Prime Video has dropped a release date for season 3 of their hugely popular sci-fi comedy series Upload.
Nathan, Norma, Ingrid and all of their shenanigans will be returning to screens on October 20.
The series is set in a technologically advanced future where AI is commonplace in almost every part of life. In the futuristic world, when people die, they’re “uploaded” to a virtual reality afterlife where they can enjoy first-world comforts. However, it comes at an astronomical cost.
Upload. Prime Video.
Season three will include eight episodes, and two episodes premiering every week exclusively on Prime Video. The streaming platform has shared some official first look photos which tease what fans can expect.
What will season three of Upload be about?
Season Three picks up with Nora and the newly downloaded Nathan as they navigate their relationship while racing against time to foil a mysterious conspiracy that threatens countless lives. Can they dismantle Freeyond and finally build a life together? Or will Nathan’s own fate catch up with him?
Meanwhile, in Lakeview, a backup copy of Nathan becomes active, and Ingrid refuses to let this second chance at love slip away.
Upload. Prime Video.
In the real world, Aleesha climbs the ranks of Horizen by overseeing AI education and embarks on a new romance. And Luke, all alone in Lakeview, must find a way to cover the expenses for his stay in paradise, leading him to work in The Grey Zone.
Who’s in it?
The show’s three lead actors Robbie Amell (The Tomorrow People), Andy Allo (Chicago Fire) and Allegra Edwards (Briarpatch) will all be back for season three.
The cast also includes Kevin Bigley (Sirens), Zainab Johnson (American Koko), Owen Daniels (Space Force), Andrea Rosen (Episodes) and Josh Banday.
Upload. Prime Video.
Upload airs exclusively on Prime Video on October 20.
Interview: The unexpected person Ian thinks would be a good Traitor on The TraitorsAustralia 2023.
Banished contestant Ian Zaro has opened up about who he believes would be a great traitor – and surprisingly, it’s one of the Faithfuls with minimal screentime.
During a post-elimination interview with Chattr, Ian named one co-star who he believes could have deceived everyone. The social media star said that he thinks highly decorated police officer Keith Banks would have been a great choice because he “goes under the radar”.
Keith on The Traitors. Ten.
“Keith talks so much, but it’s so little, there’s nothing he’s actually contributing. It’s such a perfect cover because he’s doing so much talking,” he said.
“He’s an investigator, he worked on the force and he didn’t really help out,” Ian reasoned.
Keith and Ian on The Traitors. Ten.
Why Ian believes he would have been a good Traitor
While Ian thinks Keith could have made it to the end as a Traitor, he also said that he would have loved to be on the scheming team.
“I probably would have got some more screen time if I was a Traitor,” he laughed.
Ian – who has over 2.3 million followers on TikTok – said that his background in content creation has trained him to be able to take on different roles, which would have been a great skill to have as a Traitor.
Ian Zaro. Instagram.
“I was hoping to be one because I’d get to be someone different. I can just mould my personality with whoever but I didn’t have a reason to [as a Faithful]. I was just like, ‘I’m here to scope out a traitor, that’s all I need to do’.”
If he was chosen as one, Ian said that he would be able to state his case more and have “a bit more fun”.
“If I was a Traitor I think I would have got to play the game a bit more but I wouldn’t be able to be so hilarious! I would play the game a bit more, be more social, and try harder to win the game.”
12 remain as The Traitors Australia 2023 continues on August 27 at 7:30pm on 10 and 10Play.
Cowgirl is yee-hawing her way onto The Masked Singer Australia 2023 stage.
Clues
August 23
In her first-look trailer, she braves judge Mel B’sSpice Girl track Wannabe!
The clues are a little vague on this one, BUT we do know Cowgirl is either a Grammy Winner (doubtful), reality TV queen or sporting superstar. Something to do with #farmlyfe perhaps?
Also, the dancers eating burgers is a bit on the nose, don’t ya think?! But could that be a clue also?!
The Masked Singer premieres soon on 10 and 10Play.
It’s episode four of The Traitors Australia and it’s doubtful whether this show’s going to last much longer because absolutely none of these contestants can figure out who the Traitors are.
Well, Luke and Annabel are the exception. However, they’re doing absolutely nothing about getting rid of the remaining Traitors Sam and Blake. So far, we’ve seen five Faithfuls and one Traitor eliminated, and – spoiler alert – tonight’s ep sure doesn’t help their odds.
At the beginning of episode four, viewers find out that shark attack survivor, and prominent social media personality, Paulhas been ‘murdered’ by the Traitors. Sam and Blake opted against recruiting another team member and decided to take out another Faithful instead.
At the breakfast, Sam pipes up about his involvement in Traitor Ash’s banishment to help prove his (fake) devotion to the Faithfuls. Basically, everyone aside from Luke and Annabel buys what he’s selling.
The Challenge
The challenge saw the remaining contestants head to a field where they were tasked with being asked questions about the game. However, the catch was that they had to make their way through an obstacle course and then stand by a marker with the correct answer to the question. But, if the question was wrong then a bunch of dirt blew up in their face.
The task was interesting enough thanks to Ian, who had a dramatic reaction every time he risked having more dirt explode in his face.
In the end, the red team won and they headed to the immunity challenge. This saw the remaining contestants shoot fire arrows at pirate ships with their co-star’s names on them. The last ship afloat won the Immunity Shield, which was Liam.
Who was banished?
It looked as though Annabel and Luke were ready to take their shot at Traitor Sam, however, they ended up voting for Liam. The ceremony turned into a showdown between Liam and Ian, but it was Ian it was sent home from the game.
When the content creator was asked what his status in the game is, he told the other contestants they were a “bunch of dumb arses” for choosing him, because he was a Faithful.
12 remain as The Traitors Australia 2023 continues on August 27 at 7:30pm on 10 and 10Play.
It’s episode eight of The Voice Australia and a soulful classic, disco banger and unique take on a coach’s own song, turned superstar Jason Derulo, Rita Ora, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy’s chairs.
Trisha Godinet, 31
Trisha Godinet performed At Last by Etta James. The 31-year-old revealed she hadn’t sung for seven years, with fear of rejection holding her back from auditioning for The Voice previously.
“You are one of the strongest performers this far on the stage. Australia did not come to play!” Jason said.
Trisha joined Team Jess.
Jayden Miranda, 29
Jayden Miranda took a risk performing coach Jason’s song Want To Want Me.
All four coaches turned their chairs with Jason saying: “Damn, that used to be my song!”
Jayden chose Team Guy.
Libby Worboys, 19
Libby Worboys performed a stripped-back version of Maniac by Michael Sembello. She turned three chairs, with Guy saying she had “a great storytelling voice.”
She chose Team Guy.
Brenda Bressed, 24
Drag queen Brenda Bessed performed Strong Enough, turning two chairs.
“You nailed it,” Guy said while Rita said: “This is what life is about! I’m living for you.”
Brenda chose Team Rita.
Other performances
Jake Lyle, 19 from Queensland, sang Frank Wildhorn’s This Is the Moment from the musical Jekyll & Hyde. He didn’t turn any chairs. Guy said it was harder to secure chair turns at this stage of the Blind Auditions explaining: “Our teams are almost full; you have to show a lot of angles of what you can do as a performer.”
Victorian brother and sister act Zac, 18, and Eliza, 20, performed Shania Twain’sFrom This Moment but didn’t turn any chairs.
Sam Harper’s took on Harry Styles’Late Night Talking with no takers.
Jomeca Lafaialli, also failed to gain the judges attention with her version of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’sAin’t No Mountain High Enough.
The Voice continues 7.00 pm on Sunday on Channel 7 and 7plus.
It’s episode eleven of The Block 2023 and Eliza is sick. Sick of renovating, sick of the judge’s comments, sick of Leah and Steph’s feud…and sick with the flu.
Work continues on the WFH spaces and most of the Blockheads are hoping to also turn it into an extra guest bedroom.
Liberty, who is not sick, is still struggling with the comments from Sunday’s judging, with Marty Fox basically calling her taste sh**.
Eliza, who is not helping at all, calls her the “Nick Kyrgios” off The Block a.k.a she starts well then gives up…lol.
Liberty. Nine
By the end of the day, Liberty has decided that two days of moping is enough and finds a spring in her step after a design consultation with Freedom Furniture.
Meanwhile, Brett and Kristy are also p**sed about having to restump their entire house so Brett fires off the Weber BBQ — which is not only making me hungry but is also great product placement.
For seriously no reason at all, another challenge that has nothing to do with renovating is called, and the teams head to Brighton Baths for a sand sculpting challenge.
After her breakdown yesterday, Leah is stoked that she and Ash have won the sand-building competition. And actually, they did such a great job!
Leah and Ash’s sand sculpture. Nine
On top of that, they also received $5k and the all-important gnome.
Want more recaps? Check out our The Block 2023 recaps below!
What better backdrop is there for a murder-mystery-type show like The Traitors than a slightly eerie, chandelier-lit, historic hotel?
The producers seem to agree, as season two of The Traitors will be filmed in the same residence as the first; The Robertson Hotel, located in New South Wales Southern Highlands
The Robertson Hotel.
What history does the Traitors hotel have?
The Robertson Hotel was built in 1924, and prior to becoming a hotel, it had quite a colourful history, as per The Blue Mountains Gazette. Over the years, it served as an air force base, a place of rest and recovery for returning soldiers post World War II, a seminary and a property built to protect injured wildlife.
The Robertston Hotel.
In regards to showbiz, The Traitors isn’t the first production to be filmed at The Robertson Hotel. The 1995 blockbuster Babe was filmed on the residence’s ground, and the movie Riptide, starring Debby Ryan, was also filmed there in 2017.
Can you stay at The Traitors Hotel?
When The Traitors isn’t filming at The Robertson Hotel, the general public can book a stay there.
Prices start from around $160 for a standard twin room with a shared bathroom. Meanwhile, the large family suite, which has two single beds and three extra-large double beds with garden views starts from around $420 a night.
If you’re looking for the best room in the place, the Grand Manor Suite has two king bedrooms, one bathroom, a central entry foyer and a lounge area in the enclosed sun room with French doors.
The Robertston Hotel.
What other amenities does The Robertson Hotel have?
Aside from having the claim to fame of filming multiple productions (and some pretty spooky hallways), The Robertson Hotel also has some other impressive amenities.
It has three different dining options, including the ‘White Room’ in the main restaurant, as well as a stunning seasonal outdoor pool and 14 acres of lush natural forest.
Of course, there’s a carefully curated wine list so that guests can pick the perfect vino to enjoy in front of The Traitor’s famous fireplace.
The Traitors airs on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays at 7.30 pm on 10 and 10 Play.
Below Deck Down Under stew Laura Bileskalne has doubled down on her defence of Luke Jones after he was fired for entering crewmate Margot Sisson’s room naked while she was asleep.
Laura – who was also fired for her uninvited advances on deck hand Adam Glick – told Kyle and Jackie O that Adam didn’t enter Margot’s room naked, despite footage showing exactly that.
“He didn’t go sneaking into her bed,” she told the radio hosts.
After entering Margot’s room naked, Luke climbed into her bed and woke her up. However, Laura stressed that he was simply checking in on her.
Luke on Below Deck. Hayu.
“She was not unconscious. You can see in the video she’s talking to him. He’s asking her. Are you feeling okay? She says yes. Sleepy time,” she said.
Laura said the crew decided to have a jacuzzi party together
Laura told the Australian radio hosts that the whole crew decided that they would leave the bar they were out to head back to the super yacht and have a party in the jacuzzi. While they were at the bar, Margot and Luke shared a kiss.
“He went into the cabin to talk to her only because we all agreed that we are going to continue the party of the jacuzzi because it was still covid time in Australia. We couldn’t stay out so we have to continue the party on the boat,” she said.
“So we all agree as we’re getting in the taxi that we’re gonna go to the Jacuzzi.”
Aesha and Margot on Below Deck Down Under. Hayu.
Laura stressed that Luke was only checking up on Margot
Once they were back, chiew stew Aesha Scott was concerned that Margot was too drunk and that Luke was making inappropriate advances on her, so she put her to bed. Margot fell asleep and Luke later entered her room and climbed into her bed naked.
Luke on Below Deck Down Under. Hayu.
However, Laura said that Luke simply went to check on Margot and stressed that he didn’t enter the room naked.
“We were already on the way to the Jacuzzi and only Margot was sleeping. As the good friend of someone he just kissed a few minutes ago, he [Luke] goes to check up on her to see if she’s coming with us or not.
“So he went downstairs, he had boxers on, he took them off and took the towel around him. He did not go in the cabin naked,” she added.
“When he went up there the doors were open, that’s why the cameras saw it and they saw that there was a possible situation to have some scandal. So then when the producers come in, he had to rush to get out and he’s a bit drunk. You can see in the video that that’s where his towel drops.”
It’s episode three of The Traitors Australia and it’s Traitor vs Traitor when one of them launches a tirade against the other.
With a target placed on her back from episode two, Ash Pollard was the first contestant at breakfast, with the goal of finding out who is (correctly) campaigning against her.
Luke Toki revealed that it was Traitor Sam McGlone and Ash vowed revenge. Meanwhile, Luke was frustrated that another Faithful, PaedenBennetts, was ‘murdered’ the previous night.
The Traitors. Ten.
The Challenge
The challenge saw the contestants head to a church that was full of creepy-looking guests with gold masks on.
For the challenge, one contestant from each team had to lie in a coffin which had five different locks, and their teammates needed to answer riddles to find the keys. The first team to completely unlock the coffin would be victorious.
The Traitors. Ten.
Ash’s team took an early lead in the challenge and ended up winning it and adding $16,000 to the pot. Her team was able to battle it out for the immunity shield, and Liam Davern ended up receiving it.
Who was murdered and who was banished?
The banishment saw tension flare between fellow Traitors Ash and Sam. However, it was Sam who won the battle with the majority of the remaining contestants voting for Ash to be banished. The team was delighted that they’d finally gotten rid of a Traitor.
The Traitors. Ten.
After Ash’s banishment, the remaining Traitors Sam and Blake Willoughby were mulling over whether they should ‘murder’Paul de Gelder or Simone Williams.
However, their decision-making was interrupted when Roger Corser informed them that they could recruit a Faithful to become their third Traitor. Viewers were left without an answer, and the cliffhanger dangled until Tuesday night’s episode.
14 remain as The Traitors Australia 2023 continues on August 22 on 10 and 10Play.
A Kangaroo will be tearing up the stage on The Masked Singer Australia 2023 with Bouncer announced as the very first undercover celebrity!
In a brand-new video released on August 22, the singer had thepanel — which includes Abbie Chatfield, Chrissie Swan, Mel B and Dave “Hughesy” Hughes — on their feet from the very first note, performing John Farnham’s hit song You’re the Voice.
But who is the celebrity behind the iconic Aussie animal?
Clues
August 22
The first clues suggest that this will be the “most surprising” reveal ever.
Most definitely an Aussie male, given that he’s performing in a Kangaroo suit, we’re betting Bouncer is someone who is not known for his singing voice!
The Masked Singer Australia is coming soon to 10 And 10 Play.
It’s episode seven of The Voice Australia 2023 and Coach Jessica Mauboy has received the shock of her life as she was reunited with two men who helped give her a start in her career.
The Bushwackers
Folk music legends The Bushwackers took to the stage hoping to appeal to a new generation. If you’re a 90s kid, you may remember this duo as the guys who sang the Heeland ToePolka!
Performing the nostalgic and iconic song, I Am Australian, all four coaches turned around to see two men in their seventies, with Jess becoming emotional the minute she saw them.
According to the singer, when she was 14, The Bushwackers became her impromptu band and helped her win a country music competition in Tamworth.
“I can’t believe this is happening, it’s a full circle of my life,” she said.
On top of this, there was a shock revelation as it turned out that member Dobe Newtown co-wrote I Am Australian with Bruce Woodley from The Seekers. Unbelievable!
Coach Guy Sebastian also had a special connection to the song, recalling his move to Australia in 1988.
“I had a Malaysian accent, my culture was pretty different… whenever I felt like I didn’t fit in as a kid I would sing that song.”
Elsa Marilyn
17-year-old Elsa Marilyn performed a stripped-back version of Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell which won over the coaches, turning all four chairs.
Coach Rita said: “That for me was a perfect audition. There was not one flaw,” while Guy called Elsa his “favourite voice that I’ve heard on The Voice 2023.”
Elsa chose Rita as her coach.
Marley Sola
27-year-old New Zealander Marley Sola earnt four chair turns with his knockout performance of Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder; the same song that Guy performed for his Australian Idol audition. After choosing Team Guy, Marley and Guy performed a duet of the song.
Elly Poletti
Victorian music teacher Elly Poletti performed Lady Gaga’sA Million Reasons turning all four chairs. Rita and Guy went head-to-head again, with Rita calling the 32-year-old’s voice “perfection”.
Guy blocked her mid-pitch, before convincing Elly to join his team.
Jade Talbot
25-year-old avid birdwatcher Jade Talbot learned how to sing from listening to birds. Performing CelineDion’s It’s All Coming Back to Me Now, she turned Coach Jason’s chair.
Gabby Asta
Gabby Asta, 22 from Victoria, performed a gritty interpretation of Tate McRae’s She’s All I Wanna Be. Both Rita and Guy turned their chairs, pitting both the coaches against each other.
Gabby chose Team Rita.
The Voice continues 7.30 pm on Tuesday on Channel 7 and 7plus.
It’s episode 10 and the start of WFH week on The Block and Leah is struggling to not take the judge’s feedback from the August 20 episode personally.
In case you missed it, Darren had said that the studio gave him “display home vibes” and that the Murphy pull-down bed was the wrong choice, as was the placement of the furniture while Shaynna thought their design had no connection to their “bold and risky” bathroom.
Meanwhile, Liberty from House Five 5 was also devastated after new judge Marty Fox said he thought they would have been better off presenting their room with nothing in it. Ouch.
Eliza and Liberty. Nine
Over in House Four, Steph and Gian were on cloud nine after their win which included a vintage Hermes bag, which Steph proudly paraded around at the Open For Inspections. Lol. Relatable!
Steph and Gian and the Hermes bag… Nine
During the same inspections, Leah struggled to understand why what they had done was “so so bad” and came last, when Eliza and Liberty were told their styling was sh**.
Now that she’s a winner, baby! Steph was not backwards in coming forwards and sharing her opinions on what the other Blockheads could have done better.
Telling Eliza and Liberty they could have made it more “cabanery”.
“Being an architect, I’m able to visualise the spaces around and how they influence that space, and that’s how we design,”she said in a piece-to-camera.
Steph with Eliza, Liberty, Ash and Leah…and the Hermes bag. Nine
“Maybe they don’t want the advice, I’m just happy to give it…” she added. LOL.
Steph then sets her sights on arch-nemesis Leah, who afterwards, became very emotional, crying on the shoulders of everyone including Foreman Keith.
“I don’t know how I can continue,” she said before later adding, “I just feel like I’m going in the wrong direction.”
Foreman Keith and Leah. Nine
Work from Home spaces begin
This week, our Blockheads are renovating a work-from-home space which means more demolition and hard work….except for Steph and Gian, who have won one challenge and now are invincible! Plus, they have an advantage as they have been in the old house all along, so know what it takes to get it done.
Luckily for them, they also got a nice little road trip to the Yarra Valley for the weekly Ford Getaway, spending the night at the Blairgownie Estate winery and a one-on-one dinner with Scotty.
Meanwhile, Kristy and Brett are on the brink of disaster after an inspection finds their house stumps are old-fashioned pine timber and not compliant with the modern age.
Kristy and Brett. Nine
Over in House Four; however, it’s more good luck for our Highschool sweethearts as Gian puts the spa in his backyard on Facebook marketplace, hoping to make an extra $15k.
The Blockheads then received a visit from Alice Stolz from Domain who reveals to the contestants that the Domain Listings are already live!
But it’s this lil’ titbit that really makes us question whether the teams know what they’re in for when Eliza asks Foreman Dan: “What’s the difference between a nail and a screw?!” LOL!
Elsewhere, Liberty is still reeling from Marty’s comments, and phones her mum.
Want more recaps? Check out our The Block 2023 recaps below!
The Netflix limited series Painkiller delves into America’s real-life problem with opioid abuse.
It primarily focuses on the rise of the painkiller OxyContin, which is a drug manufactured by the company Purdue Pharma. The Sackler family own Purdue Pharma and the doco follows their focus on increasing their profits by exploiting the drug.
The show is based on true events, and while some of the characters are fictional, others aren’t. And, many of the characters portrayed on the show are part of the Sackler family.
Painkiller. Netflix.
Who are the Sackler family?
The Sackler family have been described as the “most evil family in America” and “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain“. This is because they’ve made over $10 billion in profit from the highly addictive drug that has caused approximately 300,000 overdose deaths.
Purdue Pharma was bought in 1952 by Raymond, Arthur and Mortimer Sackler. Raymond’s son Richard pushed for OxyCotin to be FDA-approved in 1995 and became president of the company in 1999. Richard stepped down as president in 2003 but is still on the board.
Painkiller. Netflix.
Who’s behind the Netflix hit?
The Netflix series is based on the book Pain Killer by Barry Meier which was published in 2003. At that time, it was optioned by the production firm Anonymous Content, however, it was ultimately shelved.
Meier explained that the company was worried about producing the series because of legal reasons.
“They had a very hard time selling a script at that point, because Purdue had not been indicted yet by the Justice Department,” Meier told The Hollywood Reporter.
“So people in Hollywood were going, ‘Are these good guys; are they bad guys? How do we cast this?’ Well, by 2007, it was pretty clear that this company had pled guilty to a federal crime, and that OxyContin had planted the seed and was the gateway drug to this horrible opioid epidemic that was still unfolding.”
MKR is back for another season and the premiere date has officially dropped.
The spicy cooking show is returning to Channel 7 on Monday, September 4.
This year, fan favs Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge will be hitting the road together as judges, and they’ll eventually be joined by Nigella Lawson at Kitchen HQ.
Is there a trailer?
There sure is! The newly released trailer introduces some of the contestants from the upcoming season and gives a taste of what viewers can expect to see on their screens. You can watch it below:
What can fans expect from the upcoming season?
Colin warned that this year’s MKR is a step above any of the past seasons.
“It’s pretty fierce. We’ve got some great competitors, the food rivalry is in there, people trying to outdo each other. The competition is really good this year, the contestants have stepped it up,” he said.
Who are the contestants on MKR 2023?
So far, we’ve been introduced to a few of the contestants in the upcoming season. Among them are Adelaide-based mother-and-son team Sonia and Marcus, Identical twins Radha and Prabha and roommates Tommy and Rach.
MKR. Seven.
Who won last season?
Sydney couple Janelle and Monzir were crowned the 2022 winners of MKR after they narrowly beat radiation therapists and close friends Kate and Mary by just two points.
“We won, we actually won! It doesn’t matter where you came from, you can achieve anything you want. There is no limit. This means everything to us,” Janelle said of the achievement at the time.
MKR premieres 7.30pm Monday, 4 September on Channel 7 and 7plus.
Neighbours star Takaya Honda has taken to Instagram to announce some devastating family news.
In a moving post, Honda revealed that his mother, Rhonda had passed away after a lengthy battle with Alzheimers.
“I got a call from dad while I was walking Mia [his dog] yesterday afternoon,” the caption, which accompanied a stunning photograph of the pair, read.
“‘You have to fly to Brisbane tonight, mum might not make it ‘til morning’.”
Honda then said that he and his wife Amy found flights and found someone to take care of their pup and upon arriving at the airport, his dad called again.
Takaya Honda and his family including his mum Rhonda. Instagram
“A fear ran through my body, ‘oh no, I’ve missed her’,” he penned. “I hadn’t. He just wanted me to talk to her and tell her that I was coming.”
The two-hour and 10-minute flight time from Melbourne to Brisbane was “uncomfortable” for the actor, and with an hour to go, had the urge to look at the time. It was 22:22.
“I did something I don’t know normally do. I took my shoes and socks off, to relieve some of the discomfort. It worked – mostly.”
Upon landing, he got another text.
“My heart pounded again…’22:17pm 3rd last morphine done’. She is looks very comfortable [sic]. What did this mean? Dad is a man of few words and his written English isn’t great. I couldn’t fathom that he was telling me she had passed and assumed he was just preparing me for her to be unconscious when we got there.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered much either way, her Alzheimers had meant that she was nonverbal the last few years.”
Honda and his wife then jumped in an Uber, meeting his dad at the front door of the care facility.
“We hugged and dad just said ‘sorry’,” he wrote. “Again, I didn’t think much of it. What else do you say?”
He continued: “We walked the long walk to her room and I opened the door. The first thing I saw was my brother so we hugged and he left Amy and I in the room with mum. I looked down and stopped. She was already dead. I had missed her.
“I sat next to her and placed my hand on her shoulder, the front of her was cold. The back side, still insulated by the bed, was warm. I didn’t say anything out loud, but I said a lot in my head, I knew she could hear it.”
Honda then revealed she had died shortly after the final morphine shot, “about the time my legs had become uncomfortable.”
“I hadn’t got to say goodbye, but she had.”
Takaya Honda reveals the last time he had seen his mum
“The last time I had seen her, as I left I told her ‘It’s ok mum, you’ve done enough. Don’t worry about me, you can go.’ When I left her this time, all I could say was “goodbye”, “thank you” and “I love you” – it appears so general to me now, but if I were to be specific I wouldn’t have known where to start, nor could I have captured it all.”
After he left the room, his dad said his “final goodbye”.
“He held her head in his hands as if trying to look in her eyes and said his ‘goodbye’. He then lightly tapped her on the cheek with his right hand. Something I had seen him do many times to wake Mum up on my visits.
“This time was different. He of course knew that she was dead. But one last time before he left, he had to check. And in the brief pause he took after the final tap he looked at her and said ‘ok’ and we left the room.”
Honda believes his mum “held on” until after he had filmed “one of the biggest scenes I had ever had to film”.
Takaya and Rhonda. Instagram
“On that day, she hadn’t had a great day and shortly after completing the scene, I read a text from dad saying as much.
“I look at that now as if that was the only way to communicate to me that she was with me for it and she was proud – something I had been telling myself that morning to aid me in the scene – something I had told myself just after they yelled ‘cut’ as I felt it was the best work I had ever done and that somehow it was for her.
“This is all to say, she was always my biggest supporter, whether she was able to say it with words or not.”
“I write this now, the morning after she left us. Not sure what else to do. Not sure how else to tell anyone. She deserves more than just ‘mum died’ and I want people to feel the sadness that I feel. They won’t. They can’t….”
He concluded: “I don’t want her story to end, but I am happy, for her sake, that it has.
There hasn’t been a shortage of drama on The Block 2023, and Blockheads Leah and Ash have found themselves right in the middle of it all.
But, despite constantly being involved in the scandals on the show, the Queensland couple says that they’ve just been given a bad edit.
“It’s not how I am as a person in my everyday life,” Leah told Yahoo Lifestyle. “I am a straight shooter, that’s what we are, but we are not nasty. We don’t ever try and gang up on anybody.”
The Block. Nine.
She continued: “It’s just not who we are and it’s just unfortunate that The Block is first and foremost a competitive environment. The way that you act and say things is not how you are in normal life, so it’s a shame that the audience isn’t getting an accurate view of me.
“But hey, the other thing is I am quite loud and confident and that is polarising for our society at the moment. ‘Women should be little wallflowers’, and I’m not one of them.”
Leah addresses the body corporate meeting
Things really came to a head when Leah and Ash called all of the contestants into an unexpected body corporate meeting about Gian and Steph. Steph had enlisted the help of her builder dad to help finish the bathroom but failed to officially register him.
The Block. Nine.
The meeting got heated, and essentially reinforced Leah and Ash’s position as The Block villains.
However, Leah says that what happened in the meeting was different to what viewers saw in the episode.
“Watching that body corporate back was hard for me, only because it’s probably not exactly how it went in reality,” Leah said. “There were a lot of contestants that were of the same opinion as us who were toying with holding their own body corporate.
“And I know it looks like I was talking but in reality when I said the words, ‘Can I just explain’ and then Kyle sort of had some strong reaction to me, my reaction to that was because he didn’t have a reaction to any other person that was talking, and there was a lot more talking than what was shown.
“That’s when I started going, ‘This just felt really personal’, because he wasn’t after Eliza when Eliza had a lot to say about it.”
The Block airs on Sunday at 7:00pm and continues Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 9 and9Now.
It appears as though Craig Robinson has picked up some local knowledge while filming Killing It with Aussie co-star Claudia O’Doherty, as he’s demonstrated by belting out the Australian anthem.
The two sat down for a chinwag about season two of Killing It, and dished on what fans can expect from the upcoming instalment.
Craig on what fans can expect in Killing It season two
Craig teased that Killing It season two will be action-packed, and even hinted that something so dramatic will go down that viewers shouldn’t necessarily expect a third season of the popular show.
“Craig and Jillan experienced some success in opening their farm, they were excited to get the first harvest and are about to get paid and then life takes a turn. And another one, and another one. And another one. And another one. So don’t be looking for season three,” he said.
Killing It. Stan.
How Craig and Claudia relate to their characters
Craig and Claudia said that while they both see similarities between themselves and their characters, there are some qualities their own screen personalities have that they don’t align with.
“Sometimes I’ll think to [character Craig], ‘Dude, come on stand up for yourself’. But I do like his resilience and he is not a quitter and I definitely see that part of me, unless I just have to give up.” Craig said.
“At their core, these [Craig and Claudia] are very nice people. They’re just looking for love like anybody else in the world and they find it in each other in different ways,” he added.
Killing It. Stan.
Claudia joked about the literal similarities between herself and her character Jillian.
“Ultimately, I’m probably a bit less friendly than Jillian in real life, just because she’s weirdly friendly. Maybe she could stand to be a bit less friendly.
“We have the same accent, we both have visa problems sometimes. We both have brown hair. There’s a lot of me in her,” she said.
Killing It Season 2 premieres on Friday, August 18 on Stan.
