Richard Wilkins & Jeff Goldblum's 'Death'

One guest at last Friday's Volvo Alpine ice skating party was Richard Wilkins who arrived with his pal top chef Luke Mangan.

Luke Mangan & Richard Wilkins

 Wilkins has had a long and varied career. Born in New Zealand he was a budding classical violinist until he decided that rock was more his thing. After graduating from teachers’ college, majoring in English and Music, he started a band – Wilde and Reckless which he fronted under the name Richard Wilde.

He enjoyed some success, touring Australia with the band in 1980 and supporting Grace Jones, while managing several other bands from a small Sydney office. Eventually he became the face of MTV when it was first launched and for many years now he's been a fixture on the Nine TV network jetting back and forth between the USA and Australia and interviewing celebs like Billy Connolly, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond, Robbie Williams, Olivia Newton-John, Britney Spears and Barbara Streisand.

On the 25th of this month he launches his first book : Black Ties, Red Carpets, Green Rooms published by Doubleday. Richard says it isn't an autobiography but more a series of anecdotes about the people he's met, interviews with some of the world's top stars along with back room show biz gossip.
Maybe he'll reveal how he happened upon one of his top exclusives that swept the world- the announcement that actor Jeff Goldblum had 'died' while falling from a cliff in New Zealand. Fortunately for Goldblum it turned out to be a hoax !.

Distant Cousins #3 ?

Sir Norman Wisdom

On a sad day that it's revealed one of Britain's most enduring stars, Sir Norman Wisdom has passed away at the ripe age of 95, we feel compelled to ask if he was perchance related to the popular singing star Robbie Williams (right) who bears a striking similarity to the the professional comedian and actor.

Fact : Sir Norman was a mega star in Albania after his films were the only western movies allowed to be screened under the Communist government because of Wisdom's roles as the oppressed worker who triumphs over the ruling classes !

Fact : Working class born Robbie Williams was known as the "funny man of the group' when he fronted Take That in it's early days and his first solo single 'Feel' was a No1 hit in Albania !

Fact : In his early films Wisdom's manic performances were once described as 'like someone on LSD'

Fact : During many of his early performances Williams has admitted he was usually on cocaine.
Surely they are related !. We should be told.

Watch popular crooner Robbie Williams sing his latest hit !

wedding bells in my head..

The side-show known as the Dr Geoffrey Edelsten / Brynne Gordon wedding rolls on as plans are announced for next Saturday's nuptials at Melbourne's Crown Casino.

Gordon 25, a fitness instructor from Las Vegas has claimed she isn't comfortable with all the attention-possibly why she invited media to the lunch the pair hosted on Friday at Bondi Beach's chic Iceberg's Restaurant , went for a photo-op walk on the beach after and asked press along to her wedding shower on the weekend, sans females and which had only muscle men in attendance.

Robbie Williams ( in Sydney for the ARIA Awards) has been nixed as entertainment after he asked for $450,000 to sing just one song. Instead local talent in the form of John Farnham will entertain guests along with the rather un-exciting host Richard Wilkins from Channel Nine. 

Fran Drescher and Seinfelds's  Jason Alexander will also tell a few jokes for a reputed $50,000 each and Edelsten, 65 (?) has announced it will be a "very traditional Jewish affair" and has requested guests donate to charity rather then give wedding gifts. Dr Geoff reckons the whole do will cost $2million !

So what's wrong with a rabbi and the local community hall then ?.