Runaway bride, no more ... Hugh Hefner with Crystal Harris. Photo: Getty
After two stints in Sydney this year, Playmate Crystal Harris - who is about to wed Hugh Hefner - has made friends with the locals, including artist Charles Billich. The painter, who has struck up friendships with a range of people, from Hollywood actresses to criminals, through his nude portraits, will send over one of his artworks as a gift for the couple who are to wed on New Year's Eve at the Playboy Mansion.
Who can forget centrefold Harris, 26, dubbed ''the runaway bride'', after she left the robe-wearing, ageing sleazeball days before their first planned wedding? Playboy magazine announced the new Mrs Hefner on its cover. This time, as surety, the Hef, 86, has taken out a marriage licence at a Beverly Hills courthouse and has already collected the paperwork just in case his bride-to-be gets cold feet again. Who can blame him?
But back to Billich, who will more than likely attend the party on NYE. ''The moment I saw her it was crystal-clear that I had to paint her,'' he says. ''Twice, in fact. I did my signature mirror twist - which I reserve for the very inspiring here in Sydney - on her last visit, where she was a sensation. I had the pleasure of visiting Crystal and Hef once she had moved back into the mansion and they seemed very happy. I wish them all the best for their wedding. This artwork will be a wedding gift for them both.''
Real drama ... Anthony Carroll and Emily Jordan. Photo: Supplied
Another insider says while the wedding will be for family only, the bash to follow will be huge. ''It's the only house in California with a fireworks licence,'' we are told. Of course!
EARLY BIRD GETS THE GIG
S was pleasantly surprised by the response to our ''about time'' announcement earlier in the week about Sami Lukis and Yumi Stynes teaming up on radio. The pair will take on the golden brekky slot on ARN's Mix 106.5, and the news brought out a legion of fans for women presenters.
Crystal mirror ... Charles Billich's painting. Photo: Supplied
Prue MacSween's comments that radio was full of male ''dinosaurs'' drew passionate responses, devoted largely to the ABC duo Angela Catterns and Wendy Harmer, whose show The Early Girlies starts on Monday at 5.30am on 702 ABC Sydney.
''Yes, well Wendy Harmer and I both have long careers in radio and it's our fourth year doing this, it's become something of a summer institution … like sunburn and blowflies!'' Catterns tells S.
''We love it - everyone is on a break and then we get to go in and we just have a lot of fun. As we say, half the work, twice the fun.''
Teaming up on the airwaves ... Lukis and Stynes. Photo: Supplied
As for the early start, Catterns says it's a shock to the system, but you get used to it.
TIDE GOES OUT FOR BONDI LADIES' MAN
Toothpaste commercial candidate, spray-tan advocate and Bondi lifeguard Anthony ''Harries'' Carroll can no longer classify himself as a ladies' man. The cheeky surf rescue type officially ended his bachelor status when he tied the knot with his girlfriend of almost two years, Emily Jordan, last Saturday.
The board rider told magazine The Beast earlier this year his favourite thing about the eastern suburbs was ''the chicks'': ''The eye candy's amazing. There's nowhere anywhere in the world where you get such good sorts walking around, and it's not one by one, it's in abundance. You've got every shape and size and it's so good, it's amazing. Everyone is so healthy here.''
But checking out the local eye candy will be a thing of the past, the 36-year-old admitting he's keen for some nippers of his own now he has settled down.
The couple, who met on a blind date, shared their wedding album, snapped on the cliff tops at Clovelly Beach, in the New Idea Royal Baby Official Collector's Issue released on Friday. Carroll told the mag: ''I saw Em get out of the car and she was a 2000 out of 10.''
But the day wasn't without reality drama - often the case when couples try to protect a magazine exclusive (think Libby Trickett in a tent; Tara Moss under umbrellas).
At the reception at Clovelly Surf Club, a security team chased a hapless tourist taking photos of the coastline out of the bushes. ''He had no clue what he'd done wrong,'' our spy says.
MORSELS
Now Jodi Gordon and Braith Anasta have had the wedding and the honeymoon, it's time to settle into their new Clovelly home for their first Christmas decorating the tree as newlyweds. S spotted the couple doing some gift and tree shopping last week in Paddington - although there were definitely no signs of a baby bump just yet. The svelte-looking Gordon, who has made no secret of her desire to quickly fill the house with kids, is nursing a different kind of baby at the moment: her own swimwear range with 2Chillies, Jodi for 2Chillies. The range will be sold both here and in the US and is, we hear, in the final negotiation stages.
It's been a bumper year for magazines and we're not just talking about the bumper royal baby issues released four days early last week on Friday after a 24-hour marathon. The mag mavens now with Bauer Media, the German powerhouse that bought ACP, were entitled to sip on more than one glass of champagne when publisher Robyn Foyster took her team to a celebratory lunch. The group, including Fiona Connolly, Bronwyn McCahon, Kellie Hush, Lizzie Renkert and her close marketing, editorial and sales team, gathered at the Billich Gallery in The Rocks to enjoy food from Sailors Thai. ''I remember when Gynge [David Gyngell] took us out after the successful royal wedding editions and said, 'Lunch is for winners, meetings are for losers,' and I've never forgotten that,'' Foyster told S. ''It's important to take a break and remind everyone how hard they have worked and there's good reason to celebrate and start the new year on a positive note.''
Speaking of mags, they say never work with children or animals but it became clear at Tuesday night's Maggie Awards - the magazine gongs at Simmer on the Bay, Walsh Bay - that working with furry friends can create a hit. ''One should never underestimate a cover with an animal,'' speaker and dog lover Ita Buttrose said. R.M. Williams's Outback won the lifestyle category with a working dog puppy on the cover, Australian Geographic won the science, technology and nature category with its cover of a dingo, Country Style won the house and garden category with a lamb on its Christmas 2011 cover and Choice won the specialist category with a cat on its cover. Meow.
Property king ''High Rise'' Harry Triguboff plans to celebrate his coming 80th birthday with a bang. The usually no-frills Meriton master has sent a save-the-date out to his friends for the March bash, which seems to have an internationally flavoured theme - the invite has postcard snaps of major cities around the world. His 70th was quite a power play, so this one should be even bigger. Stay tuned.
Mel B and her family left the country on Thursday after a morning dealing with the paps who followed her on a quick trip to the Double Bay hairdresser she frequents, then to a nail spa and then off to the airport. But if they thought their meal ticket was leaving, don't worry, boys, she'll be back. On December 13, actually. The Spice Girl is leaving to meet up with her other fragrant counterparts for the West End premiere of the Spice Girls musical, Viva Forever, but will then return for summer here where, we hear, she'll be entertaining celebrity friends. Talk has it Eva Longoria might be among them. Now that would send the paps into meltdown.
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