The NSW Upper House battle between the Reverend Fred Nile and his former Christian Democrat colleague, the the Reverend Gordon Moyes, has turned from bloody to bizarre with the revelation that Moyes "would accept an invitation" to join Family First were one to be extended. This after his expulsion from the Nile-lead party was upheld on appeal at a meeting on Saturday.
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Moyes wrote in a newsletter that during the meeting he was accused of Freemasonry, divination (on the grounds that he predicted Barack Obama's victory), witchcraft and membership of the Theosophical Society (this is the mob that built the amphitheatre at Balmoral Beach in order to welcome Christ when He walked through Sydney Heads.)
Nile yesterday denied such allegations were raised. He told The Diary he remembered some discussion of Freemasonry, but couldn't recall any mention of divination or witchcraft. Nile said Moyes was expelled for ongoing criticism "of the party and of it's leader, me". He said tension had increased when Moyes returned from a trip to the US with suspiciously moderate views on Obama and abortion. Moyes declined to comment.
Family First's federal chairman, Bob Day, confirmed he'd had an "informal" chat with Moyes last week. Late yesterday Nile also released a newsletter. It began: "I thank Almighty God for the unity and faithfulness of the delegates who attended our first ever special general council meeting to hear the right of appeal by the Rev Moyes."
HOTSEAT ONLY WARMMore proof of Melbourne's sophistication? The return of Eddie McGuire on Channel Nine on Monday saw 236,000 viewers in the southern capital tune in to the debut of Millionaire Hotseat, but only 195,000 in Sydney. Nine launched the revamped half-hour series in the 5.30pm timeslot - replacing Antiques Roadshow - in an attempt to win back lead-in viewers for the 6pm news from Channel Seven's Deal or No Deal.
In Melbourne, audience figures for Hotseat showed a 37.5 per cent increase on Antiques Roadshow and 25,000 more viewers than tuned into McGuire's Seven nemesis, Deal host Andrew O'Keefe. Unfortunately for Eddie, viewers in other cities would have been just as happy looking at heirloom clocks and crockery on Roadshow. In Sydney, the figures were only marginally better than those for Roadshow last week. Across the five metropolitan cities Hotseat averaged 612,000 viewers, a respectable number for the timeslot but still lagging behind Deal, which averaged 775,000.
LONG-DISTANCE NODAt least one Pulitzer Prize recipient was far from home when the news broke yesterday. Professor Annette Gordon-Reed was asleep in her Sydney hotel room when her editor rang with the news that she had won the prize for history. Gordon-Reed is an author, historian and academic who teaches at New York Law School. The prize was for her book, The Hemingses Of Monticello: An American Family, which explores a multi-generation slave family, casting a provocative light on the relationship between Sally Hemings and her master, Thomas Jefferson, US president from 18101 to 1809. Gordon-Reed is in Australia as a guest of the University of Sydney's international public lecture series. Tonight she will be speak at the Seymour Theatre Centre on the timely topic of "Barack and Michelle Obama: Rewriting the Narrative of American History". Gordon-Reed is the first African-American and the third woman to take out the Pulitzer Prize for history.
FAWCETT'S FINE TIMES
Marcus Einfeld is not the only public figure to challenge a speeding ticket. Next week papparazo Jamie Fawcett will appear in court in an attempt to have a $79 fine booted. Fawcett, you'll remember, is the bloke who facilitated the sale of those photographs that WERE NOT of Pauline Hanson to News Ltd papers. He's also the bloke Nicole Kidman once accused of stalking her and bugging her home, although an apprehended violence order and bugging charges were later dropped. He is the bloke who sued Fairfax, publisher of The Sydney Morning Herald, after he was described as "Sydney's most inventive and most disliked freelance photographer", only to be ordered to pay Fairfax's costs. He later filed for bankruptcy.WITH AN AILING KATH & KIM
Kath & Kim's days in the United States are numbered with TV pundits predicting the pair are just days away from being booted off American TV and shipped back to Fountain Lakes.
Next month the US TV networks will announce what shows are renewed and which are destined for the dustbin. NBC is tipped to dump its version of Kath & Kim. Starring American actresses Molly Shannon and Selma Blair and set in Florida, the series has struggled since it launched late last year. Other shows expected to get the chop include Ugly Betty, Scrubs and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
K&K's failure has not deterred Rupert Murdoch from launching another spin-off of an Australian sitcom. Sit Down, Shut Up - an animated high school comedy based on the Marg Downey-Paul Gleeson's series of the same name - attracted 5.2 million US viewers to Fox on Sunday night. Reviews of the series were not good. The Miami Herald described the decision to make the show as "the third great mistake in world history" after Hitler's invasion of Russia and Guy Ritchie marrying Madonna.
Such reviews are eerily reminiscent of early US reviews for Kath & Kim with the New York Post describing it as "arguably the worst idea for an import from the Land Down Under since Vegemite".WITH DIRTY BOOK DEALS
Texan supermodel Jerry Hall, pictured, risks losing a multimillion-dollar book deal for a tell-all autobiography after publisher HarperCollins rejected a manuscript on the grounds that it was too bland.
The house had been salivating at the prospect of what could be an explosive account of her nine-year relationship with Rolling Stone front man Mick Jagger.
The US arm of the publishing company rejected the manuscript and Hall's agent, Ed Victor, is now reportedly trying to find a ghost writer in order to get the book out by its publication date in September, otherwise Hall may have to return her $1 million advance.
A British newspaper, The Daily Express, reported this week Victor was denying the deal was in jeopardy.
However, rumours are now circulating that Jagger talked Hall out of writing about their life together in the rock'n'roll fast lane.WITH RACY
ART MOVIES
In the wake of the Bill Henson photo scandal, art dealer turned art philanthropist Gene Sherman is on tenterhooks over a planned screening of an unclassified film at the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation tonight that may get the gallery in trouble.
The film, Slingshot, is screening as part of an exhibition of video and films mainly from Asia.
Yet to screen in Australia and shot in the slums of Manila, Filipino director Brillante Mendoza's film has graphic sex, drug use and violence.
The foundation applied to the Classification Board for an R-rating but is yet to hear back. The gallery plans to screen the film regardless. Sherman is crossing her fingers for a video art exemption.
A BIG DAY FOR ANDREW BEVIS
The Sydney actor has performed the role of Tremont, the "Chick with a Dick", in Jerry Springer the Opera to audiences across Britain - where performances attracted protests from Christian advocacy groups. This week, when Bevis performs in the Sydney Opera House production of the show - starring David Wenham, pictured left, as the controversial talk show host - he will instead be watched by his parents. Bevis's father is a retired Anglican minister from Hornsby. Unlike the protesters, Bevis's parents were unfazed by the show's bawdy humour, he told the Diary. "They grew up with me putting on shows in the church hall - they know that I am a bit nuts."
WHAT'S ON TODAY
- World War I submarine commemorative plaque unveiled at the Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre, Sydney.
- Cleo Bachelor of the Year Awards, Sydney.
- Indonesian ambassador to Australia, Primo Alui Joelianto, addresses a business breakfast, Canberra.
- Miss Universe Australia final, Sydney.
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