Leave it to Karl Stefanovic to conjure up a seriously ridiculous Halloween costume.
The Today co-host, 49, has proved a frontrunner for sporting the most unique outfit this spooky season, but he’s scarred his three-year-old daughter Harper in the process.
Posting a video to Instagram, Stefanovic could be seen stomping around the front deck of his home wearing an outlandish blow-up costume – which made him look like he was being cradled by a giant green alien.
“I want daddy back!” a mortified Harper could be heard saying in the clip.
Stefanovic’s wife Jasmine could be heard giggling as she filmed the moment.
The trio later hit the streets of Sydney to go trick-or-treating, where Stefanovic turned heads in the ghastly ensemble.
In one picture taken by paparazzi, he appears to thwart a horror-struck miniature poodle in its tracks:
The TV veteran’s famous friends flooded the comment section of his post, with former co-host Allison Langdon writing, “Oh that is traumatising.”
Real Housewives of Melbourne star Cherry Dipietrantonio added, “Bless her little heart! Those things are terrifying.”
Today presenter Brooke Boney was left in hysterics over the outfit, simply writing, “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.”
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Another follower said Harper would be “scarred for life”, while another added, “This is gold.”
Meanwhile, the outfit stakes over in Hollywood are much higher, with Halloween queen Heidi Klum posting an early tease of this year’s look.
In 2022, the supermodel wore a giant worm suit at her annual bash, which went down in history as one of her most memorable creations.
Real Housewives of Sydney star Dr Kate Adams has hit back at castmate Krissy Marsh following the controversial comments she made on the reality show.
Since the rebooted series premiered on Binge last month, newcomer Kate has took offence at the remarks original star Krissy has made about her on camera.
In one scene, Krissy called her a “Moaning Lisa” after Kate complained about her mother not being around much when she was a child. And in another scene, Krissy refers to her as an “onion” because you “peel back layer after layer and they’re all just the same”.
Krissy apparently insinuated that Kate was a lesbian, too – and this comment also did not sit well with the Bondi vet.
“Everyone wants to talk about me. For an onion, it sounds like I’m pretty interesting,” she told Creasey, adding that she took the comment as a “compliment”.
As for the “Moaning Lisa” jibe, Kate joked: “I even thought today, Joel, that I really probably should wear a name tag, in case someone calls me Debbie or Lisa. In case they can’t remember me.”
Although Kate confronted Krissy, 52, about her comments at her 40th birthday party two episodes ago, they once again clashed when the ladies embarked on girls’ getaway to Killcare on the NSW Central Coast in this week’s episode, which left Krissy in tears.
Stream The Real Housewives of Sydney on BINGE. New BINGE customers get a 14-day free trial. Sign up at binge.com.au
“There’s one thing Krissy loves to talk about and that is me,” Kate said on the podcast. “The reality is playing the victim card is the oldest Housewives trick in the book.
“And then I thought, ‘Oh, there’s tears. Right, because someone called you Moaning Lisa and someone called you an onion because I was so mean to you at my party.’
“But I think, you know what? I don’t have to say much. These b****es just fall on their own swords.”
She also took aim at castmate Victoria Montano, who showed up to a conservation park – an outing Kate had organised – in a fur-collared jacket. Needless to say, Kate was disgusted.
“I kinda think to myself, I’ve let a lot of things slide. Sure, I can see you wearing a snow leopard jacket, but I don’t really love that so much,” she said.
“But the reality is, this is my event. It’s my event! You’re going to a conservation park, and I actually care about animals. I gave my whole life to animals and I care about them, like genuinely f***ing care.”
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“To me, it is like going to a church, them saying take your shoes off, and then you saying, ‘Nah bro, I’m not taking my shoes off.’ Like, don’t go to the church.
“We were in the Central Coast – you’re going to be OK without the fur collar.”
The Real Housewives of Sydney airs Tuesdays on BINGE and Foxtel – and we’re recapping all the highlights each Tuesday at 1pm. You can also listen to the official Real Housewives of Sydney podcast.
The Masked Singer’s top four became three on Tuesday night, with the Cowgirl ousted from the competition – and finally revealed to be …
… Courtney Act. The Aussie drag legend is also an international reality TV veteran at this point, carving out a career here, in the US and the UK since she got her big break as a contestant on the first season of Australian Idol way back in 2003.
Since then, Act has competed on reality shows including RuPaul’s Drag Race, UK’s Celebrity Big Brother, and Dancing With The Stars Australia.
But speaking to news.com.au the morning after her reveal aired, Act - out of drag as her boy self, Shane Jenek - confessed she had a few teething problems with The Masked Singer.
She said that she returned to her dressing room deflated after her first performance of the season, feeling “like a brooding teenager.”
“I was so grumpy, because I love performing and I love being on stage. And I thought: This takes all the fun out of it, all the fun things I love about performing. The costume’s very heavy, it’s very hard,” she revealed.
But by the second performance, Act said she had embraced the limitations of performing inside a giant suit.
“It’s big, it’s inanimate, and you’re trying to give a personality and work out what you can do with it. And that became the fun thing about it. And, it was very fun to be back on TV doing variety performances. I would adore it to be next time with the same level of production and not in a giant cow suit,” she said.
Act’s reveal was perhaps the most memorable of the season, given she was inside the “Cowgirl” costume in full drag. As the mask came off, out came a seemingly neverending cascade of curls, complete with high-drag hair flip.
“I wanted the most ridiculous, ‘Charlie’s Angels removing a helmet with perfectly styled hair underneath’ thing. That was what I was going for,” Act said. Mission accomplished.
Act’s departure from the competition leaves just three celebs yet to be unmasked in next Tuesday’s grand finale: The Grim Reaper and Bouncer, who I’m fairly certain are Aussie singers Darren Hayes and Conrad Sewell respectively, and Snow Fox, who has been a harder voice to place. Many viewers seem convinced she’s Dami Im, but I hear too much of an American twang in her vocals – I’m still picking former Glee star Amber Riley, who has participated in both the US and UK versions of The Masked Singer.
Last week saw one of the biggest surprises of the season: That “Burger Gal” was none other than a member of pop music’s royal family, the Jacksons.
And in Monday’s episode, a wildcard contestant entered the competition, and left the same night, unmasked as former AFL player Brendan Fevola.
He later revealed that his costume – the “Captain” – was a hasty pivot from his original costume “Titanic,” as the show filmed shortly after the June submersible tragedy that saw five people die while attempting to visit the Titanic shipwreck.
“There was dead bodies and drowning and I was surrounded by boats, and I was the Titanic. So, they couldn’t use that as my costume because it was literally happened a week before,” Fevola revealed on Melbourne’s 101.9 The Fox’s breakfast show, Fifi, Fev & Nick, the morning after his episode aired.
“They had to change everything, change my name, change everything. The sub exploded and all those people died … it was awful. I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it. The costume was made – I thought, what are they going to do?”
Here’s the full list of celebs revealed so far this season:
Episode one: Former Beverly Hills, 90210 actor Brian Austin Green
Episode two: Ten newsreader Sandra Sully
Episode three: Summer Warne, daughter of late cricketing legend Shane
Episode four: The Block judge Shaynna Blaze
Episode five: UK Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby
Episode six: Aussie singer-songwriter Pete Murray
Singer of huge Aussie hit unmasked on TV
Jackson family member unmasked on TV
Episode seven: LaToya Jackson
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Episode eight: Amy Sheppard, singer in Aussie band Sheppard
Episode nine: Former AFL player Brendan Fevola.
The final episodes of The Masked Singer this season air 7:30pm next Monday and Tuesday on Ten.
Ruby Barker, who portrayed Marina Thompson on Bridgerton, is slamming Netflix and production company Shondaland after she suffered from two psychotic breaks that left her hospitalised.
“When I went into hospital a week after shooting Bridgerton season one, that was really, really covered up and kept on the down-low because the show was going to be coming out,” she began.
“I was deteriorating,” Barker, 26, said on The LOAF podcast. “It was a really tormenting place for me to be because my character was very alienated, very ostracised, on her own, under these horrible circumstances.”
Barker continued to explain that she experienced her first breakdown after the first season of Bridgerton, which wrapped in 2019, and a second in 2022, reports Fox News.
“Not a single person from Netflix, not a single person from Shondaland, since I have had two psychotic breaks from that show, have even contacted me or emailed me to ask me if I’m OK or ask me if I would benefit from any sort of aftercare or support,” the actress alleged. “Nobody.”
She went on to say that after not feeling supported, Barker tried “really, really hard” to brush it off and convince herself she was “fine.”
“My life was changing drastically overnight, and yet there was still no support, and there still hasn’t been any support for that time,” she said.
“So, I was trying really, really hard to just sort of act like, you know, this is fine. This is OK. I’m OK. I can work. It’s not a problem.”
The Bridgerton star further explained that she constantly felt pressure to pretend everything was normal after production but deep down she knew it wasn’t.
“It’s almost like I had this kind of metaphorical invisible gun to my head to sell this show because this show’s bubbly and fun and all of these things,” she noted.
“I don’t want to come out and poo, poo on that because then I might never work again.”
Barker candidly spoke out about how she treated her mental health, and confessed she went on medication that turned her into a “zombie.”
She explained that she had to consistently take the treatment for a year, or she was at “risk” for “having another episode, breakdown.”
She said being on medication impacted how she would communicate with her loved ones, and they could recognise she didn’t appear present.
Barker previously spoke out about her “mental health struggle” in May 2022 on social media.
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Since her psychotic breaks, the How to Stop a Recurring Dream star has found making music “therapeutic” after her hospitalisations last year.
Netflix, Shondaland and reps for Barker did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
This article originally appeared in Fox News and was reproduced with permission
Former Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns has shared his “final post for 2023”, revealing he’s shutting off his social media to focus on work projects and “smelling the roses”.
The Newcastle-born singer, 44, told fans in a lengthy Instagram post he’s “notoriously bad at stopping” to appreciate life’s moments.
With two months left in the year, Johns said he’d be putting his phone “in a drawer” to finish working on the orchestration for his upcoming short film, What If The Future Never Happened?, which accompanies his 2022 solo album, FutureNever.
“I’m notoriously bad at stopping and smelling the roses so I’m putting this [post] here to remind myself,” Johns began.
“This will be my final post for 2023 so I can go away to work on finishing orchestration and credit sequence for ‘What If The Future Never Happened?’. I’m shutting my socials down, putting my phone in a drawer and getting back to work.
“FutureNever was the most gratifying creative experience of my career, it was gratifying because of YOU all. I’ve never felt more connected to the people who have supported the podcast, the album and the exhibition.
“[The short film] is coming out in early 2024, I’m disappearing into the studio now to finalise the orchestration.”
Johns, who is fairly active on his Instagram account, went on to share “some pretty big personal news”, announcing he’d inked a deal with music company BMG, which will include the entire Silverchair catalogue, which Johns wrote while he was in the legendary Aussie band.
He said it was “the most important songwriting deal of my career”.
The contract means BMG now fully represents Johns after striking up an alliance in 2021, in which the company released FutureNever, produced his Spotify podcast Who Is Daniel Johns?, and developed a Melbourne exhibition in Johns’ honour, ‘Past, Present and FutureNever’. Johns’ past catalogue will revert into the deal come 2025.
It comes after Johns’ fractured relationship with his former Silverchair bandmates Chris Joannou and Ben Gillies hit headlines again in late September with the release of their memoir Love & Pain, which was written without Johns’ involvement.
As part of the book’s release, Joannou and Gillies conducted a two-part interview with ABC’s Australian Story to talk about the highs of lows of Silverchair’s career.
However, the first episode of the doco was mysteriously removed from ABC iView shortly after it aired due to “rights issues”, with Johns later hitting out at the network as he revealed why he didn’t approve of the use of his music.
“I would have preferred to say nothing but here are the facts,” Johns began in a lengthy post.
“Australian Story reached out to me via my team ‘as a courtesy’ on August 11 to let me know that they were doing a story on [Gillies] and [Joannou].
“I was and remain incredibly supportive of them telling their story.
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“I was asked at the end of filming to be interviewed about their contribution to the band and although I wished them all the best, I respectfully declined for one reason. I haven’t been involved in the book nor am I aware of the contents. I’ve been asked on many occasions to read the book but haven’t been sent a copy, consequently I was uncomfortable being interviewed to help promote it.
“I was later asked by [ABC] via Silverchair’s label [Sony Music Australia] to clear 7 songs for iView (most of which were composed solely by me) to soundtrack a 2 episode series.
“I said to Sony and ABC that I would be open to approving all songs provided I received a copy of the book to ensure I wasn’t having my songs used to promote something I had no visibility on. I was told again that Ben & Chris would not give me a copy to read. That’s why the iView use was denied.”
Death, taxes and Justin Bieber dressing way worse than Hailey are the only things certain in this life.
The Generation Z power couple have stepped out for Halloween. She was dressed like a cat burglar, and he was dressed like a furry.
Hailey was wearing a skin-tight mini-dress paired with a leather trench and balaclava with cat ears and Justin was wearing an animal onesie.
It is unclear if Justin is a giraffe or a deer or another random orange animal – perhaps an overfed ginger house cat? It is giving Garfield as a teenage delinquent energy.
Justin’s animal costume might always be a mystery, like the secret to Richard Wilkins’s perfect hair. In both cases it is likely better not to know.
Justin had also unbuttoned the onesie to show off his tattoos and mushroom necklace collection. Yes, he wanted to draw attention to the fact he was wearing a mushroom necklace set.
The costume in itself is confronting, but the fact he has unbuttoned the onesie, which seems like an attempt to sex up the look, is upsetting.
The only thing worse than seeing a grown man in a Giraffe costume is seeing a grown man in a Giraffe costume trying to look sexy.
To top the look off, he added a hat AND a hood, along with some sunglasses. Plus, in some candid photos, he appears to be groping his crotch.
It is unclear if he thought the sunglasses and extra hat would make him look unrecognisable, but nothing screams “look at me I’m famous” like multiple head coverings and sunglasses at night.
The whole outfit is terrifying, not because it is scary, but because it is bone-chilling to think that he thinks he looks good.
If you didn’t know Justin was underneath that outfit and you ran into him in the street you’d cross the road and avert your eyes.
One of the most hilarious parts about this is that Justin and Hailey have made zero attempt to do a couple’s costume.
No, she’s gone complete sex symbol and he looks like someone you wouldn’t want lining up behind you at Kmart.
People online need clarification on the looks.
“He needs a stylist,” someone commented.
“Can they look any more miserable together? I’m so confused,” another shared.
Justin’s had a hectic Halloween season.
He has also dressed up as a scuba driver by wearing giant flippers and a Hawaiian shirt. Basically, he wore a normal summer outfit and popped on some flippers and headed out for the night.
Yes, there are photos of him trying to walk in the giant flippers.
The scuba diving outfit was met with confusion online.
“He is hilarious, but it must be exhausting being his wife,” someone commented.
“It is Justin’s world. We are just living in it,” another observed.
“He just doesn’t care what people think.” one person noted.
He also went as one of The Flintstones, which just involved him wearing a pair of pattern shorts and not wearing a shirt.
Hailey matched with him this time and went as the character Pebbles. She wore a latex mini dress and a neon red wig.
Similarly, his lack of effort for The Flintstones outfit was also noted.
Stars from the hit TV show Friends have broken their silence after the shock death of their beloved co-star Matthew Perry, saying they are “utterly devastated”.
For 10 years, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer starred alongside Perry forging a famously strong bond.
Now, in a joint statement to People, they have paid tribute to their castmate, revealing he was like family to them.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” their statement reads.
“There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
“In time we will say more, as and when we are able.
“For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry at the Friends reunion. Credit: HBO Max/HBO Max
Perry, 54, was found dead in his jacuzzi at his Pacific Palisades home in Los Angeles on Saturday, local time.
Initial reports suggested he had drowned but a Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has revealed the cause of death has been deferred pending further investigations, including a toxicology report, according to NBC News.
A final determination on cause of death could take weeks.
Cast members of Friends: David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani. (Photo by Warner Bros. Television) Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images
Perry’s blended family, including his mum, dad, two step-parents, five step-siblings, had earlier in a joint statement paid tribute to him for bringing “so much joy to the world”.
They told People: “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother.
“Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend.”
They also thanked his legions of fans, adding: “You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”
Friends aired between 1994 and 2004, developing a cult following across the globe. And, it remains a favourite after finding a new generation of fans via streaming.
The stars of the show were so close that from season three onwards they negotiated their salaries as a group, with all six earning the same amount — reportedly securing a $1 million per episode.
The cast were so close that they negotiated their salary together. Credit: Supplied/Supplied
Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane and the series’ executive producer/directo Kevin Bright issue a sstaetn in the hours after Perry’s death, describing their shock.
“It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives.
“He was a brilliant talent.
“It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words.
“From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us.
“We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment – not just to his work, but in life as well.
“He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.”We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”
Sunrise presenter James Tobin has surprised viewers with news he has proposed to his girlfriend.
The Sydney-based weather reporter, 43, has kept his romance with partner, Farrah, entirely private, with the couple having spent the last two years in a long distance relationship.
Sharing a smiling selfie on his Instagram account, where Farrah can be seen flashing a large engagement ring, the Weekend Sunrise star explained why he hadn’t shared much about his love life.
“A bit of news … we’re getting married. A lot of my life is lived out on TV, but I’ve also kept some things private because, well, not everything needs to be out there,” he began.
Tobin went on to say Farrah had been living and studying in Perth over the past couple of years, and was set to make the move back to Sydney.
“For those who don’t know Farrah, she’s a ray of sunshine in this world. She’s brilliant and beautiful, funny and clever, a kind heart who saves lives and runs ultra marathons in her spare time,” Tobin wrote.
“The last couple of years of our relationship have been long distance while Farrah has been in Perth completing a fellowship in interventional cardiology and I couldn’t be prouder of her.
“Finally she’s coming home to our little place and we’re looking forward to starting the next chapter of our lives together. I’m the happiest man alive.”
It’s only the second time Tobin has posted a photo of Farrah on social media, where he has almost 50,000 followers.
The Channel 7 star first uploaded a selfie with Farrah back in July, while the two were holidaying in Mykonos, Greece with friends.
Tobin, who has previously been romantically linked to high-profile celebrities including former Pussycat Doll Jessica Sutta and British model Lady Kitty Spencer, has been a presenter for the top-rating breakfast program since 2009.
His Sunrise colleagues reacted to the exciting news on Monday morning.
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Hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington said they had spent time with Tobin at the Perth Telethon last week, where he didn’t mention his impending engagement.
“We spent Telethon last week with JT and he didn’t let it slip, that’s interesting isn’t it,” Shirvington said on-air.
Barr added, “[He] would have known, too, because he would have been a little bit nervous, JT, good on you. That’s so exciting. Congratulations guys.”
With only four contestants left in the competition, Monday’s episode of The Masked Singer saw a brand new “wildcard” enter the show.
And just as soon as he’d entered, singing the DJ Otzi party-starter Hey Baby, the Captain was unmasked and sent packing from the competition. The one-episode wonder was revealed to be...
... former AFL player, now radio host, Brendan Fevola.
Speaking on Melbourne’s 101.9 The Fox’s breakfast show, Fifi, Fev & Nick, the morning after his elimination aired, Fevola revealed that his costume and set had to be changed at the last-minute due to a real-life tragedy.
Fevola’s character was meant to be the “Titanic” - but was hastily changed after the Titan submarine tragedy, in which five people died while attempting to visit the shipwreck in a submersible in June.
“Two days before [filming] the submarine, the Ocean Gate, exploded,” he said, revealing that his original video package included victims of the Titanic screaming “Jaaaaack!” in reference to the 1997 hit movie.
“There was dead bodies and drowning and I was surrounded by boats, and I was the Titanic. So, they couldn’t use that as my costume because it was literally happened a week before,” Fevola revealed.
“They had to change everything, change my name, change everything. The sub exploded and all those people died... it was awful. I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it. The costume was made - I thought, what are they going to do?”
Fevola said after his reveal that while he’d had a great time during his brief time on the show, he wasn’t sure the audience and judges had enjoyed it as much, considering his complete lack of signing talent.
“Man, did you butcher that song royally,” Mel B told him, which Fevola owned: “I can’t sing! I can’t sing, but I was having a good time.”
While judge Dave Hughes scored a rare correct guess in identifying Fevola, the other judges had guessed Captain might be Aussie actor Gynton Grantley, rugby league great Wally Lewis or Jessie’s Girl singer Rick Springfield.
With Captain in and out of the competition in one episode, there remain four contestants left on the show this season: Bouncer and Grim Reaper, who many viewers have guessed since day one are singers Conrad Sewell and Darren Hayes respectively.
The cause of actor Matthew Perry's death at his residence yesterday will require additional investigative steps by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office before reaching a conclusion, according to records from the agency.
The medical examiner updated its online record for Perry this morning, listing his cause of death as "deferred."
"In cases where the cause of death cannot be determined at the time of autopsy, a deferred certificate will be issued until additional studies have been completed," according to the LA coroner's guidelines.
The medical examiner updated its online record for Perry this morning, listing his cause of death as "deferred." (Q with Tom Power)
No foul play is suspected, a law enforcement source told CNN, however, the incident remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department Robbery-Homicide Division.
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey told CNN a 911 call came in Saturday at 4.07pm local time for a water rescue emergency. LAPD responded at 4.10pm and characterised the call as a death investigation shortly after.
Perry, 54, was found unresponsive in his hot tub, according to the Los Angeles Times, citing law enforcement sources.
Perry with his Friends castmates. (AP / NBC, Jon Ragel)
Perry's parents, John Bennett Perry and Suzanne Morrison, along with his step-father, Dateline correspondent Keith Morrison, were seen arriving at the actor's home Saturday night amid the police response.
Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane and executive producer Kevin Bright released a statement to CNN, saying they were "shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew's passing."
"It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives," their statement said.
"He was a brilliant talent. It's a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew's case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us."
Beloved actor Matthew Perry dies at LA home
The statement added: "We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment - not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart…This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken."
On Sunday, Perry's family released a statement to People magazine saying that they were "heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother."
"Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend," the statement said. "You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love."
An open book
Perry was candid about his struggles.
He opened up about his recovery from addiction and his dedication to helping others in his memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir," which he released in November 2022.
"The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, 'I can't stop drinking, can you help me?' I can say 'yes' and follow up and do it," he said while appearing on the "Q With Tom Power" podcast last year to discuss his book.
Matthew Perry's death requires further investigation. (Rich Fury/Invision/AP)
Perry went on to say that he wanted to be remembered "as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker" and that "his paramount thing is that he wants to help people."
"That's what I want," he said.
Perry was battling addiction at the height of his career on Friends and said during the interview that because of this, he wasn't able to watch the show.
Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc co-starred alongside Perry on Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004.
With only four contestants left in the competition, Monday’s episode of The Masked Singer saw a brand new “wildcard” enter the show.
And just as soon as he’d entered, singing the DJ Otzi party-starter Hey Baby, the Captain was unmasked and sent packing from the competition. The one-episode wonder was revealed to be...
... former AFL player, now radio host, Brendan Fevola.
Fevola said after his reveal that while he’d had a great time during his brief time on the show, he wasn’t sure the audience and judges had enjoyed it as much, considering his complete lack of signing talent.
“Man, did you butcher that song royally,” Mel B told him, which Fevola owned: “I can’t sing! I can’t sing, but I was having a good time.”
While judge Dave Hughes scored a rare correct guess in identifying Fevola, the other judges had guessed Captain might be Aussie actor Gynton Grantley, rugby league great Wally Lewis or Jessie’s Girl singer Rick Springfield.
With Captain in and out of the competition in one episode, there remain four contestants left on the show this season: Bouncer and Grim Reaper, who many viewers have guessed since day one are singers Conrad Sewell and Darren Hayes respectively.
Abbey Holmes and Keegan Brooksby got engaged in November 2020 and now after almost three years, the pair have set a wedding date.
The AFL Women's player, 32, has revealed she is set to marry the Hawthorn star next month in the Northern Territory.
'It's a place that was a massive part of my journey to where I am today and a place that means a lot to us,' she told the Herald Sun.
'So many of our guests haven't been to that part of the world so it's pretty special to be able to get back there and share with them why we love it so much.'
The pair will tie the knot before 100 guests including her Channel 7 colleagues Brian Taylor and Luke Hodge as well as former Survivor Australia star Lydia Lassila.
Abbey will be wearing a gown by Oglia-loro Couture and the couple will each have one person in their bridal party - Abbey's sister and Keegan's school friend.
Keegan got down on one knee to propose to Abbey while they holidayed in Uluru, NT in 2020.
At the time, the sports star showed off her stunning new diamond ring and said she 'can't wait to marry her best friend.'
'.... and then on our own private sand dune, in the heart of Australia, I SAID YES,' she wrote.
Abbey added: 'I can't wait to marry you, my best friend. The organised to my chaos. My rock. I love you.'
Abbey met Keegan on the dating app Bumble.
'Because of my job and what I do, I was always adamant I couldn't have any app like that,' Abbey told AAA in 2019.
She added: 'My friend was sick of me not putting myself out there and, fearful I'd become that crazy, single cat lady, set me up a Bumble account.
'My first date was him so I am a 100 per cent strike rate.'
Gregory Smith knows a thing or two about the power of labels. At 17, he was diagnosed as sociopathic and spent the next 30 years living up to that description.
Violent, drug-addicted and itinerant, he channelled childhood trauma into a one-man war against society.
During the past 20 years, however, he has accumulated other labels. Doctor. Lecturer. Author. OAM. It's an astonishing transformation that he struggles, at times, to comprehend.
"My life has changed so much," he said when Australian Story filmed with him recently in Orange, in Central West NSW.
"I often, almost on a daily basis, am in awe of where I am today."
Gregory Smith survived an abusive childhood.(Supplied: Gregory Smith)
Dr Smith's journey from rough sleeping to the halls of academia was told in unflinching detail in his 2018 memoir, Out of the Forest, and an episode of Australian Story the same year.
Brutalised by his alcoholic father as a young boy, he was abandoned at 10 in an orphanage, where he suffered physical and psychological abuse. Juvenile detention, addiction, failed relationships and homelessness followed.
By the time he walked into Goonengerry National Park on the NSW far north coast in 1990, he had burnt every bridge behind him. And by the time he walked out of that forest for the last time some 10 years later, he was malnourished, psychotic and close to death.
Gregory Smith was homeless for much of his adult life, including a stint living in the forest in northern New South Wales.(Australian Story: Mayeta Clark)
But then a moment of clarity sent him on a dramatic new path. Sitting on a park bench behind Tweed Heads Hospital, he was struck by the realisation that he alone was responsible for his misfortune and vowed never again to touch alcohol or drugs.
Instead, he devoted his energies to self-improvement, one tentative step at a time. A TAFE course led to university and, eventually, a PhD in the field of sociology. That in turn led to a job as a lecturer at Southern Cross University. His is a story of the redemptive power of education and critical reflection.
In the years since he first told his story publicly, his transformation has continued unabated. He now has tenure at the university and was recently appointed chair of the board of the Faculty of Business, Law and Arts.
Gregory was honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2023.(Australian Story: Simon Winter)
He's a sought-after public speaker and advises a variety of organisations on policies around homelessness. And this year he received the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the community.
But perhaps more remarkable than any of those achievements are the changes in his personal life.
Not looking for love
By 2019, Gregory Smith was justifiably proud of his achievements and happy with his lot in life, living alone in Coffs Harbour. But in terms of starting a relationship, "I'd parked those ideas," he says.
Then he received a request for an interview from Regional Lifestyle Magazine, a glossy publication based in Central West NSW. The publisher had read his book and, as a former teacher, was inspired by the difference education had made to his life.
Catherine Player, a business manager and occasional writer from Orange, was assigned to the story and gave Gregory a call. "I had asked for half an hour of his time but three-and-a-half hours later, we were still talking," she recalls.
"I found the conversation quite riveting," Gregory explains, "and the intrigue of that discussion led into another discussion the next day."
Gregory Smith at home in 2018. Content with the transformation in his life, Gregory did not prioritise finding love.(Australian Story: Mayeta Clark)
That call lasted two-and-a-half hours and over the weeks that followed they called or texted each other daily.
"At this point," Catherine says, "he doesn't have a physical form, he doesn't have an age, he's just this lovely voice in my ear who's funny and engaging and highly intelligent."
She wasn't thinking about a relationship either. Happily single and co-parenting two boys with her former partner, she was flat out with full-time work, occasional writing jobs and regular gigs with her band.
Gregory lived nine hours away by car but said he'd drop by for a coffee if he was in the area.
"Gregory rocked up to Orange and there were no thoughts of romance," Catherine says. "But we just talked with such ease that when he left that evening I remember thinking, I'm going to really miss you."
'It was that simple'
Catherine and Gregory fell back into a pattern of regular texts and phone calls but they could both sense something had shifted and romance no longer seemed entirely out of the question. Eventually, they decided to meet again, hiring a house for the weekend in the Blue Mountains, and that sealed the deal.
"By the time I was driving back to Orange, I was thinking, I don't really know how I'm going to have a life without him," Catherine recalls. "It was that simple."
"That's pretty much where we decided that going forward we would build a life together," Gregory says.
Catherine and Gregory's love defied distance and a 23-year age gap.(Supplied: Catherine Player)
Any doubts about their 23-year age difference were cast aside.
"I didn't fall in love with the age difference," Catherine says. "I did, however, fall in love with him, so I had to put aside any reservations that I had around age or anything else and just say, you know what, I'd like to be happy with this person.
"I know we look funny but he's just Gregory, the bloke that I was always meant to end up with."
Becoming a stepdad
Gregory Smith does not sugar-coat the fact that for many years he was an angry, anti-social person who welcomed violence into his life and personal relationships.
"I was dangerous," he admits today. "All I needed was to be left alone, to revel in my own agony. I've been asked did I suffer from depression or anxiety? I never suffered from it; I revelled in it. It gave me a purpose."
Asked whether she was concerned about living with someone with such a history, Catherine chuckles.
"I do have a habit of running headfirst into places where angels fear to tread – that's my signature move – but in saying that, I could also see that Gregory had done the work. His whole ethos in life is to do no harm and he does it considerably well."
Catherine says Gregory has bonded well with her sons Jackson and Charlton.(Australian Story: Simon Winter)
If she didn't trust him completely, she would never have invited him to share a life with her beloved boys, Jackson and Charlton. Even so, there was a period of adjustment as everyone jostled for position.
"I've always taken, like, in my brain, the kind of man-of-the-house role," says Jackson, now 15, "and then Gregory came along, and he was the new man of the house. So there were a lot of arguments, but that was coming from me just thinking that I had more power than I did."
"They're two young boys doing what young boys do – they challenge authority," Gregory says. "At first that scared me. In my mind it was just, as much as possible, be the best person I can be. Try not to be their father. Try not to expect too much from them."
From Catherine's perspective, the transition was a smooth one. "He gave them time and attention and that's all kids want. They just want to be included. They want to know that they've been seen."
Gregory has been a father before.(Supplied: Catherine Player)
'The ultimate gift'
Becoming a stepfather in your mid-60s is one thing; becoming a father at that age is something else altogether. Nevertheless, that's what Catherine suggested not long into their relationship.
"I said no," Gregory recalls. "The first thing that jumped into my mind was a lack of sleep. I do like my sleep."
Catherine persisted and eventually Gregory agreed to "leave it up to the universe and see what happens". After all, the odds seemed stacked against them, given Catherine was now in her 40s. But two months later she was pregnant, and in August 2022, William was born.
Baby William arrived in August 2022.(Supplied: Catherine Player)
Gregory has been a father before. During his lost years of addiction and dysfunctional relationships, he'd had a daughter, Katie. Although they now have a good relationship, he was an absent father and appalling role model and they were estranged for many years.
"Knowing Gregory's backstory, I thought, oh, this could be interesting," says Catherine's son Jackson. "But no, he's an amazing dad."
Watching Gregory with baby William – feeding him, reading to him, carrying him around the garden pointing out plants and flowers – it's clear he's relishing this second chance at parenthood.
"Having a child at my age, I have a lot more understanding of what I would have liked as a child so it's easy for me to provide for William," he says. "And I think that's the ultimate gift, really, to be able to give someone what you desired most. And that was a loving, caring childhood."
Catherine's son Jackson says Gregory is "an amazing dad".(Australian Story: Simon Winter)
Change is possible
These days Gregory Smith's advice on homelessness is widely sought, given his rare combination of lived experience and higher education. And since he received the Medal of the Order of Australia earlier this year, his opinions carry even more weight.
"I'm still grappling with the immensity of that honour and what it actually means," he says. "I'm astounded at what those few letters on the end of your name can actually do in terms of advocating for the homeless or the vulnerable. It adds value to your voice."
Gregory has vowed to give William the "loving childhood" he never had himself.(Australian Story: Simon Winter)
But perhaps Gregory's greatest contribution is simply to stand as a living rebuke to the notion that people can't change. That we are captive to our histories, forever condemned to repeat our mistakes and pass on our traumas.
"If a person thinks that way they won't change," Gregory says. "You have to want to change to change.
"Changing who you are is a great adventure. To go on that adventure you need to take stock of what you're going to take with you and if it's an attitude that's going to hobble you in some way, you're better off leaving it behind.
"If I ever do retire and I'm sitting on the veranda in the rocking chair, thinking back on my life, it'll be like, how did I do that? The answer is so simple. I did it just by doing what I had to do each day."
Watch Australian Story's 'Never Too Late', 8:00pm, on ABCTV and ABC iview.
