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Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Axed Today star Alex Cullen opens up about 'Lambo guy' scandal and confirms TV return with Seven, as ex-colleague Karl Stefanovic lends support
Alex Cullen has officially returned to the screen, confirming a new TV role with Channel Seven just months after a headline-making scandal cost him his job at Nine. The former Today Show sports presenter made national news earlier this year when he accepted $50,000 from billionaire Adrian Portelli, better known as "Lambo guy", to refer to him on air by his preferred nickname, "McLaren Man". The moment triggered a media firestorm and led to Cullen stepping down from his role at Nine, followed shortly by his departure from the network altogether. Now, speaking publicly for the first time since the drama unfolded, the 44-year-old told Stellar's Something To Talk About podcast the incident marked "the hardest, toughest week of my career". "Never in a million years did I expect that all to go down," he told host Sarrah Le Marquand. "That week was a whirlwind, like, is this really happening? And it absolutely was." Cullen said he and wife Bonnie did their best to shield their three young children from the fallout, but suspects they still picked up on the chaos. "They saw me on the phone, pacing, trying to survive it all," he admitted. "But you've just got to put one foot in front of the other. It's a little clichéd, but it's true. My wife was a pillar of strength." The veteran presenter also credited close friends, including Today Show co-host Karl Stefanovic, for rallying around him in the aftermath. On Friday, Stefanovic quietly showed his ongoing support by liking Cullen's Instagram post about his Stellar magazine cover. "His ability to not let it faze him is amazing," Cullen said of Stefanovic, who himself was publicly axed and later reinstated as cohost of the Today Show in 2020. "I'm thankful I (had) those five years (on Today) with him; he was supportive throughout that. We had a great chat after it all happened, and he congratulated me." Despite the warm response from friends, colleagues and even strangers on the street, Cullen admitted the scandal sent him into a spiral which he is still recovering from. "You're like, why did I do (that)? How did I get in this situation? I mean, I know how. But you just think, you idiot … Your confidence is shot. So you've got to reset yourself. I went to some dark places. "It was a silly mistake, one I should have thought through. But I can't go back and change any of it. It's there for [all] to see. But I have a chance now to rewrite the next chapter." That new chapter is already well underway, with Cullen set to start not one but two new media gigs, including a return to Channel Seven, the network where he previously worked for 16 years. "It's really exciting. It's been in the works for a little while, and it's wonderful to be going back to Seven," he said. The TV star remained tight-lipped on what the new role actually entailed, only hinting, "Seven are adding some news offerings to their daytime line-up, and I'm going to be part of that." Cullen revealed Seven were quick to reach out after his departure from Nine, offering support and a potential path forward. "After everything went down [at Nine this year], Seven were one of the first on the phone to say: 'You have our support, and if you want to come back, we're a phone call away'. I can't tell you how much that meant to me and my family." In addition to his new TV role, Cullen and his family have relocated from Sydney to Melbourne so he can co-host The Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show on radio, starting Monday. "I'm looking forward to getting back into it, just connecting with people, telling their stories," he said. "It's not very nice being the story. It's better telling the story."
Courier-Mail
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Laura Byrne and Matty J confirm their baby girl's name
Don't miss out on the headlines from Celebrity Life. Followed categories will be added to My News. Their third child hasn't been born yet but former reality stars Matty 'J' Johnson and wife Laura Byrne haven't held back from sharing their little ones name well before her arrival. Shunning the tradition of announcing the name at birth, Johnson revealed the moniker they have chosen for their third daughter in a new episode of the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About. 'We are absolutely excited and we cannot wait to meet this little girl, Poppy,' Johnson said. 'But the reaction from people definitely makes you a little more guarded and apprehensive about what life is gonna be like once they arrive.' 'It is different with number three,' he added. 'Number one and number two, everyone's really positive. They're like, 'oh my God, this is amazing' for your first. 'How beautiful.' Number two? 'Your family's now complete. Picture: Steven Chee for Stellar Laura Byrne on set for Stellar. Picture: Steven Chee for Stellar Listen to the full interview with Laura Byrne and Matty J on Something To Talk About: 'And then number three, people are going, 'You're crazy. What are you doing? Wow. Good luck, because that's gonna be hell.' So we're bracing ourselves for what's to come, which does feel a little bit strange. The couple, who are already parents to daughters Marlie-Mae, six, and Lola, four, say they are 'prepared for the worst, hoping for the best' before Poppy's arrival. 'I think I've almost over-prepared for it being horrible and hard,' Byrne told Stellar. 'Is it gonna be easy? Absolutely not. Is adding another [child] ever easy? No. But I think I feel the most relaxed about this [child' than I ever have been. 'So we'll see how it all goes. Ask me again in four months' time.' 'Is it gonna be easy? Absolutely not!' Matty J and Laura Byrne are preparing to welcome their third child. Picture: Damian Shaw The couple met on the fifth season of reality dating show The Bachelor in 2017, and wed on the NSW South Coast in 2022. Earlier this year, Johnson appeared on another reality TV show, I'm A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!, and was one of the final three in the wilds of South Africa. Due to the show's strict no-outside contact rule, he did not learn of his wife's pregnancy until after the program was over and was 'completely ignorant to what was happening at home.' Byrne told Something To Talk About that she found out about the pregnancy a few days after Johnson had left for South Africa and his phone had been taken off him. 'I was about 10 weeks [along] by the time I was able to tell Matt that I was pregnant,' she said. Listen to the full interview with Laura Byrne and Matty J on Something To Talk About: 'It was like the biggest secret, but then I also was just telling random people because I couldn't tell Matt. So I was telling friends, telling my sister. '[To Matty J] So many people knew before you did, you poor thing. Do you know who else I told before you? Julia Morris. I was like Julia, I'm so sick. I'm pregnant. Don't tell Matty, he doesn't know.' X Learn More SUBSCRIBER ONLY Laura Byrne co-hosts The Pick Up radio show with Brittany Hockley, from 3pm weekdays on KIIS; her podcast, Life Uncut, and Matty J's podcast, Two Doting Dads, are available wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to the full interview with Laura and Matty J on the Stellar podcast Something To Talk About in a new episode out today. See their cover shoot in Stellar, via The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland) and Sunday Mail (SA). Originally published as Bachelor couple Laura Byrne and Matty J confirm their baby girl's name
News.com.au
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Bachelor couple Laura Byrne and Matty J confirm their baby girl's name
Their third child hasn't been born yet but former reality stars Matty 'J' Johnson and wife Laura Byrne haven't held back from sharing their little ones name well before her arrival. Shunning the tradition of announcing the name at birth, Johnson revealed the moniker they have chosen for their third daughter in a new episode of the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About. 'We are absolutely excited and we cannot wait to meet this little girl, Poppy,' Johnson said. 'But the reaction from people definitely makes you a little more guarded and apprehensive about what life is gonna be like once they arrive.' 'It is different with number three,' he added. 'Number one and number two, everyone's really positive. They're like, 'oh my God, this is amazing' for your first. 'How beautiful.' Number two? 'Your family's now complete. Listen to the full interview with Laura Byrne and Matty J on Something To Talk About: 'And then number three, people are going, 'You're crazy. What are you doing? Wow. Good luck, because that's gonna be hell.' So we're bracing ourselves for what's to come, which does feel a little bit strange. The couple, who are already parents to daughters Marlie-Mae, six, and Lola, four, say they are 'prepared for the worst, hoping for the best' before Poppy's arrival. 'I think I've almost over-prepared for it being horrible and hard,' Byrne told Stellar. 'Is it gonna be easy? Absolutely not. Is adding another [child] ever easy? No. But I think I feel the most relaxed about this [child' than I ever have been. 'So we'll see how it all goes. Ask me again in four months' time.' The couple met on the fifth season of reality dating show The Bachelor in 2017, and wed on the NSW South Coast in 2022. Earlier this year, Johnson appeared on another reality TV show, I'm A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!, and was one of the final three in the wilds of South Africa. Due to the show's strict no-outside contact rule, he did not learn of his wife's pregnancy until after the program was over and was 'completely ignorant to what was happening at home.' Byrne told Something To Talk About that she found out about the pregnancy a few days after Johnson had left for South Africa and his phone had been taken off him. 'I was about 10 weeks [along] by the time I was able to tell Matt that I was pregnant,' she said. Listen to the full interview with Laura Byrne and Matty J on Something To Talk About: 'It was like the biggest secret, but then I also was just telling random people because I couldn't tell Matt. So I was telling friends, telling my sister. '[To Matty J] So many people knew before you did, you poor thing. Do you know who else I told before you? Julia Morris. I was like Julia, I'm so sick. I'm pregnant. Don't tell Matty, he doesn't know.' Laura Byrne co-hosts The Pick Up radio show with Brittany Hockley, from 3pm weekdays on KIIS; her podcast, Life Uncut, and Matty J's podcast, Two Doting Dads, are available wherever you get your podcasts.
Mercury
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mercury
Bec Judd: Influencer and model admits to Botox, filler
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Rebecca Judd says she believes the time is right for women to be honest and open about their cosmetic enhancements, saying she no longer wants to hide what 'work' she has had done. 'I think 2025 is the year that we stop gaslighting women by saying, 'I don't have any wrinkles because I sleep for eight hours, wear sunscreen and drink lots of water,'' the model and influencer told the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About. 'You get to a certain age where it's like, come on, let's be a bit more honest.' In a new interview with Stellar, Judd admits: 'I feel that this is the year where we stop bulls****ing everyone and we 'fess up'. 'I'm 42. I don't have a line on my face,' Judd continues, 'I'm telling you it's not because I get eight hours sleep a night, all right?' Listen to Rebecca Judd on a new episode of the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About, below: Rebecca Judd on the set of Stellar's latest cover shoot, out today. Picture: Steven Chee for Stellar She about spoke the catch-22 that many women – including Hollywood star Anne Hathaway and Kardashian matriarch Kendall Jenner – find themselves in when it comes to their looks, due to societal expectations and pressures around beauty standards. 'I think standards are so impossible for women right now. Everyone's talking about Lindsay Lohan's face and Anne Hathaway's face and Kris Jenner's face,' Judd told Something To Talk About, in a new episode out today. 'There's one camp saying, 'They've had work, how vain are they? How superficial, how shallow,'' Judd noted. 'And then you've got the other camp saying when women don't get work done and they show signs of ageing, grey hairs, wrinkles and sagging skin, 'She's let herself go, she should go and get some work.' So that person then feels pressured to go and get work done, and: 'Oh … she's overdone it.' 'And the cycle starts again. Women just can't win.' Anne Hathaway raised eyebrows for her new look. Picture: Getty Images Kris Jenner made headlines recently for her fresh-faced appearance. Picture: AFP Speaking to the Steller podcast, Judd - who has four children with her husband, former AFL star Chris Judd - reflected on her past attitude toward being caught out by paparazzi en route to cosmetic appointments, and how she once feared anyone finding out. 'It feels really liberating to just let it go and be honest, because you're not trying to hide any secrets anymore,' Judd told Something To Talk About. Listen to Rebecca Judd on a new episode of the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About, below: Rebecca Judd is on the cover of today's Stellar. Picture: Stellar Picture: Instagram 'I remember five, seven years ago, I was going to get some injectables and there was a pap on my tail and I couldn't shake him. 'I thought, gosh, if I get photographed walking into a clinician and her name was on the sign where I'd be walking in, it'd be a front-page story and it would be so embarrassing. 'So I'd drive around, he'd keep following me, so then I wouldn't go into the appointment, I'd just drive home. 'Now, if a pap followed me, I wouldn't even care. It's like, get the photo, it's fine. I just give zero f****s now.' Listen to Rebecca Judd on a new episode of the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About, below: See the full cover shoot with Rebecca Judd in today's Stellar, inside The Sunday Telegraoh (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland) and Sunday Mail (SA). Listen to the full episode of her on the podcast, Something To Talk About, now. And for more from Stellar, click here. Originally published as 'I just give zero f****s now': Rebecca Judd comes clean about beauty enhancements and why she 'doesn't have a line on my face'
Courier-Mail
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Star breaks silence on shock MAFS romance
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hook Ups & Break Ups. Followed categories will be added to My News. Journalist and television presenter Karla Grant has revealed for the first time how she and her boyfriend, former Married At First Sight star Nasser Sultan, got together. In an exclusive interview with Stellar, the Living Black host, who was married to fellow journalist Stan Grant for 16 years before their divorce in 2000, said the unlikely pair had a lot more in common than what people would think. 'I was taken by surprise myself,' she said, of her relationship with Sultan. 'Even though we're very different – I'm a serious, Walkley Award-winning journalist, and he's from Married At First Sight, so we couldn't be more worlds apart – we just have a lot of things in common. 'We love travelling, we love going to the movies, we love theatre. There's a lot of things that we have in common that probably people on the outside don't really appreciate.' Karla Grant, right, has opened up about her relationship with former MAFS star Nasser Sultan in a new interview with Stellar. Picture: 'He kept asking me out!' Karla Grant. Picture: The pair first met at an event in 2021. Sultan, who was on the 2018 season of the popular dating reality television series, confirmed their romance on Instagram in January of this year. 'The saying is timing is everything? Well, the universe has delivered a beautiful, smart and an intelligent woman and I'm excited,' Sultan wrote. In the comments, the 56-year-old noted how beautiful Grant was and that he was 'punching'. Grant told Stellar she watches Married At First Sight every year with her daughter Lowanna and son John (who she co-parents with her ex-husband, along with their youngest son Dylan). 'So of course I was well aware of who Nasser was when he approached me,' the 60-year-old said. 'Then we just keep on running into each other at different movie screenings and events and would have a chat. 'He kept on asking me out, but I was always so busy with work and travel. Finally, I said 'yes.'' Listen to Rebecca Judd on a new episode of the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About, below: Karla Grant has spoken about the toll that online abuse directed at her ex-husband, Stan Grant, has taken on her family. Picture: Sam Ruttyn As NAIDOC Week begins, Grant also spoke to Stellar about how a torrent of malicious attacks and online abuse directed at Stan in the lead up to his 2023 resignation from the ABC took a wider personal toll. 'The filthy, racist remarks online that he faced on Twitter and in social media really did affect the family,' she said. 'One of the boys, he got threats as well. It was a pretty awful time. I hope no one ever has to go through that sort of thing ever again. 'Stan and all of us as First Nations journalists are only there telling the truth. We're truth seekers.' Listen to Rebecca Judd on a new episode of the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About, below: Read the full interview with Karla Grant and see the shoot inside today's Stellar, via The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland) and Sunday Mail (SA). For more from Stellar and the podcast, Something To Talk About, click here. Originally published as Star breaks silence on shock MAFS romance
