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Viewers slam Channel Seven for airing unauthorized Olivia Newton-John miniseries

Channel Seven has been slammed for airing the 2018 miniseries Hopelessly Devoted to You on Tuesday night, following the death of Olivia Newton-John at age 73. Pictured: Delta Goodrem the role of Olivia

Viewers slam Channel Seven for airing unauthorized Olivia Newton-John miniseries starring Delta Goodrem: ‘You insensitive idiots’

By Ali Daher For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Channel Seven has been slammed for airing the 2018 miniseries Hopelessly Devoted to You, following the death of Olivia Newton-John at age 73.

The 2018 unauthorized biopic starring Delta Goodrem as a young Olivia didn’t go down well with grieving viewers on Tuesday night, and they were quick to vent on social media.

‘We should be honoring Olivia, not have this horrible wood duck imitation on,’ one disgruntled fan tweeted.

Channel Seven has been slammed for airing the 2018 miniseries Hopelessly Devoted to You on Tuesday night, following the death of Olivia Newton-John at age 73. Pictured: Delta Goodrem the role of Olivia

Channel Seven has been slammed for airing the 2018 miniseries Hopelessly Devoted to You on Tuesday night, following the death of Olivia Newton-John at age 73. Pictured: Delta Goodrem the role of Olivia

‘Why am I watching Delta Goodrem play Olivia Newton-John on TV and not… I don’t know, Olivia Newton-John?’ wrote another, alongside a crying face emoji.

‘Australia doesn’t want to see Delta Goodrem as Olivia, you insensitive idiots,’ quipped a third, before adding: ‘We want to see the original music featuring Olivia.’

‘In the haste to put something on tonight Olivia Newton John related, Channel Seven miss the mark with the Olivia biopic starring Delta Goodrem,’ wrote another.

‘I’d rather watch something ACTUALLY starring Olivia, not someone pretending to be her!’ they added.

The 2018 unauthorized biopic starring Delta Goodrem as a young Olivia didn't go down well with viewers on Tuesday night

The 2018 unauthorized biopic starring Delta Goodrem as a young Olivia didn’t go down well with viewers on Tuesday night

It comes after Delta paid tribute to her beloved ‘mentor and friend’ following the Grease star’s death after a lengthy cancer battle.

‘The whole world will feel this heartbreak today because the entire world felt Olivia’s unmatched light,’ Delta wrote on Instagram.

‘A force for good. A force of nature. Strong and kind. my mentor, my friend, my inspiration, someone who always guided me… she was always there for me. Family to me.’

'The whole world will feel this heartbreak today because the entire world felt Olivia's unmatched light. A force for good. A force of nature. Strong and kind,' Delta wrote. The pair are pictured together in Hollywood in 2019

‘The whole world will feel this heartbreak today because the entire world felt Olivia’s unmatched light. A force for good. A force of nature. Strong and kind,’ Delta wrote. The pair are pictured together in Hollywood in 2019

‘I don’t have all the words I would like to say today but I hope everyone will join in celebrating our beloved Olivia, her heart, soul, talent, courage, grace… I love you forever,’ Delta said.

Olivia’s husband John Easterling announced the tragic news that she had died at age 73.

‘Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully at her ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends,’ he said in a statement.

‘We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.

‘Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.

‘Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.’

Just days before her death, Olivia Newton-John posted a heartwarming photo to Instagram with her husband John Easterling

Just days before her death, Olivia Newton-John posted a heartwarming photo to Instagram with her husband John Easterling

Newton-John's husband announced her death on her Facebook page on Monday. she was 73

Newton-John’s husband announced her death on her Facebook page on Monday. she was 73

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Fran Kelly new ABC chat show Frankly

Fran Kelly new ABC chat show Frankly

In further proof that working for the ABC is similar to staying at the Hotel California – you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave – veteran host Fran Kelly is returning to the national broadcaster just months after departing Radio National’s flagship news and current affairs program, Breakfast.

Kelly will be the host of franklya new chat show set to screen on Friday nights later this year.

Fran Kelly will front a brand new ABC chat show coming to Friday nights later this year, Frankly.

Fran Kelly will front a brand new ABC chat show coming to Friday nights later this year, Frankly.Credit:ABC

frankly will be filmed in front of a live audience with a house rock band and feature “frank yet fun” conversations with international and home-grown actors, musicians, comedians, big thinkers and change-makers.

Kelly said of her return to broadcasting at the ABC: “I’m so excited about this new show. leaving RN Breakfast was bittersweet… I love the sleep-ins but miss all those incredible conversations with fabulous guests from around Australia and the world.

“People have been asking ever since what’s next for me. Well, this is it, and I can’t wait. More great conversations, a live audience and my own band… what’s not to be excited about? It’s such a privilege and going to be so much fun.”

Kelly spent 17 years hosting RN Breakfast before signing off last December, telling The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age at the time, “I just need a minute to reinvent myself.”

Fran Kelly retired from Radio National Breakfast in December after 17 years on the microphone.

Fran Kelly retired from Radio National Breakfast in December after 17 years on the microphone.Credit:ABC/Steven Siewert

Head of ABC Entertainment Nick Hayden said, “Fran brings such a warmth and depth of intelligence, we couldn’t be more excited to invite the audience in to hear her chat with the most interesting and electrifying people on the planet.”

Dipping a toe into evening TV represents a change of pace for Kelly, who spent nearly two decades waking up to a 3.30am alarm.

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Pax Assadi interview and podcast about TV show Raised by Refugees

Pax Assadi interview and podcast about TV show Raised by Refugees

“I didn’t know what was happening; it was a confusing time for everybody, especially for Middle Eastern kids growing up.”

“You’re 10 years old, but you suddenly have to deal with no one wanting to be your friend, and you’re thinking, ‘I didn’t have anything to do with this, I live in Auckland, I live like two minutes away from you, I’m your neighbour! What’s going on?’”

In those early and confusing days following 9/11, Assadi looked to nullify the confusion by getting creative: he tried to convince his schoolmates he was Tongan. In Raised by Refugeeswe see Pax attempt the same move, desperate to distance himself from the drama playing out half a world away.

“That worked for a little while until the real Tongans started asking questions I couldn’t answer,” Assadi laughs.

Eventually, he realized that comedy (not finger guns) could be his most potent weapon.

A successful stand-up comedian in his native New Zealand, Assadi regularly mined his childhood for material before figuring out that his experiences would make for a perfect sitcom.

“It’s such a fascinating vantage point to be this kid in Auckland, New Zealand, which is 18 hours away from New York but is still heavily impacted by the event,” he says.

“And the beautiful thing about comedy is that it is so disarming; it’s a tool to open people up to dialogue.”

Raised by Refugees is the latest in a series of TV comedies created by first, second and third-generation immigrants that tap into the cultural minefield of identity.

From Aziz Ansari’s Master of None to Ramy Youssef’s Ramy and, closer to home, Benjamin Law’s The Family Lawthe landscape is brimming with creators reflecting on what it means to be trapped between two worlds.

Ramy Youssef also explored the challenges faced by second generation immigrants in his critically acclaimed series, Ramy.

Ramy Youssef also explored the challenges faced by second generation immigrants in his critically acclaimed series, Ramy.Credit:Hulu

“During production, I had a whiteboard in my office where I had written ‘Pax is in cultural limbo’ above my desk,” explains Assadi.

“And that was my reference point; every time I got confused about the story, I just looked at that and remembered how it felt not to belong.”

While Assadi is well-versed in using his experiences on stage and screen, Raised by Refugees presented an opportunity to gain insight into his parents’ journey. Assadi played his own Iranian father, Afnan, which proved to be both an inspired and confronting casting decision.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Pax Assadi playing his own father, Afnan, in Raised by Refugees.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Pax Assadi playing his own father, Afnan, in Raised by Refugees.

“Playing my dad was easy, which means I’m very similar to my dad, which is a terrifying thought. I just grew the mustache and started yelling at white people in a Middle Eastern accent,” he jokes.

“I know it sounds cliched, but it made me appreciate my parents more; I never really thought about the fact that when my grandmother died, we couldn’t afford to send my mother home for the funeral or that my dad would get called names at work, so it helped me understand what they went through.”

Finding a young actor to play Pax was decidedly less tricky, with Assadi stumbling across newcomer Kenus Binu at the movies.

First time for everything. Novice actor Kenus Binu was discovered by Pax Assadi at the movies before landing the lead role.

First time for everything. Novice actor Kenus Binu was discovered by Pax Assadi at the movies before landing the lead role.

“My wife and I were watching Wonder Woman, and Kenus was hanging out with his mates and throwing out gags, making the entire audience laugh, which was insane,” says Assadi.

“My wife was like, ‘You have to get this kid to audition’. By this point, we had narrowed it down to 50 kids from about 250, but then Kenus came in and nailed the audition, even though he had never acted a day in his life from him.

Binu’s beginner’s luck looks set to continue with Raised by Refugees approved for a second season. Returning to his younger self is something Assadi relishes, with plans to explore the ultimate cultural crossroads: the obligations of faith versus the temptations of high school.

“I’m part of the Bahaʼi Faith, and we’re encouraged to avoid a lot of what you encounter at that time: sex, girls and alcohol,” says Assadi.

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“So Pax will have to confront that, just like I did, but we’ll have a good time doing it.”

* Stan is owned by Nine, publisher of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

You can listen to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald‘s culture news editor Osman Faruqi interviewed with Raised by Refugees creator Pax Assadi on the latest episode of our weekly culture podcast, The Drop.

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Australian mum reveals hidden signs she missed before partner’s suicide

Australian mum reveals hidden signs she missed before partner's suicide

The night before his suicide, Keda Ward-Meah’s partner made an appointment with his GP to discuss getting a mental health plan.

Sadly, it was too late.

Brendan Knight tragically took his own life in September 2021, after a dark battle with depression that he “hid very well” from his family.

His grieving partner Keda, who spoke to news.com.au and shared images of her partner, said the past 11 months have been “hell” as she has tried to navigate the world without the love of her life by her side.

Tragically, their two little boys Archer, 4, and Elijah, 2, still don’t fully understand why their daddy hasn’t “come home from work”.

For months after his death, the 27-year-old would break down in tears each time her sons asked her why their father “did not want to see them” anymore.

“The boys adored their daddy, especially Archer as he was older” the Fernvale, Queensland, mum said.

“He was a complete daddy’s boy. They were attached at the hip of him.

“I always said they were twin flames, they were so similar in so many ways and were truly best friends.

“Being a mother while my heart was shattered was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.

“The boys being only three and one at the time, they didn’t understand. I told our three-year-old daddy had gone to the sky and would watch over us.

Mental health and suicide are not easy subjects to talk about, but news.com.au wants you to know you’re Not Alone. News.com.au’s Not Alone will raise awareness about these issues and provide you with the resources needed to reach out for help.

“He didn’t understand and still kept asking for months and months when daddy was coming home from work. In his mind, his dad went to work and never came back.

“There were a lot of tears and nightmares and crying at night asking for daddy, asking why he doesn’t want to see us, if he doesn’t love us anymore.

“A lot of begging me to bring him home. They still don’t really understand, although our now four-year-old knows that daddy died and he was sick.

“As they get older they’ll know the truth, and it breaks my heart to think of the grief they’ll go through when they learn what happened.”

Keda said her partner Brendan hid his mental health struggles well.

While more open with her, he still downplayed the severity of his pain.

“I knew he was depressed, his alcohol and gambling had increased and his moods were up and down,” she said.

“But we had been through it before, and with help I thought we would get through it again.

“I had no idea how depressed he was. But looking back there were a lot of signs I missed.

“Change in weight, being withdrawn from social activities, he’d stopped replying to people’s messages, and was up at weird times of the night.

“The night before he passed, he agreed to get help and I made him an appointment for the next week at the GP for a mental health plan.

“Then I went to work for a nightshift, and he took his life 13 hours after I made that appointment.”

Keda said the day her partner took his life replays over and over in her head.

“I got a call from my sister who watched our boys on our overlap between my nightshift and when Brendan would leave for work.” she recalled.

“She told me that he’d left his wallet, phone, and note on the table at home. I rushed home from work and went out to look for him.

“Unfortunately, I ended up finding him at the same time the police did.

“My soul left my body, I collapsed on the dirt road, looked up at the sky, and was screaming ‘no, no, no!’ over and over again.

“Nothing felt real, I thought if I could scream loud enough, he’d hear me on his way to heaven and realize how much I needed him and come back. Silly I know.”

The months following the tragedy, she said she felt like a zombie – but had to stay strong for her boys.

“I barely remember the first eight months after that. The first few weeks I had people around me constantly, which was nice” she said.

“Nothing felt real. I was always waiting for him to walk through the door with a crazy story of where he’d been, or I’d wake up and it would be a terrible dream.

“I fell into a dark depression. But I had to stay strong for our boys.

“Around nine months after it happened, I finally found the right antidepressants, and found a new sense of normalcy.

“We’re doing better now. We’ve found our new normal, and found joy in little things.

“But there is always that feeling of something being missing, that hole in us that is always there.

“I don’t think we’ll ever feel fully complete again.”

By sharing her story, Keda hopes to raise awareness about the importance of highlighting the unique issues associated with men’s mental health.

“I think men’s mental health is still treated as somewhat of a joke” she said.

“When it’s too late and someone dies from suicide, everyone comes out saying ‘it ain’t weak to speak’ but the next day I’ll see the same people telling their mates to toughen up.

“The whole ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. Then someone dies again, and the cycle continues.

“It’s a lot harder for men to speak up because they don’t want to be perceived as weak, or struggling. They want to be the backbone, the strong ones.

“We need to get men help at the first sign of depression.

“Have the tough conversations, get the right medication, the right therapist and the right support.”

Mr Knight is an Indigenous man and his family gave permission for his images to be published.

Read related topics:Not Alone

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Young woman reveals Hinge date’s bizarre text messages inviting her to a ‘rooftop bar’

Quinn was starting to believe 'Jake' was trying to trick her into coming to his apartment building for a drink on their first date

Young woman reveals date’s bizarre text messages inviting her to a ‘rooftop bar’… but when she Googled the address it was something else entirely

  • A young woman has spoken about her run-in with a strange man on Hinge
  • She connected with ‘Jake’ on the dating app and he asked her out to dinner
  • I have suggested a ‘rooftop bar’ that ‘not many people have heard of’ for it
  • Quinn discovered that what he actually meant was the roof of his apartment
  • She found the conversation to be bizarre and decided not to go

By Matilda Rudd For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

A young woman has shared the bizarre conversation she had with a would-be match on a dating app and how he tried to coax her to his apartment on the very first date.

Quinn Martin, who lives in New York City, took to TikTok on July 21 to share screenshots of a text message exchange she had with a man named ‘Jake’ after meeting on Hinge.

‘There’s a rooftop lounge that just opened that’s BYOB not many people know about that we could try,’ he asked her, which she initially thought was a good idea.

‘A couple of hours before the date I asked for the address because I wanted to see what the place was all about and he sent me the address of an apartment complex,’ she said.

‘Maybe I was missing something, I thought, so I asked him if it was a restaurant and three minutes later he says “haha no” with no other explanation.’

Quinn was starting to believe ‘Jake’ was trying to trick her into coming to his apartment building for a drink on their first date.

‘Turns out that’s exactly what he was doing,’ she said.

Jake wrote to her: ‘Haha I thought I did a good job selling it. The views are pretty sweet but we can hit a bar if you’d rather.’

Quinn explained to her potential match that she didn’t feel comfortable with the proposition and asked if he was even going to tell her it was his place before she got there.

Quinn was starting to believe 'Jake' was trying to trick her into coming to his apartment building for a drink on their first date

'Turns out that's exactly what he was doing,' she said

Quinn was starting to believe ‘Jake’ was trying to trick her into coming to his apartment building for a drink on their first date

‘Jake’, to his credit, apologized for the forward behavior and that it had ‘come off the wrong way’.

Quinn captioned the footage of her explanation with ‘quite literally escaped my own episode of SVU’.

Her fans on the social media platform were quick to point out that her comments were a huge red flag.

‘I wonder if this has ever worked for him before,’ one woman replied.

‘Lmao that’s bad enough, but he also wanted you to bring your own alcohol to his apartment on the first date,’ said another.

A third added: ‘Do men think we’re just gonna say “yeah see you there” without investigating for our literal safety?’

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Jordan Peele’s new film is ambitious but feels pasted together

Jordan Peele's new film is ambitious but feels pasted together

Nope ★★½
M, 130 minutes

A major hazard in the film-making career of any gifted auteur is the offer to direct a blockbuster.

Both Ang Lee and Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao inflamed critical opinion after Marvel came calling. While Lee’s Hulk and Zhao’s Eternals have their defenders, no one could describe their reception as rapturous. Now it’s Jordan Peele’s turn to be judged for his handling of a sizeable chunk of money. Nope’s $US68 million production cost is not in the Marvel class, but it’s a big leap from the $US4.5 million spent on Peele’s feature debut, get-outan elegant exemplar in the art of the cerebral horror movie, or the $US20 million which went into its similarly successful follow-up, Us.

Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Brandon Perea in Nope.

Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Brandon Perea in Nope.

And Peele has further raised the stakes with a list of points that his new film is out to make. He sees it as nothing less than a satire on the human addiction to the spectacular, a critique of the ethics of commercial movie-making and a menage a trois uniting a seemingly incompatible trio of genres – the Western, the horror film and the sci- fi fantasy.

His sinister but cryptic opening scene suggests that he might just pull off these grand ambitions. The action takes place on the set of what looks to be a TV sitcom. Furniture is overturned, cushions are scattered – and stretched out on the floor is the unconscious figure of a woman, visible only from the knees down. Regarding her is a large, agitated chimpanzee dressed in blood-stained children’s clothes. And even more disturbing are the plaintive whimpers coming from somebody out of shot.

We return later to this moment. Meanwhile, Peele takes us west to the Haywood Ranch, where its owners, the Haywood family, train horses to be used in movies. Watched by his son, OJ (Daniel Kaluuya from get-out), the Haywood patriarch is exercising one of these horses when he’s thrown from the saddle and killed by something fired from above.

to sniper? to drone? No. Peele’s aspirations turn out to be much more rarefied. We’re watching the beginning of a sustained attack from a flying saucer hovering in the clouds.

The UFO’s next victims are the customers of Jupiter’s Claim, a neighboring Western theme park run by Ricky Park (Steven Yeun), whose childhood memories of his life as a young television star gradually explain the opening scene. Ricky’s psychological hangover from this is still with him, ready to be worked into a plot strand condemning Hollywood’s egregious reputation for exploiting its youngest stars. Its relevance to the rest of the plot, however, remains one of the film’s many mysteries.

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The Masked Singer: Abbie Chatfield reveals who she DOESN’T want to see on the show

Abbie Chatfield, 27, (pictured) revealed on Wednesday there was one person she really didn't want to see on The Masked Singer stage

Abbie Chatfield says there is one Aussie celebrity she never wants to see again or appear on her show The Masked Singer

By Kinta Walsh-cotton For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Abbie Chatfield is not a fan of one certain Aussie celebrity.

The reality television star, 27, says she never wants to see celebrity chef Pete Evans beneath one of the costumes on her show The Masked Singer.

‘I narrowly missed having an interaction with him on I’m A Celebrity two years ago when he uploaded that Nazi meme, so I was hoping he wasn’t back,’ she told Yahoo Lifestyle.

Abbie Chatfield, 27, (pictured) revealed on Wednesday there was one person she really didn't want to see on The Masked Singer stage

Abbie Chatfield, 27, (pictured) revealed on Wednesday there was one person she really didn’t want to see on The Masked Singer stage

‘That was kind of the only person that I thought, “God I hope it isn’t Pete Evans.”‘

The My Kitchen Rules judge, 49, was slated to appear on season seven of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! alongside Abbie.

However, he was dropped by Channel 10 after he posted the Black Sun, a neo-Nazi symbol, to social media, later claiming he didn’t know what it meant.

In an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle , the reality television star was adamant she never wanted to see celebrity chef Pete Evans, 49, (pictured) beneath one of the costumes

In an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle , the reality television star was adamant she never wanted to see celebrity chef Pete Evans, 49, (pictured) beneath one of the costumes

The My Kitchen Rules judge was slated to appear on season seven of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! alongside Abbie

The My Kitchen Rules judge was slated to appear on season seven of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! alongside Abbie

Celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge took his place at the last second after Pete had commenced his pre-filming quarantine.

The disgraced television chef was a judge on My Kitchen Rules for a decade alongside French chef Manu Feildel.

Seven dropped him from his $800,000 contract in May 2020 after being involved in a string of controversies.

However, he was dropped by Channel 10 after he posted the Black Sun, a neo-Nazi symbol, to social media, later claiming he didn't know what it meant. (Pictured: the neo-Nazi post Pete uploaded)

However, he was dropped by Channel 10 after he posted the Black Sun, a neo-Nazi symbol, to social media, later claiming he didn’t know what it meant. (Pictured: the neo-Nazi post Pete uploaded)

Celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge took his place at the last second after Pete had commenced his pre-filming quarantine. (Pictured: Pete confirming he did in fact know what the symbol meant)

Celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge took his place at the last second after Pete had commenced his pre-filming quarantine. (Pictured: Pete confirming he did in fact know what the symbol meant)

Pete previously claimed COVID-19 was a ‘f**king hoax’ and that the pandemic ‘doesn’t compare to what is happening in the world on a large scale’.

Among his false claims about the pandemic, Pete previously declared he’s immune to coronavirus, and blamed the health crisis on 5G technology.

He also endorsed fellow conspiracy theorist David Icke, a Holocaust denier who was barred entry into Australia last year after protests from the Jewish community.

The disgraced television chef was a judge on My Kitchen Rules for a decade alongside French chef Manu Feildel (left)

The disgraced television chef was a judge on My Kitchen Rules for a decade alongside French chef Manu Feildel (left)

He was dropped by 15 sponsors and companies in the space of 48 hours in November 2020.

MKR had once been a juggernaut ratings for Seven, but its popularity nosedived in recent years as viewers flocked to Channel Nine’s Married At First Sight instead.

In April, it was announced that home-cooking sensation Nigella Lawson would replace Evans as a judge on a revamped new season of My Kitchen Rules.

Seven dropped him from his $800,000 contract in May 2020 after being involved in a string of controversies. (Pictured with his wife by him Nicola Robinson)

Seven dropped him from his $800,000 contract in May 2020 after being involved in a string of controversies. (Pictured with his wife by him Nicola Robinson)

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Olivia Newton-John’s heartbreak when husband Matt Lattanzi ran off with babysitter Cindy Jessup

Olivia Newton-John's first marriage ended in heartbreak when husband Matt Lattanzi (right) ran off with the couple's young babysitter Cindy Jessup (left) while the singer was fighting breast cancer

Olivia Newton-John’s first marriage ended in heartbreak when her husband ran off with the couple’s young babysitter while the singer was fighting breast cancer.

Dancer Matt Lattanzi split with Newton-John after he was confronted over his ‘very close’ relationship with Cindy Jessup, then 23, during a cancer charity cycle ride.

The Aussie legend divorced him in 1995 and Lattanzi, then 40, married his young lover two years later – but Newton-John refused to be bitter over the split.

“She’s delighted,” a friend insisted to reporters at the time of the wedding.

‘It looks bad, because Cindy would often babysit his daughter and she was a friend of his and Olivia’s – but in those days there was no romance.’

Olivia Newton-John's first marriage ended in heartbreak when husband Matt Lattanzi (right) ran off with the couple's young babysitter Cindy Jessup (left) while the singer was fighting breast cancer

Olivia Newton-John’s first marriage ended in heartbreak when husband Matt Lattanzi (right) ran off with the couple’s young babysitter Cindy Jessup (left) while the singer was fighting breast cancer

Newton-John married American Lattanzi – 11 years younger than her – after the pair met on the set of Xanadu in 1980 when she was 32 and he was 21.

Despite the age gap, they immediately had chemistry, Newton-John revealed, and dated for four years before getting married in 1984 and had daughter Chloe in 1986.

But the marriage hit the rocks after the singer’s cancer diagnosis in 1992 and she put her career on ice to focus on her recovery.

The couple left their home in Malibu, California to move to the tranquility of their farm near idyllic Byron Bay in northern NSW, but the move ultimately killed their marriage.

‘When I had breast cancer I thought then that would be it,’ she admitted to the Daily Mail in 2005.

‘I went to my farm near Byron Bay and seriously thought about retiring.’

Newton-John married American Lattanzi - 11 years younger than her - after the pair met on the set of Xanadu in 1980 when she was 32 and he was 21

Newton-John married American Lattanzi – 11 years younger than her – after the pair met on the set of Xanadu in 1980 when she was 32 and he was 21

Lattanzi was starring in Aussie soap Paradise Beach in 1993 when the busy couple hired Jessup to help look after Chloe and she quickly became part of the family.

Jessup cycled from Sydney to Perth in 1994 in aid of Newton-John’s charity, supported on the three-month journey by the singer and her husband.

But Newton-John began to have suspicions about the relationship between Jessup and Lattanzi – and reportedly confronted him in an agonizing showdown.

The row led to Lattanzi moving in with Jessup and divorcing the singer in 1995 before he married his former babysitter in 1997, when he was 40 and she was 28.

‘I am so fortunate,’ he said at the time. ‘I couldn’t ask for a better outcome.’

Olivia Newton-John and Matt Lattanzi hired Cindy Jessup (left) to help look after daughter Chloe and she quickly became part of the family

Olivia Newton-John and Matt Lattanzi hired Cindy Jessup (left) to help look after daughter Chloe and she quickly became part of the family

Newton-John continued to blame her fight with cancer for what she said was the inevitable end of her marriage, and not her husband’s love for the babysitter.

‘I think our marriage would have eventually come to an end, but it happened sooner because of the cancer, which was a good thing,’ she told the Daily Mail.

‘It was very painful, but we were never at odds with each other.

‘We have tried to remain friendly because we have a child and we made a pact that she was the most important thing in our lives and that we would never fight over her.

‘What happened between us was between us, and we wouldn’t allow it to affect her.’

She added: ‘Divorce is never all right. Everybody wants the happy ending and the white picket fence, particularly me.

Olivia Newton-John continued to blame her fight with cancer for what she said was the inevitable end of her marriage, and not husband Matt Lattanzi's love for their babysitter

Olivia Newton-John continued to blame her fight with cancer for what she said was the inevitable end of her marriage, and not husband Matt Lattanzi’s love for their babysitter

‘My own parents divorced when I was 10 and, maybe because of that, I kept putting marriage off.

‘When I did get married, I wanted it to last for ever, but that wasn’t to be.’

It was not to last for Jessup and Lattanzi either, with the couple splitting after 10 years of marriage in 2007.

Jessup’s acting career was brief and uneventful too, appearing in a little-known one-hour videos Prescription for Peril in 1999 and Tied Up All Night in 2000.

Lattanzi’s career – which saw him appear in Grease 2, starring Michelle Pfeiffer in 1982, the flop follow up to Newton-John and John Travolta’s original global smash – also ground to a halt in the wake of his split with Newton-John.

He never worked again on screen following his Paradise Beach stint in 1993 and is now 63, remarried, and living in Oregon in the US.

His third wife Michelle was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014 but is in remission and the couple now run the 115-acre Laughing Dog medicinal cannabis farm.

Matt Lattazni, seen here with daughter Chloe, now runs a cannabis farm in Oregon with third wife Michelle, who was also diagnosed with cancer in 2014

Matt Lattazni, seen here with daughter Chloe, now runs a cannabis farm in Oregon with third wife Michelle, who was also diagnosed with cancer in 2014

Michelle Lattanzi paid tribute to her husband’s ex-wife on social media on Tuesday, saying the world had lost an icon.

‘Today we lost one of the world’s greats Olivia Newton-John,’ she posted on behalf of the couple.

‘Matt and I are so overwhelmed with the love and gratitude shared with us by friends, family and a deeply loving community of fans who will all miss Olivia’s presence in this world.

‘I have heard truly lovely stories and memories from people near and far, and honor in each of you where those feelings and memories come from.

‘Nothing will replace the icon we lost, yet her legacy is alive and well in our hearts and memories, as well as her contributions to our global culture, her beloved daughter Chloe Lattanzi, and her cancer research and wellness center in Melbourne.

‘Please honor your sadness, and then celebrate the joy that Olivia’s heart and lifetime achievements endowed in our world.

‘Sending all kinds of love.’

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Entertainment

Anne Heche was ‘coherent’ before her high-speed crash according to salon owner

Anne Heche was 'coherent' before her high-speed crash according to salon owner

A “coherent” Anne Heche didn’t appear to be inebriated as she posed for a smiling photo during a shopping trip just 21 minutes before the high-speed crash that left her in a coma, the owner of the store told The Post.

The actress posed with salon owner Richard Glass, 51, while buying a $125 red-haired wig and supplies from him during a visit to his salon in Los Angeles’ hotspot Venice.

The pic was timestamped 10:35am, Glass told The Post — meaning she left around 20 minutes before Heche’s car slammed into a house in nearby Mar Vista at 10:56am.

“I posted the image and not even an hour later it started blowing up,” Glass told The Post Tuesday of the photo he originally assumed would be nothing more than marking a “so random” visit from a Hollywood celeb.

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“I didn’t expect — or suspect — anything at all,” he said of the star, who police have confirmed is being investigated for possible hit and run and DUI for her wild, near-fatal high-speed drive after leaving his salon .

“She was polite, cordial and engaging — and she was consistent,” insisted Glass. “It was extremely pleasant — she was a delight,” he said.

Asked if he spotted any signs of her being drunk or on drugs, he firmly insisted: “Not at all.”

Glass — who has owned his studio, Glass Hair, for 21 years — said it was the first time Heche had ever visited.

“She came through the rear entrance of my studio while I was working on a client and said that she wanted a red wig,” he recalled.

The one she liked “hadn’t been cut or styled,” and he told her if she came back later he would have it washed and conditioned and fully prepared, he said.

“She said, ‘No worries, I’ll just take it now,’” he recalled, saying she bought special shampoo and conditioner for it, too, without saying why she wanted it.

“She asked, ‘Haven’t we worked together before?’ and she told me I was beautiful, ”he recalled warmly. “The whole encounter was less than 10 minutes.”

He was shocked when he later found out what happened to his celeb shopper, saying all he could think when he heard about her crash was “what in the world?”

Later, I noticed the red wig he sold in Heche’s car in a photo first posted by TMZ, which also said there appeared to be a bottle of booze.

While Glass insisted Heche seemed calm and coherent, the long-troubled actress was allegedly caught in a series of wild incidents in the moments after leaving Glass Hair and crashing into a house.

Police confirmed to The Post Monday that she is being investigated for hitting another car and then driving off. She was also filmed speeding away from someone telling her to get out of her car when she hit a garage door — as well as almost hitting a pedestrian.

Doorbell cameras then caught the sound of her roaring through quiet residential streets — before slamming into the house, sparking a blaze that took 59 firefighters more than an hour to tackle.

She’d only recently posted a since-deleted podcast, too, in which she admitted downing vodka and wine after being “rocked” by a “very bad day.” Her rep of her insisted to TMZ, however, that it had been recorded days before the crash.

As of Monday, Heche remained in a coma, her rep told Page Six.

“She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention,” the rep said.

By Tuesday, an online fundraiser has also raised more than $100,000 for Lynne Mishele, the woman whose home was destroyed in the smash.

“Ms Mishele is devastated by what happened to her on Friday — not only because she and her pets almost lost their lives, but because all of her property, including items of profound sentimental value, were destroyed,” her lawyer, Shawn Holley, told The Post.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and has been reproduced here with permission

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Entertainment

The Block: Massive $250,000 prize could derail competition

The Block: Massive $250,000 prize could derail competition

The Block host Scott Cam has announced the biggest prize packet in the show’s history, and the revelation has already sent contestants into a frenzy.

Just days into the new ‘Tree Change’ season of the Channel 9 renovation show, which has seen the teams kick off with ‘bathroom week’, Cam dropped a “bombshell” that the winner of this week’s challenge would score a whopping $250,000 bonus for the coveted ‘kitchen week’ renovations.

The prize will be on top of the $10,000 nabbed by the winning team, and will be awarded in state-of-the-art upgrades to the team’s kitchen courtesy of Winning Appliances.

“The kitchen upgrade consists of V-ZUG and The Galley, and they are some of the world’s best brands to have landed in Australia and are exclusive to Winning Appliances,” Scotty teased of the Swiss and US products.

Block newcomer Rachel, who got the call-up to be Elle and Joel’s replacement alongside her partner Ryan, led the chaotic response to the major news.

“How funny is it that we’re all best friends now, but when they mention $250,000 I’m like, ‘f**k you lot, I’m outta here!’” she said.

Meanwhile, the “exciting” news sent Sharon into a spiral.

“That honestly is so stressful, it’s such a great thing that that’s what’s happening but your heart sinks when you think – that’s not going to be us,” she said in a piece-to-camera.

Block fans will know the judges often say “kitchens sell houses”, with the kitchen week reveal proving to be one of the most exciting episodes each season.

“If you win this, you’re going to win kitchen week,” Tom said. And [you have] a very good chance of winning The Block.”

The Block continues Wednesday on Channel 9 at 7.30pm

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