‘No love lost’: Carrie Bickmore’s rift with radio bosses as rival network circles… Plus, how Seven paid lawyers to keep MKR couple’s identities secret: INSIDE MAIL

Prime-time protection 

Television networks have an obvious vested interest in protecting their stars from adverse publicity but what happens when a contestant on a popular home cooking show is accused of child abuse?

Nine’s A Current Affair opened Tuesday night’s program by showing an exclusive interview with two women who described being assaulted when they were girls by a Queensland grandmother who appeared on Seven’s My Kitchen Rules.

Claudean Uamaki-Mu and her husband Anthony Mu were promoted as a ‘fiery Italian’ and a ‘super-chill Samoan’ respectively for season 13 of MKR, which premiered on September 4, 2023.

By the time the first episode of the series aired, Uamaki-Mu and Mu had been charged with historical child abuse crimes related to the two women who spoke to ACA on Tuesday.

Uamaki-Mu, a child safety officer, was eventually accused of almost 80 offences, including rape, indecent treatment of children under 16, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and torture.

Mu, who works as a concrete polisher, was charged with seven offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Under a Queensland law protecting the identities of alleged sex offenders, neither could be named at the time.

Nine nonetheless became aware of the charges and ACA revealed on September 13, 2023 that ‘two TV personalities who have appeared on Channel 7’ had been accused of committing crimes against children.

‘When survivors find the courage to come forward and report their darkest secrets, they don’t expect to watch television and see their alleged abusers promoted on national TV,’ Nine reported.

The Queensland law prohibiting publication of the names of accused sex offenders before they were committed for trial was overturned on October 3 that year, exposing Uamaki-Mu and her husband to being identified by the media.

By then, the couple had become familiar to MKR fans, having progressed to the quarter finals with stuffed zucchini flowers, basil pesto rabbit stew and tiramisu.

According to Mu, that was about the time Seven stepped in and paid for lawyers to seek a suppression order over Uamaki-Mu’s name, which would also cover Mu.

That application, which relied on serious concerns about Uamaki-Mu’s mental health, was successful and continued until April 2025 when she pleaded guilty to six counts of common assault.

Mu was cleared of all charges in March this year and most of the charges against his wife were dropped. She pleaded guilty in August to two counts of cruelty to children and was jailed for two years but immediately granted parole.

Mu told Inside Mail his wife pleaded guilty because the couple ran out of money defending themselves.

A Seven spokesperson declined to comment on Mu’s claim they funded the suppression order application.

But the network has shown its generosity to short-term on-air talent in the past, notably paying on-the-balance-of-probabilities rapist and former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann‘s rent for a year.

Seven paid Lehrmann’s fortnightly rent of $4,000 in return for exclusive access to him from April 2023 to April 2024 as part of a $104,000 deal with its flagship Spotlight program.

That exclusivity agreement, along with an invoice, was tendered in the Federal Court as part of Lehrmann’s unsuccessful defamation action against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.

Lehrmann famously sued Ten and Wilkinson over a February 2021 report on The Project in which his onetime colleague Brittany Higgins claimed she had been raped in Parliament House two years earlier.

Tool rort blocked 

If there’s one thing more true blue than a home renovation project, it’s a good old-fashioned Aussie rort.

We are reliably informed that after filming wrapped on The Block’s 2026 build, one of the couples tried to get a refund on the Ryobi products that were supplied to them for free as part of the show’s sponsorship deal with Bunnings.

They attempted to return them directly to the store. Rookie error!

Bunnings alerted Ryobi and someone at the company told them they couldn’t return the items because they didn’t have receipts.

Oh, well. Worth a try.

Channel Nine’s publicist for The Block was contacted for comment.

Carrie’s KIIS off 

Inside Mail broke the news last week that Carrie Bickmore was eyeing the exit at SCA following the company’s merger with Seven West Media.

Since then, we’re hearing some interesting things from the Hit Network bunker.

Despite Bickmore being popular with advertisers and listeners, apparently SCA is ‘quite happy to let her go’ to KIIS drive.

We’re told that relations have cooled and there is ‘no love lost there’. Ouch.

It’s a shame, really, as Bickmore and her co-host Tommy Little are one of the longest-lasting radio duos out there with a rusted-on national audience.

Little’s future is less clear. We’ve heard murmurs of a bidding war between KIIS and the Hit Network. If he does end up staying with SCA, all signs point to pairing him with Loren Barry.

SCA wouldn’t comment on the record, though a source cautioned that line-up speculation is rife at this time of year and emphasised Bickmore’s significant contribution to the company for almost a decade.

Blanche blunder 

The biggest political media story of the week was the death of Bob Hawke’s mistress-turned-wife, Blanche D’Alpuget.

Woman’s Day broke the news, but did so in a way that must have left the fading glossy’s readers scratching their heads.

This was the headline splashed across its website:

‘Bob Hawke‘s widow Blanche D’Alpuget reveals surprise bombshells about her love-life in a new memoir’

And this was the opening paragraph:

‘Blanche D’Alpuget has died, aged 82.

‘To celebrate her colourful life, we’re republishing one of our interviews with Blanche from 2025, where she sat down with Woman’s Day to spill everything about her new memoir.’

Confused? So were we. What appears to have happened is a classic SEO manoeuvre to reach the top of Google rankings.

Here’s how it works: rather than publishing a fresh obituary, the site has dusted off an old story from November last year, updated the timestamp and shoehorned in news of D’Alpuget’s death at the top.

The theory is simple: when thousands of people suddenly start Googling a prominent name, an established article already carrying those keywords has a better chance of surfacing near the top of search results. 

Curiously, Woman’s Day left the original headline untouched, perhaps wary of tinkering with the article’s search ranking.

The result was a surreally awkward disconnect between headline and intro that can best be summarised as: ‘Elderly lady remembers sex life. And she’s dead.’

The practice of reviving old features when a famous subject dies is hardly unique to Woman’s Day or its digital parent Now to Love. It’s one of digital publishing’s worst-kept secrets.

The tactic was commonplace at Nine.com.au, at least before director Daily Mail alum Katie Davies oversaw a streamlined relaunch of the site earlier this year.

Amy’s AM agenda 

Tattle.Life gossips (like Inside Mail) truly are frothing at the mouth at news that KIIS FM plans to promote Amy Gerard to the new Sydney breakfast show.

Because, dear reader, Gerard is no vanilla announcer.

Before getting her foot in the door in radio, she was a divisive ‘oversharing’ influencer whose every post was pulled apart with venomous fury on online influencer forums.

Perhaps the dodgiest moment in her mumfluencer past came in September 2019, when she shared a photo of her family squinting their eyes in the sun, alongside the curious caption: ‘The Nguyens.’

The backlash was swift, but Gerard stood her ground.

She responded: ‘Everything I do on here and all the things that make you laugh are at the expense of others. Whether it’s my own kids, or my dad sleeping upright or myself.

‘I take the mickey out of my own family so a race isn’t going to be off limits. Especially when it’s all just super light-hearted.’ Makes perfect sense!

KIIS FM can’t say they weren’t warned. The network was contacted for comment.

Low cost + low ratings = profit

What’s the big, bold strategy for KIIS 101.1 after its Kyle and Jackie O gamble backfired spectacularly? ‘Think small!’

Rumour has it the ARN station is bringing in former 2Day FM host Ash London and fashion stylist Elliot Garnaut (who?) to front Melbourne breakfast.

London isn’t exactly ratings gold. Garnaut is a virtual unknown, unless you happen to follow Melbourne socialite drama on Instagram.

It won’t work – and ARN knows it. But that’s the idea, Inside Mail is reliably told.

A well-placed industry source said: ‘With those hosts, it’ll be a cheap, low-cost show.

‘It won’t rate well with Melbourne being so competitive in breakfast. But it’s probably a wise move. Low cost, low ratings, brand safe – you can make a profit on that.’

The sad reality of commercial radio: are listeners now coming second to advertisers?

Bowen’s first campaign 

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen‘s dashing son Max is following in his father’s political footsteps.

Bowen Jr is standing for the University of Sydney Students’ Representative Council in an election happening later this month. 

He is running on the Labor-aligned ‘Change for SRC’ ticket, which is pitching itself as a platform for practical campus reforms rather than student politics.

According to the group’s policy statement, the ticket is running on bread-and-butter student issues to improve academic outcomes by tackling issues including assessment practices, student support and overcrowded classrooms.

‘We’re not here for empty promises or performative politics,’ the group states. ‘We’re here to listen to what students actually need and deliver it.’

Among the headline pledges are extending the University of Sydney Union’s popular $5 meal program beyond lunch to include breakfast and dinner, opening a low-cost grocery store on campus, banning weekend and public holiday exams, and introducing a universal 11:59pm deadline for assignments.

While a seat on the University of Sydney SRC is a long way from a spot in federal cabinet, student politics at Australia’s oldest university has long been a breeding ground for future political heavyweights, with participants often treating campus elections as seriously as their counterparts in Canberra.

What’s that old saying? The lower the stakes, the fiercer the fight. 

The roll call of alumni is impressive.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott and former treasurer Joe Hockey both served as SRC president, while Anthony Albanese and Malcolm Turnbull also cut their political teeth in the often-bruising world of University of Sydney student politics.

High spirits  

Parliament House’s Friends of Spirits reception on Monday night quickly lived up to its name, with guests far more interested in sampling drinks than listening to speeches.

The annual industry event brought together distillers, MPs, staffers and lobbyists for an evening celebrating Australia’s spirits sector, with locally-made gin, whisky, and limoncello flowing freely.

Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino was guest of honour, sharing how co-chair Tania Lawrence – a former distiller – impressed Italy’s Foreign Minister with a bottle of her homemade Australian limoncello.

As the formalities wore on, organisers struggled to quieten the lively crowd.

Spirits & Cocktails Australia chief executive Dan Hamilton tried to warn about the industry’s hefty tax burden, arguing that Australia now has some of the world’s highest spirits excise rates and even a night out at the pub has become a luxury.

But his speech barely registered above the chatter, as attendees focused on networking and refilling their glasses.

Repeated calls for quiet were drowned out by conversation, with cocktails ultimately winning the night’s battle for attention.

Senator Charlotte Walker was among the most enthusiastic guests, loudly praising a whisky sour being served as the highlight of the evening.

Putting the ‘fun’ in fundraising 

Canberra is no stranger to power dinners during sitting weeks, when politicians, lobbyists, business leaders and influence peddlers descend on the capital’s restaurants to cut deals, swap gossip, and test ideas away from Parliament House.

On Tuesday night, much of the action was at Chairman & Yip, where an eclectic mix of political and policy heavyweights appeared to be conducting business under one roof.

Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles was spotted at what was understood to be a fundraising event, while just a room away, Australia Institute Co-CEO Richard Denniss was overheard regaling a dinner companion with tales of his own fundraising triumphs.

Denniss seemed especially fond of getting potential donors along to something ‘fun’ first, then following up with a direct ask – a masterclass in political fundraising for anyone within earshot.

Elsewhere, a group of Liberal MPs from the party’s right faction gathered for dinner, including SA senator Leah Blyth, Fadden MP Cameron Caldwell and Casey MP Aaron Violi.

At the table was The Australian’s senior political reporter Sarah Ison, whose presence was unlikely to silence the complaints of the anti-Murdoch left.

A strange political blend 

In one of the odder political pairings of the week, Inside Mail spies spotted Community Strong Australia’s Allegra Spender grabbing a coffee at Aussies Café in Parliament House alongside One Nation Farrer MP David Farley.

It also comes as questions continue to swirl around Farley’s long-term political loyalties.

He has had a questionable path to Parliament with a history of party hopping, having shown interest in running with the Nationals and even Labor in the past. 

Allegra Spender was contacted for comment.