Far be it from Crikey to ignore yesterday’s second top news story, one that almost threatened to drown out the cricket palaver: Our Nic is up the duff.  

So far this has brought us such insightful news as George Clooney’s prediction she will be a “perfect mother”. Eonline was the first to say what others were thinking: “let the baby-bump watch begin!”

Here’s how the story that stopped a nation unfolded:

  • 08 Jan, 06:40am, Ch9 Today Show reports rumours that Nicole Kidman is pregnant
  • 08 Jan, 10:12am, BREAKING NEWS! Interview with entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins regarding Golden Globes cancelation is interrupted to confirm Nicole Kidman IS pregnant.
  • Hourly SKY News updates until….
  • 08 Jan, 04:34pm Ch7 News interviews New Idea ‘s Robyn Foyster regarding this joyous news of Nicole Kidman’s pregnancy [2nd item after cricket]
  • 08 Jan, 04:36pm Ch9 News interviews Richard Wilkins [4th item after cricket ‘fiasco’; Tentefield declared natural disaster zone; Wayne Swan warning banks about raising interest rates].
  • 08 Jan, Ch10 shows some restraint [possibly because does not appear they had a reporter in the scrum for an interview with Keith & Nicole as they leave parents’ house as aired on Ch7 & Ch9?], [5th item]. Reduced to interviewing Lucio’s Restaurant’s Lucio Galetto about Keith & Nicole’s lunchtime visit to his eatery.
  • 08 Jan, Ch7 & 9 go big reporting pregnancy as 2nd item in main 6pm evening news bulletin [after cricket reports]. Ch9 interviews Lucio Galetto who exclusively reveals Nicole had rocket salad for lunch.
  • 08 Jan, Ch7 Today Tonight use pregnancy as excuse to partially re-run Sonia Kruger interview with Nicole Kidman that originally aired on 26th Nov spruiking The Golden Compass movie and interview ‘celebrity photographer’ [i.e. paparazzi] Peter Carrette who reckons the first photo of the child will be worth $1.5m.
  • 08 Jan, Ch9 A Current Affair try to have their rocket salad & eat it by reporting on how “the news has triggered a media storm” before interviewing Woman’s Weekly editor Deb Thomas; Health Expert Ric Gordon & ‘celebrity photographer’ Peter Carrette.
  • 08 Jan, Ch10 Late News reports Nicole Kidman pregnant with media speculating on price of first baby photos [2nd item after cricket, higher priority than earlier evening bulletin].
  • 09 Jan, Ch9 Today Show go into poll overdrive asking viewers whether they think Keith & Nicole will have a boy or girl.
  • 09 Jan, 7:09am Ch9 Today Show interview ‘celebrity photographer’ Peter Carrette who exclusively reveals “from the journalist who broke the story in London” that Nicole’s father will deliver the baby and her mother will be midwife as they did with sister Antonia Kidman’s last baby. Peter Carrette “hopes the professional media boys who work will give them some space”, “we should all stay back a bit” :……while staking out a property live with fellow paparazzi….!!!!

So the real question is, who exactly is Peter Carrette ?