Table of contents for Issue 43, 2025 in New Idea

It’s a story that has become tragically common among Australian students, and in September 2024, 12-year-old Charlotte O’Brien joined the horrifyingly long line of young people to take their own lives as a result of school bullying. Charlotte, a Year 7 student at Santa Sabina College in Sydney, experienced years of online and offline abuse which culminated in her death. Notes left for her family asked them to share her story, tell the school and to raise awareness. It’s something parents Kelly and Mat O’Brien have done tirelessly since their daughter died, impressing the need for schools to take complaints and concerns of bullying seriously and alleging this was not the case in Charlotte’s situation. “I am not after any retribution, it’s not about that. I know I’m dealing with…

Despite the mild weather in London at the time, there was a definite chill in the air when the Prince and Princess of Wales came into contact with Andrew and Fergie at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral on September 16. In light of recent events, that apparent coldness – particularly from Prince William, who interacted with his uncle only briefly – “makes more sense,” a palace insider tells New Idea. “William has long been appalled by Andrew’s behaviour and didn’t try to hide his feelings,” adds the source. Multiple outlets have reported that William, 43, was instrumental in having Andrew’s title’s removed. “William is calling the shots,” royal author Andrew Lownie told the Daily Mail. “He is much more ruthless than King Charles and he can see the huge reputational…

Their time on MKR has come to an end, but Michael and Rielli’s life together as Mr and Mrs is just beginning! New Idea can exclusively reveal that the ‘Meat Master’ proposed to his baking queen partner during a holiday in New York. Ahead of popping the question in Central Park, Michael, 30, planned a romantic day of activities for Rielli, 29 – though he admits it didn’t go exactly to plan. “I took her out, got her a designer bag, we did a tour of the UN headquarters, and I somehow convinced her it would be OK to go into Central Park even though it was not great weather,” Michael says. He’d secretly arranged for a photographer to be in the park to capture the big moment. After a…

Q&A Q Is it true I can add lemon juice to cream to make sour cream? A Yes, if it’s being used in a baked or cooked product it’s a handy substitute, but in some recipes it won’t work as it doesn’t produce the same thick texture of real sour cream. To make a substitute when baking, add 2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar to every 1 cup of cream, and mix together. 10 MINUTES TO: GREEN OLIVE AND CHILLI TAPENADE MAKES 1¾ CUPS Place 250g (1½ cups) pitted green chilli and garlic marinated olives in a food processor. Add 1 tbsp drained baby capers, 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, 1 tbsp lemon juice and ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil. Process until very…

1 ACE YOUR BASE You can still get plenty of coverage by swapping your foundation out for a tinted moisturiser or serum – it’s better for your complexion and feels like a second skin on a humid summer’s day. Mecca Max’s hydrating hybrid is full of niacinamide to support the skin’s barrier and squalane to increase moisture. Mecca Max Off Duty Serum Skin Tint, $32, mecca.com.au 2 LASH LOVE No need for false lashes – all you need is a carefully curated formula and savvy application technique. Lift, lengthen and nourish your peepers all at the same time with a nifty mascara made from naturally derived ingredients. Nude By Nature Lift And Curl Serum Mascara, $29.95, priceline.com.au 3 SHAPE UP You’ll be surprised how the shape of our eyebrows can…

The second Jennifer Lopez finished reading the script for her new movie musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman, she immediately knew she wanted to do it. “It’s something that I have been waiting for since I was about eight years old, when I first saw West Side Story [on] the television in our little house in the Bronx,” J.Lo tells New Idea during the film’s recent Hollywood press junket. “Now it was here in front of me… I just couldn’t believe it.” The film is based on the Broadway musical of the same name. It follows two cellmates in a South American prison. Amid political unrest, they bond as one of them recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favourite screen diva (J.Lo). Along with all the singing…

Channel Seven has sparked speculation that Dancing with the Stars Australia will not be returning in 2026. The popular dancing competition was noticeably absent from the network’s 2026 Upfronts presentation, in which it confirmed all the programs on next year’s slate. While there has been no official announcement yet, its absence has fuelled rumours that the show has been put on hold – or even cancelled. Dr Chris Brown, who made his debut as co-host of DWTS alongside Sonia Kruger in 2024, added to the speculation when he took to Instagram to share his excitement over his 2026 projects, Once In A Lifetime and My Reno Rules, but made no mention of DWTS.…

McLeod’s Daughters stars Michala Banas and Brett Tucker are reuniting for a new project! They’ll be starring in the New Zealand series, Blue Murder Motel, in which they play a pair of married retired police officers who invest in a motel only for a dead body to turn up in a room! Michala, 46, said on Instagram that she’d been “having a blast” filming with “excellent human” Brett. Michala and Brett, 53, first worked together on McLeod’s, where they played fan-favourite characters, Kate and Dave.…

When he is King, William has reportedly made it known that he will ban Andrew from his coronation and that he intends to oversee a modernised “fit for purpose” monarchy. “That will involve removing some royals’ titles,” a palace insider tells New Idea. This has caused great concern with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are aware that their titles – and those belonging to their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – could be in jeopardy. “William will strip Andrew, and other non-working royals, of their HRHs and princely titles when he ascends the throne,” said royal commentator Tom Sykes on the Daily Beast website. “Harry and Meghan are at the top of William’s list,” our source adds.…

Turtle tours will be the hottest tickets in Queensland this summer, after a record breeding season at Mon Repos Beach. More than 500 loggerhead turtles made their way ashore at the end of last year, laying an unprecedented 265,000 eggs. Mon Repos Conservation Park’s head ranger, Cathy Gately, says it was an exciting time for staff at the rookery, which is home to the largest concentration of nesting turtles in the South Pacific. “It’s incredible to watch these magnificent ancient mariners navigate the dark beach and dig their nests entirely by instinct,” Cathy, 55, tells New Idea. “Then, months later, witnessing the sand come alive as hatchlings burst through and make their first journey to the ocean. “It’s magical to watch and it never gets old.” Cathy has spent the…

Whether it’s the mate that’s been around since you were a baby or the quirky life of the party you grew close to after an office party in 2009, good friends are a treasure. They lift your spirits up when you’re down and keep you laughing when you need it most. But did you know they can also help you live a longer and healthier life? QUALITY CONNECTIONS STRENGTHEN HEALTH Surrounding yourself with people you can trust and depend on has never been more important, with good relationships proven to reduce stress, improve immune function, lower blood pressure and slow down cognitive decline. More than that, the ongoing Harvard Study of Adult Development (which began in 1938) has repeatedly found that the quality of a person’s relationships is one of…

Catch Charlie on BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Fri. 7pm on Channel 7 and in Better Homes and Gardens magazine every month. When I design a garden, the first thing on the list is privacy – there’s no fun in designing a garden that won’t be used because you feel overlooked, uncomfortable or have an unsightly view. It all starts in the planning stage, so when you’re setting out your key areas, think about what spaces you’ll be using the most and position those away from sight lines and offending noises such as busy roads. LOWER LEVELS SECLUDE If you can manipulate the levels, having a sunken courtyard is an excellent way to feel secluded and private. The lower level helps to cut out noise and any nosy neighbours, but also…

Q Will my quest to have a baby via an overseas egg donor become a reality, or isn’t it meant to be? Also, will my back pain be resolved? CATHERINE, MELBOURNE, VIC A Your horoscope shows a deeply caring, maternal nature (Cancerian moons are the cluckiest of all), so I can understand your desire for a child. Travel also shows strongly in your chart, so looking overseas could certainly be an option. Jupiter is currently hanging out in your ‘children and creativity sector’, throwing focus onto these parts of your life. A retrograde through summer could bring a few delays but, on the upside, it might allow you to research or improve your plans. Things should speed up from late summer, and by next spring it might be all systems…

Sarah Todd The pregnant MasterChef star and her beau, Declan Cleary, got back in the kitchen to cook up a fishy feast for National Barramundi Day in Sydney. Demi Moore It was a Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle reunion as Demi and Lucy Liu enjoyed a night at the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles. SHE’S JUST WINGING IT! Gigi Hadid The model looked simply angelic when she hit the runway at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show in New York City. Heavenly! MAKING A SPLASH! Tim Robards The former Bachelor hit the surf in Sydney to coach his daughter, Elle, on catching a wave. What a dream dad! Anna Kournikova She’s pregnant with her fourth child, so a roomy duck suit was the perfect Halloween costume for ex-tennis queen Anna. Her…

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie’s lives have long resembled a fairytale – until now. Their idyllic world has crumbled, with their father Prince Andrew finally relinquishing his royal titles – including the Duke of York – due to his association with late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. “They can hardly believe what has happened,” one palace insider tells New Idea. “They are mortified and had no idea about the more lurid details of the scandal that has enveloped their parents. They have no idea how to move forward from this.” Andrew, 65, forfeiting his dukedom came as new allegations against him emerged in the late Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous new memoir, Nobody’s Girl. She outlined Andrew’s alleged abuse of her as a 17-year-old, enabled by Epstein. Andrew vehemently denied her allegations and settled…

From topping the My Kitchen Rules leaderboard to scraping through an elimination cook off against Michael and Rielli, Danielle and Marko have had quite the roller-coaster ride in the competition. But the happy couple from WA exclusively tell New Idea that one of the most challenging aspects they’ve faced on the show is deciphering the feedback from judges Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge. “Their comments have all been firm but fair,” Marko says. “But it’s really difficult in some situations to take on board what they say, because you have a game plan and you want to stick to it, and they’re throwing a spanner in the works. “Half the time, it seems like they’re doing it just to mess with you a little bit. “It can be perceived that…

‘Everyone thought she’d be the next big thing’ Channel Nine is rumoured to have “slashed” Laura Junner’s screen time on The Golden Bachelor, amid her famous daughter Abbie Chatfield’s media storm. “Those who are tuning in expecting to see a big dose of Abbie’s mum are in for a surprise because her once-pivotal role has been dramatically reduced in the final edit,” dishes a production insider. Initially tipped to be one of the breakout stars, Laura, 64, was reportedly cut out after Abbie’s offscreen controversies began dominating headlines shortly before the show’s premiere on October 20. JANETTE’S THE FRONTRUNNER! “Laura was a huge personality during filming,” spills the insider. “Producers loved her confidence and saw real potential in her. But by the time the show was in post-production, Abbie’s name…

From Gene Hackman to Robert Redford and, most recently, Diane Keaton, 2025 has claimed far too many legends already. But there are growing fears that the world could soon be saying ‘adieu’ to French pin-up Brigitte Bardot, following a mysterious health scare. Brigitte, 91, was recently hospitalised for three weeks at Saint-Jean Private Hospital in Toulon, France, suffering from a “serious illness”. Her admission was shrouded in secrecy, with the news only coming to light on October 18. Her representatives quickly issued a statement saying they “will not respond to any requests” about the star’s surgery or recovery. Speaking on Brigitte’s behalf, they simply gave their thanks to “everyone who is concerned about her health”. As she recuperates at her St Tropez villa, the world waits with bated breath to…

I’ve not long got a new car, and the worst part is the anticipation of scratching it for the first time. For me, a ding is not a matter of if but when. ACCIDENTS HAPPEN I still remember my first prang – the tow truck drove me home to the chicken bar my parents owned and Dad said, “Oh my God!” When it happened again, as I pulled up, he called out, “Oh, the tow truck driver is here!” and then when it happened again, he said, “Denise is home!” DEFENSIVE DRIVING Years ago, I was invited to take part in a celebrity race event. They made us do some training and taught us what to do if we lost control of the car. They put water on the road…

It’s no secret that our friendly neighbours house some of the most incredible natural landscapes in the world. Whether you’re a Lord Of The Rings fan, nature lover, fitness guru or simply want to experience something place for you. In fact, we might even suggest that you haven’t really lived if you’re yet to journey through the wild beauty of New Zealand! MOKE LAKE LOOP TRACK LEVEL Easy LOCATION Queenstown, Otago DURATION 6.9km This popular walk and bike track is just a short 15 minute drive from the By Belad Al-karkhey. magical, then this is the heart of Queenstown. The loop traces around the edge of the jaw-dropping Moke Lake. The postcard-perfect scenery of grasslands and towering mountains will easily capture your heart. MAUAO/MOUNT MAUNGANUI SUMMIT WALK Sat along a…

TV SHOW DOWN CEMETERY ROAD When a house suddenly explodes in a quiet Oxford neighbourhood and a girl disappears amid the chaos, Sarah Tucker (Ruth Wilson) becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of what happened. She enlists private investigator Zoë Boehm (Emma Thompson) to help. The story is adapted from the gripping debut novel by Mick Herron, and what follows is an eight-part thriller that sees Sarah and Zoë uncover a chilling conspiracy. People long-believed dead are still alive, while the living are fast losing their lives. PREMIERES WED. ON APPLE TV+ Portrait Artist of the Year TV SHOW This eight-part competition series hosted by actress Miranda Tapsell and comedian Luke McGregor sees nine professional visual artists go head-to-head in a bid to win a commission to have their work…