What the ex-wife of Pip Edwards’ new lover is telling friends about THOSE photos… and which Australian cricket golden couple is on the verge of divorce? THE GROUP CHAT WITH LUCY MANLY
Welcome to the group chat with Lucy Manly, where Australian society’s most trusted insider shares the hottest gossip BEFORE it makes the news
Pip’s ex factor
The news came at the end of last year Beep Edwards had been dating the ex-husband of one of her close friends, the personal trainer Leah Simmons.
The PE Nation founder had been trying to keep her new romance with the interior designer under control Jos Clapp but Pip being Pip, it soon became the talk of the eastern suburbs.
By the time our photographer captured them on the Sydney beach, the only question on everyone’s lips was, “What does Leah think about this?”
When we first met her outside her training studio, she just smiled and said “no comment.” But now, a few weeks later, we know how she really feels.
At the end of last year, news broke that Pip Edwards had been dating interior designer Josh Clapp, the ex-husband of one of her close friends, personal trainer Leah Simmons.
Was she seething with anger because Pip had broken the ‘girl code’? Was she burning her ex-husband’s remaining belongings in the driveway?
Um, not exactly.
Those hoping for a scandal will be sorely disappointed, as I’m reliably informed that Leah has told friends she’s ‘totally fine’ with Pip dating her ex.
For some women, it would be painful to see the man they once hoped to spend their lives with trapped in Pip’s trance, but Leah seems to be taking it at ease.
Which is fortunate, considering she and Josh co-parent a teenage son… Ryderand still maintains close ties, with Josh designing and building the fitness studio she now runs.
Indeed, Leah’s Instagram feed includes family snaps of the exes spending quality time with Ryder, as well as her youngest daughter from a subsequent relationship.
As for Leah’s friendship with Pip… that’s a different story, with insiders telling me they’re not as close as they used to be..
Before her fun trip to Camp Cove with Josh, Pip seemed to be doing well with friends.
I’m told Pip’s former best friend Leah Simmons (pictured right, with a friend) is “totally fine” with the PE Nation founder dating her ex-husband
In fact, just before returning to Sydney, she had been in the US with millionaire businessman and Grill’d co-founder Geoff Bainbridge, but it is believed their romance was only a short-lived fling.
A gym to cry about
Want to rub shoulders with A-listers, reality TV stars and some of Sydney’s most influential gym fanatics?
Fitness fanatics in the eastern suburbs apparently do, as desperate would-be members of Bondi’s exclusive new Beachouse gym overlooking the famous sand strip will do anything short of offering a kidney to be accepted.
Rumor has it that obtaining a membership to the gym and high society hangout has become so sought after that grown men are moved to tears upon approval.
Located on the second floor of the Pacific Building on Campbell Parade, the luxury wellness center requires referrals and deep dives through your social media.
This breezy wellness mecca in Bondi is home to a dog-friendly gym with ocean views that every celebrity and influencer in Sydney’s east will love to join
There is also a dreamy bathhouse underground
Rejection means more than just giving it up to a gym chain or boot camp – it’s a damning indictment of your social status, or lack thereof, even if you can afford the high monthly fees.
Notable members include Hugh Jackman (when he’s in town), Real Housewives of Sydney star Caroline Gaultier, The Bachelor alum Jimmy Nicholson and a host of influencers.
The luxurious new wellness area is part gym, part spa and part social club. Top-level memberships include packages that include the Slow House luxury sauna, located below the fitness center.
The Quay West hotel in Melbourne’s South Bank is where the Australian cricket team stayed during the Boxing Day Test
The bathhouse offers magnesium baths, a traditional Finnish sauna and a soothing steam room – and Bondi would be no ice baths.
But they are not half as cold as a rejection letter from the membership administration.
And finally… guess who, don’t sue
Bail is off for one of the golden couples of Australian top cricket.
During the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, one of our national players and his wife slept in separate suites at the Quay West Hotel in South Bank.
“It’s an open secret that they are heading for divorce,” one WAG told The Group Chat.
“We all knew they were staying in different suites during the Test.”
According to the insider, the couple is quickly (and quietly) mediating a divorce settlement, given the player’s significant stake in a company with soaring shares.
We leave it up to you to find out who the player is. But it will be news soon enough. And don’t forget: you heard it here first!