EXCLUSIVE 'Risky' craze at high society parties... Plus, a spicy rumour about 'playboy' banker who called off his engagement - and the murky past of Vaucluse's new $27M man: THE GROUP CHAT
Welcome to The Group Chat with Lucy Manly, where Australia's most-trusted society insider shares the hottest gossip BEFORE it makes the news.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Sydney's nightlife slammed by local woman - as she exposes major problem
A fiery young woman has unleashed on Sydney 's youth in a brutal social media rant, accusing them of killing the city's nightlife - not because there's nothing to do, but because they're too boring to enjoy it. Sydneysider Tazzy explained her rant was going to 'really piss a lot of people in Sydney off' but was something that needed to be said. The 30-year-old said Sydney's nightlife was often described as boring however the root cause was not a lack of interesting things to do but rather the people who go out in the city. 'You hear people say all the time that Sydney's nightlife is boring,' she said in a video shared to social media. 'But we need to address the problem at the root. It's not the nightlife that's boring. People from Sydney are insufferably f****** boring.' Tazzy said the demographic included Sydneysiders aged between 18 and 34-years-old who were supposed to be having fun but are not. She said some blame the cost-of-living crisis as the reason they don't engage in Sydney's nightlife as often. But Tazzy believed that was not an excuse, as young adults across the world were also struggling with the cost of living but still managed to have fun in their cities. Tazzy claimed Sydneysiders were 'well adjusted,' and that meant their prime years were boring. 'We have a good education system, so everyone gets raised pretty well adjusted. What you end up with is a bunch of 18 to 35 year-olds who are relatively well adjusted, and that just means that they're extremely f****** boring,' she said. She added that Sydneysiders are obsessed with fitness and health, which becomes their only hobby. 'If you ask most people in Sydney, they don't have any special interests. They don't have any passions. They don't have anything interesting that they can talk to you about,' she said. 'They actually just don't even have things to f****** say, because they are so f****** well adjusted. Their only hobby is physically working out.' She suggested that for many Australians, grabbing a coffee and walking their dog is often the highlight of their day. 'That's why it's all about dogs, because, like, that's the only interesting thing that they have to in their life,' she said. Tazzy said there are only four interesting groups of people who enrich Sydney's nightlife: creatives, queers, drug addicts, and ethnics from out west. She claimed cities like New York, Paris, and London stood in stark contrast to Sydney, as the 'sheer diversity of people' made the environments 'electric.' The music producer added Sydney's creative industries were suffering as a result, with not enough creative people in the art and music scenes to support new artists. She ended her rant by saying she was exhausted trying to make friends in Sydney. Many social media users agreed with Tazzy's scathing assessment of Sydneysiders, with many claiming the city was socially empty. 'Fully agree! 95 per cent just walk around like NPCs (non-player characters), all dressing the same, doing the same things, same music etc,' one person commented. 'This is so true, I moved here four-ish years ago and when I met people they're asking where I went to school. Mind you we're in our 30s,' a second person wrote. A third said, 'This is so real. I moved here about 18 months ago and honestly, I've never experienced a city that feels so socially dry. 'It's just crowds of insufferably straighty-180s. There's almost no eclectic energy, no sense of play or vulnerability. There's no spontaneity, no vibrant third spaces, and no creativity unless you really go hunting for it.' A fourth added: '100 per cent agree. Moved here four months ago from Tassie and can't wait for my contract to end. It's objectively pretty here but soulless and like 80 per cent of the content from Sydney I see is just 5am run clubs in Bondi. Nothing else.' Others disagreed with Tazzy, suggesting that if she didn't like the city, she should move elsewhere. 'Girl why are you so pressed, just move,' one person commented. 'I agree to a degree. We exist where we do have more interests. You just haven't found your people yet,' a second person wrote. A third added: 'People just have different priorities, it's not that they're boring. You just have to find your people. I personally won't find my people out in the clubs every weekend, that doesn't make me or my kind of people boring.'
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Why are activists protesting against Jeff Bezos's Venice wedding?
Billionaire Jeff Bezos is marrying Lauren Sanchez, a former TV journalist, in a glitzy multi-day event in Venice. While city officials haven't confirmed the wedding details, Italian media have reported it will be a three-day affair between Tuesday and Thursday. They also say it will take over the whole island of San Giorgio opposite St Mark's Square - but that the location of the ceremony itself remains private. Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger and Ivanka Trump are expected to attend, as is pop star Katy Perry, who joined Ms Sanchez in the all-female celebrity crew that travelled to space in April. They and other celebrity guests - rumoured to include Leonardo Dicaprio and Eva Longoria - are expected to be joining the couple for parties on Amazon owner Bezos's super yacht, worth about $500m (£371m), which will dock in the port of Venice for the wedding, Sky News Italy reports. But not everyone in the iconic city is excited. Members of the group No Space for Bezos are planning to disrupt celebrations and have already made clear that, to them, the billionaire is not welcome in the city. They unfurled a massive banner on 12 June from the bell tower of the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica with Bezos's name crossed out. They are planning another demonstration on 28 June where they will block guests from arriving at a party by blocking the canals with boats and their bodies. They say the protest will be peaceful. "We want to take back our city that we are seeing constantly being privatised and taken away from us," Federica Toninelli, an activist associated with No Space for Bezos, told Sky News. Why are there protests? Protesters do not have an issue with the marriage itself but with what they say is the "privatisation" and "exploitation" of the city. "He is basically going to treat the whole city as a private ballroom, as a private event area, as if the citizens are not there," said Alice Bazzoli, also an activist with No Space for Bezos. Both told Sky News that the event will close parts of the city and make it difficult for locals to get around, as well as posing environmental concerns with the use of yachts in the canals. "This is not what Venice needs. This is not what a city that is already suffering from overtourism needs," said Ms Toninelli. The city has long struggled with high tourism numbers. Millions come to see a World Heritage Site famous around the world for its medieval architecture, crammed into a picturesque canal network. But this pushes up the cost of living for locals and tends to create only low-paid temporary employment. "It's going to bring money, yes, but we are not going to see any money," said Ms Toninelli. The protests are also linked to wider issues around affordable housing and a dwindling local population in Venice's historic centre. "Do we want our city even more invaded by tourists, by oligarchs, and people who buy and privatise the city, or do we want services, jobs, health services, schools, universities? Do we want to live in the city like normal people, or sell it to the best offer?" said Ms Bazzoli. What has the response been to the protests? The Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, says he is "honoured" that the city is hosting the event. "Once again Venice proves to be a world stage," he said. "Those 20 people who are putting up posters are clearly capitalising on [Jeff Bezos's] image." The city of Venice has previously denied that the event would disrupt locals, saying water taxi services would run normally and that only 200 guests had been invited. "Venice is used to being the stage for events and shows every week, without significant impacts," the city said, citing G20 and G7 summits, the Architecture and Cinema Biennales, as well as private events. They say the city has previous experience of hosting big events successfully. Is this the first celebrity Venice wedding? No, George and Amal Clooney famously got married there in 2014. The actor arrived at his ceremony at the Aman Grande Canal Hotel on a boat, alongside guests including Matt Damon and model Cindy Crawford. The city also hosted world leaders for the 2021 G20 summit, as well as the annual Venice Film Festival. Is tourism a problem in Venice? Venice has been struggling with the impacts of overtourism - when the number of visitors to an area worsens the experience of being there for locals or other tourists. There were around 50,000 people living in the historic city centre in 2023 when there were around 4.9 million tourist arrivals, according to the data gathering website Statista. In 2024, it became the first city in the world to introduce a payment system for tourists, with officials carrying out random checks to make sure people beyond entry points have a QR code. As it stands, those visiting between April and July for a day trip pay a standard fee of €5 - unless they have booked less than four days before their visit, in which case they must pay double. The city has also put in place a size limit of 25 people for tourist groups to reduce crowds. Where else have there been tourist protests? Venice isn't the only European city where locals are frustrated with tourist numbers. Protesters in Barcelona sprayed tourists with water guns as part of demonstrations over the number of visitors.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Orlando Bloom joins Katy Perry and their daughter Daisy in Perth as he gears up for 'heart-to-heart talk' with the pop star amid 'rough patch' in marriage and fight over space flight
Orlando Bloom has joined Katy Perry and their daughter Daisy Dove, five, in Australia amid rumours of trouble in their marriage. The actor, 48, was spotted spending time with his little girl Daisy in Perth on Sunday. Father and daughter were joined by members of his entourage, including a man who appeared to be a security guard. Katy, who performed at Perth RAC Arena that night, did not join the group. Ever the doting dad, Orlando carried Daisy on his shoulders ad they took at stroll around the city's CBD. The little one carried a balloon animal in her hand as she affectionately kissed her dad's head. 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. Orlando dressed casually for the outing, wearing a long-sleeve printed top and matching black jeans. He did his best to go incognito by wearing a baseball cap on his head. Daisy appeared thrilled to be spending time with her father after being on tour with her mother since the start of June. Orlando's trip Down Under comes after reports that Katy and Orlando are set to have serious conversations about the state of their relationship. From her controversial Blue Origin space flight to her absence from their Montecito, California home due to her world tour – things have been a bit rough for the longtime couple lately. And while rumors may be circulating about the demise of their nearly decade long relationship, an insider told The Sun 'no one has decided it's definitely the end of the road for Katy and Orlando.' 'They both love each other, but they have been living different lives for at least a year and in different mindsets,' a source told the publication. 'But Katy especially doesn't want to just give up,' the source continued. Katy has been in Australia for the entire month of June, with the last performance of her Lifetimes Tour Down Under on June 30 in Adelaide. Her tour has caused the 'biggest disruption' in her home life with the Lord of the Rings star. The source said: 'Katy and Orlando have been disconnected for a while now, and with their work commitments have been living separate lives. 'She has mentioned jetting back from Australia to spend time with Orlando, Daisy, her sister Angela and her kids. 'They have barely been together for a decent amount of time, without distractions, for many, many months. 'It has been "go, go, go" and they thrived when they enjoyed a more settled life, being together in the same place for a length of time. But that has just not happened.' Additionally, Orlando wasn't in favor of Katy's Blue Origin space flight. However, in spite of their disagreements and obstacles, the source insisted it isn't all over for the couple. 'It is quite a lot more complicated than that. They have been apart for their longest amount of time since they have been together. 'But there is still a huge amount of love between them, and there is still hope that they can ride out this rough patch. 'Anyone in long term relationships goes through challenges, and many times when things appear to be done, couples reconnect and make things work.' Despite recent tensions, the source remains optimistic: 'The type of people they are, there still remains a lot of hope. Katy has never been happier in her life than with Orlando.' 'If this reunion can revive those times, then they could come through this.' It is unknown if Katy is also set to fly to Venice, Italy for the wedding of Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos. The guest list is thought to have less than 200 people, with suspected guests including A-listers like Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Katy and Orlando and members of the Trump family. The Amazon boss has booked the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, one of the largest and grandest buildings in the historical center of Venice, as part of the multi-day-long extravaganza of celebrations. Up until now, little has been known about what may be dubbed as the wedding of the year - but a source in Italy has exclusively revealed to the Daily Mail all of the intimate details that you need to know. According to the insider, Bezos' $500 million superyacht, Koru, will be moored off the coast of San Georgio Maggiore island, which is home to the famous Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, a 16th century Benedictine church. They shared that the island is 'off-limits to visitors' from June 24 to June 29, with the mayor believing that the wedding will take place on the yacht. However, The Misericodria, an iconic event space in Venice, has been booked out from June 26 to June 28.
