New Idea 28 January 2019

After the struggling Today show and its new team debuted to its worst ratings in 10 years last week, it seems the panel’s bright morning smiles were masking yet more drama. Only being offered the job at the last minute, Karl Stefanovic’s replacement, Deborah Knight, is said to be feeling less than welcome and is now having second thoughts about taking on the coveted role. “There is too much pressure to save the show, too much pressure to win back viewers,” an industry insider tells New Idea. “We don’t think Deb knew exactly what she was walking into.” Concerns for Deb come after it was revealed the 46-year-old was the third choice for the Today gig after a number of other TV presenters turned it down. “Everyone knows they wanted Ben Fordham and…

Despite being plagued with split rumours for the past few years, Kate Ritchie and her husband Stuart Webb are happier than ever. Speaking to the Daily Mail , the former Home and Away actress admitted the secret to her long-lasting marriage. “I had six weeks over Christmas with family. That always helps. We’ve had a lovely holiday,”she said. “Having six weeks off from working at Nova has been really lovely, back to work on the 21st,”she added. Stuart was also pictured alongside Kate when she spoke to the publication and he lovingly kissed her on the head. Sources previously told New Idea that the couple were living in separate homes. “It’s rare for Kate and Stu not to wear their wedding rings, and they have been spending a bit of time apart as well,” an…

Last week Jackie O Henderson hit the headlines for a mystery head wound that appeared after a boozy night out with her best friend, Sophie Monk, while enjoying a girls’ holiday. The previous day, Jackie was seen quaffing Champagne and eating oysters with Sophie before she was pictured leaving their hotel room with the gash on her head. Jackie later took to Instagram to explain the wound, with an arrow pointing to it and the words “skin cancer”. She then wrote: “Don’t let our kids make the same mistakes. Slip, slap, slop.” Her management also spoke to New Idea about the issue. “The mark on her forehead ... is a skin irritation from a cream used to remove a skin cancer, which Jackie spoke about on KIIS last year.”…

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall has lost a battle to thwart her neighbour’s plans to build a granny flat for his elderly mother. Her neighbour Phil Clayton applied to demolish an outbuilding and construct a granny flat just 60m from Camilla’s Grade II-listed Ray Mill House in Reybridge. Camilla bought the Wiltshire property back in 1996 and kept it to use as a country retreat after her marriage to Charles in 2005. Despite having several stately homes at her disposal, it seems the duchess wasn’t too pleased with her neighbour’s plans. In fact, Camilla reportedly sent three objections to Wiltshire Council via letters written on HRH-headed notepaper from Charles’ Highgrove estate. “It’s very unfair,” a local told Daily Mail . “All he wanted to do was build a home for his mother and Camilla has…

Amid rumours that she is expecting her fifth child, Princess Mary has another matter on her plate. According to Danish publication Se & Hor , some parents have reported incidents of bullying at Tranegard School, which the royal children currently attend. The royal house is yet to comment on this claim, but the Tasmanian-born mother of three is well-rehearsed on the subject of bullying and the wellbeing of children through her work in the Mary Foundation. In 2007 she threw her support behind Australian program Better Buddies to help eradicate bullying in Danish schools and kindergartens. “In Denmark, the way we view bullying is changing,” she said of the foundation’s progress. “Today the focus is more and more on the group and each child within the group, no longer just the children who…

His feelings towards fellow campmate Angie have been making headlines. But it seems producers are hoping to get a lot more than just a romance out of reality star Justin Lacko, especially if his behind-the-scenes behaviour during his stint on Love Island is anything to go by. “Justin was a mess on Love Island but great TV,” reveals an insider about his time on Channel Nine’s reality show, adding the 28-year-old was not well liked by crew and cast members. And in one shocking incident, the insider alleged that Justin “cracked it” one day and “locked one crew member inside their hotel room” and refused to let him out until he eventually escaped. “That crew member quit and walked,” the source continues. “Now, the producers of I’m a Celeb… want him to crack it…