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In excerpts from his memoir The Voice Inside, published by The Australian, Australian music legend John Farnham has made shocking allegations against his late former manager, Darryl Sambell, claiming he was secretly drugged “for years” early on in his career.

“He drugged me for years and I had no f—ing idea,” Farnham wrote in his memoir. “I caught him one day. I was drinking a cup of coffee and there was a pill only half-dissolved in the bottom. When I asked him what it was, Darryl replied, ‘That’s just something to help you stay awake.’”

Farnham, best known for his hit “You’re The Voice,” reflected on the long-lasting impact of this discovery, expressing regret over his silence at the time. “I feel so ashamed of myself for not realising what Darryl was up to or speaking up more often to put him back in his place. I didn’t question any of it, I just went along as if nothing was off-key.”

He added, “I still don’t know why I didn’t react more. I put it down to being young, under stress, tired and feeling unsure and insecure about my own instincts.”

Farnham claimed that Sambell’s need for control would dominate every aspect of his life during their professional relationship. For years, he said, Darryl controlled “where and when I worked, what I sang, what I wore, what I ate.”

Reflecting on the trauma of those years, the music icon admitted how difficult it has been to come to terms with his past. “Many years have passed since then and, up until now, I’ve found it very hard to unpick what happened to me. But now that I’ve confronted on it, I look back on that time with sorrow. I’m annoyed at myself for being so gullible and trusting.”

He added, “I gave away control of my career, my direction and my life. I was a young bloke and I needed a manager.”

Sambell managed Farnham’s career until 1976, when the singer finally ended their professional relationship. The split marked a turning point in Farnham’s life, allowing him to rebuild his career with manager Glenn Wheatley.

Under Wheatley’s guidance, Farnham released Whispering Jack in 1986—a defining moment that propelled him to international acclaim and saw him peak at No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart.

Farnham’s storied career is filled with accolades. He’s won 21 ARIA Awards from 60 nominations, including Album of the Year for Whispering Jack and Single of the Year for “You’re The Voice” in 1987, with the single topping the Kent Music Report singles chart for seven weeks from 3 November to 21 December. In 2003, Farnham was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Beyond the ARIAs, Farnham has earned Mo Awards for Best Male Vocal and Entertainer of the Year, and a Logie for Best Teenage Personality early in his career. He received the JC Williamson Award in 2004 for lifetime achievement in live performance, and was named Australian of the Year in 1987. His contributions to music and charity earned him the Officer of the Order of Australia in 1996, and he was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame in 2015.

More recently, John Farnham: Finding The Voice—released through Sony Pictures with a companion soundtrack via Wheatley Records/Sony Music Australia—became Australia’s highest-grossing feature-length music documentary of all time. The soundtrack debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA Chart, marking Farnham’s 20th top 10 appearance. The documentary also won the 2024 AACTA Award for Best Documentary and the 2024 TV Week Logie Award for Best Documentary.

From his childhood in Melbourne to his recent battle against cancer, The Voice Inside delves into both the highs and the significant challenges that have shaped Farnham’s life. You can pre-order the book at Hachette Australia.

Matty Healy is no stranger to controversy, but when it comes to Taylor Swift, he’s playing his cards close to the chest.

In a recent appearance on the Doomscroll podcast, Healy shared insights into his approach to songwriting amid intense public scrutiny—remarks that many fans see as subtle nods to his rumored history with Swift.

Admitting he “used to write about relationships a lot more,” Healy explained, “Last year I became a way more well-known public figure for loads of different reasons. The only reason that I was interested in is what I was doing.”

“I think that a lot of artists, they become very interested in their lore, or they become interested in the things that have happened outside of their art that people know about and they want to address that, and fair enough.”

Healy continued, “Honestly, I would kind of just be lying if I made a record about, I don’t know, all the stuff that was said about me or my casual romantic liaisons — or whatever it may be that I’ve kind of become known for just because I was famous.”

“That’s an obvious thing to draw from, and I’m just not interested in [it]. The idea of making a record about something that personally happened to me, that by the time I put it out is gonna be, like, two years old… I see people doing that as well, and it’s not interesting,” he added.

Speculation about Healy and Swift first emerged in early 2023, following Swift’s high-profile split from longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn.

Rumors of a brief romance between the 1975 frontman and Swift gained momentum when Healy was spotted attending several Eras Tour dates, including performances in Nashville and Philadelphia, where he even joined opener Phoebe Bridgers on stage. They were then photographed leaving New York’s Electric Lady Studios together in May, with Healy later seen near Swift’s apartment that same day.

Swift’s The Tortured Poet’s Department has been a treasure trove for fans eager to decode possible references to Healy.

Songs like “Guilty as Sin?” and “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” have fueled speculation that the 1975 frontman inspired parts of the album. The title track’s line, “You smoked then ate seven bars of chocolate,” struck a chord with fans, who pointed to Healy’s on-stage smoking habit and the 1975’s hit “Chocolate.” Another reference to a “tattooed golden retriever” has been interpreted as a poetic nod to Healy’s blend of charming unpredictability.

In April, Healy brushed off the rumors when asked by paparazzi about a supposed “diss track” aimed at him on Swift’s album. Healy responded: “My diss track? Oh! I haven’t really listened to that much of it, but I’m sure it’s good.”

While both artists have since moved on—Swift is currently dating NFL star Travis Kelce, while Healy recently got engaged to model Gabbriette Bechtell—the fascination with their short-lived connection endures. Healy’s recent comments have only reignited speculation, with fans reading between the lines for clues about his feelings toward the pop superstar.

Meanwhile, Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department has been a powerhouse on the Billboard charts. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming Swift’s 14th No. 1 album—a milestone that ties her with Jay-Z for the second-most No. 1 albums ever, just behind The Beatles. In its first week, the album racked up 2.6 million equivalent album sales in the U.S., with 1.9 million in pure sales, marking her biggest sales week yet.

The success didn’t stop there. The album held onto the No. 1 spot for 15 weeks, a personal best for the singer-songwriter, and made her the first artist in the modern era to have seven albums that each sold over a million copies in their debut week.