What the Kiwi gossip mags say

Hide the couches - lanky television presenter Brendon Pongia is involved in a whirlwind romance, and he wants the whole world to know, Tom Cruise-style.

The Good Morning host is engaged after jumping on FaceBook and reuniting with a friend-of-an-ex he hadn't seen in 10 years, then falling in love with her over the phone. How very 2008.

"It was amazing," the beaming Good Morning host tells Woman's Weekly about his quickfire relationship with Michelle Kirkland "It was a true connection. It was love."

It was a fluke, by the sounds of things.

Kirkland, a UK resident, was back in New Zealand nurturing her sick father when she saw Pongia perform on Dancing with the Stars. His dance moves didn't totally suck, and when Kirkland's father died Pongia consoled her.

A hug, a kiss, a 40-point basketball scoring spree, some hefty phone bills, a desperate dash to the UK and a romantic proposal in Iceland followed, and the rest is history. Albeit a very short one.

"She's my soulmate," says Pongia. "This is a love I can't even begin to explain. We just want to be together."

Anyone else having Tom Cruise flashbacks? Better get those couches on Good Morning reinforced in case Pongia starts jumping on them willy-nilly.

Meanwhile, Wheel of Fortune letter-turner Sonia Gray has followed in the footsteps of Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lopez by getting herself knocked up with twins.

"I think there might have been a swear word or two," Sonia tells Woman's Day about her pregnancy with partner Simon Chesterman.

"I'd only just got my head around the fact I was pregnant."

Let's hope Chesterman gets rid of his horrible orange cardigan he's wearing in the snaps before the kids arrive. It's one step away from a jail-issue boiler suit.

Elsewhere, TV3 Sunrise sports presenter Rod Cheeseman is one step ahead of Gray and Chesterman after his wife Lucie was involved in a dramatic birth.

"We pulled up outside the hospital, opened the door and Lucie threw up everywhere, the pain was so intense," Cheeseman tells New Idea about the birth of their second child, Harriet.

"We didn't even have to pay for car parking."

Now there's a man with his priorities in order.

Other stars who hit the headlines:

* Bollywood star Celina Jaitley says she was stalked and feared for her life while filming the movie Love Has No Language in New Zealand. "Someone was sending me horrible messages that he would throw acid at me and stab me," she tells NI. "It's scary to be in a situation like that." It's times like these a taser would come in handy.

* Dancing with the Stars host Candy Lane has a new range of clothes hitting stores. "It's fun, quirky but something that everyone can wear for anything whether it's to Pilates or social dancing or for people who just want to look good." Yep, you can just see ripped witch skirts and busty singlets emblazoned with the word 'Cheeky' being hit among men this summer.

* Heidi Klum became an eight-armed Indian godess. Bette Midler turned into a blood-splatttered butcher. Mariah Carey was a lingerie-clad firefighter. And Pink became a polka-dot-rocking clown. But the best celebrity Halloween costume came from Harrison Ford, who dressed as a giant pod of green peas. He'd go great with some roast beef and mashed potatoes.

Finally, the quote of the week comes from talk show host Oprah Winfrey: "There are not even words to talk about what this means. It feels like hope won. It feels like something really big and bold has happened."

No - she isn't talking about a new McDonald's opening up in the neighbourhood. She's gushing about Barack Obama's recent presidential win in the US. Of course.

* What do you think of the stars in this week's gossip? Post your comments below.

 

- © Fairfax NZ News