Risking Scotland's wrath, an Aussie competitive porridge-maker shares his secrets
The result was the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship, a charmingly offbeat event that has stirred up enough attention to put Carrbridge on the culinary map, while giving one of the world's humblest breakfast foods a moment in the spotlight.
Three decades on, the competition continues to draw oat obsessives from around the globe, who compete in gruelling heats in pursuit of the perfect bowl of porridge. The winner takes home the Golden Spurtle, a trophy shaped like the traditional Scottish stirring stick used to smooth out lumps in oatmeal.
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Among past contenders is Toby Wilson, executive chef at Sydney's Norfolk Hotel and founder of Ricos Tacos, a 2025 Good Food Guide Critic's Pick restaurant. Wilson has twice reached the finals, representing Australia in 2022 and 2023, and features in The Golden Spurtle, a documentary now screening in this year's Sydney Film Festival.
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
British rock band Oasis kick off comeback tour in Wales
Oasis, the biggest British rock band of the 1990s, kick off their reunion tour in Cardiff, bringing the warring Gallagher brothers back together on stage for the first time in nearly 16 years. The band, whose hits Live Forever and Wonderwall helped define Britpop, announced the shows nearly a year ago, setting off a frenzy for tickets. Guitarist, main songwriter and vocalist Noel Gallagher, 58, told talkSPORT radio last week the band was "sounding huge" in rehearsals. "This is it, there's no going back," he said. The group, whose debut album Definitely Maybe was released 31 years ago, split in 2009 when Noel said he could no longer work with his younger brother Liam. The barbs continued, but fans still hoped the band would re-form. "The thing that makes the Oasis reunion special is the thing that makes any reunion special: it has to be something that people really want and something that people thought they'd never see. And Oasis ticks both those boxes," music journalist Mark Sutherland told Reuters. Many fans waited for hours in online queues to buy tickets in 2024, only to find prices had jumped when they eventually had a chance to get them. Britain's competition watchdog launched an investigation into Ticketmaster over the sale, including the use of "dynamic pricing" to hike the cost to fans at the last minute. But the focus now is on the performance, which will see the Gallaghers joined by original member Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, as well as Gem Archer and Andy Bell. Joey Waronker, who has played with Beck and REM, will be on drums. Definitely Maybe, released in 1994, was a milestone in Britpop, a bright, guitar-led reaction to US grunge music. Its follow-up (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, featuring anthems Wonderwall and Don't Look Back in Anger, was the best-selling album of the 1990s in Britain and the band's breakthrough in the United States. After playing two shows in Cardiff on Friday, the Oasis Live '25 tour will continue in the Gallaghers' home city of Manchester. It continues in Britain and Ireland, followed by shows across North and South America, Asia and Australia. Oasis, the biggest British rock band of the 1990s, kick off their reunion tour in Cardiff, bringing the warring Gallagher brothers back together on stage for the first time in nearly 16 years. The band, whose hits Live Forever and Wonderwall helped define Britpop, announced the shows nearly a year ago, setting off a frenzy for tickets. Guitarist, main songwriter and vocalist Noel Gallagher, 58, told talkSPORT radio last week the band was "sounding huge" in rehearsals. "This is it, there's no going back," he said. The group, whose debut album Definitely Maybe was released 31 years ago, split in 2009 when Noel said he could no longer work with his younger brother Liam. The barbs continued, but fans still hoped the band would re-form. "The thing that makes the Oasis reunion special is the thing that makes any reunion special: it has to be something that people really want and something that people thought they'd never see. And Oasis ticks both those boxes," music journalist Mark Sutherland told Reuters. Many fans waited for hours in online queues to buy tickets in 2024, only to find prices had jumped when they eventually had a chance to get them. Britain's competition watchdog launched an investigation into Ticketmaster over the sale, including the use of "dynamic pricing" to hike the cost to fans at the last minute. But the focus now is on the performance, which will see the Gallaghers joined by original member Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, as well as Gem Archer and Andy Bell. Joey Waronker, who has played with Beck and REM, will be on drums. Definitely Maybe, released in 1994, was a milestone in Britpop, a bright, guitar-led reaction to US grunge music. Its follow-up (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, featuring anthems Wonderwall and Don't Look Back in Anger, was the best-selling album of the 1990s in Britain and the band's breakthrough in the United States. After playing two shows in Cardiff on Friday, the Oasis Live '25 tour will continue in the Gallaghers' home city of Manchester. It continues in Britain and Ireland, followed by shows across North and South America, Asia and Australia. Oasis, the biggest British rock band of the 1990s, kick off their reunion tour in Cardiff, bringing the warring Gallagher brothers back together on stage for the first time in nearly 16 years. The band, whose hits Live Forever and Wonderwall helped define Britpop, announced the shows nearly a year ago, setting off a frenzy for tickets. Guitarist, main songwriter and vocalist Noel Gallagher, 58, told talkSPORT radio last week the band was "sounding huge" in rehearsals. "This is it, there's no going back," he said. The group, whose debut album Definitely Maybe was released 31 years ago, split in 2009 when Noel said he could no longer work with his younger brother Liam. The barbs continued, but fans still hoped the band would re-form. "The thing that makes the Oasis reunion special is the thing that makes any reunion special: it has to be something that people really want and something that people thought they'd never see. And Oasis ticks both those boxes," music journalist Mark Sutherland told Reuters. Many fans waited for hours in online queues to buy tickets in 2024, only to find prices had jumped when they eventually had a chance to get them. Britain's competition watchdog launched an investigation into Ticketmaster over the sale, including the use of "dynamic pricing" to hike the cost to fans at the last minute. But the focus now is on the performance, which will see the Gallaghers joined by original member Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, as well as Gem Archer and Andy Bell. Joey Waronker, who has played with Beck and REM, will be on drums. Definitely Maybe, released in 1994, was a milestone in Britpop, a bright, guitar-led reaction to US grunge music. Its follow-up (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, featuring anthems Wonderwall and Don't Look Back in Anger, was the best-selling album of the 1990s in Britain and the band's breakthrough in the United States. After playing two shows in Cardiff on Friday, the Oasis Live '25 tour will continue in the Gallaghers' home city of Manchester. It continues in Britain and Ireland, followed by shows across North and South America, Asia and Australia. Oasis, the biggest British rock band of the 1990s, kick off their reunion tour in Cardiff, bringing the warring Gallagher brothers back together on stage for the first time in nearly 16 years. The band, whose hits Live Forever and Wonderwall helped define Britpop, announced the shows nearly a year ago, setting off a frenzy for tickets. Guitarist, main songwriter and vocalist Noel Gallagher, 58, told talkSPORT radio last week the band was "sounding huge" in rehearsals. "This is it, there's no going back," he said. The group, whose debut album Definitely Maybe was released 31 years ago, split in 2009 when Noel said he could no longer work with his younger brother Liam. The barbs continued, but fans still hoped the band would re-form. "The thing that makes the Oasis reunion special is the thing that makes any reunion special: it has to be something that people really want and something that people thought they'd never see. And Oasis ticks both those boxes," music journalist Mark Sutherland told Reuters. Many fans waited for hours in online queues to buy tickets in 2024, only to find prices had jumped when they eventually had a chance to get them. Britain's competition watchdog launched an investigation into Ticketmaster over the sale, including the use of "dynamic pricing" to hike the cost to fans at the last minute. But the focus now is on the performance, which will see the Gallaghers joined by original member Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, as well as Gem Archer and Andy Bell. Joey Waronker, who has played with Beck and REM, will be on drums. Definitely Maybe, released in 1994, was a milestone in Britpop, a bright, guitar-led reaction to US grunge music. Its follow-up (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, featuring anthems Wonderwall and Don't Look Back in Anger, was the best-selling album of the 1990s in Britain and the band's breakthrough in the United States. After playing two shows in Cardiff on Friday, the Oasis Live '25 tour will continue in the Gallaghers' home city of Manchester. It continues in Britain and Ireland, followed by shows across North and South America, Asia and Australia.
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
OnlyFans Annie Knight: Is having sex with 583 men in six hours a public service or a dangerous dopamine trap?
OnlyFans stars are banking more in a week than most Aussies earn each year from performing extreme sexual acts, which they say simultaneously fulfils their wildest 'fantasies'. But experts have revealed the 'alarming race' to become young OnlyFans millionaires by performing increasingly shocking sex stunts for subscribers can have long-term consequences. Even super-successful Australian social media star Annie Knight recently had to 'up the ante' in order to cut through the saturated adult content market. Last month, she slept with 583 men in six hours to make content for her OnlyFans audience. Ms Knight told The Nightly that when she decided to host the Gold Coast gang-bang, she expected about 200 men to show up. Instead, almost 600 Aussie blokes — wearing joggers and gym clothes — lined up around the block for just 30 seconds of intimacy with the glamorous porn star. The tightly-orchestrated event, which a 'grateful' Ms Knight described as 'the best day of my life', tripled her income, which skyrocketed to more than $7 million a year. 'It was such an amazing experience. I had a lot of fun,' she said. 'It was definitely sexually arousing and satisfying. Obviously not every guy made me finish, but six guys did, which I think is pretty good considering they didn't have much time. 'It was my biggest fantasy but also great publicity and marketing. It really was a win win win.' Ms Knight calls these challenges, and her OnlyFans career, 'empowering'. 'I'm doing what I want to do with my body. I choose to do this. I'm going to earn money from it. I'm not being forced into it. I enjoy what I'm doing,' she said. 'It's been a lot of fun stepping into my sexuality and living out all these fantasies. It's my body and my choice, and I'm doing what I love. 'It makes me feel really special that so many people would show up to have an experience with me.' Ms Knight's rage-bait event followed similar stunts by other famous OnlyFans stars. In January, British porn star Bonnie Blue broke a world record when she slept with 1057 men in 12 hours. Last year, Lily Phillips, 23, filmed her 'fantasy' of having sex with 101 men in one day. These women represent a new breed of sex workers achieving fame and financial freedom by selling sexually explicit videos of themselves through OnlyFans. But experts have raised the alarm about the impacts these increasingly extreme challenges have on the performers, young women's perceptions of sex work and men's brains. Relationship counsellor Amanda Lambros said the 'sensational stunts', aimed at maximising attention and profit, are problematic 'in many ways'. 'While they're undeniably headline-grabbing, they also reflect an alarming race to the bottom in pursuit of virality and income,' she said. 'These challenges . . . commodify intimacy, often in ways that desensitise viewers and reduce human connection to a spectacle. 'It also distorts ideas around consent, boundaries and relational sex. 'When women's bodies become battlegrounds for attention economies, we're treading in dehumanising waters.' Ms Lambros — a therapist, author and academic — said these sex challenges formed part of a rapidly shifting sexual landscape in which ever-increasingly extreme sexual acts created an unsustainable 'dopamine trap'. 'What was once shocking becomes standard and creators are forced to escalate in order to stay relevant,' she said. 'That cycle is mentally and physically exhausting, and rarely sustainable. 'It also distorts reality in a major way. When men consume these stunts without context, they may develop unrealistic expectations of women's sexual availability, stamina, and enthusiasm.' And the medical, physical and psychological risks are real. 'Physically, repetitive or extreme sexual activity can lead to injury, infections, and trauma,' the popular PerthNow columnist said. 'Psychologically, the constant need to escalate for attention can feed anxiety, burnout, body dysmorphia, or dissociation. 'Not to mention the pressure of maintaining a hypersexual persona 24/7.' Ms Knight said she was conscious of, and tried to mitigate, the risks. 'If I was filming with 583 porn stars, I would say, yes, there's a large risk involved,' she said. 'But these guys weren't porn stars, so they didn't have huge dicks. 'The only time I really haven't made the guys get an STI test was for the challenge, but they all used condoms, of course. 'Thankfully I've been tested twice since then and everything's all good.' The Gold Coast sex worker also insists that her content is 'educational' and emphasises respect and consent. Ms Lambros said that despite this, the 'Instagram-ification of sex work' was filtered, lucrative-looking, and potentially misleading. 'It promises fast money, autonomy, and fame . . . but without showing the full cost,' she said. 'The top earners present a curated highlight reel. 'What's rarely shown is the emotional toll, safety risks, platform instability, or long-term financial planning.' Psychologist Shannon Webb, from The Banyans Healthcare in Brisbane, said the nature of these sex challenges means the women portrayed are often dehumanised by their viewers. 'Intimacy and sex are complex experiences, and pornography, particularly to this extreme, can desensitise people to what sex and intimacy means for them,' she said. 'As viewers become desensitised over time, there is demand for more extreme styles of porn content (putting) pressure on content creators … to do extreme acts they wouldn't ordinarily entertain.' Ms Webb, who treats clients with porn addiction at the luxury rehab clinic, said that in addition to the intensity of these challenges, OnlyFans creators were exposing themselves to the para-social relationships and the perceived intimacy their subscribers expect from them. 'OnlyFans not only makes pornography easily accessible but creates a personalised experience between creators and viewers, which can exist healthily but can easily be abused, resulting in unhealthy dependence and addiction,' she said. 'OnlyFans also promotes 'live' content viewing, which can encourage a greater sense of perceived intimacy, with followers believing they share a personal connection with their content creators.' Ms Knight admits subscribers expect constant attention and interaction. 'It's like a friendship as we do talk every day,' she said. 'I look at it more as if I'm providing them with company. 'A lot of these people work really high-powered jobs and don't have a lot of time to date, so I'm just kind of giving them that company and girlfriend experience.' Due to her fans' dependence, she cannot afford to disconnect. 'At the end of the day, a lot of the subs want to chat to you . . . and if you don't respond, they can often get quite offended, feel that you've ghosted them or ask 'what am I paying for?'' she said. 'So I think people will unsubscribe (if I take a break) and you're just not making as much money from doing video calls, sexting sessions and stuff like that.' The 28-year-old insists her success is 'definitely worth' the sacrifices but 'is not the easy way out'. 'You have to work really hard,' she said. 'I think you've just got to be 100 per cent sure that you want to do it (long-term) and that it's going to be worth it in the end.' Jenna Love, president of Scarlet Alliance, said the Australian Sex Workers Association supports 'sex workers to be able to work in whatever way best suits them' but cautions that most OnlyFans creators cannot survive on that income alone. 'Most OnlyFans content creators earn well under the poverty line,' she said. 'There are a number of big tech companies involved, taking a cut from OnlyFans creators, but the ability to have that level of flexibility and control over your own work is broadly a positive thing.' As for sex challenges, Ms Love rejects the outrage. 'I think most people are switched on enough to know that it's just a stunt and that is not the standard and not what's expected (from women),' she said. Ms Love said she hosted a 30-man gang bang for her 30th birthday which was work-related but also for her own pleasure. 'It was a bit of a stunt, but it was also something I really wanted to do. Sexually, that really appealed to me,' she said. 'I think what's missing from a lot of that conversation is that some people are into that, and that's OK.' For Ms Knight, there is no turning back, and she is now contemplating 'what to do next'. 'I would like to do, not necessarily a numbers challenge, but maybe a different angle, like single dads or virgins,' she said. 'Giving them the opportunity (to be with me) would be cool.' That almost makes it sound like a form of public service. 'Yes, that's exactly how I see it,' she quipped.
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Sir David Beckham marks 26th wedding anniversary with sweet note
Sir David Beckham marked his 26th wedding anniversary by posting a sweet note to his wife Victoria Beckham. The former footballer exchanged vows with the Spice Girls star at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland on July 4, 1999 and David has now marked 26 years since their big day by thanking the singer-turned-fashion designer for giving him four "beautiful children" and helping him carve out their lives together. In a post on social media, David shared snaps of their big day and wrote: "26 years today you said YES to me. "Happy Anniversary and thank you for giving me our beautiful children and building the life that we have together. I love you Lady Beckham." He also tagged the couple's three sons - Brooklyn, 26, Romeo, 22, Cruz, 20 - and added a mention for their 13-year-old daughter Harper. The anniversary comes as David recovers from wrist surgery after going under the knife to fix complications from a injury he sustained in a football match more than 20 years ago. A recent X-ray showed a screw that was used to patch up the problem at the time had embedded in his forearm after it didn't dissolve properly. However, David has been recovering well and has even been gardening with his wife Victoria. She shared a video of him checking out the cucumber haul from their garden and wrote: 'Overperforming on the cucumber front Sir David." In the video, David is casually dressed, with his injured arm wrapped up and encased in a sling. A source previously told The Sun newspaper of Beckham's injury: "David has been in pain for years but thought nothing of it. "He just kept going until, in recent months, it became quite unbearable. "A routine scan showed that the pin which was meant to have dissolved, hadn't - so he was booked in to finally resolve the issue all these years later. "Victoria was at his bedside post op and all went well. He's in great spirits." The couple has been celebrating since David was knighted in King Charles' Birthday Honours last month for his services to sport and charity. The sportsman declared he felt "incredibly humbled" by the accolade. He said in a statement: 'Growing up in East London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British, I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour. "To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career, and literally a boyhood dream come true."
