Matt picks up a French Gong

 Good news for New York based director and former Sydney actor Matthew Newton. Matt has won a prize at the prestige Champs-Élysées Film Festival. The festival was created in 2012 by film distributor & producer Sophie Dulac and is held each June in Paris in 5 cinemas along the Champs-Élysées Avenue. The Festival brings together the best from French and American Cinema. The French take their arts very seriously and this win now brings Newtown to the attention of some of the world's most powerful European film industry identities. His film From Nowhere won the popular public inspired Prix de Public award.

Matthew Newton answer his critics :"I have been in excellent health for the last three years"

Following our report last week that actor Matthew Newton had slammed the tabloid magazine Woman's Day over recent health claims, the actor has now given an exclusive interview to the Australian MailOnline and scotched rumours about his health and expressed how happy he is that sister Lauren is expecting her fourth child. The Newtons are a close knit show biz family and although the talented Matthew has been through some rocky times due to illness, it's pleasing news that his career appears to be thriving in the USA. You can read the Mail's report here.
# One of the oddest aspects of this mini controversy was a columnist on an Australian newspaper who had hoped that Newton would  "provide evidence to back up  his claims the Woman's Day article was "full of lies"". Call Whispers old fashioned (we are) but the usual expectation is that if a claim is made about a person, the claimant is the one expected to "provide evidence" etc. Still, we live in interesting times where many aspects of life have become topsy turvy.

Kirstie Takes The UK by Storm

 The UK's most sensational newspaper (many say the most appalling) the Daily Mail has taken a cue from the Social Shuttle (they often do) and given Australian ex-Vogue editor Kirstie Clements' book about her life and times in the fashion world a huge plug.

Launched in March, The Vogue Factor has been flying off local bookshelves and looks like being a hit in the UK as well.
 Clements was editor of Australian Vogue for 13 years before being shafted for unknown reasons. She was hugely popular amongst fashion designers during her tenure and has now delivered a tome that lifts the lid on the local and international fashion world where she had a regular front row seat at the New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion shows and a direct line to the world's most famous designers. It's a rollicking read and you must try it!
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Paula.....or is it Patti ?

A sharp eyed reader has pointed out the remarkable similarity between Melbourne based TV personality Patti Newton, wife of legendary TV host Bert Newton (and mother of troubled actor Mathew Newton) and the recently axed US TV celebrity chef Paula Dean. They could almost be sisters as our snaps show. Are they perchance distant cousins ? I think we should be told.