What the Kiwi gossip mags say

An award-winning Kiwi singer is taking the advice of an ancient Mayan prophecy to heart by building himself an ark, like Noah, and preparing for the end of the world.

Meet Jason Kerrison, the OpShop front man who is so convinced the world is about to undergo major changes on December 21, 2012 he tells Woman's Day he's building an indestructible ark-like structure for him and his family to live in.

Sounds like he's seen that blockbuster Roland Emmerich film 2012 one too many times.

"If someone tells you the world's going to end on a certain date, then provides you with all this seemingly crazy evidence, how can you not go down that path?" Kerrison tells WD.

"I love a good mystery, so before I knew it I was scouring the internet most nights."

Good luck finding conspiracy theories on the internet, Jason. As if.

Stop laughing, because Kerrison is taking this seriously. He's got a four-year supply of emergency rations, has bought the land, employed an architect, convinced his wife Cassie and made plans to take a year off to build his "multi-million dollar" fire-retardant, watertight and wind-resistent ark.

But - surprise, surprise - Kerrison has encountered a fair few doubters out there. Perhaps that's because - after Y2K, 9/11, Michael Jackson's death and the demise of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - everyone's a little conspiracy theory fatigued.

"(My bandmates) are the hardest nuts to crack and they thought I'd lost the plot long ago, so they let me carry on down my path ... and they're the first ones to ask for a place in (the ark)," Kerrison says.

"We want it to be sustainable, unique and funky-looking ... It's somewhere to save the family, the future and our children."

Nice ambition. But imagine the cabin fever.

Meanwhile, Sally Ridge is recovering from a brazen Christmas burglary carried out while she, her fiancé Adam and four children were fast asleep. Burglars stole a laptop and a camera containing irreplaceable photos.

"We heard nothing, not a thing," Ridge tells Woman's Weekly.

"It's so horrible to think someone had been in the house when we were sleeping and I hate to think what could have happened if any of us had got up and disturbed them."

Bad Santa. You're supposed to drink the beer, munch the cookies and leave a whole heap of presents for the family - not steal stuff.

Elsewhere, New Idea has been traipsing around after the scarily tall and toned Tyra Banks during her recent New Zealand visit, and even got her to admit that our version of Next Top Model is better than hers. Sort of.

"I'm actually a little jealous," Banks told NI. We've done 14 cycles of Next Top Model and we've done about every photo shoot, but I saw the old Hollywood shoot your models did, and I was a little bit jealous, so I think we might copy you guys."

Charge her for that TV3. She's rich enough - she can pay through the nose.

Finally, the quote of the week comes from slimmed down Australian Idol judge Ian 'Dicko' Dickson: "Why would you want to stuff yourself and feel like a big tub of lard on a day like that? Eat fresh, eat healthy, eat and drink wisely and have a great Christmas."

Amen to that. Take it easy out there. And have a break from the gossip. You deserve it.

* What the Kiwi gossip mags say will be back in 2010.

- © Fairfax NZ News