Teasers for Roxy Jacenko’s upcoming appearance on Tom Gleeson’s Hard Chat show there’s still friction between the PR guru and swimmer Stephanie Rice.
The pair famously did not get along (put mildly) on their shared season of Celebrity Apprentice in 2013, and it’s clear from barbs exchanged over the years this was not a rivalry just played up for the cameras.
Comedian Tom Gleeson did his antagonistic best to stoke ill feelings and stir up some trouble, which we can see in a preview for his segment on Wednesday night’s The Weekly.
After insulting the publicity queen with the question: “You were on season three of Celebrity Apprentice, how did you do that without being a celebrity?” Gleeson proceeded to bait her by bringing up Rice.
“You were beaten by Stephanie Rice,” Gleeson said.
“How, I don’t know,” Jacenko replied.
“When she won did she say suck on that f******ts?”
“Basically yeah,” the 38-year-old said, adding, with sarcasm: “What a pleasure that girl is.”
Gleeson clarified that the mum-of-two was “not a fan” of the Olympic gold medallist.
“Nup, she might be good in the pool but she’s not so good person to person.”
Phwoar.
This isn’t the first time since Celebrity Apprentice‘s end that Jacenko has been prodded over what appeared to be a very tense on-screen rivalry – despite the two being on the same team.
During the season, Jacenko and Rice butted heads, with the Sweaty Betty founder’s main criticism that the 30-year-old didn’t put enough effort into the challenges, in her opinion.
While there was in-fighting in Team Supreme from day one (mainly between Jacenko and teammate Prue MacSween), it was the fourth task where the pair’s conflict heated up, when Jacenko cut off Rice during a presentation, with tensions continuing from there.
It didn’t help that the finale came down to the two women, along with Jeff Fenech and John Steffenson, with Rice being named the winner.
The animosity was so strong that Jacenko barred Rice from borrowing items from her clients - which include a lot of well-known fashion and lifestyle brands.
"Part of being a PR is to protect brands and ensure they are placed on the right people," she told The Daily Telegraph's Confidential about her decision at the time.
"At this point in time, I don't feel Stephanie is the right fit."
In November 2014, Jacenko was asked about her relationship with Rice and whether it could be repaired on the Kyle and Jackie O Show.
"I won't be mending it," she told the hosts, adding, "Without question Stephanie Rice was one of the rudest and laziest people I have ever met."
"Crazy. She was just not nice. She was rude to the fellow contestants."
And in April last year, the PR star couldn't resist bringing up Rice's name in an interview with Nova's Fitzy and Wippa. When asked whether she was going to join the traditionally drama-filled The Real Housewives of Sydney cast, she joked: "Is Stephanie Rice available?"
But by March this year, Rice shared with the Sydney Morning Herald that she was well and truly over the feud.
"It doesn't impact my life in any way," she told the newspaper when asked about the subject.
"For me, and it doesn't matter who the person is, if you hold on to grudges or negative experiences, you don't allow yourself to move on.
"I don't have anything against her. I don't see a problem, in my eyes anyway."
Jacenko too seemed to have moved on from the experience in an interview the Daily Mail last year, when she told the publication "it's the past".
And it seems it probably was - until Tom Gleeson got involved.
You can watch Hard Chat on Charlie Pickering's The Weekly on ABC at 8.30pm Wednesdays or on iView.
Top Comments
Why are you so obsessed with celebrity feuds?
Tom's right. How she was on Celebrity Apprentice without being a celebrity makes as much sense as Grant Denyer winning a Gold Logie for a show that was cancelled.
Also sounds like Roxy has carried the bitterness for 5 years (and possibly hurt her clients brands by not involving them with a well liked and well know sportsperson), not missing a chance to rip into Stephanie while Stephanie has let it go and said nothing negative about Roxy at all...
For me, there's always a bit of a "who?!" factor with a lot of the Celebrity Apprentice contestants, especially the sports people. I don't follow sports, so I often have no idea who they are. But when they're introduced and I find out who they are, I can think "yeah, okay, fair enough". But Roxy was probably the most baffling contestant they've ever had. Even after they explained who she was, I still had no idea why anyone was supposed to have heard of her or why she was put on the show.
Totally. I get that I'm not going to know who people from sports I don't follow are (Honeybadger anyone?) or if they're a musician from another country/genre I don't listen to.
But it does seem weird picking a PR person for it. Shouldn't they be trying to get their clients on stuff like that, not themselves?
Perhaps the only person I could think of that is a manager/PR person who I know about is that Max Markson guy that tends to represent the current flash in the pan. And he makes my skin crawl too.