I once dated Heath Ledger. He's the reason I met my husband
My Maori maternal grandfather [Koro] Jack Gardiner was one of the grumpiest and mightiest of men, but he had a soft spot for me. I was the sporty grandchild, and he was a former Maori All Black. He passed away four years ago.
I sunk a dingy in the river at the back of his house as a kid. I was with my cousin, and he came out and yelled at us. I blamed my cousin. She looked up at Koro who was very scary and didn't say it was me. He was the sort of man who got over his temper quickly. He had big hands, loved the cows on his farm, and every Christmas I was the one who always gave him a cow mug.
I get my empathy and compassion from Dad, Michael Kessell. He is a bit eccentric, very tactile and warm to strangers. He was also a good sportsman and my tennis coach.
I broke his heart at 15. I had been doing theatre and was cast in a TV series, and suddenly a new world opened up. I can still remember Dad asking, 'What about tennis?' I was like, 'What about it?' As careless as teenagers are, I broke his heart as we always talked about going to Wimbledon.
Dad met Mum, Matewiki, when she was a waitress in Auckland. He was a dishwasher at the time and then worked his way up to head chef. She helped him run their restaurant. They also ran a wedding reception lounge and we lived out the back as a family. Dad carved ice sculptures [ Laughs ]. I remember an exquisite peacock for a wedding.
I never thought I would get married. I thought I was too cool for that.
Simone Kessell, actor
I had a crush on a boy at primary school when I was six. He asked if he could give me a kiss and I said no. I then put a leaf to my cheek and said you can kiss the leaf, and he said OK. I was thrilled.
I had a long-time boyfriend when I was 16 to 19. He was the cool guy from the boys' school and was very popular. We stayed together a few years out of high school. I was close to his family. We attempted to go flatting together, and then the wheels fell off. I last saw him at a mutual friend's wedding 10 years ago.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Courier-Mail
5 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
David Stratton's infamous The Castle review goes viral after his death
Don't miss out on the headlines from Movies. Followed categories will be added to My News. One of David Stratton's most infamous film reviews has gone viral in the wake of his death this week. Stratton passed away at the age of 85, and now fans are remembering some of his most memorable moments. He was best known to film fans for appearing alongside Margaret Pomeranz for decades on numerous movie review shows. As movie buffs mourn his death, Stratton's review of 1997 Australian classic The Castle has gone viral on social media as fans remember his infamous dislike of the flick. Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton. Picture: Getty. 'I'm afraid it wasn't for me, Margaret,' he told his co-star on At The Movies. 'I thought it was patronising towards its characters, I didn't find it funny.' He added: 'It's very rough [technically]. I'd give it one and half [stars].' Twenty seven years later, he told The Daily Telegraph he had seen The Castle in years since and said he had 'completely misunderstood' the film. 'It was the first film made by a team that worked in television, and it looked to me like a telemovie, whereas I'm very much into the visual side of cinema,' he explained. 'But I obviously completely misunderstood it, as I have watched it a few times since, and I now think it's very funny,' he added. The writer's family announced his death on Thursday afternoon, saying he died peacefully in hospital near his home in the Blue Mountains. Anthony Simcoe, Stephen Curry, Michael Caton and Anne Tenney in a scene from The Castle . 'David's passion for film, commitment to Australian cinema, and generous spirit touched countless lives,' said his family in a statement. 'He was adored as a husband, father, grand and great grand father and admired friend. 'David's family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming support from friends, colleagues, and the public recently and across his lifetime.' Stratton's family has asked for privacy in the wake of his death, but they shared a heartwarming request with his fans as a way of paying tribute to the beloved critic. '[We] invite everyone to celebrate David's remarkable life and legacy by watching their favourite movie, or David's favourite movie of all time — Singin' In the Rain.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is among those who have paid tribute to Stratton. 'With dry humour and sharp insight, David Stratton shared his love of film with our country,' he wrote on Twitter. 'All of us who tuned in to At the Movies respected him for his deep knowledge and for the gentle and generous way he passed it on. May he rest in peace.' Originally published as David Stratton's infamous The Castle review goes viral after his death
AU Financial Review
5 hours ago
- AU Financial Review
Australian authors go to war against AI
Thomas Keneally says it's life or death stuff, while Richard Flanagan says the Productivity Commission 'doesn't give a shit about Australian culture'. The Booker Prize winners and other prominent Australian authors have slammed suggestions that policymakers should explore ways for tech giants to train AI models on unlicensed creative work. Publishers warn that such copyright exceptions would limit their ability to develop new talent.
7NEWS
6 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Gen Z: Bangkok, Melbourne, New York, London the best cities in the world for 20-somethings
Cape Town is the best city in the world, says Time Out — unless that is, you're under 30. The publishing giant, famous for its best-of lists of everything from cool streets to foodie destinations, has released its first-ever 'best cities' list tailored to young people, and it's notably different from the multigenerational ranking shared earlier this year. In January, its annual survey of more than 18,500 city-dwellers worldwide crowned the South African metropolis the best city for 2025, followed by Bangkok, New York and Melbourne. However, filtering the same data to responses from the under-30s – so that's the Gen Z cohort, ages 13 to 28, plus baby millennials – paints a different picture. The Thai capital grabs the No. 1 spot for 2025 with youthful residents, who scored it highly for happiness, affordability and as a great place to meet new people. Young urbanites here were more likely than under-30s anywhere else to rate their city as an ideal environment to make friends. That's on top of Bangkok's many other assets, of course. Thailand's capital 'checks every box for a great city: famously friendly, culturally rich, and packed with iconic sites like Wat Arun and the Grand Palace,' Time Out said in January. Melbourne was No. 2 on the under-30s list, two places higher than on the multigenerational ranking. Nearly four in five young Melburnians described their city as diverse and inclusive and an impressive 96 per cent praised its art and culture scene. More than nine in 10 also said Melbourne's quality of life is 'good' or 'amazing.' The Australian city is also home to Time Out's coolest thoroughfare for 2024, Melbourne High Street, which editor Leah Glynn commended at the time for its 'epic restaurants, hidden bars, live music venues and boutique shops.' Captivating Cape Town Cape Town made it to No. 3 on the under-30 list, scoring particularly high for beauty – the coastal city is overlooked by the breathtaking Table Mountain – and cheap nights out. Three out of four young people say that going out for drinks there is affordable. New York City, at No. 4, was the most likely city to be described as 'exciting' by its younger residents, says Time Out. It was also praised for its walkability and, unsurprisingly for the city that never sleeps, its nightlife. Copenhagen was at No. 10 in the multigenerational rankings, but climbs to No. 5 when filtering for the under-30s. The Danish capital 'prioritises good food, good people, and looking after each other,' Time Out said in January, but it seems it also ranks highly for finding someone special to look after, too. More than half of young people said it was an easy place to find love. Barcelona was another favorite with young people, placing at No. 17 in the overall list, but earning a No. 6 ranking with Gen Z and the youngest millennials. The buzzy seaside metropolis is famous for its nightlife, but the city is also tied with Melbourne for the highest rating for diversity and inclusivity. An impressive 77 per cent of young residents gave its diversity credentials the thumbs up. Edinburgh is at No. 7 on the under-30 list, thanks to its walkability, green spaces and access to nature. Nearly 95 per cent of young people loved its opportunities for green-space action, making it the highest-ranked city in this category. Mexico City, at No. 8, is the second-most affordable place for Gen Z to live, after Bangkok, with 69 per cent scoring it highly for affordability — surely one of the most important criteria for young urbanites at the start of their careers. It's also the fourth-happiest city for 2025 across all generations, with 96 per cent of respondents saying they're happy in their city. Young Londoners don't rate their city highly for affordability; only 45 per cent agree that it's easy on the wallet. However, the UK capital makes it to No. 9 on the under-30s list thanks to its excellent cultural scene, with lots of things to see and do that are both fun and free. Its diverse gastronomic offerings are also a hit with young people; 95 per cent rated the food scene highly. The final spot in the top 10 is taken by Shanghai, which Time Out earlier this year described as 'a cinematic city where everyone's the main character.' Young people living in this Chinese metropolis are the most likely to describe their city as modern. It also performed well for public transport (96 per cent rated it highly) and overall happiness (84 per cent said they were happy living there). Time Out's list of the world's best cities for Gen Z: Bangkok, Thailand Melbourne, Australia Cape Town, South Africa New York, New York Copenhagen, Denmark Barcelona, Spain Edinburgh, Scotland Mexico City, Mexico London, England Shanghai, China Sydney, Australia Beijing, China Paris, France Tokyo, Japan Berlin, Germany Seville, Spain Chicago, Illinois Chiang Mai, Thailand Prague, Czech Republic Lisbon, Portugal
