Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 49, 2024 i Woman's Day

In this week’s issue, there’s a story that’s made me cry every time I’ve read it. Few around the country will not remember Torii Johnson’s name, or instantly associate it with the word hero. The Lindt Siege victim was one of 18 hostages held inside the cafe in Sydney by a lone gunman in December, 2014. When the opportunity came to escape brave Torii, in an act of true selflessness, chose to stay with the remaining hostages. This week, on the 10th anniversary of Torii’s death at the hands of the gunman, his dad Ken reflects on his son’s bravery and his own grief and journey to acceptance after unimaginable pain (p30). I’d like to thank Ken for being so raw and honest with us, and you, our readers. Erin…

He’s happily married with four kids now, but Robbie Williams has opened up about the secret baby heartbreak he went through with fellow pop star Nicole Appleton in the late ’90s. The Take That singer and the All Saints member were planning to become parents at a time when Robbie, now 50, was at the “height” of addiction. Back then, Robbie told her, “This baby is saving my life,” but Nicole claims her record label pushed her into an abortion. And Robbie’s had to relive the heartbreak again in scenes from his new biopic Better Man, which Nicole, 49, gave her blessing to. “The most difficult bit is watching Nicole and what we went through,” Robbie admits. “I was a f**king awful boyfriend, like, really awful… she’s a complete angel,…

Gogglebox favourites Isabelle and Kerry Silbery upset fans last week with news they wouldn’t be returning to the show, and now it’s been revealed that budget cuts are to blame for their axing. “Producers shocked Isabelle and Kerry last week with a phone call to say they were not being renewed for 2025,” a friend of the women tells Woman’s Day. “It was not how they saw their time ending on the show, especially since they’d already been told the dates of the next shoot.” The 21st season of the reality show will find a new home on Ten after Foxtel chopped it from its line-up. The Silberys started out with great grandmother Emmie before she stepped down in 2023, and a network insider says, “The dynamics had changed in…

He was worried his drink driving arrest in June would “ruin the tour”, but it’s Justin Timberlake’s poor health that has forced him to cancel a string of shows in the US in recent weeks. “The first date, in October, was an undisclosed injury, but two weeks later he came down with bronchitis and laryngitis,” an insider says. “Then he hurt his back in New Orleans and he hasn’t been right since.” The popstar, 43, apologised to his fans for the cancelled shows, and behind the scenes, he’s apparently torn up over what he believes is the “cursed” Forget Tomorrow World Tour. “It’s just one thing after another for Justin right now,” the source explains. And with nine more US stops in 2024 and international shows up to July next…

Apple Martin is all grown up… and she certainly was the belle of the ball! Despite their high-profile “conscious uncoupling” in 2016, 20-year-old Apple’s famous parents Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin reunited last week at Le Bal des Debutantes, an exclusive aristocratic debutante ball held at the Shangri-La Hotel, to support their daughter as she made her grand society debut. “A special long weekend in Paris,” Gwyn, 52, captioned a post on Instagram of the family, including her famous mum Blythe Danner, 81, as they celebrated Apple’s big day surrounded by some of the world’s most elite families. According to Vogue, Apple’s breathtaking custom Valentino gown, designed by Alessandro Michele’s atelier, took a whopping 750 hours to create. The dress was a showstopper, making Apple the star of the…

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MITCHELL ONLINE! Visit mitchellcoombes.com Q I lost my dad last year, but I haven’t come to terms with his passing. My brother and I are trustees of our mother’s will. My mum has changed her will now, taking me off and adding my brother’s wife instead. I’m upset as I don’t trust them. Did Mum do the right thing?  Hopeful MITCHELL SAYS Your dad comes through from Spirit right away. He’s a wonderful man, and he tells me he does not want you worry about what the future will bring. You dad says you will have much happier days ahead to look forward to. I feel the only reason your mother agreed to change her will is because your brother and his wife have promised…

1PREP & PRIME While you don’t necessarily need to apply a primer, adding this extra step ensures your skin is prepped and smooth and it comes with an array of benefits. For one, it can prolong the wear of your makeup – just what we need as we head into the depths of summer – and is especially helpful for those with oily skin. A hydrating primer like MCoBeauty Glow Hydro Boost Primer $24 creates a comfortable base while nourishing the skin with hyaluronic acid and Kakadu plum. For something a little more heavy duty, opt for a pore minimising formula like Huda Beauty Easy Blur Smoothing Primer $50 which works to smooth texture and even skin tone. 2 FOUNDATION STATION These days we’re spoiled for choice when it comes…

BISCOFF CELEBRATION CAKE SERVES 6-8 PREP 45 MINS + REFRIGERATION • 2 x 250g vanilla buttercream mix • ¼ cup Biscoff spread, melted • 2 x 600g caramel mud cakes • 16 Biscoff biscuits • 20g pack giant chocolate stars 1 Make icing according to packet instructions and stir in spread until well combined. Place one third of the icing into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and set aside. 2 Crush 4 packs of biscuits using a rolling pin or mini processor until fine and sandy. 3 Sandwich mud cakes icing sides together and place on serving plate. Coat the entire cake with icing and smooth using a spatula, making sure to fill the gap where the cakes meet. Press the crushed biscuits along…

DIE HARD Nothing says festive season film night like Bruce Willis being caught up in a hostage situation on his way home for Christmas. The 1988 action movie follows weary NYC detective Bruce in his famous white singlet as he goes up against baddie Alan Rickman. It’s an instant Christmas classic. THE SANTA CLAUSE Tim Allen is a comic genius in this perfect blend of fun and humour the whole family will love. His transformation from a sceptical dad to jolly Santa is as hilarious as it is heartwarming. I’ve grown up watching this film year after year, and it’s still my favourite Christmas movie of all time. THE HOLIDAY It’s the perfect Christmas film: heartfelt, funny, a tear-jerker and it captures the magic of love during the festive season.…

Crikey, Robert’s 21! Robert Irwin rang in his milestone birthday with a cake at home at Australia Zoo, and a look back at his beloved dad Steve at the same age. Tour de royal... Regal rider! We all know Zara Tindall is a champion equestrian, but it turns out she’s also good on a bike! The royal took part in a charity cycle in Datchet, England. Stars in her eyes Kerry Washington had her dad Earl and mum Valerie join her as she got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Mini-mes! Zoe Saldana brought four dates to the Italian premiere of her new film Emilia Perez – artist husband Marco Perego and their lookalike sons Cy, 10, Zen, seven, and Bowie, 10! Lady in red The Prince and…

Only in Woman’s Day Ian Smith shocked and saddened Neighbours fans the world over last week when he announced he was stepping away from his iconic Harold Bishop character because he’s fighting terminal cancer. “I was diagnosed a few months ago, it’s a very aggressive, not fixable lung cancer... and they expect me to die,” Ian told 10 News First, adding that he’s leaving his much-loved role to focus on his health. “I’ve really put my hand up just to be a guinea pig,” he confessed, referring to his treatment. “Plus the fact that I don’t want to die. I want to stay alive with quality as long as I can.” Ian, 86, explained that he was diagnosed with pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma, a rare form of lung cancer…

The brutal early starts have finally got the better of ABC presenter Michael Rowland, who is giving up his morning show job to focus on his family. The ABC News Breakfast co-host, 56, shared the sad news with his viewers, describing his role as “by far the best job I’ve had at the ABC” but one that took “an enormous amount of family sacrifice”. “After 15 years of 3am starts my body is screaming, ‘Enough!’ Michael admits. “The hours have finally caught up with me.” The presenter, who is married to Nicola Webber, says, “I am looking forward to a break and spending more time with my family. My beautiful children were seven and five respectfully when I started the show and they’re now in their 20s.” Michael’s exit comes…

Chris Hemsworth comes as a package deal these days, as he was spotted last week in LA with his sidekick son Tristan. The 41-yearold superstar actor has been inseparable from his three kids since learning that he has a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease and in spite of the bad news, he hasn’t been this happy in years. LIFE ALTERING NEWS Friends say Chris has completely overhauled his world around wife Elsa, 48, and their beloved kids, India, 12, and 10-year-old twins Sasha and Tristan and these days, it takes a very special project to lure him away from their tight family unit. “They’ve spent the past two years living each day like it’s his last,” says a long-time friend. “That diagnosis changed him. He no longer just takes on…

SEE EUROPE BY TRAIN Celebrate the festive season in a winter wonderland aboard the opulent Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The Belmond train includes popular itineraries such as Venice to Paris, Florence to Paris and London to Venice. Onboard there will be carols in the piano bar, champagne and outside the views are of the snow-capped European countryside. The train features refurbished carriages from the 1920s to 1940s. Belmond has added eight new suites onboard, which means travellers can choose from a trio of cabin categories. These include the historic cabins, where a daytime lounge transforms into cosy upper and lower berth beds, and the new suites which offer twin or double beds with marble ensuite bathrooms, or one of the six opulent grand suites. belmond.com/trains/europe/venicesimplon-orient-express/ THE POLAR EXPRESS Fans of the animated…

Rod Stewart has very publicly stood up for his wife Penny Lancaster, calling a well-known British presenter a “bald-headed bully” over his past treatment of her. British MasterChef host Gregg Wallace was forced to step down from the series after almost 20 years as he’s investigated over historical allegations of misconduct across five different shows. And rocker Rod, 79, made his feelings about Gregg well known, accusing him of embarrassing Penny when she was a contestant on the cooking show in 2021. “So Gregg Wallace gets fired from MasterChef. Good riddance Wallace... You humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that bit cut out, didn’t you?” he wrote on Instagram, signing off the rant with Sir Rod Stewart. Penny, 53, is now willing to assist…

Together after 10 years A decade after their divorce, Paul Hogan and ex-wife Linda Kozlowski are teaming up again for a new project about the 1986 film that brought them together – Aussie classic Crocodile Dundee. Crocodile Dundee: The Encore Cut relaunches a newly digitised version of the film alongside a documentary featuring its lead stars, who fell in love and went on to marry in 1990. An insider says in recent years, Paul, 85, and Linda, 66, have reconnected as they co-parent their son, Chance, 26. “The best thing Paul and Linda ever did for their relationship was get divorced and they’ve come full circle with their hot and cold relationship,” a source says. “They’ve been nothing but supportive of each other out of necessity, having to be…

She’s been a staple on our screens for the best part of 40 years, but as Georgie Parker celebrates her 60th birthday, there’s no slowing the Home And Away favourite down. “I’m very grateful to be 60 and alive. I feel great, very positive,” the star, who’s suffered from scoliosis since she was a teenager, tells Woman’s Day. “If I wake up and I’m not in pain, it’s a good day.” Celebrating with a family trip overseas, it’s a well-earned break before a busy 2025 that will see her take some time away from Summer Bay. She’ll tread the boards first in the Queensland Theatre production of Rhinestone Rex And Miss Monica – her third time in the role of Monica – then in How To Plot A Hit…

Antigone de Lacharriere was getting ready for her then 11-year-old daughter Artemis’ primary school graduation when she received the horror phone call. “One of my son’s friends said there’d been an accident,” Antigone, a mother-of-three from Mosman, NSW, tells Woman’s Day. “I had asked to speak to him but I was told, you must come.” Knowing her 14-year-old, Artaban, had been surfing, she assumed he’d got in trouble in the water and frantically drove to Freshwater Beach, not knowing if he was dead or alive. “As I got closer there was a helicopter and the road was blocked. At the beach I couldn’t get close but I saw a stretcher coming but I still didn’t know anything,” Antigone, 49, says. Her husband, Alexandre, 50, arrived but Artaban’s friends were…

GROW YOUR OWN Even a pot on the balcony full of fresh herbs will save you money! Consider buying inexpensive freestanding garden beds to plant all manner of seedlings in, and greens such as rocket and kale, which are easy to grow and can be picked as needed. If you have no space or want to go a little larger with your gardening project, then Community Gardens Australia can connect you with gardens in your area. communitygarden.org.au REUSE & RECYCLE With a bit of patience and dedication, keeping an eye on websites like Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace can score you what you need for much cheaper than new. Another way to save is to always consider repurposing or repairing before replacing. BE ENERGY EFFICIENT Embracing energy efficiency is good for…

BLACK FOREST TRIFLE SERVES 8 PREP 30 MINS • 2 x 85g packets raspberry jelly • 300ml thickened cream • ¼ cup icing sugar, sifted • 600g store bought mud cake, chilled (see Tip) • ⅓ cup sweet sherry • 500ml thick vanilla bean custard • 500g fresh cherries pitted, halved, plus extra whole to serve • milk chocolate shards, to serve 1 Make jelly following packet instructions. Cool, then pour into rectangular slice pan, set overnight in the fridge. 2 Beat cream and icing sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks. 3 Cut jelly into large cubes. Cut mud cake into 3cm cubes. Put half the cake in the base of an 8-cup capacity trifle dish. Drizzle with half the sherry.…

HERE’S HOW TO PLAY Welcome to Murdle Australia: The School Of Mystery, a curious collection of the postgrad university case files of the world’s greatest mystery solving mind, Deductive Logico. All you need to crack these cases is a sharp pencil and an even sharper mind. To prove it, let’s revisit one of Deductive Logico’s more recent cases. The murder took place in a big, mysterious, Australian bookshop. Logico knew that one of three people had committed the crime… Now, Logico knew he could not make assumptions just from reading these descriptions. No, the only way to figure out who had done what where was by studying the clues and the evidence… THE CLUES & THE EVIDENCE • Chairman Furphy was in the puzzle section. • The person with…