news articles 28 July

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Shooting to be a sideways star
Wednesday, 28 July 2004

FOLLOWING on from the success of reality television talent quests Australian Idol and Popstars, a 20-year-old young man from Failford is hoping a new motorsport competition will be his launch pad to a career as a rally driver.

Brenden Thomas is currently trying to get together the $2390 entry fee required to compete in the Search For A Rally Star and believes the competition, which is planned to be televised as part of an Australian Rally Championship (ARC) round, provides the ideal opportunity for him to break through into the ARC alongside the likes of Mitsubishi's Ed Ordynski, Subaru's Cody Crocker, and Toyota ace Neal Bates.

"This will probably be the best opportunity I will have to get out there and show them I am going to make it to the top," Brenden explained.

"First prize is a Subaru WRX or Mitsubishi Lancer Evo rally car and $25,000 cash to help you on your rallying career and I am determined that first prize is mine!

"If I win I will be hot property. Along with the prizes, the media coverage the competition will receive is sure to see the sponsorship flowing in, as the winner is going to be Australia's best upcoming rally driver which will in turn push them up with the top competitors in this country and others.

"I am chasing sponsors now, to help me enter and aim for the top of this competition, and also help me pursue my ambition to succeed at this sport at a national and then international level.

"Competitors in Search For A Rally Star are not only judged on there driving capabilities but also how marketable they will be, how passionate about the sport they are, how well they can promote themselves and the sport of rallying. I believe I have all these attributes and can push myself to success."

With 12 years driving experience, having begun driving at the age of eight and worked his way up from paddock bashing in a Ford Falcon XB 500 series to a Datsun 200B and later a 1982 Holden Gemini (that he used to take out the Junior Championship in Group 6 which covers an area from Newcastle to Coffs Harbour), Brenden has now embarked on building up a 1997 Subaru Impreza WRX which he has completely stripped, rebuilt and installed a tower to tower roll cage in.

"I had my first races this year, (in the WRX) I haven't done a rally yet but I can't wait to," Brenden said. "I want to learn how to drive the car with the same style and speed I could with the less powerful rear wheel drive cars.

"I really want to compete in the New South Wales round of the Australian Rally Championship this year so I can let the big guns know I am coming and they better watch out because with more practice and some sponsorship deals I will be knocking them off before too long."

Further details regarding Search For A Rally Star can be found at www.sfars.com.au

tuncurry.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=sport&subclass=local&category=general%20sport&story_id=324400&y=2004&m=7

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Holden's rift with Sony, not Delta
Nui Te Koha
28jul04

AUSTRALIAN Idol judge Mark Holden will go to court for money he claims he is owed for working with Delta Goodrem.

But, in a statement released yesterday, Holden said his complaint is against Goodrem's record company, Sony Music Australia.
"In 2000, Sony Australia asked me to assist them in looking for new artists by listening to the many demos that existed in their artist and repertoire (A&R) department," Holden said.

"Amongst the many CDs from hopeful artists, I heard one submitted by Delta Goodrem. I was impressed and presented it to the management at Sony.

"Subsequently, my company concluded an A&R consultancy agreement with Sony Australia to provide them with services relating to the Delta project. Issues have developed regarding payment for those services, which we have been trying to negotiate with Sony for some time.

"We are currently in the process of seeking a court date to resolve the matter," Holden said.

The Idol judge said he had no problem with Goodrem.

"We do not have any legal issues with Delta or her mother, Lea," Holden said.

"We wish them continued health, happiness and success."

Holden's confirmation follows an exclusive Herald Sun report last week about his complaint.

Sony national publicist Jo Grogan said yesterday the company had no comment at this stage.

www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10268979%5E2902,00.html

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Gretel's lost plot
By Kathy McCabe
July 28, 2004


WHAT happened to Australian television's fave Earth mother, Big Brother host Gretel Killeen?


www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,3600,364981,00.jpg
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Lost plot ... Gretel, left, Monica and Ryan


With bland talent populating the Gold Coast compound for the fourth series, the erratic - and occasionally malicious - behaviour of the host has dominated fan chat.

Long-time viewers have been infuriated by her evolution from quick-quipping big sister in season one to casually caustic school ma'am in season four.

Welcoming hugs and pats to calm evictees' nerves have gone, now it's a fastidious commitment to the clipboard script and plugs for sponsors.

The infamous Merlin refugee protest episode saw Killeen lose her grip on the reality of live TV.

You could almost hear Shannon Noll belting out his signature hit What About Me in the background as Gretski struggled to make a gagged Merlin answer the vacuous "Big Brother top 10".

Labelling his silence "aggressive" only highlighted her own surliness as his protest spontaneously combusted her script.

The host's relationship with the paying audience at the weekly eviction shows became strained in 2004.

Sorry to break it to you, but after three series, the housemates know there is a live audience.

The cute but annoying "quiet as a mouse" entreaty as she crossed live to the house became threats of eviction to excited audience members whose yahooing increased as they saw they were getting under her skin. Audience 1, Killeen 0.

One distressing sign the Earth mother was gone was the treatment of housemates' kith and kin.

Prolonging the reunions between parents, Cat and Paul, and their respective children was callous. And what about the comment about "chicken fillets" to Bree's mother on Monday? Whether the woman augments her bosom is her business.

While had good reason to keep Trevor's mum off stage before the proposal, Killeen's aggression was unwarranted. But her denouement in season four was her handling of Monica and Ryan. How inappropriately pushy can one TV host be?

Suggesting the BB world would have been better off without Monica's boyfriend Joe still being in the picture had viewers squirming.

The Daily Telegraph