Judge Rebukes Michael Rothner’s Ex-Wife in Bitter Mansion Dispute

Reality TV mansion’s biggest loser

The Spanish-style Rose Bay mansion known to viewers of Married At First Sight and The Bachelor has become the setting for another dramatic twist in one of Sydney’s most unusual property disputes.

This time, however, the biggest setback has not fallen on investment banker Michael Rothner or racing heir David Waterhouse.

Instead, it is Rothner’s former wife, Lisa, who has emerged as the major loser.

In the latest ruling in the long-running Villa Biscaya dispute, NSW Supreme Court Justice Ian Pike ordered Lisa Rothner to pay Waterhouse’s legal costs on an indemnity basis. The judge also delivered a sharply critical assessment of her involvement in the case.

The legal battle began after Waterhouse agreed to sell Villa Biscaya to Rothner for $25.75 million under an extended settlement arrangement.

The deal allowed Rothner to occupy the property and start making renovation plans before the sale had formally settled.

The relationship between the two men deteriorated quickly when trees on a neighbouring property began to vanish, revealing previously blocked views from the mansion towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

As the Daily Mail’s Lucy Manly previously reported, the judge found that Michael Rothner had authorised Lisa to supervise a secret tree-clearing operation involving contractor Al Shahwan. The finding rejected Rothner’s claims that he had no knowledge of the plan.

The proceedings revealed an extraordinary series of WhatsApp exchanges between the former couple. Among them were discussions about leaving “no evidence” behind and clearing rubbish from the site.

Justice Pike ultimately found that Lisa had been the “architect” of the tree-removal operation, describing the destruction as “an act of vandalism unconnected with the carrying out of authorised works on the property”.

The newly released costs judgment contains some of the court’s strongest criticism of the conduct surrounding the dispute.

Waterhouse and Rothner avoided orders requiring them to pay each other’s legal costs after both achieved only mixed results in the litigation. Lisa, however, faced a far more damaging outcome.

The judge ordered her to pay Waterhouse’s costs on an indemnity basis. That is a significantly more severe order than standard costs and could leave Lisa responsible for most of the legal expenses Waterhouse incurred in pursuing the claims against her.

Justice Pike reached that decision after expressing serious concerns about the manner in which Lisa conducted the proceedings.

According to the judgment, Lisa filed a defence, took part in the proceedings and served evidence before eventually adopting a submitting appearance at the hearing instead of continuing to actively challenge the allegations.

The court had previously observed that it would have been “natural” for Michael to call Lisa to give evidence about the tree-clearing operation and whether he had authorised it. She did not give evidence.

One passage is likely to attract particular attention in legal circles.

‘I think there is considerable force in the submission advanced by Mr Waterhouse that Mrs Rothner participated until the point in time she had to choose whether to further perjure herself or not, and made an informed choice not to do so,’ Justice Pike said.

The judge did not make a finding that Mrs Rothner committed perjury and Inside Mail does not suggest anything to that effect.

However, the extraordinary remark formed part of a broader criticism of her conduct in the proceedings and helps explain why she ultimately emerged as the biggest loser in the Villa Biscaya saga.

The development marks a significant blow for the eastern suburbs socialite, who remains closely associated with Villa Biscaya despite the breakdown of her marriage to Rothner.

On the mansion’s website, Rothner is described as a ‘host, stylist extraordinaire and creative director’ and the ‘visionary’ responsible for transforming the Spanish-style estate into one of Sydney’s most sought-after private properties.

Her flair for entertaining helped make the Rose Bay property a favourite backdrop for television productions, fashion shoots and high-profile events.

But it was another vision entirely that helped spark the legal war.

Radio silence

No sign of Chrissie Swan at Nova since her executive producer, co-host and longtime best mate Jack Charles jumped ship to front KIIS FM’s new Sydney breakfast show.

As Inside Mail revealed last month, Charles’ defection would have cut deep, with two sources saying Swan likely ‘hit the roof’ when she learned he was leaving.

Any suggestion the split was seamless wasn’t helped by what happened next. Swan, who missed Charles’ final week in the office while recovering from surgery, somehow found time to stay completely silent about his departure on Instagram.

That changed only after Inside Mail approached Nova’s PR team for comment, prompting a hastily assembled farewell post to appear on her feed.

Now comes another curious development. Swan’s continued absence has tongues wagging that all may not be well on The Chrissie Swan Show without her trusted lieutenant by her side.

We’re told the drive program is beginning earlier, at 3pm, effectively erasing Swan’s lucrative 2-4pm school pick-up slot from the schedule.

One spy told us: ‘It looks like the wheels are falling off.’

Will it be a short-term programming tweak until Swan is back on her feet? Nova execs will certainly be hoping so. 

As for why Charles walked away from a comfortable gig at Nova for the higher-profile but riskier challenge at KIIS FM, the answer is likely straightforward: money.

Industry sources say he was earning around $200,000 a year at Nova, a relatively modest sum compared with Swan’s reported seven-figure package, and was offered a substantial pay rise to make the switch.

We hope it works out for him. 

Big Brother is facing a frantic race against the clock to complete its new home, with insiders claiming the costly move to Brisbane has thrown production into ‘complete disarray’ just weeks before launch.

The Channel 10 reality juggernaut will return on October 26, with host Mel Tracina back at the helm and a brand new house currently being built at Screen Queensland Studios in Hemmant.

But while the network declared this week that Big Brother’s new ‘house of mystery and mayhem’ is ‘nearly ready’, Inside Mail is hearing a rather different story from behind the scenes.

Production sources claim crews are scrambling to get the enormous set finished in time for housemates to move in.

‘It’s complete disarray behind the scenes,’ one production insider said. 

The source claims the unexpected move from Dreamworld on the Gold Coast to Screen Queensland Studios in Brisbane has also caused headaches for the production’s bottom line. 

‘They weren’t expecting to have to move the set when the budgets were originally being worked out,’ the insider claimed.

Another source familiar with the production was even more succinct.

‘It’s chaos,’ they said. ‘They’ll get there because they have to, but it’s going to be down to the wire.’ 

However, Channel 10 strongly rejected suggestions the new Big Brother house was running behind schedule.

And in true Big Brother fashion, the network even issued a cheeky warning to those spreading them.

‘Anyone with questions about the show should know that nothing gets past Big Brother,’ a spokesperson told Inside Mail. 

‘The house is well underway and looking amazing, and Big Brother has been busy choosing the perfect housemates.

‘As for any rumours? It’s all gossip, and you know what Big Brother thinks of troublemakers…’

The spokesperson insisted the build was actually progressing faster than expected.

‘The build is well underway and ahead of schedule. It is looking great,’ they said.

‘Stay close to Big Brother Australia’s social channels for build updates and polls to help shape the house.’

Building a Big Brother house is no small undertaking.

Behind the colourful bedrooms, kitchen and Diary Room is an enormous television operation requiring cameras, microphones, lighting, production facilities, control rooms and the infrastructure required to monitor housemates around the clock.

Then there are the facilities required to stage the live nominations and evictions that were revived when the franchise returned to Channel 10 last year.

Construction at Hemmant officially began in August, when producers announced Big Brother was packing up and relocating from Dreamworld.

The new Brisbane facility should ultimately give the show a far more controlled production environment than its temporary Dreamworld home, where the 2025 season was plagued by issues with wet weather and no adequate roof. 

But Inside Mail is told the immediate priority is considerably less glamorous – getting the thing finished.

Sources say there is now an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu as the October 26 deadline looms.

‘Everyone remembers what happened last year,’ one production source said.

‘Everything came down to the eleventh hour and then they spent the season dealing with problems that should have been sorted beforehand.’

‘This was supposed to be the year where they didn’t have to go through all of that again.’

Endemol Shine Australia has also been contacted for comment.

Seven’s spinner out 

One of media’s most feared, revered and relentlessly active spin doctors has finally stopped spinning for Seven.

Neil Shoebridge, whose firm SKMG has handled corporate communications for the network for years, quietly wrapped up the arrangement last week.

The news was greeted with barely concealed delight at rival Nine, where producers had grown accustomed to waking up to SKMG’s near-daily ratings missives explaining, in exhaustive detail, why Seven was once again crushing the competition.

For those keeping score, Nine sources certainly were.

Insiders confirmed Shoebridge is out, although they stressed the split was far from acrimonious and left the door open for him to return on major one-off assignments.

Still, his departure marks the end of an era. Seven will continue to handle its communications in-house, with support from SoundStory, the agency founded by media Swiss Army knife and former publisher of Radio Today Jake Challenor.

But wait… there’s more

The sudden news that shopping channel TVSN is set to close not only came as a shock to viewers – but staff as well.

‘Direct Group, the owner of TVSN, has spent recent months seeking new investment or a buyer for the business. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to secure a transaction that would allow TVSN to continue in its current form,’ read an email sent to customers earlier this week.

While there’s no doubt shopping habits have changed over the past few years, with more people opting to browse online, staff have told Inside Mail there were no warning signs.

In fact, just last year the company sold about $350,000 of pink diamonds in just two hours.

Business was good…. Until it wasn’t.

Now staff have been given two weeks’ notice and creditors fear they will never be paid outstanding invoices in the tens-of-thousands of dollars.

There were chaotic scenes earlier this week as suppliers stormed the Frenches Forest studios to find out what was happening. Staff, who were just as in the dark, were being hassled for answers and security had to be called in.

It’s understood TVSN pays the Seven Network $7million per year for access to its spectrum to air the channel on free-to-air television.

That could end up being another financial blow for the network in these troubling times when advertisers are simply not interested in the commercial TV networks, despite strong ratings.

While staff have been given a short notice period, it’s unclear how long the network will remain on air with the possibility it could repeat old segments.

But suppliers are nervous about payments and are unlikely to be willing to deliver goods unless paid upfront.

Customers have been warned to use their gift cards ASAP or they could lose their money.

Nine’s HR nightmare

It’s a classic case of he-said she-said at Nine with staff convinced they were told they would no longer be compensated for coming in on their days off to cover staff shortages.

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Nine has advised staff that new contracts will soon be issued and a rep from human resources explained the changes to worried staff.

But Nine insists it’s just a miscommunication.

Staff came away convinced they would have to work 35 hours of unpaid overtime per month, with no overtime pay or time off in lieu if they were called in on a rostered day off.

In fact, one staff member made the point at the meeting that there would be no incentive for agreeing to come in on a rostered day off and the network would struggle to fill those shortages.

The HR representative did not challenge that notion.

Again, Nine says this is not the case and insists people who come in on a rostered day off will be compensated.

Considering how much angst the meeting has caused – staff later held secret meetings with unions – Nine management might want to reconsider how sensitive messages are delivered – and by whom.

According to sources who spoke to Inside Mail, staff felt the messaging was simple when it comes to the new contracts being forced on employees: take it or leave it.

There was little care for staff concerns, they said.

In fact, we’re told the HR rep explained to staff that new contracts would come into effect on October 18, whether they had been signed or not.

If an employee continued to show up for work, it would be assumed they had agreed to the new terms.

But it’s not as simple as that.

While there is some legal justification for Nine’s stance, employment lawyer Michael Byrnes from Swaab says there are steps staff can take to protect themselves.

‘You can’t force new contracts or revised contracts on employees. Employees have to agree to them… It’s like any other contract. Both parties have to agree,’ he tells Inside Mail.

The key is making it clear you do not accept the new contract conditions – and that includes any pay rises. Write to HR and make it clear you are still working under the old contract and refusing any extra pay incentives.

Objection is the key, and it has to be maintained.

Byrnes says if staff ‘raise an objection and they maintain that objection and say, “We do not agree to these new contracts,” then it will be difficult for an employer to say that they’ve genuinely agreed’.

For all we know, Nine might have the best intentions – but that certainly did not come through to staff in the briefing. Employees came away feeling like they were expected to do much more and not get paid for their efforts.

It’s something for the executives at Nine to consider.

The future of television is… longer breaks

When news broke late last week that production staff on Farmer Wants A Wife had been stood down, the natural assumption was that the show had been cancelled.

Apparently that is not the case, according to Seven.

The network says production will continue in the second half of 2027, meaning it’s unlikely Farmer will screen that year.

Ratings have been strong this past season, but strong ratings do not necessarily lead to more revenue.

Advertisers seem intent on ignoring the big audiences watching television and are putting their money into online services. This is forcing commercial free-to-air networks to reduce their budgets across the board.

That’s creating some serious headaches for programmers.

How do you hold onto strong brands but reduce budgets significantly?

The answer appears to be longer breaks between seasons.

Inside Mail has previously reported Seven was looking at this concept for The Voice, with production being paused, and now it seems to be the same scenario for Farmer.

Within the industry, there is hope the advertising market will recover, so moving productions into the 26/27 financial year gives them some breathing room.

Shows like this take time in the edit, so productions moved into the next financial year are unlikely to be ready to air in 2027.

For viewers, it means the show will be off air for over a year.

It’s not the best outcome, but it could be the only way to keep shows like Farmer and The Voice going.

The financial crisis is being faced by all networks so don’t be surprised if Nine and Ten soon follow and put more time in between each season of your favourite shows.

While it might work financially, Netflix has discovered viewers are not returning to big hits because the time in between each season has been too long and viewers have moved on.

That is a real concern for programmers trying to engage audiences but having to deal with the realities of falling revenue.

It’s not good for the networks, and viewers aren’t much better off either.

There are no winners here.

Inside Labor’s secret succession talks

• By Nicholas Comino, Political Reporter 

Alarm bells are ringing inside Labor, with growing fears that the Albanese government is dragging state branches ‘off a cliff’.

Inside Mail understands figures from several Labor factions have already begun quietly canvassing leadership scenarios should the party suffer a catastrophic defeat at Victoria’s November 28 election.

Sources say influential players from Queensland Labor, the NSW Right and sections of the Victorian Left, particularly those aligned with former premiers Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan, have held informal discussions about succession options if a Victorian wipeout triggers a broader crisis of confidence in Anthony Albanese’s leadership.

Many accuse Albanese of doing little to stop the rise of One Nation, which they say has turned voters against Labor.

Many believe a likely second interest rate rise before polling day would be politically devastating, with voters expected to vent their anger at the federal government and further punish a Victorian Labor branch already in freefall.

The concern comes as Labor’s position in Victoria continues to deteriorate.

Ben Carroll has so far failed to halt the party’s polling slide since replacing Allan earlier this year.

A Freshwater poll released on Monday showed Labor’s primary vote falling another point since August to 24 per cent, leaving it five points behind the Coalition on 29 per cent.

One Nation remained steady on 22 per cent, while the Greens held firm on 14 per cent.

Labor is bleeding support across both metropolitan and regional Victoria, fuelling concerns that Opposition Leader Jess Wilson could emerge as one of the biggest beneficiaries of One Nation preference flows in key three-cornered contests.

Senior party figures privately acknowledge that Wilson’s personal popularity, slick campaigning and ability to unite the most broken Liberal division have helped shield the Victorian Coalition from the electoral woes plaguing its federal counterparts.

Many now fear those preference flows could turn a difficult election into an electoral bloodbath, delivering the Victorian branch one of its worst defeats in decades.

Some figures in Victoria also view any leadership change as an act of ‘revenge’ against both Carroll and Albanese, believing the Prime Minister ‘did nothing’ to protect Allan from being rolled and effectively stood by as her leadership unravelled.

Among Allan loyalists, there remains lingering resentment towards Canberra, with some arguing Albanese failed to intervene at a critical moment and allowed the factional numbers to run unchecked, paving the way for Carroll’s ascent.

But the anxiety extends well beyond Victoria.

In NSW, Labor powerbrokers are closely tracking One Nation’s rise amid growing fears the party could devastate several traditionally safe Labor seats across the Hunter region, where it has concentrated significant campaign resources.

The threat has prompted Premier Chris Minns to dramatically ramp up his presence in the area.

Minns has visited the Hunter six times since April, compared with just three visits during the 2023 election campaign.

Senior ministers, including Police and Hunter Minister Yasmin Catley, have also intensified their campaigning in the area, as Labor scrambles to shore up support in what was once considered an untouchable heartland.

Party insiders fear as many as 10 seats could be vulnerable, including Camden, Maitland, Wallsend, Cessnock, Penrith, Port Stephens, Wyong and Catley’s own seat of Swansea.

One MP in a seat viewed as at risk told Inside Mail they wished Albanese would ‘just stay away’.

Several of those electorates have rarely, if ever, required serious defensive campaigning, forcing Labor to divert resources into areas once regarded as safely beyond the reach of political opponents.

The party is simultaneously grappling with mounting pressure across Western Sydney, raising concerns campaign resources are being stretched thin across multiple fronts.

The heightened activity has coincided with an increasingly visible divergence between Minns and the Albanese government.

In recent months, the NSW Premier has publicly broken ranks with Canberra on issues including migration, tobacco excise and government spending, moves many within Labor interpret as an effort to insulate his government from the federal party’s declining political fortunes.

Meanwhile, other Labor figures privately concede Albanese has become a significant drag on the party’s brand in Queensland, compounding the challenges facing Opposition Leader Steven Miles.

After less than two years in opposition, the Queensland branch has struggled to land meaningful blows on David Crisafulli’s LNP government despite a string of controversies and policy headaches surrounding child safety, youth crime and preparations for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

Compounding the problem is Labor’s lack of opposition experience.

Not a single current Queensland Labor MP has previously served on the opposition benches, with all of the party’s experienced parliamentarians entering the legislature after Labor returned to power in 2015 following its crushing defeat under Campbell Newman in 2012.

Senior figures also complain the state party is operating with fewer resources than in previous years, with a number of highly regarded staffers departing for Canberra and federal political roles, hollowing out the talent pool available to Miles.

The performance of several Queensland-based federal ministers has also become a source of frustration within Labor ranks, with Sports and Communications Minister Anika Wells attracting particular criticism from some party figures.

Others have privately vented about the party’s online presence, with one insider singling out Queensland MP Kara Cook as ‘suspect number one’ for a stream of poorly received TikTok videos they argue have reinforced perceptions Labor is out of touch with voters.

Some fear Albanese is effectively prepared to sacrifice a number of Queensland seats in exchange for retaining a federal majority, noting Labor could lose up to 18 MPs and still form government.

Among the electorates causing concern are Bonner, Petrie and Forde, all seats Labor wrested from the LNP at the last federal election.

Other seats deemed ‘written off’ by the party unless polling turns around include Hughes and Hunter in NSW, as well as Menzies, Bendigo and Deakin in Victoria. 

Others remain furious about what they describe as Albanese’s tight control over caucus, arguing it has forced the party to adopt unpopular positions, which has been exacerbated since the government’s May budget.

Within the Queensland Right, some also blame the Prime Minister for ‘selling Jim Chalmers down the river’ by forcing the Treasurer to carry the political burden of a poorly received budget.

They argue One Nation successfully capitalised on the backlash, using its ‘Fire the Liar’ campaign to raise millions of dollars while simultaneously driving a surge in memberships and volunteer recruitment.

Labor strategists have also become increasingly wary of One Nation’s grassroots operation.

One Nation supporters on the ground in states such as Victoria have been described by opponents as ‘zealous’, with activists door-knocking, leaflet dropping and campaigning in numbers both Labor and the Coalition had previously underestimated.

Despite the growing agitation, Albanese and his allies are understood to view any leadership push as largely futile.

Under rules introduced after Labor’s tumultuous Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years, an incumbent prime minister cannot simply be removed by disgruntled factional figures.

Any successful challenge would require either Albanese to resign voluntarily or an extraordinary caucus revolt capable of meeting the party’s strict leadership-spill threshold.

With Labor in government, a challenger would need the support of 75 per cent of the federal caucus to remove a sitting leader, a hurdle many party figures privately concede is virtually impossible to clear.

For that reason, much of the internal discussion has focused less on a formal challenge and more on the prospect of Albanese choosing his own departure date.

Several party figures believe the least damaging scenario would involve the PM announcing his retirement before the next election, allowing a successor to take the reins without the bloodletting of a leadership war and giving Labor a chance to reset before voters head back to the polls.