DING DONG TO THE RESCUE!
With ratings dropping, Denise might be the talk show’s last hope
She might not be lobbing brussels sprouts at any of her fellow panellists, but TV star Denise Drysdale is causing plenty of excitement behind the scenes at Studio 10.
According to a TV insider, the 71-year-old is being heralded by top executives as “a saviour” after the panel show had a massive boost in ratings when she showed up for work recently.
“Studio 10 has had an axe looming over it, and Ten were in complete panic mode a few weeks back when the show’s ratings dipped to a worrying low of 33,000. But the next day, execs heavily promoted Denise on the show and there was a huge spike of 10,000 viewers,” says the insider.
Our source says Denise’s pulling power hasn’t gone unnoticed by top level producers, who are now terrified of what would happen if the former
Hey Hey It’s Saturday star – who regularly talks about leaving and loves her simple life on the Gold Coast – walks away.
“She already gets $5000 a week for two or three episodes, but Ten are well aware that Denise could start demanding even more money,” says our source. “If she did, it would have to come from somewhere and that means someone else’s salary.”
But a spokesperson for Ten asserts the current line-up features much-loved stars. “At this stage, there are no plans to change the panel,” they said.
‘ Studio 10 has had an axe looming over it’
After years living in the United States, Tom Cruise is relocating. The actor’s beloved Church of Scientology is gearing up for Tom to move to the UK – and he’s taking his entire family with him!
The Top Gun star, 57, has been spotted visiting England numerous times in recent months, and Woman’s Day can now reveal that after spending Christmas and New Year in London, he’s planning to relocate permanently to head up the church’s UK arm.
As well as being joined by his son Connor, 25, a devout
Scientologist who he shares with ex-wife Nicole Kidman, Tom will also be accompanied by his sisters Cass Capazorio, Lee Anne Gillotte and Marian Henry and their children. They all previously lived in the same apartment building as Tom at the Scientology headquarters in Florida.
FAMILY GET-TOGETHER
The relocation will also make for a family reunion, with Tom and Nicole’s adopted daughter Bella, 27, already living in the London suburb of Croydon with her husband of four years Max Parker.
Tom has been seeing a lot of his daughter in the past six months after she spoke out late last year, revealing she was “saved” by the controversial church’s educational programs.
It’s believed Tom and his family, excluding Bella, will stay on campus at the UK Scientology HQ in one of its luxury apartments. It’s had a $20 million revamp, which includes an all-glass restaurant run by a Michelin-starred chef as well as a state-of-the-art fitness centre.
Insiders say Bella will spend a lot of time there too, as she has struggled financially in recent months.
In February, it was revealed she had started selling her second-hand clothing online.
Meanwhile, Bella’s own clothing business, Bella Kidman Cruise, has struggled to take off, with only just over 2000 followers on its Instagram page, and what appears to be just a handful of orders.