New Idea 1 January 2018

As I sit down to write this column in our very last issue before Christmas, I know the school summer holidays are upon us which means I can take a break from making school lunches and remembering to sign and send back permission notes. However, I’ve got weeks ahead of me trying to keep the kids entertained and happy during their six-week break. This year my daughters have asked to go to Code Camp where (apparently) you learn to make your very own iPhone app – something my mother-in-law can’t believe! My eldest daughter thinks that by the end of the holiday she’ll be a millionaire thanks to her new skills – here’s hoping! Merry Christmas everyone – wishing you and your families a very happy and safe day from the whole…

‘I LOVE YOU BECAUSE OF A THOUSAND REASONS THAT I COULD SPEND A LIFETIME COUNTING’ They’ve won over millions of fans with their fairytale love story – and now it looks like Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell are set to take their romance to the next level. Sources tell New Idea that the American wakeboarder got down on bended knee on December 11, asking Bindi to be his bride after asking mum Terri for her blessing. It’s believed plans are now underway for ‘Australia’s wedding of the year’ in 2018 – which insiders reveal will happen at Australia Zoo. ‘The buzz at Australia Zoo is that a big wedding is on the way,’ says a source at the Queensland zoo. ‘We’ve heard that Chandler proposed to Bindi last week, and that he asked Terri…

DREAMS DO COME TRUE FOR THE MUCH-LOVED SONGSTRESS ‘I TRIED TO GET MY MIND OFF MY TROUBLES BY FOCUSING ON THE THINGS I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT’ The festive season is a time to reflect on the year that’s just passed – and what a roller-coaster 2017 has been for Olivia Newton-John. Earlier this year the Aussie songstress was at her lowest ebb, after being rocked by a series of health crises. As she was forced to cancel a string of US tour dates, it looked doubtful that the veteran performer would ever be well enough to take the stage again. However, fast forward just six months and Olivia’s fortunes have completely turned around in what friends are calling ‘a Christmas miracle’. As she heads into the festive season, the singer has so many…

‘HE TOLD CHARLOTTE HE’D LOVE TO HAVE A BABY WITH HER AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FALL PREGNANT’ Just one year after his shock divorce from Angelina Jolie, it looks like Brad Pitt is set to become a dad again. Sources tell New Idea that he and new girlfriend Charlotte Casiraghi – the daughter of Princess Caroline and ninth in line to the throne of Monaco – are desperately trying for a baby, as their relationship goes from strength to strength. The pair fell in love in September, before debuting their romance at a Hollywood event in LA last month. Even though Brad has been careful not to be photographed with his new love while his divorce settlement is still before the courts, sources tell New Idea that he’s ‘totally head over heels’…

As she celebrates one final Christmas in Australia, Princess Mary will be preparing to ring in the New Year as the queen of Denmark. This is set to be revealed in dramatic style during Queen Margrethe’s traditional New Year’s speech, with royal insiders predicting the 77-year-old monarch will announce her abdication. In an interview with Danish magazine Kendte, royal expert Sebastian Olden-Jorgensen says the writing is on the wall for Mary and Fred to become king and queen in 2018. Speculation about the abdication reached fever pitch recently when it was revealed there are some changes this year to the Danish queen’s New Year’s Eve speech to the nation. The plans are markedly grander than usual with adjustments to the broadcast arrangements. The address will be delivered from the palace’s reception room and…

‘THE WAY THEIR DIARIES ARE FILLING OUT, IT COULD BE EVEN WORSE NEXT YEAR’ Watching their young children ice-skating in London last week, Victoria and David Beckham looked just like any other proud parents out enjoying the festive season with their family. But behind the scenes, it seems Posh and Becks are fighting off new claims that they spent just 33 nights together in 2017 – and it’s been nearly six months since either of them posted a couple photo, raising even more eyebrows. Sources say the time apart can be attributed to their hugely successful and demanding careers, while numerous scandals have tested their marriage along the way. And with a new $52.7 million boost to her fashion business announced last month, it seems there could be even more time apart for the…