Dramas in The Shire

Southern Highlands' fans: Miriam Margolyes,Nicole & Keith,Leo DiCaprio, Lady Renouf,Lord McAlpine. Arnie

James Fairfax

The Southern Highlands is undoubtedly the most beautiful and desirable country property in Australia. It's green gentle rolling hills, just a 2 hour drive from Sydney are home to numerous celebrities like Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes, superstar Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban who call the former Governor's retreat Bunya Hill their country base, Fairfax publishing scion James Fairfax along with numerous Eastern Suburb's residents who have hobby farms there. The late UK Conservative Party heavyweight Lord McAlpine called the Shire home as did the late Lady Renouf for some years and even the ex-California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a representative to look for a suitable property while last year film heartthrob Leo DiCaprio declared it was his favourite spot in all the world.

Three years ago publisher Jane King decided the local newspaper scene needed a bit of shake-up, moved there with her family and produced a Southern Highland's version of her Eastern Suburbs free newspaper LatteLife. Her son Cristian King who manages the three King newspapers took on the job of reporting on local council affairs and was soon ruffling some very important feathers out of their complacent stupor.
                                                                                                       

Bunya Hill

But a few weeks ago Latte Life's advertisers found an anonymous old-style Poison Pen Letter landing on their doorsteps alleging all sorts of scurrilous goings-on. To show there were no hard feelings all the advertisers decided to step up their support for the newspaper and many delivered the letters to the local cop shop. Now the Australian Federal Police has stepped in to forensically examine the offending missives.

Cristian King

Meanwhile manager Christian King- defending himself -succeeded in having an attempted Apprehended Violence Order from a local councilor thrown out of court and is also suing a councilor for defamation.

And to show he has no hard feelings, Cristian has now put himself up for election in the Wingecarribee Shire Council which if successful could see him as Australia's youngest Councilor. Ex-Wingecarribee Mayor Julie Arkright  has stepped into the breach to take over Cristian's council reporting.
I'm told the local coffee shoppes and pubs are abuzz with chat on the matters with many viewing it as the most exciting series of events to have happened in the area in decades!
# Whispers occasionally does some work for LatteLife Newspapers.

Friends in High Places

Michael and Judy McMahon are stalwarts of the Sydney restaurant scene and their harbourside eatery Catalina in Rose Bay is right at the top of the very best spots for a bite to eat in the Eastern Suburbs. It even has it's own tame pelicans to charm diners and next door is the base for the quaint flying boats that deliver passengers to ritzy Palm Beach.

Judy has just turned 60 so that's as good a reason as any to hold a shindig so she gathered some old pals at Catalina for lunch which included our esteemed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his lovely wife Lucy as our snap shows with birthday girl Judy. And the menu? : glazed Toothfish and braised octopus with couscous to start with followed by roast lamb with roasted baby beetroots washed down with Pommery Rosé Champagne. We reckon Malcolm needed a spot of relaxation. For Tuesday & The Census was just around the corner.

It's a Win for Bieber !

In Whisper's shameless clickbait experiment  reporting of some very important news - the fact that nude photos had been published (not by us !) of heartthrobs Orlando Bloom and Justin Bieber there has been an interesting development.
In just 4 days nearly 40,000 plus visitors have come to this little corner of the internet to seek news of Orlando's hunky frame but as of today over 60,000 have come to hear about the Bieber's bare-all action. So that puts Bieber at No 1 in the Nude Male Hunks stakes.

Even more pleasing over 38,000 readers have come to hear all about David Jones Spring Summer fashions and nearly 26,000 readers clicked to read about the opening of Eleven Bridge.

Jessica Gomez at the David Jones Spring Summer Fashion Parades

Eleven Bridge opens

Despite Sydney's nightlife seemingly vanishing before our very eyes with the new Lock Out laws, celebrity chef Neil Perry re-opened his Rock's restaurant as Eleven Bridge on Monday night. Previously named Rockpool, Perry closed the eatery six months ago.
A favourite with celebrities and fine diners- Whispers once sat at a table next to Joan Collins , Russell Crowe and media mogul Lachlan Murdoch (and that was a slow night), the foodie world was stunned when Perry suddenly closed up shop with a restaurant in a prime location and famed the world over.
But always one step ahead of his rivals, Perry had always planned to turn Rockpool into a more informal diner and Eleven Bridge was born.
You can peruse the new restaurants menu here but don't be too shocked at the prices. Hey, it's The Rocks and the NSW Government has just announced plans to spend $200M on refurbishing Circular Quay and The Rocks. Already a major tourist area it badly needs a re-vamp and Perry who also designs menus for Qantas is not one to miss a trick.

What a difference a day makes. The art of click bait is demonstrated. In just 90 minutes of posting a link to celebrity nude snaps nearly 19,000 readers called by this corner of the internet. At least DJs got a healthy look-in with over 11,000 views in 2 days.

Justin Bieber Nude

It's just outrageous.
The internet has gone crazy again over a nude snap of a pop star.And not just any star- it's the world's biggest pop star Justin Bieber who is flaunting his body for all the world to see.
We know our readers will be as shocked as we are at this behavior.

If you wish to further shocked and outraged then you will have ..
GO HERE FOR THE UNCENSORED PIC OF THE BIEBER.

In full bloom- Uncensored : Orlando Bloom nude photos

Whispers would never be so tasteless as to publish nude photos of anyone.

But these people are tasteless and have somehow managed to secure the uncensored Orlando Bloom photos with Katy Perry on an Italian beach.

Prepare to be outraged..prepare to be shocked. Also be prepared to be a tad disappointed!

David Jones Fashion on a wet & windy night

Wow what a star-studded guest list and yet, yet, no Terri Biviano at the David Jones Spring Summer fashion gala at Fox Studios tonight. What can it mean?. Above on the left is our esteemed Foreign Minister the Hon Julie Bishop and her partner David Panton. Next is one of our favourite Hollywood stars Rachael Griffiths followed by our favourite talent show winner Guy Sebastian with Jules Egan and our very favourite nightclub mogul Justin Hemmes.

Below are some lovely fashion snaps as we know you just love all these glamorous frocks and following that some beefcake, both male & female.

We just can't list all the fab designers who were on hand. You'll have to go to your nearest David Jones store and check out the racks. But where was Terri I hear you ask? It's not a Sydney party without Ms Biviano and at least 3 footballers. Was it the weather? It was raining cats & dogs but your intrepid reporter did his duty and stepped out to assist in the consumption of champers and to ogle models on your behalf. Someone has to do it!



 TATTOOED NECK of THE MONTH had to be this handsome male model in tonight's parade and HAIRSTYLE of THE MONTH was won by Alice Hill with her homage to Brigitte Bardot.

 And because we always cater to all your needs- here is supermodel Jessica Gomez. Gosh. What fun.

BASIL IS BACK - LIVE !

Michael Coppel and Philip McIntyre in association with Louise

Withers present the World Premiere Tour of John Cleese’s official adaptation of Fawlty Towers Live on Stage – touring Australia and New Zealand from August 2016.

Fawlty Towers Live will be based on the BBC TV series written by John Cleese and Connie Booth. It will be adapted for the stage by John Cleese, with direction by Caroline J. Ranger and set design by Liz Ascroft.
Manic, snobbish, condescending, sycophantic and rude, Basil Fawlty is without doubt one of the funniest, most iconic and most memorable British comedy characters ever written. This original adaptation and all-new Australian cast, will bring all your beloved characters to life onstage in an unmissable evening of hilarity!

Sydney: Roslyn Packer Theatre FROM 19 AUGUST

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NOTICE : Careless Whispers will be back onboard tomorrow after a bout of illness. Even the office cat Mildred who can adequately fill our shoes couldn't be available due to a de-sexing operation. 

P.J. O'Rourke: 'Dangerous State of The Nation" at Sydney Opera House

 Best-selling author P.J. O'Rourke is heading straight to our stage to deliver his Dangerous State of the Nation.  Roaming foreign affairs correspondent for Rolling Stone magazine for 20 years,  He is also a libertarian Republican satirist who recently reluctantly backed Hilary Clinton as "the second-worst thing that can happen to [America]." Former gonzo Editor of National Lampoon and writer of Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government, he is now the H.L Mencken Research Fellow at the Cato Institute.  TICKETS HERE for August 9th.
Read Susan Chenery's interview with O'Rourke in The Saturday Paper

What the world needs now..

In an event organised by stage star Trevor Ashley at the Sydney Town Hall, fellow thespians lined up to appear in a concert to aid the victims of the terrible Orlando shootings :  From Sydney With Love – A Concert for Orlando. Among the performers :  Magda Szubanski, Joel Creasey, Bob Downe, Paul Capsis, iOTA, Emma Matthews, Simon Burke and Virginia Gay.
Her is the finale What The World Needs Now.

Barry wins the Archibald

 Louise Hearman's portrait of Barry Hunphries has won the 2016 Archibald portrait contest

Finalists 'Pat  by Alan Jones * Peter Weiss by Nicholas Harding* Deng by Nick Stathopolous* Self by Benjamin Aitken

                                                           Wendy Whiteley by Natasha Bieniek

Winner of the Wynne Prize:Spring Frost by Eiloth Gruner

           The Archibald Portrait exhibition is now open at the art Gallery of NSW : entry is free

All yours for Fifty Bucks !

This is the beautiful island of Kosrae which is part of Micronesia. It's about 5000 kms from Sydney and when you think "tropical paradise" it just doesn't get much better than this. Beautiful beaches. friendly locals and constant sunny gorgeous weather.
And for $49 you can buy a ticket in a lottery to win the lovely little Nautilus Resort pictured below which is a "16-room complex emphasizes comfort, convenience and consideration. Striking tropical gardens surround the restaurant and bar, with an inviting swimming pool nearby for leisurely dipping".
The Australian family who built this resort in 1992 want to return to Oz. Whispers got a ticket but you have to hurry as there are just 11 days left.
Go here to get your winning ticket :  https://wintheislandestates.com/enter/

Lion revenge attack

A superb faked viral video by Aussie film company Woolshed. Read their full story at Mumbrella.

Star Trek Beyond on a Winter's night

Star Trek stars with director Justin Lin (centre): John Cho,   Karl Urban,  Zachary Qunto,   Chris Pine

Another night and another Sydney opening. Tonight is was Star Trek Beyond. And what a night! Blustery, cold and wet and very uncomfortable. Still once we were ensconced in the warm theater to watch 2 hours of escapism it was jolly good fun. And what a rather empty Red Carpet. Not even Terri Biviano turned up on a night like this! Who is she? Well might you ask but she's a regular on the carpet along with assorted footballers and news readers who jostle to stand in front of a hastily erected  & dreaded "media board", the scourge of social snappers and paparazzi alike as they all get the same pic which is dated and unsaleable by tomorrow. Good movie though.

Gratuitous Justin Bieber pix

Yes it's time for the latest Justin Bieber (semi) nude pix that has the internet going crazy. Whisper's spy disguised as an intern in the Calvin Klein advertising agency says The Bieber gets an extra $1M every time he does this. So that's OK then. What has this to do with Sydney?. Nothing, It's all about clickbait and we are shameless,

Adventures in Paradise

                                     Ben May of Mrs Sippy.                                  photo by Tamara Dean

Earlier we reported on the success of the Balinese version of Bondi's famous Icebergs restaurant which has played host to just about every visiting celebrity who spends time in Sydney. Opened by Maurice Terzini in 2014 has become the hot spot for slebs and locals in the island resort.

Now Andrew Stanway who launched the highly successful Mrs Sippy restaurant in Double Bay is in the process of building his Mrs Sippy Bali right near the upmarket Potato Head Beach Club but dramas have broken out. Bali's highly partisan newspapers have claimed all sorts of dramas have caused work to halt on the almost completed luxury bar and restaurant. There have been claims of falsified documents and even the Bali police have gotten involved although that's pretty normal for Bali.  Usually booking a table at the local Policeman's Ball smooths those ruffled feathers.

               Fortunately a mediator has stepped in to negotiate a settlement between the warring parties that include Stanway and his partner Ben May and a local who claims to own part of the land Mrs Sippy is being built. Stanway has called the whole thing a storm in a Balinese teapot and says he will open his venue in September.

Gabi Grecko Update

That saucy minx Gabi Grecko ( see our tale below) has been revealing more about her latest antics that includes a "mile high sex romp with NYPD officers."


What can poor Geoffrey Edelston be thinking as his former flame appears to  have re-joined the Oldest Profession. And what does his mum think?
Whispers once sat with her at a table at a Melbourne charity do and she said "Geoffrey always falls in love with the wrong type of woman". Indeed.
According to the current issue of Womans Day Geoffrey say he "didn't know Gabi was a prostitute".

Read about Gabi's Mile High Tricks Here

Gabi's new life in Brooklyn

I know Dear Readers, that you have been pondering on just what the fragrant Gabi Grecko has been up to since she departed these shores and from the life of fabled businessman Geoffrey Edlesten, pictured right at the Melbourne Cup.
A tale has just emerged in the Times of Israel titled :

"Ex-prostitute alleges Orthodox businessmen mistreated her "

 No they aren't referring to Geoffrey of the hideous colourful suits, but one Jeremy Reichberg of Brooklyn in New York who has been arrested for bribing police officers.

Gabi says she met Reichberg at a "Manhattan bachelor party" and that "she initially expected the job to be limited to “sitting on people’s laps and drinking with them.” She described the men as “really creepy and very rude and offensive.” 
Read it for yourself here.

Society plays guessing game

It's been the talk of the Eastern Suburbs over the past week: who is the writer of this article referring 

 to?

Financial Review journalist Joe Aston who writes the gossipy Rear Window column has written a rousing defense of Roxy Jacenko who has been as would be expected, supporting her husband Oliver Curtis during his insider trading trial for which he has just been found guilty. Curtis will find out on Friday if he will receive a jail sentence.
Whispers met Curtis last weekend where he was keeping a low profile at a racing royalty Ingham's family christening held at Doyles in Circular Quay. We didn't like to bring up any controversial subjects. We've also attended many of Roxy's PR events and she's always pleasant and we find, one of the more efficient publicists in town. She's been receiving some flack for her choice of outfits while attending court but nothing new there- Roxy just dresses as she always does.
But this line has set the tongues wagging as names of columnists have been bandied about :
"And the laziest journos in the game, the furry-teethed ones with two decades of free canapes (literally) under their belts, write their one dog-tired column a week (don't ask us what their other workdays are devoted to), loathe Roxy" Ouch !

Read Joe's column here.
Update : Curtis was jailed for 2 years with a minimum of one year to be served.

Marie to tell All about Princess Diana

2017 will be the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales who died in Paris after a car accident with Dodi Fayed, the heir to the owner of Harrods, Mohamed Fayed.

Now the Australian charity worker Marie Sutton who engineered the very last public function attended by Diana in Sydney is to author a book on the tumultuous visit to Australia that marked Diana's retreat from public life. A few months later Diana was dead after a world-wind supposed affair with the tempestuous Dodi in the South of France.

Whispers knew Dodi well and lived in his Park Lane apartment for 3 months. Dodi's cocaine habit was legendary and Whispers, a non drug user, once saved the life of the secretary of a famous movie star in Dodi's apartment while Fayed and the movie star were literally, off their heads on cocaine.
                                                                         
Marie conceived of the project to get Diana to launch the Victor Chang Institute on the strength of being a pal of Dr Hasnat Khan who reputedly Diana was obsessed with. Once Diana agreed to come to Australia Sutton found the reins of the visit were snatched from her by then NSW premier Nevile Wran and a coterie of Eastern Suburb's society figures. But Diana remained loyal to Sutton and ensured Marie was by her side at every event during the visit. And we should know. We were there at the same time, once hiding under a rug in the back of a limo with Diana as she was whisked out of the Double Bay Ritz Carlton, avoiding the world's assembled media. It was on that occasion that Diana leaned out of the window of the car as we passed St Mary's Cathedral and she spotted a wedding party ascending the stairs and shouted "Don't do it !". Did the happy couple realize their heckler was the World's Most Famous Woman? . Marie also has the only known photos of Diana's grave on an island at the family property Althorp with some very touching mementos from her sons Princes William & Harry. Having seen them, Whispers has been sworn to secrecy but perhaps they will appear in Marie's expose.

"Secret" wedding not so secret

It's being billed as the 'secret wedding' of Ginia Rinehart, heiress to her mum Gina Rinehart's fortune and one of her favoured children, to her ex-SAS bodyguard.
To be held on Hamilton Island the Oz media is hyperventilating about the "exclusive" guest list that includes Hayseed Central Barnaby Joyce and hamburger king Jack Cowin. Can you bear the excitement?
Whispers has been to Hamilton Island twice but the last time was 10 years ago. It's quite lovely but it's the sort of place you need to take your own company so it's ideal for the Rinehart clan and their pals. 
Mind you it's not a patch on Tangier in Morocco where Whispers attended the 70th birthday of publishing mogul Malcolm Forbes in 1989 and got sat at a table twice removed from Elizabeth Taylor who threw a bread roll at yours truly having mistaken us for someone else.
Even more exciting is the fact we can present you with a snap of Gina & Ginia from the website of the irrepressible Kua Hee Che. It doesn't get much better than this.
Below is a photo of the Concorde arriving in Tangier which Malcolm Forbes hired to jet his 200 guests to Morocco. Whispers only scored a regular flight and in Cattle Class at that. We didn't complain. 

CELEBRITIES WHO DATED / MARRIED THEIR BODYGUARDS:

Scarlett Johansson     Kim Kardashian                    Heidi Klum                        Joan Collins          Roseanne Barr

Register Now !

There are still some spots left for the amazing A Moveable Feast which will happen on Saturday 30th July at The Carriageworks. A MOVEABLE FEAST is an original and unique series of large scale experiential dining events, one for each season at a different location, with playful dress up styles, curated menus by renowned guest chefs, performances and installations. Gather up your friends and plan for a fantastic evening of food and good wines. Go to their website here.

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.

at the Sydney Opera House

Movie News

Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban at the US Country Music Awards

  While the Australian media has ignored the activities of former Sydney based private investigator Frank Monte , the US media shows no such timidity. Monte along with his partner Sharon Sargeant upped stakes and moved to Beverly Hills nearly a year ago where Monte has always maintained an office. He is licensed to practice as an investigator throughout the US and has some pretty high profile clients from Hollywood stars to New York business moguls. He also acts for a famed Las Vegas casino.
Whispers first met Monte at a New York party given by US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Our snap below shows Monte with Trump and also on the Larry King Show. In total Monte has appeared in 1000s of US publications and TV shows.
Cindy Adams the show biz columnist on the New York Post's famous Page Six has now published a snippet about Monte & Sargeant's reality TV show The Private Eye &The Madam now in production in LA. Whispers hears that numerous TV networks are negotiating with Monte for his series including the giant Redo Globo in Brazil and Silvio Berluscini's  Italian Mediaset (Monte was born in Egypt & his parents were Italian).
Word now reaches Whispers that a long term Frank Monte project has fired up one Hollywood's top producers : a biopic on the life of Michael Rockefeller (left) the explorer who disappeared in New Guinea in sensational circumstances that gripped the world's media in 1961. Monte was hired by the powerful US Rockefeller family and has never revealed the truth of what happened to their son & heir except to the family. Monte penned a script for the film two decades ago which was picked up the powerful William Morris Agency with superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger buying the rights. Complex legal negations with the Rockefeller family stalled the project but apparently a settlement has finally been reached.

Sharon Sargeant & Frank Monte are regulars on the social circuit