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Joh Grigg’s family reunion

Joh Grigg's family reunion

An emotional Johanna welcomes the three special men in her life home from Europe.

After a gruelling four-week separation, bubbly TV star Johanna Griggs had a tender public reunion with husband Todd Huggins and her two sons, beaming with delight and showering her family in hugs and kisses as they touched down after a flight from Europe last week.

“Her reaction was priceless, because it seemed like she was having an anxious wait before they came through customs,” says an onlooker. “She had a worried frown and was constantly checking her watch and looking around. But when she saw them finally, she started crying and her face lit up as if Christmas had come early – it was so sweet.”

It’s normally globetrotting Johanna who packs her bags and heads off, on assignment for Better Homes And Gardens or to cover a major sporting event, but this time it was a “blokes trip” for Todd and Jesse, 15, and Joe, 14 – her sons with first husband Gary Sweet.

With Jesse away on a two-month school exchange program in Ireland, it seemed the perfect chance for the trio to travel together on a whirlwind tour of Europe – with Johanna’s blessing.

“I think Joh probably did have an inkling of how hard it was going to be as the one to stay at home and wave everybody else goodbye – but still she’s not used to it,” says a friend.

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Greg and Kristen’s baby shock!

Greg and Kristen's baby shock!

Friends of the couple believe the Shark and his new bride have another surprise in store.

Greg Norman slipped into Sydney last week to fulfil golfing commitments, but speculation is mounting he may also have had some happy news to share with his latest in-laws.

While the Shark and new wife Kirsten Kutner tied the knot just last month – one year after his split from second wife Chris Evert – those closest to the golfing great are questioning his rush to the altar after a month-long engagement. Some believe the couple may already be well on the way to starting a family.

With photos from the Australian Open cocktail party at Sydney’s Star City Casino last week showing Kirsten with what looks suspiciously like a baby bump, some are even speculating the 41-year-old interior designer may have been pregnant before the surprise wedding on Sir Richard Branson’s private Caribbean island last month.

“If it’s happy news, we’re thrilled for them,” says a Florida-based golfing mate. “But I can’t say we’re shocked. It’s pretty obvious Greg’s wanted to have another kid ever since he hooked up with Kirsten.

“When they got married in a hurry, we all assumed it was only a matter of time before they made an announcement about having a baby.

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Natalie Imbruglia and Justin’s healthy summer love!

Natalie Imbruglia and Justin Hemme's healthy summer love!

The X Factor judge has a smile on her face and a spring in her step thanks to her new man, millionaire hotelier Justin Hemmes.

Arriving in Australia last June for her hosting role on The X Factor, Natalie Imbruglia didn’t quite know what life would have in store for her. Yes, she knew she would have to front up twice a week to the studio for filming, but other than that …

Fast forward almost five months and Nat’s trip back home has been a resounding success. Not only has she cemented a position as one of Australia’s most competent – not to mention glamorous – TV hosts, she’s also being dining on love with 38-year-old Sydney nightclub owner Justin Hemmes.

Pictured strolling hand-in-hand on a secluded beach three hours drive south of Sydney, Natalie looked radiantly happy as she enjoyed a day on the coast with the man she’s been insisting is “just a friend”.

But as the 35-year-old frolicked with Justin in the water, enjoying lingering embraces and kisses, it was clear this was much more than just two friends enjoying a weekend break.

“It was definitely a romantic weekend away,” says a source close to the couple. “They flew down from [Sydney’s] Bankstown airport in a chopper to Justin’s Sussex Inlet property on Saturday. He took her down there for some R&R … and to meet his parents.”

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Jessica Marais and James Stewart to have fuss-free wedding

Australia’s favourite on-screen/off-screen couple, Jessica Marais and James Stewart, are planning a small service for friends and family, but haven’t ruled out eloping.

In pictures: royal weddings

In pictures: celebrity weddings

The Packed to the Rafters duo seem certain to shun the usual celebrity wedding tag involving magazine deals and star-studded engagement parties with Jessica Marais telling Sydney’s Daily Telegraph they’ve only made tentative plans for their nuptials.

“Whatever we do, I think it won’t be big. It will be more a small service for friends and family” Marais said. “We’ll keep it casual.”

It seems that the couple didn’t rehearse their media chat, with Stewart telling reporters he has a few ideas up his sleeve for the big day.

“I have an idea at the moment but it’s still a secret and she can’t know,” he said.

And Marais added further intrigue to the wedding mystery. When asked if they would consider dashing off to tie the knot she answered, “Maybe, who knows?”

“We’re just enjoying being engaged and we don’t really know yet what the year’s schedule [for 2011] looks like. Everyone thinks we’re being cagey and secretive but we have not had a minute to even think about planning a wedding yet,” Marais said.

Your say: What do you think James’ secret plan for the wedding is? Do you watch Packed To The Rafters? Share with us below.

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The long and the short of it

There used to be a rule that as soon as you turned 40, long hair was a no-no.

Shorter hair was said to give you a sassier, smarter look, which would take years off your face. But these days, long hair can work on any age – it just takes a little know-how.

Says Richi Grisillo, “Age makes no difference to hair style or length – it really comes down to personal style and having the confidence to pull off a certain look.

Sonia Cotroneo agrees that, “Both long and short hair looks great on older women – age makes no difference to the length of hair.

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Summer food safety

With 5.4 million people experiencing food poisoning in Australia each year, food safety is something we should all want to get right. And with summer entertaining not too far off, a salad plate or antipasto platter can easily be left out for a little too long. So, how can we keep our guests (and ourselves) safe?

Here are some tips to safe guard your summer menu:

The danger zone

Bacteria, which causes food poisoning, thrives in the temperature “danger zone” between 5°C and 60°C. Particular attention should be paid to foods such as dairy and soy products, seafood, meat, cooked rice or pasta and prepared salads, as these are high-risk foods for bacterial growth.

To steer clear of the danger zone, avoid getting food out of the fridge too early before serving or leaving leftovers out for too long before putting them in the fridge or freezer.

While entertaining, avoid leaving food such as cheese platters or salads out for extended periods. Food that has been out for less than two hours can go back in the fridge. If food has been left out for more than two hours, but less than four, it can be used immediately. But if food has been out for more than four hours, throw it out.

At the supermarket

Consider whether items have been stored properly in the supermarket. For example, avoid frozen products that have defrosted or prepared salads left uncovered. Also, avoid buying products with visible faults such as dented tins and damaged packages.

At the checkout, ask for raw meats to be packed in separate bags to avoid contamination with other foods and aim to keep cold items together, as they will help keep each other cool. Using insulated bags can help your chilled items stay cold until you get home, especially if you need to travel for over 30 minutes.

At home

A clean-out every three months is a good idea to ensure your pantry is clean and dry and your fridge is not overloaded (there needs to be space for cool air to circulate). Good organisation within your kitchen is also vital. Make sure food items are sorted so all canned items are together and loose herbs and spices are in airtight bags or containers. To keep your fridge in order, creating a label and date system might be useful. This can also help prevent nasty surprises getting forgotten at the back.

This information is provided by the Sanitarium Nutrition Service.

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Kerry: Drugs almost killed me

Kerry Katona has told a documentary maker that drugs almost killed her and that she would be dead if she hadn’t left her ex-husband Mark Croft when she did.

In the forthcoming Coming Clean documentary, the mother-of-four says she lost four precious years with her children because of her cocaine addiction, the UK’s Metro reported.

If I’d stayed with Mark, I would have been dead. The next time you’d have seen me would have been at my funeral,” said the former Atomic Kitten singer, who was also once married to singer Brian McFadden.

I needed someone to stop me,” Kerry said. “I’d go over the top on the drugs, hope that Mark would go, ‘Kerry, stop, that’s enough’, but he didn’t.”

Kerry Katona with ex-husband Mark Croft

Kerry appeared on UK TV to defend herself against claims about her drug addiction.

Kerry steps out with her children Molly, Heidi and Lilly.

Kerry will appear on UK’s *Dancing on Ice* in 2011.

Kerry will appear on UK’s Dancing on Ice in 2011.

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Review: *Fair Game*

With Barack Obama in the White House it seems filmmakers are more relaxed about making films that question George W Bush’s administration’s actions ahead of the Iraq war. And when you see how one of its loyal soldiers was treated by the vice-president’s office, you will understand why they waited.

Fair Game tells the true story of Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) and her opinionated husband, Joe Wilson (Sean Penn) in this political drama set in the lead-up to the Iraq war. Plame is an attractive no-nonsense undercover CIA agent who is part of the team testing claims about those fabled weapons of mass destruction. Wilson, a former ambassador to Niger, goes to check on the rumours of uranium sales and only finds sand and dust. Based on this telling of the story, it is amazing how much the CIA knew and how little the White House cared to listen.

Wilson doesn’t keep his powder dry and writes a column explaining his views, which explodes into controversy and infuriates the White House, particularly Scooter Libby (David Andrews is menacing as the vicious Dick Cheney staffer, despite the silly name). Valerie’s identity is leaked to the press, and suddenly her life falls apart. Wilson goes on the attack, while Valerie tries to save the lives of those operatives who helped her.

Fair Game is shot like a documentary, with drab, flat colours and hand-held cameras; it is gritty, fast moving and has sharp dialogue. We see a lot of the emotion through the press coverage and shake our heads at how inarticulately everyone from the CIA to Congress to Fox News fumbled with the truth. It is hard not be outraged all over again, or scared at how ruthlessly the White House turned against their own.

Fair Game teams Naomi Watts with Sean Penn once again (they first worked together on 21 Grams) and it is hard not to marvel at how far she has come as an actor. Penn has ripened with age, but Watts is still blooming. Their chemistry is as electric as a weary couple with four kids can hope for, and together they produce the real moments of this movie (add in Sam Shepard’s cameo as Valerie’s father). It is as much a film about how the strength of trust can hold a relationship together, as about how easily betrayal comes to those with no real character.

The major criticism goes to director Doug Liman and the decision to use an annoying wobble-cam to shoot the film. It’s fine to go for realism, but he goes to excess. Some of the movement when showing two men seated induces nausea rather than tension. The other issue is the lack of real drama for those who have followed the story over the past seven years. Apart from threatening phone calls, they don’t suffer as much as their informers. The most at stake is their marriage.

Fair Game is a very strong movie that uses the insights into the CIA and corridors of power to drive its outrage and two fine actors to carry the drama and what tension there is.

Your say: Have you seen Fair Game? Did you enjoy it? Share with us below.

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Reese Witherspoon: ‘I have never felt sexier!’

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US actress Reese Witherspoon says her body is only getting better with age, particularly her sex drive.

The 34-year-old, who features on the cover of the January issue of Glamour magazine, sends out a positive message for woman about her body, ageing and her sex drive.

“I think as a woman, you get older, you feel more confident in your sexuality,” she said.

“You’re not as intimidated by it, not as embarrassed by it. Sexuality and femininity is an accumulation of age and wisdom and comfort in your own skin. I feel better — so much better now than I ever did in my twenties.

“I am calmer; I know who I am. And as a result, I feel much sexier.”

The mother-of-two also said that her good-humoured nature and wit got her a long way in the acting industry and as a role model for young women.

“There’s always going to be somebody younger or sexier,” she said.

“That’s why I like to say, and it’s become my famous line, ‘Funny doesn’t sag’.”

In the interview Reese revealed she loves romantic comedies and her fellow actresses taking on the leading lady roles.

“I love all my fellow female romantic comedy queens, like Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Garner and Katie Heigl. I also think that the questions romantic comedies ask about men and women are universal.”

And it seems Reese, who is mother to 11-year-old Ava and seven-year-old Deacon, is looking to expand her family.

“I would love to have more kids,” she said. “Kids are the best part of my day. I don’t wake up to make movies. I wake up to hang out with my family.”

And this may not be too far away, with Us Weekly reporting that her new beau of just 10 months, Jim Toth, has been spotted looking at engagement rings.

Related video: Reese and Jim’s dinner date.

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Michael Bublé plans big wedding and five kids

Michael Bublé has some big hits under his belt and the Canadian singer has some equally impressive life plans: he is looking forward to having two weddings and four or five children.

In pictures: royal weddings

The double Grammy-award winner will marry his Argentine actress fiancée Luisana Loreley Lopilato de la Torre on April 6 next year but joked with the US Today show they had to change the date to avoid clashing with Prince William and Kate Middleton’s upcoming nuptials

“I was going to do it on April 29, but figured I wouldn’t get any press,” he said.

The 35-year-old singer also revealed that one ceremony won’t be enough for the international couple, who will tie the knot in Lopilato’s native Argentina before doing it all again in Vancouver.

The couple are then planning an extravagant honeymoon in Africa, but it won’t all be romance and safaris. The pair want to fit in some charity work while they are there.

In pictures: celebrity weddings

But it is when it comes to kids that their plans really start to get big.

“I want to have four or five,” Lopilato, 23, told Entertainment Tonight Canada.

Although Bublé joked he would need to get in some practice first.

“I would like to start off with Sea-Monkeys first and see if I can keep those alive,” he said.

Your say: Do you think Michael Bublé will make a good father? What do you think of their wedding plans? Share your thoughts with us below.

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