Kerri-Anne Lashes Out

Kerri-Anne

Jo Cassamento & Ronan Keating

It was fairly gloomy day yesterday- grey skies and intermittent rain. The atmosphere outside perhaps reflected that inside at the chic Darlinghurst restaurant Spic I Am where around 40 friends and production staff gathered for a farewell lunch for TV's daytime queen Kerri Anne Kennerley who has been dumped after a nine year run at Channel Nine.

Spice I Am owners Padet Nagsalab and Sujet Saenkham are pals of Kerri-Anne and the restaurant's chef had appeared many times on her programme. They laid on a sumptuous Thai banquet and champagne for the crew to drown their sorrows.

But things took are a dramatic turn when Kerri-Anne heard of one guest who had been invited-the top columnist from the Sunday Telegraph Jo Cassaamento. It seems Jo had a written a piece about Kennerely in the past which she didn't like.

A hapless publicist was dispatched to telephone Cassamento and rescind the invitation to lunch. The Shuttle gathers the publicist received a right royal roasting from Jo. I'm sure we'll read all about this Sunday !

As for Kerri-Anne, rumours are that there is already an offer in the pipeline from another network. Not that she needs the work. Hubby John Kennerley, who with partners started Littlewoods Pools in the UK is loaded.