Seven star gives heartbreaking family update following her exit from the network: 'This is a pain so unbearable'
Sonia Marinelli has revealed her mother is dying following a years-long battle with dementia.
The former 7News Melbourne weather presenter, 41, announced the heartbreaking news to Instagram on Friday.
Alongside a lengthy caption, she shared a photo of herself and two of her children holding hands with her mother as she lay in hospital.
'My mum is dying and will soon take her last breath. It's been a long farewell,' she penned alongside the photograph.
'The grieving process and loss started many years ago when it became clear that dementia was robbing us of the mum we knew and loved.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
Sonia continued: 'Her brain became so fragile that this was inevitable. Even so, this is a pain so unbearable, like nothing I have experienced.
'Her body is strong and she continues to fight. True to her spirit right to the end. She was always so determined and carried herself with dignity. I adored my mum.
'Please keep my dad, sister, brother and her grandchildren in your thoughts as mum makes this transition into the afterlife.
'I will stay snuggled up next to her warm body, where I always felt profoundly loved and safe, until the end.'
Sonia's famous friends and former co-stars flocked to the comments to offer their support and condolences during the difficult time.
AFL WAG Bec Judd wrote, 'I'm sorry darling,' alongside a series of red love hearts.
Former 7News Melbourne co-stars Estelle Gnepink and Melina Sarris also left messages beneath the post.
'Oh beautiful Son… keeping you and your mum in my heart today,' Estelle wrote.
Sonia's famous friends and former co-stars flocked to the comments to offer their support and condolences during the difficult time
'I'm so so sorry for the pain you and your family are currently in. Enjoy those snuggles with your mama.'
Melina added: 'So sorry Son. Sending you so much love and strength.'
Seven Chief Sports Presenter Rebecca Maddern said: 'Oh my sweetheart, one of the hardest things on earth to do. I'm crying for you. Hold her tight xxxx.'
Sunrise star Teegan Dolling added: 'Thinking of you and your family Son. Mum's are so very special! Hope you're replaying all the happy wonderful memories xxx.'
Nine star Neary Ty wrote: 'Ohhh son, I'm so sorry. Thinking of you and your beautiful family.'
The tragic news comes after Sonia announced her departure from the Seven Melbourne newsroom amid the network's recent staffing carnage.
The weekend weather presenter announced in February she would be leaving her role after three years in the position.
'I am stepping away from my role at 7News. My husband and I have decided to make a sea-change,' she said in a statement.
'We will be taking our four young children on an adventure up the east coast. This decision has been years in the making.
'After spending most of my TV news career talking about our weather, I'm excited to get out and actually enjoy it with those I love most.'
Sonia and her husband Chris Stanko share four kids—Roman, 10, Ava, eight, Easton, seven, and Vivienne, six.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
24 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Glenn Maxwell retires from ODI cricket as curtain falls on explosive career
Australian limited overs great Glenn Maxwell has called time on his decorated one-day international career to focus on next year's T20 World Cup and domestic competitions as injuries begin to take their toll. The explosive all-rounder announced his retirement from ODIs on Monday after 149 matches that included arguably the greatest innings of all time in the format. Maxwell amassed 3,990 runs at an average of 33.81 with four centuries, including an unbeaten double ton that lifted Australia to a critical victory over Afghanistan at the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Australia's World Cup hopes were on the brink of collapse when Maxwell arrived at the crease with the then five-time champions 91 for seven and well short of their 292-run target. Maxwell partnered with Pat Cummins in an incredible 202-run partnership with the all-rounder blasting 10 sixes and 21 boundaries in his 201 not out. The Australia captain contributed only 12 runs to the unbroken partnership as Maxwell took control and turned match-winner even while suffering from severe cramp in the stifling Mumbai heat. Australia reached Afghanistan's target with 25 balls to spare and went on to defeat the highly fancied India in the final in Ahmedabad. 'I think back to right at the start I was picked ahead of my time and out of the blue,' Maxwell said. 'I was just proud just to be playing a couple of games for Australia. I thought I was just going to have that. 'Since then, I have been able to go through the up and downs of being dropped, being brought back, playing in a few World Cups and being a part of some great teams.' Maxwell ends his 13-year ODI career with the second highest strike-rate of all men's batters 126.7, only behind West Indian powerhouse Andre Russell on 130.22. This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. The 36-year-old has also been a dangerous off-spinner with 77 wickets in ODIs and best figures of four for 40 against India in Rajkot as Australia fine-tuned for the 2023 World Cup. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion 'Glenn will be known as one of the one-day game's most dynamic players, who had key roles in two ODI World Cup victories,' said George Bailey, Cricket Australia's chair of men's selectors. 'His level of natural talent and skill is remarkable. His energy in the field, underrated ability with the ball and longevity has been superb.' Maxwell will continue to be available to play T20s for Australia as well as in the Big Bash League and for other commitments around the globe. 'Glenn's ballistic batting has lit up the cricket world and been one of the cornerstones of Australia's continued success in the 50 over game, including his heroic role in the 2023 World Cup triumph,' said CA chief executive Todd Greenberg. 'As with other greats of the game, crowds have flocked to grounds just to watch Glenn bat and children have been inspired to pick up a bat after seeing him put opposition attacks to the sword with a breathtaking array of shots.'
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Magda Szubanski gets emotional as she thanks family, friends and fans for their support after revealing her stage four cancer diagnosis: 'The wind beneath my wings'
Magda Szubanski has expressed immense gratitude in the wake of her devastating stage four cancer diagnosis. The beloved Aussie comedian, 64, who revealed she is battling Mantle Cell Lymphoma last week, took to Instagram to thank her family, friends and fans for the outpouring of support. Speaking in a video posted on Sunday, Magda said she had been 'overwhelmed' by the response to her announcement. 'I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all the love and support,' she said in the clip. 'It's just been so moving and, really, youse are the wind beneath my wings. Thank you very much, love you all. Sorry I can't reply this. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'It's pretty overwhelming, but I just feel so loved.' Last week, Magda shocked her followers when she revealed she was battling a rare and fast-moving blood cancer. She appeared on camera with a shaved head after beginning her treatment to fight the disease. 'Hello my lovelies. So, the head is shaved in anticipation of it all falling out in a couple of weeks because I have just been diagnosed with a very rare, very aggressive, very serious lymphoma,' she began. 'It is one of the nasty ones, unfortunately. But the good thing is I'm surrounded by beautiful friends and family and an incredible medical support team. 'Honestly, we have the best in the world here in Australia, particularly in Melbourne, so I feel very fortunate. 'It's pretty confronting. It is a full on. But new treatments keep coming down the pipeline all the time.' Magda said she has started a treatment called the Nordic protocol, which treats Mantle Cell Lymphoma by shrinking the tumours with a combination of drugs administered in five phases. It's known as the Nordic regimen based upon its clinical trial sites in Denmark and Norway. The actress explained she will be 'lying very low' due to her weak immune system. 'I won't sugar-coat it: it's rough. But I'm hopeful. I'm being lovingly cared for by friends and family, my medical team is brilliant, and I've never felt more held by the people around me,' she said. 'Please keep a distance though because I will be very immunocompromised. So I can't hug no more. 'Don't hug me, kiss me, or breathe anywhere near me! Wave enthusiastically from a safe distance and know I love you madly.' The Kath & Kim star said the cancer was discovered during a routine breast screening. 'This is an obscure cancer and was only discovered incidentally via a breast screen where they found my lymph nodes were up,' she explained. 'TBH, I've been feeling pretty rats**t for ages. So I asked for extra bloods and - voila! So the take away is - get tested and listen to your body! 'For now, just know I'm in good hands, good spirits - but I reserve my human right to be a cranky old moll. Love you all, Mags.'
Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE McDonald's Australia announces major change to its popular menu item: 'Our best one yet'
McDonald's Australia has announced a major change to a popular menu item, which comes into effect nationwide. In a move that will interest coffee connoisseurs, Macca's has revealed it will be using a new blend for its McCafé coffees, starting Wednesday. The fast food chain is changing its coffee blend for the first time in four years, with the last update made in 2021. Amanda Nakad, Marketing Director of Menu and Brand for McDonald's Australia, said the change will be 'our best McCafé blend yet'. 'We refresh our coffee blend every four years to keep up with the evolving tastes of our customers and we reckon this one is the best one yet,' Ms Nakad told FEMAIL. 'We know how much our Aussie customers love coffee and care about the taste and quality of their brew – and so do we.' The coffee beans are sourced from around the world and shipped to a roastery in Melbourne, Australia's coffee capital. There, they are roasted and blended on-site into the new coffee blend. Like the previous brew, the new blend is made from 100 per cent Arabica coffee beans, sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. However, there are some subtle differences to the taste of the new takeaway coffee. The new blend includes four origins of coffee beans from Colombia, Honduras, Brazil and Ethiopia. As a result, coffee drinkers should expect the taste to feel richer and rounder with fruity and nutty notes. In addition to refining the taste of the coffee, Ms Nakad said confirmed that they remain committed to 'invest' in barista staff training and equipment to ensure quality and consistency of McCafe coffee across all their stores. McCafé is a true Aussie success story, having first launched in the laneways of Melbourne back in 1993. Today, the cafe serves up more than 300 million cups of barista-made coffee and hot drinks per year. This effectively means that one in five store-bought coffees in Australia are sold at McCafé. 'It's a brand that was created by coffee lovers for coffee lovers, and we're extremely proud to welcome this new blend to our loyal Aussie customers,' Ms Nakad said. The new blend comes hot on the heels of the limited-edition launch of Macca's matcha beverage range at select stores around Australia. The fast food restaurant chain is now selling a classic Matcha Latte ($4.60), an Iced Matcha Latte ($5.20) and a trendy Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte ($6.05). When FEMAIL contacted McDonald's Australia to enquire about the new matcha range, a spokesperson remained tight-lipped but offered a vague confirmation. 'Seeing green? Macca's is currently trialling a special treat in select restaurants across NSW and Victoria,' a McDonald's Australia spokesperson told FEMAIL. 'While we can't confirm anything further yet… We can say: stay tuned.' Sydney food blogger Nina was one of the first to break the news on social media about the little-known Matcha range spotted at Wynyard Station. 'Guess what?! McDonald's Australia has released matcha lattes. Finally matcha available at Macca's,' Nina said in her video. Nina said she purchased a medium iced matcha with oat milk for $6.40. 'Although they use syrup, the matcha flavour was strong with no bitterness - but it was very, very sweet,' she said in her verdict. 'Not very traditional, but the sugar sure was a great pick me up in the morning. To be honest I think I'll be buying this again.' The Sydney-based foodie posted a six-second video that has already been viewed more than 750,000 times, which showed her spotting the item on an in-store menu. The video shows the McDonald's store at Wynyard Station - along with a sign confirming the matcha range won't be around for long. 'Hurry limited time,' the sign read. The video has already notched up over 40,000 likes, and received hundreds of comments from excited customers. 'FINALLY MY DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE,' read one excited response. But the top-liked comment expressed disbelief about whether 'this is actually true'. This warranted skepticism stems from an incident last year when a 'fake' Macca's matcha drink caused a frenzy and disappointment among customers. Last year, a group of Melbourne friends filmed themselves apparently ordering a 'Strawberry Matcha' from a McDonald's Drive-Thru window as part of a social media prank. The staged video quickly sparked confusion among McDonald's customers, who soon reported being unable to find the drink anywhere in stores. The misinformation about the Macca's Strawberry Matcha got so out of hand that McDonald's eventually released a statement confirming the product did not exist. The subsequent outcry from social media fans led many to campaign for Macca's to develop their own drink featuring the popular green tea powder. Now, it appears their wish has come true as Macca's trials the new drinks range at select stores. In addition to the Wynyard Station, some other NSW locations where the range has quietly launched included Thornleigh, Bondi Junction, Wyong and Haberfield. In Melbourne, one fan noted that they'd seen it in the Doncaster store. Matcha lattes – and in particular strawberry matcha lattes – have soared in popularity in the last few years. The trendy iced strawberry matcha lattes are understood to have originated from Asian tea specialty stores, and became prolific on social media. The striking visual appeal of iced strawberry matcha lattes is one of the reasons why the drink went viral. Matcha is known for its health benefits, with the green tea powder renowned for being rich in antioxidants. It also contains fibre, vitamin C, chromium, magnesium, selenium and zinc.
