Portia de Rossi picks love over fear after living her life `closeted and terrified'

Portia De Rossi as Beth with Robyn Butler as Caroline on the set of Now Add Honey, now shooting in Melbourne. Picture: Roadshow Source: Supplied

Sally Bennett, The Daily Telegraph, reports

Actor Portia de Rossi hopes her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres is a good example for young gay Australians.

The Victorian-raised-LA-based actor said she went from being a young woman who was "closeted and terrified of being outed as gay" to being happily in love with an American talk-show queen.

"I just fell in love with somebody and I thought I'm going to take this over living in fear of my television career ending," de Rossi said of coming out.

"I choose her, I choose to be happy and it was the best decision that I have ever made. We are actually good role models in that we're a very ordinary happy couple."

The Arrested Development star was speaking in Melbourne this week where she is filming Now Add Honey, a New Australian film from the makers of The Librarians and Upper Middle Bogan.

The Roadshow comedy also stars Robyn Butler, Hamish Blake, Lucy Durack, Lucy Fry, Erik Thomson and Angus Sampson.

De Rossi, who married DeGeneres in California in 2008, said marriage equality was "so important" and that she hopes in happens in Australia soon.

"It really does make a huge difference and it really does validate you, not only as a gay person in your relationship, but as a human being," she said.

"It's hard to explain the impact that just one person coming out can have on your life as a gay person if you're a teenager," she said.

"If you're watching the news and you know that the news anchor is gay, all of a sudden you think, maybe I could be a journalist, or maybe I could be a model, or an actress or a school teacher or a football player. It makes a huge difference."

De Rossi is flying solo for this three-week work trip and said she and DeGeneres were overwhelmed by the love and support they were shown during their March visit.

"It was crazy, it was great, but it was just surreal though," she said of the huge crowds that greeted them in Melbourne.

"It was like, this is my hometown, what is happening? And of course, I'd been telling her all this time, come to Australia and everyone will leave you alone.

"It was announced on her show (The Ellen DeGeneres Show) so I knew it was going to be a different thing, but I do actually think that if we came, just the two of us, that people would be respectful."

The release date for Now Add Honey is yet to be announced.

Is this the end for the Rafters?

The house from Packed to the Rafters at Riverview St, Concord was up for auction but was passed in for $1.2 million. Picture: Kristi Miller Source: The Daily Telegraph

The Daily Telegraph reports

The modest home in Sydney's inner west used as the set for Packed To The Rafters was passed in at auction at the weekend as murmurs continue to mount that the family favourite drama will finish filming for good in under two weeks.

The three-bedroom bungalow in Concord fell short of expectations of about $1.3 million under the hammer on Saturday, with $1.18 million the top bid.

Real estate sources say the owners are negotiating for $1.2 million for the 1930s house, known as "the ugly duckling of Riverview St" thanks to the mansions that surround it.

The sale of the house has only added to speculation that next year's series of Rafters will be the last because the property is no longer contracted to Channel 7.

Cast members including Rebecca Gibney and Erik Thomson are frequently filming outside the home, while the internal shots are done at Seven's Epping studio.

Confidential understands filming will wrap for the year on December 21 and that the cast has not been told of any future plans.

Now in its sixth year, the next season will be made up of 12 episodes as opposed to the other five, which had 22 episodes.

"(The producers) keep changing their mind," one insider said.

"People have said that we'll be back next year but then no one has told us anything.

"There's definitely a feeling that we are finishing up, which is sad but it makes sense."

Over the past two years many of the show's key stars have left for other projects, including Jessica Marais, Hugh Sheridan, Zoe Ventoura and Jessica McNamee.

Most are rumoured to return to the posts that kick-started their careers, except Ventoura, whose character Mel was killed in a car crash in 2010.

Consternation over Packed to the Rafters kiss

Brooke Satchwell says she will understand if there is a backlash. Source: Supplied

Luke Dennehy, Sunday Herald Sun, reports

The controversial Packed to the Rafters infidelity storyline will continue for the rest of the year.

In one of the more divisive storylines in the show's history, Erik Thomson's character Dave Rafter shared a passionate kiss with his apprentice Frankie Calasso, played by Brooke Satchwell.

The storyline upset some viewers as Dave and Julie Rafter - played by Rebecca Gibney - were one of TV's strongest couples.

It's believed the kiss is the crescendo of the infidelity, but the ramifications will be played out until the end of this year.

Satchwell said she could understand if there was a backlash.

"It was a great storyline to play and it came fairly early on my time on the show, but it was quite terrifying as well, as they are one of Australia's most-loved couples," she said.

Satchwell said while many might find the storyline uncomfortable, it was done the right way with lots of thought from everyone involved, from the writers, producers and actors.

Packed to the Rafters is on a production break and Satchwell has four months off.

She has signed on for another series.

"I'm having a sensational time," she said.

"It's been an absolute pleasure to work on the show."