Front Row: Nepo-baby’s bizarre response to question about mum’s love life, plus star-studded Aussie event that was ‘pure average’

Front Row is a new weekly column on nine.com.au bringing you behind the scenes of some of the Aussie entertainment industry’s biggest parties, premieres, and more. Got a tip? Email us at frontrow@nine.com.au.

This week, Front Row spoke to two very different kinds of stars: one a Hollywood nepo-baby and the other a home-grown Aussie influencer from the Central Coast. When asking them both the question their fans were dying to know, we got some very different responses.

When a simple showbiz question goes wrong

As a celebrity interviewer, there’s always a fear that you ask an A-lister a question that doesn’t quite land. Of course the worst possible outcome is a having them go full diva on your watch.

While Front Row didn’t quite get the ‘full diva’ experience, we did get an interaction with Kaia Gerber that still has us waking up at 2am in cold sweats.

So please, remember this moment of sheer agony next time you think we don’t put our necks on the line for your entertainment.

Read more

There’s no sugarcoating it - Kyle Sandilands’ first live show was an absolute disaster

To set the scene: Kaia – daughter of iconic ’90s supermodel Cindy Crawford – stars in the new series The Shards alongside Homer Gere. Homer just so happens to be the son of Hollywood legend Richard Gere.

For anyone who lived through the ’90s, you’ll remember Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere were once one of the biggest power couples on the planet. Naturally, the internet went wild over their kids now playing love interests in the same show.

So, Front Row did our journalistic duty and asked Kaia the obvious question: what was it like to work so closely with her mum’s ex-husband’s son?

We asked the question. And immediately regretted it.

Instead of answering, Kaia and her co-star Graham Campbell stared back with blank confusion and began asking each other who their parents were. Assuming they’d confused their real-life famous parents with their on-screen ones, we jumped in to clarify.

More bewildered looks. Cue the internal panic. We tried again – slower this time – wondering if the audio had cut out, or if we’d accidentally committed the ultimate nepo-baby faux pas.

It was only after a painfully long silence that we realised what was actually happening: Kaia and Graham were “doing a bit.” They were deadpanning us to poke fun at how many times they’d been asked the exact same question.

Once the psychological warfare ended, a sympathetic Kaia took pity on us and gave a genuine answer about her friendship with Homer.

“It kind of feels like maybe one of the least interesting parts of our friendship – to us,” Kaia laughed.

“I know to the world it’s probably the most interesting thing.”

Sensibly steering the topic away from anyone’s famous parents, Graham (who wasn’t even alive in the ’90s) decided to throw us a lifeline by starting a wild rumour of his own.

“Cindy and I also had a thing in ’90s, but no one else seems to bring that up. Guess it’s not as trendy, but we loved each other.”

Cheers for trying to bail us out, Graham. We’ll take the fake affair and run with it!

Why Aussie influencer’s star-studded event was ‘Pure Average’

When an invitation hits the Front Row desk for an event touting itself as “Pure Average,” you’re naturally left wondering what to expect. A lukewarm tap water on arrival? A tray of stale party pies?

Luckily, content creator Bridey Drake wasn’t being literal. The influencer, who boasts a total following of 24 million, gathered a star-studded crew at Surry Hills’ trendy Golden Age Cinema to launch her brand-new docu-series, Pure Average.

The guest list was anything but ordinary, with the likes of Jiny Maeng, Jojo ASMR, Sofia Ligeros, Vanessa Li, Aims, and The Block 2024 winner Charlotte Harry all stepping out to support.

Things started off innocently enough – guests mingling over signature cocktails, elegant canapés, and polite showbiz chit-chat. But then came the least average moment of the night.

We were casually enjoying a bite of a beef slider when a wall behind us suddenly pulled back to reveal a hidden stage. Out stepped rap artist Chico Johnson, who launched into a live performance of his track Milk & Honey.

Nothing quite prepares you for a surprise rap concert mid-bite of a slider, but Front Row respects the drama!

After recovering from the jump-scare, guests sat down for a candid cast Q&A hosted by Erica Weir, followed by an exclusive preview of episodes one and two. The series lifts the lid on the chaotic, unscripted reality of navigating internet fame, and it’s delightfully funny.

Naturally, Front Row had to ask Bridey where on earth the name Pure Average came from.

“I was 16 and I had just got my Year 10 report card. I was like, ‘Yes! I got a C in English! I’m pure average!’” Bridey laughed.

“My goal with the name was to give permission for young girls to give it a go and not be perfect.”

A secret rap stage, custom cocktails, and an inspirational message? We hate to break it to you, Bridey, but the night was actually far better than average.