Tammin Sursok’s Mediterranean Holiday Spoiled by ‘Ridiculous’ Injury
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Welcome to The Group Chat with Lucy Manly, where Australia’s most-trusted society insider shares the hottest gossip BEFORE it makes the news.
A Highlands romance?
Forget the eastern suburbs. This week, a piping hot rumour from the well-heeled Southern Highlands town of Bowral had me speeding off down the M5.
Now, I’ll admit I hadn’t thought much about Bowral since Sam Armytage called it quits with her husband Richard Lavender last year, moved out of his 40-hectare compound and high-tailed it back to Sydney.
But it seems even without Sam-the-human-headline hanging around, there’s still plenty of gossip to keep the local rumour mill spinning. Namely private school gossip about two very famous parents.
We hear local billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, who split from his fashion designer wife Annie last July after 13 years of marriage, may have recently found love in the Highlands…
We hear local billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes (right), who split from his fashion designer wife Annie (left) last July after 13 years of marriage, may have recently found love in the Highlands
…with Phoebe Burgess (pictured), the influencer ex-wife of retired NRL star Sam Burgess
…with Phoebe Burgess, the influencer ex-wife of retired NRL star Sam Burgess.
Now, it could all be wishful thinking on the part of overzealous school mums keen to play matchmaker, but we simply couldn’t ignore the influx of tips this week telling us to ‘keep an eye’ on Mike and Phoebe.
Where’s the Gossip Girl of the Southern Highlands when you need her?
‘Everyone here knows they are close. It’s a bit of an open secret and frankly we are surprised it hasn’t come out yet,’ a local mum tells me.
‘Phoebe’s social media has changed too. She used to post a lot but she hardly does anymore. It almost seems like she is trying to stay off the radar a bit.’
While it’s unknown how they met, their rural boltholes are within a five-minute drive of one another: Phoebe, 36, can often be found at her parents’ Glenquarry estate ‘Daffodil Downs’, while Mike, 45, calls Rosehill Farm in nearby Kangaloon home.
The pair, who are believed to be otherwise romantically unattached, both send their children to The King’s School, Tudor House, in nearby Moss Vale.
Of course, Mike having a new woman in his life isn’t exactly breaking news. The Wall Street Journal (of all places) first reported in November the tech boss was dating an unnamed ‘civilian’ he’d met in the Highlands. When we approached him at the time, he declined to comment.
Phoebe and Sam (pictured in 2016) had a rocky divorce. He has since remarried Lucy Graham
The Atlassian CEO is a part-owner of South Sydney Rabbitohs, the team Phoebe’s ex-husband Sam and his brothers led to victory (he is seen wearing a Souths cap in July 2022 in Idaho)
I spent Wednesday in Bowral after receiving a flood of tips to ‘keep an eye’ on Mike and Phoebe
Coincidentally, the Atlassian CEO is a part-owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the rugby league team Phoebe’s ex-husband Sam and his brothers led to victory.
Sam, who shares two children with Phoebe, daughter Poppy and son Billy, remarried British hairdresser Lucy Graham in Rome last October.
In the background of all this is Mike’s divorce from Annie, which could prove to be extraordinarily complex as they divide their enormous wealth and assets, which total an estimated $31billion.
Phoebe certainly knows a thing or two about messy divorces, so she’ll no doubt be a pillar of support.
‘It’ girls ditch Ozempic, go old-school
You only need to scroll through Instagram to see celebrities and the rest of us common folk fading to skin and bones courtesy of Ozempic.
For those who’ve been living under a rock, it’s a medication created to treat type 2 diabetes but is now being widely used as a miracle weight loss treatment.
Some of the earliest adopters among the in-crowd now say they’re quitting Ozempic after suffering embarrassing and debilitating stomach symptoms – including losing control of their bowels.
But they’re not losing weight the old-fashioned way. Oh, no. They’re trying a new drug. Well, technically, it’s an old drug. Duromine.
It’s been on the market since the ’50s as an appetite suppressant. Unlike Ozempic, which mimics a natural hormone called GLP-1 that regulates blood sugar and appetite, Duromine works by stimulating the central nervous system, similar to amphetamines.
Some of the earliest adopters among the in-crowd say they’re quitting Ozempic after suffering embarrassing and debilitating stomach symptoms, including losing control of their bowels
‘Duromine is the eastern suburbs’ oldest secret. It suppresses your appetite just like Ozempic but it is safer,’ a source tells me.
‘People are buying under the counter and every chick in the east has a dodgy doctor or pharmacist willing to help out.’
According to my insider, some users are even mixing their Duromine with ADHD medication Ritalin for a double dose of skinny and mental sharpness.
It is not suggested anyone mentioned or pictured in this article uses Ozempic, Ritalin or Duromine. Abusing prescription drugs can be deadly.
And finally… guess who, don’t sue
Their affair was common knowledge in hospitality circles for years.
But now the mercurial mistress of an internationally known restaurateur is biting the hand that feeds her.
Rumour has it she’s considering going to the press to expose their years-long relationship despite him promising his wife it was a ‘one-off’ indiscretion.’
The subject of this blind item is not mentioned or pictured elsewhere in this article.
