Whispers Scoops The World

Yesterday we scooped the entire world with our story that Will Smith would be removed from the Academy Award's institute- he chose to resign by mutual agreement. # Several readers emailed us questioning our tale. A few picked up on our April Fool's joke about Jada Pinckett's alopecia which wasn't true.

Breaking News: Will Smith kicked out of Academy

Exclusive: I can reveal that the Academy Awards committee will remove actor Will Smith as a member of the Academy Awards tomorrow and demand he hands back his Oscar. Smith's wife Jada Pinckett has narrowly avoided being removed from the Academy but she is expected to make an apology to comedian Chris Rock after it was revealed she laughed when her husband assaulted Rock. There are now questions about 2 projects lined up with Will Smith to star in with several investors withdrawing funding on the belief Smith may now be Box Office Poison. Furthermore the reason The Academy will remove Smith is that in fact Jada Pincket is not suffering from alopecia as claimed but had shaved her head to audition for the role of a remake of the movie GI Jane.

That other Oscar's party

While most of Hollywood were celebrating The Slap at the Vanity Fair after party along with an actor who assaulted a comedian in front of a few million TV viewers, Elton John and hubby David Furnish co-hosted their annual AIDs Foundation benefit with the always classy Lady Ga Ga as our exclusive pic shows..Furnish, GaGa and Elton and David's two sons.

It's hotting up..

A gala evening last night at Bennelong at the Opera House with News supremo Lachlan Murdoch hosting the annual News Corp bash with Piers Morgan as special guest along with many LNP politicians like PM Scott Morrison , Josh Frydenberg & nary a Labor pollie in sight. 3 nights earlier Labor leader Anthony Albanese (with his new makeover) hosted 500 guests at Doltone House which was heavy with top industrialists like billionaire Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest. With an election within 3 months- make of it what you will.

Excusive : John Rendall

Come back soon for our exclusive story on the life of John Rendall..perhaps better known as the Christian The Lion man.

Thwarted again..

Just as we were about to throw ourselves back into Sydney's social scene. Omicron has struck. It's like something out of Black Adder as a government decree goes out: no dancing, no singing ! Theatres are closing, shows cancelled, pubs and restaurants are doing it tough. And no- the lives of "influencers" or reality "stars" are just too dull. We'll leave that dross to the newspaper social pages. I guess we'll have toi sit this one out again. But we'll be back..soon...

It's DOT NET !!! now

CARELESS WHISPERS HAS CHANGED IT'S INTERNET ADDRESS FROM WWW.THESOCIALSHUTTLE.COM TO: WWW.THESOCIALSHUTTLE.NET that's: www.thesocialshuttle.net # don't ask..it's a long convulted story not worth repeating at this stage. But we'll be back within days with some of the latest news on Sydney happenings. And a big thank you to the 100s of readers who contacted us..and the many who actually tracked down our new address! ## Especially those 100s of daily visitors from Russia !! We love you !

A RALLY to save the Metro-Minerva Theatre Sunday 5 December from 12.30pm Fitzroy Gardens, Kings Cross Featuring: Marcia Hines and John Waters (original cast of HAIR) Mark Trevorrow, Catherine Alcorn, David Carroll and Christa Hughes Speakers: Alex Greenwich (Member for Sydney), Andrew Andersons AO (renowned theatre architect) Olivia Ansell (Artistic Director Sydney Festival) Media are invited to join members of the entertainment profession, supporters of heritage architecture, and concerned residents of Potts Point, at a Rally on Sunday 5 December from 12.30pm in the Fitzroy Gardens, Kings Cross. Fitzroy Gardens is directly opposite Orwell Street, the location of the Metro-Minerva Theatre. There is a chance that the Metro-Minerva Theatre will be sold to developers for commercial use. This stunning art deco building was once the home to many musicals including the Premiere of HAIR in 1969.

WE were there and it's all true

An interesting tale about Molly Meldrum screwing up the atmosphere on a Sydney Harbour cruise for Elton John. We know it's true because Whispers was there. Not only did many people immediately ditch odd little packes of white powder overbiard as a police boat delivering Molly approached (not us- we lead a clean life) what this atory doesn't mention is that Molly slipped as he was trying to board the Elton cruise and plunged into Sydney's deadly harbour. Why didn't a shark take Molly? Good taste I guess. And yes the party that was in full swing become a tad sober after that as the guests were forced to rely on alcohol only. READ IT HERE: https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/elton-john-confirms-wild-sydney-party-rumour-with-molly-meldrum/news-story/e9483d7d26ff5228d113c8da3c627fda

we WILL be back

Careless Whispers / The Social Shuttle has been in Lock Down for nearly 2 months. Along with a cock-up over our website domain : thesocialshuttle.com, which will be back on board any day now- and we haven't had anything to say ! But life goes on and so will we..in a week's time. Much love to the many readers who contacted us and thought the website had vanished. It's present address is of course: www.thesocialshuttle.net ..soon it will also be the thesocialshuttle.com. ## And a big Thank You to our 100s of readers in Russia XX

Byron attacks !

The Gold Dinner, allegedly Australia's smartest charity event has been taken over by the Byron Bay set ie: the Hemsorths, as our main pic shows. This year it was held in a marquee at the Overseas Terminal at Sydney Airport. Well why not as nothing else is happening there. But Mascot? In this weather?

Above: Lucciana Barroso, Lauren Phillips, Elsa Pataky, Chris Hemsworth, Gabriella Brooks and Liam Hemsworth There were other celebs there:

Above: Rose Byrne like so many Hollywood names is fleeing LA and looking for a home in..you guessed it: Byron Bay. With Lucciana Barroso (left) wife of actor Matt Damon and Elsa Pataky

We're back !

What can we say? If you have ever forged your way through the maze of Google and their Adminsitraion panels then your a Better Man than Me Gunga Din. We have a new address: www.thesocialshuttle.net ..perhaps the .com address will one day work again.

Do not miss this !

The Dinosaur Festival.

I'm told here will be real live Dinosaurs there so I wouldn't miss it for quids. Yes, I thought they were extinct too but where did they get all those beasts to appear in those Jurrassic World movies? They weren't actors were they?. There wouldn't be a point to having a festival of Dinosaurs without the real thing and besides, publicists and PR people don't tell fibs. Somewhere there is an island where all the Dinosaurs hang out so maybe a few will be attending this wondrous festival (take no notice of the pic- I don't think that's a real Dinosaur). If only one makes an appearance it will make my day.

The PR handout includes this:

The outdoor Dinosaur Festival Sydney offers a dynamic opportunity to expose school learners to experiences and explore the pre historic world in a rich and friendly educational environment. At the Dinosaur Festival we believe that through interactive exhibits and hands-on activities, kids will have the ability to take ownership of their own learning, develop and explore their own curiosities. This unique exhibition provides the foundation for creativity, critical thinking, and understanding of their immediate environment importance.

So there.Obviously there will be rides on real live Dinosaurs and Raptors to pat and maybe a TRex to wreak havoc. Well that's what it sounds like to me. See you there.

(Maybe Godzilla will turn up)

And look how inexpensivie it is:

EARLY BIRD TICKETS (if you book before the 30th of April 2021) • Kids $10.00 • Seniors $12.00 • Adults $15.00 • Family of four $45 (2 adults and 2 kids). • Group or Family of eight mixed kids or adults $85.00 See more here: www.dinofestivalaustralia.com

Life imitates art

Or is Art imitating life..?

The Great Fairy Bread Scandal

It's a delicacy that has delighted Aussie children for decades. No birthday party for any child under 10 is worth it's salt if the caterer doesn't supply copious quantities of the unique Ausse delicacy: Fairy Bread. A simple concoction: white bread and butter (nothing healthy like Rye)and covered with hundreds and thousands.

So it was understandable that the mighty Rupert Murdoch News Corp empire and it's dozens of newspaper outlets screeched shock, horror when it got wind that a sinister anonymous "woke" mob were demanding a change to the name. The moniker Fairy Bread was deemed an insult to , well we aren't quite sure what..fairies?. We'll never know as for some reason the tale which swept the tabloid pages of the Murdoch tabloids have inexplicably vanished

Possibly because the whole thing was a hoax but by whom? That's still a mystery. Radio annnouncer Ben Fordham had already declared the mini drama a scam during the week but News Corp scribes were not having it. Until Friday that is when the penny finally dropped. At least the mini scandal has delighted fierce Murdoch critic and ex-prime Minster Kevin Rudd who has gleefully tweeted news of the minor furor to his million plus Twitter followers.

. The only real mystery is why the wondrous Daily Mail /MailOnline didn't pick up and run with the hoax. Right up their alley.

As we predicted..

And thus it came to pass ! More on our tale about the rumblings in the northern paradise of Byron Bay, one of Australia's most beautiful, unique areas which has become incredibly popular over the decades.

Chris Hemsworth's Mega Mansion

Byron Bay was a sleepy whaling town in the early part of the 20th century. It's also Australia's most Easterly point. Even today one can see whales heading North (fleeing from Japanese whaling ships?)and groups of gamboling dolphins are regularly spotted from the beach.

But has Byron (as the locals call it) become a victim of it's own success?. Just days ago we reported that many locals are getting fed up with the thousands of tourists who flock into town on weekends and depart, leaving a mess for locals to clear up and pay for.

About a 15 minute drive inland from Byron is the town of Mullumbimby, another quaint village that has also been popular with newcomers. It's where Whispers has stayed with friends over the years. We even meet & BBQed with the Super Star Action Heroes Chris & Liam Hemsowrth when they were mere lads-their parents lived there for a time. Now both Hemsworth brothers have departed Hollywood and Chris Hemsworth has built a ginormous shopping centere style mansion in the area. Other Hollywood stars are flocking there including Zac Efron who with Matt Damon, are looking for suitable houses to buy. As for Mullumbimby, the quiet town now has traffic jams on weekends with nary a parking spot to be found.

Now a local has gone public with an article in the Sydney Morning Herald as they plan to sell up and move back to the city. At the current rate of skyrocketing house prices in Byron, this shouldn't be much of a problem.

Read the article here: https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/paradise-lost-why-i-m-leaving-byron-bay-just-when-netflix-is-moving-in-20210411-p57i73.html

Vale Carla

Born in 1942 in the small Italian village of Lovero, Aussie fashion design supremo Carla Zampatti has passed away after succumbing to injuries from a fall at the Opera in the Botanical Gardens just days ago. Zampatti's decades of timeless, elegant fashion has been much loved over the years from well heeled female corporate executives to visiting celebrities who swore a Zampatti designed outfit was the peak of elegance.

Pictured: Bianca Spender, Carla Zampatti and John Bush

Whispers often encountered Carla at Sydney and Melbourne soirees whether it was the launch of a new small design shop, a charity event, fashion parade or an Art Gallery grand dinner for the late Opera star Luccianno Pavrotti (Zampatti was always at the head table). We'd often see her tootling around Sydney's Eaatern Surburbs in her classic green Rolls Royce Corniche.

Launching her first fashion collection in 1965, success followed success and she opened her first boutique in Surry Hills in 1972. Her fashions have a variety of fans from Princess Mary of Denmark to popster Danii Minouge. Numerous Aussie celebs have featured her designs at some stage including Nicole Kidman. Legendary actress Angela Lansbury once went on shopping spree at Zampatti's Double Bay boutique and Ros Packer is a regular.

Carla's designs are now featured in department store around the country and the world. In 2004 she was awarded the Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic along with Australian honours and in 2005 Carla was featured on a stamp, the ultimate in recognition . Zampatti leaves behind three children, designer Bianca Spender, son Alex Schuman, and Allegra Spender who managers the Zampatti design business. She married politcian John Spender in 1975 and they amicably divorced in 2010.

Bogan Bay

Some snaps from sunnier days in Byron Bay, the northern town that has become so popular with the ex-Hollywood set like Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky, Matt Damon, Zac Efron and assorted characters. Whispers has been visiting Byron Bay and nearby Mullumbimby for nearly 40 years. Ever since our pal the late British printing press heir Nicholas Shand re-located from Shropshire and puchased a few hundred acres in "Mullum". Shand set up the local newspaper, the Byron Echo which has since become the established newspaper for the area. Shand sadly passed away in a car accident and there is statue of him outside the local council chambers.

But there are rumblings of discontent about the "newcomers" and the glitzy Hemsworth set and assorted hanger-ons who number in the dozens, from the oldtimers who first moved to Byron Bay over the previous decades. And the addition of anti-vaxxer chef Pete Evans has really got blood vessels pumping. We can't name the locals but it seems most cannot abide the new crowd and the attention it has brought to Byron. Among the complaints are the rapidly rising house prices and the flocks of visitors who pour into the town on weekends.

One local described it as similar to the beautiful California enclave Sausalito which in the 60s & 70s was a playground for those wishing to escape the city ratrace but went along similar lines as Byron with property prices outstripping the ability of the sort of "arty" crowd that made it popular in the first place.

Byron Bay locals are now calling it Bogan Bay and say an event a few weeks ago sums up the new mob. A marquee and tables were set up in a park at the beach claiming Covid was a hoax and wearing masks stupid calling them "face nappies" as an insult. It was the sheer numbers who headed for these tables to lend support that upset the locals. Many early Byron locals were "alternatives" in the 60s thru 80s when they moved there but are not like the QAnon nutters who have been boring the world to death lately.

The original movie super-star to spot Byron's potential was Paul Hogan who snapped up acres in the hinterland and built a magnificent mansion and redeveloped the pub in the main street. Hoges packed up nearly 20 years ago selling up for $Millions and moved to LA. Now Byron, or Bogon is flooded from the recent torrential rains and the beach was recently washed away in another storm which caused terrible damage. One prominent local likened it to God's wrath.

Claire's Kitchen

35 Oxford Street Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia 2010 French style at the Paris end of Oxford street

The top selling Champagne in Paris

Tabloid Fail

Yes, Whispers is about to cast nastursions on our media counterparts, imperfect vessel that we are, but Prince Harry & Meghan Markle announced just days ago that young Prince Archie Windsor can expect a sister or brother in the near future. But the Aussie tabloid magazine No Idea New Idea announced on the very same day that the loving California based couple had split. Well what would we know?. Perhaps it's true. I'm sure all shall be revealed this Monday in their next editon. Perhaps they know better than this scribe. Afterall we've been out of the loop for a while with endless lockdowns. It was only just late last year that New Idea announced that Prince Harry had been deported from the USA ( as seen in this cover pic with the Brad /Jen tale). Perhaps the current one is a clone? Is this a QAnon conspiracy revelation? Of course the same glitzy show biz mag also announced that hunky actor Brad Pitt was back living with Jennifer Aniston just as he arrived in Venice with gorgeous model Nicole Poturalski. Who knows..it could all be true.!

“Not to be missed.”

Fri, 05 Feb | Claire's Kitchen at le Salon VIVA la DIVA: JACKIE LOEB “Completely in-your-face funny.” LA Times. “Not to be missed.” Sydney Morning Herald. “The woman has so much talent it’s sick!” Comediva

Book tickets here:https://www.claireskitchen.com.au/events-1/viva-la-diva-jackie-loeb?fbclid=IwAR13zKHvsc5rNQUrBWn6uC46McgduGU72mKmSQdhQwV8t9hUE0x bank building in Sydney's Oxford Street with food prepared by brilliant CanadianKINfGuS8 Claire's Kitchen is a superb restaurant in a beautiful old bank building in Sydney's Oxford Street with food prepeared by brilliant Canadian French chef Claire De Lune

No Magic from Mike

Whispers was looking forward to the opening night of Channing Tatum's Magic Mike at the Entertainment Quarter yesterday but alas, the new Covid drama has shut down the production before it got off the ground. What a disappointment, especially for the performers who travelled so far to bring us some fine danicing and good looking flesh. No word yet if it will open again or when. On Wednesday the media were invited to film a scene from the show and told that mask wearing would be strictly enforced. Almost like a portent of what was to come. Meanwhile here's some vision of the show from Youtube.

Lockdown? drink the blues away with Paris' top selling champagne.

Magic Mike hits town

These chaps are some of the cast of Magic Mike, a show devised and created by Hollywood heart-throb Channing Tatum. It opens this Sunday in Sydney at the Entertainment Centre at Fox Studios. Whispers has no idea what it's all about but we'll be there to report on it. With bells on.

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.

Did ya miss me?

 We're back. 

We promised you we would return. A mass of illnesses floored Whispers for 2 months in the middle of a pandemic. I think we had every know illness under the sun except Covid 19 or the "China Virus" as the (soon to be former) US president Donald Trump calls it (have we told you that he owes Whispers $3000 ?..a story for another time).

Did we miss anything?. Probably but this was one event not to be missed. Claire De Lune (left) is an import from French Canada so Claire knows how to throw a few things in a cooking pot and create a fabulous meal. 

Claire runs a wonderful restaurant in Sydney's Oxford Street called

Claire's Kitchen at le Salon

Oxford Street was once the busiest street in Sydney if not the Southern Hemisphere. There seemed to be a cocktail bar or nightclub on every corner and several in between. No wonder they called it the Golden Mile in it's heyday. All that disappeared with the infamous Lock down laws that saw premises that usually remained open until perhaps 11am the following morning, closing by 2am. Claire's establishment survives and flourishes. Often there is a floor show in between courses.

Claire's restaurant is in a fabulous 1930's building that was once a bank so you know it's grand as old banks often where.

Apart from the wonderful food on offer this special night had a performance from Rupert Noffs with his show titled “I CAN COOK TOO!”. 

 For the past few years Rupert and partner Matty Bee ran a popular restaurant in New York's Soho before returning to concentrate on the NSW's Central Coast. And Rupert also sings and can belt out a pretty good tune as he did on this night.

Rupert is the grandson of the legendary Rev Ted Noffs of Kings Cross' Wayside Chapel' fame (Rupert hangs out with pals like Prince William in his spare time) and he and Matty run their own sensational eatery on the Central Coast. It's called The Lucky Bee at the uber smart Hardy's Bay.

We've assembled a few pics from the night courtesy of Nicholas Huxley (left with Rupert Noffs) from East Sydney's fashion school. Nicholas has taught some of Australia's most famous couturiers and sent them out into the word to make their mark. In 2015 he spent a year setting up the Miami Dade College Miami, Florida US.

Above: Rupert Noffs,HRH Prince William & Kevin Rudd * Rupert with partner Matty Bee

More on James Packer

 Following reports on a complicate legal stoush in the US involving Aussie billionaire James Packer comes a new tale from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

As it's behind a paywall we'll quote the relevant part involving Packer. In a story about the revelation that Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s habit of bringing bags of dirty laundry from Israel to the United States on official visits in order for the clothes to be washed by U.S government workers comes a snippet about Packer & Netenyahu:

"Soon, Australian billionaire James Packer also began to gift the Netanyahus with expensive gratuities. Bibi confirmed Packer invited his son Yair 'to vacation in Aspen and Ibiza' and knew Yair occasionally slept in a luxury TLV apartment Packer rented"

Netanyahu confirmed he asked Australian billionaire Packer to buy the mansion next-door. Packer bought it, and Bibi behaved in it almost as though he owned the place. Before his visits, the housekeeper was asked to stock it with cigars and champagne"

 

Trust the French- the top selling Champagne in Paris

 

James Packer in legal drama

Charlotte Kirk, Kevin Tsujihara and a Non-Consensual Sex Allegation That Sparked a Secret Legal Saga

The actress has filed an explosive petition to vacate a gag order that has kept her mostly silent amid a years-long battle with the former Warner Bros. chief as well as film moguls James Packer, Brett Ratner and Avi Lerner.

 On Sept. 10, James Packer’s $200 million megayacht IJE (above) was harbored in Tahiti, where it was scheduled to stay for three months. A bailiff attempted to board the luxury liner to serve the film producer and financier and was told to return the following day because Packer was not there. When the bailiff returned as scheduled, IJE was pulling out of the harbor and heading to Bora Bora with the Australian billionaire onboard. 

Meanwhile in Bulgaria, a process server was attempting to serve Millennium Films CEO Avi Lerner at his Eastern Europe studio, where the Megan Fox thriller Till Death was shooting. Simultaneously, disgraced film producer Brett Ratner and former Warner Bros. chief Kevin Tsujihara were being served at their homes in Los Angeles.

READ THE STORY AT THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/charlotte-kirk-kevin-tsujihara-and-a-non-consensual-sex-allegation-that-sparked-a-secret-legal-saga

Below: Brett Ratner, James Packer &Charlotte KIrk 

 

 

 

Weekly Winner / Loser Awards

 Rivaled only by the Oscars for the sheer glamour: it's that time of the week we present glittering accolades for those who shone and those who didn't.

First up for WINNER OF THE WEEK is the fabulous comedy actor Rebel Wilson who posted pictures of her amazing weight loss. And doesn't she look sensational?. Her face is gorgeous. We hope Rebel leaves it at that. She looks perfect.

And (drumroll) LOSER OF THE WEEK is the wondrous Aussie tabloid Woman's Day which thudded onto our doorstop to announce that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are back living together.

Alas, as we thumbed through the pages and then turned to more sober publications we discovered on the very same day that said Brad Pitt had arrived in Venice with the new love of his life, 27-year-old German model Nicole Poturalski.

Oh well. you can't win them all.

Trust the French- the top selling Champagne in Paris

 

Stuck in Italy

 If you have been lucky enough to dine in one of the Sydney restaurants run by star chef Stefano Manfredi you will know he is one of Australia's top hosts and about as good creator of glorious food that can be had in this land, quite apart from being an all round nice guy.

Stefano is currently hanging out in the famed La Cascina dei Sapori eatery in Rezzato, Italy. You only have to read Trip Adviser's rave reviews to know this joint is tops in a country of splendid restaurants.

Stefano has been interviewed today in the Weekend Telegraph and has described how difficult it has been for him to return home to Australia:

"There are quite a few problems getting back to Australia no matter what the Federal Government will have you believe.

It’s not just the restrictions placed on numbers allowed on each plane coming into Australia but in my case, Etihad has mandated a Covid-19 test within 96 hours before flying to Abu Dhabi to get my connecting flight. Ordinarily, that would be no problem as Rezzato has clinics that will perform these easily and quickly with results available within a couple of hours.
But @etihad want passengers to go to a facility approved by them, at a prepaid cost double to that which I would ordinarily pay.
The first clinic they referred me to in Bologna- a couple of hours south of here- is closed the week I need to have the test. Now, I’m waiting for them to contact me for an alternative arrangement.
They’ve promised they would! My flight is booked for the 30th August."

Well keep readers posted if and when he gets home. Meanwhile, I'm sure there are worse places to hang out during the pandemic!

We Return

 Whispers takes "lock down" seriously so we really haven't been able to attend events recently. OK there have been no events to attend..but we shall be updating with some tales in the next 48 hours.

Bet you can't wait !!

Attack of The Clones

Whispers feels a Silly Season may be upon us with the claims Hollywood Heart throb Zac Efron has been "spotted in Byron Bay". The claim emerged in the MailOnline, renowned for it's reliability (hey- they nick stuff from us !).
They claim Zafron has been tooling around the "hippy paradise". Hippy paradise?. Perhaps 30 years ago. Byron Bay is a Millionaire's Paradise these days with a run down house (if you can find one ) in the Hinterland going for $2Million.

Fortunately a "social influencer" ( what that?) was on hand as a witness claiming "'Don't mean to alarm anyone but Zac Efron was literally eating at the same cafe as me when this was taken,' she wrote." To prove her point she took a snap, so easy these days of smart phones, of the Hollywood star herself.

Only just a couple of years ago the star of Aquaman  Jason Momoa was also spotted in Byron Bay, errr except it was in fact some geezer who appeared on The Bachelorette - Nathan Favro, as our screen shot from the always reliable Daily Mail shows. Well they're both very hairy so easy to confuse.

It was maybe 15 years ago Sydney's media went haywire and descended upon the          Woollahra Sailing Club when word spread like a bush fire that Sex & The City star Sarah Jessica Parker was spotted sipping cocktails at the bar. The TV show was at the height of it's fame and yes- Whispers went as well.  It was pretty obvious it wasn't Sarah Jessica but someone who did look remarkably like her. No matter how many times we told the assembled paparazzi and scribes their dreams would be dashed they were having none of it and the Daily Telegraph's Sydney Confidential gossip column snared an exclusive interview with the young lady ( a UK tourist) about her reasons for slipping into town. She played along loving every moment and it took 2 days for Sydney Con to back down and admit their mistake.

Bette Midler                             John Denver                    

              left: Hugh Grant      Rupert Everett                        

Whispers knows what it's like. Around 30 years ago while peering into a Harrods window in Knighsbridge we became aware we were being stalked. Finally the man built up the courage to come over and said "you are John Denver yes? Can I have an autograph? ".  "Of course" we replied grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled To my adoring fan- signed- Bette Midler thrust it in his hand and jumped into the nearest taxi. Actor Rupert Everett related a similar episode that happened at Miami Airport when a fan came up and said " I love your work Mr. Grant can I have your autograph?" Rupert obliged by writing in the man's paper back book "Fuck you- regards Hugh Grant".
Some years a go in Sydney Whispers was on a visit and attended a party at an Oxford Street nightclub only to be introduced to "the famous UK New Romantic star Steve Strange". Famous indeed and we had no idea who this Steve Strange was as we had left "the very famous New Romantic" Mr Strange to look after our little Mews flat in Notting Hill Gate 3 days earlier.