wedges to serve • 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra sprigs to serve • 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme 1 Pat dry chicken, place on tray and leave in fridge uncovered overnight to dry out skin (this ensures a crispy chicken skin). 2 On day of serving, mix butter, garlic, zest, rosemary and thyme in a small bowl. Season. Gently prise skin from breast to create a…

Compiled by Stephanie De Nobile. Cocktail recipe by Four Pillars Gin. Strawberry Santa hats Get creative with this fun dessert SERVES 8 Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Thaw 1 sheet of Pampas puff pastry while you line a large baking tray with baking paper. Using a 6cm round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 16 circles, 4 across, 4 down. Lay your circles on the baking paper, brush with egg and bake for 15-20 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden. While pastry is in the oven, prep 25 small strawberries by cutting off the green section and creating a flat surface. Make sure they are completely dry. Set aside. Spread 1 cup of desiccated coconut onto a large plate. Once your puff pastry has cooled, spread a layer of…

WHO WORE IT BETTER? CARRIE BICKMORE & TOMMY LITTLE Thank goodness it’s for charity! Radio star Tommy rocked Carrie’s swimmers to help raise funds for her Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation. Crikey… Wax what?! ROBERT IRWIN Sometimes you look in the mirror and don’t even recognise yourself! We get the feeling Robert had the same thought when he came face to face with his Madame Tussauds waxwork. BASKET BORED! JASON SUDEIKIS Ted Lasso star Jason had a ball explaining the rules of basketball to son Otis, 10, but by the look of things Otis wasn’t so impressed. Still, at least he had a good nap… Born to be... mild? PRINCE WILLIAM Look out world, Wills has ditched the crown to join a bikie gang! He hopped on…