One of the most visibly upset mourners at Johnny Baker's funeral on Friday was his close friend Skye Leckie, tireless charity worker and all round nice girl. Not only had Skye lost a great pal, she had personally organized all the funeral proceedings.Now husband and Channel 7 supremo David Leckie has a major headache-how to sooth the troubled brows of his network's major talent, the diminutive but perfectly formed ex-Manpower dancer turned gardening guru, Jame Durie.
Durie is furious that gossip mag New Idea (referred to as No Idea by some publishing wags) printed a tale that he had been 'dumped' by Oprah Winfrey after winning hearts and minds when Jamie first appeared on Oprah's show 2 years ago to give gardening hints and went on to become a regular guest.
"Not true" said an upset Durie and an Oprah spokesman backed him up when the Shuttle managed to get through by Skype-saying that despite Jamie filming a series of his Outdoor Room for US cable TV, he and Oprah still maintain a warm relationship. It's high priced lawyers at ten paces which puts Leckie in a difficult position-one of his top money spinners is suing a publication owned by Pacific Publications which in turn is owned by Leckie's boss, Channel 7 owner and billionaire Kerry Stokes.New Idea only recently apologised to tennis ace Leyton Hewitt and wife Bec over a mistaken tale that linked Bec with a mysterious man who turned out to be her minder. Bec is still considering whether she will take the matter further.
Where this dispute will end no-one knows, but it's just 4 weeks since the Shuttle attended the launch of Durie's new range of garden furniture in his Patio range at the re-vamped Beresford Hotel just off Oxford Street's gay strip in Darlinghurst and while sharing a champers with owner Ashog and Durie, a call came through from the Great One herself. Yes. Oprah had negotiated time zones to place a congratulating personal call to Jamie.
