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Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s shock split

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's shock split

Their shock split last week proved that the seemingly smooth relationship between Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony had in fact been rocky for quite some time.

The UK’s Daily Mail reports that although in the public eye they seemed like a loved-up couple some people close to the pair were not surprised by the announcement that their seven-year romance had ended.

“This is not a surprise,” J-Lo’s stylist Phillip Bloch.

“Marc is very controlling. In the beginning she liked that because he stood up to her, and in the early days he was very much in love with her and she was with him.”

The couple, who are parents to three-year-old twins Max and Emme, released a statement on Friday, July 15.

“We have decided to end our marriage,” the couple said in a statement.

“This was a very difficult decision. We have come to amicable conclusion on all matters. It is a painful time for all involved and we appreciate the respect of our privacy at this time.”

The pair, who have been friends for years after dating briefly in the 1990s before marrying in 2004, reportedly broke up just before they were set to meet royal couple Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

J-Lo attended the event with her mother instead of her husband and was not wearing her wedding ring.

During his first public appearance since the pair’s split, Marc Anthony, 42, hit the stage in Colombia where he joked with the crowd about the break-up.

“They’re saying I’m single,” he said during his concert.

Throughout the show he blew kisses to adoring fans in the crowd telling one, “you’re so beautiful.”

Reports have emerged that the pair’s split was due to their differing work commitments and their disagreement over where their family should live.

J-Lo, who was considering whether she will return as a judge to American Idol next year, is set to star in two movies in 2012, one of which involves a nude scene which reportedly sparked a disagreement between her and her soon-be ex-husband.

Reports also emerged that J-Lo had had an affair with Cuban male model William Levy who starred alongside her in her new video clip for I’m Into You.

But he has denied any romantic connection to the pop-star through a spokesman who told TMZ: “The only relationship there was or is, is a professional relationship. That’s all there’s ever been.”

Despite the split the pair’s planned fashion line will continue to go ahead.

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Rebecca Gibney: Why I put on 20 kilos

Rebecca Gibney: Why I put on 20 kilos

The popular star of Packed To The Rafters is piling on weight, and having fun doing it.

For a woman whose issues with her own weight and body image are well-documented, the decision to pack on more than 20kg to fulfil her Hollywood dream must have been agonising for Rebecca Gibney. But the much-loved Packed To The Rafters star says she’s enjoying eating her way to a curvy frame to win a role in a major new movie, announced last week.

“It’s great,” Rebecca says. “It’s like being pregnant. You can eat whatever you want. In the beginning it was like, ‘Wow! Ice-cream, peanut butter, everything’.” While health experts warn that she is risking long-term damage with such rapid weight fluctuation, for now it’s a case of Fat to the Rafters for the normally slim actress, who needs to add even more before filming starts later this month. Rebecca, a Gold Logie winner for her role as Julie Rafter, has thrown out her sensible exercise and diet regime to stack on weight for her breakthrough role opposite Toni Collette in P.J. Hogan’s big budget feature film, Mental.

“I’m 46 and it’s my first big film role,” Rebecca says. “It’s a dream come true. I’ve had a few small roles, but this is a larger role, and to work alongside Toni Collette… it’s great. I’m really excited.” Rebecca felt obliged to explain her sudden weight gain when she was recently announced as the face of beauty product Olay Regenerist in front of a room full of fashionistas.

“I’m hiding it well,” explains Rebecca, who was dressed in loose-fitting and deceptively slimming black jacket and pants at the glamorous Sydney event. “It’s amazing what a Spanx [slimming undergarment] can do. It’s the thing that hides flab – know it’s there and you will see it in all its glory in the film.”

Read more about Rebecca’s weight gain and see more stars who have gained weight for a Movie role in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale July 18, 2011.

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Collette Dinnigan elopes!

Collette Dinnigan elopes!

Glowing in one of her own creations, the Aussie fashion queen marries her younger beau in an intimate Italian setting.

Bathed in the radiant light of the Italian sun and framed by an archway of bougainvillea blossoms, designer-to-the-stars Collette Dinnigan secretly wed her handsome hotelier beau, Bradley Cocks.

Collette, 45, said “I do” to Bradley, 34, in a romantic July 8 ceremony atop the cliffs of Positano, a picturesque fishing village in Campania overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. “We are ecstatic, it’s beautiful,” a thrilled and clearly besotted Collette said, moments after tying the knot. “The sun is shining so we couldn’t ask for anything better.”

The whirlwind wedding followed Bradley’s June 10 proposal during a holiday at the couple’s hideaway on the NSW South Coast. The 12.30pm civil ceremony took family and friends completely by surprise.In fact, there was only one guest invited, six-year-old Estella, Collette’s daughter with the Today show’s Richard Wilkins. Collette wore an exquisite hand-embroidered gown featuring lace ribbons on silk tulle that she had created especially for the occasion.

Estella made an especially cute flower girl, proudly wearing a design from her mother’s children’s range, Enfant. Resplendent under an arch of vivid purple bougainvilleas – Collette’s favourite flower – the newlyweds were serenaded by local musicians playing classical guitar and a mandolin.

Read more about Collette’s beautiful wedding day and see more pictures in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale July 18, 2011.

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Kate’s not too thin: The palace hits back at anorexia claims

Kate's not too thin: The palace hits back at anorexia claims

The palace hits back at eating disorder jibes saying the duchess is ‘thriving’ in her new role.

It’s the home of the size-zero star, a place full of scarily skinny actresses desperately dieting for their next role. Nevertheless, when Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrived in Hollywood with her new husband, Prince William, it was her shock weight loss that set the rumour mill ablaze. At the BAFTA gala dinner in Los Angeles, Kate achieved the seemingly impossible – standing next to willowy Nicole Kidman, it was the duchess who looked slimmer. An unkind observer noted that, in comparison to Kate, the Aussie actress appeared “almost in need of a pair of Spanx slimming knickers and a few weeks on the Dukan diet”.

Earlier that day, Kate, 29, had watched her husband lead his team to victory at the Foundation Polo Challenge in Santa Barbara, where she looked even slighter than petite stars Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Love Hewitt. At the luncheon following the match, she ate most of a salad, half a serving of lasagne and only a mouthful of the trifle dessert, politely declining the extra biscuits and petit fours offered.

While it would be only natural if nerves had affected Kate’s appetite, the American media is convinced she is suffering from an eating disorder, publishing hurtful claims that the duchess has anorexia – a devastating illness similar to that suffered by William’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who acknowledged publicly that she had binged and purged to stay slim.

The suggestion that Kate may have the same eating disorder has sparked royal outrage. However, that hasn’t stopped the American press weighing in. Under the headline “Pregnancy and Anorexia Shocker”, last week’s issue of Star magazine claims Kate’s diet of watercress soup has seen her weight drop to 43kg. The story describes her as “gaunt and bony” with an “unbelievably frail frame”.

Read more about the claims against Kate in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale July 18, 2011.

Your say: Do you think Kate is too thin? Share your thoughts below.

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Reality star Reggie Bird: I can hardly see my kids

Reality star Reggie Bird: I can hardly see my kids

With her sight slowly being stolen from her, the much-loved reality star is making the most of every minute.

She still has that trademark twinkle in her eyes, but sadly for Reggie Bird, the light is slowly fading. The vivacious 2003 Big Brother winner – now known as Reggie Sorensen, and the mother of two toddlers – is the first to admit she is in denial. But with the passing of each day, she is coming to grips with a tragic reality: she is going blind.

As if impending blindness isn’t a tough enough blow, Reggie, 37, and her fireman husband of three years, Dale Sorensen, have another medical crisis to deal with. Their 22-month-old son, Lucas, has been diagnosed with the incurable genetic disorder cystic fibrosis (CF), which affects the lungs, digestive tract and other organs.

“We were coping OK with Regina’s eyesight, thinking, ‘We can deal with this,’” explains Dale, 38. “Then we got the phone call about Lucas having cystic fibrosis. We couldn’t believe it. It does make you wonder, what have we done? It can’t be fair, can it?” Stoic Dale’s voice falters and trails off. He looks away to watch his precious Reggie doing what she loves best, being a high-spirited and loving mum. Reggie and Dale have invited Woman’s Day to join their family at their very favourite and most special of places, Dreamworld on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

Read more about the couple’s plans to move to Australia in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale July 11, 2011.

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Symantha Perkins: I lost 13 kilos in 12 weeks!

Symantha Perkins: I lost 13 kilos in 12 weeks!

The mother-of-three gave herself a new figure for her 40th birthday and she’s never felt better.

The TV personality, mum-of-three and wife of swimming legend Kieren Perkins has lost 8cm off her hips and is two dress sizes smaller – all in just 12 weeks. “I figured I could either fight [turning 40] or embrace it,” she says, shrugging. “I realised the thing I wanted to do the most for my birthday was something for me.” The past few years have been an uphill health battle for Sam. Suffering chronic migraines that left her hospitalised, she had a groundbreaking Implanted Pulse Generator (IPG) fitted in her back to help control the pain. Then, just as she was starting to get fit again, she broke her ankle.

“I’ve been pretty chronically ill for the last 12 months,” she says. “It’s easy to find an excuse not to get up and do something. You don’t feel well, so you lie around trying to feel better. Then you get depressed and eat a bit more than you should, and you don’t move because you’re in pain. Then you put on weight and it just keeps repeating itself.”Seeing the scales hit 102kg was a shock to Sam.

“When you put on weight, it’s a slow thing, and you’re sort of in denial about it,” she says. “You just think, ‘Oh, I’ll get a bigger shirt.’ But you can’t avoid it when you’re looking at a number on the scales. The really shocking thing was the last time I was at that weight was when I was heavily pregnant.” The thought of turning 40 and not being able to take part in family life was enough to make her realise something had to change. “I needed to get in shape and get healthy or I was going to miss out on really important parts of the kids’ lives,” Sam says.

Sam’s dietary habits were kicked into shape thanks to the Woman’s Day  Diet.

“I’ve learned how important it is to eat breakfast,” she says. “It used to be that by the time I’d made the kids’ brekkie, made their lunches, driven them to school and checked my emails, it was lunchtime.” Nutritionist Susie Burrell says, “It’s essential to eat breakfast, otherwise your kilojoule load in the second half of the day skyrockets.

Symantha has been eating a protein-rich breakfast such as a smoothie, or egg on grain or wholemeal toast.” Sam says, “I get up half an hour earlier so I can eat a proper breakfast. I’ve started to really enjoy that quiet time of day – it’s great me-time.”

Exercise never used to be a big part of Sam’s life. “When Kieren was swimming, the girls on the team would say that sport relaxed them.

I thought that was bizarre,” she says. “But now I get it!” Gary Smollen from Workout Indooroopilly in Brisbane, who trained Sam, says, “Walking briskly for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening boosts fitness and strengthens legs and core muscles. Sam also did circuit training, cycling and rowing in the gym.”

See the fitness routine Gary devised for Sam, here.

Read more about Symantha’s weight loss in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale July 18, 2011.

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*MasterChef*’s Hayden on love and life

MasterChef's Hayden on love, life and Ellie

Hayden Quinn talks about what keeps him fired up, and the kind of girl most likely to win his heart.

He’s easygoing lifeguard who’s very easy on the eye, but when MasterChef’s Hayden Quinn sat down for an exclusive interview with Woman’s Day, this cool customer wanted to set the record straight on a few things – such as those unfair surfie stereotypes and persistent rumours of a romance with contestant Ellie Paxton-Hall. But while there’s a lot of buzz around Hayden, the heart-throb of the MasterChef  house, we can’t help noticing he copes with all the pressure in an unusually measured way – and it seems there’s a good reason why.

No doubt his job as a lifeguard – where he makes life-and-death decisions – helps him handle the pressure-cooker that is MasterChef. But the 24-year-old has another trick up his sleeve – he literally thrives on the adrenalin. “I have a really active adrenal gland that fires heaps of adrenalin through my body in a high-pressure situation,” he explains.

“The surges of adrenalin make me feel quite up, and I always feel like I’m happy and having a good time, even in intense situations.” While this over-supply of adrenalin keeps Hayden on a natural high, the down side is that he suffers from severe tremors. “The adrenalin sort of shoots through my body and that’s where the shakes come from,” he says. “The amazing thing is that I’ve got this far in the competition and haven’t chopped a finger off!”

It’s not only the kitchen where Hayden’s unsteady hands could cause problems. In his work as a lifeguard, Hayden is required to perform high-risk rescues. “I’ve been in crazy, high-pressure situations,” says Hayden, who patrols Sydney’s northern beaches. “Cooking is nothing compared to some stuff I’ve done with shaky hands.”

Read more of our exclusive interview with Hayden, where he reveals how he feels about fellow contestant Ellie, in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale July 18, 2011.

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Meet Harper Seven Beckham

The first pictures of the Beckham’s newborn daughter Harper Seven have been released by the couple via Facebook and Twitter.

Victoria Beckham first posted a picture on her Twitter account of David with Harper tweeting: “Daddy’s little girl!”

David soon returned the favour by posting a picture of Victoria nursing Harper writing “I took this picture of my two girls sleeping.”

The couple is clearly overjoyed by the arrival of their first daughter.

David wore pink boots with the names of his four children stitched on the side at the Real Madrid match over the weekend, while Victoria has tweeted: “Baby Harper is the most beautiful baby girl I have ever seen, I have fallen in love all over again!!!”

David and Harper

Victoria and Harper

The Beckham family

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Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives

Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives

Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives by Helen O’Neill, Hardie Grant, $69.95.

Helen O’Neill’s sumptuous coffee table book on Australia’s home design queen Florence Broadhurst first came out in 2006 and this new deluxe edition is bigger with much more of a design focus.

Aficionados will notice more of Broadhurst’s signature prints and patterns in new colourways, plus there are photographs of interiors from around the world decorated in Broadhurst’s prints.

She was dedicated to bringing colour to Australia and every bit as colourful as her designs is Broadhurst’s life story told here in vivid detail.

She was something of a fantasist, as the biographer discovers, and constantly recreated her life story as she lived it.

One thing she couldn’t reinvent was her tragic and shocking end, murdered in 1977 in her studio in a ferocious attack, the assailant still unknown.

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Blue Monday

Blue Monday

Blue Monday by Nicci French, Michael Joseph, $29.99.

Nicci French is actually the pseudonym of UK crime writing husband and wife duo Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, and while the split personality of their voice is not immediately apparent, the duo’s books certainly benefit from the carefully crafted pace changes and character analyses that you can’t help but glean when two minds come together.

Blue Monday marks a new direction for the pair, with the creation of Frieda Klein, who is the central character of this and their next seven novels. Frieda is a psychotherapist who turns police informant and sleuth in this dark and fascinating thriller, when she suspects her latest patient might be implicated in the child abduction case currently flooding the front pages of every newspaper.

Matthew Farraday has red hair, alabaster pale skin and a mass of freckles. His face, splashed across the tabloids, already looks like that of a boy lost and alone, and as the days gather in the build-up to Christmas, the chances of finding him alive dwindle for Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson.

So when a psychotherapist (Frieda) walks through his door and tells him that one of her patients is describing an uncontrollable longing for a child exactly like Matthew he sits up and takes notice.

Frieda Klein is a compelling character, driven and single-minded, sharp and deep-thinking, but secretive, with layers of vulnerability that we only begin to glimpse as the chase to find Matthew gathers.

Missing children are at the heart of this troubling story, a subject no doubt prompted by author Nicci Gerrard’s other job as a journalist for Britain’s Observer newspaper, for which she covered the real-life murder trials of child killers Fred and Rosemary West and Ian Huntley, and that sense of veracity gives the tale a biting edge.

The novel opens with the disappearance of five-year-old Joanna outside a sweet shop on her way home from school, some 20 years earlier, and very quickly we realise there are links between what happened to this little girl and the abduction of Matthew Farraday.

What follows is at once alarming and impossibly compelling with twists that just don’t stop turning, but the underlying power of the book is in its genuine and fascinating characters, who develop as the narrative gathers pace, their faces — not least those of the killers — coming into sharper focus as we gallop to a finish that even the most forensic mind couldn’t foresee.

About the Author: NICCI FRENCH

Journalists Nicci Gerrard, 53, and Sean French, 52, writing together as Nicci French, have become one of the UK’s best-selling crime writers. They married in 1990 and five years later began their first joint novel.

“To write, you have to have a difficult combination of faith and self-doubt,” says Nicci. “Perhaps, if I hadn’t met Sean — aged 30, with a broken marriage and two extremely tiny children at my side — then I never would have made the leap from wishing to doing. Writing with Sean is our way of exploring the world together.”

Once they have conceived a novel, they write separately — Sean in the garden shed and Nicci in the study — bouncing chapters between each other by email, each editing and adding as they go.

Blue Monday is their 13th novel and the first of an octet featuring psychotherapist Frieda Klein, “One for each day of the week and then a mysterious eighth,” say Nicci and Sean.

JOIN THE AWW BOOK CLUB

In 30 words or less, tell us what is great about a book you are reading at the moment. The best critique will win The AWW Cooking School cookbook, valued at $74.95, and be printed in the July issue of The Weekly. Simply visit aww.com.au/bookclub, or email [email protected], or write to The Great Read, GPO Box 4178, Sydney, NSW 2001.

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