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The Bella Times
Ciao Bella News Co.
Monday Edition
Sydney
26 October 2026
Vol. 1 · No. 1

DeltaHer Strictly heartbreakPage 4

EllenThe backlash is backPage 5

Michael DouglasThe memoir at number onePage 5

HousewivesAndy makes peacePage 4

Race day at Flemington Cup Week Special

Hats off
it’s Cup week

Illustration: The Bella Times design team

The Cox Plate went to Flemington, Derby Day meets Halloween on Saturday, and Western Sydney Airport took its first flight. Page 2 · Brendan Fraser goes to war in Pressure. Page 3

Cup Week

Four days, four dress codes

Sat 31Derby DayBlack and white
Tue 3Cup DayBright and bold
Thu 5Oaks DayPastels, florals, lace
Sat 7Stakes DayGarden party

Cox Plate · Saturday

  1. Cosmic Crusader W. Pike
  2. Birdman B. Melham
  3. Aeliana J. McDonald

Your podcast hook

"The fate of D Day came down to a weather forecast, and Brendan Fraser had to trust it."

More hooks for every film this week, page 3

Also inside

  • The Reading Room: The Atlantic, the New York Times, Mamamia and Social Media Today, in five minutes. Page 5
  • Matthew Perry: the documentary everyone will talk about. Page 6
  • Pig and Chicken: same holiday, different plans, plus two crosswords and a Sudoku. Page 7
  • Dinner sorted: sloppy joes, lettuce cups and two one pot dinners. Page 8
  • Who's dating who: J.Lo, Tom Brady, Kendall and Jacob. Page 4
  • At the movies: Primetime, Crawlers and The Devils, rated in choc tops. Page 3
  • Will Smith mobbed: fans swarm the star while he films here. Page 4
Inside

News 2 · Movies 3 · Goss 4
Reading 5 · Plus One 6
Puzzles 7 · Dinners 8

$1.00 incl. GST
The Bella Times · Monday 26 October 2026 · Page 1 · Published by Ciao Bella News Co.
The Bella Times · PAGE 2NEWS AND YOUR WEEKCiao Bella

Your Week

A new airport takes off, and Cup week is here

Badgerys Creek finally flies, the Cox Plate went to Flemington, and Derby Day meets Halloween on Saturday.

Western Sydney International Airport terminal

Western Sydney International Airport, which took its first flight on Sunday. Photo: Rob.au, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Sunday Western Sydney International Airport took its first flight, after some 80 years of debate and protest. Badgerys Creek is open for business.

Saturday the Cox Plate was run away from Moonee Valley for the first time, at Flemington while the Valley is rebuilt. Results list Cosmic Crusader (William Pike, trainer Andrea Leek) ahead of Birdman and Aeliana.

Tuesday brings The One About Matthew Perry to Netflix, the documentary everyone will be talking about by Wednesday morning. A natural for Plus One.

Thursday is a big night at the movies. Pressure, from Australian director Anthony Maras, follows the 72 hours before the Normandy landings, with Brendan Fraser as Eisenhower. Primetime puts Robert Pattinson in the shoes of To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen.

Saturday is Derby Day at Flemington, black and white only with a blue cornflower, and it is also Halloween.

Sunday Hamish Blake's Unskilled Adult arrives on Stan.

Next Tuesday is the race that stops a nation. The Cup Day code is bright, bold and beautiful, with a yellow rose. 

Sydney Weather

The week ahead

Mon Showers likely17 to 23°
Tue Showers14 to 21°
Wed Light showers13 to 23°
Thu Sunny12 to 21°
Fri Morning fog12 to 23°
Sat Cloudy15 to 26°
Sun Hot, showers19 to 30°

Open Meteo, Sunday afternoon.

Needs a Look

Hat auction closes TuesdayAvenue The Label's 13 artist painted raffia hats, for The Skin Hospital.
FYI
Hunger Games preview?Roadshow, 19 Nov. Sydney's Joseph Zada is the young Haymitch.
Idea

Dates to Remember

Tue 27The One About Matthew Perry, Netflix
Thu 29Pressure and Primetime open
Sat 31Derby Day and Halloween
Tue 3Melbourne Cup Day
Thu 5Oaks Day; Godzilla Minus Zero previews
Sat 7Stakes Day
Wed 18The ARIAs turn 40, live on 10
From 18The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

At the Track

1Cosmic CrusaderW. Pike
2BirdmanB. Melham
3AelianaJ. McDonald

Cox Plate results from races.com.au.

The Markets

This week

S&P 500 Down
ASX 200 Down
BitcoinA$114,722 steady

Bitcoin as at Sunday 4:40pm. Facts, not advice.

Entertainment News

Tap a headline for the story

I'm a Celebrity changes hosts. Julia Morris hands over the jungle for 2027; Jim Jefferies is among the new faces on Seven.

The Block still rules. Wednesday's episode reached 1.88 million. The Mount Eliza auctions are reported for Saturday; Nine hasn't confirmed.

New ABC drama in Sydney. John Bailey: The Enemy Within is shooting with David Lyons, David Harewood, Yael Stone and Anthony LaPaglia.

The ARIAs turn 40. Wed 18 Nov at the Hordern, hosted by Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald. Angela Bishop, Georgie Tunny and Latifa Tee work the red carpet for 10.

Powderfinger tickets shock fans. The pre sale for the band's Australian tour left fans gasping at the prices.

McLeod's Daughters is coming back. A reboot of the much loved Australian drama is set for 2027.

Tim Davies says goodbye to Today. An emotional exit after seven years on the show.

Sonia Kruger on the Sandwich Generation. The TV presenter opened up about the pain of caring for family who live interstate.

The Bella Times · Monday 26 October 2026 · Page 2
The Bella Times · PAGE 3AT THE MOVIESCiao Bella
Brendan Fraser
Photo: Montclair Film, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The big one this week

Brendan Fraser goes to war

The Oscar winner from The Whale plays General Eisenhower in Pressure, made by an Australian director and in cinemas Thursday.

Pressure is set in the 72 hours before the Normandy landings, when the biggest invasion in history came down to a weather forecast. Australian director Anthony Maras, who made Hotel Mumbai, puts Andrew Scott at the centre as the man reading the skies, with Fraser as the general who has to make the call. Kerry Condon and Damian Lewis co star.

Critics like it. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 89% from critics and 95% from audiences, CinemaScore audiences gave it an A, and Metacritic sits at 69. The critics' consensus calls it a fresh take on D Day, with Andrew Scott the standout.

For Fraser it caps one of Hollywood's great comebacks. The star of George of the Jungle and The Mummy all but vanished from big films for years, then returned in The Whale and won the Best Actor Oscar in 2023. Since then the roles have been serious, and Eisenhower is the biggest yet.

Andrew Scott, the "hot priest" from Fleabag, gets the meatier part as the forecaster whose call decides when the troops go. Expect his name in the awards talk.

Why Jo should see it: an Aussie director, a likely media preview from STUDIOCANAL, and a great Plus One chat about Fraser's second act.

"An Aussie director, Brendan Fraser in uniform, and a weatherman holding the fate of the world."

At the Movies This Week

Opening Thursday 29 October
Tap a film for its trailer
Pressure trailer

Pressure
Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon
D Day comes down to a weather forecast. An Aussie director, a strong local push, and a good bet for a media preview.
Critics 89%Audience 95%
4.6
Primetime trailer

Primetime
Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever. A24, MA15+
"An ethics drama with a horror movie heart" (RogerEbert.com). A journalist's film if ever there was one.
Critics 86%Audience 77%
4.1
Crawlers trailer

Crawlers
Matilda Lutz, Gregg Sulkin
Spider horror from Ángel Gómez Hernández: a building manager and her residents, trapped in a quarantined block. Halloween week viewing, through your fingers.
Critics 59%Audience 37%
2.4
The Devils trailer

The Devils
Vanessa Redgrave, Oliver Reed. 4K, R18+
Ken Russell's banned 1971 classic, restored: the most scandalous film your parents never let you see.
Critics 55%Audience 87%
3.6

Choc tops are our average of the critics and audience scores (Rotten Tomatoes, as at Sunday). Still showing: Klara and the Sun, which critics have panned at 25%. Should you trust the robot?

Podcast hooks

An opening line and talking points for each film
Pressure

"The fate of D Day came down to a weather forecast, and Brendan Fraser had to trust it."

  • Is this Fraser's best role since The Whale?
  • Andrew Scott: awards contender or not?
  • Why do we keep making D Day films?
Primetime

"Robert Pattinson just played the most uncomfortable man in TV history."

  • Should TV ever go that far for ratings?
  • Is Pattinson the best actor of his generation?
  • Did you watch To Catch a Predator?
Crawlers

"Halloween week, and the call is coming from inside the walls."

  • Spiders versus snakes: which is worse on screen?
  • Why are horror films hitting women harder in 2026? (Mamamia, page 5)
  • Lights on or lights off?
The Devils

"The 1971 film they banned is back, and it is still shocking."

  • Is anything still too shocking for cinemas?
  • Old classics on the big screen: worth the ticket?
  • Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave: could that pairing happen today?
The Bella Times · Monday 26 October 2026 · Page 3
The Bella Times · PAGE 4THE GOSSCiao Bella
Delta Goodrem
Photo: René Pudschedl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Goss

Delta's Strictly heartbreak

Delta Goodrem had been flying on Strictly Come Dancing. She and partner Kai Widdrington topped the leaderboard two weeks running, scoring 33 for a disco salsa, the best mark of the series so far.

Then a rib injury in training sent her to hospital twice. She said she was "absolutely gutted" to miss Icons Week, and under the show's rules the couple got a bye. She watched at home and posted a tearful video after Johannes Radebe sent her love on air.

The BBC says she has the all clear to return to the ballroom. Australia will be watching every step. PinkNews, 13 Oct · 19 Oct

"Absolutely gutted"

Will Smith
Photo: TechCrunch, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Will Smith mobbed in Australia

Fans swarmed the star at Wangi Power Station near Newcastle, where he is filming Supermax, the Newcastle Herald reports.

Ariana Madix
Photo: Ben Symons/Peacock, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

Ariana Madix burgled

Her Los Angeles home was broken into while she was in New York, and jewellery and valuables were taken, Reality Blurb reports, citing TMZ. No arrest has been reported.

Who's dating who

J.Lo and Brett Goldstein: left an LA party in the same car; a source calls it "casual".

Tom Brady and Candice Swanepoel: together "for a while", says Us Weekly. Neither has commented.

Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi: side by side at the Academy Museum Gala.

MGK and Dakota Johnson: linked since September, still unconfirmed.

David Harbour and Delaney Rowe: another New York sighting. Rumour only.

Engaged: Pumpkin Efird and Darrin Kitchens.

Real Housewives Report

From Bravo, 22 to 24 October
Andy Cohen
Photo: PhilipRomano, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Teresa Giudice
Photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Andy makes peace. At Bravo Fan Fest, Andy Cohen said he is back in touch with Jacqueline Laurita by DM. He called her skipping the New Jersey Season 3 reunion "calamitous", and says she has now apologised.

New Jersey: the Season 15 first look puts Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice at it again, Melissa and Joe enter a "new chapter", and Dolores hints at wedding plans with Paulie.

Atlanta: Porsha Williams shares new details about Phaedra Parks and CT Tamburello.

Orange County: Gina Kirschenheiter responds to the cast's concerns about her spending. The Season 20 trailer also brings back Vicki Gunvalson.

Potomac: Gizelle Bryant says whether she would date a pastor again, and the Season 11 trailer hints at a split for Karen and Ray Huger.

Salt Lake City: the Season 7 trailer teases three marriages falling apart, and Whitney Rose has confirmed she filed for divorce.

Sydney and Melbourne: no new news this week.

The Bella Times · Monday 26 October 2026 · Page 4
The Bella Times · PAGE 5THE READING ROOMCiao Bella

The Reading Room

The best of the week's reading, in five minutes

Jackie Collins
Photo: Cyotethndr, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Michael Douglas
Photo: User:Janbery, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ellen DeGeneres
Photo: Toglenn, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mark Zuckerberg
Photo: The White House, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

From The Atlantic

The Hollywood novelist who never got her due

In The Atlantic's series The Writer's Way, critic Sophie Gilbert makes the case for Jackie Collins, the author of Hollywood Wives and the queen of glossy, scandalous bestsellers, as one of the great Los Angeles novelists. Her argument: the books were dismissed as trash, but nobody captured the town's money, power and sex quite like Collins.

Why it's for you: a perfect Plus One topic, and a reminder that guilty pleasures can be great writing.

Also in The Atlantic this month: Anne Applebaum's cover story Empire of Grift, plus pieces on Cormac McCarthy and Roy Cohn.

Trash TV corner

The week in reality TV

Orange County: Emily Simpson answers whether she's thinking about divorcing Shane. Katie Ginella calls Gina "a producer puppet", and Jennifer Pedranti spills on Tamra and her wedding guest list.

Miami: Larsa Pippen opens up on her split from Marcus Jordan: he had "vices" she couldn't handle.

New York: Dorinda Medley says what's off limits on The Golden Life, and names the alum she wants on the spinoff.

Potomac: Stacey Rusch on her ups and downs with Wendy, and Karen calling her "AI".

Beverly Hills: Andy Cohen admits regrets over Erika Jayne, and says he wasn't kind to Adrienne Maloof.

Bravo: Carl Radke has filmed season 2 of In the City, and Dorothy Wang celebrated her new series Dorothy's I Do.

From the New York Times

Michael Douglas tops the bestseller list

One Helluva Ride, Michael Douglas's memoir written with Shane Salerno and Michael Fleming Jr., is number one on the New York Times nonfiction list this week. On the fiction side, Freida McFadden's thriller The Witch holds the top spot.

Why it's for you: a Hollywood memoir with fifty years of stories, and a natural book club pick.

The thriller everyone is reading: McFadden's The Witch is the fiction number one, a fast weekend read if you loved The Housemaid.

Social Media Today

What's trending in social media

Meta grows, and so do its costs. Revenue rose about 26% on a year ago, while spending jumped 68% on AI.

A huge fine. A New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay damages after a jury found it exposed user data.

Creators want AI in their videos. A YouTube study says most creators want AI to help them appear in their own content.

Privacy for convenience. Snapchat research says some people will trade privacy for useful AI.

The takeaway for Jo: short, personal video is still king, and AI help is now built into every app.

The latest from Mamamia

Ellen's return, and a backlash that hasn't gone away

Ellen DeGeneres made a rare TV appearance on The Graham Norton Show, and many viewers made it clear they haven't moved on from the workplace scandal that ended her talk show. Gabrielle Oehlmann asks why Ellen is judged more harshly than male stars who kept working through their own controversies.

Also on Mamamia: why 2026's horror films hit women harder, and what 30,000 classroom moments taught one teacher.

AI this week

The useful new tools

Claude Duet. Anthropic's new helper surfaces your priorities and keeps working while you're away. Research preview with a waitlist, US Pro and Max subscribers first, no Australian date yet. Anthropic, 21 Oct.

Locked chats in ChatGPT. Hide chosen conversations from your history and search; they open with a PIN or your device unlock. Rolling out gradually on Free, Go, Plus and Pro, so not every account has it yet. OpenAI, 20 Oct.

Gemini for small business. A new business hub where owners load a brand kit so Google's AI makes visuals that match. Global rollout just starting, not a promise of access today. Google, 21 Oct.

The Bella Times · Monday 26 October 2026 · Page 5
The Bella Times · PAGE 6PLUS ONE AND ON THE BOXCiao Bella
Plus OneThe Plus One studio

Premieres to watch, then talk about

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (from 18 Nov). Tag: the Sydney boy who became Haymitch. Joseph Zada's breakout, and whether the prequel beats the books.

Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol (12 Nov). Tag: who is the greatest Scrooge of all time? Your ranking, hers, and the listeners'.

Godzilla Minus Zero (advance screenings from 5 Nov). Tag: why a monster movie made grown adults cry last time.

Focker In Law (26 Nov). Tag: do comedy sequels ever work? The best and worst, twenty years on from the Fockers.

Coming in December: Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three are both dated 18 December in the US. Tag: the blockbuster showdown, which one wins Christmas?

Still in cinemas: Klara and the Sun has critics at 25%. Tag: the flop everyone is curious about. Is it as bad as they say?

The last full episode went up on 2 July (Dragons, Blonde Ambition and Robin Hood).

Talking points this week

Matthew Perry, remembered. The One About Matthew Perry lands on Netflix on Tuesday. What did Friends mean to each generation?

Fraser's second act. From The Mummy to an Oscar to Eisenhower. Who else deserves a comeback?

Is Robert Pattinson the best actor of his generation? Twilight to Primetime, discuss.

Delta on Strictly. Would you ever do a dance show? Mum versus daughter answers.

Derby Day meets Halloween. Best spooky fascinator idea wins.

The Housewives reunion that never was. Andy and Jacqueline make up. Who should be next?

Jackie Collins, genius? The Atlantic says her Hollywood novels deserve more respect. Agree? (page 5)

Ellen's comeback. Is the public too hard on her? (page 5)

Michael Douglas's memoir. Which Hollywood memoir would you actually read?

On the Box

Matthew Perry
Photo: Valerie Jarrett / @vj44 via X , Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Mon, Netflix: Minimum Wage, a teen pizzeria comedy.

Tue, Netflix: The One About Matthew Perry.

Sat, Netflix, 6am: Beat Luke Littler, live darts. Twenty amateurs, one leg each, against the world number one.

Sun, Stan: Unskilled Adult with Hamish Blake.

ABC iview: Dustfall, an Anna Torv crime drama.

Sat, Nine: The Block's Mount Eliza auctions are reported for Derby Day night. Nine hasn't confirmed, so watch the promos.

Worth a binge: Unskilled Adult is the one to watch with Matisse. Hamish Blake, Sophie Monk and Andy Lee, bluffing their way through real jobs.

Mark the calendar: the ARIAs turn 40 on Wed 18 Nov, live on 10, with Angela Bishop, Georgie Tunny and Latifa Tee on the red carpet.

Catch up on Plus One

Dragons, Blonde Ambition and Robin Hood (2 July)

The Michael debate gets heated: The Devil Wears Prada 2 and pop culture chaos (11 May)

Oscars, opinions and a household bet (31 March)

The Bella Times · Monday 26 October 2026 · Page 6
The Bella Times · PAGE 7PUZZLES AND FUNCiao Bella

Pig and Chicken

This week: same holiday, different plans. Grab your pencils and colour it in.

Pig loves Chicken, always. This week Pig says: "Even on our worst day apart, you are still my favourite view."

Pig and Chicken back to back
Same holiday.
Chicken reads, Pig photographs the coast
Different plans.

This Week's Crossword

Housewives Crossword

Your Inbox: Top Five

Once your email is linked, the five messages most worth your time appear here, each one opening the email itself.

Sudoku

Easy · every row, column and box holds 1 to 9
186
238
68927135
196
42
874635
86
52937
98651
The Bella Times · Monday 26 October 2026 · Page 7
The Bella Times · PAGE 8IN THE KITCHENCiao Bella

In the Kitchen

Four easy dinners for the family

Two from 4 Ingredients and two from taste.com.au's free One Pot ebook. The photos show similar dishes, not these exact recipes.

Lettuce cups

Lettuce cups, a similar dish. Photo: Peachyeung316, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Chicken and avocado lettuce cups

Serves 4 · No cooking · 4 Ingredients

You need

  • 2 baby cos lettuces
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup shredded barbecue chicken

How it goes

  1. Separate the lettuce leaves, rinse and pat dry.
  2. Mash the avocado, season, and stir in the onion.
  3. Spoon a little onto each leaf and top with chicken.
  4. Roll up and eat with your hands.

Recipe by Kim McCosker, 4ingredients.com.au

A sloppy joe

A sloppy joe, a similar dish. Photo: Buck Blues, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Sloppy joes

Serves 4 · About 30 minutes · 4 Ingredients

You need

  • 500 g lean beef mince
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 green capsicum, chopped
  • 3/4 cup tomato sauce

How it goes

  1. Brown the mince, onion and capsicum in a non stick pan on medium.
  2. Season and cook 10 minutes, breaking up the mince.
  3. Stir through the tomato sauce.
  4. Turn it down and simmer for 15 minutes.

Recipe by Kim McCosker, 4ingredients.com.au

A creamy chicken dish

A creamy chicken dish, similar. Photo: Andy Li, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

Creamy Italian chicken

Serves 4 · 5 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking · taste.com.au

Get the recipe free: taste.com.au One Pot ebook, page 25. taste.com.au/files/pdf/one-pot-ebook.pdf

A bowl of minestrone

Minestrone, a similar dish. Photo: Robert Judge, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Super veg minestrone

Serves 4 · 5 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking · taste.com.au

Get the recipe free: taste.com.au One Pot ebook, page 10. taste.com.au/files/pdf/one-pot-ebook.pdf

Photos via Wikimedia Commons: René Pudschedl (CC BY-SA 4.0); TechCrunch (CC BY 2.0); Ben Symons/Peacock (CC0); PhilipRomano (CC BY-SA 4.0); Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 3.0); Montclair Film (CC BY 4.0); Valerie Jarrett (Public domain); Toglenn (CC BY-SA 4.0); User:Janbery (CC BY-SA 4.0); The White House (Public domain); Cyotethndr (CC BY-SA 3.0); Peachyeung316 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Buck Blues (CC BY 2.0); Andy Li (CC0); Robert Judge (CC BY 2.0); Rob.au (CC BY-SA 4.0). Film images: official trailers. Illustrations: The Bella Times design team. Recipes from 4 Ingredients (method in our own words) and taste.com.au.

The Bella Times · Monday 26 October 2026 · Page 8 · Made with love by Ciao Bella News Co.