Table of contents for Issue 50, 2025 in New Idea

Christmas has come early! Our gift to you is this whopping 100-page bumper issue, so whether you’re relaxing on a beach or keeping cool inside, you’ve got more to enjoy. There’s Christmas outfit inspiration, party-season hair ideas and exclusive hosting tips from celebrity chef Curtis Stone to make lunch as stress-free as possible. Is Japan on your bucket list? Our writer Holly shares her incredible tips from her recent visit on page 70. There are cash prizes galore with the chance to win $50,000 when you subscribe (page 72), $15,000 on page 16, and our puzzle book. A highlight this week was our fun chat with Nat and Shirvo ahead of The Salvation Army’s Carols in the Domain on Saturday December 20 and on Channel Seven. Don’t forget to pull…

Since finding fame – and love – on The Bachelor in 2013, Tim Robards has become a regular fixture on our TV screens. But Tim, 43, recently revealed that he and wife, Anna, are considering leaving Australia for the US, in order for him to be taken seriously as an actor. “The US has been pretty open to me,” Tim told The Daily Telegraph. “I’ve come really close to a lot of US things, but it’s kind of getting the Aussies on board, because they know me as the Bachelor.” While Tim has appeared on local reality TV shows, including I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!, Dancing with the Stars and Australian Ninja Warrior – and had a regular role on Neighbours – translating that into more…

After seven years of estrangement, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has finally reached out, via a letter, to her sick father, Thomas Markle. But despite her father’s grave health crisis, New Idea hears that Meghan, 44, has no plans to travel to her father’s side – and is “no closer” to fully healing their rift. Recently, Thomas, 81, underwent a leg amputation procedure in a hospital in the Philippines following a life-endangering medical emergency. Thomas moved there this year, from Mexico, and lives with his son, Thomas Jr. Amid all this, Meghan’s husband, the Duke of Sussex, is proving to be an unlikely advocate for forgiveness in the situation. “Prince Harry is actually pushing for Meghan to reconsider her feelings about reconciling with Thomas, on two fronts,” our source explains.…

For 2026 enquiries, visit blitzmytree.com.au When Renee Speranza and Dom Orlando tell people they are Christmas tree stylists, the assumption is they’re hired by people who have cash to splash, and live in homes that require enormous and perfectly styled decorations. While this can be true, the pair, both mums, also work with families who need help for some very different reasons. “We have one client whose wife was crazy for Christmas and after she died he kept their tree up for a year,” Dom, 46, tells New Idea. “He called us in and asked us to take a photo of it and then reinstall it the same, every year.” Another family needed assistance dressing their daughter’s tree. She had recently passed away and Renee, 42, says it was a…

As Sarah hit the beach in Sydney, her ex-husband James Stewart flew west, enjoying a quick getaway to Perth with his daughter, Scout, and new love Ada Nicodemou. While there, James, 50, and Ada, 48, took part in the city’s annual Christmas pageant – with Scout, 13, joining them on the Home and Away float! “WA has this real community vibe,” James told reporters. “That’s kind of why I brought Scout, so she can get in on it.” Some have wondered if James and Scout also caught up with her mum, Jessica Marais, while in Perth. Jess relocated back to her home state sometime in 2022.…

Salmon en Croute SERVES 4-6PREP & COOK 1 HOUR ■ 1 small onion, finely chopped ■ 1 clove garlic, crushed ■ 150g baby spinach leaves ■ ²⁄³ cup spreadable cream cheese ■ 2 tbsp sour cream ■ 2 tsp Dijon mustard ■ 1½ tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus extra sprigs to garnish ■ 4 x 200g skinless salmon fillets ■ 4 sheets frozen puff pastry, just thawed ■ 1 egg, lightly beaten ■ Mixed salad leaves, lemon wedges, to serve 1 Heat a lightly oiled, large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 3-5 mins, until soft. Stir in garlic. Add spinach. Cook, stirring, until just wilted. Remove from heat. 2 Stir in cream cheese, sour cream, mustard and dill until well combined. Season with salt…

JOLLY GOOD CUPPA ’Tis the season to sip and sparkle! Get all your presents in one stop with T2’s Christmas gift pack offerings, beautifully boxed bundles of joy that turn tea time into me time. Whether you’re treating your hostess friend, tea-savvy mum or simply gifting yourself a little luxury, these packs come in a range of gorgeous sets – from the handy A Year in Tea ($130) to a chic Robert Gordon collab ($70) – and make every cuppa feel festive. t2tea.com HOW TO MAKE GRAVY FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS FOR A TASTY HOMEMADE GRAVY 1 When the roast is cooked, remove meat and vegetables from roasting pan. Cover meat loosely with foil and rest. Transfer roast vegetables to an oven tray and return to oven to crisp up…

CULPABILITY By Bruce Holsinger When the Cassidy-Shaw’s minivan crashes and kills an elderly couple, the whole family is shaken – and each of them is hiding something. A routine police investigation threatens 17-year-old Charlie’s future and his mum, Lorelei, starts to act strangely. With tensions rising, the truth becomes harder to outrun. OUT NOW, ALLEN & UNWIN, $34.99 GRAVITY LET ME GO By Trent Dalton Noah should be celebrating his true-crime book, but instead his life is coming apart. Strangers are trying to run him down, old secrets shake loose and Noah’s wife is leaving eerie messages. As a storm barrels in, Noah is pulled into a whirlwind of secrets – and a love he’s desperate to protect. OUT NOW, HARPERCOLLINS, $34.99…

LOVE IS IN THE AIR It’s been a big few weeks for former Sunrise star Mark Beretta. In amongst filming his final episode at Brekky Central on December 12, he also revealed he has found love again, following the end of his marriage to ex-wife, Rachel, in 2023. On December 9, Mark, 59, was seen enjoying a romantic stroll with his new girlfriend, Renata Hickson. The pair put on an intimate display as they walked around the Sydney suburb of Balmoral. A source tells New Idea they looked “very loved up”. Joining Mark and Renata on their amble was her dog. Prior to their outing, Mark gave an interview in which he expanded on his departure from Sunrise after 22 years, and teased he was in a new relationship with…

Fatherhood is on its way for Justin Theroux. The 54-year-old actor is expecting his first child with his wife, Nicole Brydon Bloom. The couple quietly married in March this year, seven years after Justin’s divorce from Jennifer Aniston. Although they haven’t publicly spoken about their pregnancy, a source close to the couple confirmed the happy news to People magazine. Actress Nicole, 31, was also sporting a just-visible baby bump when she and Justin attended a Prime Video event in Los Angeles last week.…

Matthew McConaughey’s seemingly perfect marriage to Camila Alves is going through a rocky patch, thanks to his thrill-seeking appetite for high-octane movie stunts, with friends saying his wife is terrified he’ll end up in the ER again. “Camila is frustrated that Matthew won’t use stunt doubles,” a source tells New Idea. “She doesn’t understand why he takes any unnecessary risks when they’re raising three kids.” Last week, Matthew, 56, was on the Hot Ones YouTube show and recounted an injury he sustained making Reign of Fire, after jumping into a tunnel and hearing a “pop” in his knee. “That was a silly injury,” Matthew admitted. “I’m still fully committed to performing my own stunts, as long as my films’ insurance will permit it.” Friends say the admission has brought the…

It has been 22 years since Billy Crudup blew up his entire world with one of showbiz’s most brutal love splits. Mere months after announcing he and his long-time partner, actress Mary-Louise Parker, had a baby on the way, Billy ignited a tabloid firestorm by leaving her for his younger co-star, Claire Danes. “The backlash from the public was severe,” recalls a pal. “It almost ruined Billy’s career and Claire’s. Both of them looked so bad. The whole world, and most of Hollywood, sided with poor Mary-Louise, who was seven months pregnant with their son, William.” Fast forward to now, and the exes are in a good place, thanks in large part to Billy’s new wife, Naomi Watts, stepping in to broker the peace. In her 2015 memoir, Dear Mr.…

Jonathon Fren and his wife, Danielle, can’t wipe the smiles off their faces after finding out they are expecting a son. Having announced their pregnancy news in October, the couple held a gender reveal party recently, where they were “over the moon” to learn a little boy is on his way. Travel Guides star Jono’s parents, Mark and Cathy, and sister Victoria, were in attendance. “Thank you to those who came to celebrate our gender reveal today in the sweltering heat,” Jono and Danielle wrote in a joint Instagram post. “We are extremely grateful for all the love and support we have around us. We can’t wait to meet this little boy.” The pair had invited their guests to predict the gender by wearing a pink or blue sticker –…

Only in New Idea The tree has been decorated, most of the presents wrapped and the lunch menu is sorted for Isabelle Richards and Kerry Milligan’s boisterous Christmas Day festivities. But, as the former Gogglebox Australia stars tell New Idea, this holiday season is also very bittersweet, as it’s their first Christmas without beloved family matriarch Emmie. Australia fell in love with Emmie when she, Kerry and Isabelle joined Gogglebox in 2016. Emmie left the show in 2023 after being diagnosed with dementia. The much-loved 96-year-old passed away this July. Almost six months on, the grief is understandably still close to the surface for Kerry, 72, and Isabelle, 41. But mother and daughter are determined to enjoy the holidays too, because Emmie “absolutely loved Christmas”, says Kerry. “She was the…

Berries and Cream Celebration Cake SERVES 12 PREP & COOK 1 HOUR 20 MINS ■ 600ml tub thickened cream ■ ⅓ cup icing sugar mixture, plus extra for dusting ■ 3 tsp vanilla extract ■ 250g tub mascarpone ■ 250g punnet strawberries ■ ⅓ cup raspberry jam ■ 2 x 250g packet mini jam sponge rolls ■ Fresh raspberries, to decorate CAKE ■ 300g butter, chopped, softened ■ 1¼ cups caster sugar ■ 5 eggs ■ 2⅔ cups self-raising flour ■ 1 cup milk 1 Grease 2 x 20cm round cake pans. Line bases and sides with baking paper. 2 CAKE Beat butter and sugar in large bowl of an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Using wire whisk, stir in sifted…

FOR MORE RECIPES, VISIT New Idea Magazine newideamagazine or newidea.com.au/food Raspberry and Pistachio Praline Trifle SERVES 10 PREP & COOK 1 HOUR ■ 600ml thickened cream ■ ⅓ cup icing sugar mixture ■ 250g tub mascarpone ■ 1 tbsp vanilla extract ■ 450g unfilled double rectangular sponge ■ 2 x 125g punnets raspberries PISTACHIO PRALINE ■ 1 cup caster sugar ■ ¾ cup (100g) pistachio kernels RASPBERRY COULIS ■ 500g frozen raspberries ■ ½ cup caster sugar ■ ¼ cup orange-flavoured liqueur 1 PRALINE Lightly grease an oven tray and line with baking paper. Place sugar and ⅓ cup water in a medium saucepan. Stir over a low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil. Gently boil, without stirring, for about 15 mins, or until golden. Remove from heat.…

LAID-BACK LUNCH TIP Team a simple maxi dress with a fun bag or earrings to take things up a notch. BREEZY BEACH TRIP FANCY DINNER TIP Keep things fun and playful with lush velvet accessories.…

Lincoln Lewis The actor shared a behind-the-scenes snap from his guest appearance on NCIS: Sydney, where he played a character in the vein of Steve Irwin. Crikey – khaki suits you, Linc! MIND THE CURRENT! Allison Langdon Exposing scams on A Current Affair can get a bit hot under the collar at times – so Ally hit the surf to cool off at a Sydney beach! Bridie Carter McLeod’s forever! Bridie treasured catching up with her McLeod’s Daughters sister, Lisa Chappell. Timothée Chalamet Orange you glad to see Timothée and Kylie Jenner are still a couple?! Despite split rumours, the pair attended the LA premiere of his new movie, Marty Supreme, together. Shirley MacLaine Shirley and Mikhail Baryshnikov had a ball together at the inaugural Dance Hall of Fame ceremony…

Isla Fisher paid an emotional tribute to late British author Sophie Kinsella, who passed away aged 55 last week, after being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022. Isla, 49, starred in the 2009 adaptation of Sophie’s bestselling book series of a Shopaholic, and became close to Sophie. “I was lucky enough to speak your witty and brilliant words,” Isla wrote on Instagram in a letter to Sophie. “My heart is broken. You are still my hero and I’m grateful for you.” Sophie, whose real name was Madeleine Wickham, wrote more than 30 books during her career, under both monikers, but it was the Shopaholic series that made her a star. She is survived by her husband, Henry, and their five kids. “Though we won’t meet again, your light and magic…

It’s Erin Patterson’s first Christmas since she was convicted of triple murder and, in her new home at the notorious Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, she will not be experiencing the creature comforts of previous, carefree Christmases. Far from being an occasion of joy, Patterson, 51, will spend the day alone at the maximum security women’s prison in Melbourne, in the solitary confinement judged to be for her safety. It means that, even on Christmas Day, Patterson will have little access to fresh air, will have her lunch delivered through a trap door, and next to zero opportunity to communicate with others. She also won’t be visited by family members because, like in all state public prisons, guests are not allowed at Dame Phyllis Frost on December 25. Institutions explain this…

Julia Roberts might have scored her 11th Golden Globe nomination for her new movie, After the Hunt, but sources say we shouldn’t expect to see the actress’ husband, Danny Moder, by her side at next January’s awards ceremony. Once again, Danny, 56, has retreated from the spotlight, leaving his superstar wife to attend several recent events solo – or with a stand-in date! On December 1, Julia, 58, was at the Gotham Awards in New York with her After the Hunt director, Luca Guadagnino. The pair were honoured with the Visionary Tribute for their collaboration. A few days later, Julia jetted to Prague, Czech Republic, but cinematographer Danny was nowhere to be seen. At press time, sources pointed out it’s nearing four months, specifically 120 days, since Julia and Danny…

MAKING A SPLASH! For Sarah Roberts, there was no better way to celebrate turning 41 than spending the day at the beach with her hunky boyfriend, Jake Iesu. On December 4 – Sarah’s birthday – the pair were seen cooling off at Sydney’s Coogee Beach. Clearly not afraid of some PDA, at one point Sarah wrapped herself around Jake, a cinematographer, artist and occasional pilot, as they bobbed along in the water. Jake is the first person Sarah has publicly dated since her April 2024 split from ex-husband, and Home and Away co-star, James Stewart. She has said she’s “grateful” she “found” Jake because he has “allowed me to grow in beautiful and unexpected ways”. Now that’s an amazing gift!…

Sarah Harris could be returning to our TV screens, thanks to a little help from her friends. The single mum and former The Project host all but vanished from public life after Network 10 axed the show in June. However, she was finally seen for the first time in months on December 5, as she met up with pal Jessica Rowe in Sydney. Dressed casually, the former Studio 10 co-hosts looked deep in conversation as they strolled around Centennial Park. A TV insider confirms to New Idea that Sarah, 44, and Jess’ outing wasn’t just a friendly catch-up, but business too. “Yes, Sarah has been keeping a very low profile since The Project folded. And yes, it was like she’d disappeared off the face of the Earth. But in reality,…

Burrata with Grilled Peach, Asparagus and Honey Balsamic SERVES 2 PREP & COOK 20 MINS ■ 2 tbsp honey ■ ¼ tsp chilli flakes ■ 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar ■ 8 thin slices baguette or ciabatta ■ ⅓ cup olive oil ■ 1 large (200g) peach, cut into 2cm-thick wedges ■ 6 thin asparagus spears, ends trimmed ■ ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve ■ 150g tub burrata, drained 1 Place honey and chilli in small heatproof bowl. Microwave on High for 15-20 secs, until bubbling. Stir in vinegar. Set aside to cool. 2 Lightly brush both sides of bread with oil. Heat a chargrill plate over a medium-high heat. Add bread. Cook for about 2 mins each side, until toasted. Remove. 3 Brush peach wedges and…

Now that he’s cohosting his third The Salvation Army’s Carols in the Domain concert, Matt Shirvington is a lot more confident about getting up on stage, at the beloved annual event, in front of his nearest and dearest. “In my first year, I only had my immediate family there,” he confesses. “Then last year, I organised tickets for 12 family and friends. But now, I think I’ve found my feet and I’ve got all the extended family and friends coming along! It’s a really special night and I’m proud to be a part of it.” His co-host, Nat Barr, confesses she “can’t quite remember” how many Carols concerts she’s been involved in – “but that’s because every show is so unique and special in their own way,” Nat explains. “Hosting…

BOUNCY CURLS 1 For glam waves like Ayo, prep using Briogeo Style + Treat Supreme Shine Styling Oil, $45, mecca.com.au, infused with plum oil to keep strands smooth and voluminous. 2 Before using a hot tool, spritz on O&M PS Heat Protection Spray, $44.95, adorebeauty. com.au, to help prevent damage. 3 Create a side part, use a curling wand like ghd Chronos Curve Classic Tong, $320, ghdhair.com/au, to create lush, defined curls. 4 Once styled, work in Wella Professionals Ultimate Smooth Oil, $39, adorebeauty.com. au, for a silky smooth finish GLAM HALF UPDO 1 For an effortless result like Kristen, prep strands with an ultra-hydrating mask like Revlon Professional Re/Start Hydration Rich Mask, $26.95, ozhairandbeauty.com 2 Once dry, use a tail comb to section hair starting from just above the…

Lily Collins is saying ‘au revoir’ to Paris and ‘buongiorno’ to Rome, as her hit series, Emily in Paris, trades the Croisette for the Colosseum! Picking up from last season, Emily (Collins) is now in Italy, with a new job and love interest Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini) by her side. As Lily, 36, tells New Idea in an exclusive interview, “it’s a new chapter for Emily both personally and professionally”. But fret not, Francophiles, as Lily assures us that Emily “has not left Paris behind entirely. I don’t want to give anything away, but there is some drama coming again this season for Emily, for sure...” ROMAN HOLIDAY! Why do you think Emily followed Marcello to Rome? I think she was looking for a change, a chance to get away to…

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