EXCLUSIVE Alex de Minaur reveals all on his wedding plans with Katie Boulter: Australian tennis star confirms whether nuptials will be held Down Under or in England - and his second love that his British fiancee puts up with
Alex de Minaur is a busy man. As well as preparing for his latest shot at an elusive Grand Slam title, he is engulfed in the chaos of organising a wedding.
As the 26-year-old Australian tries to explain the challenges of arranging his upcoming nuptials to British No 2 Katie Boulter, the world No 11 comes as close to lost for words during the entirety of our conversation.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Lauren Sánchez embraced 'her inner Hollywood siren' with 'classic lingerie styling' for post-wedding party in a Versace gown, says stylist - but added a hidden 'playful and romantic' detail
Lauren Sanchez Bezos has embraced her 'her inner Hollywood siren' by styling classy lingerie for her final wedding party, according to a style expert. The newly-wedded Mrs Bezos, 55, could not stop beaming as she stepped out of the Aman Hotel in Venice alongside her new Amazon billionaire husband Jeff Bezos while heading to a post-wedding event on Saturday evening. The newlyweds threw Dolce Notte (Italian for sweet night) themed event where guests donned classy evening wear which consisted of lingerie and pyjama-inspired ensembles. Lauren - eager to be the star of the show at her nupitals - dazzled in a head pleated rose pink Atelier Versace gown designed by Donatella Versace herself. The show-stopping ballgown was made of silk chiffon and had a bodice which was hand embroidered with an array of rose gold, bronze, and gold Swarovski crystals. The former journalist paired this look with a black jewel-encrusted clutch bag which read: 'Mrs. Bezos' with clear diamonds as she showed off her new status to the world. Stylist Lisa Talbot said that Lauren swapped her elegant daytime looks for 'full-on evening drama' in which she unlocked her 'inner Hollywood siren'. She told MailOnline: 'The strapless silhouette hugged her figure to perfection, with intricate beadwork and sheer panelling that added both structure and sensuality. The bodice, corset-inspired in its fit, gave a nod to classic lingerie styling, while the soft pleated panels through the skirt introduced graceful movement as she stepped onto the boat. 'The combination of sheer inserts and light-catching embellishments gave the dress an ethereal quality glamorous but never overpowering.' Lisa said that Lauren's look was 'the perfect blend of sensual and sophisticated' and serves as a reminder that she 'understands the impact of fashion storytelling, particularly on the global stage'. Lisa said she believes that Lauren would've spent much time constructing this look right down to the very final detail, as seen with her glamorous new bag. Speaking of the 'Mrs Bezos' bag, she added: 'The playful, romantic touch added a charming twist to her otherwise ultra-glamorous ensemble and couldn't have been more fitting for a bride-to-be celebrating the hours after saying "I do." 'Paired with sleek, cascading waves and elegant drop earrings, this look was Lauren Sánchez in her fashion prime: confident, unapologetically glamorous, and fully embracing the spotlight.' Lauren and Jeff sealed their day of love with a kiss as they made their way to their final party after a three-day wedding extravaganza. Waving to crowds from her balcony at the Aman Venice Hotel, the new Mrs Bezos stepped out in a figure-hugging pink embellished dress with a fishtail bottom. The happy couple shared a smooch for all to see before whizzing away down a Venice canal. Sanchez's simple wedding band was in stark contrast to the 30-carat $3million pink diamond she sported after Bezos asked her to marry him two years ago Oprah Winfrey, Kylie and Kendall Jenner and Leonardo DiCaprio were also seen making their way to former medieval shipyard the Arsenale to close the nuptials. A flotilla of paparazzi boats followed Jeff and Lauren and other VIPs as they made their way along the lagoon in private water taxis. Around 200 of the world's wealthiest people were gathering for a final night's fun. Sir Elton John and Lady Gaga were expected to be among a host of performers. Bezos, 61, worth £177billion, has taken over the Italian city for a wedding estimated to have cost up to £40million, small change for the world's third richest man. But 700 demonstrators gathered at Santa Lucia railway station carrying protest banners and waving inflatable crocodiles. Bezos, 61, worth £177billion, has taken over the Italian city for a wedding estimated to have cost up to £40million The demo was organised by the No Space For Bezos group, with some carrying Amazon boxes with the words: 'Ordered, Shipped, Delivered, Rejected.' But Bezos and Sanchez, 55, cared not a jot. It was the second marriage for both and they have seven children between them. Earlier, they blew kisses on a visit to Harry's Bar yesterday – and give a first glimpse of their understated wedding rings. Sanchez's simple wedding band was in stark contrast to the 30-carat $3million pink diamond she sported after Bezos asked her to marry him two years ago. In the run-up to Friday's ceremony, that sparkler was switched to her right to make way for an upgrade – an even larger, brilliant-white diamond, estimated at 35 carats and worth $10million. They married in a luxurious ceremony on San Giorgio Maggiore island. Vogue later released a set of pictures, with a braless Sanchez posing in her new husband's unbuttoned wedding shirt. The Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo shirt was similar to the one he wore at Friday's ceremony. The photoshoot took place earlier this month, the day after Sánchez and Bezos were at the Dolce & Gabbana atelier in central Milan for their final fittings. She revealed her wedding dress was inspired by the high-necked lace wedding dress Sophia Loren wore to marry Cary Grant in the 1958 film Houseboat. She told the magazine that a few conventions were to be honoured, including the groom not seeing the bride just before the wedding day. The marriage is the second for both Bezos and Sanchez, who have seven children between them Bill Gates was spotted leaving Hotel Regis after attending the wedding US model Brooks Nader was seen wearing a black ensemble as she left the Gritti Palace Hotel for the third day's celebrations Her Dolce & Gabbana Alta Gioielleria Miracolo earrings, four diamonds cut from a single stone and inlaid in white gold, were her something borrowed. Her something blue was from Blue Origin, the spaceflight she took with five other women, including the singer Katy Perry, that was arranged by Bezos. Sánchez said she carried a secret souvenir up in the rocket so she could bring it back for Bezos 'because it was one of the most profound experiences I've had in my life.' She credited her new husband for 'transforming my life'.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Lions tours need needle, not niceties: Bring on the Aussie baiting
The stadium announcer at the Optus Stadium did such a good job of pointing out some of the Lions' players alternate nationalities that one can only hope he receives the same gig for the Test series. 'And now introducing your 100 per cent pure-bred Wallabies. On the wing, there is Wimbledon-born but now magically Australian, Harry Potter. Introducing our centre, its Samoan-born, New Zealand-raised, capped by the Samoan Under-20s, Hunter Paisami. At fly-half there is another Kiwi in Noah Lolesio. Starting in the second row, it's another one born in New Zealand, of Samoan descent, who has spent most of his life in Europe, it's our big fella Will Skelton … and at prop, it's the Tongan Thor now an Aussie by residency, Taniela Tupou.' You see, that dual nationality thing cuts both ways and David Campese's description of the tourists as the 'British and Irish and Pacific Island Lions' applies far more to the Wallabies than it does to Andy Farrell's squad. Indeed, Australia's resident rent-a-quote might want to look at who instituted the project player system in Ireland which brought in players such as Bundee Aki, James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park, a certain J Schmidt. Really, the only countries who can legitimately mount a high horse about foreign-born players are from South America. Nearly everywhere else, the lines of what can be considered 'native', as Willie John McBride crudely termed it, have been blurred by the modern trends of global migration. People of multicultural backgrounds do not always fit into neat pigeonholes. Does Marcus Smith not have the right to represent the Lions because he was born in Manila to an English father and Filipina mother? Or if he does then surely Mack Hansen, who has an Australian father and Irish mother, must also qualify? If not, then where do you draw the line? Passport? Schooling? Accent? These are decisions that go far beyond Farrell's remit as Lions head coach and if you speak to the wonderfully entertaining Pierre Schoeman, or the engaging Sione Tuipulotu, you will be absolutely convinced of their legitimate passion to represent the Lions. Nor is this a particularly new development. Go back a century and you will find Tom Richards and Blair Swannell having represented both the Lions and Australia. Both war heroes are now honoured with man-of-the-match medals during this tour. Still, the subject of the Lions' mixed nationalities was low-hanging fruit that the stadium announcer in Perth was absolutely entitled to go for, likely a juicy full toss pitched up across the bridge at the Waca. Tuipulotu took no grave offence and almost seemed hurt that the Aussie sledging was not of a higher standard. This is standard fare for a Lions tour. Four years ago, Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus injected a poison into the series with his character assassination of referee Nic Berry that turned the tour toxic. Understandably, Farrell and Schmidt want to avoid a similar scenario and have resolved to be the picture of politeness towards one an other's sides, with Schmidt already rowing back on his own 'southern hemisphere centre partnership' comment about Tuipulotu and Aki. 'I'm conscious of (making provocative comments), and I'm conscious that other coaches do it, but I don't anticipate it happening in this Lions tour,' Schmidt told the Sydney Morning Herald last week. 'Faz and I have had a few conversations about how we'd like the narrative of the tour to be a celebration of rugby. I think for Australian rugby, we need that.' Balls to that. Lions tours need needle rather than niceties. The rancour is almost as famous as the rugby, from the '99' call in 1974 to 1989's Battle of Ballymore or the 2005 spear tackle of Brian O'Driscoll. The insults from Austin Healey's fateful description of Justin Harrison as a 'plank' or Warren Gatland getting the clown treatment in 2017 are as iconic as many of the tries from those series. Not everyone will have enjoyed Henry Pollock's in-your-face-celebrations following Elliot Daly's first try which prompted a minor kerfuffle, but Farrell will be delighted by the fact that the first person who rushed to his defence was Joe McCarthy. The distinctly non-glitzy McCarthy could not seem further removed from the Northampton flanker's personality, but this is precisely how bonds are formed on a Lions tour. Undoubtedly when Force flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny reports back to Wallabies camp, the target on Pollock's back will have grown further, one of about a dozen intriguing individual subplots going into this series. A rematch of Ellis Genge v Tupou from the 2022 England tour has pay-per-view potential. So too the super-heavyweight match-up between Skelton and McCarthy, while Carlo Tizzano has definitely kept the receipt of his last meeting with Tom Curry. This is all before we get to the even more fascinating master v apprentice coaching battle between Schmidt and Farrell. So bring on the sledging and the s---housery, the Lions are more than ready to deal with better barbs than what was thrown Tuipulotu's way. Lions laugh off nationalities jibes Lions centre Tuipulotu laughed off Western Force's jibes about being born Down Under, declaring the Australians need to up their sledging game. Before the Lions' first game on Australian soil, the stadium announcer at the Optus Stadium singled out the tourists' foreign-born players, including Tuipulotu, for particular attention when reading out the team sheet. 'Our former Aussie at No 14, Mack Hansen 'Another Aussie at No 12, Sione Tuipulotu 'At No 11, it's the Kiwi now Irishman, James Lowe. 'At prop, the former SA schoolboy now Scotsman, Pierre Schoeman.' The Lions were apparently unaware of these jibes being made in real time, but when the comments were relayed to Tuipulotu, who was born in Melbourne but qualifies for Scotland on account of his grandmother, he seemed genuinely amused rather than hurt. 'I knew there would be some 'good humour' coming back home to Australia,' Tuipulotu said. 'These are all things we've got to take in our stride. To not announce the elephant in the room, I am from Australia. I was born here. I don't know how funny that gag is to everyone! 'I'm loving my rugby playing for the Lions and I'm really passionate about it. Andy's brought the group together so well and to play under a coach like him, I can see why Ireland have been so successful in the past because I feel like the way he's bringing this group together, we're headed in the right direction.' Tuipulotu is the only player to have delivered back-to-back 80-minute games and looked far more comfortable playing alongside Garry Ringrose at his preferred inside-centre slot. 'I love it, I'm starting to get my feet back underneath me,' Tuipulotu said. 'Obviously I haven't played Test rugby since the autumn so I'm getting my feet back underneath me. I still feel like I've got massive growth during this tour, but I'm getting my feet back underneath me and I know I can start playing my best rugby towards the big games at the end of this tour. 'Yeah, I loved (playing with Ringrose). Geez mate, he's a missile out there, isn't he? He backs himself to make those reads and geez, he left a few sore bodies out there including himself. What a player and I really enjoyed playing with him and I also enjoyed when Shaggy came off the bench and got some valuable minutes after being out for a while now. We're linking quite nicely and we've just got to keep building towards the Test.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Strange footage of 'bald' Beauty and the Geek star emerges from a month before she was accused of killing and beheading her boyfriend
A Beauty and the Geek star charged with the murder of her boyfriend was seen by Port Lincoln locals with her head shaved and acting oddly in the weeks beforehand. Police are still searching for the missing head of local man, Julian Story, after Tamika Chesser allegedly killed him, decapitated him, carried his head in a bag to an unknown location and dumped it. Police and SES are desperately searching cliffs and bush in Port Lincoln and the waters off the Eyre Peninsula as Mr Story's family are subjected to an agonised wait to bury their loved one. Two residents in the famous South Australian fishing port told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Chesser only arrived in town a few months ago and they only remembered her as having a shaved head. The 34-year-old, who finished second in the second series of Beauty and the Geek in 2010, visited KMart and other shops in central Port Lincoln, usually accompanied by a small dog. One shop worker said Ms Chesser 'acted normal, but she was, like, bald', however, the reality TV star has since been caught on CCTV or filmed by locals acting strangely. In one video, obtained by Channel 7, she is shown at a Port Lincoln hotel wearing a long dark wig and a hat, which she then ripped off as she yelled. In another video she is also sporting a shaved head while doing gymnastics on bars outside a coffee shop, and in a third she is standing bare-chested at the Port Lincoln War Memorial. Julian Story, 38, whose family still live in Port Lincoln, was living in a dingy rented flat along the town's Flinders Highway reportedly on his own until Ms Chesser moved in with him a few months ago. She appears to have been living in Port Lincoln since at least last December. Earlier this year, Mr Story was charged with two counts of dishonestly take property without consent, and last year was charged with two counts of disorderly behaviour. He also has historical charges of damage building or motor vehicle and driving charges including drive motor vehicle with cannabis in blood. It is unclear how Mr Story met the former cocktail waitress, whose full name is Tamika Sueann Rose Chesser, but it is believed she moved to South Australia from Queensland. Police allege that Mr Story was murdered on about June 17, but it was not until June 19 that neighbours of the unit she shared with him were alerted to a fire coming from within. Justin Ware said when he expressed concern at the smoke billowing out of the next door unit, that Ms Chesser 'reckoned everything was okay'. He went inside anyway and threw some water on what he thought was a pile of smouldering rags, but was allegedly Mr Story's headless remains. When emergency services responded, they found Mr Story dismembered and missing his head on the bathroom floor of the apartment, according to police. Police later obtained and released CCTV images and video which showed Ms Chesser walking three dogs and carrying a bag while apparently wearing a Hijab-style head covering. A neighbour expressed concern at the smoke billowing out of the next door unit and he he went inside and threw some water on what he thought was a pile of smouldering rags, but was allegedly Mr Story's headless remains Police charged her with murder and, after being released from Port Lincoln hospital, she was admitted to James Nash House, a forensic mental health care facility. Detective Darren Fielke told a press conference it was 'crucial' Mr Story's head was returned to his family so they could hold a funeral. In an effort to find Mr Story's head, officers are appealing to the public for help in tracking Chesser's movements in the week of the alleged murder, particularly between midnight on Tuesday night (June 17) and around the report of the fire at 3.30pm on Thursday afternoon (June 19). 'We know that Tamika did not drive a vehicle and regularly walked around the township of Port Lincoln,' Det Fielke said. Tamika's sister, Kiya-May Chesser, told Daily Mail Australia about the final phone call Tamika made before she was charged with murder. Kiya-May said her family were reeling from reports their loved one had been charged. 'Please report how my sister is in a mental psychosis,' she said, 'this is not her... She would never do these things.' In Tamika's last phone call to her sister, a week before the alleged murder, she was worried about one of her dogs because it had 'pooed on the floor'. Mr Story, who was 'not in a good mind space himself' had on earlier phone calls been 'going off in the background' when the Chesser family spoke with Tamika. 'There is more to this story,' Kiya-May said. She said 'a lot has happened' in Chesser's life since she appeared on Beauty and the Geek and 'in the past five years she's become very mentally ill'. In addition to the murder charge, South Australian police have charged Chesser with assaulting police and with knowingly performing an act or omission intending to result in human remains being less likely to be found for the purposes of concealing the commission of an offence relating to the human remains, court documents state.
