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“Two of my best mates gone”: Rod Stewart opens up on double tragedy

<p>Rod Stewart is in mourning after the loss of his two brothers just months apart.</p> <p>On Friday, the singer posted a short but sweet tribute on Instagram to his brother Bob, who passed away last November, just two months after the passing of his eldest brother Don.</p> <p>Sharing a photo of the program from Bob's funeral service at Islington Burial Chapel in London, he wrote, "I said Farewell to my Brother Bob today, with his coffin draped in a Rangers flag (life long Glasgow Rangers fan)."</p> <p>"We loved our game days up in Scotland together, " he wrote, reminiscing on their sweet memories together.</p> <p>Bob passed at the age of 87, just a day short from his 88th birthday.</p> <p>"Now he joins Brother Don, rest in peace boys. Two of my best mates gone within just a few months."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnEx0ufN7b0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnEx0ufN7b0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sir Rod Stewart (@sirrodstewart)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Several family members also expressed their love in the comments, with his wife and TV star Penny Lancaster sharing an inside joke, writing, "I loved that he called me Pencil instead of Pen."</p> <p>His daughter, Ruby Stewart, commented with a simple dove emoji, commonly used to symbolise peace, freedom, or love.</p> <p>In December, the British singer announced on Instagram that he was mourning the loss of his two brothers. </p> <p>“It’s with great sadness that I announce the loss of my brother Bob last night, who joins my brother Don on the great football pitch in the sky,” he captioned, with an image of a candle flame and the words “Rest in Peace”.</p> <p>The British singer is the youngest of five children, surviving his brothers along with two of his sisters, Mary and Peggy.</p> <p><em>Image Credits: Getty</em></p>

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Sesame Street legend dies at age 90

<p>One of the original stars of <em>Sesame Street</em> has passed away at the 90. </p> <p>Bob McGrath was one of just four cast members hired for the pilot of the children's TV show when it aired in 1969, and continued with the show for 47 seasons. </p> <p>News of the actor's death was shared by the family on his official Facebook page. </p> <p>"Our father Bob McGrath, passed away today. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family," said the post.</p> <p>After appearing on over 150 episodes of the show. numerous specials, direct to video movies, and two feature films, McGrath finally stopped acting on <em>Sesame Street</em> with his last episode entitled <em>Having a Ball</em> in 2017.  </p> <p>McGrath conducted lessons for children through his puppeteering and also wrote original sons for the production including <em>People in Your Neighbourhood</em>, <em>Sing a Song</em>, <em>If You're Happy And You Know It</em> and the <em>Sesame Street</em> theme song.</p> <p>McGrath played a character named Bob alongside Matt Robinson as Gordon, Loretta Long as Susan and Will Lee as Mr. Hooper when he began on the show. </p> <p>"We've always looked at children as just short people," McGrath told the<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/2022/12/4/23493160/bob-mcgrath-dead-sesame-street-obituary-cast" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener"> Sun-Times</a> in 1998. "We've never talked down to them."</p> <p>"The kids we were meant to reach, I think we've reached," McGrath added. "They've grown up. They're in their 30s now. They have kids of their own, our Sesame Seeds, and they come up to me and say, 'Thank you very much. It made a major difference in our lives."' </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Bob Dylan apologises over controversial detail in new book

<p dir="ltr">Bob Dylan has issued an apology to fans who paid hundreds for his new book and discovered that they were signed using a machine, despite being advertised as “hand-signed”.</p> <p dir="ltr">It emerged that the 900 copies of <em>Philosophy of Modern Song</em>, which set fans back $US 599 ($NZ 965) per book, all included identical versions of the star’s singer after fans compared notes online.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taking to social media, Dylan addressed the controversy and explained that he used an autopen - a device that allows signatures to be printed on demand - due to the COVID-19 pandemic and health issues that prevented him from signing them individually.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there’s never been a problem,” the 81-year-old <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bobdylan/posts/pfbid02smguWn7EsFwrKGqU8VkTyDr8LgoNeh5ogh6oCvQLDdkiPBLFw5R8woWwgKtw3dWRl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“However, in 2019 I had a bad case of vertigo and it continued into the pandemic years. It takes a crew of five working in close quarters with me to help enable these signing sessions and we could not find a safe and workable way to complete what I needed to while the virus was raging.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5d4cef7c-7fff-194a-ab74-38151e1dc89c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“So, during the pandemic, it was impossible to sign anything and the vertigo didn’t help.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck8noXItukF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck8noXItukF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bob Dylan (@bobdylan)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Dylan continued to explain that looming deadlines saw him consider a suggestion to use an autopen, which he was told was something done “‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Using a machine was an error in judgement and I want to rectify it immediately,” he concluded.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Days earlier, the publisher issued a statement regarding the signatures featured in the books.</p> <p dir="ltr">Simon & Schuster confirmed that the books have Dylan’s “original signature” but that it was a “penned replica form”, saying that those who had purchased the books would receive an immediate refund.</p> <p dir="ltr">"To those who purchased the <em>Philosophy of Modern Song </em>limited edition, we want to apologise," the publisher <a href="https://twitter.com/simonschuster/status/1594437832726040576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"As it turns out, the limited-edition books do contain Bob's original signature, but in a penned replica form. We are addressing this information by providing each purchaser with an immediate refund."</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4c952972-7fff-3cdf-e673-044c8b68308f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Instagram</em></p>

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Bob Hawke’s widow cops loss on luxury apartment

<p dir="ltr">Blanche d’Alpuget, the widow of former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, has offloaded her luxury apartment in the heart of Sydney’s CBD after offering a sizable discount.</p> <p dir="ltr">With an initial price guide of $4.3-4.5 million ($NZ 4.7-4.9 million) in July, the guide was reportedly adjusted to $4.2 million ($NZ 4.6 million) in September before eventually selling for an unconfirmed $3.73 million ($NZ 4.09 million), per <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/news/bob-hawkes-widow-blanche-dalpuget-sells-372m-luxury-pad-in-the-one30-hyde-park-sydney/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>realestate.com.au</em></a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">D’Alpuget’s two-bedroom apartment in the One30 Hyde Park tower was sold after she switched listing agents from Ray White to <a href="https://boutiquepropertyagents.com/property/1403-130-elizabeth-street-sydney-nsw-2000/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boutique Property Agents</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The author and journalist moved in after she and Hawke settled on it in March 2019 and sold their waterfront property in Northbridge.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 131-square-metre apartment was originally three bedrooms before being reconfigured, and boasts views of Hyde Park and Sydney Harbour.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the apartment’s sale, d’Alpuget will be moving to the apartment tower next door, having spent $4.6 million on another apartment.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-99872eb3-7fff-9de9-27b3-848aa242d694"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Boutique Property Agents</em></p>

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How Bob Dylan used the ancient practice of ‘imitatio’ to craft some of the most original songs of his time

<p>Over the course of six decades, Bob Dylan steadily brought together popular music and poetic excellence. Yet the guardians of literary culture have only rarely accepted Dylan’s legitimacy.</p> <p>His <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/arts/music/bob-dylan-nobel-prize-literature.html">2016 Nobel Prize in Literature</a> undermined his outsider status, challenging scholars, fans and critics to think of Dylan as an integral part of international literary heritage. My new book, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/No-One-Meet-Imitation-Originality/dp/0817321411">No One to Meet: Imitation and Originality in the Songs of Bob Dylan</a>,” takes this challenge seriously and places Dylan within a literary tradition that extends all the way back to the ancients.</p> <p><a href="https://english.umbc.edu/core-faculty/raphael-falco/">I am a professor of early modern literature</a>, with a special interest in the Renaissance. But I am also a longtime Dylan enthusiast and the co-editor of the open-access <a href="https://thedylanreview.org/">Dylan Review</a>, the only scholarly journal on Bob Dylan. </p> <p>After teaching and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Raphael-Falco">writing about</a> early modern poetry for 30 years, I couldn’t help but recognize a similarity between the way Dylan composes his songs and the ancient practice known as “<a href="http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Dionysian_imitatio">imitatio</a>.”</p> <h2>Poetic honey-making</h2> <p>Although the Latin word imitatio would translate to “imitation” in English, it doesn’t mean simply producing a mirror image of something. The term instead describes a practice or a methodology of composing poetry.</p> <p>The classical author Seneca <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Moral_letters_to_Lucilius/Letter_84">used bees</a> as a metaphor for writing poetry using imitatio. Just as a bee samples and digests the nectar from a whole field of flowers to produce a new kind of honey – which is part flower and part bee – a poet produces a poem by sampling and digesting the best authors of the past.</p> <p>Dylan’s imitations follow this pattern: His best work is always part flower, part Dylan. </p> <p>Consider a song like “<a href="https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/hard-rains-gonna-fall/">A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall</a>.” To write it, Dylan repurposed the familiar Old English ballad “<a href="https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/lord-randall/">Lord Randal</a>,” retaining the call-and-response framework. In the original, a worried mother asks, “O where ha’ you been, Lord Randal, my son? / And where ha’ you been, my handsome young man?” and her son tells of being poisoned by his true love. </p> <p>In Dylan’s version, the nominal son responds to the same questions with a brilliant mixture of public and private experiences, conjuring violent images such as a newborn baby surrounded by wolves, black branches dripping blood, the broken tongues of a thousand talkers and pellets poisoning the water. At the end, a young girl hands the speaker – a son in name only – a rainbow, and he promises to know his song well before he’ll stand on the mountain to sing it.</p> <p>“A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” resounds with the original Old English ballad, which would have been very familiar to Dylan’s original audiences of Greenwich Village folk singers. He first sang the song in 1962 at <a href="https://bedfordandbowery.com/2016/12/the-story-of-the-gaslight-cafe-where-dylan-premiered-a-hard-rains-a-gonna-fall/">the Gaslight Cafe</a> on MacDougal Street, a hangout of folk revival stalwarts. To their ears, Dylan’s indictment of American culture – its racism, militarism and reckless destruction of the environment – would have echoed that poisoning in the earlier poem and added force to the repurposed lyrics.</p> <h2>Drawing from the source</h2> <p>Because Dylan “samples and digests” songs from the past, <a href="https://thedylanreview.org/2022/08/04/interview-with-scott-warmuth/">he has been accused of plagiarism</a>. </p> <p>This charge underestimates Dylan’s complex creative process, which closely resembles that of early modern poets who had a different concept of originality – a concept Dylan intuitively understands. For Renaissance authors, “originality” meant not creating something out of nothing, but <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Origin_and_Originality_in_Renaissance_Li/1OmCQgAACAAJ?hl=en">going back to what had come before</a>. They literally returned to the “origin.” Writers first searched outside themselves to find models to imitate, and then they transformed what they imitated – that is, what they found, sampled and digested – into something new. Achieving originality depended on the successful imitation and repurposing of an admired author from a much earlier era. They did not imitate each other, or contemporary authors from a different national tradition. Instead, they found their models among authors and works from earlier centuries.</p> <p>In his book “<a href="https://archive.org/details/lightintroyimita0000gree/page/n5/mode/2up">The Light in Troy</a>,” literary scholar Thomas Greene points to a 1513 letter written by poet Pietro Bembo to Giovanfrancesco Pico della Mirandola.</p> <p>“Imitation,” Bembo writes, “since it is wholly concerned with a model, must be drawn from the model … the activity of imitating is nothing other than translating the likeness of some other’s style into one’s own writings.” The act of translation was largely stylistic and involved a transformation of the model.</p> <h2>Romantics devise a new definition of originality</h2> <p>However, the Romantics of the late 18th century wished to change, and supersede, that understanding of poetic originality. For them, and the writers who came after them, creative originality meant going inside oneself to find a connection to nature. </p> <p><a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Natural_Supernaturalism/-ygCZmrJ2E4C?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=natural+supernaturalism&amp;printsec=frontcover">As scholar of Romantic literature M.H. Abrams explains</a> in his renowned study “Natural Supernaturalism,” “the poet will proclaim how exquisitely an individual mind … is fitted to the external world, and the external world to the mind, and how the two in union are able to beget a new world.” </p> <p>Instead of the world wrought by imitating the ancients, the new Romantic theories envisioned the union of nature and the mind as the ideal creative process. Abrams quotes the 18th-century German Romantic <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/novalis/">Novalis</a>: “The higher philosophy is concerned with the marriage of Nature and Mind.”</p> <p>The Romantics believed that through this connection of nature and mind, poets would discover something new and produce an original creation. To borrow from past “original” models, rather than producing a supposedly new work or “new world,” could seem like theft, despite the fact, obvious to anyone paging through an anthology, that poets have always responded to one another and to earlier works.</p> <p>Unfortunately – as Dylan’s critics too often demonstrate – this bias favoring supposedly “natural” originality over imitation continues to color views of the creative process today. </p> <p>For six decades now, Dylan has turned that Romantic idea of originality on its head. With his own idiosyncratic method of composing songs and his creative reinvention of the Renaissance practice of imitatio, he has written and performed – yes, imitation functions in performance too – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_written_by_Bob_Dylan">over 600 songs</a>, many of which are the most significant and most significantly original songs of his time.</p> <p>To me, there is a firm historical and theoretical rationale for what these audiences have long known – and the Nobel Prize committee made official in 2016 – that Bob Dylan is both a modern voice entirely unique and, at the same time, the product of ancient, time-honoured ways of practicing and thinking about creativity.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-bob-dylan-used-the-ancient-practice-of-imitatio-to-craft-some-of-the-most-original-songs-of-his-time-187052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Music

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Tennis legends react to Ash Barty’s retirement

<p dir="ltr">Ash Barty surprised the tennis world and fans after announcing her retirement from the sport at the young age of 25.</p> <p dir="ltr">The World No. 1 announced the news on Wednesday saying she knew it was time to move on after winning Wimbledon and the Australian Open.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I will be retiring from tennis. It’s the first time I’ve actually said that out loud and it’s hard to say,” she began.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I’m so happy and I’m so ready and I just know at the moment in my heart for me as a person, this is right.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m so grateful to everything that tennis has given me. It’s given me all of my dreams, plus more.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I know that the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams. And put the racquets down.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Women’s Tennis Association chief executive Steve Simon wished Barty the best in her future endeavours.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We wish Ash only the very best and know that she will continue to be a tremendous ambassador for the sport of tennis as she embarks on this new chapter of her life,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fellow tennis legend Serena Williams tweeted: “@ashbarty I can’t lie I was sad to read your decision but also happy for your new chapter. Always your fan close up and afar. Sending all my love.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ash Barty. Amazing tennis player but even better person. A champion in every sense of the word. Very proud of you mate,” Dylan Alcott wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Aussie tennis hero Thanasi Kokkinakis kept it simple: “Respect it @ashbarty.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“An incredible tennis player but more importantly one of the nicest people on tour,” American Madison Keys wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Happy for @ashbarty gutted for tennis what a player,” Andy Murray tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“An incredible tennis player but more importantly one of the nicest people on tour,” American Madison Keys wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Congratulations @ashbarty on an amazing career and good luck with what’s next!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Former World No. 1 and Romanian tennis player said she’d miss Barty on tour.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ash, what can I say, you know I have tears right? My friend, I will miss you on tour,” she tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You were different, and special, and we shared some amazing moments.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What’s next for you? Grand Slam champion in golf?! Be happy and enjoy your life to the max.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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Bob Dylan to publish essay collection in celebration of songwriting

<p dir="ltr">Bob Dylan is set to release a celebratory essay collection, dedicated to the art of songwriting by peers such as Nina Simone, Hank Williams and Elvis Costello. </p> <p dir="ltr">The veteran artist began work on <em>The Philosophy of Modern Song</em> in 2010, which is set to contain over 60 essays in which the 80-year-old musician “analyses what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, breaks down how the addition of a single syllable can diminish a song, and even explains how bluegrass relates to heavy metal.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to publisher Simon &amp; Schuster (S&amp;S), the essays are described as “mysterious and mercurial, poignant and profound, and often laugh-out-loud funny. And while they are ostensibly about music, they are really meditations and reflections on the human condition.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Combined with nearly 150 “carefully curated photos as well as a series of dreamlike riffs”, the collection “resembles an epic poem,” said S&amp;S.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jonathan Karp, president and chief executive of S&amp;S, said in a statement, “<em>The Philosophy of Modern Song</em> could only have been written by Bob Dylan.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“His voice is unique, and his work conveys his deep appreciation and understanding of songs, the people who bring those songs to life, and what songs mean to all of us.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In 2016, Bob Dylan won the Nobel prize for literature, after his lyrics and previous published works have made a lasting impact on music fans and book lovers alike. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The Philosophy of Modern Song</em> is set to be published on November 8th, with an audiobook partially narrated by Bob Dylan in the works as well. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

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Bob Saget’s surprising cause of death revealed

<p>It has been revealed that Bob Saget, who was found dead in his Orlando, Florida hotel room last month, died as a result of head trauma.</p><p>"The authorities have determined that Bob passed from head trauma. They have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep," the statement said. "No drugs or alcohol were involved."</p><p>His family added that they have been "overwhelmed with the incredible outpouring of love from Bob's fans, which has been a great comfort to us and for which we are eternally grateful."</p><p>"As we continue to mourn together, we ask everyone to remember the love and laughter that Bob brought to this world, and the lessons he taught us all: to be kind to everyone, to let the people you love know you love them, and to face difficult times with hugs and laughter," the statement added.</p><p>The Fuller House star, 65, had been on a comedy tour at the time of his death. Speculation had swirled around the state of his health as Saget had said he had COVID-19 in December.</p><p>His widow, Kelly Rizzo, told Good Morning America during an interview last month that her husband appeared to be in good health prior to his death and that his having Covid in December "was not anything serious."</p><p>An autopsy was completed on Saget by the Orange County Medical Examiner in Florida the day after he died.</p><p>"At this time, there is no evidence of drug use or foul play," Chief Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany said. "The cause and manner of death are pending further studies and investigation which may take up to 10-12 weeks to complete."</p><p>Saget had been expected to check out of the Ritz-Carlton on Sunday morning and his family members contacted hotel security when they were unable to reach the star, according to the report.</p><p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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What made Bob Saget’s Danny Tanner so different from other sitcom dads

<p>Bob Saget, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/09/arts/television/bob-saget-dead.html">who died on Jan. 9, 2022</a>, is probably best remembered for his role as Danny Tanner on the popular sitcom “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092359/">Full House</a>,” which aired from 1987 to 1995.</p> <p>I think fans of the show have such fond memories of this character because Danny exemplified what it meant to “be there” as a parent. A single dad whose wife had passed away, he was eager to lend an ear to daughters D.J., Stephanie and Michelle, offering them support and reassurance through the twists and turns of childhood and adolescence.</p> <p>Why heap so much praise on a sitcom dad? It’s easy to disregard TV as mere mindless entertainment. But entertainment media can both reflect and reshape culture – including how fathers interact with their children. <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/1990-25264-001">They can influence how viewers think about fathers</a>, regardless of the accuracy of those portrayals.</p> <p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=GzIcrG8AAAAJ&amp;hl=en">As someone who studies stereotypes of fathers</a>, I view Danny as an avatar of the changing expectations of fatherhood that began in the late 1970s.</p> <h2>Danny Tanner and ‘being there’</h2> <p>Danny Tanner was a 30-something widower when Full House premiered. That wasn’t a common situation for his demographic – <a href="https://www.census.gov/prod/1/pop/p20-365.pdf">less than 1% in his bracket shared it</a> – and it allowed viewers to watch Danny parent his three daughters with the help of his brother-in-law and his best friend.</p> <p>Nonetheless, in nearly every episode, viewers saw Danny “being there” for his family. “Being there” is a concept that describes <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=_gEDfhZp5s0C&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PR1&amp;dq=promises+i+can+keep&amp;ots=8ac2OWdjLK&amp;sig=mnXZdjICi5BLnhGI-Np8UrcfGlc#v=onepage&amp;q=promises%20i%20can%20keep&amp;f=false">being physically and emotionally involved with your children</a>. This term took <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12376">on particular significance for fathers in the late 20th century</a>. “Being there” allowed dads to be seen as more than just financial providers and recognized that fathers interact with their children in varied and important ways.</p> <p>In the earlier part of the century, fathers were assumed to be breadwinners and not much else, a stereotype reflected in the era’s popular media. For example, sitcom fathers on “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046600/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Father Knows Best</a>,” which aired from 1954 to 1960, and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051267/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3">The Donna Reed Show</a>,” which ended its run in 1966, bore little responsibility for actual child care beyond a pat on the head and some occasional discipline.</p> <p>Beginning in the 1970s, psychologist Michael Lamb encouraged a change in how we thought about fathers and broadened the definition of what he called “<a href="https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/271493">father involvement</a>.”</p> <p>Lamb proposed three dimensions of father involvement: engagement, availability and responsibility. The last of these, responsibility – which involved financial support and parental guidance – could be spotted in some form in the preceding sitcoms. But engagement and availability, which tend to involve day-to-day emotional support, were almost entirely foreign.</p> <p>Danny Tanner’s approach to fatherhood, by contrast, demonstrated perhaps the fullest realization of these changing expectations.</p> <p>One episode, “Back to School Blues,” featured oldest daughter D.J. starting junior high. Spoiler alert: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnIQu35CCDc">It doesn’t go well</a>. She’s teased by older girls, wears the same outfit as one of the teachers, and spends lunch alone. (I was a year younger than D.J., and this episode made me nervous about my own entry into junior high.)</p> <p>When Danny doesn’t approve of D.J.‘s attempts to look older to fit in and make friends, she storms off to her room saying she wants to be left alone. Danny says he can’t do that, and then listens as she explains everything that went wrong at school.</p> <p>In this short scene, he reinforced family rules and provided emotional support, while showing that he would “be there” for D.J. whenever she needed.</p> <h2>A different kind of dad</h2> <p>Though Danny represented a departure from the typical sitcom father, he didn’t exactly spearhead a new trend.</p> <p>Immature and irresponsible fathers – the kind seen in popular shows like “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096697/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">The Simpsons</a>,” “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101120/">Home Improvement</a>” and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092400/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Married … With Children</a>” – were more commonplace. To this day, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-sitcom-dads-still-so-inept-139737">the stereotype of the bumbling dad persists on TV</a>.</p> <p><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wKf7i3DZi-c?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <span class="caption">Danny comforts D.J. after she admits she isn’t happy with her body.</span></p> <p><a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2015-25403-001">In my research</a>, I found that single sitcom dads with full child care responsibilities were shown interacting with their children more often than married sitcom dads. Compared to their married counterparts on the tube, they were more likely to offer kindness, care, love, support and guidance. Along with Danny, these characters included Mr. Drummond on “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077003/">Diff’rent Strokes</a>,” Tony Micelli in “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086827/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Who’s the Boss?</a>” and Maxwell Sheffield on “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106080/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">The Nanny</a>.”</p> <p>On the other hand, married sitcom father-child interactions were more likely to involve criticism and sarcastic humor. In fact, married sitcom fathers often made jokes at their children’s expense.</p> <p>Why does this discrepancy exist?</p> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00473.x?casa_token=L_W94GXie6kAAAAA:hB5-n-UFrNCGS2C2vVjT1oBL8bdvSocrrzk99GlyY_oy_kOP6jzVByhxeyrDmKaLXMUmLOgMJ26YnVpC">My research has found</a> that in real life, married fathers are thought to be loving and kind but with room for improvement as parents. They’re seen as the right-hand man to mothers, who have taken the lead in parenting. Because of this, people expect more bumbling and less skill.</p> <p>Single dads, however, tend to be viewed as selfless and dedicated, because the assumption is that they’ve put their children above all else.</p> <p>Danny Tanner isn’t the novelty today that he was in the early 1990s. But if his character is instructive in any way, it’s that dads shouldn’t have to lose their wives to be the best parent they can be.<!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-troilo-752757">Jessica Troilo</a>, Associate Professor of Child Development and Family Studies, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/west-virginia-university-1375">West Virginia University</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-made-bob-sagets-danny-tanner-so-different-from-other-sitcom-dads-174754">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: <span class="attribution"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/promotional-portrait-of-the-cast-of-the-television-series-news-photo/3126220?adppopup=true" class="source">Lorimar Television/Fotos International via Getty Images</a></span></em></p>

TV

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Bob Dylan sued for alleged sexual abuse of 12-year-old, denies claims

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A woman has filed a suit against folk singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, alleging he gave her drugs and alcohol before sexually abusing her in 1965 when she was 12 years old.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The civil lawsuit, filed late on Friday with the New York Supreme Court, said Dylan sexually abused the plaintiff, identified only as JC, at his New York apartment over a six-week period.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The woman, now 68 years old, claimed in the suit that the assault has left “her emotionally scarred and psychologically damaged to this day”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The suit alleges Dylan established an “emotional connection” with the plaintiff to “lower [J.C.’s] inhibitions with the object of sexually abusing her, which he did, coupled with the provision of drugs, alcohol and threats of physical violence”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The suit claims that the emotional fallout - including depression, humiliation, and anxiety - are of “permanent and lasting natures” and have prevented the plaintiff “from attending her regular activities”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">J.C. has brought allegations of assault, battery, false imprisonment and emotional distress against Dylan, who was in his mid-20s at the time, and is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The complaint speaks for itself,” J.C.’s lawyer Daniel Isaacs said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She provided a lot of detailed information regarding the time in question that leaves no doubt that she was with him in the apartment during the time in question.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Isaacs also noted that he was able to verify the details in J.C.’s claim with the “best available research”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dylan, now 80, denies claims in the lawsuit that he “exploited his status as a musician” to abuse her.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended,” Dylan’s spokesman said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The lawsuit was submitted just before the closure of the New York Child Victims’ Act look-back window, which has allowed victims of childhood sexual abuse to file legal claims that were previously too old to pursue due to a statute of limitations.</span></p>

Legal

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Bindi's back! Wildlife Warrior mum returns after personal hiatus

<p><span>Bindi Irwin has returned to Instagram after almost a month of silence.</span><br /><br /><span>The 22-year-old took to social media on Thursday to share some new adorable photos of her three-month-old daughter, Grace Warrior, and her husband, Chandler Powell.</span><br /><br /><span>"Our beautiful angel has started giggling all the time and absolutely loves nature walks, looking for wildlife with us," she captioned the photo set on Instagram.</span><br /><br /><span>"Can you believe she'll be four months old soon?! Infinite love and gratitude in my heart."</span><br /><br /><span>Last month, Irwin revealed she'd be stepping back from social media after a major family scandal involving her paternal grandfather, Bob Irwin was brought to light.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRU_-7gB_4t/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRU_-7gB_4t/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>"Hi guys, Just a note to say thank you for your support. I'm taking a break from social media and most of my work in the public eye for a month to be with my beautiful daughter and my wonderful family," she wrote on the social media platform.</span><br /><br /><span>"I feel tremendously grateful to share our life and conservation work with you but I need some time to focus on the happiness that is my family (both human and animal). You can keep up with our adventures by following my family and Australia Zoo on social media. 💙"</span><br /><br /><span>"Recently, I've had many people reaching out to share their own stories of working hard to protect their mental health," the post went on to say.</span><br /><br /><span>"Thank you for sharing and speaking your truth. To my friends who are dealing with depression, anxiety and other battles every day — I see you. These issues are very real and deserve to be discussed and addressed.”</span><br /><br /><span>She added: "Surround yourself with the light of people who genuinely care about you and will support you during the good times and the hard times.</span><br /><br /><span>“Remember there are helplines available. Mental health deserves understanding and support instead of being dismissed or patronised. You are absolutely worthy of love and kindness."</span></p> <p><span>The post has since been deleted, but it followed just a few days after she revealed the strained relationship she has with her grandfather in a comment on Facebook.</span><br /><br /><span>Bindi had shared a tribute to the men in her life on Father's Day in the US, but left Bob out of the post.</span><br /><br /><span>"What about your grandfather you know your fathers, father!!! He [too] was a good man, who I assume got the shaft," a user wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>"Thank you very much for your comment," Bindi responded.</span><br /><br /><span>"I really wish that my entire family could spend time with Grace. Unfortunately my grandfather Bob has shown no interest in spending time with me or my family. Publicly he continues to claim that he wants to spend time with us while privately my entire life has been psychological abuse from him.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841925/bindi-irwin-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/caccff06b61d488cb4a855233711402f" /><br /><span>"He has returned gifts I've sent after he opened them, he has ignored my correspondence and from the time I was a little girl he has ignored me, preferring to spend time doing anything else rather than being with me. He has never said a single kind word to me personally."</span><br /><br /><span>"It breaks my heart but it is not healthy to engage in an abusive relationship. My mum still writes to him and sends birthday and Christmas gifts to him with no response," Bindi continued, adding that the family have been Bob's "financial support since 1992 when he retired from Australia Zoo, sending him funds every week."</span></p> <p><span>"We built him a house on a beautiful property and will always do our best to ensure his well-being. I want Bob's happiness in life but I cannot be a victim to his mental abuse anymore," she went on to add.</span><br /><br /><span>"I hope everyone remembers to be kind to one another but most of all care for your own mental health. I have struggled with this relationship my entire life and it brings me enormous pain. I have to choose to care for my own mental health now."</span><br /><br /><span>Author Amanda French, who co-wrote Bob's 2016 memoir, The Last Crocodile Hunter, later came forward in defence of Bob.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841917/bob-irwin-family-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/44f9f932a55748b6a0ce4bc6df1ef9c4" /><br /><br /><span>"He is nothing but kind," she said on Bindi's Facebook post.</span><br /><br /><span>"He hasn't seen you since you were 10. He has done all he knows how to do and that is bury his head in the sand because that's how he copes."</span><br /><br /><span>"He loves your Dad, and you guys more than you know," French added.</span><br /><br /><span>"This should be a private matter not written about on Facebook. I'm so disappointed to read this. It's immature to write such words."</span></p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Dylan Alcott to defend his Wimbledon title

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dylan Alcott has advanced to the final round of the quad wheelchair singles at the All England Club after defeating long-time rival David Wagner 6-2, 6-2.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alcott has qualified for his 16th grand slam final and will have the chance to defend his Wimbledon singles title against Dutchman Sam Schroder.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If he wins, Alcott will still have a chance of winning the ‘Golden Slam’ - where a player wins all four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year - after winning both the Australian Open and Roland Garros titles earlier this year.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Great start. Always an privilege to metaphorically step onto the grass at <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wimbledon</a> 🎾🇬🇧🍓🙏🏼 <a href="https://t.co/q556QWqAm6">pic.twitter.com/q556QWqAm6</a></p> — Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanAlcott/status/1413240059604701185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Everyone loves talking about the Golden Slam more than I do,” Alcott told ITFTennis.com.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I didn’t know what it was until everyone started saying it to me the other day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I had an opportunity to win the Grand Slam in 2019 and I thought about it and talked about it but choked it up hard.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If I win the Golden Slam, how good? If I don’t, the sun still comes up. I have a great family and I’m still out here at Wimbledon breathing in the grass and looking at everyone smashing Pimm’s. I’m a happy guy.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Dylan Alcott / Instagram</span></em></p>

International Travel

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The devastating reality behind Steve Irwin’s unearthed letter

<p>A bitter family feud has taken centre stage after Bindi Irwin accused her grandfather of psychologically abusing her.</p> <p>The embattled family’s long standing issues are a far cry from the heartbreaking letter uncovered in 2016.</p> <p>It was a note Steve wrote when he was 32, and in it he detailed his gratitude for his parents and their strength.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842052/irwin-family.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3be7bdc1b37f42dc91d44a7ead0d05aa" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p> <p>“At 32, I am finally starting to figure it out. In good times and in bad, you were there. Your strength and endurance to raise me will not go unrewarded. My love for you is my strength,” the legendary croc hunter penned.</p> <p>“For the rest of my life I will reflect on the unbelievably GREAT times we’ve shared and will continue to share. You’re my best friends!”</p> <p>Irwin’s letter would not be found for almost a decade, but four years after writing it, the conservationist would give birth to his daughter Bindi with Robert closely following behind.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842049/irwin-family-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/cf7fcf216cc34686aee648fff4d38625" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p> <p>Today’s bitter feud is nothing short of devastating, with Bindi insisting her grandfather has never had a kind word to say about her.</p> <p>The star made the unsettling allegations against Bob in her Father’s Day post (Father’s Day outside of Australia was June 20), which she dedicated to her own father, her husband, Chandler Powell, and her father-in-law.</p> <p>When Bindi was asked why she left Bob out of the tribute, the new mum did not hold back in her reply.</p> <p>“Unfortunately my grandfather Bob has shown no interest in spending time with me or my family,” she wrote.</p> <p>“He has returned gifts I’ve sent him after he opened them, he has ignored my correspondence and from the time I was a little girl he has ignored me, preferring to spend time doing anything else rather than being with me.</p> <p>“He has never said a single kind word to me personally. It breaks my heart but it is not healthy to engage in an abusive relationship.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842050/irwin-family-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/513951de9115451b9cc3fdcb442a965d" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p> <p>“I hope everyone remembers to be kind to one another but most of all care for your own mental health,” she added.</p> <p>“I have struggled with this relationship my entire life and it brings me enormous pain.”</p> <p>Close friends and family members of Bob Irwin quickly rebutted the claims, including his biographer Amanda French.</p> <p>French, who co-wrote Bob’s 2016 autobiography <em>The Last Crocodile Hunter</em>, spoke to Brisbane radio show <em>Stav, Abby and Matt</em> to express her immense grief over Bindi’s comments.</p> <p>According to Amanda, Bob resigned from Australia Zoo in 2008 and hasn’t seen his grandkids since.</p> <p>“It’s a surprise with what Bindi came out and said. There were some pretty weighty terms that were thrown around, psychological abuse and all that stuff. You’d have to have some pretty big evidence to back that. It’s a pretty big call to make,” she said.</p> <p>Another member of the Irwin family, Bethany Wheeler, went on to angrily dispute Bindi’s claims in a Facebook post.</p> <p>Bethany revealed that she is the “the granddaughter of Bob Irwin via marriage of my father and my Stepmother Mandy as a very young child.”</p> <p>She went on to call Bob “the most genuinely beautiful human on this planet and has NEVER spoken out or put down anybody! He is a man who sits silently and battles his demons alone, in what is great sadness. He doesn’t retaliate, only prays for his grandchildren’s safety and good lives.”</p> <p>Wheeler wrote that her “sisters and brothers will happily back me up when I say that Bob Irwin is a passive and beautiful human and these lies need to stop”.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842051/irwin-family-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2024a076e4824511b6200e29893899ff" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p> <p>Amanda revealed Bob and Terri Irwin’s relationship suffered after the death of Steve, as the conservationist’s father did not agree with how management quickly began to change.</p> <p>“He’s maintained a very neutral position about it [resigning] even when he published his autobiography.</p> <p>“The reason why he did that is because he knew there would be consequences for Australia Zoo. He didn’t see eye-to-eye on issues to do with Australia Zoo at the time and some of the animals.”</p> <p>In the wake of the international media storm, Bindi announced she would be “taking a break” from social media as a means to protect her mental health.</p> <p>“I’m taking a break from social media and most of my work in the public eye for a month to be with my beautiful daughter and my wonderful family,” she wrote on Instagram.</p> <p>“I feel tremendously grateful to share our life and conservation work with you but I need some time to focus on the happiness that is my family (both human and animal).”</p> <p>Terri Irwin also posted a cryptic yet seemingly pointed message on her own social media.</p> <p>Taking to Twitter, she shared a post about “avoiding certain people” just days after the family’s feud made headlines.</p> <p>The full quote was penned by author and military veteran Steve Maraboli, and reads: “Avoiding certain people to protect your mental health is not a weakness … It’s wisdom.”</p> <p>She captioned the snap, “Thank you @SteveMaraboli. Another jewel. Caring for others seems to be easier than caring for ourselves.</p> <p>“It takes courage to follow through on what we know is the right thing to do. Wishing everyone the best to be brave and wise. It’s worth it!”</p>

Family & Pets

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Bob Irwin’s friend sets the record straight: “He hasn’t been back to Australia Zoo"

<p>Bob Irwin’s close friend Amanda French, who co-wrote his Irwin’s autobiography <em>The Last Crocodile Hunter</em> has dropped some major bombs.</p> <p>While in conversation with Brisbane’s <em>Stav, Abby and Matt,</em> Amanda revealed how devastating it was to hear Bindi Irwin’s claims of “psychological abuse” made against her grandfather.</p> <p>Amanda clarified that while there has been bad blood between the family, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to fans.</p> <p>“Bob resigned from Australia Zoo in 2008 and hasn’t seen the kids since that time,” she began.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841955/bob-bindi-irwin-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e1c2fe82db0842eca1d4701417cf83f2" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Bob and his son, Steve Irwin</em></p> <p>“It’s a surprise with what Bindi came out and said. There were some pretty weighty terms that were thrown around, psychological abuse and all that stuff.</p> <p>“You’d have to have some pretty big evidence to back that. It’s a pretty big call to make.”</p> <p>Amanda says Bob refuses to share what exactly went down between him and Australia Zoo, but alluded that management made big changes when Steve passed away.</p> <p>“He’s maintained a very neutral position about it [resigning] even when he published his autobiography,” she said.</p> <p>“The reason why he did that is because he knew there would be consequences for Australia Zoo.</p> <p>“He didn’t see eye-to-eye on issues to do with Australia Zoo at the time and some of the animals.”</p> <p>Amanda also touched on the gifts Bob returned, saying they were only ever sent from Terri and were incredibly “strange”.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841954/bob-bindi-irwin-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/37c1173abd824c8c84079f836aac82b8" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Steve, Terri and Bindi Irwin</em></p> <p>“I’ve been there when he’s received gifts, and it was a shower cap,” she said.</p> <p>“Really strange thing to send a man. To me it’s a passive aggressive thing to do, that’s my perspective. After a while of that, Bob returned one of the gifts.”</p> <p>Amanda also set the record straight on Bindi’s comments about how her family was continuing to financially support Bob, despite having a fractured relationship with him.</p> <p>She said Bob gifted the sanctuary to Steve and Irwin when they got married.</p> <p>“He gave them that zoo.</p> <p>“There was always an agreement that he would be on a pension and looked after.”</p> <p>She went on to say it’s been difficult for Bob, who cannot visit his son’s burial site as it is located in the zoo.</p> <p>“It’s hard for him not to be able to return to his son’s resting place as you can understand,” she revealed.</p> <p>“He hasn’t been back to Australia Zoo since the wildlife hospital was launched in 2008. It was supposed to be dedicated to Bob and his late wife Lynne, because that was where Lynne did the bulk of her wildlife work.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841957/bob-bindi-irwin.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bf6053bc872141e38c564ab626995cc4" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Bob Irwin for The Last Crocodile Hunter</em></p> <p>“They retracted Bob’s invitation to attend that launch and he turned up anyway. I organised that event and I remember him turning up on the day and sitting in the audience looking very upset.”</p> <p>Amanda, who has a close relationship with the family, maintained that Bob is a good person.</p> <p>So much so in fact, that many staff members have left the zoo under Terri’s management due to similar issues that Bob had.</p> <p>“When I went back to write the book and spoke to those key people who worked with Bob and Steve, there was still some bad blood there with how they were treated. They adored them [Bob and Steve], and never had a boss like them again.”</p> <p>Amanda says that while she wrote the book about the croc hunter, Bob did try to send his grandchildren letters but was unsure if they were receiving them or not.</p> <p>Due to the confusion, Amanda says Bob chose to “close off the book with a message to his grandkids” instead.</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p> <p>Bindi Irwin made upsetting allegations against her grandfather, Bob Irwin in her Father’s Day post dedicated to her own father, her husband, Chandler Powell, and her father-in-law.</p> <p>When asked why she left her grandfather out of the post, Bindi unleashed, saying: “Unfortunately my grandfather Bob has shown no interest in spending time with me or my family.</p> <p>“He has returned gifts I’ve sent him after he opened them, he has ignored my correspondence and from the time I was a little girl he has ignored me, preferring to spend time doing anything else rather than being with me,” Bindi went on to say.</p> <p>“He has never said a single kind word to me personally. It breaks my heart but it is not healthy to engage in an abusive relationship.</p> <p>“I hope everyone remembers to be kind to one another but most of all care for your own mental health,” she added.</p> <p>“I have struggled with this relationship my entire life and it brings me enormous pain.”</p> <p>Bindi has since taken time away from social media, citing it was for her well-being.</p>

Family & Pets

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Chandler Powell chimes in after Bindi Irwin takes a break from social media

<p>Bindi Irwin’s husband Chandler Powell has given a message of support for his wife after she announced she was stepping down from social media and “taking a break”.</p> <p>The decision follows after Bindi publicly exposed her fractured relationship with her grandfather, Bob Irwin.</p> <p>The Australian conservationist took to Instagram on Monday evening to announce she was temporarily stepping back “from social media and most of my work in the public eye” to be with her “beautiful daughter” and “wonderful family”.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBindisueIrwin%2Fposts%2F329952148500766&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="759" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></p> <p>The previous evening, the 22-year-old claimed she suffered psychological “abuse” because of her estranged grandfather’s silence.</p> <p>The bombshell post followed with the revelation that Bob had “shown no interest” in spending time with her family.</p> <p>“He has returned gifts I’ve sent him after he opened them, he has ignored my correspondence and from the time I was a little girl he has ignored me, preferring to spend time doing anything else rather than being with me,” she said.</p> <p>“He has never said a single kind word to me personally.</p> <p>“It breaks my heart but it is not healthy to engage in an abusive relationship.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841925/bindi-irwin-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/caccff06b61d488cb4a855233711402f" /></p> <p>Speaking on <em>The Latest</em> on Monday evening, Amanda French, who is the author of the book <em>The Last Crocodile Hunter</em>, revealed he was “deeply upset” by the comments.</p> <p>“Naturally Bob’s quite upset about it, and to be perfectly honest we haven’t told him the full extent of the comments because we’re quite concerned about how he might take that,” she said.</p> <p>Following the reaction, Bindi announced she was stepping down from social media temporarily.</p> <p>“I feel tremendously grateful to share our life and conservation work with you but I need some time to focus on the happiness that is my family (both human and animal),” she revealed.</p> <p>“Recently, I’ve had many people reaching out to share their own stories of working hard to protect their mental health. Thank you for sharing and speaking your truth.</p> <p>“To my friends who are dealing with depression, anxiety and other battles every day - I see you.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQYWHY0BN8t/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQYWHY0BN8t/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Chandler Powell (@chandlerpowell)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“These issues are very real and deserve to be discussed and addressed. Surround yourself with the light of people who genuinely care about you and will support you during the good times and the hard times.</p> <p>“Remember there are helplines available. Mental health deserves more understanding and support instead of being dismissed or patronised. You are absolutely worthy of love and kindness,” she concluded.</p> <p>On Monday night, Bindi’s husband Chandler Powell shared a strong message of support for his wife.</p> <p>“You inspire me with your unwavering kindness and your ability to stand up for what is right,” he wrote on Instagram.</p> <p>“You are the strongest and most beautiful person inside and out.</p> <p>“Grace has an amazing mama to look up to.”</p>

Family & Pets

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"Lies need to stop": Irwin family member rushes to support Bob

<p>The Irwins are hardly the type to battle it out publicly, but for years the family have been at quietly a loggerheads, it was revealed over the weekend.</p> <p>In a sweet Father’s Day post Bindi shared, she thanked Steve, her own husband Chandler, and her father-in-law.</p> <p>One fan took to the comments to asks Irwin why she left her grandfather Bob out of the tribute and the young celebrity unleashed.</p> <p>“Unfortunately my grandfather Bob has shown no interest in spending time with me or my family,” she wrote.</p> <p>“He has never said a single kind word to me personally. It breaks my heart but it is not healthy to engage in an abusive relationship … I have struggled with this relationship my entire life and it brings me enormous pain.”</p> <p>A family member of the family took to Facebook to angrily dispute Bindi’s claims made about her grandfather Bob.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQUfEJ8BMgF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQUfEJ8BMgF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Bethanny Wheeler explained that she is the “the granddaughter of Bob Irwin via marriage of my father and my Stepmother Mandy as a very young child,”.</p> <p>She called Bob “the most genuinely beautiful human on this planet and has NEVER spoken out or put down anybody!</p> <p>"He is a man who sits silently and battles his demons alone, in what is great sadness. He doesn’t retaliate, only prays for his grandchildren’s safety and good lives.”</p> <p>Wheeler wrote that her “sisters and brothers will happily back me up when I say that Bob Irwin is a passive and beautiful human, and these lies need to stop.”</p> <p>Bob Irwin’s biographer also said he was “devastated” by Bindi’s claims of abuse.</p> <p>Amanda French, who co-wrote Bob’s 2016 autobiography The Last Crocodile Hunter, slammed Bindi.</p> <p>“To write that there is psychological abuse from the kindest, most beautiful soul I have ever met, is heartbreaking,” she wrote.</p> <p>She went on to say Bob has been “devastated to his core.”</p> <p>“Unbeknownst to you, and what you know, he is suffering deeply for the loss of his family … He has done all he knows how to do and that is bury his head in the sand because that’s how he copes,” she continued.</p> <p>“He’s not someone who is out there about reaching out and communicating, he’s like your Dad was. An introvert and not someone who can navigate people well.</p> <p>“He loves your Dad, and you guys more than you know. This should be a private matter not written about on Facebook.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841917/bob-irwin-family-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/44f9f932a55748b6a0ce4bc6df1ef9c4" /></p> <p>Entertainment Reporter Peter Ford told <em>Sunrise</em> on Monday that after speaking to Bob’s wife Judy over the weekend, he could confirm they were blown away by Bindi’s comments.</p> <p>“They were pretty shellshocked by it and when I rang and read to his wife Judy the details, they’re not on social media, so they were not aware of what was going on at all, I think they were pretty shocked and devastated,” the reporter said.</p> <p>“That’s just the feeling I got. They didn’t say that to me and they did not come back and offer any kind of reply or response.”</p> <p>Steve and his father were incredible close, once labelling him: “the legend of the universe.”</p> <p>Steve told the ABC’s Enough Rope in 2003: “He was everything I wanted to be. And all I’ve done in my life is follow in his footsteps, mimic him and try to be him. And nowadays I just try to make him proud.”</p> <p>Steve was killed in a 2006 freak accident, right after the father and his son wrapped up their month-long in Cape York,</p> <p>“You never expect that’s the last time you’re ever going to see your son, but I certainly had a feeling he sensed something was about to happen,” Bob said after the accident.</p> <p>Steve died after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while he was filming on the Great Barrier Reef.</p> <p>When Bob released his autobiography in 2016, he said that “when the world lost Steve, the animals lost the best friend they ever had, and so did I.”</p> <p>“What he stood for and what he was able to achieve means just as much now as when he was here in the physical world.”</p> <p>Bindi insists that she and her family want the best for Bob.</p> <p>“We built him a house on a beautiful property and will always do our best to ensure his wellbeing,” she wrote.</p>

News

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Tennis fans slam Dylan Alcott's brutal snub

<p>Aussie wheelchair tennis star Dylan Alcott was ecstatic to be playing in prime time on Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night - until he wasn't.</p> <p>Alcott won his seventh straight Australian Open quad singles crown by beating Dutchman Sam Schroder 6-1 6-0 in the final, but Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas didn't exactly help him out.</p> <p>Alcott was expected to arrive on centre court after Nadal and Tsitsipas' quarter-final, which started at 7.30pm. But the match went on longer than expected forcing organises to shift Alcott and Schroder off Rod Laver Arena and onto Margaret Court Arena instead.</p> <p>Both players arrived on court at around 11.15 pm which meant the game took place when most Aussie fans were fast asleep.</p> <p>While Alcott is not one to complain, he did express his disappointment that his match wasn't scheduled for prime time as promised.</p> <p>Before the schedule change was announced, many fans on social media were already complaining about putting Alcott’s final on after a match that had every chance of going to five sets.</p> <p>The criticism kept coming after Australian Open officials made their crunch call.</p> <p>Journalist Rachel Riley tweeted: “Disappointed I won’t get to see @DylanAlcott play tonight because it’s on so late. An Aussie champion playing in the final of the #AusOpen should be prime time to entertain/inspire so many. Take nothing away from the game on now. Just want to see the best of all abilities.</p> <p>“Should have been playing at the same time, prime time, on a different court, broadcast on other 9 channel. Disappointing for fans and surely players too.”</p> <p>AFL reporter Tom Browne tweeted: “Sending Alcott out at 11.13 pm is so strange.”</p> <p>Tennis writer Ben Rothenberg wrote: “Bummer to move the quad final to MCA ... would have preferred it got delayed to another day, especially with fans arriving tomorrow.”</p> <p>Damien Peck added: “Obviously no one can foresee a 5 set match beforehand, but Alcott should be livid that it’s not being played in Australian prime time.”</p> <p>Jake Bozinovski said: “What a pathetic decision for @TennisAustralia to reschedule tonight’s Dylan Alcott’s game to be played at Margaret Court Arena, it should’ve been for tomorrow so the fans could be there to witness the final, absolutely disgraceful.”</p> <p>Even though hitting the court for his singles final so late probably wasn’t his ideal scenario, Alcott knows he’s lucky to be playing at all.</p> <p>“We are so lucky to be playing tennis at the moment,” he said on Tuesday. “We aren’t taking that opportunity for granted.</p> <p>“I feel very grateful to be here. When other people can’t do their jobs, have lost loved ones, lost their jobs, can’t travel, are in lockdown … when you are grateful for the moment, I think you can relax.</p> <p>“Win, lose or draw, who cares. I’m just lucky to be here. I’m thinking like that.”</p>

News

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Bindi Irwin reveals her favourite wedding planning moment so far

<p>Wedding planning continues for the bride and groom-to-be, Chandler Powell and Bindi Irwin. </p> <p>The 21-year-old is proving to be well-prepared so far and has already locked in the Australia Zoo for her venue as well as her wedding gown. </p> <p>Now, Bindi is focussing her attention on another major feature for her big day: the wedding cake.</p> <p>The wildlife star shared a photo of herself, her fiance, her mother Terri Irwin and loved ones as they sampled a number of flavours while wedding cake testing on Sunday. </p> <p>Wedding cake tasting together has been one of the best planning moments so far. I'm beyond grateful to have the love and support of this amazing group in my life," the daughter of the late Steve Irwin wrote in the caption of the adorable picture. </p> <p>"This might have been my favorite planning moment yet." Chandler wrote not too soon after the photo was posted. </p> <p>Last month, Bindi’s little brother, Robert, revealed his sister is already completely invested in her wedding planning just months after Chandler proposed with a gorgeous two-carat,m vintage oval diamond on July 24 - Bindi’s 21st birthday. </p> <p>"This might have been my favorite planning moment yet."</p> <p>"Bindi is in planning mode, she's incredible. She's got all the colour-coded binders," the 15-year-old told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://people.com/" target="_blank">People<span> </span></a>magazine. </p> <p>Bindi playfully added, "Saving the world and planning a wedding. It's tough! [But] it's a healthy balance."</p> <p>The couple have yet to reveal their wedding date but they will tie the knot at Australia Zoo some time in 2020 in front of family, friends and furry animals.</p> <p><span>​Scroll through the gallery above to see Bindi with her family. </span></p>

Food & Wine

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Irwin family in mourning after loss of beloved family animal

<p>Bindi Irwin is in mourning following the death of one of her animal-obsessed family’s most beloved pets. </p> <p>Piggy, the Irwin’s 13-year-old chicken passed away earlier this week - a remarkably long life-span for a bird of her species. </p> <p>“For nearly 13 years you made us smile through life’s ups and downs,” Bindi wrote in a heartfelt Instagram photo of the pair, adding “Rest In Peace my lovely girl.”</p> <p>In a public show of support, Bindi’s fiance Chandler joined in on the chorus of support and commented a love heart to his partner. </p> <p>The youngest member of the Irwin family, Robert, shared his own sweet tribute to his beloved chicken, telling fans just how much she meant to his family. </p> <p>“Saying goodbye to one of our dearest friends. Almost 13 years ago, ‘Piggy’ came into our family and brought so much joy to everyone who knew her over the years,” he wrote.</p> <p>“I’ve never known a chicken with the character and personality that this hen had, she was one of a kind. We’ll miss you little Pig.”</p> <p>At 13-years-old, it is likely the sweet bird entered the Irwins’ life soon after dad Steve passed away in 2006.</p> <p>Despite the bittersweet memories attached to Piggy, and the death of crocodile hunter Steve, Bindi says she is hoping to implement her father’s presence at her wedding to Chandler next year. </p> <p>“I really want to include Dad on the day and make sure that he is with us in some way,” Bindi previously told<span> </span><em>People</em>.</p> <p>“Just little bits of Dad that will make it feel like he’s there with us.”</p> <p>The conservationist says she and her fiance are to hold a candle lighting ceremony. </p> <p>“So we’ll be able to all get up as a little family and light a candle in his honour and share a few words on what an amazing dad he was and still is.”</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the Irwin family with their beloved pet. </p>

Domestic Travel

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Why Bob Irwin hasn't spoken to granddaughter Bindi in 10 years

<p>When Bindi Irwin will finally say her vows to fiance Chandler Powell, at Australia Zoo in 2020, her grandfather Bob Irwin will not be there to celebrate with her. </p> <p>While talking to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/qweekend/setting-the-record-straight-wildlife-warrior-bob-irwin-breaks-his-silence-on-terri-bindi-robert-and-tells-of-life-after-steve/news-story/8ce8756236cfd0dd0c1aca999c101ade" target="_blank"><em>The Courier Mail</em></a><em>, </em>the 80-year-old environmentalist and conservationist said so far, he and his wife Judy had not been invited to his granddaughter's wedding. </p> <p>They don’t expect to either however, as they have not seen each other in over ten years. </p> <p>The father of Steve Irwin still insists there is no rift between him and his son’s family, despite the “upsetting rumours”. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1w0rxdBKnt/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1w0rxdBKnt/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a> on Aug 29, 2019 at 2:24pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Mr Irwin referenced a particularly accusatory article that was published after the couple announced their engagement that interpreted his “no comment” as a sign of a deep split. </p> <p>“Although a lot of untruths and rubbish and absolute garbage have been written by scumbags in the past, you reach a point where you’ve had enough. It’s important everybody knows the truth, not just Bob and Bindi,” he told the publication.</p> <p>“No, I haven’t had an invite to the wedding and, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t expect to be invited to the wedding.”</p> <p>Rumours surrounding the relationship between Bob and his grandchildren intensified in 2015, weeks after then 17-year-old Bindi won the US <em>Dancing With the Stars. </em></p> <p>Bob told the <em>Herald Sun </em>he was “so proud of her and what she’s achieved”. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1pPJ5mhcHS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1pPJ5mhcHS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a> on Aug 26, 2019 at 3:41pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“She seems to be able to take on everything that life throws at her — she’s definitely got an amazing future ahead of her,” he said.</p> <p>The 80-year-old admitted that he and Bindi were not in touch. </p> <p>“She seems to be able to take on everything that life throws at her — she’s definitely got an amazing future ahead of her,” he said.</p> <p>“It’s sad but it’s just the way things are.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2FfGq3hhuM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2FfGq3hhuM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Pioneering Herpetologist and Animal Conservationist Bob Irwin Snr at home on his property near Kingaroy. Straight shooting, no nonsense, wonderfully caring man. Shot for @qweekend @couriermail . . . . . #wildlife #conservation #animals #portrait #people #australian #queenslander #reptiles #bobirwin #canonaustralia #queensland #australia #environment #earth</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/lachiemillardphoto/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Lachie Millard</a> (@lachiemillardphoto) on Sep 6, 2019 at 2:59pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Bob was last photographed with his daughter-in-law and grandchildren in 2007, according to Getty Images, at the Steve Irwin Memorial Day at Australia Zoo. </p> <p>Rumours of a family rift began when Bob resigned from his position at Australia Zoo, due to differences in opinion when it came to operating the national attraction. </p> <p>Now he lives with his wide in Kingaroy, Queensland and says he just wants what is best for his grand kids. </p> <p>“I want (Bindi and Robert, 15) to be able to do what they want from day to day, enjoy life, enjoy the animals, achieve things, without worrying about things that should never be presented to them (like that article),” he said.</p> <p>“Much the same as any other parent or grandparent, I would wish (Bindi and Chandler) all the best — which I do — and hope things go really, really well.”</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see Bindi Irwin with her fiance, Chandler. </p>

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