Latest news with #7NEWS.com.au
7NEWS
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Ozzy's sweet tooth and the Adelaide celebrity baker who thought she was about to be robbed
An Adelaide baker to the stars has recalled her encounter with a dishevelled, seemingly 'delusional' man who turned out to be legendary heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osborne, who has now died at aged 76. Sugar and Spice Cakes owner Amanda Forth-Piper said the 1998 brush with fame was a lesson in 'not judging a book by its cover'. She recalled the incident after news broke of the death of Osborne, the former Black Sabbath singer-turned-solo act known as the Prince of Darkness. His wife, TV personality Sharon Osbourne, had revealed in February that he had Parkinson's disease. Forth-Piper said she feared she was about to be robbed when the rather dishevelled man walked into her bakery at Millswood, in Adelaide's inner southern suburbs, and asked for a cake for his wife. 'I honestly didn't think it was anyone famous,' Forth-Piper told 'I thought that I was genuinely being held up.' Forth-Piper said she listened to the man's request, thinking he had strayed in her shop by accident and did not actually want to purchase a cake. 'So, as this story is unfolding, I'm thinking, this is, this guy is just delusional,' Forth-Piper said. 'He's making all of this up. 'But I took all of the details and I didn't take any money, but he did have his wallet and when I saw it was filled with American $100 bills I started to think maybe this guy is serious.' The man described the cake he wanted made for his wife, Sharon, and asked for it to be delivered to 'Ozzy' at Thebarton Theatre that evening. As soon as he left Forth-Piper immediately rang her dad to see if he knew of a singer named Ozzy. 'I rang my dad straight away and said, 'Is there a guy called Ozzy having a concert tonight at Thebarton Theatre?',' she said. 'He was like, 'Absolutely, and his wife's name is Sharon — that is Ozzy Osbourne you were just dealing with'.' Ozzy had ordered a delicious mixed berry chocolate mud chocolate which 'had to have black and white on it, and it had to have red roses,' Forth-Piper said. Ozzy is not the only celebrity Forth-Piper has baked for during her 29 years in business, with other music and Hollywood royalty customers including TV host Oprah Winfrey, and singers Beyonce and Pink — who also came in person to order a birthday cake for a loved one. 'When the celebrities come to town, we get the call up, like Jennifer Lopez, it was her twin's birthday when she had a concert here,' Forth-Piper said. 'Same as Pink, it was her daughter Willow's birthday. Beyonce, it was her daughter's. birthday.' Stream free on
7NEWS
3 days ago
- 7NEWS
Christmas card pulled from eBay after reports Snowtown serial killer John Bunting created it
A $5000 Christmas card has been pulled offline after it was alleged the sinister illustration was done by Australia's worst serial killer. The eBay listing for the card had a haunting image of a skull with 'Season's Greetings' written in the centre. The seller claimed the artwork was done by Snowtown serial killer, John Bunting and was advertised as: '1 of a kind. Australian Crime History.' There was also a signature on the card that read: 'J Bunting'. The auction item was removed on Monday. Bunting along with Robert Wagner, and James Vlassakis murdered 11 people around Adelaide between August 1992 and May 1999. The victims were chosen at random by Bunting and he is believed to have told Wagner and Vlassakis that they were paedophiles or homosexuals. The remains were found in barrels filled with hydrochloric acid and hidden in a disused bank vault in the quiet country town of Snowtown, about 150km north of Adelaide. The majority of the victims were either family or friends of the four perpetrators. There is no evidence that the card was illustrated by the convicted serial killer and is only suggesting it was claimed in the listing. According to the Adelaide Advertiser, correctional Services spokeswoman confirmed the matter was reported to eBay with a formal request for the listing's removal 'out of respect for Bunting's victims and their families'. The department examining the item listed to assess its origins and authenticity, warning that action would be taken if any inappropriate behaviour was found. Under South Australian legislation it is illegal to profit from crime. The Criminal Assets Confiscation Act allows the government to seize assets, including property and money, derived from criminal activity.
7NEWS
3 days ago
- 7NEWS
Residents terrified as police helicopters circle overhead blasting messages in Blue Mountains manhunt
Residents in the quiet town in NSW are terrified as police helicopters circle overhead while broadcasting urgent messages. A police operation began on Monday morning in Hazelbrook, a town located 16 kilometres east of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. In a video obtained by the PolAir unit can be heard describing a 34-year-old Caucasian man, approximately 175cm tall, dressed entirely in black, barefoot, with shoulder-length blonde hair. Police have urged anyone who has seen the man to contact them immediately via a loudspeaker announcement. Residents have taken to social media to express their fears and frustrations about the ongoing police operation. 'Should we lock up? Stay inside till they have a handle on the situation? I'm a little terrified,' one resident wrote on social media. 'They are circling my block it's all we can hear right now. My eight-year-old is freaked,' another added. 'Police should update their fb page instead of scaring people. Is this guy dangerous?' a third comment read. NSW Police have been contacted for comment.
7NEWS
3 days ago
- 7NEWS
TV personality Dog the Bounty Hunter's stepson accidentally shoots son dead
The step-grandson of American television personality Duane 'Dog' Chapman has been killed in an accidental shooting, TMZ reports. Anthony Zecca, 13, was reportedly shot by his father Gregory Zecca in a Florida apartment at about 8pm local time on Saturday. Gregory, the son of Duane's wife, Francie Chapman, works as a bounty hunter alongside his stepfather, who was made famous on popular reality TV show Dog the Bounty Hunter. 'We are grieving as a family over this incomprehensible tragic accident and would ask for continued prayers as we grieve the loss of our beloved grandson, Anthony,' representatives of the Chapman's told TMZ. The outlet reported that no arrests have yet been made over the 'isolated' incident. Investigations into the death are ongoing. has contacted the Chapman family, and the Collier County Sheriff's Office, for comment.
7NEWS
6 days ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Uber and Uber Eats partners with Afterpay to offer buy now, pay later options amid debt spiral concerns
Uber and Uber Eats customers will now be able to ride and dine despite a dwindling bank balance. The ride-share and food delivery service providers have now partnered with Afterpay to offer buy now, pay later (BNPL) payment options in Australia and New Zealand. But debt experts worry that allowing BNPL payments for essential goods and services will leave vulnerable Australians open to dangerous debt spirals. An Afterpay spokesperson told that the company is 'proud' to partner with the prolific apps and provide people with 'flexible' ways to pay. 'We're giving customers greater control over how and when they pay. It's a seamless addition to Uber Wallet,' the spokesperson said. 'From essentials to everyday transport, we believe BNPL has the potential to be accepted anywhere a traditional credit card is — and this is another exciting step in that direction.' 'Afterpay has no fees when customers pay on time, with no risk of revolving debt spirals.' But National Debt Hotline co-ordinator Vicky Staff told that she does not agree that there is no risk of debt spirals. She said the National Debt Hotline regularly sees 'evidence of debt spiralling' involving BNPL arrangements, despite new BNPL reforms for consumer protection in Australia. 'We're concerned that the widespread availability of BNPL products is normalising the use of credit to pay for small day-to-day transactions,' Staff said. 'It's really easy to lose track of how much debt you're accumulating if you're using credit to pay for those small things day-to-day, which means that BNPL accounts can get out of control pretty quickly.' Uber and Uber Eats have introduced BNPL protections, such as a ban on customers who miss a repayment, a cap on late fees, and a requirement that customers make their first payment upfront. But if customers want to lower their spending limit, they will need to contact Uber customer service directly. Staff told that vulnerable Australians can be confused by BNPL services, or find ways around safety features, and noted that many people who contact the National Debt Hotline have debts involving multiple BNPL accounts. 'If you're using multiple BNPL accounts to pay for lots of small day-to-day transactions, it can easily snowball into a debt spiral,' she said. BNPL services are connected to customer bank accounts via direct debit. Staff warned that these BNPL debits 'compete with more important direct debits such as rent or mortgage repayments', and that when multiple accounts begin 'taking chunks' from the same balance on various dates, it can become hard to keep track of. Between the first and second quarter of 2025 alone, Staff noted a small uptick — from 6 per cent to 7 per cent — in the number of people reaching out to the National Debt Hotline chat service in BNPL-related financial hardship. has also contacted Uber for comment.
