Radio silence on Jackie O

Live radio certainly can be dangerous, especially talkback shows when callers throw curly questions at hosts.

Just ask 'Ugly' Phil O'Neil – ex husband of Jackie O (it's where she gets the 'O' from).

Last week, Phil was covering for John Stanley on 2GB Nights when one listener called in to grill the presenter about the controversy surrounding his ex-wife and her court case against ARN.

He might be known as 'Ugly', but Phil has showed nothing but class when it comes to Jackie, refusing to provide running commentary on her headline-making termination.

Last month, we reported that Phil shared a social media grab from a listener which said, 'Bring back Ugly Phil', calling for him to take over the reins on the KIIS FM breakfast show.

'Yes it is true. I am the big radio story of the day. But I have nothing further to add. Thank you,' Phil captioned the screenshot.

Since then, it's been radio silence regarding Jackie O.

That all changed last week when 'Luke from Mosman' snuck through the vetting process, posing a question about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before adding one about Jackie.

'What are Harry and Meghan doing for Australia?' asked Luke.

No problems so far: that's pretty normal talkback fodder.

But then he quickly changed gears, adding: 'And how are you going with Jackie O?'

A surprised O'Neil laughed while quickly thinking on his feet.

'Well, I can tell you I'm not going with Jackie O, and haven't for about 25 years, unlike the happily married couple – see I can do the link too – Harry and Meghan.'

Inside Mail can reveal O'Neil hasn't just kept quiet about Jackie on air, he's also been very private behind the scenes.

It helps that he usually does the midnight to dawn shift, so he isn't in the office during normal work hours to be bombarded with questions.

Even if he was though, he is smart enough to avoid direct answers.

Selfiegate strikes again for Seven 

After being outed by the Daily Mail for his shameless Prince Harry selfie attempt, Channel Seven's Paul Dowsley was in damage control - taking to his own network's breakfast show to set the record very much not straight.

The Morning Show obligingly rolled the tape: there's Dowsley, relentless as ever, barking questions at Harry at the next royal circus, craning for a reaction. The Duke finally whirled around: 'What's your name? It was Paul, right?' - to which Dowsley fired off, 'Are we friends?'

With Harry already beating a hasty retreat, Dowsley clung on with, 'The press is saying we're not friends!' The prince - no stranger to media escape routines - didn't bother replying.

Then came Dowsley's piece to camera - an extended soliloquy on Selfiegate, insisting he'd simply tried to snap a couple of harmless selfies and that the Mail had 'twisted' the episode into an 'ambush.' Reader, it went on. And on.

Then, no sooner had he bemoaned the so-called ambush, Mail cameras caught him at it again: this time at Swinburne University, thrusting his giant mic past a mountainous security guard at a fast-retreating Duke. 

Harry looked anything but eager for a reunion, instead whisking Meghan to the getaway car. 

Hook, line and... stinker?

Legendary Aussie TV programmer, John Stephens, had a set of rules for what makes great TV.

One of those rules was: sharks always rate.

Now, while that might have been true for many decades, Stevo's rulebook looks set to be thrown out the window when Channel 9's new series SHARK! hits airwaves later this year.

According to insiders, the show is dull and boring, despite PR drivel describing it as 'increasingly intense challenges, from cage dives to open water swims with minimal protection'.

The show launched in the UK to much fanfare but was cancelled after just one season, with The Sun describing it as a 'total flop'.

Nine jumped in to buy the rights before the show had aired, believing it would have viewers hooked.

Now they are not so sure.

The network is doing everything in its power to make the Aussie version work though, with shark attack survivor and former Navy clearance diver Paul de Gelder guiding six Aussie celebrities through the experience.

Those six celebrities include beloved Home and Away star Lynne McGranger, Ariarne Titmus, Scott Cam, Tammy Hembrow, Sam Thaiday and Matt Nable.

Production staff have been told there will be a second series – but that's because local deals usually include a two-series commitment to help cover set-up costs experienced during season one.

But insiders at Nine say they will be surprised if there is a second series, even if the network has to pay a big cancellation fee.

Real shark stories still rate – victims of attacks always draw large numbers, but a show where there's no real risk is likely to be seen as a turn-off by most viewers.

Nine must be wishing this was the one that got away.

A royal conundrum 

There's something worth noting about one of the guest speakers at the now-infamous 'Her Best Life' retreat over the weekend

You know, the one Meghan Markle came out for.

One of the guests was TV and film producer Bruna Papandrea. She's an Aussie who has risen to fame behind the scenes setting up production companies with celebrities like Reese Witherspoon.

She's highly respected, a recipient of prestigious female-focused awards, and a producer of several female-empowerment stories such as Wild, Gone Girl, Big Little Lies, and has also worked behind the scenes with Eric Bana on The Dry.

On paper, her inclusion as a speaker makes sense.

That's until you realise her husband is Steve Hutensky. That name might not mean anything to you, but he was Harvey Weinstein's lawyer who settled numerous settlements with alleged sexual assault victims of the former Hollywood producer.

The couple have tried to limit public knowledge of his involvement with Weinstein, but it is now well-known within the industry.

Despite that, Papandrea continues to be lauded by feminists including 'Her Best Life' owner Gemma O'Neill and Mamamia's Mia Freedman.

But should Papandrea have to pay for the sins of a man her husband worked for?

That's the question being asked around town as industry insiders come to terms with the ugly association to convicted sex offender Weinstein, who is currently locked up.

More concerning though, is American-born Hutensky created a production company with his wife called 'Made up Stories', which has received more than $5million in funding from Screen Australia.

There are concerns relating to the fact taxpayer money is being given to someone who supposedly helped to silence alleged victims of sexual assault.

Inside Mail does not suggest Hutensky acted illegally, or that he knew the extent of the allegations against Weinstein, or that they were true.

Crisis management queen parts with The Cat

The saga of Antony 'The Cat' Catalano has hit another snag after it was revealed this week he'd parted ways with Melbourne PR crisis queen Lahra Carey.

Ms Carey, who's crisis-managed the lives of some of Australia's most troublesome men, was tapped on the shoulder by the media mogul in mid-March after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife Stefanie.

The PR guru was on hand in the immediate aftermath, fielding enquiries from journalists for both Catalano and Stefanie, then just Catalano.

However the strange arrangement appears to have lasted mere weeks with the Sydney Morning Herald noting on Monday that the pair had 'parted ways late last month.'

By Inside Mail's calculations (and maths isn't this reporter's strong suit!), that's two weeks. Surely a record in Ms Carey's stable of motley clients!

After all, Ms Carey has seen it all...

She's helped Lark Distilling's former chief Geoff Bainbridge recover from being exposed lying about a video showing him smoking meth in his undies, guided burger chain Grill'd through food safety debacles, and co-founder Simon Crowe's notorious Native American headdress at a staff Christmas bash.

She's also currently got former Carlton president Luke Sayers on her books after his ex-wife sued him for defamation, after he allegedly tarnished her reputation while trying to explain his d**k pic scandal to the AFL's Integrity Unit.

When asked by Inside Mail if the rumours surrounding Catalano were true, Ms Carey diplomatically responded: 'Mr Catalano no longer requires representation.'

Handled like a true professional... 

Caleb Bond's girlfriend faces gender care probe

It appears Sky News host Caleb Bond isn't the only one in his household who has a knack for making controversial comments after his partner, psychologist Clare Rowe, landed herself in hot water with the national medical regulator.

Ms Rowe, who touts herself as a leading psychologist, speaker and writer, said she is being investigated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) over comments she made in relation to gender-affirming care.

The agency has the power to strip a practitioner of their registration.

'I am one of several clinicians now under investigation from AHPRA in response to my questioning of gender medicine with children,' Ms Rowe recently shared on her public Instagram account.

'We have been accused of conversation [sic] therapy, transphobia and discrimination.

'I await (after months) of the result of the investigation, knowing that they can threaten my livelihood if I don't remain quiet. This is despite overwhelming international rigorous evidence supporting my opinions.'

While it's not known what comments the agency is investigating, a quick peek at Ms Rowe's public commentary suggests they wouldn't have to look too far.

In an opinion piece for The Australian last year, Ms Rowe claimed puberty blockers 'trap children in a state of suspended development' after news emerged of a 12-year-old Queensland child who'd been prescribed puberty blockers without parental consent.

'It is a shame that the case... is what finally triggered an inquiry into such an ethically fraught treatment,' Ms Rowe wrote.

'While puberty blockers are often touted as a 'pause button' that allows children time to 'work through their issues' related to gender distress, the reality is far more complicated... they perpetuate and prolong their distress.'

She also shared similar comments on 2GB a few months later, describing gender transitioning as having a 'contagion effect.'

'Gender dysphoria is the only condition whereby we are told to lean into the delusions and anxieties of a presentation and not challenge them. It is the only one that we are told to go along with,' Ms Rowe said.

'And if we don't, we're the ones harming the children.'

Ms Rowe, who has also appeared as a guest on Sky News alongside her beau, declined to comment to Inside Mail, citing legal advice.

APHRA directed Inside Mail's request for comment towards the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission who said they would not comment or confirm complaints about individual practitioners. 

Ms Rowe's registration remains active on APHRA's registration board.

BRS byline baffles after bail

For all the time taken up by his bail hearing, Inside Mail was surprised to see Ben Roberts-Smith had found the time on Sunday to write up a searing 315-word, first-person piece for The Nightly... his byline emblazoned front and centre on the website.

At that point, he'd only been out of jail for two days, having successfully applied for bail while prosecutors shore up their case against the former SAS soldier over alleged war crime-murders.

Yet, with a second of further scrutiny, it was clear The Nightly had just republished the brief statement he gave to reporters during a press conference that afternoon, slapping his byline at the top as if he was a regular contributor. 

Talk about a cheap shot.

(In news that shouldn't be a shock to anybody, The Nightly is backed by Kerry Stokes' Seven West Media - Stokes famously bankrolled Roberts-Smith's failed defamation case against Nine Newspapers in 2018).

Way to go Kerry!

One Nation's $6M surprise

One Nation has long sold itself as a plain speaking insurgency against the stitched up political class dominated by elites. Yet this week it emerged that One Nation pocketed a cool $6million in public funding after the 2025 federal election. 

Not bad, especially given that candidate expenditure declarations were dramatically lower, with dozens of candidates reporting no spending at all. 

Former candidates have complained about a lack of reimbursements alongside opaque finances. In other words, the anti-establishment party appears to have built a tidy establishment racket of its own, all within the rules, we are assured. 

Rage is One Nation's product, victimhood is its branding, and public money is the revenue stream. 

Is One Nation just a mini-me version of what it denounces? Highly centralised, largely unaccountable and run on personal loyalty. 

One Nation isn't proof that the politics of grievance works, it's proof it can be monetised in our taxpayer funded electoral system.

Politics in murky waters

There is a gloriously Queensland quality to the insistence that Olympic rowing should happen on Rockhampton's Fitzroy River and any doubters are merely elites lacking faith in the regions.

The objections are practical enough: distance from Brisbane, infrastructure questions, technical concerns (race waters are uneven depending where on the course you're placed), and yes, the small matter of crocodiles in the water!

But practicality is no match for the political romance of making a bad idea sound like decentralisation. Tim Mander (the former NRL referee turned politician) says there is no reason to consider alternatives. Watch out or he'll card you for talking back!

Critics from the rowing world say there are several better locations and very good reasons to consider them. We support a rowing course that doesn't risk Olympians being eaten alive. But don't expect the Liberal National QLD government to change the venue thus hanging Rockhampton out to dry.

The politics is more risky than wadding into those waters.

Governments no longer merely host sporting events, they weaponise venue selections as cultural signalling. Support this and you back the regions. Question it and you are an agitator, an elite, perhaps even an enemy of state pride. Never mind whether the event belongs there in the first place.

'Not on my watch!' 

There was a brief moment of tension on level six of 52 Martin Place during a press conference held by NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey.

Mookhey was addressing a serious cyber security breach and had been taking questions on the issue in a measured and controlled manner when The Australian's Lachlan Leeming attempted to steer the discussion elsewhere.

'On a slightly different matter,' Leeming began, before being interrupted by 9News' Liz Daniels, who interjected with a firm 'nope,' cutting off the question mid‑sentence.

Daniels, playing the role of defacto press secretary, believed the Treasurer had not finished addressing the cyber breach and that questions should remain focused on that issue.

The intervention appeared to catch other reporters off guard.

Australian Financial Review journalist Paul Karp was heard reacting with an audible 'What?'

After the press conference concluded, Karp told journalists in the elevator ride down to exit the building that it was not the media's role to control press conferences.

He added there was no guarantee the Treasurer wouldn't return to the cyber security issue if questioning moved on to other matters, something Hayes and him appeared to agree to disagree on. 

Laura Jayes' expert advice 

Sky News host Laura Jayes has waded into the gas tax wars, taking a sharp swipe at a Senate inquiry she says is being led astray by the wrong kind of 'expert'.

'I'm really worried about where our politicians are getting their facts and expert advice from,' Jayes said, stressing that gas taxation is a 'totally legitimate and very complex' issue that could shape future budgets for years to come.

Her concern turned into outright disbelief when the inquiry's first witness was revealed.

'Who was the first witness they called today? A guy by the name of Konrad Benjamin, also known as Punter Politics,' she said.

'He's not a tax expert, a trade expert, an energy expert, or even an economist. He's really just an expert in his own opinion.'

Jayes warned the appearance was not just symbolic.

'This will go into a report tabled in Hansard and could shape the way senators vote,' she said. 

While conceding Benjamin is 'a very good and entertaining communicator', she accused him of spreading 'videos laced with misinformation' and making 'cheap comparisons', before adding, 'He's a bit of a grifter too, if I'm honest.'

She even lobbed a fashion jab: 'If you're invited to Parliament House, put a shirt on.'

Benjamin was unimpressed, responding online with a clapback about the spelling of his handle and boasting.

'There's about a million of us now,' he wrote back.

Jayes later hit back at claims she was shilling for the gas industry, declaring, 'I am pro‑gas, and I am pro them paying more tax,' and insisting Australia should demand 'more investment and a better return', ideally all at once.

Inside Mail notes that alongside Benjamin, was The Australia Institute's co-Chief Executive Officer Richard Denniss, who has seemingly made it his mission to make the gas industry pay more tax.

Inside Mail is hoping that Denniss is more across his facts than the Australian Institute's Amy Remeikis, whose book, Where It All Went Wrong: The Case Against John Howard, was slammed for being riddled with errors, many as simple as getting the date of his election wrong.

Political gas leak

Australian politics never looks sillier than when everybody suddenly rediscovers an industry they were ignoring five minutes earlier. This week it was gas. 

Former minister turned Labor backbencher, and now free to say what he wants, Ed Husic, floated the idea of a 25 per cent export tax on profits. Opposition leader Angus Taylor declared it would kill the sector, the Greens insisted the money is there for the taking, and everyone performed their assigned role with the solemnity of people reading from a script they pretend is spontaneous. 

Meanwhile the PM batted away Husic's idea, perhaps wishing he'd stayed in Cabinet so he'd shut the hell up!

The funniest part of it all is the familiar moral certainty. On one side, gas companies are treated as a permanent ATM with flaring pipelines. On the other, any attempt to tax excess profits is presented as national self-harm. Why is Aussie politics always so binary?

The truth, as always, is that Canberra's energy debates are mostly theatre arranged around fear: of prices, scarcity, bad headlines, and the fear of being accused of showing weakness towards big business. Which is exactly what Husic was implying of Albo when he took aim.

The deeper question is why a resource rich country like ours is so good at turning abundance into panic. Australia doesn't just export gas, it exports serious debate while importing policy confusion.

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