Wedding bells for Crowe and Downes

WEDDING BELLS will be ringing very soon for Martin Crowe and former Miss Universe Lorraine Downes. The pair, who got engaged at the beginning of this year after their 20-year friendship developed into romance, are ready to walk down the aisle any day now. For much of their courtship, Lorraine, 44, was based in Wellington and Martin in Auckland and they kept their love alive with numerous trips up and down the country.

For both of them this is a second marriage. Lorraine's 13-year marriage to former All Black Murray Mexted, whom she wed in 1986, ended amicably in 1997. The couple have two children, Hilton, aged 14 and Jasmine, 10. For years she maintained a relatively low-key profile working in the fashion industry, until appearing on Dancing with the Stars in 2006, which she won, making hers a household name once again.

Martin was formerly married to interior designer Simone Curtice. They separated in 1996 and Martin went on to have a daughter, Emma, with Suzanne Taylor. It was after his split with Suzanne in 2005 that he met up with Lorraine, whom he has described as "caring and loving with a beautiful heart, a deep soul and a calming influence".

Their wedding is likely to have some glamorous names in attendance. Martin's brother is fellow former cricketer, now international match referee Jeff Crowe, and movie star Russell Crowe is a cousin.

Relief for Charlotte

CHARLOTTE DAWSON is breathing a sigh of relief. Adrian Camilleri, a business associate of her new man, Matthew Rhodin, and the former fiance of Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr, has been charged in relation to the alleged $7.3 million fraud of the Commonwealth Bank which saw her boyfriend arrested at dawn and taken away by the police with a towel over his head.

Poor Matt spent a weekend in the cells at the Surry Hills police centre before being bailed on $100,000 surety. Pretty awful but both Matt and Charlotte, and everyone who knows the details, are confident he will get off.

Meanwhile, the lives of Kerr and Camilleri could not have diverged more. Today she is one of the most sought-after models in the world and tipped to be on the verge of marrying actor Orlando Bloom, while Camilleri is an undischarged bankrupt facing serious criminal charges.

Girl, you'll be a woman soon

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Auckland property developer David Henderson's girlfriend, Alix. The 55-year-old held a major bash for her last week to celebrate the fact she is now out of her teens (at 20 she is still younger than his three sons, twins Sam and Nick, 24, and Tony, 29).

The festivities were held in Henderson's luxury penthouse atop the Hilton, with the lavish catering done in house. All Alix's young friends were there, which would have been an eye-popping treat for his friends I bet, and among the fabulous presents she received was a new Mercedes.

Henderson regaled his friends with stories of how he used to pick up Alix up from school in her school uniform. I doubt he ever really did that, because I am pretty sure she was out of school when they got together, but it but it did get a reaction from his mates.

Henderson's stunning apartment has been on the market for a good 18 months with an asking price of $10 million, so news that another Princes Wharf apartment had just sold for a good price was even more cause for celebration. That penthouse apartment, formerly owned by Mark Grainger and sold to an American multi-millionaire with interests in the Pacific, boasts an outside fireplace, spa pool, four bedrooms, three bathrooms and two living areas. It went for $5.5m, a record for the complex, and bodes well for Henderson realising $10m, as his apartment is twice the size.

Ups and downs for Ridge, Todd

MATTHEW RIDGE might have closed his North Shore Car-Fe in September but he still owns the business. Presumably this is bad news for him as there are likely to be outgoings, such as rates, which isn't much fun when he's not earning money from it. The business is on the market, though, for $2 million, or for lease, at $120,000 a year.

Celestial terrorist Don Murray predicted 2008 would be a bad year for Ridge, whose romance with musician Carly Binding has also been tipped not to last by Don. But, says the Don, 2010 will be great and will see Ridge at his zenith.

Amazingly, Don also predicted in About Town and on News TalkZB in January that September would be a bad month for Ridge's flatmate, Brent Todd. Sure enough, that was when Todd lost his Car-Fe job and had to work on barges.

Things are looking more cheerful now for the former rugby league star.

He turned 44 last Friday and his 12 months' home detention for fraud finished last Saturday morning.

He celebrated last Saturday night with about 80 friends, including media mogul Julie Christie and former All Black Josh Kronfeld, at Leo Molloy's great Viaduct bar Cowboy, where bar staff wear Stetsons and patrons dance on the bar.

Todd is leaving for the Gold Coast tomorrow, but it's not for good. He'll be back in February to give evidence against old mates, former All Black Doug Rollerson and former Kiwi captain Hugh McGahan, who are also facing fraud charges.

Todd had initially proclaimed his innocence but later pleaded guilty to stealing about $2m from the North Harbour Rugby Union, Team Harbour and Touch New Zealand by invoicing for speaking engagements, consultancy, training and other services and siphoning off about half of the funds. He could have faced five years' prison, but at sentencing, Judge Tom Everitt said a major mitigating factor was his agreement to give evidence against others accused, including Rollerson and McGahan.

Show's almost over for Holmes

PAUL HOLMES was feted at a cocktail party held in his honour at Auckland's Hilton Hotel on Thursday. Guests were mostly Newstalk ZB workmates, with the likes of Leighton Smith giving speeches.

This was just the beginning of the goodbyes, though, which culminate in a live broadcast on Friday from Sails restaurant with lots of friends and well-wishers in attendance.

Apparently Paul has been feeling a bit emotional about leaving the radio station after 20 years, and is said to be wondering if he is doing the right thing.

But he won't be gone entirely, though. He will still be doing a guest-spot each morning with his replacement, Mike Hosking and network bosses are hugely confident there'll be no drop in ratings after the transition.

As for the rumours of a romance between Mike and ZB colleague Kate Hawkesby, Hosking still vehemently denies that they are an item.

But workmates say the pair really come alive when they are together and spend a large amount of time in each other's studios too.

Shelton's Brit rock bonanza

SHELTON WOOLRIGHT, the Blindspott drummer who went to the UK last year, is about to go off. He's remixed a track on Lily Allen's new album and just finished recording in superstar Bryan Ferry's personal studio with Tara Ferry, Bryan's youngest son. Apparently Bryan was slightly distressed because he hadn't had a noise complaint at the studio in 20 years and Shelton's crew earned him three in two weeks!

He's also been working at the world-famous Abbey Road, where there's security on the door and a constant flow of tourists.

The really exciting news though, is that Shelton's new band, I Am Giant (see www.iamgiant.com) is being tipped by industry insiders to "explode".

Shelton is heading home this month for a few weeks, and will return for Blindspott's reformation gig at Wellington's Homeback Festival in Wellington in March.

Did you hear about ...

* David Beckham loved the music at the KidsCan adiCouture party so much he asked the DJ to burn him a CD. And if that wasn't great enough, the LA Galaxy boys told KidsCan founder Julie Helson that the event at the Alinghi Base last Thursday was the best they had ever been to. While the ARC has been facing stinging criticism all week over the money-losing football match between the LA Galaxy and the Oceania Allstars, Beckham flew out of Auckland on Sunday with his reputation intact, despite the attempts of a few members of Auckland's nightclubbing set at a private party two nights before the match. In fact, the most risky behaviour Becks indulged in was a shirtless bungy jump off the harbour bridge. According to reports, he even texted Posh and the kids before and after the jump to let them know he was OK.

* Janis, Tina and Suzie, through to Courtney and Madonna; I have three copies of the new book and CD Rock Chicks, by Alison Stieven-Taylor, to give away to the first people who email me at bridgetsaunders@xtra.co.nz.

* I also have two double passes and two signed posters of Burlesque in the Boudoir to give away to the first two people who email me as well. Barney von Pavement is co-organiser of the event, which launches this Thursday. It will be the first in an ongoing series of burlesque nights staged by him (no don't worry he isn't in it) and Miss La Vida (Victoria Grimshaw).

* Amazing but true: according to one of Britney Spears' less loyal bodyguards, the troubled pop princess is convinced unicorns exist and that they are to be found, of all places, in the mythical land of New Zealand.

* Esther Anderson, who plays Charlie on hit Aussie soap Home and Away, along with her TV (and real life) boyfriend Conrad Coleby (Roman) are the latest celebs to be bedding down at the exclusive Eagles Nest resort in Russell. The Aussie couple are staying over New Year's. Eagle's Nest has just been voted by Tatler magazine as one of the world's top 100 places to stay.

* Alison Leonard and Jason Reeves were at The Warehouse on Monday for the launch of Click for Kids which is KidsCan's new online initiative with The Warehouse, to raise thousands of toy donations this Christmas. The goal is 2000 toys a week and you can help by going to www.thewarehouse.co.nz/clickforkids where you can simply click on the limited time Click for Kids page to help donate.

- © Fairfax NZ News