Latest news with #BenFordham
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bizarre rumour about Ben Fordham confirmed as radio rival Wippa reveals odd item he found in 2GB host's office
A bizarre rumour about Ben Fordham has been confirmed by the 2GB host after his radio rival Wippa made the shock claim on his Nova show Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie on Wednesday. Co-host Wippa, 45, revealed that Ben, 48, has a 'fold-down bed' made of mahogany in his office. 'I think I'm allowed to say this...' the radio host began, before diving into a description of Ben's workspace. 'You walk into the office, there's a boardroom table, a pretty serious mahogany desk and then there's huge cabinetry - like mahogany cabinetry that's made at the end of the room - with a fold-down bed! 'Is that public knowledge, Tom (Ivey)?' he asked the executive producer. 'Well it is now,' Tom quipped back, describing the segment as an 'Architectural Digest' room tour. 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. 'Get Fordo to do a tour of the fold-down bed,' Wippa joked. Ben confirmed the claim to Daily Mail Australia, joking that he's concerned of a 'security breach' if Wippa is running around the halls of 2GB. Ben said he inherited the office from former Breakfast presenter Alan Jones. He added that 'any mahogany furniture or crystal glassware' was there before he arrived. However, Ben that he had never slept in the much-talked-about bed. In response to Wippa's request for a tour, Ben said he was more than happy to show the bed to Wippa and the Nova crew so that Wippa can 'jump in and have a snooze'. 'If they're happy to promote my radio show, I'm more than happy to give them a tour,' he joked/. 'I reckon Wippa may need the bed at some stage because once his wife Lisa realises that she can do better, Wippa may find himself homeless and in need of somewhere to sleep. 'So please let him know that there'll always be a bed for him at 2GB,' he said. According to Ben, the kitted-out office also has a bathroom and a kitchen. 'If it wasn't for my wife and children, I would just move into the Allen Jones office and stay there. 'But no, I'm needed at home,' he said.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
New push for Anthony Albanese to follow in the UK's lead and restrict immigration numbers
Ben Fordham has urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to follow in the steps of the UK and restrict the number of migrants entering Australia. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK risks 'becoming an island of strangers' as his government unveiled a series of policies aimed at reducing immigration numbers. The proposed laws would require foreign nationals' to wait for 10 years instead of five to apply for settlement, English language requirements tightened for immigrants and the qualifications required for those applying for a skilled work visa expanded. Last year, the UK absorbed 1.2million migrants, while in the 2023-24 financial year Australian took in 670,000 immigrants. 'Twenty-five years ago there were more babies born in Australia than migrants arriving in Australia. Now it's four to one the other way,' Fordham said. 'That's a big shift. If you compare our population growth to the rest of the world, Australia's is off the charts. Fordham said Mr Albanese needed to make good on his promise to reduce immigration numbers amid Australia's worsening housing crisis. 'He promised he'd bring the numbers down. Well, we will hold him to that. We're in the middle of a housing crisis and yet we're taking in almost two thousand people per day. It is not unreasonable to say "slow down",' he said. Fordham then took aim at one of Australia's richest people, Harry Triguboff, who he accused of encouraging high immigration in order to fill his own pockets. 'The billionaire property developer Harry Triguboff says we need more migration,' the radio host told listeners. 'Mr Triguboff believes Australia's population will grow to 55million by 2050, but he says if he had it his way it would be 100million. 'Harry just wants to sell more apartments.' Mr Triguboff told Mark Bouris' podcast Straight Talk last year: 'We need more immigration, because if we have no migrants, it's very, very difficult [to build]'. Australia's fourth-richest person warned the country would collapse due to an aging population unless immigration levels were increase and advocated for a diverse immigration policy that welcomes migrants from a wide range of backgrounds. 'Life is difficult in so much of the world that everybody would love to come here. Not to destroy us, they just want to come to live here. It's a good place to live,' he said. Immigration levels in Australia reached record-high numbers in late 2023 when close to 550,000 foreigners arrived in the country. The Treasury Budget papers forecast net overseas migration falling to 335,000 in 2024-25, before dropping to 260,000 in 2025-26. Treasury in the May 2024 Budget had underestimated population growth, and in December, revised its forecasts for this financial year, to have 340,000 migrants moving in - as opposed to 260,000 predicted just seven months earlier.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Westpac customer's fury after cash withdrawal debacle 'costs him $6,500': 'You've got my money'
Westpac has claimed it was following protocol after a customer was rejected from withdrawing his own money. Tim tried to take out $50,000 from his savings so that he could invest it into Bitcoin. He was initially denied and was told to call the bank's risk team, who also declined his request. A Westpac spokesperson told Yahoo Finance that while it cannot comment on specific cases, decisions like this are made to protect customers. "Stopping scams is one of our biggest priorities and we are continuing to invest significantly in scam prevention measures. This can include holding payments and asking questions," they said. 'Red flag' NAB banker noticed before blocking $440,000 payment: 'Didn't add up' Aussie 'dream' falls apart four months after young expat's arrival with $20,000: 'In Canada everything's free' Centrelink announces $1,000 disaster payments for more Aussies: 'Now available' Tim, who had been a Westpac customer since he was 12, was frustrated that he was knocked back initially, but his phone call with the bank left him even more furious. "He just had no intention of pushing it through, and just no intention of letting me have the freedom to use my own after-tax dollars," he told 2GB Radio. Tim recorded the phone call and played it for Ben Fordham, where he said he just wanted his money. "It's because you are using our banking platform," the Westpac worker said. "You've agreed to our terms and conditions... We're not going to be able to facilitate this payment if you're not forthcoming and honest."The customer raged about over-regulation and wanted to progress through the questionnaire about what he planned to do with the cash. "You've got my money. I'd love my money back," he said. But the worker wouldn't budge. "I'm genuinely trying my best to help you out as best as possible, but I feel as though, so far, you are trying to tiptoe around the answers and just simply tell me what you think I want to hear in order to have this push through on my level," he told Tim. Even though the customer said he was going to invest in the popular cryptocurrency, the staffer said it wasn't "adding up". Westpac locked Tim out of his accounts for nearly a week, but once he regained access, he withdrew all his money and moved it to another bank. The customer said that if he took out his cash when he wanted to, he would have gained around $6,500 due to a Bitcoin spike. Banks in Australia and around the world are on high alert for scams and have put up a few roadblocks to ensure people don't lose their money. It's a controversial tactic as it has left a bad taste in some customer's mouths because they feel they're being interrogated about their own money. A Yahoo Finance poll of more than 7,700 readers found a whopping 77 per cent believe banks have no right to ask you about your money. A NAB spokesperson told Yahoo Finance that they're just making sure everything is legit. "We've seen the videos about the questions banks ask when you withdraw large amounts of cash, and I get it, it can feel like a lot, and it's your money at the end of the day," NAB's Retail Customer Executive Larna Manson said. "But, we do it to protect you. By asking you some simple questions, we can help keep your money safe. So if it's a gift for your girlfriend or a treat for yourself, that's fine." There have been countless stories of people who asked Aussie bank tellers to withdraw their cash or move their money somewhere and it turned out they were seconds away from being scammed. Westpac also acknowledged that while these questions slow down the banking process, it's better to be safe than sorry. "It can help to stop devastating losses for those who may be impacted by a scam," the spokesperson told Yahoo Finance. "We know investment scams continue to drive the largest losses when it comes to scams, and many cases involve customers sending money to crypto exchanges so we take extra precautions to help keep customers money safe." The Australian Federal Police (AFP) revealed that more than $382 million had been lost to investment scams in 12 months to August last year. It's not just older Aussies getting caught in the crossfire either, with victims now more likely to be under the age of 50. Nearly half (47 per cent) of these losses, which equated to around $180 million, involved cryptocurrencies. 'Investment scams are fraudulent schemes that deceive people into investing money under false pretences," AFP Assistant Commissioner Richard Chin said. "Scammers promise high returns with little risk, using convincing marketing and new technology to make the investment sound too good to miss. 'Scammers often use pressure tactics and different methodologies to lure victims into making poor investment decisions, with two common methods being pig butchering and using deepfake technology.'Sign in to access your portfolio
