Kitty girl’s outta the bag!

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under’ is finally beginning on Stan this year with the 10 queens announced at the iconic Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade on Saturday.

The queens were revealed at the 2021 event at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where tens of thousands of people turned out to watch community groups take centre stage in the stadium on various floats, as well as celebrity performances from the likes of Rita Ora, Montaigne, G Flip and Electric Fields. 

The eight-part ’Drag Race Down Under’, which was filmed in New Zealand, will be hosted by RuPaul and veteran judge Michelle Visage along with newbie third judge Rhys Nicholson.  Celebrity judges and the air date will be announced in the near future.

Who are the queens in RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under?

Jojo Zaho

When a Dubbo council member said homosexuality was not part of the Indigenous culture, Jojo’s drag career was born out of a political retaliation. 

At the regional city’s first annual Central West Pride March, she schooled that politician by walking the parade in a costume she made with both the Aboriginal and gay pride flag. 

“I was taken aback by that … in retaliation, I was like ‘well, I’m going to rock up to the pride march in full drag in a black, yellow red dress with a pride flag at the end of it,’” she told ABC. 

“Homosexuality is part of the Indigenous culture, we exist.”

Multiple TV and hosting gigs later, Jojo is one of Australia’s most iconic queens and is about to blow the Drag Race community away with her faboriginality. Bring it.  

If you’ve heard of the iconic Imperial Hotel Sydney, you’ve heard of Etcetera Etcetera. Yes, that’s the pub that was once an illegal cruise sex club in the 70s and where the ground-breaking Priscilla Queen of the Desert movie was filmed in the 90s.  Now, it’s home to a high-end Drag N’ Dine restaurant with Australia’s only “Rood Food” menu - all hosted and curated by one of Sydney’s most immersive drag artists Etcetera Etc.  Certainly one of Australia’s most polished queens, they are known as the “glamour bug” in Sydney.  Good luck, Etcetera.  

Art Simone 

This Geelong queen has a swag of awards and accolades under her belt including snagging Drag Performer of the Year for the last two years running. 

Art represented Australia in the world’s largest drag convention, RuPaul’s DragCon.

Art performed at Sydney’s Imperial Hotel for Mardi Gras with Jojo and Etcetera, telling her followers she’s a Ru girl not a ”(kanga)roo” girl.  

“I’m going to fucking drink tonight,” Art told her followers during a string of Instagram Stories from the historic Erskineville pub.  

“I’m here with one of my fellow Ru girl Etcetera Etcetera.”

Etcetera chimed in: “We’re Ru girls, do you know Ru personally, I’ve met her once or twice... I’ve got to go up the stairs sideways because my dress is so tight.” 

Art chuckled: “A normal Ru girl wouldn’t be allowed to but the Down Under Ru girls still have to take flights of stairs.” 

Zing! 

Coco Jumbo 

One of the best hostesses in Sydney, Coco has performed on the Mardi Gras party main stage many times and is a multi DIVA (Drag Industry Variety Awards) award winner for most prestigious Entertainer of the Year in 2017, Sydney’s Favourite Showgirl in 2016-2019 and Rising Star in 2015. 

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star and season 6 runner up Courtney Act was hosting SBS’s coverage of Mardi Gras on Saturday and asked Coco about the announcement, which was quite cheeky as the cast had not been announced yet.   

Elektra Shock

Elektra Shock hails from Tāmaki Makaurau AKA Auckland.

She was runner up on season 2 of the Kiwi show ‘House of Drag’ and star of Pleasuredome The Musical.

The NZ Herald called her “utterly charismatic” and we couldn’t agree more. 

Karen from Finance

You cannot get more Aussie than Karen from Finance. 

One of the original members of the award winning, cult queer cabaret ‘YUMMY’, Karen is one of the most renowned drag artists in Australia.  But she’s not that kind of Karen. 

She’s worked the room at many RuPaul’s DragCon circuits, toured worldwide and is the Ambassador for DragExpo in Melbourne.  Just make sure your work expenses are filed by end of the day or else! 

Maxi Shield 

Maxi is part of Australia’s drag herstory, oozing “Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent” as a drag artist for 23 years. She’s a veteran on the “Drag Storytime” scene too – a practice that sees queens read stories to kids, teaching them messages of acceptance and inclusion. 

In 2015 Maxi won ‘Entertainer of the year’ at the Drag Industry Variety Awards, was Madonna’s national Hostess for her Australian Rebel Heart Tour and helped closed the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. 

Scarlet Adams

Since turning 18, Scarlet has worked tirelessly to build her reputation and brand as a drag artist burlesque performer, pole dancer, and costume designer.  

Anita Wigl’it  

Anita is the owner and resident queen of Auckland’s famous Caluzzi Cabaret and already knows her way around a TV show - she’s the host of the TVNZ’s ‘House of Drag’ as well as the monthly comedy show ‘Drag Wars’.

Her favourite performances to date include Mardi Gras (Sydney 2016 and 2019) as well as Adele’s world tour after party in 2017.

Kita Mean

Kita is another Auckland queen who joined Anita Wigl’it to make a drag duo. The pair started a monthly event Drag Wars, which gave local Kiwi drag artists a platform to perform. Kita now co-owns the iconic Caluzzi Cabaret and Phoenix Venue in Auckland and has since hosted two series of TVNZ’s ‘House of Drag’ as well as maintaining her position as resident Drag Queen at Family Bar and Club.

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under’ premieres later this year on Stan in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand, and WOW Presents Plus in the US and select territories.

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The 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade changed locations from Oxford Street to the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) this year, but it was still bursting with more colour, glitter, pride and passion than ever on Saturday night. 

Tens of thousands of locals turned out to watch community groups take centre stage in the stadium on various floats, as well as celebrity performances from the likes of Rita Ora, Montaigne, Sneaky Sound System, G Flip and Electric Fields, plus the RuPaul’s Drag Race cast reveal. 

After that the Dykes on Bikes performed a lap to signal the start of the parade led with the First Nations and 78ers floats.

The First Nations float had a strong message for spectators, paying tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement as it paraded in the stadium.

“Black lives still matter,” said Jack Williams who was part of the float.

“It’s an ongoing fight and we’re here and ready to continue to fight for our people. The costumes we’re wearing this year, it’s to give away the look of a military vibe because we’re fighting against police brutality and the murders in custody of Black people.

“Our key messages this year for our float are fighting against deaths in custody, we’re fighting for our brother boys and sister girls and we’re fighting for a positive community.”

Other organisations that had floats included SWOP (which supports sex workers and community), Colour of our Community and Neurodiversity Rainbow, while Tik Tok, NRL, L’Oreal Australia, NSW Police and Taronga Conservation Society Australia also joined the parade with floats.  

Australian singer Troye Sivan joined radio presenter Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little on the 2Day FM float. 

In its 43rd year, the Mardi Gras celebrations were moved to the SCG due to COVID-19.  

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Meshel Laurie has ruffled some feathers on Instagram after calling Meghan Markle a “succubus” in a post Thursday.  

While sharing a news item about Prince Philip’s heart operation on her Instagram feed, Meshel said she was “seriously stressed” about the 99-year-old Duke of Edinburgh’s condition and that she blamed ‘The Crown’ and “she who shall not be named. (Markle the succubus.)”

Some Instagram users have called out the Aussie podcaster and author for using a word that means a female demon who has sex with sleeping men.

One follower wrote: “Sorry, you can’t be blaming his grandson’s wife for his health? This sounds very anti-feminist of you.” 

Another posted: “Why is she a succubus? You know Harry left the royal family willingly right? He wasn’t forced to do it. He was looking out for the most important people in his life. His wife and his son.”

A follower added: “How is she to blame? It definitely can’t be the fact the guys 99 years old and has been ill for a long time?” Another post said, “You’re on the wrong train with this one.” 

In February 2020, Meshel penned a tongue-in-cheek op-ed for the Sydney Morning Herald that painted Meghan as the “grounded” vegan food-loving woman who stole and changed the scallywag best mate Prince Harry. She said the Windsor-Mountbattens were “Megged”. 

Meshel Laurie has been contacted for further comment. 

It’s been a busy week for royal watchers as Prince Philip entered his third week of hospitalisation for treatment of an infection.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, said on Wednesday the Duke was “slightly improving,” according to reporter Chris Ship of ITV News. Earlier in the week, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying Philip was transferring to a second hospital and was being monitored for a pre-existing heart condition. 

News of Philip’s ailments come as Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry will appear together for a prime-time CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey, called ‘Oprah With Meghan and Harry.’

HuffPost US reports the formerly 90-minute interview has now been extended to two hours, which will air in at 12pm AEDT Monday in Australia. 

In a recent promo clip for the interview, Oprah asks Meghan, “How do you feel about the palace hearing you speak your truth today?” 

“I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us,” Meghan replied. 

On Tuesday, The Times of London released a report claiming Meghan “humiliated” and “bullied” former palace staff who said they were driven “out of the household” while the duchess was still living in the UK.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes said the report was “a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation” and linked the timing of the article to the Oprah special. 

The palace, which doesn’t usually comment on tabloid media reports, said in an unprecedented statement it was “very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex” and that its human resources team would investigate. 

HuffPost Canada reported that many Twitter users highlighted an apparent double standard that Meghan is being investigated over the bullying accusations but the many sexual abuse allegations against Prince Andrew have been overlooked by the Royal Family.

With additional files from HuffPost Canada.  

There are more than 14,000 kilometers between Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and the Navajo Nation in the United States desert, but the regions have much more in common than red sand. 

Indigenous peoples in North America share many cultural and family values with the First Peoples of Australia and suffer similarly poor health outcomes from colonisation, a connection that has brought the two groups together for generations. 

Now, one of the places in the US hit hardest by COVID-19 is playing an important role in helping combat vaccine hesitancy amongst First Nations folks in remote Australia. 

“The [Northern Territory has] had no direct experience of the devastation this virus causes. We’ve only had images from elsewhere,” said Dr John Boffa, chief medical officer at the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress.

“Indigenous peoples in the US have the highest rate of vaccine acceptance [among all Americans], they say, because of communitarian spirit,” Boffa said. “They want to protect their old people, their spiritual leaders.” 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 55 are among the 4 million Australians expected to get the AstraZeneca jab in March. The so-called phase 1-B of the rollout will also include the medically vulnerable, those over 70, other healthcare workers and emergency service workers.

Indigenous Australians are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 due to the prevalence of underlying health issues such as diabetes, rheumatic heart disease and kidney disease ― a burden they’ve been forced to bear since colonisation. Crowded living conditions can also increase risks.

This time last year Indigenous people over 50 were advised to stay home “to the maximum extent practical” and rural communities were locked down completely.

At the start of the pandemic, many Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) didn’t have enough PPE and there were fears a COVID-19 outbreak would rob Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people not only of their lives, but of their elders, language and cultural practices too. 

The biggest challenge ahead, according to Boffa, is convincing First Nations people it’s safe and still important to get inoculated. His team is planning a Zoom call with Navajo leaders so that local elders and community members can hear about the Americans’ experience with the jab.

“Over the years, people have gone over there and we’ve had people from the Navajo come here ― people know that mob,” he said.

In December, Navajo Nation leaders and medical professionals were warning that the reservation health care system was at a breaking point, HuffPost US reported.

The Navajo Nation ― the largest Indigenous nation in the United States, spanning roughly 69,929 square kilometers across portions of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah ― suffered a surge in coronavirus cases, hospitalisations and deaths late last year. Their death toll is currently at 1,187.

“More than 50% of Navajo people are now vaccinated. That’s about 80,000 people out of 150,000 people,” Boffa said, adding that young Navajos saw the devastation among their elders.

“They saw them die, they were the ones devastated, they’ve lost their language speakers and their cultural leaders. They know everyone has to be vaccinated to protect the old people.”

Since vaccinations started at Christmas time, the Navajo Nation’s daily case numbers have been on a downward trend, America’s ABC News reports. 

“That’ll be useful to show that the vaccine is safe, it’s an important move,” Boffa said.

The Central Australian Aboriginal Congress is using the Navajos’ success story in its social media campaign to convince Northern Territory communities that the vaccine is safe. “The immunisation has not caused any issues [for the Navajo Nation] and the hospitalisation rate is dropping dramatically,” Boffa said.

In addition to general hesitancy, medical officials must overcome concerns about how Indigenous people with underlying health conditions will react to the jab.

Dawn Casey, deputy CEO of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), said each Aboriginal-controlled health service will have its own communication campaign to address these concerns.

“The ACCHOs are good at communicating these issues on the ground in their own way and their own language,” she said.

“Some elders are concerned ... there is a lot of commentary from anti-vaxxers and others on social media,” Casey added.

But hard work, border closures, “major hotel quarantine lessons” and “hardships” have all helped to avoid massive outbreaks in First Nations communities, Boffa said.

“[Delivery of the] vaccine, in a way, is the easy part,” he said.

While the iconic Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade down Oxford Street won’t happen this weekend, the usual show of pride and passion will go ahead at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday March 6.

A capacity of 23,000 audience members will be able to watch on as community groups take centre stage in the stadium. For those who can’t make it in person, fret not as the festivities will be aired on TV, making the perfect viewing for your at-home party or celebrations at the local pub. 

Here’s a round-up of when and how to watch the event, and which performers and floats to look out for. 

What time and how to watch the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

Coverage of the celebrations will be available to watch not only in Australia, but around the world this year. 

From 6pm AEDT, you can watch the action unfolding from the SCG stadium on SBS On Demand – with geo-block removed for international viewers.

The full parade kicks off at 7:30pm on SBS and NITV, and the networks are encouraging viewers to be active on social media with the hashtags #MardiGras2021 and #WeRiseFor. 

Who is performing at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras? 

Sam Smith and Dua Lipa were among the big international performers in 2020, and while we thought the COVID-19 pandemic would make it difficult to get global faces this year, we’re still in for a real treat. 

Rita Ora will be performing on the night. The 30-year-old British musician, who is already in Australia for the filming of ‘The Voice’, has said she’s very “excited” to be singing at the Mardi Gras celebrations.  

“Soo excited to be part of this year’s @sydneymardigras line-up!! Saturday 6th March, cannot wait!!” she tweeted last month. 

Other acts to watch out for include Australia’s ‘Eurovision’ pick Montaigne, indie musician G Flip, as well as soulful electronic duo Electric Fields.

A Welcome to Country curated by Ben Graetz will be performed at the start of the show featuring John Leha and singer/songwriter Scott Hunter, as well as Koomurri dancers, NAISDA dancers and Buuja Butterfly dancers.

After that we’ll see the Dykes on Bikes perform a lap to signal the start of the parade which will be led with the First Nations and 78ers floats.

Bring on the glitter and glory.  

Who are the hosts of the TV broadcast? 

Drag queen Courtney Act, TV presenter Narelda Jacobs, and comedians Joel Creasey and Zoë Coombs Marr return as hosts this year. 

Former ‘Australian Idol’ star Courtney hinted there will be “lots of inflatables” and “puppetry” on display this year as the event is executed in a pandemic-friendly fashion. 

“On Saturday night, I’m most looking forward to seeing how the queer community of Australia adapts to the new temporary home at the Sydney Cricket Ground,” Courtney told HuffPost Australia.

“There’s no floats, there’s no wheels on the pitch, and I know the Sydney Mardi Gras workshop has been hard at it creating what will be an amazing spectacle despite not having any flatbed trucks to have the floats on.

“I believe there will be lots of inflatables, lots of puppetry, lots of really inventive ways of creating amazing spectacles.” 

Meanwhile Channel 10 newsreader Narelda said she can’t wipe away the “incredible” memories from last year’s festivities while still “looking forward to charities and champions of our community having their stadium moment” this year.

“My favourite Mardi Gras moment would have to be watching Sam Smith rise at last year’s afterparty to reveal their incredible red ‘equality’ dress to thousands of adoring queers,” Narelda told HuffPost Australia. 

What is the 2021 theme?

“The 2021 Parade may look different to how it has been in the past, but we feel very lucky to be able to give this opportunity to our communities during these times,” said Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger.

Kruger said that Oxford Street remains the “spiritual home” of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebrations, but the new location will allow physical distancing and contract tracing requirements to be met. 

The theme for 2021 is ‘Rise’, a timely one given the challenges of this year, calling for people to rise again through love, compassion, respect and understanding.

“With a greater focus on community, our 2021 Parade will move away from large floats, centring instead on the outlandish pageantry of costumes, puppetry and props that make it such a phenomenon to witness,” said Kruger. 

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The US Capitol insurrectionist photographed sitting in a chair in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office with his foot on a desk told a federal judge “it’s not fair” that he remains behind bars.

Richard Barnett, 60, pleaded with a judge during a Thursday court hearing in Washington to let him out of jail, where he has been held since he was arrested shortly after he was among the supporters of then-President Donald Trump who stormed the US Capitol on January 6. Pictures of the Arkansas man mugging for the camera as he sat in Pelosi’s office quickly surfaced and have become iconic images of the insurrection.

“They’re dragging this out. They’re letting everyone else out,” Barnett yelled during his hearing before US District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper, the Daily Beast reported. “I’ve been here a long time. It’s not fair.”

About 300 people so far have been arrested by federal officials on charges stemming from the riot, with most released from custody as their cases proceed.

“This is a bunch of crap,” Barnett added. More from The Daily Beast:

“They can’t keep pushing me out month by month!” he yelled, pleading that he does not want to remain in a DC prison for “another month” while others are “already home.”

Barnett’s outburst was futile. After a five-minute recess, his lawyers told the judge they intended to file a new bail motion. The judge said he would rule on whether to release Barnett after that is filed, then abruptly ending the hearing.

Barnett was indicted on seven counts, including the felony obstruction of an official proceeding charge. The day of the insurrection, Barnett identified himself and bragged to a New York Times reporter about an envelope he had taken from Pelosi’s desk, adding that he left a quarter to pay for it. He was arrested days later.

In a Facebook post days before the invasion of the Capitol, Barnett called himself a white nationalist.

Five people died during the insurrection, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. More than 100 other officers were injured.  

ORLANDO, Fla. ― After years of claiming he was so rich he didn’t need anyone else’s money for his political campaigns, Donald Trump is officially asking small-dollar donors ― many of them lower income and older ― to send him cash, potentially hurting the Republican Party’s small-dollar program.

The request was tucked in near the end of his first public appearance since leaving the presidency Jan. 20, a 90-minute speech Sunday that largely recycled his oft-repeated lies about the November election and his record in office.

“There’s only one way to contribute to our efforts, to elect ‘America first’ Republican conservatives. And in turn, to make America great again. And that’s through Save America PAC and Donald J Trump dot com,” he told his Conservative Political Action Conference audience.

One Trump adviser said that single request resulted in “millions of dollars” coming in to Trump’s new political committee and predicted it would eat into the Republican National Committee’s efforts to raise money from those donors.

“It’ll kill it,” the adviser said on condition of anonymity. “They’re not going to have a small-donor program anymore.”

What precise effect Trump’s new fundraising push for his own committee ― which he can use for virtually any purpose, including picking up his personal expenses or paying himself an eight-figure salary ― will have on the party’s efforts are unclear.

The RNC has had a healthy small-donor program, which targets those giving $50 or $20 or even $5 at a time, for decades. In 2001, for example, the party raised $40.2 million from donors who gave less than $200, accounting for 63% of the party’s total fundraising that year, according to a HuffPost analysis of Federal Election Commission filings. In 2009, those figures were $56.8 million and 69.8%.

From 2001 through 2015, the RNC collected 53.2% of its money from those who gave less than $200. From 2016 through 2020, it was 53.6%.

But in those Trump years, the party also received $156 million from a small-dollar fundraising committee it jointly ran with the Trump campaign, adding to the $428 million in small donations it raised on its own, although those solicitations frequently invoked Trump’s name in the email or text message.

One Republican close to RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said Trump told her recently that he’s willing to help the party raise money and that he plans to appear at an RNC donors retreat in Palm Beach, Florida, next month, along with other potential 2024 presidential candidates.

One former RNC member, though, said Trump’s independent solicitations for Save America PAC are certain to weaken the party’s parallel efforts. “It will definitely have a negative impact and all those people who contributed to the RNC just because of Trump will likely gravitate towards his own small-donor program,” said Steve Duprey, who was pushed out of the committee for being insufficiently loyal to Trump.

And a current RNC member, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said a major concern for the party is that Trump will use the money he raises not against Democrats in the coming midterm elections, but against Republicans who voted to impeach him for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol he incited or on those who have otherwise criticized him.

“It’s the temper tantrum PAC,” the member said, pointing to Trump’s attacks on other Republicans during his CPAC speech. “Trump’s agenda is quite different. It’s all about revenge.”

Trump boasted through the years that he did not need money from wealthy donors, from lobbyists or even from small-dollar contributors because he was so rich.

The boast, however, was never accurate. Even as he began his campaign in 2015, he funded his trips and staged his rallies using money generated by selling “Make America Great Again” hats and T-shirts. After he became the nominee in 2016, he immediately began soliciting money online from small donors and at traditional fundraisers from wealthy donors.

His money machine never let up, even after he won the presidency, allowing him to build a massive campaign operation starting almost immediately ― and also letting him funnel millions of dollars raised back into his own pocket by directing campaign and party spending at his own businesses.

All that time, however, Trump continued claiming he did not want or need his donors’ money, and he never asked for donations in a public setting ― until Sunday.

Alec Baldwin has deactivated his Twitter account once again amid a tempestuous week on social media.

The “30 Rock” actor announced his decision to quit the platform in a nearly 10-minute video posted to Instagram late Wednesday. The move, he explained, was in response to backlash he received for commenting on Gillian Anderson’s use of an American accent during her Golden Globes acceptance speech last weekend.

Baldwin stopped short of mentioning Anderson by name in his video, but said he was a “huge fan” of the actor whose work he had referenced on Twitter. His comment, he added, had been intended to “illustrate the point that I find, as I said, that the multicultural expressions of anyone ― whatever country, language, music, food, clothing, art, any of it, whatever of those expressions are important to you ― that’s your business.”

“Of course you can’t do any irony on Twitter,” he said elsewhere in the clip, later blasting the platform as a place “where all the assholes in the United States and beyond go to get their advanced degrees in asshole-iness.”

Earlier Wednesday, Baldwin had tweeted a CNN report about Anderson’s performance as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in Netflix’s “The Crown,” for which she nabbed a Golden Globe. The article noted that Anderson, who was born in Chicago but spent much of her childhood in London, had “accepted the award using her American accent.”

“Switching accents? That sounds...fascinating,” he wrote in the tweet.   

The remark was a less-than-subtle reference to recent controversy surrounding Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria Baldwin. Since December, the yoga and health entrepreneur has been dogged by criticism after presenting herself as Spanish ― a claim that had been publicly corroborated by her husband ― even though she was born and raised in Boston by American parents.

The Anderson remark was the second time this week that Baldwin, who briefly quit Twitter in January following his wife’s heritage debacle, had made headlines with his mercurial online presence.

On Monday, he and Hilaria announced the arrival of their sixth child, Lucia. When someone questioned how the couple could have conceived a daughter so soon after they welcomed a son, Eduardo, in September 2020, Baldwin reportedly fired back, “You should shut the fuck up and mind your own business.”

It was later confirmed that the Baldwins had used a surrogate.

Alec Baldwin alluded to wife Hilaria Baldwin’s recent heritage controversy this week while taking a dig at Gillian Anderson’s ability to switch between accents. 

The ’30 Rock’ actor on Wednesday tweeted a CNN report about Anderson’s Golden Globe win for Netflix’s ‘The Crown,’ in which she played former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Anderson, who was born in Chicago but spent much of her childhood in London, was noted as having “accepted the award using her American accent.”

The ‘X-Files’ and ‘Sex Education’ star is quoted in the article as saying she “tried hard to cling on to my British accent” when her family relocated from England to Grand Rapids, Michigan, when she was 11. And though she’s once again based in London, she added, “I just slip into one or the other.”

Apparently, that didn’t sit well with Baldwin, who tweeted, “Switching accents? That sounds...fascinating.”  

Baldwin has since deactivated his Twitter account. 

Baldwin’s tweet was a less-than-subtle reference to his wife, who last year was accused of having appropriated elements of Spanish heritage. 

Unless this is your first time on the internet, chances are you already know that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sat down with none other than Oprah Winfrey herself for an interview airing on CBS on Sunday.

So far, the news cycle ahead of the tell-all special has been dominated by previews for the interview and an article levelling allegations of bullying that “saddened” Markle and, a spokesperson for her said, “attacked” her character.

But beyond defending herself against press coverage, the Duchess of Sussex is also known for communicating via her wardrobe choices.

For better or worse, everything Meghan (like Kate Middleton, the late Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth) wears is dissected by fans and the media, and she sent more than one message with her interview look.

The duchess chose an Armani dress adorned with a lotus flower ― a symbol of rebirth ― for the occasion. After opening up last year about having a miscarriage, Meghan is pregnant with the couple’s second child. And she and Harry are having their own rebirth of sorts by distancing themselves from the royal family and building their own lives in California.

She is also wearing a bracelet that belonged to Princess Diana, and that Prince Harry previously used to help create Meghan’s engagement ring. According to People magazine, she wore it “so [Diana] could be with them.”

Though it may not have been the couple’s intention, it’s difficult for royal fans to see the bracelet and not draw parallels between how the media has treated the duchess and how it treated his mother.

We’ll have to wait until Sunday at 8pm ET to hear the entirety of the interview, but if these subtle details are any indication, it will be worth tuning in.

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Meghan’s legal team revealed last July that the duchess felt “unprotected” by the palace during her pregnancy with son Archie, according to court documents from the royal’s lawsuit against Associated Newspapers.

Meghan’s legal team revealed last July that the duchess felt “unprotected” by the palace during her pregnancy with son Archie, according to court documents from the royal’s lawsuit against Associated Newspapers.

The new clip promoting Winfrey’s prime-time special with the royals comes on the heels of a report Tuesday in The Times of London, saying that Meghan “humiliated” and “bullied” former staff and personally “drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member” during her time as a senior working member of the royal family. 

A spokesperson for the Sussexes told HuffPost on Tuesday that “the Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character.” 

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The 2021 ’The Bachelor Australia’ has been announced and not only is he a real bloke with a real job, he’s a culturally diverse Australian — something the show has struggled to represent in the past. 

Jimmy Nicholson — a 31-year-old airline pilot — was revealed as the new leading man on the Channel 10 show’s official Instagram and Facebook on Thursday.  Jimmy has New Zealand and Fijian heritage and we’ve not seen a POC Bachelor since 2014 when Blake Garvey was Australia’s first Black male lead on ‘The Bachelor’ in season two. Since then, culturally diverse reality stars have featured as contestants, but not as the leads.

While some followers were happy Jimmy wasn’t a celebrity or former contestant from the franchise, some Instagram users left nasty comments on the announcement post. 

One comment said: “The bachelor should be desirable. Sorry, but this man isn’t.”

Another user wrote: “This photo is... not very promising,” with another adding “wouldn’t hurt to smile.” 

Another said: “Best part is watching 3l20 women flop at his feet when most of them don’t even find him attractive anyway lol.... he isn’t all that but he will find someone.” 

Someone else commented: “As someone who’s pretty average looking myself, I guess it’s good he’s not that attractive.”

One comment highlighted Jimmy’s cultural heritage saying: “finally some diversity” while others have said “it’s just a bad photo”. 

Channel 10 said Jimmy is a “self-confessed romantic” who is “intelligent” and “passionate”.   The Daily Telegraph reports former constant travel with work made it hard for Jimmy to date and find that special someone but since COVID-19 has crippled international and much of domestic air travel in Australia, the enforced leave from work means he finally has time to invest in love.

“I am a big believer in embracing any opportunity that presents itself, especially if it has the potential to change your life for the better,”Jimmy said in a statement.

Diversity and representation has been an issue for Australia’s entertainment industry, particularly reality TV, with fans of prime time programs often requesting more diversity from shows like ‘The Bachelor’ on social media.  

Last year former ‘Bachelorette’ contestant Carlos Fang claimed he was cast in the 2016 season as the “token guy”.

“It’s your advantage because you know there’s always one person cast to represent that mix but it’s likely to be a disadvantage for the final outcome of the show. Rarely is there a person of colour standing there at the end of the season,” the Chinese Australian told HuffPost Australia. 

‘The Bachelor Australia’ Timeline 

2013: Tim Robards

2014: Blake Garvey

2015: Sam Wood

2016: Richie Strahan

2017: Matthew Johnson aka Matty J 

2018: Nick Cummins aka The Honey Badger

2019: Matt Agnew 

2020: Locky Gilbert 

2021: Jimmy Nicholson

‘Bachelor In Paradise’ and ‘The Bachelorette 2019’ contestant Niranga Amarasinghe in the past has said there may be fewer POC on reality TV because “from experience, there are less POC auditioning for reality TV”.

In an interview with news.com.au, he cited “very strict cultural backgrounds” as one reason they may not be participating.

“For the ones who do and are successful, there is another hurdle an individual has to conquer to actually make it to the filming stage. They have to convince their families they are happy for them to go on reality TV.”

Niranga said traditional views in some cultures “don’t always allow this kind of public display.”

Channel 10 is yet to release an air date for season nine of ‘The Bachelor Australia’. 

With additional reporting from Alicia Vrajlal.  

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A White House residence staffer recalled how ex-President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden’s stark difference in attitudes to COVID-19 were on full display on Biden’s Inauguration Day.

The unnamed staffer told how colleagues on Jan. 20 gathered in one White House room to say goodbye to outgoing President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.

Later that day, the same staffers greeted the newly inaugurated president and first lady Jill Biden, but they were spaced out in a line across the whole State Floor.

“It’s like night and day,” the staffer told The New Yorker, pointing out the social distancing differences of the outgoing and incoming first families in an article published Feb. 24 that’s now gaining traction online.

“The Bidens came in and the first thing they did was make a loop of the State Floor and greet the staff,” the staffer remembered. “We were all very flattered. Usually we meet them in the first days or first weeks, but never in the first minutes.” 

Trump downplayed the risk of the coronavirus, while privately admitting it was “deadly.” He held packed campaign rallies full of maskless supporters, mocked people who wore masks and hyped unproven and dangerous treatments. His administration’s shambolic mishandling of the pandemic helped seal his defeat.

The former president eventually contracted the virus himself and was hospitaliSed for three days. Last month, it emerged that Trump’s condition was worse than was reported at the time.

Biden, meanwhile, held socially distanced campaign events and pledged to follow the science fighting the pandemic.

More than 516,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19. 

Read the full New Yorker article here

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Meghan Markle said through a spokesperson that she is “saddened” by a Times of London article claiming that she had “humiliated” and “bullied” staff.

The report is based on a charge initially levelled in October 2018 by Jason Knauf, who worked as a communications secretary for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the time. Knauf’s complaint, lodged with royal household officials on behalf of unnamed employees, alleges that Meghan “drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member,” according to the Times.

“The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma,” a spokesperson for the royal couple said in response to a HuffPost request for comment on Tuesday.

“She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.”

The Times article also reports that on two occasions, in October and November 2018, the duchess wore earrings that had been sent as a wedding gift from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The crown prince was responsible for the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in early October 2018, according to an intelligence assessment released by the US government last week.

The Times article quoted this response from a spokesperson for Meghan and Prince Harry: “In a detailed legal letter of rebuttal to The Times, we have addressed these defamatory claims in full, including spurious allegations regarding the use of gifts loaned to The Duchess by The Crown.” 

This coming Sunday, the couple’s much-hyped two-hour primetime special with Oprah Winfrey is set to air, something the spokesperson also referenced in their response to the Times. 

“Let’s just call this what it is — a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation,” the spokesperson said, adding they were “disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of The Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet.” 

According to the Times, lawyers for the couple said the outlet was “being used by Buckingham Palace to peddle a wholly false narrative.”

Buckingham Palace said in a statement shared with HuffPost Wednesday that it was “very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.” 

“Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned,” the statement said. “The Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work policy in place for a number of years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace.”  

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