Earth to the UK Daily Mail (MailOnline)

We here at the Shuttle / Careless Whispers feel for today's sub-editors. Most have been replaced by online services. Sub editors on major newspapers could often make or destroy a story and at the very least, were superb 'fact checkers'. Alas for the Britain's Daily Mail newspaper we must assume their sub editors are under immense pressure. Why would they make a glaring mistake like this?. No, the lady pictured with the caption "the gossip columnist" is not well known Sydney scribe Ros Reines. In fact we have no idea who she is. This is the "gossip columnist" Ros Reines in our featured pic. Admittedly the 2 ladies do look similar, equally vivacious but they are not the same person.

Still, it's the thought that counts. ************************************************************ This Daily Mail faux paus reminds Whispers of when they confused (as pointed out by moi) comedienne Tracey Ullman's late mother with the Australian actress Little Nell of Rocky Horror fame. One look at the snap and it's pretty clear both ladies are of similar age. Of course in the online world, never having to say you're sorry is the only way to survive.

She's back !

Reines & Mail stablemate Katie Hopkins

Six months after being unceremoniously dumped by the Sunday Telegraph, Ros Reines, billed as the "columnist they can't silence" has resurfaced as a writer for the Australian edition of the MailOnline (as we predicted).

The Mail seems to specialize in picking up dumped News Ltd columnists after they also employed Katie Hopkins who proved even too inflammatory for the downmarket Sun newspaper.




In an almost perfect Private Eye magazine "Glenda Slagg" moment Reines has been defending the Nine Network's bizarre decision to kidnap children from a Beirut Street while side by side was the alternative view by Mail writer Corrine Barraclough.
Meanwhile the 60 Minutes crew languish in Beirut jails which are not exactly 5 star establishments. Why did any of the crew including presenter Tara Brown accept an assignment that included breaking Lebanese laws?. Even if they had been successful the ramifications would have caused an even worse diplomatic incident than the present one. And as Fairfax foreign editor Maher Mughrabi explains, securing the release of the 60 Minutes crew may be a lot more complicated than people believe.

Gossip finally silenced

Much chatter around town as the Sunday Telegraph's legendary  Ros Reines is finally laid off after the News Corp axe falls on a number of  employees (it's always Danger Time when Rupert Murdoch hits town). One thing is for sure, you could not ignore Reines who became feared for her exposes and sharp words but loved by readers. Her byline "The Columnist They Can't Silence"was well deserved

Packer-just before he spotted Reines at his party

 It's odd but for a country that claims not to take society and their shenanigans seriously, it's also a country that seems particularly sensitive to even the slightest criticism

Timothy Swallow

Whispers having worked in both London and New York where the old adage- as long as they spell the name correctly- still holds sway has found Sydneysiders rather thin skinned. So of course, we are terribly nice to everyone.

Whispers first encountered Ros Reines many moons ago when she wrote for a magazine called London Index where a great friend, the late Timothy Swallow also worked. Swallow went on to work for the Daily Mail gossip king Nigel Demspter and then wrote the famous William Hickey column on the Daily Express. Sadly Timothy died during a trip to Australia but he always paid tribute to Reines superiority in being able to present a paragraph that was both amusing and wicked at the same time.

Kelly Cutrone in Sydney

# Timothy Swallow & Whispers put the then languishing film Mommie Dearest on the map during a trip to New York. A tale for another time. 

Ros appeared in these pages when we reported on her tussle with New York PR Kelly Cutrone. At the time a well known New York columnist lamented that in another era Reines & Cutrone would have got on a like a house on fire, so similar were their temperaments. 
Whispers was also with Reines at the famous Nine Network TV season launch on Garden Island when media king James Packer took her aside and tore strips off her over some alleged sleight. It became the only news that weekend as new TV offerings were forgotten. In fact, we also appeared in the same Australian Story about gossip writers along with writer Simon Kent (now on the Toronto Sun in Canada). No doubt Ros Reines with a wealth of local social knowledge will surface in a new capacity and publication but it's an indication of the rapidly changing world of media.

Billionaire Biffo

Sunday's dust-up between James Packer and David Gyngell with claims of lost teeth, black eyes and swollen cheeks is not the first time we have witnessed James' fierce temper.

In the late 90s the Shuttle was at a grand bash hosted by Packer to launch the Nine Networks' new TV season of shows, ironically when the network he owned was run by his Bondi sparing partner Gyngell.
We had just taken the above snap of James with then wife Jodhi Meares when he spotted gossip columnist Ros Reines standing nearby . Packer immediately jumped to his feet, stormed over, took Reines aside and tore strips off her over reporting of his personal life.
Alas it was the only story in town the following day leading all the tabloids- news of his new TV shows was forgotten.

How Tom Cruise aided James Packer

Some remarkable revelations in the new book by Pamela Williams Killing Fairfax which is published today.
When James Packer feel into a slump in 2001 after some less that stellar business dealings, he came under the care of superstar Tom Cruise who helped boost James back to his old self. Cruise and Packer have been friends for years and Tom has holidayed on James' converted ice-breaker the Arctic P on the Mediterranean and attended James and Erica Baxter's wedding.
The association gave rise to the rumour that James had joined the Church of Scientology under Cruise's guidance.

Most of the Scientology reports appeared in Fairfax newspapers, now disliked by James. His father Kerry Packer was furious at the reports and sent Fairfax boss Fred Hilmer a copy of the United Nations Human Rights charter warning him  that he was violating the charter. The book also says James Packer rounded on Fred Hilmer at PM Julia Gillard's Christmas party last year at Kirribilli House telling him "Don't come up and try to be my friend...Fred. Fuck off."

James Packer is known for not suffering fools gladly. In 2009 it's reported he told  Nine Network  supremo David Leckie also to "fuck off' at a party for Sam Chisholm at the Sydney Opera House and then invited Leckie outside to ''sort this out".

James with Jodhi ...and wife Erica

At a Nine Network TV season launch at Garden Island when James with then wife Jodhi Meares, he spotted News Ltd gossip writer Ros Reines, called her aside and tore strips off her over reporting about his private life.

Meow Mix :" Vagina Like a Force Field"

World War 3 has broken out between 2 of Sydney's leading ladies of the media.
 In one corner is perennial TV star Kerri-Anne Kennerley and squaring up to KAK is News Ltd columnist Annette Sharp (right)  in the Daily Telegraph.                 

In a piece titled "IT'S a terrible thing to grow old in television '  Sharp has hauled Kennerley over the coals for calling her "anti-woman' in an interview in the coming August edition of the Australian Women's Weekly.  
Sharp, who was once challenged to a bike ride around Sydney by Russell Crowe had already fired a few shots at Kerri-Anne who will be 60 this year in this article about the Logie Awards : 50-somethings used the Logies to remind TV their assets are bountiful. She implies Kennerley had to "move heaven and earth " to score a ticket to the gala TV awards now that she is "out of contract".

Kerri-Anne was dropped from her morning TV show in 2011 after decades at the Nine Network, ironically where Sharp was once in charge of publicity. In 2003 at a gala party at the Nine studios to celebrate 70 years of publishing the Women's Weekly, Kerri-Anne was seated at the table ( a guide to your status at the network)  next to Nine supremo  Kerry Packer .
 

Kerri-Anne & John at the Pol Roger Champagne dinner.

Since Nine dropped her chat show Kerri-Anne has been signed by Kerry Stoke's Seven Network and performed on Dancing With The Stars last year and it's rumoured she may front an interview programme for Seven although Sharp infers that project may not be as solid as Kennerely believes.

Whatever the outcome of this spat, Kerri-Anne is still a popular party-goer and fixture on the social circuit. She attended Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby premier last week and earlier was at an exclusive dinner at Chiswick Gardens for Pol Roger champagne as our snaps show. It's not like Kerri-Anne is short of money either or needs the work. 
Toy train lover hubby John Kennerely was one of the brains behind Britain's Littlewoods Pools and made a fortune. The pair have recently moved from a palatial Rose Bay home to trendy Woolahra where John has extended his train set (he has hand built a reproduction of Shrewsbury Station) into the garden.
 At Chiswick Kerri-Anne showed off a new pair of stilettos she had picked up in Rodeo Drive where the pair had just holidayed for a fortnight. This looks like a bunfight that may run and run.
                                                                  

Russell Crowe & Annette Sharp

Perhaps the last word should go to top New York publicist Kelly Cutrone who had a spat in 2011 with Sharp's Daily Telegraph colleague Ros Reines who had a few digs at Cutrone's client Rupert Noffs who is cutting a swathe through New York and the Hamptons under Kelly's well connected wing.  Reines savaged Noffs calling him a social climber and for good measure called Cutrone's Sydney launch of Noff's Gideon Shoe store "tragic" and accused Kelly of "creating mayhem" during her Sydney visit.
Cutrone responded in this Sydney Morning Herald profile of Noffs this March :
"What do I care? Oh, wow, I care if some gossip columnist in f...ing Sydney, Australia hates me? It's like a mosquito in my world." Ouch !. What fun. Just in time to brighten up these foggy Autumn days.

Winning lines : Annette Sharp : "One should not brandish a vagina like a force field and expect a torrent of fawning, hyper-ventilating flattery in return." Superb !

Camilla : Ajay Rochestor wants An Apology

Ajay Rochestor wears Camilla with Derek Warburton (inset).

She really does deserve one.
 Ajay is living in the USA forging a new career but has been the target of reverse Tall Poppy Syndrome attacks from her home country.

a real woman !

As the Shuttle reported last week. Camilla Franks has been cleaned out of her new Gypsy range after a break-in at her Bondi store but now her stylist has reportedly made a mean statement in Ros Reines' Sunday Telegraph column about Ajay's appearance on the catwalk wearing a Camilla caftan- and looking sensational- in the finale of New York Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, the Real Fashion. Real Women-Bottomless Closet parade organised and hosted by top New York stylist Derek Warburton.
Camilla's rep is reported as saying : "I'm sure that she (Camilla) felt much happier about the gorgeous Jennifer Lopez wearing one of her kaftans". Oh really ?. Earth to stylist : apart from being a bit ill-mannered, the very nice Camilla ain't going to survive on lending kaftans to the likes of Jennifer Lopez.  
The Real Women Real Fashion parade was an industry supported event to try and prove that the fashion industry cares about its real consumer, the women who wear the clothes. A worthy ambition one would think but brought undone by the words of a representative of one of the designers on show. Ajay (and her co-models) demonstrated far more grace and style on the night.
Is it any wonder that old Shuttle pal (Dame) Vivienne Westwood, one of Europe's most influential designers of the last 50 years and someone who abhors much of the pomposity that surrounds the business turned up at her show in London last week wearing this outfit (right).

Below is a video of the parade from Fashion News Live:

PR Bitch-Fest Spans Two Continents!

It's been the talk of the town in coffee bars and at smart shindigs over flutes of champers and canapes. Sydney-siders excitedly discussing the slap-down given by Murdoch newspaper columnist Ros Reines of the Sunday Telegraph to local charity boy Rupert Noffs and New York celebrity fashion publicist, author and reality TV star Kelly Cutrone.

 Reines called Cutrone's recent visit to Sydney for Noffs and a Gideon shoe store opening 'tragic' and accused her of 'creating mayhem' and infuriating organisers of the $2000-a-head Prix de Marie Claire Awards when Cutrone and Noffs failed to appear after being given tickets to the event. The full piece can be read here.

Not that the Awards themselves got off easy. The host of that event and editor of Marie Claire, Jackie Frank got a good dressing down as well.

Trying to get anyone to go on the record about the spat though has been a Herculean task. No-one locally seems to want to  upset Ms Reines and in the Big Apple it seems Ms Cutrone's name carries considerable weight as well.

Michael Musto, top columnist on New York's Village Voice responded with an enigmatic : "I don't really know what to say about Kelly. Perhaps you should talk to Patrick (McMullan), he knows her well".

Patrick McMullan, New York's top society snapper, a contributing editor on Vanity Fair and host of a TV fashion show  was oddly silent and didn't return the Shuttle's call. Messages left for McMullan usually bring a response at an ungodly hour when he returns from his nightly rounds of New York's top parties and he's always up for a good natter about the latest happenings.

Reines, whose twitter moniker is 'tabloid terror' and who described herself as 'ruthless' in a Spectator piece continued : "On Twitter last week, Cutrone asked whether I was OK or just "vicious". When it comes to being vicious, it takes one to know one."

Calls to Cutrone's New York People's Revolution public relations firm for a comment were met with "we'll get back to you with a statement eventually". It never came.



Kelly Cutrone at Gideon Shoes. sassisamblog.com

Two other top New York publicists agreed to speak as long as their names weren't used.

One who said he regularly ran into Cutrone socially and at industry events said:



 "Kelly doesn't suffer fools gladly but she can be  forthright at times and has upset some people. But she's so damned good at her job she's readily forgiven. She's had an amazing ride to the top and I really respect her. Reading the piece by Ros Reines though-she should be writing for one of  the New York dailies, they could use her !"

A female publicist who has worked with Cutrone on various projects said :

"there's been quite a bit of chatter about the Ros Reine's piece and everyone thinks it's a bit of a scream. Most people seem to think that if Reines and Kelly met under other circumstances they'd get on like a house on fire, they seem so similar. Gideon's by choosing Kelly to promote their shoes in the US made a wise choice, there is none better at pr"

Rupert Noffs



As for Rupert Noffs he simply sent a diplomatic " Ros is just doing what Ros has to do " reply to our email.

Perhaps the last word should go to a well known Sydney face and a regular attendee of the town's best parties who was at Paddington's swish La Scala restaurant's first year birthday bash last Tuesday evening :

  "oh thank God for Ros. She breathes some sort of life into what at times seems like a completely moribund social scene."

Coming up : Rupert Noffs-charity runs in the family

It Runs in The Family !

Amelia & Lucy-Glamor from Melbourne!

In the weekend Sunday Telegraph, star columnist Ros Reines was quite correctly be-moaning the dearth of 'glamorous' figures on the social circuit. Sometimes you need to look a bit further afield than the usual round of  promotional  cocktail parties flogging products and services.

Which was what the Social  Shuttle did last week by  attending the Australian Himalayan Foundation fundraiser at the Sofitel- a charity that raises money to build classrooms, medical clinics and finances cultural activities for the people of the Himalayas. 

The Foundation has a number of worthy partners including the National Geographic Channel and the Australian Tibetan Society. 

One person we always find at these functions is Gabbi Hollows who runs the superb Fred Hollows Foundation which continues the work of the saintly late Prof Fred Hollows in providing medical operations to restore sight all over the third world.

Our find ?- gorgeous Amelia Hillary !. Amelia is the grand-daughter of Sir Edmund Hillary, the conqueror of Everest and she's just returned from her second climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. Sadly we won't be seeing Amelia on the Sydney circuit-she flew up from Melbourne for the night and she brought a glamorous pal with her-the exceptionally tall and beautiful Lucy Myer, the grand-daughter of the very Victorian establishment figures Bales and Sarah Myer, heirs to the Myer Emporium  fortune.