KEY POINTS:
Go on, admit it, you miss the Mucca v Macca hysterics that played out in the British press. Now that Sir Paul and Heather have divorced and parted ways (he 24.3 million pounds lesser off), who can the hacks sink their fangs into now when it comes to
mismatched pairs?
Mills was always painted as the ruthless gold-digger - only interested in the 66-year-old musician for his many millions. McCartney was attracted, apparently, to Heather's charity work and vegan lifestyle - a reminder to his late wife Linda, it's been said, which, let's face it, is the creepiest compliment a bloke can pay his new missus.
But Heather - 26-years Paul's junior - was not like Linda. She was young, blonde and single when she locked eyes with McCartney at a charity fundraiser. She wasn't a woman in her 50s pottering around the veggie patch in her Wellies; she didn't have four adult children, and young grandkids running amok; and she wasn't an independently wealthy heiress.
Millsy was young and exuberant. She made the ageing rocker feel young and exuberant. If McCartney had wanted another Linda, he could have picked any number of menopausal women with a penchant for sprouts and salads.
For better or for worse, Mills and McCartney married: he into youthful good looks; she into financial security. The media didn't exactly paint it as a win-win situation.
We scoffed at the gold-digging scenario, but, what's worse? Is sleeping with someone because they're physically attractive less shallow than sleeping with someone because they're rich?
Why is it deemed more shallow to be attracted to someone because they're wealthy than because they're hot? Let's face it, it's no more shallow. It's an equivalent of superficialness. Gold-diggers have been getting an unduly hard time over aesthetes.
But then what do you expect really? We're brought up to believe in true love. Even better, love at first sight, which introduces a pair without any contaminated knowledge of background or motivation (like money). But first sight is utterly vacuous and empty and based on how we present ourselves (our body, our clothes, our hair, our skin).
A society girl once declared to me she had no idea the man she "met and fell in love with" at a Parnell bar (who was to later become her husband and father of her two children, until they split years later when he found a prettier, younger model) was a multi-millionaire, which I find hard to believe. I would have thought the Brioni suit, the Cartier watch and the lump of bank notes he fished out of his pocket to buy her a glass of Moet may have been a giveaway. But then Mr Rich "fell in love" with a killer body and a pretty face. The footnote is that he was to fall in love again in much the same fashion, only with a younger killer body and younger prettier face.
Love nest: Our Rach jets home with toyboy
It was happy families for ex-pat supermodel Rachel Hunter, 38, who was Spy-ed arriving at Auckland airport on Friday morning with her toyboy lover Jarret Stoll, 26, and her teenage children Liam and Renee.
The former Playmate is believed to have come to New Zealand with her younger lover to visit friends and family, and to oversee designs at her swimwear label, Lola.
Stoll, a former Edmonton Oiler player now playing for the Los Angeles Kings (he was traded last month for Lubomir Visnovsky), is holidaying Downunder with his cougar girlfriend during the ice hockey off-season.
It is, presumably, his first visit to New Zealand with his Kiwi girlfriend. The couple are believed to be staying at exclusive Mollies Hotel, where Hunter and her sister Jacqui stayed earlier in the year.
Spy's spy insists she saw Hunter behind the wheel of a black BMW 4WD, believed to belong to Hunter's long-time friend and agent, Andy Haden, who lives near the boutique hotel. Hunter's visit to her home country with her toyboy lover (12 years her junior) illustrates their relationship is strong, thanks in large part to the couple now both living in Los Angeles. Is a wedding next on the cards?
Hunter turns 39 in September and, who knows, perhaps an engagement ring could be just what the birthday girl wishes for.
Not everyone hates Chris
It seems Mayor Bob Harvey of Waitakere City loves Chris Rock, the guy behind the popular television show Everyone Hates Chris.
Harvey attended Rock's sold-out comedy show at the Civic on Wednesday night and reported to Spy the following day, saying he thought the show was "outrageously good. It cheered me up no end - in fact, I've been using the jokes all day on my councillors."
Alas he wasn't forthcoming about which particular jokes he'd been rehashing. He reckoned he'd used all of them, adding "I think he [Rock] was born in Ranui."
Rock's No Apologies show in Auckland, which sold out in just 30 minutes, is renowned for its politically incorrect humour, and has been called smutty and filthy by some in the media.
We're loving the fact the Mayor and his councillors aren't too PC and think "smutty" and "filthy" comedy could possibly come from Ranui.
L'Oreal Colour Trophy
Hairdressing's most prestigious event, the L'Oreal Colour Trophy awards, were held at the Aotea Centre recently. Many familiar faces came out to support their faves in the hair industry.
Click here for photos by Norrie Montgomery.
Rachel Glucina
Picture above: Sir Paul McCartney (AP photo / Matt Dunham). Inset: Heather Mills (photo / GMTV).