Equality Dinner Sold Out

Picture: courtesy of The Star Observer

Andrew M Potts, The Star Observer, reports

If you were hoping to attend the Equality Dinner on January 25, the event has sold out.

The $300 a head charity event will be held at Sydney’s waterside Quay restaurant.

Australian Marriage Equality (AME) national convenor Alex Greenwich said he had been bowled over by the level of support for the event, which will include a charity auction with items donated by Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, Icon Films, Vodaphone, MasterChef’s Julie Goodwin and signed Lady Gaga memorabilia donated by Universal Music.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of a number of prominent Australians who are helping us out at the dinner,” Greenwich said.

“The funds raised from it will certainly help continue the campaign into 2012 and everybody attending the event will also receive a gift bag from Becker Minty worth around $65.”

Greenwich said Priscilla, Queen of the Desert director Stephan Elliott, whose new film A Few Best Men is released the day after the dinner, had been particularly supportive. Elliott will speak at the event alongside Professor Kerryn Phelps and wife Jackie Stricker-Phelps, columnist Mia Freedman, equality activist Rodney Croome, and radio personality Geoff Field and his partner Jason Kerr.

The Herald Sun reports

Australian entertainer Olivia Newton-John has pledged her support for gay marriage.

Newton-John yesterday joined other celebrities, including Hugh Jackman, film critics David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz, and costume designer Lizzy Gardiner in backing Australian Marriage Equality's campaign for reform.

"With respect to marriage equality, I believe that no-one has the right to judge and deny couples who love each other the ability to make a marriage commitment," Newton-John said in a statement.

"Love is love."

The statement comes ahead of tomorrow’s marriage equality fundraising dinner, when Australian screenwriter and director Stephan Elliott will announce the support of more high profile Australians.

Australian Marriage Equality National Convener Alex Greenwich welcomed the growing support for reform.

"Australians admire celebrities like Olivia Newton-John and Hugh Jackman because they reflect our values of tolerance and a fair go for all, values which they are reminding us apply just as much to same sex couples as to other Australians," Mr Greenwich said.

Chopper Read approached by Channel Nine for Celebrity Apprentice Australia but told there was no prizemoney

The Daily Telegraph reports

COLOURFUL ex-criminal Chopper Read looks destined for a seat at the boardroom table on the second series of 'Celebrity Apprentice' - provided Channel 9 can find him a few dollars.

The criminal-turned-author-turned-artist-turned-actor has confirmed he has been approached by Nine to appear on the reality program, which was a ratings winner in its debut season.

At publication time yesterday, Chopper Read said he was still tossing up the approach after absorbing the news there was no prizemoney to be won in the new series of Celebrity Apprentice.

"They can go jam it up their (expletive) boardroom (expletive) (expletive)," he said, upon reflection.

MasterChef winner Julie Goodwin and one-time golden girl Nikki Webster are also in Nine's firing line for the next series.

Reinvented mum Goodwin is thought to have caught the eye of producers after impressing scouts during a guest appearance on Ten talkshow Can of Worms earlier this year.

The show would be a major coup for Webster, who first sprang to fame as a teenager, flying through the air and singing at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The recently engaged pop singer says she has been working on a new album and is a director of a talent agency.

Former footballer Jason Akermanis and Baywatch icon David Hasselhoff are also among those rumoured to be lining up for the new series.

A Nine spokeswoman said the network would not be confirming names for the series until 2012 and managers did not return calls yesterday.