Mum-to-be Kelly Clarkson is no stranger to scrutiny about her weight, and now she’s hitting back at her critics.
“Everybody calls me fat all the time, so I can’t wait to have a reason instead of everybody just being a jerk!” she toldParade.
The 31-year-old singer announced this week she’s expecting her first child with husband Brandon Blackstock.
But she’s already warning critics to back off about her baby weight, saying she has no intention to bounce back as soon as she gives birth.
“I’ve never been Gisele Bundchen,” she said.
“So ain’t nobody expecting that! I like to set a [low] standard so people don’t expect a lot.”
Kelly also opened up about her wedding day, which took place in Tennessee, saying it was ‘perfect’.
“I bawled like a baby. We wrote our own vows, and it was hard to get through them, but I did it,” she said.
“Brandon was like, ‘The Notebookain’t got nothin’ on me – come on!’ And he took me out [on the lake] in a rowboat. It was very sweet. The whole thing was perfect.”
Related video: Kelly chats to Jay Leno about trying for a baby.
Maggie Beer singing with her choir. Photography: Brett Stevens.
As one of Australia’s most loved cooks, there’s no doubt Maggie enjoys her cooking up a storm in the kitchen and the devout food-lover is right at home at the table feasting on delicious food with the people she loves.
But it’s what comes afterwards that brings Maggie the most joy.
For years at parties and dinners at friends’ places, after the of a meal and of course a few drinks, Maggie and her friends always found themselves gravitating towards the kitchen and singing together for hours.
“After you’ve had a lovely meal and a few drinks, everyone’s a singer and it just brings so much joy,” she tells The Weekly.
“We would have so much fun together, singing and laughing, and I decided I wanted to do it more regularly.”
That was nine years ago, and since then every Wednesday night has been singing night at Maggie’s Barossa Valley home.
The four founding choir members, Maggie’s close friends, have grown to a group of up to 17 women, spending one and a half to two hours each week, with a professional teacher.
“We sing for joy but we also really like to learn,” Maggie says.
“I just love it so much. I love the community of it and we have such a time.”
Maggie is a busy woman, but she makes time for her choir because it’s “so important” to her.
“I can be totally and absolutely exhausted and I sing from one and a half to two hours and I’m as high as a kite.”
Though the choir was never performance driven, they do go public about three or four times a year and are currently preparing for their annual Christmas performances at the local church and in Adelaide with a number of other choirs.
“We don’t do it for performance, but we love to perform,” Maggie says.
Maggie Beer serves up a sumptuous spread of festive dishes in the December issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly. Buy the magazine for Maggie’s Christmas buffet recipes.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are celebrating 66 years of marriage.
The Queen first met Philip as a girl of only 13 at the wedding of his cousin. In November 1947 the couple were wed at Westminster Abbey and their marriage is still going strong today.
Now 87 and 92 years old, the royal couple have been through a lot together, from the 26-year-old Princess becoming Queen in 1953 to welcoming their great-grandson Prince George earlier this year.
We take a look back at the happy couple through the years.
The Queen and Prince Philip have been married for 66 years.
Elizabeth and Philip dance together in public for the first time at a ball in July 1947.
During their honeymoon in Malta, 1947.
The couple studying their wedding photographs while on honeymoon in November 1947.
Princess Elizabeth with her husband Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh and their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne in 1951.
Princess Anne and Prince Charles in the arms of their parents in 1951.
Waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace following Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip pose on the Queen’s Coronation day on June 2, 1953, in Buckingham Palace.
A photograph of the royal couple at the Royal Film Show in 1953.
The Queen, Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace in 1954.
Elizabeth and Philip with children Andrew, Anne and Charles at Balmoral in 1960.
Waving to the crowds at the trooping of the colour in 1964..
The royal family pose for a group portrait on the couple’s 25th wedding anniversary.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at Balmoral, Scotland, 1972.
Elizabeth and Philip pose for a portrait on their 40th wedding anniversary.
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and Prince Edward at the 50th anniversary of the Queen in London.
On safari during their 1979 visit to Zambia.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at Balmoral, Scotland, 1972.
Elizabeth and Philip during the golden jubilee celebrations in June 2002.
Three generations of the British Royal family – Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Charles, Prince of Wales and Prince William, 2003.
The couple at St Paul’s Cathedral celebrating the Queen’s 80th birthday, 2006.
A family portrait to celebrate the couple’s diamond anniversary, 2007.
The Queen and Prince Philip mark their diamond wedding anniversary in 2007.
The couple are welcomed by wellwishers at Parliament Square on their diamond anniversary.
In November 2011.
After the royal wedding in April 2011.
At the 2011 diamond jubilee pageant.
The state opening of parliament in 2012.
Philip, Elizabeth and Charles celebrate the Queen’s winning horse in September 2012.
She has an incredible figure, but this model won her latest job after proving she was as “intellectually stimulating” as she was attractive.
Camilla Hansson had to prove she had brains as well as beauty to win an international modelling competition to become the new face of lingerie line Belle Et Bonbon.
The 25-year-old former Miss Sweden – who has no academic qualifications – beat two doctors and a physicist but didn’t have to undergo an IQ test to prove her intelligence – instead contestants were asked about their “achievements, ambitions, wit and creativity” and their definition of “what is means to be intellectually stimulating”. See Camilla and other beauties with brains here.
Camilla Hansson is the new face of Belle Et Bonbon after proving she was brainy as well as beautiful.
Camilla said it was “a lovely surprise” to win the competition.
Cindy Crawford was class valedictorian at her high school and enrolled for a degree in chemical engineering at Chicago’s Northwestern University.
Supermodel Christy Turlington has a master’s degree in public health at Columbia University.
Lily Cole gained a double first class degree from Cambridge University.
Brooke Shields put her modelling career on hold to study French Literature at Princeton University.
Jennifer Connolly studied English at Yale University before transferring to Stanford to complete her degree.
Natalie Portman has a psychology degree from Harvard University.
Jodie Foster has an IQ of 132 and graduated magna cum laude from her literature degree at Yale University.
Sharon Stone reportedly has an IQ of 152, which is equal to Stephen Hawkings.
Kate Beckinsale is an award winning short story writer who studied French and Russian literature at Oxford University.
Geena Davis is a member of MENSA.
Emma Watson has studied at Brown and Oxford universities.
Tyra Banks graduated from Harvard Business School in 2012.
She has been coming to work with her mum in the European Parliament since she was six weeks old – so it's hardly surprising three-year-old Vittoria Cerioli thinks she's earned a right to vote too.
She has been coming to work with her mum in the European Parliament since she was six weeks old – so it’s hardly surprising three-year-old Vittoria Cerioli thinks she’s earned a right to vote too.
Vittoria – the daughter of Italian MEP Licia Ronzulli – stole the show in a parliamentary session in Strasbourg yesterday, raising her hand with her mum to vote on a new motion.
Alongside her favourite Teletubby toy, Vittoria helped her mum with her paperwork and played on her smartphone, behaving much better than the average politician.
Here are some pictures of Vittoria’s illustrious career in politics.
Vittoria and Licia stole the show at the European Parliament yesterday.
Vittoria went through her mother’s paperwork, ‘helping’ her file it properly.
Vittoria voted alongside her mum in several motions.
Vittoria copied almost everything her mum did.
Vittoria even grabbed the microphone at one point.
Vittoria voting with her stuffed toy in November 2012.
Mum and daughter voting in February 2012.
Licia and Vittoria in parliament in February 2012.
Licia and Vittoria in December 2011.
Licia started bringing Vittoria to parliament when she was just six weeks old.
Vittoria was a tiny baby when she made her parliamentary debut.
Simon Cowell has stepped out with very few wrinkles and a surprising new waxy looking face.
The US X Factor star, who has previously admitted he is no stranger to fillers, attended the launch of the Jaguar’s F-Type R Coupe alongside model Miranda Kerr, but couldn’t seem to keep a straight face.
“I work out three or four times a week, I have Botox, take tons of vitamins and vitamin infusions – if you believe that these things work, you will feel better,” he told Radio Times back in April.
It looks like he may have overdone it a little lately. Take a look at Simon’s waxy appearance here.
Simon Cowell steps out with a waxy appearance.
About face: Simon seems to have overdone the botox.
Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge made a joint royal visit to the Only Connect and ex-offenders projects in London on Tuesday.
Kate told Aaron Russell-Andrews, who was at the event and presented the couple with a vest for their son, that Prince George was” growing very fast”. As he handed Kate the vest, his own 20-month-old daughter tried to take it back to which Kate responded, “they are very demanding at this age”.
Wearing a Orla Kiely Birdie Dress, which she recycled from her wardrobe, Kate met volunteers and smiled and waved to the gathered crowd.
See all the pictures of their visit here!
The pair make a joint royal visit to the Only Connect and ex-offenders projects.
Kate wore one of her favourite Orla Kiely Birdie Dresses.
Kate showed off her new slightly curled long hair.
William and Kate attended charity Only Connect.
Kate spoke to volunteers who were making Christmas bunting.
Martin and Jane Weekes with twins Poppy and Parker. Photography by Sally Tagg, styling by Victoria Bell.
If you are a parent who has lost a child, you’ll already know this, but it’s perhaps worth saying: no child that dies can ever be replaced.
New babies may well be born, and they may well bring joy into your life, but the child that is missing will always be missing, and nothing can ever change it.
It’s a sentiment – a fact – that Martin and Jane Weekes –understand too well.
A little over a year ago, on 28 May 2012, Jane and Martin’s triplets – Lillie, Jackson and Willsher – died in a fire at a luxury shopping centre in Doha, in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar.
They were just two years old.
Now the couple, who loved being parents more than anything, have welcomed twins into their lives – and it’s bittersweet.
“I’ve been trying to think of a word, and that’s the best word,” says Martin, 47, who has his newborn son, Parker, snuggled into the crook of his arm.
“You want to be happy, but you feel guilty, because you are happy.
“You want to feel joy, but you are still grieving. You feel enormous love for them, but you also have regrets, because Lillie, Jackson and Willsher are not here. So it’s been a rollercoaster ride.”
Jane agrees: she loves being mother to her newborn twins, but she does not have two children. She has five.
Martin and Jane, who tell their story in the December issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly, were living in Qatar for work.
It’s a popular place for expats, because it’s generally safe, and the tax rate is low.
Martin, who was born in England, was a senor media manager, having previously worked as the CEO of Eden Park, home of the mighty All-Blacks.
Jane, who was born in New Zealand and lived in Canberra as a girl, worked for Qatar Airlines before she had her family.
Their children – all three of them – died when fire broke out in the Villaggio shopping centre, which was supposedly one of Qatar’s best, except that it was built incredibly cheaply, with highly flammable decorative paint and features, and blocked fire escapes, and so little attention to international fire safety regulations that the fire brigade didn’t even know that there was a child care centre there.
Qatar has recently won the right to host the 2022 World Cup and Martin says the international community should be concerned about the speed at which new buildings, especially stadiums, are going up.
Already, more than 70 guests workers have died on construction sites.
“They use cheap labour and don’t train people properly,” he says.
“If they could not evacuate a major shopping centre at midday on a Monday (which would have saved the lives of his children) what would happen in a major disaster?”
Read more of this story in the December issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
Speaking for the first time in the December 2013 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly, the 14-year-old boy describes the difficulties of living in the shadow of the notorious criminal, who died in October 2013 after a battle with liver cancer.
“We walk the same, talk the same … but I’m not going to follow in his footsteps,” Charlie says. “I’m proud to be his son, but it’s a bit hard living with his reputation. I can’t go anywhere without people asking, ‘Are you Chopper’s son?’
“Most people are pretty good. Some say nasty stuff, some just assume I’ll be a criminal, too. I’ve had comments from schoolkids like, “Why don’t you just go to jail now’.
“I know that people are looking at me to see what I do and how I grow up, but we are very different people.”
Charlie’s mother, Chopper’s first wife Mary-Ann Read, says Charlie is bullied continually for no other reason than the identity of his father.
“It’s been very hard for Charlie. He’s had lot of bullying because of his father’s reputation and he gets pre-judged.”
“It’s been very hard for Charlie,” she says. “He’s had lot of bullying because of his father’s reputation and he gets pre-judged.
“I worry about him constantly because he is so much like his father and he needs to be able to handle himself. He’s a very strong boy, but I have to be twice as strong as him.”
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But despite the trouble his famous father has bequeathed him, Charlie still has some good memories of his dad.
“He’s always been just ‘Dad’ to me. I don’t think of him as anything else, I don’t think of him as being the criminal. I’ve seen the other side of him and I’ve seen him do stuff that wasn’t great, but I want to remember the good times I had with him.
“I was thinking about what he used to be like, when he was around when I was little. It was pretty good then. He was a good dad then. We’d shoot at the gun club sometimes and we’d walk everywhere together. He liked that.”
Chopper and Charlie in happier times. (Pic credit: Penguin)
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