While The Voice coach Delta has received mixed reviews on social media, her friend Darren says there’s more to the star than meets the eye.
Delta Goodrem has been labelled everything from a “goddess” to a “phony” by The Voice viewers on Twitter. But her close friend, the former frontman of Savage Garden Darren Hayes, says far from being a cookie-cutter pop star, Delta is no pushover. “She’s so beautiful and she has an incredible voice, but that’s frustrating if you know her personally, because she is so much more complicated than that,” Darren tells Woman’s Day.
The pair have been close since Darren brought Delta – who was battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the time – and the nation to tears at the 2003 ARIA Awards by performing a rendition of her hit song Lost Without You. “I didn’t know her then. I was just asked by her management if I would come and surprise her,” the singer-songwriter recalls. “She really shouldn’t have been at the awards. That’s how sick she was.”
The pair didn’t get the chance to meet that night but Delta was so touched by the gesture, she treated Darren to dinner at the famous Bondi Icebergs once she had gone into remission. They hit it off instantly. “I see so much of myself in her journey as an artist, and I love her,” he smiles. “She is a lot cheekier than the public know and I like that on The Voice it comes out. My friend is cheeky and she has a wicked sense of humour.”
It’s obvious the love is mutual. Delta personally requested Darren join her in mentoring her team of singers on The Voice. “I like that the show allows Delta to be a woman and a full person,” he says. “She gets into it with Seal, actually, which is quite funny.”
Read more about Darren and Delta’s friendship, plus see the rundown of which parts of The Voice are not to be missed in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale Monday April 30, 2012.
She almost didn’t make it, but little Lola Patricia Newton Welsh is here to stay – and her famous family couldn’t be happier.
Looking over at the little bundle dozing peacefully in the corner, every little part of her fresh-baked perfection, it’s hard to imagine that baby Lola Welsh, born to proud parents Lauren Newton and Matt Welsh on March 26, almost didn’t exist. “She’s our little miracle bub,” says Patti Newton, looking over at her grandchild who, at a month old, has already endured two near claims on her young life.
Lola’s first fight began before she was even born. At the time, mum Lauren, 33, was a few weeks pregnant and as far as she knew, everything was going well. But a routine scan revealed worrying news. “The doctor told me that he couldn’t find the baby in the uterus, and that he was 95 per cent sure it was in the tube,” says Lauren, who was told it was an ectopic pregnancy.
“He wanted to act on it quickly, because I had been having a lot of cramping. He asked me to fast because he was pretty sure he was going to have to remove it [within days] or give me an injection to terminate the pregnancy.” Understandably, Lauren was devastated. “I felt like it was such a miracle that I was pregnant in the first place. I really wanted a third child, but it wasn’t 100 per cent planned,” she said.
“I already had my little boy and my little girl [Sam, 4, and Eva, 2], but this was such a lovely surprise. To have that taken away, I just thought, ‘Why is this happening to me?'” Amid her distress, Lauren couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to investigate. She sought the help of a specialist in tricky pregnancies and IVF. His diagnosis was markedly different. “He did an ultrasound and straight away said, ‘I think you have been misdiagnosed’.”
Read more about the Newton’s family little miracle in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale Monday April 30, 2012.
So, with the first round of contestants, including Karise Eden, Mahalia Barnes and Prinnie Stevens going into battle tonight, we take a look at some of the most unforgettable performances from the blind auditions.
Olay has come out on top in the ranking of the world’s top 10 beauty brands. The annual ranking of the 50 leading global cosmetic brands was conducted by brand valuation firm Brand Finance who analysed brands with products including hair-care, skincare, makeup and shower products. Olay is one of the most recognisable brands in the world with a brand value of $11.8 billion – both factors that have contributed to its number one title, beating other household names such as L’Oreal, Nivea and Dove. The results also revealed that consumers see value and trust in legacy brands with all but nine of the 50 brands being over 60-years-old, whilst 15 of them are over 100-years-old.
Top 10 beauty brands in the world
The annual ranking of the 50 leading global cosmetic brands was conducted by brand valuation firm Brand Finance who analysed brands with products including hair-care, skincare, makeup and shower products.
Click through to find out which brands made the top 10.
She may be taking a while to arrive, but when Jessica Simpson’s daughter is born she will be one privileged little girl. That’s if mum-to-be Jessica’s baby shower is anything to go by!
A video of the event, which was held on March 18, has been released showing giant red letters spelling out baby, a roof full of over-sized lanterns, a collection of gifts, a knitting station, a buffet of food and an ice-cream cart.
The guests included her sister Ashlee and celebrity friend Jessica Alba who took daughter Haven along with her.
Jessica’s fiance Eric Johnson also shunned tradition and attended the shower as well, sitting beside his wife-to-be to open gifts.
Due any day now, Jessica is keeping fans up-to-date on her pregnancy via twitter. On April 22 she wrote: “To everyone who keeps congratulating me on the birth of my baby girl…I’m still pregnant!! Don’t believe what you read ladies and gents.”
Days later she added: “I just woke up from a dream that I wore a leopard caftan in the hospital. Fabulous!! Now I need to find one!”
Video: Watch the video of Jessica’s baby shower in the video player above.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge aren’t doing much to dispel any baby rumors, in fact the pair looked quite comfortable as they both doted over a new born at a recent event in London.
Prince William, who will celebrate his first wedding anniversary with his wife on April 29, cradled the three-week old baby in his arms telling the baby’s father Vic Vicary, that “he looked very sweet” People magazine report.
Kate later went over to meet the little boy named Hugo Eric Scott and to chat with his parents telling them that their child was “very cute” and “had doting eyes on him”.
While the world is waiting for a royal baby announcement, a royal insider says the happily married pair are letting nature take its course.
Prince William holds baby Hugo Eric Scott.
Prince William doting over baby Hugo Eric Scott.
Prince William chatting to the child’s parents Vic and Hanna.
Kate commented on baby Hugo’s cute Superman outfit.
Prince William and Kate Middleton at an event marking the end of an expedition to the South Pole.
Olay has come out on top in the ranking of the world’s top 10 beauty brands.
With a history spanning 60 years, the Olay brand is renowned for its heritage and customer loyalty, with its skin care products appealing to women across generations.
Olay, now owned by P&G, originated in South Africa in the 1950s as a result of chemist Graham Wulff’s work to create a non-greasy, effective face moisturiser for his wife.
Today, Olay is one of the most recognisable brands in the world with a brand value of $11.8 billion — both factors that have contributed to its number one title, beating other household names such as L’Oreal, Nivea and Dove.
The annual ranking of the 50 leading global cosmetic brands was conducted by brand valuation firm Brand Finance who analysed brands with products including hair-care, skincare, makeup and shower products.
The results also revealed that consumers see value and trust in legacy brands with all but nine of the 50 brands being over 60-years-old, whilst 15 of them are over 100-years-old.
“This year also marks Olay’s 60th anniversary, so we are grateful that millions of women around the world continue to trust Olay for their skin care needs,” Michael Kuremsky, P&G’s Global Vice President and General Manager of Skin Care, said of the Top 50 Beauty Brands.
Olay’s brand strength certainly lived up to its credentials when the Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex, one of Olay’s many anti-aging products, quickly became the number one selling moisturiser in Australia* and the 2012 Product of the Year – Best Female Skincare Product** when it was launched in Australia as recently as September 2011.
Regenerist Brand Ambassador, Rebecca Gibney says of the product: “You know, I was just starting to grow quite fond of my fine lines and wrinkles and then this product comes along.”
“Applying to any trouble areas, it glides on and feels like velvet and you really can notice a difference — it’s incredible. It has become my handbag staple and when I’m on set, I have been using it under my make-up for a smoother complexion. I just love it!”
Your say: What’s your favourite beauty brand? Tell us in the comments below.
#1 moisturiser in Australia (dollar sales) based on Aztec Data, AU Grocery +Pharmacy sales 01/08/11 to 31/12/11
** Product of the Year is Australia’s largest independent consumer based survey of new products, with 7,000 household shoppers surveyed to determine winners.
The debate over circumcision is heating up, with new evidence showing it might prevent disease, writes Jordan Baker.
Professor Andrew Li circumcises men. About half his patients seek the procedure for medical reasons (infections, pain) and the rest for “personal” — mostly cosmetic — ones.
Of the latter, many are marched to the surgery by wives and girlfriends with a deep aversion to “ugly”, “unhygienic” foreskins.
“Some men come in with their partner and my whole conversation is with their partner,” says Dr Li.
On the other side, there’s American Wayne Griffiths, 78. Wayne was so upset about being circumcised that he used weights to stretch his skin and “restore” his foreskin. That was in 1987. Since then, he’s helped more than 10,000 men across the world do the same thing.
“Circumcision cut off anywhere from 20 to 80 thousand nerve endings,” Wayne says. “They are all the pleasure-sensing nerves. And they’re gone forever.”
For such a little operation, circumcision causes big controversy. In the 1950s, 85 per cent of boys were circumcised and the remaining few suffered relentless teasing from their peers.
In recent decades, after doctors decided there was no medical need to cut the foreskin at birth, the opposite has become the case.
Today, just 10 to 15 per cent of boys get the snip, mostly for religious or cultural reasons.
“Cut” boys are now the odd ones out in the locker room, but their time may soon come again. A group of Australian doctors is campaigning for a return to routine circumcision, citing research that shows it protects men from a range of diseases, including two forms of cancer (penile and prostate), urinary tract infections and a range of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS and the human papilloma virus (HPV), which can lead to cervical cancer in their female partners.
“The evidence in favour of infant circumcision is now so strong that advocating this simple, inexpensive procedure for baby boys is about as effective and safe as childhood vaccination,” Professor Brian Morris, a professor of medicine at Sydney University, said recently.
In Australia, parents decide whether to circumcise their sons. However, only Queensland allows the procedure in public hospitals and the Medicare rebate is small.
Dr Alex Wodak, a doctor based at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney and a member of the Circumcision Foundation of Australia, says parents tend to be discouraged from the procedure by doctors who have not caught up with recent research showing the benefits, including that uncircumcised men are three to eight times more likely to catch HIV/AIDS and syphilis.
With good pain relief, the baby doesn’t have to suffer, so there’s no reason not to circumcise, Dr Wodak says.
“The benefits outweigh the risks by a huge amount,” he says. “The evidence is getting so strong and yet the opposition is so strident, and the situation is unfair for parents. They should be able to get fair and balanced information, but they’re not. It’s a simple procedure when it’s carried out on infants — it’s quick, it’s painless, the benefits are considerable and the risks very small.”
Opponents of circumcision, or “intactivists” as they are known, disagree. They argue that not only is circumcision medically unnecessary and even risky, but it damages the sensitivity of the penis.
Such a permanent operation must not be performed without permission, they say, which a baby can’t give. Should a man eventually wish to be circumcised, he can easily do it as an adult.
With extreme passion on both sides of the argument, parents can struggle to find unbiased information.
The closest comes from The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, which has found that even though circumcision can guard against diseases, those diseases are either easily treatable or extremely rare in Australia (most of the research was done in Africa).
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