Photo Fail!

businessinsider.com

While tales of the luxurious living arrangements of the recently busted and gloriously named Kim Dotcom resound around the world in the FBI's bust of the allegedly piracy file sharing site Megaupload (see scary poster below now on the website), one Sydney photo agency manager who wished to remain anonymous is crying foul !

Apparently for the last three years they have been using Megaupload as a storage site for their top selling celebrity and paparazzi photos because of limited storage space on their own server.

The agencies manager says :" we were about to upgrade computers with our own server in 3 months in a new office and have been using Megaupload to store bulk images"

He reckons the Feds have nabbed 1000s of celebrity photos worth an estimated $100,000 along with everything stored on Megaupload.

"Most of the pictures are irreplaceable and they were all digital pics from the past ten years. It's a devastating loss. We phoned the FBI in the USA but they were non responsive"

Is it normal for policing authorities to nab the private property of innocent people because they may be associated without knowing with an accused ? There is talk in the USA of lawyers lining up for a class action.

Winner Of The Week!

She's one feisty lady and sharp as a tack. She got our attention in 2010 when she clambered to the back of utility truck in a Subiaco oval (that's Perth's ritziest suburb)  pearls jangling around her neck, and thrust her arms in the air while gold bangles cascaded down her wrists chanting  :

" we will not stand for this unfair tax...billionaires united- will never be defeated!" (or words to that effect).

Within two months the prime minster Kevin Rudd's career crashed and his replacement Julia Gillard cut back the proposed 40% 'super profits' mining tax to around 30%.

On Sunday West Australia mining magnate Gina Rinehart  barely struggled by on $10 billion. Today that fortune doubled to a staggering  $20 billion when Gina's mining corporation Hancock Prospecting sold 15% of the Pilbara-based Roy Hill project to South Korean steel giant Posco.

The Posco investment pushes Rinehart's combined wealth up to nearly $20 billion, based on the increased value of her holding in the mines.

                                                          But wait-there's more......


Last year the giant Citicorp released a report on Gina's mine holdings and reckoned she is on track to become the world's richest person worth possibly $100 billion. That leaves Bill Gates ($59B) and Carlos Slim Helu ($74B) eating her dust.

Only two women are wealthier than our Gina- French L'Oreal heiress Lillian Bettencourt (left) with $23B and American Christy Walton (Waltons stores) with $24B. She'll see them off by the end of the decade !.

Sydney Theatre Awards

Richard Roxburgh, Helen Dallimore & Andrew Upton at the Sydney Theatre Awards

300 MEMBERS of the Sydney theatre community packed the auditorium at Paddington RSL to celebrate the best of Sydney theatre throughout 2011.

Kirsten & David Williamson at the awards

Amongst the recipients :
Best Mainstage Production was awarded to Belvoir’s production of The Wild Duck, which also won Best Direction of a Mainstage Production -Simon Stone, and Best Actress and Actor in a Supporting Role of a Mainstage Production -Anita Hegh, Anthony Phelan.

Best Independent Production went to The Libertine, produced by Sport for Jove Theatre with Darlinghurst Theatre Company, which also garnered Best Actress and Actor in an Independent Production -Danielle King, Anthony Gooley.

Oz Of The Year ?

Best Actress in a Leading Role of a Mainstage Production was won by Cate Blanchett for Sydney Theatre Company’s Gross und Klein, for which Alice Babidge was awarded Best Costume Design.
For the full list of awards go to the awards website.
                                                             
Meanwhile the search is on for replacements for Cate Blanchett and husband Andrew Upton who are relinquishing their roles in 2013 as co-artistic directors and CEOs of the Sydney Theatre Company. Under their auspices, the STC has received rave reviews and plaudits for their productions, around the world and turned around the fiances of the company into a healthy profit.

And our favourite Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush has been nominated as a contender to pick up the Australian of The Year award on Australia Day (or Invasion Day as some prefer to call it) on January 26th.
                                                         ********************
# Should the Shuttle feel flattered or otherwise as we were ushered past the door minders at the Paddington RSL with great aplomb whilst actor and Hollywood star Richard Roxburgh stood patiently while they searched for his name on the door list ?

## Speculation is mounting as to who the VIP was as mentioned in our previous story with the bodyguard who waved a pistol in the face of a photographer in Double Bay last week. Watch this space.....

Royal update:Limos,Guards,Guns and Paddington

It's generally one of the quietest times of the year with just the Sydney Festival providing some light relief but last week was fairly eventful for the normally deserted Paddington and Double Bay.

Najib Razak & Rosmar Mansor

 The Shuttle became embroiled in a minor fracas in Paddington mid-week as we motored through the back streets and emerged onto William Street, the tiny thoroughfare of smart boutiques (Gail shopped there for chocolates for Oprah Winfrey when they were in town) to find the street blocked by a fierce looking black limousine- the four wheeled drive variety now so beloved of today's celebrities. With two sunglass wearing black suited gentleman blocking the traffic.

 A full five minutes past before these self-appointed traffic wardens graciously allowed the mounting traffic to pass, with a furious waving of the hands as we inched our way past the shop and peered in to see who it was that may have commanded such pomp and ceremony

King of Tonga

One report appeared today stating that Rosmar Mansor the wife of the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak happened to be shopping in Paddington that very day

But the plot thickens.

A report arrives that a similar vehicle was seen idling outside an upmarket boutique in Double Bay the same afternoon. A well-known paparazzi reports that as he began to take photographs of an "Asian looking" lady who emerged from the shop and headed for the limo, he was suddenly confronted by a pistol packing minder telling him to buzz off.

 Co-incidentally word spread through the Bay that the daughter of the Tongan rulers His Majesty King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV and Her Majesty Queen Halaevalu Mataaled was on a shopping spree in Double Bay that day as well. Such excitement!

                                      ************************************

Queen Margrethe

 Meanwhile the crowned heads of Europe gave e their collective tiaras an outing at a grand party at Christiansborg Palace Chapelin Copenhagen to celebrate Queen Margrethe II of Denmark's 40 years on the throne. 

Naturally the popular former Tasmanian Crown Princess Mary was featured along with a variety of dethroned and serving royal heads such Pavlos & Mary-Chantal of Greece (they have no last name-so chic!) Queen Silvia and King Gustav of Sweden and Queen Sonja of Norway.

There is a Shuttle connection to Queen Margretthe. In her 20s she shared a flat in London with Jean Onions, the sister of Shuttle contributor Bill Ranken.

 And we have an exciting exclusive on the British Royal Family. According to one report HM the Queen will announce her abdication at her Jubilee celebrations later this year and handover to Prince William. No King Charles or Queen Camilla-they are to by-passed for the younger and more glamorous Wills and Kate.

The scoop comes to us courtesy of the newsofthewoldonline.

Sadly we note this must read glossy website no longer appears to feature our favourite minor German aristocrat Frederic Prinz von Anhalt as a show biz writer.

Married to the ailing Zsa Zsa Gabor, perhaps he has other things on his mind.

************************

And here is a snap that young Jack Vidgen sent us from the red carpet at last week's G'Day Ball in LA. Tonight he sings at the New York G'Day Ball..  he sent the following message :

" The New York Gday USA Ball is tomorrow night.. Loved the LA one so much am really excited for this one.!! The other acts were so awesome in LA, Guy Sebastian is going to be performing as welll. Will be great to see him!
It was FREEEEEZING in New York today! Apparently it's meant to snow tomorrow so i better rug up lol
Am flying to Houston in a couple of days, I bet Texas will be awesome!
Hope your all well and only a few more days till I'm back in Oz :)"

Aussies on The European Catwalk

 

YOU CAN'T MOVE on the European fashion cat-walks at present for Aussies-Miranda Kerr, Gemma Ward and the androgynous beauty Andrej Pejic (a favourite of Jean Paul Gaultier)

The way was paved of course by the likes of Elle McPherson , but now male twins-the Stenmarks (left) are becoming the ones to watch.

Zac and Jordan Stenmark have appeared in shows for Calvin Klein along with a host of other Australian male models as reported by noted fashion writer Patty Huntington who regularly prowls the fashion precincts of Europe and the USA and writes the informative frockwriter blog.

The Stenmarks hail from Mosman in Sydney and are the sons of former 80's models Susie Stenmark and Stuart Darcy and they come with impeccable social credentials.

Georgia & Paul Stenmark

Andrej Pejic

Second cousin (also) Susie Stenmark was the communications manager for Chanel for many years and before that, the Park Hyatt hotel. 

Another cousin Paul Stenmark is the marketing manager for Laurent Perrier champagne (we lurve Paul!) and is married to the photographer Georgia Moxham whose best pal is Gretel Packer, the late Kerry Packer's much loved daughter .

Emerald City Update #4

ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S top publicists, Roxy Jacenko of Sweaty Betty fame threw a swish bash in her Woollahra home last night to launch her first book Strictly Confidential.

Roxy

Roxy seems to have a best-seller on her hands going by some of the reviews:

‘Think of it as The Devil Wears Prada meets the PR industry … ‘
’It’s a riveting read with lots of humour and plenty of real-life characters who are so thinly disguised as to be almost see-through…’
‘As well as providing all of this saucy intrigue, Jacenko manages to write with lots of humour so Strictly Confidential is an entertaining read.’
-  Ros Reines, The Sunday Telegraph (high praise indeed from Ros !)

‘If you like gossip, designer clothes and handbags, you’ll love this story.’
- Vittoria Bon, Sunday Telegraph  and Hobart Mercury

‘… it’s a faced-paced, enjoyable read that offers the right amount of escapism and a juicy insight into the world of Sydney celebrity.’
- Lizzie Stafford, Sunday Mail, U on Sunday

************* 

Snooki from Jersey Shore

Ruby

The talk is that Roxy's vivacious sister Ruby Jacenko may soon start work as a scribe on the increasingly successful Latte Life newspaper that is distributed around Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.

Does Latte Life have the staid Wentworth Courier that has coasted on it's market dominance for so long, worried ?. You bet your life. For the first time in living memory the Wenty has appeared over the Christmas break-a slim version-when they never usually bother


# The Yanks strike again :  Many readers may recall when the TV show Baywatch was on it's last legs and they convinced the then NSW premier Bob Carr to invest in the series by funding filming on Sydney''s Northern Beaches (much to the chagrin of locals as film crews trod and trampled the delicate undergrowth ).

A handful of local actors were employed plus the late Rene Rivkin appeared in some episodes before the producers, wads of taxpayers cash in  hand decamped to see out Baywatch's last days in Hawaii.

Now the ghastly US reality show Jersey Shore is threatening to descend upon  Queensland's Gold Coast and the local burghers have fallen hook line and sinker. It could be a marriage made in Heaven!


##  KYLE SANDILANDS is stumbling from advertiser woe to woe as they flee his radio show (why did he think he could viciously insult a News Ltd journalist and get away with it ?).

Jenny Craig stepped into the breach when Holden and others fled depriving he and Jackie O's radio show of up to $8M in revenues.
Now after thousands of complaints Jenny Craig have fled as well.

But is Jackie O planning to do a bunk ?. An insider tells the Shuttle that while publicly supporting Sandilands, Jackie is privately fuming over the dramas and has been spotted in secret talks with a rival radio network. Although she is contracted to 2DAYFM our legal expert tells us Kyle's actions are enough To break her present contract. Watch this space !.
.

..Meanwhile In Bondi Junction

Tim Draxyl,Kevin Bishop,Xavier Samuel,Kris Marshall

As the Golden Globes unfolded, movie history of another kind was being made at Bondi Junction with the premiere of Stephan Elliott's A Few Best Men. Stephan's latest offering looks set to succeed at the box office if the comments at the after-party are anything to go by.

Rebel Wilson

The Shuttle had to attend the Sydney Theatre Awards but made to the drinks following the movie  and the audience were in agreement.

A Few Best Men looks set to break Elliott's run of bad luck that has seen recent box office flops and a broken leg from a skiing trip which put an end to plans to do a bio-pic on the failed wedding of Prince Lorenzo Montesini and Primrose Dunlop in Venice.

Performances to watch out for- Olivia Newton John , Rebel Wilson , the dazzling good looking Xavier Samuel and Laura Brent who is also working on The Great Gatsby.

Elizabeth Debicki & Laura Brent

The film also sees the return of costume designer Lizzie Gardner who won an Oscar for her work on Priscilla, Queen of The Dessert.

At the premiere: model Tahnya Tozzi (right- a Shuttle discovery) visiting from New York and Malcolm & Lucy Turnbull.

Shining at The Golden Globes

Such glamour and they do it so well in Hollywood. Our exclusive pics from last night's Golden Globe Awards and an interview with Meryl Streep on the red carpet below :

Sharon Sargeant Vs The Middletons

Britney Spears attacks paparazzi

Lord Justice Leveson

At the Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking in the UK, the picture editor of The Daily Mail-the newspaper that receives more web hits than any other publication on the planet-Paul Silva gave evidence that Pippa Middleton the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, typically has eight or nine photographers camped outside her door and estimated that they produce between "300 to 400 pictures" of her daily. Silva says these photographs arrive on his desk and most are literally, snaps of Pippa either entering or exiting her front door and are of no value.

It's an example of the nature of today's so-called 'papparazi that has seen thousands of young kids armed with an inexpensive digital camera swell the ranks of the 'media' section of show-biz events.

For old-timers (like the Shuttle) they're a pain in the neck. Most of them are arrogant and seem to have no connection to the celebrities they snap. They show little interest in the subject matter. It's like big game hunting with a lens and as long as a 'kill' is made that's all that matters.

Frank Monte

Pippa Middleton

The Shuttle dates back to the days when they were just three photographers at any event in London. Richard Young was one and he was a welcome addition to any show biz shin dig or high society party. Likewise New York's Patrick McMullan. Both are still going strong and the difference is they are welcome at any event because not only do they have a personality, they know how to play the game.

In Los Angeles the paparazzi are even worse. Agencies are hiring illegal immigrants at around 6 a time to stake out a movie star's home. They have strict instructions. Two will have cameras, two will be 'spotters' and they other two 'agitators'. Their role is to annoy, cajole, flirt or otherwise to get a reaction from the star. A smile is as good as a scowl from their prey.

And so it leads us to Sydney party girl Sharon Sargeant who as we reported last week, was  photographed at an exclusive Fijian resort while her partner, private investigator Frank Monte held secret discussions with Fijian government officials. The snaps came from an unlikely source-a well known American show business star who had spotted Ms Sargeant bathing topless at the beach.

What the Shuttle wasn't expecting was the roasting we got when we finally got in touch with the girl known as Shazza who made her displeasure known in a 5 minute tirade down the phone.  Surely she would be happy to know an American star- and we do mean a top movie star who was quite taken with Sargeant's charms-thought enough of her to pass on the pics?. Sadly we cannot reveal his name despite Ms Sargeant's threat to take legal action.

However-just to show there are no hard feelings, we decided to publish two more from the set !

Partying in Hollywood

Guy Pearce & Kate Mestitz (UPI)

Abbie Cornish

HOLLYWOOD'S GUM LEAF Mafia were out in force at the annual G'Day USA Ball in Hollywood. 

Miranda Kerr, Guy Pearce, Paul Hogan, Jackie Weaver, Abbie Cornish , Olivia Newton John and Rachel Taylor joined Priscilla Presley, John Travolta and Kate Winslet last night at the Hollywood & Highland Grand Ballroom

The menu was prepared by popular Australian chef Guy Grossi in collaboration with Wolfgang Puck. A selection of premium Aussie wines served and awards given to notable Australians who have made significant contributions to the entertainment industry including Air Supply and Guy Pearce-who is up for a Golden Globe at tomorrow's awards.
And the entertainment
 ..young Jack Vidgen of course. G'Day USA is an annual program designed to showcase Australian business capabilities in the USA - Australia's largest trading and investment partner.

Kate Winslet

Rachel Taylor

Shock Video:Dannii Minogue in Three-in-a-Bath Romp

MOVE OVER X Factor and Australia's Got Talent. Long before these shows were discovering young talent- from 1971 to 1988 Young Talent Time was presenting a host of new Aussie kids with some who went onto become major world stars.

On January 22nd YTT (as it is known ) returns to the Ten Network after a 24 year absence with a new cast of kids and Rob Mills as host (the originator of the show and presenter John Young is producer).

Tina Arena, John Bowles, Debra Byrne and Jamie Redfern are just some but the most notable discoveries had to be Dannii Minogue and her big sister Kylie Minogue.

Off course Dannii became one of YTT''s top stars after appearing on the programme when she was 9 and eventually featured every week. At 15 she introduced 17 year old Kylie during a promotion for The Hendersons in which Kylie had scored her first acting role. Eventually Kylie would be come a YTT regular and the rest is history.

Tina Arena (left)

Debra Byrne

Tina Arena stills tours and sings and is a huge star in France. John Bowles is travelling the world appearing in stage shows, Jamie Redfern, who was taken to the USA at age 14 to tour with Liberace (and hang out with Michael Jackson-the first of a series of young Aussie performers to attract MJ's attentions) runs a talent school and agency in Melbourne while Debra Byrne appeared just last week at the opening of Annie at The Star casino, accompanying her 9 year old grand -daughter who appears in the show.

And Kylie of course rules the world ! Below is a rare video we have uncovered (most of the video taped shows were recorded over and lost forever) of Dannii romping in a bathtub with a boy and girl !
(the title of the post?..we did work on a Fleet Street tabloid once)

Lots Of Movie Stars!

Next Monday brings the long awaited premiere in Bondi of A Few Best Men, the latest offering from Stephan Elliott (left) whose career has enjoyed something of roller-coaster ride since picking up an Oscar for his 1994 success Priscilla Queen of The Dessert.

The movie stars Xavier Samuel, Kris Marshall, Kevin Bishop and Olivia Newton-John and the word is Olivia puts in a great performance as the mother-of-the-bride in the love romp and the ‘wedding- goes-wrong’ comedy set in the Outback.

Ann Dexter-Jones and Alan Cumming

Now that Beach Haus regular Leo DiCaprio has departed these shores (he’ll be back early February to wrap up filming on The Great Gatsby), Sydney is devoid of Hollywood stars when usually, with such glorious summer weather we could expect at least 3 or 4 stars to be hanging around town

Its' the opposite in New York with the town chock a block. 

Darren Criss and Susan Sarandon

Last Monday Glee star Darren Kriss was the guest of honour at a shindig at The Darby hosted by Alan Cumming, Parker Posey, Lily Rabe, Andrew Rannells and Jordon Roth The party was to celebrate the Broadway debut of Darren in "How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying."

Stacey Keible and George Clooney

Naomi Watts

The following night at Cipriani 42nd Street recent Sydney visitor George Clooney received the Best Actor for The Descendants at the National Board of Review Gala with Tilda Swinton receiving Best Actress for her role in We Need To Talk About Kevin while Christopher Plummer was awarded best supporting actor for The Beginners, and Shailene Woodley received best supporting Actress for The Descendants.
It won’t be the last you hear of The Descendants. Get ready for the flick to pick up a few Oscars.

No bash worth its salt in New York is complete without the USA’s top society snapper (and Social Shuttle pal) Patrick McMullan who has sent us some great snaps from both nights.

All New York photographs  by Patrick McMullan (c) www.patrickmcmullan.com