September 17th, 2006

A Gossip Columnist’s Life …

There are those who are born to walk the red carpet and others who prefer to skirt it. Unfortunately I am in the latter category. I’m dreading Seven’s 50 years of Television event tonight at Star City because the scarlet deep pile promises to be as long as some bus lanes at peak hour and just as congested with so many network stars all trying to outdo each other. Celeb-centric couturier, Alex Perry has been working on Seven’s night of night for months and most of the really fabulous Seven women like Jennifer Hawkins, Isabel Lucas and Ada Nicodemou are wearing long gowns. They probably started getting ready at lunchtime.
Tonight I will have a 15 minute turn-around once we find our way home from my son’s basketball match and I’ll just grab the nearest black dress in the wardrobe and hope for the best. No wonder, I like to charge down the red carpet as if the winning Lotto number was inscribed at the end of it - I have nothing to preen about.

The most embarrasng thing about attending an A-List event is hearing the people on either side of the barriers wonder aloud who the hell you are. In the good old days, I was constantly mistaken for Cher. Now I hear spectators assuring each other that I am no one along with my colleagues as they search for the real stars.  And they’re right - how can I compete with such scintillating celebs as David Oldfield and Imogen Bailey who will both be very present tonight (They are after all, included in the cast of the woeful celebrity survivor.

Some Australian personalities live their life around their red carpet appearances. Take Maria Venuti who will heave out her cleavage in the most outrageous gown she can find for a film premiere but sneak out again just before the lights go out.  The worst offender was Mieke Buchan who was famed for getting changed in between red caroet appearances on the same night. Or good old Peter Mochrie, who once made his  date sit on a lounge at a nearby cinema, in all her finery, so they could time their red carpet appearance to get maximum exposure.  And yes, some people actually try to come in and out two or three times - it’s too funny.

So you probably won’t have a chance to see me if you tune into Seven’s 50 Years of TV tonight - I’ll be the one trying to make my entrance to the Star City venue through a side door.

Jennifer Hawkins - probably won’t be in this tonight

Isabel Lucas

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