Modern Family actress Ariel Winter genuinely believed that disgraced Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong was a “real astronaut” during the first episode of the new US series Stars on Mars.
During a producer interview, Winter revealed that she was shocked to see Lance take part in the reality show.
“Lance Armstrong is a real fricking astronaut. He is a real astronaut. He is Lance Armstrong. You need to Google him. You need to know everything about him because he is so cool,” she said.
Stars on Mars. Fox.
We’re not sure who else aside from Ariel Winter needs to hear this, but it was Neil Armstrong who was the first person to walk on the moon back in 1969, and Lance Armstrong was an Olympic cyclist who got caught illegally doping over a decade ago.
Winter was so shocked by Armstrong’s inclusion in the show, which sees celebrities enter a 24 days Mars simulation, that she pointed it out to another contestant, and the faux par made its way back to Armstrong.
“If I were Neil Armstrong, I’d be dead,” he said matter-of-factly.
What is Stars on Mars about?
The brand new reality show sees a bunch of celebs “survive” in a 24-day Mars simulation and complete challenges and evictions until one “celebronant” is crowned the winner.
Funnily enough, the series was filmed in Coober Pedy, South Australia because it closely resembles the Mars-like landscape.
Stars on Mars. Fox.
Who’s in the cast?
Ariel Winter – Modern Family.
Natasha Leggero – The 70s House host.
Rodna Rousey – WWE Fighter.
Tom Schwartz – Vanderpump Rules.
Marshawn Lynch – Former NFL Player.
Tinashe – Singer.
Porsha Williams – The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Adam Rippon – American figure skater.
Lance Armstrong – Former Olympic athlete (not astronaut).
Tallulah Willis – The Whole Ten Yards.
Richard Sherman – American NFL player.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse – Superbad.
How can I watch Stars on Mars in Australia?
Unfortunately, Stars on Mars is only broadcast on Fox and available to stream on Hulu, and neither is available in Australia.
It’s only been a little over a year since Shane Warne tragically passed away in Thailand of a heart attack, but there’s already a mini-series being released about his life.
Warne was equally – if not more – famous for his spicy personal life, as he was for his tremendous cricketing achievements. He married Elizabeth Hurley, sexted a British nurse while married and returned a positive drug test which caused him to be banned from cricket. All of which look to be included in the upcoming series.
The series will premiere on June 25 with a concluding episode on June 26 on Channel 9 and 9Now.
Despite Warne’s wild personal life, there’s no debating that he was one of the best cricketers of all time. And, the two-part drama is set to capture both the highs and lows of his career and his life.
Warnie. Nine.
“This is a man who never captained Australia, a sportsman who found himself in trouble, multiple times – at one point banned from the game he loved. Warnie lived his life in the spotlight, with every failing scrutinised by global media and had more than his fair share of controversy,” a press release for the series reads.
“Yet, in spite of all that, Shane Warne managed to retain the love of not only his family and friends but millions around the world.”
Will Liz Hurley feature in Warnie?
Yes, she will! UK-born actress Shanti Kali will play the part of Liz Hurley, and the series is set to reenact their famous meeting at the races in 2010. Warnie will also follow Warne’s relationship with his ex-wife Simone Callahan and detail the breakdown of their marriage.
Who’s in it?
Australian actor Alex Williams is playing the role of Warne, and the cast also features Anthony Hayes, Marny Kennedy, Jacqui Brennan and Jeremy Stanford.
It’s episode 28 of MasterChef Australia and legendary chef Curtis Stone is back in the kitchen to set a service challenge for the top 10 contestants.
During the episode, it was a Service Challenge where root vegetables (turnips, sweet potatoes, parsnips and beetroot) were on the menu and the teams had to create a two-course menu: main and dessert, with the winning team heading into Thursday’s Immunity Challenge.
Curtis Stone. Ten
The Green team consisted of Ralph, Adi, Brent, Rhiannon and Rue, while on the Brown team, it was Declan, Cath, Antonio and Malissa. Theo was unwell and didn’t take part in the challenge, meaning he had no shot at winning Immunity this week.
Since the Brown team was one man down, they had three hours on the clock before the savoury course needed to leave the pass while the Green team had two and a half hours.
Let’s get cooking!
The Cook
For their main, the Brown team decided on an Eye Fillet Steak with an Oven Roasted Sweet Potato rubbed in a Morrocan spice mix.
For dessert, they chose to do a Sweet Potato Brownie; however, Curtis questioned whether they were playing it too “safe”.
Malissa, Declan and Curtis. Ten
Once their 30 minutes of waiting were up, the Green team decided on Beetroot for their main element. They chose Braised Octopus with Aromats, finished on the Hibachi grill.
Brent would be in charge of cooking the mollusc with Curtis questioning him whether he was “confident” enough to do it. He said he was.
For their dessert, the team chose a Goats Cheese Crémaux with a Beetroot Consommé; with Rhiannon putting up her hand to be team captain.
Brent. Ten
The Brown team then changed course to cook a Fillet Steak with Middle Eastern Spice Sweet Potato Purée and Tahini, while now cooking a dessert of Sweet Potato Custard with Cinnamon Ice-Cream. They also decided not to have a team captain since they all knew what they were working on.
Even though Cath had a major ice cream disaster during the May 31 Service Challenge, she was once again tasked with cooking the delicious component.
Meanwhile, Declan was in charge of the meat and Curtis told him to be more generous with his servings. However, when it came to cooking, his first four were sent back by the culinary expert for being undercooked.
The Judging — Main
Judges Jock Zonfrillo, Andy Allen and Melissa Leong were presented with the Brown Team’s Eye Fillet, Sweet Potato Purée and Tahini Dressing.
They noted the steaks were cooked inconsistently, Andy loved the spiced blend of the puée and the Tahini sauce. Jock enjoyed the flavours and Mel said they “were all having different experiences”.
Brown team main. Ten
Although the Green team struggled to get everything on the plate, they delivered their Charred Octopus with Beetroot to the judges.
They loved the presentation with Jock calling it “interesting”, adding he really “enjoyed it”. Mel agreed, saying the texture was great and called it “clever cooking”. Andy said the “upsetting thing” was the roasted beetroot, one of his was cooked “al denté”.
The Green team’s main. Ten
The Judging — Dessert
Disaster hit the Green team again as Cath forgot the Sweet Potato caramel for the ice cream.
The Green team were the first to send their dessert to the Judges. Their Goats Cheese Crémaux with Beetroot Consommé and Poached Pear was praised for flavour with the Consommé being the best part of the dessert.
The Green team’s dessert. Ten
Finally, the Brown team’s Sweet Potato Tart with Spiced Ice Cream and Sweet Potato Caramel was placed in front of Jock, Mel and Andy; however, Anotonio was concerned by the consistency of his custard tart.
Jock said the tart was “too soft”, but the tart case was “epic”. He absolutely loved the caramel and Andy loved the ice-cream. Mel felt conflicted because the custard wasn’t an enjoyable texture.
The Brown team’s dessert. Ten
The Verdict
The Green Team of Ralph, Adi, Brent, Rhiannon and Rue were victorious and will now go head-to-head for an Immunity Pin in the June 15 episode.
MasterChef Australia airs Sunday – Thursday at 7.30pm on 10 and 10Play.
It’s Million Dollar Island Australia 2023 episode three and we’ve got an hour-and-a-half-long slightly passive aggressive face-off between alpha player Karla and outspoken Survival Enthusiast Adrian.
Here are 12 thoughts I had during episode three of Million Dollar Island Australia.
The episode kicks off with Karla ordering her team around, and I’m still confused about why she’s in charge when no other teams have leaders.
Million Dollar Island. Seven.
2. Christine gets in a big fight with her camp over food. Turns out she took extra rice because she doesn’t eat garlic so that she can have an equal portion and I’m just wondering how much room the garlic takes up in their rice bowls?
3. Interesting. A relaxed Vegan chiropractor called Yasmin picks this week’s tributes for the challenge, and she chooses a mix of volunteers and challenge guns, which is both a big move and cop-out at the same time. We have Luke, Nate, Adrian, Karla, Brendan, and Christine competing for immunity.
Million Dollar Island. Seven.
The Challenge
4. I’m living for the Karla vs Adrian (the ahem, Survival Enthusiast) narrative that’s being pushed on us but I’m not sure why are they fighting before the challenge even starts.
5. The contestants select their teams for the challenge and I’m praying Adrian and Karla will be paired together.
6. Sadly, the two survival rivals are on separate teams, but an Adrian and Christine team is still quite spicy, hopefully, she can’t smell the garlic on him from breaky.
The Second Challenge
7. Adrian conveniently forgets Karla’s name and it could be the best moment of this season so far.
Million Dollar Island. Seven.
8 . The second challenge kicks off and Brendan reveals that he’s never touched a coconut “in his life” and I’m confused. How is that possible?
9. Despite never had touch a coconut, Brendan wins the challenge which is extremely lol worthy considering Adrian is a self-confessed Survival Enthusiast and he lost to a coconut virgin.
Million Dollar Island. Seven.
The Elimination
10. This week’s challenge winner Nate decides to leave because he missed his family which is a plot twist, who will he give the bracelets to? Can he split them up?
11. Karla gets saved by a rando contestant that’s leaving and Adrian isn’t stoked. However, it’s clear he’s eyeing Nate’s five bracelets, which are up for grabs, anyway.
Million Dollar Island. Seven.
12. Unfortunately for Adrian, but fortunately for us as viewers, Nate hands all his bracelets to the richest man on the island Brett, and MDI Survival Enthusiast is sent packing.
Million Dollar Island Australia continues on Sunday 18 at 7.30pm on 7 and 7Plus.
Another award-winning drama is dropping this winter to keep you entertained through these freezing-cold winter months.
Emmy-nominated series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakes Dynasty will be returning to Binge for season two this August, and if the trailer is anything to go by, it looks just as addictive as season one.
Season one of the sports drama television series followed the personal lives of 1980’s Lakers basketball players and many of the storylines were based on actual events that were detailed in Jeff Pearlman’s non-fiction book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.
Throughout the season, the characters battled with family problems, relationship dramas, and serious tragedies, all while trying to keep their coveted spots on the L.A. Lakers basketball team.
Winning Time. Binge.
What will season two of Winning Time be about?
Over seven exciting episodes, season two covers the Lakers players’ personal and professional lives from right after the 1980 Finals through to 1984. The new season has a heavy focus on the first professional rematch of the era’s greatest stars: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
Who’s in it?
Season two of Winning Time will see John C. Reilly return as Jerry Buss, Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson and Jason Clarke come back as Jerry West. It will also see Gaby Hoffmann, Hadley Robinson, and DeVaughn Nixon return as Claire Rothman, Jeanie Buss and Norm Nixon.
Meanwhile, Adrien Brody will come back as Pat Riley, as will Jason Segel as Paul Westhead
Winning Time. Binge.
The ensemble cast for the second season also includes Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett, Molly Gordon, Joey Brooks, Delante Desouza, Jimel Atkins, Austin Aaron, McCabe Slye, Thomas Mann, Gillian Jacobs, with Michael Chiklis and Rob Morgan.
The brand new Australian/UK drama Riptide is set on a beautiful beach in Victoria and follows a feuding family who struggles to work past their issues before a very dark event.
In the TV series, Alison marries a rich older man named Sean and moves to his bougie beachfront home with her daughter Hannah. But, Sean’s adult son Ethan has his suspicions about Alison’s intentions which are further escalated after his dad disappears during a morning surf.
Sean and Alison. Ten.
Throughout the four-part series, the search for Sean unfolds, and the dark drama plays out with a backdrop of a stunning Summer-Bay-esque beach and some very good-looking people.
Who’s in it?
While the series is giving vague Home and Away vibes, the cast is actually stacked with former Neighbours actors. Check out who will be starring in Riptide:
Jo Joyner as Alison (Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators, Eastenders, Ackley Bridge, Stay Close) Ciarán Griffiths (Coronation Street, Shameless, The Bill).
Peter O’Brien as Sean (Neighbours, Tidelands, GLOW).
Benny Turland as Ethan (Neighbours).
Asher Yasbincek as Hannah (Heartbreak High, The Wilds).
David Berry (A Place to Call Home, Outlander).
Ally Fowler (Wentworth, Neighbours, All Saints).
Yazeed Daher (The Heights, The Hunting, Safe Harbour)
Benjamin Samaddar
Alison. Ten.
Who is behind Riptide?
Like the cast, the behind-the-scenes team of Riptide boasts some very impressive names. The series is created, written and produced by Jason Herbison (Neighbours, Lie With Me, Always Greener)and directed by Australia Directors’ Guild Award recipient, Scott Major (Lie With Me,Neighbours).
The writers include Margaret Wilson, Anthony Ellis (Wentworth, McLeod’s Daughters, Stingers) and Natalie Mandel (Neighbours,Wanted, Packed to the Rafters).
It’s Million Dollar Island Australia 2023 episode two and we’ve got Jonathan with the power to choose who will enter this week’s challenge and risk being eliminated.
Will Jonathan decide to follow in Mike’s footsteps and put himself forward, or will he choose five other contestants to battle it?
The answer comes pretty early on, but the action-packed episode moves from drama to drama from start to finish. Here are 20 thoughts I had during episode two of Million Dollar Island Australia.
1. Who is the loud pink-haired lady and why on earth did I not notice her in the first episode? Apparently, her name is Melissa.
Melissa. Seven.
2. Jonathan is in charge of selecting this episode’s tributes and has learned from Mike’s mistake and decided not to nominate himself for the challenge. Hooray!
“I’m a dancer… So, I just knew, in terms of the mental challenge, I’ll fail,” he explains.
3. I’m kinda living for the cute two older ladies who have decided they’re snoring buddies.
Snoring Buddy, Snoring Buddy #1 and a random competitor friend. Seven.
4. One of the adorbs snoring buddies (Louise) has volunteered to take part in the challenge and ugh it looks as though we might only have one snoring buddy left by the end of the ep.
5. Ummm, did she just refer to someone as the “afro-hair guy” while also suggesting him for eviction? That’s not okay. He has a name, and it’s Alfa FYI.
6. Karla has volunteered to be Log Camp’s ‘Expedition Leader’, even though there are no leaders and no official requirement for one.
“People wanted some guidance and I stepped in and took that role,” Karla says and I’m wondering if she’s ever seen Survivor? Probably not the best tactic to put a target on her back so early on.
Karla the Expedition Leader. Seven.
The Challenge
7. Surprise, surprise, after receiving a considerable amount of screen time in this ep, Melissa and her pink hair are nominated to participate in the elimination challenge. She’s joined by Dean, Alfa, Louise, Vicki, and Sharni.
8. Welp, it looks like the host Ant Middleton tricked us when he told Jonathan the challenge was “mental” because we just found out that these guys have to literally use their own body strength to launch coconuts into signs.
9. I take that back, Ant explains that contestants will need to use their brains to remember their fellow contestants’ names, and if they get it right, they earn the chance to ditch a coconut at one of their rival’s boards in an effort to knock them out.
10. Honestly, I’m kinda shocked at how this challenge is going. The “young guns” of the bunch can’t hit their targets but the “oldies” are smashing it.
Melissa in the challenge. Seven.
11. Looks like I spoke too soon. The “young ones” made a comeback and alpha female Sharni took out the competition, something fellow alpha female Karla isn’t too happy about.
Karla watching Sharni in the challenge. Seven.
The second challenge
12. What alternate universe am I living in? Why is the pink-haired midwife helping snoring buddy #1 light her fire in the challenge?
Melissa helping Dean light his fire. Seven.
13. O…kay. Now, everyone is helping their competitors light their fires. Do they not realise this is a competition?
14. As Melissa begins to fall behind in the beach fire challenge, I’m just wondering if she’s regretting helping her teammates?
15. Dean’s speech to Melissa and snoring buddy #1 after winning the challenge is extremely sweet. I have a soft spot for him and I think Sharni does too.
Dean and Sharni. Seven.
16. Could this be the beginning of the first Million Dollar Island Australia showmance?
The aftermath
17. Wow, midwife Melissa is really gloating about her act of helping everyone at the challenge in an effort to get a sympathy bracelet and stay in the game – was it just a tactic all along?
Melissa pitching her case. Seven.
18. A suspicious amount of people are saying they’re ready to leave the island and it’s got me wondering if producers purposely cast people that they don’t think can survive the jungle?
The elimination
19. I am absolutely floored that during Melissa’s elimination ceremony speech, she didn’t mention that she helped everyone at the challenge.
20. Four contestants are quitting, and three nominated contestants want to stay, which makes it easy, right? Wrong! Alfa and Louise are saved but a woman named Vicki and Melissa, the pink-haired midwife, are sent packing. Bet she’s really regretting that fire help now.
Million Dollar Island Australia continues at 7.30pm on 7 and 7Plus.
It’s episode 27 of MasterChef Australia 2023 and it was a Pressure Test with a twist as Adi, Theo and Grace had to replicate a dish with no recipe!
With just two hours on the clock, the contestants had to use their taste buds and gut instincts to recreate Chef Luke Nguyen’s Beef Pho.
With ingredients waiting for them and their equipment provided, it was time to cook for Judges Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen, while Chef Luke was there to offer guidance.
Being a Pressure Test, whoever’s dish looked and tasted the least like the culinary expert’s, would be sent home!
Andy Allen, Chef Luke Nguyen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo. Ten
The Pressure Test — Beef Pho
The first challenge in the Pressure Test saw the contestants identifying what was in Chef Luke’s steaming hot bowl of Beef Pho.
The trio recognised beef short rib, ox tail, rice noodles, and broth as the main ingredients, but there was something else hidden inside, a secret ingredient!
Luke revealed the “ancient delicacy”, of a bull’s penis, explaining it added a gelatinous texture to the broth and respected the ethos of eating the whole animal with minimal waste.
Before cooking, Luke advised the cooks that the broth should be clean and clear, flavoursome and well balanced.
Theo, Grace and Addy. Ten
Adi’s Cook
Adi was feeling excited and ready for her first-ever Pressure Test and as an avid Pho maker, she was off to a flying start: blanching those bones until the broth is crystal clear, and getting it cooked up in the pressure cooker before anyone else.
But then came the noodle drama because getting the perfect dough recipe was a wee bit trickier than she imagined.
After a few false starts, she finally nailed it on her fifth attempt – but time was running out, with only 15 minutes left to get that broth balanced and get her dish ready for tasting. Talk about pressure!
Adi. Ten
Theo’s cook
When it comes to Vietnamese cooking, Theo was a novice and struggled without the use of a recipe. Luckily, Luke and Jock came to the rescue, advising him to pare it down and reframe the dish as a simple soup.
After brewing the perfect broth in the pressure cooker, Theo aced the noodle-making, playing around with xanthan gum; however, the broth needed more work.
He worked on the taste, reduced and seasoned it to perfection, matching up to Luke’s standards.
Theo. Ten
Grace’s cook
Grace entered the challenge optimistic; however, like Theo, was rattled without a recipe.
Unlike the other competitors, she prioritised caramelizing her bones before putting them into the pressure cooker and though it took some noodle dough experiments, she eventually nailed it.
Towards the end, her broth looked a little gloopy and fatty and Mel and Luke gave her the heads up to skim off some of the fat; however, was racing against the clock to create a balanced flavour.
Melissa, Luke and Grace. Ten
Judging
Theo was excited to present his Beef Pho to the judges.
Andy called Theo’s dish “was “close to perfect”, while also congratulating him on turning his cook around.
Theo’s Pho. Ten
Next up was Grace, who said she was “proud” of what she had delivered. The judges liked her seasoning and praised her noodles for being bouncy, silky and soft.
Since she roasted her meat and bones at the start of her cook, Grace’s broth was heavy and cloudy which was also exacerbated by the fact she didn’t skim the fat off the top. Unfortunately, the judges were left with unpleasant greasy palates.
Grace’s dish. Ten
Finally, Adi presented her dish to the judges.
Her pho was praised for its broth clarity and well-cooked protein; however, it lacked seasoning.
Adi’s dish
The Verdict
Due to the leaving an unwanted taste of grease in the mouths of the judges, Grace became the eighth eliminated contestant.
MasterChef Australia airs Sunday – Thursday at 7.30pm on 10 and 10Play.
It’s episode four of Parental Guidance, and Dr Justin Coulson and Ally Langdon are continuing their quest to find Australia’s best parenting style.
Like in episode three, the Influencer, Spiritual, Team, and Stage parenting styles are being put through their paces, delving into the importance of setting a good example, teaching vital life skills, and handling emergency situations.
Challenge One — Parents Off Duty
Testing: Life Skills
Spiritual and Stage Families
The episode kicks off with a dream scenario for every parent – a well-earned night off! But the kids (and their parents) are put to the test to see if they’ve been taught about healthy eating.
The Spiritual Family kids Krishna, 13 and Mridula, 7, decide to make pasta, helping each other out in the kitchen. Mridula who is usually a fussy eater, explored a new type of food because she got involved.
Mridula. Nine
The Stage Parents were up next, adding an additional course for their kids to cook.
While mum Sarah struggled to take a hands-off approach, she also made a comment that “Don’t forget, neither of us eats carbs”.
Xion, a rice lover, decided to use put a cup of it on the plate; however, Sarah’s comments about it became concerning.
“We think it’s important to make them aware, without shaming them, that if you want to be a Hollywood actor and buff, you need to watch what you eat.”
Sarah then picked the meal apart, which Xion noticed before Alaska served them Steak and Vegetables.
Alaska, Mark and Sarah. Nine
Challenge One – The Parent Lounge
While the Spiritual parents, Deepak and Kajal took a lot from the challenge and were commended on their parenting skills, the same couldn’t be said for Stage Parents Mark and Sarah.
Slow Parent Philippa liked how they gave their children a course each to do and Gentle Parent Larissa loved how confident the kids were. However, Unstructured Parent Melody was concerned by Sarah’s Hollywood comment with Mark saying that it’s a “personal goal” that his son Xion had expressed.
Lighthouse Parent Sammy asked where that “belief system” came from, and Sarah said it was because he’s “been around it a lot”, especially with the dancers in musicals who “have amazing bodies”.
“We all have amazing bodies regardless of how they look on the outside,” Melody said.
Parent’s Loung. Nine
Road Trip Parent Amy didn’t have a problem with what Sarah expressed, given they were in the “entertainment industry”.
Challenge One — Parents Off Duty Continued
Team and Influencer Families
The Team family decided on takeaway instead of cooking and although they didn’t make the meal themselves, they worked really well together ordering.
The Influencer kids also decided to bring food in. They chose healthy options rather than going for fast food.
Challenge One – The Parent Lounge Continued
The Team parents were praised for their kids working together and the Influencer Parents then spoke about their “party animal” lifestyles, with Road Trip parent Amy saying they need to change their language with how honest they are with their kids.
Kat and Jonathan. Nine
Dr Justin then said that parents need to be “open” and educate their kids on healthier options.
Spotlight — Team Parenting
In this parenting style, everyone is expected to work together, with Mark and Leanne’s motto being: “One in, all in”.
It turns out, Mark is the son of NRL great Arthur Beetson, the first Indigenous captain of any sporting team in Australia and regarded as a Rugby League immortal.
Arthur Beetson. Nine
Arthur was a hugely influential person in Mark’s life and has a huge impact on the way they parent.
As a couple, they believe in “repetition, respect and discipline, all the fundamentals that make our team what we are.”
Parent’s Lounge — Feedback
Gentle mum Larissa loved that they said “Everything works better when you do it together”, while Slow Parent Philippa was concerned the kids have too much on.
“Our kids thrive off it,” Leanne assured her.
Challenge — Home Alone — Team and Influencers
Testing: Independence under pressure
With a fire simulation blowing smoke into the room, Influencer Family’s Deja is taken aback. Mum Kat reveals that she hasn’t actually spoken to her kids about what to do if there is an emergency, instead, saying she is capable of making the right decision.
Deja decides to go next door for help.
Deja. Nine
Over in the Team Parent’s house, Brooklyn takes control of his little sisters, calling Mark for help.
Parents Lounge— Feedback
Unstructured Parent Melody praised the “team” aspect of how they listened to one another and also told the Influencer family it was great that Deja remained calm and listened to her neighbour.
Challenge — Home Alone — Stage and Spiritual
Xion and River were home alone when the “fire” broke out with Xion telling his brother “It’s not a fire”. They waited for their parents to come back instead of asking for help.
In the Spiritual Home, Krishna and Mridula called their parents. Instead of using a phone, Mridula yelled outside, while Krishna opened windows.
Mridula and Krishna. Nine
Parents Lounge — Feedback
Lighthouse mum Sammy suggested that being more assertive would be better in this situation and the kids needed to get out, rather than investigate.
Spotlight — Stage Parents
Given they are teachers of performing arts, the Stage Parent’s children have been exposed to the industry all of their life.
River plays Jai on Home and Away and gets stopped on the street a lot, which according to Sarah, “he does not like”. She believes in having respect for others and forces him to have his picture taken by strangers who approach him.
River. Nine
Parents Lounge— Feedback
Gentle Parent Larissa loved how confident her kids were, but questioned whether it was appropriate to force him to take a photo. Sarah said that it probably made that person’s day, which he likes.
Slow Parent Philippa asked about the sacrifices they make as parents and Sarah said she wanted to make sure her kids have those opportunities before Lighthouse Parent Melody also questioned whether they were forcing their children to be in the industry; however, Sarah reassured them that they like it.
Challenge Three — Snake Alert Challenge
Testing: Facing your fears
The next challenge is to see how parents handle when their child is confronted by fear.
Krishna from the Spiritual Family was excited by the prospect of holding a snake but Deja was “not a fan of any type of creature.”
Deja. Nine
Kat talked Deja through the process and she was able to overcome her fear!
Stage Parents’ River had zero fear and handled it like a pro while Mridula was able to hold onto the snake with the support of the Spiritual Family.
When it was time for the Team Family, there was a lot of hesitation from Baylee, and after some beautiful coaxing from Mark, Leanne jumped in there and did it too, and there was not a dry eye!
Leanne and Baylee. Nine
The Verdict
Team Parents Mark and Leanne were chosen as the couple with the best Parental Guidance and would be joining Honest mum Kat in the finals.
Parental Guidance airs Monday and Tuesday at 7.30pm on 9 and 9Now.
Mark – who makes up one-half of ‘Team Parenting’ on Parental Guidance – has a deep-rooted history with sport; his father was NRL legend Arthur Beetson.
Arthur’s grandchildren Matthew (16) Billy (11) Ella (8) Brooklyn (6) Bobbi (4) Baylee (3) all appear on the popular reality show alongside their parents Mark and Leanne.
Mark and Leanne with their family. Nine.
Parental Guidance sees twelve sets of parents enter an experiment and openly display their parenting styles, which are judged by both the hosts and their fellow co-stars.
Throughout the season, the parents undertake challenges and have their approach to parenting reviewed, reacted to, and discussed on the Parents’ Lounge, which ultimately leads to a vote for Australia’s best style.
Mark and Leanne focus their parenting style on being coaches, utilising repetition, instilling respect and discipline and encouraging teamwork. They allow their oldest son to be “captain” and sports play a huge role in the family’s routine, keeping the kids active and engaged.
Who is Arthur Beetson?
Arthur Beetson was one of the most legendary faces of NRL. He captained the inaugural State of Origin match in 1980 and was the first Indigenous Australian to captain Australia in any sport.
Arthur Beetson playing NRL. NRL.com
Arthur played NRL from 1964 until 1981, and after he hung up his jersey he went on to become part of the ABC’s commentary team in 1991 for their Saturday Afternoon League telecasts. He also coached the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks for the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
After Arthur passed away in 2011 from a heart attack, his son Mark set up the Arthur Beetson Foundation which honours Indigenous Australians who make outstanding contributions to Queensland Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people through Rugby League.
Shortly after his death, The Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh ordered a bronze statue of Arthur to be erected at Lang Park.
The Arthur Beetson statue at Lang Park.
What NRL awards did Arthur Beetson win?
1975 NSW Sports Star of the Year.
Named in Australian rugby league’s 100 greatest players.
Named as prop forward in the Australian rugby league team of the century.
Named as prop forward in Queensland rugby league team of the Century.
Named as prop forward in Indigenous Australian rugby league team of the century.
First Aborigine to captain the Australian Test team (vs France for the 2nd France vs Australia Test on the 1973 Kangaroo tour).
Parental Guidance airs Monday and Tuesday at 7.30pm on 9 and 9Now.
The new trailer has dropped for Hunted season two and it looks as though the fugitives will be running the show this year.
“We’ve seen their game, we’ve seen their tricks, we know how it all works,” one of future contestants says in a voice over.
Throughout the two minute trailer, the expert hunters look exasperated over their struggle to catch the fugitives, and one set of contestants even make a getaway on a small private plane.
Another particular scene shows a group of contestants teaming up and donning Money Heist inspired costumes to send the hunters a taunting Instagram video.
Contestants. Hunted.
However, despite the hunters apparent lack of control, they remain determined that they will be victorious.
“The fugitives may have done their homework, but this is our job,” Deputy Intelligence Ben Owen says.
What is the premise of the show?
Hunted follows ten pairs of every-day Aussies who transform themsleves into real-life fugitives with limited funds and resources with one objective in mind; to avoid being caught by the experts.
The experts, otherwise known as the hunters, are made up of some of the world’s best investigators formerly of the Australian Federal Police, Australian Defence Force and British Intelligence, alongside skilled cyber analysts and intel experts.
When fugitives are caught by the hunters, they are eliminated from the game. The fugitives who can evade captures and make it to the 21 day extraction point win the game.
Will any of the cast from season one be returning?
Yes. While the contestants will all be new, many of the hunters from last season will be returning. They’ll be joined by the new addition of Senior Principal analyst Leigha Fraser.
Deputy Intelligence Ben Owen. Hunted.
Amongst the returning experts are:
Hunted Chief Dr. David Craig.
Deputy Intelligence Ben Owen.
Deputy Operations Reece Dewar.
Lead Investigator Graeme Simpfendorfer.
Lead Cyber Jason Edelstein.
Forensic Psychologist Dr Karla Lopez.
Open-Source Intel Carter Smith.
Digital Forensics Jay Banerji.
Ethical Hacker Vicki Grouious.
Open-Source Intel Steph Jensen.
Where can I watch the trailer?
Right here!
Hunted season two will air in 2023 on 10 and 10Play.
In another win for Australian TV, NCIS is heading down under for a Sydney spin-off and a popular former Home and Away star will be one of the agents leading the investigations.
Todd Lasance, who is well-known for playing Aden Jefferies on the Aussie soap will play 2IC AFP counterpart, Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey and will answer to NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey who will be played by English actress Olivia Swann.
The Australian iteration of the popular crime show follows in the footsteps of Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Hawaii, who’ve all released spin-offs of the series.
NCIS Hawaii. CBS.
“We are thrilled to be expanding the NCIS franchise, one of our most powerful and iconic television IPs, across borders and into Australia,” said Lindsey Martin, Head of International Co-Productions and Development at CBS Studios.
“It is a joy to work with this talented NCIS: Sydney creative team, actors, and crew for our inaugural international original, and to be able to tell our exciting NCIS stories with a uniquely Australian sensibility.”
Who will be in it?
Lasance and Swann will be joined by a whole-new cast, who haven’t appeared in any versions of NCIS before.
Some of the other cast members are:
Sean Sagar (The Covenant, Mea Culpa) as NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson
Tuuli Narkle (Mystery Road: Origin, Bad Behaviour) will play AFP Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper
Mavournee Hazel (Shantaram, Halifax: Retribution) will play AFP Forensic Scientist Bluebird ‘Blue’ Gleeson
William McInnes (The Newsreader, Total Control) will play AFP Forensic Pathologist Dr Roy Penrose.
NCIS Sydney cast. Paramount+.
What will NCIS Sydney be about?
The new spin-off will be filmed against the background of Australia’s harbour city of Sydney and will be broadcast globally.
It will follow “a team of U.S. NCIS Agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) who are grafted into a multinational taskforce, to keep naval crimes in check, in the most contested patch of the ocean on the planet.”
How can I watch it?
NCIS Sydney will stream exclusively on Paramount+ and Network 10 in Australia and will air in 2023.
It’s Million Dollar Island Australia 2023 episode one and we’re about to be thrown into the deep end.
In the span of an hour and a half, we were introduced to 100 contestants, informed about the premise of the game, watched an elimination challenge go down and saw FIVE people sent home.
The entire episode was a ride, and I had a lot of thoughts throughout.
Here are 20 of them:
Contestants head to Million Dollar Island
1. I already knew there were going to be 100 contestants but seeing them all together is a lot. Like, a lot a lot.
2. Why are they allowed so much stuff? People are literally swimming through the water with full-on suitcases?
Million Dollar Island. Seven.
3. I’m trying to get past this 100-contestant thing, but it’s tough. Seeing everyone sitting at the podium is making me spiral about how I am going to remember all (or any?) of their names.
4. On that note, with so many contestants there’s sure to be a lot of showmances, right? Juicy.
Million Dollar Island. Seven.
The Elimination Wheel gives Mike the power to pick the contestants in the elimination challenge
5. Mike was in charge of picking the contestants who will compete in the elimination challenge and we were told only one person will be kept safe. He said his “last choice” was to pick six strong people (not including himself) to “suss out what they’re like under pressure” and avoid being involved in the elimination. I’m just wondering why this is his last choice and not his first choice?
6. We were introduced to Adrian who is a “Survival Enthusiast” and while I don’t know exactly what that is, he certainly looks the part.
Million Dollar Island. Seven.
7. Mike selected the players to take part in the challenge, and unsurprisingly (!!) he picked himself. It’s Brett, Scott, Tim, Sherwin and Dan facing off with him.
8. Adrian AKA Survival Enthusiast knew what’s up. “I wouldn’t have done that, especially just getting to the island. I wouldn’t have nominated myself no,” he told the camera.
The challenge
9. With everyone’s challenge towers constantly falling over, are we even going to have time to eliminate a chunk of these people so I can start to remember some names?
Million Dollar Island. Seven.
10. It looks as though I may have to eat my words as Mike’s in the lead. Oh god, please no.
11. Nope, Brett made an insane comeback. Not gonna say I told you so Mike, but I kinda did.
12. Brett was deemed safe from this elimination (and the next) and snapped on his competitor’s bracelets which made him the “richest man on the island” with $60,000. This puts a huuuge target on his back, non?
The elimination aftermath
13. Mike, Scott, Tim, Sherwin and Dan’s only hope of staying in the game was to get a bracelet off a team-mate who was willing to quit. Sure, it’s unlikely anyone would want to quit on day two. HOWEVER, maybe these contestants didn’t know there were going to be so many competitors. And CBF with a 1% chance at winning? Just saying.
14. Boom. Donald decided he was over it and was considering going home. Who could blame him? His job title is miner, so a million bucks is prob a few day’s work anyways.
Million Dollar Island. Seven.
15. After putting himself in the firing line, Nick couldn’t even bring himself to hustle the other contestants for their bracelets. At this point, I’m hoping he’ll stay solely for the entertainment factor.
16. Kelly was sick and told she has to go. Here’s hoping her bracelet goes to the wholesome blonde guy (Dan) who wants to support his grandparents with his winnings.
Elimination
17. It’s elimination time, which five people will go home? My prediction? Nick (obviously), Kelly (medical reasons), Donald (Self-eviction), Sherwin, and Scott.
18. Curveball: Kelly gave her bracelet to someone (I’ve never seen before) who isn’t even up for eviction.
Million Dollar Island. Seven.
19. Boo! Dan’s sent home along with our exceptional villain Nick, as well as Kelly, Donald, Sherin, and Scott. Donald decides to give his bracelet to Tim and just like that, we’re down to 94 contestants.
20. Brett’s advice for Jonathan, who will be picking the next elimination batch, is top-notch. “You don’t want to nominate yourself, don’t make the Mike mistake. Think hard about what you’re going to do.” Touche.
Million Dollar Island Australia continues at 7.30pm on 7 and 7Plus.
It’s episode 26 of MasterChef Australia 2023 and fish master Josh Niland is in the kitchen to share his approach to nose-to-tail seafood preparation and consumption.
Before setting the day’s task, Josh showed the contestants how to completely break down a John Dory before setting them a challenge to cook a delicious dish using the cuts under their Mystery Box in 75 minutes.
Those who impressed our judges Jock Zonfrillo, Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Josh the least, will land themselves in tomorrow’s pressure test.
Josh Niland. Ten
What did the contestants cook?
The first dish the judges tasted was Antonio‘s Dory al Asado Negro with Cauliflower Purée and Plantain Chips.
“This is a dish very traditional from home,” Antonio told the judges.
Josh praised the cook, saying he cooked the fish “bang on”.
“I don’t think there’s too much better you could have done there,” he said while calling it “yummy”.
Andy said that he had transformed his thinking while Melissa called it “spectacular”.
Antonio’s dish. Ten
Malissa then presented Hibachi Roasted John Dory with a Yellow Curry Sauce.
Judge Mel called it a “pleasure to eat”.
Malissa’s dish. Ten
Ralph then delivered a Herb Crusted Dory with Potato Bake.
Jock said it was a “great concept”.
Ralph’s Dish. Ten
When bringing up his unique Dagwood Dory to the judges, Brent loved his idea but was concerned that he hadn’t tasted all of his components together.
Jock called the Sri Lankan-inspired flavour “epic” and the sauce on the side “complimented that” and was impressed how out of the box (pun intended) he went with his concept.
Mel loved the texture of the fry and Josh loved his innovation.
Brent’s dish. Ten
Next up was Theo, who was “nervous” that he hadn’t cooked his bread and fish properly. While it “started out as something else”, the dish he presented was Dory Khachapuri.
Andy said he thought the fish was “going to be dry, but I think you made the right decision. The fish is cooked really nicely”. However, added that “what suffered is the bread”. It was undercooked.
Jock was pleased by the fish and said, “It’s the MasterChef kitchen and sometimes it gets you.”
Theo’s dish. Ten
Adi was up next with her Dory Cheeks Rice Cakes with Roe and Crispy Fish Skin. While she really “wanted to do something different today”, she was concerned there was not enough fish on the plate.
Andy said it had a “very interesting flavour profile”; however, there was too much rice cake and Mel said it “just didn’t quite come together”.
Adi’s dish. Ten
Grace followed with her Fried John Dory and Hot and Sour Sauce.
Jock called her sauce “bottle ready” and “delicious” but the fish was overcooked.
Grace’s dish. Ten
Rue presented her Poached John Dory with a Pea Relish and a Beurre Blanc.
Andy said it was cooked “nicely” but that it was lacking in seasoning.
Rue’s dish. Ten
The “Fish Man”, Declan was up next who said he was “super overwhelmed and stoked” to be cooking for Josh.
He presented a Poached John Dory with Blackberry Reduction and said he “didn’t want to screw this one up” after fumbling in front of Rick Stein during episode 25.
Jock said he “didn’t think it was going to work” but really liked his sauce, and that he, “thought differently about this”, before calling his components “brilliant”.
Josh said it was “really great” (to a beaming Declan) and Mel called it some “really high concept thinking”.
Declan’s dish. Ten
Finally, it was Rhiannon’s turn but she was worried that she had undercooked her fish.
She presented a Hibachi Grilled Dory with Asian Apple Salad and Nam Jim Dressing.
Mel was surprised by her sad demeanour; however, Rhiannon was “devastated” because she didn’t give herself enough time.
Jock loved her rice and salad and said the cooking of the fish was “perfect” much to the relief of Rhiannon.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said while Josh agreed.
Andy told her to “let this be your turning point” in the competition. “We’re all digging it!”
Rhiannon’s dish.
The Verdict
Josh praised the cooks and said that “what we do now impacts what the future state could really be.”
Adi, Theo and Grace were announced as the bottom cooks and will be headed into tomorrow’s Pressure Test.
In the cutest moment ever, Declan said “See ya, Josh” as he was walking out of the kitchen. Just LOVE him.
MasterChef Australia airs Sunday – Thursday at 7.30pm on 10 and 10Play.
It’s episode three of Parental Guidance Australia 2023 and time to put the spotlight on four more parenting styles.
This week, host Ally Langdon and Dr Justin Coulson have introduced a fresh group of Focus Parents — Spiritual, Team, Stage, and Influencer parenting styles which will showcase their unique approach to raising children in the modern age.
Getting to know the Focus Parents
Stage Parents Sarah, 47 and Shane, 51, are raising their kids Alaska, 17, Xion, 13, and River, eight.
Given Sarah runs a theatre company and Shane is a drama teacher, “stage parenting is mostly fun” and they “encourage their kids’ individuality, creativity and independence.”
While people think Stage parents are encouraging of their children, Sarah says they are more “critical” of their kids.
Stage Family. Nine
Spiritual Parents Kajal, 37 and Deepak, 45, have two children, Krishna, 13 and Mridula, seven.
The family believe that they are part of the “divine” and they look towards Lord Krishna, “our God to guide us with our parenting and everything else we do.”
Their style embodies “parenting to the needs of the child, on the physical level, on the intellectual level and also on the spiritual level.”
“In regards to our parenting style, Lord Krishna says, ‘Treat me as you would treat your child or treat me as you would treat me,” Deepak said. “It’s not just us raising kids, our kids are raising us, spiritually.”
Spiritual Family. Nine
The Influencer Parents Kat, 36, and Jonathan, 40, are raising their daughters Latisha,18 and Deja, 11.
Their parenting style is leading by example and using technology to “connect rather than separate”.
Kat and Jonathan take an “influencer approach” to parenting, with both kids having social media accounts.
“If you see people on TikTok, if you see people on Instagram, the future is only going to move in that direction,” Jonathan said, while Kat said that “education is key”, teaching them “what to look out for and keeping them safe”.
Influencer Family. Nine
Mark, 46, and Leanne, 42 are Team Parents to their six kids Matthew, 16, Billy, 11, Ella, eight, Brooklyn, six, Bobbi, four and Baylee, three who love “working together and supporting each other” raising their “little tribe”.
“We’ve always got each other’s backs,” Leanne said, adding that they parent them like their own “footy team”.
Both parents are Rugby League coaches (Mark has a VERY famous dad) and where they “lead” their kids “follow”.
Team Family. Nine
Challenge One — Feeding Time at the Zoo
Testing: Managing emotions
In this challenge, we looked at how families deal with disappointment when only one person can have a turn.
In the Stage Family, Xion was chosen to feed the koala, while River expressed his upset over not being chosen. Shane and Sarah tried to diffuse the situation with comedy with Sarah saying, “You’re acting like a 5-year-old” to eight-year-old River.
Meanwhile, the Spiritual Family were tasked with feeding some hungry quokkas. it was a different story when Krishna said to his little sister, Mridula, that she could be the one to perform the activity; however, as a family, they decided he would actually be the one to do it. Deepak said that “making others happy” is very important.
Mridula. Nine
Unstructured parent Michael was impressed by their ability to turn disappointment into happiness for someone else.
Slow Parenting Dad Chris liked the way that Shane distracted River with humour; however, Unstructured mum Melody said Sarah’s approach was “nasty”.
Sarah then said that once you turn six, “it’s time that they should be able to control themselves”.
Next up were the Influencer parents. Their approach to disappointment is to be open and honest. Latisha was given the opportunity to hold the Koala and Deja handled her disappointment well.
Parent Lounge — Dr Justin removes one couple from the room
During the Team Parents Zoo challenge, Brooklyn, 6 and Baylee, 3 were upset that they weren’t able to feed the penguins; however, Mark, with five kids around him, managed to handle it like a pro.
Nine
Honest mum Kat told Mark that he “nailed” it; however, Gentle Parents Larissa and Marcus said they would have approached it differently.
“I’m curious why crying isn’t behaving?” Larissa said before Outback parent David defended Mark’s actions. Melody then tried to explain what Larissa meant; however, David was concerned that if they cry, would they get a cuddle every time.
Both Larissa and Melody argued the point that Baylee was three, but David continued with Team mum Leanne saying that it’s not acceptable to cry because they didn’t get to do the activity.
Larissa and David continued to be at odds with one another with Leanne saying that kids crying are “looking for attention and it’s not OK”.
Larissa. Nine
Dr Justin then asked Mark and Leanne to “stop for a moment” and took them outside for a “chat”.
“The room is getting too heated,” he said.
Dr Justin uses the example of if Mark spoke to his wife like the way he spoke to his child, would she respond well to being told to “stop it”?
He instead suggested identifying what is causing the “big emotion” and empathising with it. The process is called “Emotion Coaching”.
“The greatest human need is not to be loved but to be understood,” Dr Justin said.
Family Spotlight — Influencers
Learning more about the Influencer family, Jonathan and Kat admit that they were raised by strict parents, deciding to do the “complete opposite” with their girls.
Both Deja and Latisha are on all social media platforms and while Jonathan says having knowledge about safety online is paramount, he also admitted that the monetary gain is helpful too.
Back in the Focus Room, Slow Parents Phillipa and Chris reveal they don’t use much technology while raising their family, questioning Kat and Jonathan about the age their kids joined social media.
Philippa and Chris. Nine
Deja has been on social media for a couple of years and Kat reveals that they have access to everything. They also said that they do not “mindlessly scroll”, modelling that for their kids.
Ally asks if they are always creating content for the likes, which prompts the Focus Parents to further probe the Influencer parents.
Dr Justin then says: “As parents, we’ve got to be actively involved, having conversations, guiding their social media use and knowing what’s going on”.
Challenge Two — Online Research
The next challenge saw the kids armed with a laptop where a pop-up appeared asking them whether they were over 18 or not. The task was to see if the kids knew how to be safe online.
What seemed like a straightforward task, researching planet Uranus, took an unexpected turn as the children stumbled upon a potential gateway to explicit content.
While Spiritual’s Mridula and Influencer’s Deja passed with flying colours, while 16-year-old Matthew from Team family… did not. And, Mark was not surprised!
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” he said.
Matthew. Nine
Stage parent’s son Xion, 13, also clicked that he was over 18 after a few seconds of contemplation; however, Ally gave them some concessions, given that most families across Australia would have the same issue with their teenagers.
The conversation turned to if there were different standards for girls and boys with Slow Parent Phillipa saying it was a “cultural norm” for young males to be curious. Road School parent Amy said that girls were “tarnished” while American Parent Kim disagreed.
Kids Speak
During Kids Speak, Mridula said her parents were “encouraging” while 11-year-old Billy said Team Parents were “nice and caring” and they “look after us good”.
Influencing kid Deja said her parents were “crazy” and Stage kid Xion called his mum and dad “weird. Very weird.” HA!
Stage Parent kids. Nine
Deja revealed that she thinks her dad is “cool” and that all of her friends “love his hair” and Xion said his dad was “fit and buff”.
“He’s like Shane the Rock Johnson,” he said. Yes, Shane. LOL! Love Xion!
Krishna thought his dad was “funny” and admitted that one time, his dad “farted very loudly”! HA!
River said his mum can be “really nice sometimes” and Billy said Leanne was always “screaming” at footy! Deja, on the other hand, liked her mum because she was “really rich”. Dead.
As for who’s the boss of the household, Mridula said “God”, while the Stage kids were unanimous in saying their mum and the Team kids said their dad.
“Just so we all know, I’m the boss of the family, not Mark,” Leanne joked!
More of this segment, please!!
Spotlight — Spiritual Family
Coming from a Hindu background, Deepak said that “spirituality means we are all spirits” and their job as parents is to guide their kids in their overall journey.
“Be honest, be kind, don’t hurt each other,” he said while also teaching them to be grateful.
Mridula. Nine
American mum Kim praised them for giving their kids “another dimension” and Melody agreed, saying that having a strong sense of self was something that every kid needed.
“Externals don’t matter,” Deepak said.
While Deepak and Kajal’s parents live with them, Lighthouse’s mum Sammy admitted it wouldn’t work in their household. American Parent Kim said that in “Asia they do it so well but in the West, we’re missing out”.
Challenge — Reverse Park
The kids had to reverse park while the kids gave them directions. In this challenge, they were looking to see which parents could relinquish control and trust their kids to communicate effectively. What could possibly go wrong?
Eight-year-old River signalled for the Stage Parents, saying Sarah “might” hit the car, but overall did a great job!
River. Nine
Spiritual Parent Deepak struggled to let Mridula take control and while Mridula said Kajal was going to hit the car, his directions overpowered and the car was hit. Oops!
Road Parent Amy told Deepak that he should have listened to his daughter because she was giving great instruction while Dr Justin said that if you listen to your kids and stop thinking we “know it all”, they can really provide great insight.
Team’s Leanne took the wheel while eight-year-old Ella took control of the directions. Matthew decided to joke around, even thumping the car to make Leanne think she hit something, but in reality, Ella did a great job!
Ella. Nine
The Influencer family allowed Deja to take control, but her loud instructions caused Kat to say “f**k”; however, although “stressful” it was amazing!
American mum Kim praised the Influencers for “great communication” with the topic then turning to if should you swear in front of your kids.
Honest mum Kat said it was OK within reason and Gentle mum Larissa said they don’t swear in front of their kids.
Challenge — Approaching Tough Topics
Ally and Dr Justin wanted to see how the parents educate their kids on anatomy and how comfortable they are talking about it.
Matthew, 16, was embarrassed to say “vagina” while Ella was able to say it with a giggle.
Matthew. Nine
Over in the Stage Family, Xion knew the term “vulva” and also knew that a “foreskin” was removed during circumcision.
It wasn’t as successful with the Spiritual Family with Mridula saying babies came out of “the bum” and didn’t know the actual word for vagina, instead calling it “Venus”.
Leanne was shocked that her kids knew so much, saying that they knew more than she did. Philippa said that kids should know the “sooner the better” about their bodies to “normalise it” for our kids. Gentle mum Larissa said it was important for children to know, in case “something bad happens” and they are able to verbalise it.
As for the Influencer family, Kat says that her girls can come to her “about anything”. Deja was confident in saying that babies came from sperm, saying that they “race”. Lol.
Kat explained that she didn’t have the opportunity to talk to her own parents and shared what she told the girls about being a teen mum.
Kat. Nine
“I just don’t want them to be one,” she said, adding that she had had more of a conversation with Latisha than Deja.
“I didn’t want them to be held back,” she said of her own experience and wanted them to go to uni and get jobs without a child in tow.
Honest mum Kat said she really “resonated” with their honest approach.
The Verdict
The parents with the best Parental Guidance style so far was the Influencer parents Jonathan and Kat!
Parental Guidance airs Monday and Tuesday at 7.30pm on 9 and 9Now.
It’s episode five of FBoy Island Australia 2023 and over in the Nice Guy Grotto it’s face masks and cucumbers for all. While they were living it up in a life of luxury, over in Limbro, school was in session.
Host Abbie Chatfield tried to teach the disregarded idiots men about erogenous zones, and unsurprisingly Joey and mullet boy Mitch didn’t know what the term meant. Go figure.
Abbie in Limbro. Binge
Taco Tuesday Mikey reckoned “the boobs” are the most effective zones while newly-appointed FBoy Simon said “the toes”. VOMIT.
Abbie then took some chalk to spell out a word that clearly these men have never uttered before, “girlfriend”, and while this is meant to be a joke, it was absolutely not funny at all…
The day after the Elimination
After sweet, sweet Nick’s return to the Resort in episode four, he became concerned over having some competition and was all like: “Who da fuq is Vernon?”. Meanwhile, ol’ mate stache-boy was not thrilled about Nick’s comeback either, made worse by the fact that the other guys told him he should be worried. LOL.
Vernon. Binge
Over in the Villa, Molly continued to be on cloud nine before admitting that she was “smitten” by Vernon. However, their talk was interrupted by the doorbell and the appearance of Grand High FBoy (GHFB) Caleb.
Caleb had come offering bribes a.k.a chicken burgers, hoping to win over Ziara after their nice date; but Molly was suss over the gesture and Sophie’s burger “went down the wrong hole”.
Caleb. Binge
Group Date – The Talent Show
In a challenge that precisely not one person in Australia asked for, it was time for competition to see who could do the absolute least.
Titled “If you show me yours, I’ll show you mine: The talent show”, da boiz were about to be judged by Sophie, Ziara, Molly and consequentially, Australia as a whole.
While Ziara was keen to see who was putting in the most effort for her, Abbie was just thrilled to be able to “gong” those who were sh**. But, before it could even start, we were subjected to filth, as #dadshoes Darcy admitted that one of his talents came from the use of his tongue. While we saw a split-second preview, thank God, we weren’t subjected to the rest of it…
Brit Benny came to the party with some “savage roasting” of the other guys, calling peroxide Justin “Draco Malfoy” (new name incoming) while he asked tatt-man Chris if he went to prison for his “sh** tattoos or did it get done in there?”. LAWL. Molly and Ziara awarded him a seven while Sophie gave him a nine, admitting that she could see herself leaving the island with him.
Benny. Binge
Then it was time for sweet sweet Nick who recited a poem about a girl named “Polly”. Since we all know men who sing or rhyme on reality TV…shouldn’t, Abbie cut him off after the first three lines. Naturally, Molly loved it.
Stache-boy Vernon, Nick’s arch-nemesis, rode a unicycle as a clown, which was fitting given his behaviour and Molly rewarded him with a measly three.
Next up was hot name Izaya, who had also prepared a poem but because he was nervous AF, stumbled over it before actually, kinda, sorta doing OK. Ziara said she thought he’d actually be a great poet IRL because he’s hot.
Izaya. Binge
Unsurprisingly with this group, literally, not one person had any talent and we were punished with a montage of it. However, an honourable mention must be given to GHFB Caleb for giving the absolute worst, performing some sort of whistle gyration. And…Ziara thought it was “hot”…👀
Shooting his shot, pro-BBaller Cory just bounced a basketball with Ziara giving him a 10 because it was “so cute”; while his arch nemesis, #dadshoes Darcy, rocked up in a bow tie, shorts, long socks and fake glasses previously worn by Abbie in Limbro. He decided to perform dad jokes and after precisely one second, Ziara was like all of us when she begged for it to stop.
Given the whole thing was an absolute wasteland of talent, Izaya won. Which says a lot….
The Mixer
During the mixer, cOnTenT CReaTor Clay asked GHFB Caleb what his “game plan” was. Opening up his peacock feathers, Caleb told the guys about the chicken burger delivery, refusing to draw attention to himself because “Z” already knows “what’s going on”. FML.
When the girls arrive, Ziara wanted zero drama (FORESHADOWING) and Molly was just all about sweet sweet Nick; and even though everyone only saw each other five minutes ago, everyone hugged and kissed like it was the first time.
Dad joke Darcy was worried that everything was “stagnated” between him and Ziara particularly after they had “sprouted” so well, so he decided on a grand gesture. Chicken nuggies.
Then, sweet sweet Nick and Molly stole some alone time; while Sophie decided to suss out tatt-man Chris, who revealed he’d been previously engaged. Meanwhile, Benny was ignoring her and she was like WTAF?!
Since all the guys now think grand gestures involve fried foods, pro-Bballer Cory decided to rock up with french fries and dad joke Darcy was not f**king laughing. While Cory and Ziara connected over fast food, Darcy was fuming because nuggies were “far superior” to french fries.
Darcy. Binge
But then, while Darcy was talking to Ziara about five-year plans, Cory interrupts, mocking Darcy and trying to pinch some food before all the other guys came over to try and steal some. This ENRAGED ol’ mate D-man who picked them up and… threw them on the floor.
The whole thing was supremely uncomfortable to watch, but it wasn’t as bad as seeing them chew the nuggies without sweet ‘n’ sour sauce…
Clearly an overreaction, Molly was unimpressed and Ziara called him “selfish”, before walking off. GHFB then told dad jokes that he should be a “gentleman”, which is RICH coming from him, and Darcy was sad.
The next day, GHFB Caleb decided it was time for Darcy to go home while simultaneously calling out Cory, alluding to the fact he had some tea to spill.
The Single Dates
Sweet sweet Nick and Molly had a single date with Nick telling Molly his new house nickname, “Cuddle Bear”. Obviously, because he likes to cuddle and be the little spoon. Molly admitted that she had also heard another nickname, “Big D**k Nick”… which is great for her. They kiss. Blah blah…
Meanwhile, Sophie and brown eyes Joshy were having a picnic in the middle of a bush while eating oysters. Weird flex, but Ok… While Sophie didn’t like the aftertaste, Joshy said “I do”, and he was clearly not talking about shellfish.
Sophie and Joshy. Binge
Sophie admitted she thought Joshy was the “most genuine man on this island” (hard agree) and tells him that he “underestimates” himself. They make out in the waterfall. Cute.
After the dates, Abbie surprises the girls with an “FBI Board” a.k.a a FBoy Investigation Board at the Villa, which frankly, all single women should have in their homes.
They talk about all the guys and where they sit on the chart and Molly calls stache-boy Vernon “a risk” while Sophie is infatuated by all her front-runners and they inform Abbie of dad joke Darcy’s “nugget tantrum”.
Elimination Night
Finally, it was time to banish some men to Limbro and after the previous night’s antics, this sh** couldn’t come soon enough.
GHFB Caleb is ready to throw some grenades at pro-BBaller Cory, telling the ladies that he basically lied about his age. Come again?! Appaz he told Sophie he was 32 but he told GHFB Caleb he was 35. SO, WHICH ONE IS IT CORY?
COnTenT CReaTor Clay also throws Cory under the bus, leaving Darcy positively thrilled. GHFB Caleb and Cory then have some words, which made Ziara question everything.
Ziara, Sophie and Molly. Binge
Unfortunately, we weren’t given any answers because Abbie was too excited to talk about #ChickenNuggieGate.
“I just have one question, guys. What the f**k,” she asked before dad jokes Darcy tries to defend himself…which was an actual joke.
Sophie put tatt-man Chris and Brit Benny into her bottom two and Benny was shocked to hear his name called, even though he pretended he didn’t hear it.
Molly chose who the actual f**k is Ben for her bottom two, alongside who the actual fork is Jonathan; while Ziara put up chicken nuggies Darcy and… french fries Cory.
Ziara then called Darcy “immature” and said Cory had shown her a side she didn’t like. Obviously, Molly had no idea who her bottom two even were while Sophie said she was “confused” by why Benny was being “distant”.
Pleading his case, Darcy thought that a poem would save him… while Cory claimed that his intentions were “pure”. LELELELEL.
Glossing over Molly, because seriously, who are these people?! Benny then admitted that he felt “intimidated” by the others which caused him to retreat.
The Verdict
Praise be! Dad jokes Darcy was eliminated by Ziara, Molly got rid of one of the anonymous men (Johnathan) and Sophie dumped tatt-man Chris.
Chris and Abbie. Binge
It turns out, Darcy was a Nice Guy (which is so f**king concerning), Jonathan was a Nice Guy and Chris was… also a Nice Guy. WOW.
FBoy Island Australia 2023 is streaming now on Binge.
Parental Guidance’s Influencer parents Jonathan and Kat are not like most parents, they are cool parents (IYKYK) but in a hugely responsible way.
The couple, who are currently appearing in the second season of the hit show with their daughters Latisha “Tisha” and Deja, has a “pretty unique parenting” style, which sees them be a lot more “lax” about screen time and social media.
“We were interested in showing our perspective on how we make that work within our family dynamic,” Jonathan told Chattr during an interview about their involvement in the show.
Adding that “no one really speaks about” social media as a way to raise kids, they thought it was important to bring their knowledge about something that’s way more important “than parents have an idea of”.
Kat and Jonathan with Latisha and Deja. Nine
“Kids these days growing up, they grow up with iPads and screens. For them, it’s just another extension of their arm,” he said.
“For us to really close our eyes and think that it’s not important, it’s really dangerous because the internet and social media open up a whole new realm of not only opportunities, but the dangers out there are exponential as well.”
Jonathan believes that as parents if you don’t get your head around the possibilities of what can happen to your children and are not “savvy and educated enough”, it can cause some “really big issues”.
“You may not need not even have a clue that those issues are happening or what’s going on if you don’t have your finger on that pulse.”
How Kat and Jonathan educate their own kids about social media
Since filming was over a year ago, Latisha is now 20 and Deja is almost 13 and both have had their own social accounts for years. While some people would be quick to judge this, both Kat and Jonathan have always been very hands-on, particularly when it comes to their youngest daughter.
“We have a really close relationship with our kids,” Kat said during the same interview. “I’ve got access to her [Deja] Instagram account, and I’m reading her DMs and all that sort of stuff.
“If there is something that worries me, that will bring up a conversation that we’ll have. It’s not like we sit there on a Monday night and have a lesson on social media. Things come up and that’s when we’ll address it.”
Kat and Deja. Instagram
How the Influencer Parents handle online trolls
Unfortunately, while they have a great community of followers, there are a few people that take it upon themselves to troll the family.
“We get a lot of hate and we get a lot of people trolling us,” Jonathan admitted. “So we’re really trying to lead by example in the way that we react to things that come up out from our profiles. Then she [Deja] sees that and has an idea of well, it really doesn’t matter and it’s not hurting my parents and they’re not sitting in the corner crying in a foetal position over a comment, so that really helps as well.”
According to Kat, online trolls target anything from the way they look to what they’re wearing.
“People have asked me how far along I am as if I’m gaining weight and if I’m pregnant,” she said. “They’re trying to insult you and it’s just got to be water off a duck’s back.”
Instagram
Jonathan has also taught his children that if someone has “enough sadness in their heart” and has taken the time to go onto someone’s page, post and actually write a negative comment, then empathy must be used.
“That person must either be going through something really bad in their life, or they have gone through something bad in life, or they’re in a really bad place,” he said.
How Jonathan and Kat’s parenting style came about
Both Jonathan and Kat grew up in very strict households and according to Jonathan, all it did was turn him into “a good liar” when he was a teenager.
“That was a real conscious thing,” he said of their parenting style. “It made me be my own parent when it came to things where I needed guidance and I knew I couldn’t go [to my parents] because I would have gotten into trouble or I would get grounded. And Kat was the same. We just didn’t want that for our kids.
“We wanted them to have the freedom to make mistakes to do things that they are going to do and at the same time, come to us for advice.”
Instagram.
In fact, he believes that some of the most important times of your life as a child are when you need guidance, “when you’ve done something that you probably shouldn’t have done.”
“The last thing you need is to be scolded and to be put into a corner because you’ve done something that you already feel bad enough about yourself,” he said. “You don’t need to be scolded and punished even further.”
What Kat and Jonathan say about the other Parental Guidance parents
While all different in their approach, both Kat and Jonathan agree that all of the other Parental Guidance cast are “amazing parents”.
“We might not agree with how they parent their kids, but at the end of the day, we all have the same goal, and that is to bring up happy, healthy children,” Kat said. “And I think that’s kind of where we come from…. There’s not one group of parents on that panel who has is wanting to do any harm to their children.”
Parental Guidance airs Monday and Tuesday at 7.30pm on 9 and 9Now.
When host Ally Langdon started filming the first season of Parental Guidance, she didn’t know there were such things as “parenting styles”.
In fact, when raising her two children Mack, six and Scout, four, she and her husband Mike Willisee Jr “just fell into it”.
“I just sort of thought we had good days and bad days and it kind of blew my mind,” Langdon said in an interview with Chattr about the different ways to parent.
All Langdon and Mike Willisee Jr. Instagram
“Some of the couples have really researched [their style] how they want to raise their kids. I think I sort of fall into the majority where we just fall into it but I don’t know a whole lot of parents who sit down and go, ‘Okay, how are we going to do this? And what’s our approach?’
Like a lot of Australian families, getting through the day and “winging it” is part and parcel with being a mum, which gave her a brilliant idea for season three.
“Maybe that’s an idea for the next season,” she joked. “Is that we bring in a whole bunch of parents who’ve never thought about how they parent. They’re just winging it!”
Ally Langdon on how the Influencer parents changed her perception of parenting in the digital age
“A big focus this season is to do with screen-time technology and the safety of our kids when they’re online,” Langdon said.
In particular, Influencers Kat, 36 and Jonathan, 40 and their children Latisha,18 and Deja, 11, represent what it’s like to parent in the digital age.
The Influencers. Nine
“Their [Kat and Jonathan] kids are online, be really tech-savvy,” Langdon said. “They’re beautiful kids — I mean, I should make the point that all the kids in the show are gorgeous, they’re all really, really lovely kids, so all the parents are doing something right — but the [Influencer] kids have social media accounts and they have hundreds of 1000s of followers. It’s a big part of their life. And I think even just reading about it, I had a whole lot of preconceived ideas.”
During the June 5 episode of the series, Honest single-mum Kat was horrified to find out that her daughter would not only share her street address online with a stranger but would also lie about it. In an emotional scene, every single parent, including Langdon, felt for her.
Kat. Nine
“It hit everyone straight between the eyes,” Langdon admitted. “It’s really interesting with different approaches from different parents, some have had really open conversations about safety online and other parents who don’t, and I feel like I’ve fallen into this category.”
Parental Guidance airs Monday and Tuesday at 7.30 pm on 9 and 9Now.
It’s hard to look past the hu-uge 100-person cast on Million Dollar Island, but, once you do, you’ll probably notice the stunning beaches and landscapes behind the crowd of contestants.
The pristine island that the new reality show was filmed on is actually one tiny teeny part of a massive archipelago.
While the exact island that Million Dollar Island is filmed on hasn’t been released, we do know that it was set on one of the 104 islands of Langkawi, in Malaysia.
Langkawi is the name of a Malaysian archipelago, which is separate from mainland Malaysia. To get to the Langkawi islands, tourists can fly into Kuala Lumpur airport and then catch a short connecting domestic flight to one of the island’s airports, or they can catch a ferry from KL.
What is the premise of Million Dollar Island?
The new reality show has contestants fighting tooth and nail on a remote island to (quite literally) grab the prize money. Each player is given a $1,000 bracelet on arrival, and the challenge is to acquire as many bracelets as possible by competing in challenges, forming alliances, scheming, and stealing.
At the beginning of the show, there are 100 people competing for the winning title and prize money, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that multiple people will be eliminated in every episode.
Milion Dollar Island. Seven.
Who will take part in Million Dollar Island?
Farmers, retail workers, garbos, nurses, real estate agents and more leave the real world to fight for the $1 million prize. You can check out the cast here.
Who is hosting?
Million Dollar Island is hosted by SAS Australia DS Ant Middleton.
WatchMillion Dollar Island from June 12 on Channel 7 and 7plus.
It’s episode 25 of MasterChef Australia 2023 and the end of Home Cooks versus Pro Cooks week and after success against the pros, Rhiannon and Antonio were safe from elimination.
Culinary legend Rick Stein was back in the MC kitchen, having built a career around cooking with simple and fresh seafood, he gave our cooks a demonstration on how to clean squid before setting the contestants a two-round challenge.
In round one, the contestants had to feature squid in their dish with just 45 minutes on the clock. The four least impressive dishes were then headed into round two.
The second part of the challenge, saw the contestants choose one of Stein’s favourite food hot spots from around the world to create a dish that will transport the judges to their destination of choice. Of course, whoever cooked the least impressive dish was eliminated from the competition.
Rick Stein. Ten
Round One
During the episode, everyone brought their A-game with some delicious squid dishes!
Ralph and Malissa took the safe route with some salt and pepper calamari, while Cath got tropical with a ceviche, earning herself an infamous round of applause from Judge Jock Zonfrillo.
Cath’s Squid Ceviche. Ten
Rue went with a prawn stew to cook her squid in, and Theo spiced things up with Peri-Peri sauce.
Rue’s prawn stew. Ten
Grace made a delectable Ajvar sauce to go with her dish, Brent brought a Sri Lankan curry to the table while Adi showed off her skills with a flavorful Maharashtrian curry, and Phil chose to confit the squid with some scallops.
Phil’s dish. Ten
Declan, the fish master, entered the challenge with confidence while hoping to impress his idol, Stein. Protected by his Immunity Pin, he was certain that he would not have to use it; however, things took a sharp turn as he found himself in round two with Phil, Malissa, and Ralph.
Declan’s dish. Ten
Round Two
In Round Two, the contestants were challenged to create a mouth-watering dish inspired by Stein’s five favourite food places: France, Spain, the UK, Mexico or Italy.
With 75 minutes on the clock, they had to whisk the judges to their chosen location and avoid serving up a dish that would boot them out of the competition.
Stein’s map of the world. Nine
Declan decided to choose Mexico and wanted to serve a Beer-Battered Flathead with Salsa and Pickled Veggies; however, rattled by Round One, during the cook, he decided to play his Immunity Pin and headed to the safety of the gantry.
Declan. Ten
Despite having to use her backup, Malissa’s Honey and Olive Oil Pana Cotta with Lemon Crumb and Charred Apricots was a hit. The judges unanimously agreed it was a triumph, praising it as her best dish yet!
Malissa’s dish. Ten
Even though Ralph’s Croque Madame with Soft Poached Egg and Potato Foam was a bold concept and the judges could piece the flavours together, unfortunately, it didn’t transport them to France.
Ralph’s dish. Ten
Phil then delivered his Spaghetti Con Anatra which failed to hit the mark. With only 75 minutes for the cook, the Judges felt it was not the dish to cook given that his duck was dry and the pasta wasn’t up to scratch.
Phil’s dish. Ten
The Verdict
Phil became the seventh contestant to say goodbye, saying he’d be forever grateful for the experience in the MasterChef kitchen, thanking the judges for giving him purpose after feeling lost in his career.
Phil leaving the MasterChef kitchen. Ten
MasterChef Australia airs Sunday – Thursday at 7.30pm on 10 and 10Play.
