It was always a given that season 11 of Vanderpump Rules would focus heavily on the infamous Scandoval affair.
However, the brand spanking new VPR trailer suggests there’s so much more drama than just Tom Sandoval and Ariana Maddix’s.
Those in Australia wanting a front-row seat to all the SUR drama are in luck because Season 11 is set to airon Hayu from January 31, the same day as the USA.
Here’s some of the d-r-a-m-a that you can expect to play out on Vanderpump Rules season 11.
Ariana Maddix’s new boyfriend will be on the show
A new cast member is in a love triangle with Katie Maloney and her ex-husband Tom Schwartz
Tom Schwartz cheated on Katie with her friend Scheana Shay in Vegas
Katie and Lala Kent have a hu-uge falling out
Tom Schwartz has a secret girlfriend?
Tom Sandoval gets swilled at an event (lol)
Lala is jealous of Ariana’s success post-Scandoval
Watch the full trailer for Vanderpump Rules:
Stream Vanderpump Rules season 11 on Hayu from January 31, 2024.
Adrian Portelli became a well-known figure after buying houses from The Block on the past two seasons.
But, his foray into Reality TV isn’t over, with the news that he has a link to someone on the current season of The Bachelors.
Adrian’s ex-fiance Anastasia Iliopoulos is competing as a contestant on The Bachelors 2023 (part two?!). The couple split last year after their values “didn’t align”.
Anastasia with Scotty Cam. Instagram.
Why did Adrian and Anastasia split?
While the couple cited misaligned values are the reason behind their split, Anastasia went into more detail at the time.
“For me our values did not particularly align, there were certain things that he wanted that I am not willing to do, and that does not make him a bad person, it just makes us different in what we want out of love,” she told the Herald Sun.
She added that life with Adrian wasn’t as fancy as one would expect.
“We woke up, we made breakfast, we worked all day, we worked all night then we went to bed,” she said.
“It was not as extravagant as it looks. We were just the same old west side people we grew up as. It did not seem like the high life when you were in it.”
Adrian has a new partner called Karlie Butler who’s due to give birth to their son soon.
Adrian Portelli with The Block winners Steph and Gian. Instagram.
Who else is on The Bachelors?
The upcoming season of The Bachelors Australia has three leads; Wesley Senna Cortes, Ben Waddell and Luke Bateman.
Ben is an environmentalist who’s “just moved back to Australia”, presumably from Los Angeles as he’s involved in the entertainment industry.
Wesley is a marketing and sales manager who has vowed to be Australia’s “favourite Brazillian Bachelor” and the third suitor, Luke, is an NRL player come lumberjack.
As for the women, there are 24 who will enter the mansion on the first night with the hope of ending up with one of the three suitors. You can find out more about them all here.
The Bachelors Australia airs Sundays and Mondays from December 3, on 10 and 10Play.
Channel 10 has been gearing up for the premiere of Gladiators Australia 2024 for months now, however, it’s suddenly been quietly delayed by a week.
The new delay comes after the show was originally pushed back from January 7th to January 8th, 2024.
The Gladiators revival’s new start date of January 8th, has since been changed to January 15th, and fans have one question… why?
Well, the network hasn’t released an official statement about the delayed start, however, TV Blackbox has reported that it has to do with viewership.
Apparently, “audience research” has indicated that the later air date will attract more viewers, which is likely connected to everyone getting silly over the festive season and forgetting all about reality TV.
The Instagram page has edited all the captions to correlate with the new start date, and the graphic design team (probably) did some overtime repeatedly editing the images, see below:
Both with a background in professional sports and reality TV, Beau Ryan andLiz Ellisare the perfect fit for their roles as the hosts of the Gladiators revival.
“I am beyond excited to be hosting Gladiators alongside the great Liz Ellis,” Ryan said of the new gig. “Liz is a national treasure, and we are going to have a lot of fun. I grew up watching and loving Gladiators and can’t wait to get into it. It’s going to be spectacular.”
Gladiators Australia 2024 will premiere on January 15th at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Academy Award winner Nicholas Cage is starring in the brand-new Stan Original Film The Surfer and basically, we are more than shooketh!
The Face/Off actor will be leading a predominantly Aussie cast in the psychological thriller that was filmed in Western Australia.
Here’s everything we know.
What is The Surfer about?
When a man returns to Australia to buy back his family home after many years in the U.S. he is humiliated in front of his teenage son by a group of local surfers who claim ownership over the secluded beach of his childhood. Wounded, he defies them and remains at the beach, demanding acceptance. As the conflict escalates he is brought right to the edge of his sanity and his entire identity is thrown into question.
Who is in the cast?
Joining Cage is an impressive Australian ensemble cast including Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck), Nicholas Cassim (Mr Inbetween), Miranda Tapsell (The Dry), Alexander Bertrand (Australian Gangster), Justin Rosniak (Last King of the Cross), Rahel Romahn (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Finn Little (Stan Exclusive Series Yellowstone) and Charlotte Maggi (Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child on Fire).
Julian McMahon, Miranda Tapsell and Nicholas Cassim.
When will Stan Original Film The Surfer be released?
At the time of publication, filming on the brand-new flick has only just wrapped, so we don’t have a release date just yet?
Where was it filmed?
As mentioned previously, The Surfer was filmed in WA — but not just anywhere in the Western State.
The “intensely unnerving feature film” was shot in one location, in Yallingup in Western Australia, known for its iconic beaches.
Is there a trailer?
Not yet! But as soon as we get one, we’ll update you!
Amelia Easey has garnered a lot of attention on The Bachelors Australia 2023, including that of leading man Ben Waddell.
The NSW-based 26-year-old isn’t afraid to say what she thinks and has strongly aligned herself with this year’s villain, Lisa Brehmer.
The Bachelors. Ten.
Outside of reality TV, Amelia works as a registered nurse. She followed in the footsteps of her mum, who is also a nurse, and her father who is a radiographer. She now owns her own business, which she counts as her “proudest achievement to date”.
According to her Channel 10 bio, she’s a “spirited fitness enthusiast with a penchant for adventure” and is “unpredictable as her emotions tend to take the driver’s seat”.
Amelia Easey. Instagram.
Amelia admitted that she had fun in her early 20s but is now ready to settle down.
“I don’t believe there is only one person out there for you. But I do believe there are people that intertwine and connect with your soul on a deeper level then other people ever can. It’s very rare,” she said.
Amelia has struggled with her past relationships and is unsure if she’s ever been in love. However, she’s hoping to find a true connection on The Bachelors 2023 and wants to be certain about her next partner.
“I had to question myself when asked that question, which leads me to think that, no – I don’t think I have been in love.”
AngelaValenti has caught the attention of Ben Waddell during The Bachelors Australia 2023 and for very good reason.
The 36-year-old is a youthful and adventurous entrepreneur who values old-school traditions and like Ben, dreams of having a family one day.
According to her official 10 bio, Angela takes pride in her Italian heritage and draws inspiration from her parents, who have shared a lasting marriage of 45 years.
She also praises their commitment through thick and thin which has instilled the belief in Angela that love can endure any challenge.
Angela Valenti. Instagram
As for her past relationships, she has weathered numerous trials and tribulations but has now taken the time to heal and find comfort in herself and the life she’s built.
When asked what the biggest obstacle she’s experienced in her life, Angela said: “Fighting against the traditional expectations of my family and doing what feels right to me in my life journey.”
She’s looking for a “mature yet fun-loving adventurous partner” who can complement her independent lifestyle.
“I’m also financially stable, independent, emotionally mature and I look 10 years younger, haha!” she said.
Angela. Instagram
And finally, when comparing her love life up to now with a romantic comedy, she said He’s Just Not That Into You! lol.
“But it’s the other way round! I have had a lot of pursuers, but I just have not felt anything in years,” she said.
It goes without saying that Penrith Panther’s halfback Nathan Clearly and Matilda’s forward Mary Fowler are one of the most shipped new couples of 2023.
After the duo were papped on a cute ice cream date together in August, fans went w-i-l-d for the golden sporting couple. However, neither Nathan nor Mary has publicly spoken about their relationship, until now.
The rugby player opened up about the struggles of having a relationship in the public eye during an interview with Chattr on the red carpet for the GQ Men of the Year Awards.
“It’s something new to me, and trying to work with that. It’s good fun it just comes with it so you try to roll with the punches,” he said coyly.
When asked why Mary wasn’t at the awards with him, Nathan said that she couldn’t make it. At the time of the awards she was in Canada on international duty with Australia for the Matildas.
“I knew this was coming,” he said to The Daily Telegraph. “I’m just here by myself… No plus-one. She’s busy.”
Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary’s relationship timeline
Ice cream date
Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary were first papped together on an ice cream date in August. The pair were affectionate with one another, but Clearly’s team told TheDaily Telegraph at the time that it was “just ice cream” and “nothing more.”
Mary Fowler. Instagram.
Park date
Just a week later, Mary and Nathan were spotted together again, this time on a stroll through a Sydney park.
“They were taking photos and talking with other locals, and walking up and down the Nepean River together for quite some time,” a source told the same publication.
It’s hopefully a case of third time lucky for Tammy Hembrow, who has just completed a hat trick of engagements with the news Love IslandAustralia star Matt Zuckowski has popped the question.
Matt and Tammy started dating this year and first made their relationship public when they hit the red carpet at the premiere of Stan Original Series C*A*U*G*H*T in September.
Shortly after, they posted a bunch of loved-up photos on Instagram and hard-launched their relationship.
Throughout the years, Tammy’s relationships have continuously made headlines, and her latest engagement is no different.
In light of her and Matt’s big news, we take a look back at Tammy’s past engagements, and what happened.
Engagement #1 – Tammy Hembrow and Reece Hawkins
When? 2015
Did they have any kids? Yes, Saskia and Wolf.
What happened?
Tammy and Reece Hawkins broke off their in 2018, after four years of dating. Fans noticed that something was amiss when the influencer stopped posting photos of her, Reece and their two children on Instagram.
After being inundated with questions from fans, Tammy finally confirmed that she and Reece had split.
“You have a picture of what you think your life is going to be like and then circumstances change and people change too,” she told Jute magazine at the time.
“We were young when we got together and still figuring things out. I think when people are weighing in on your personal life while you’re trying to understand things yourself it can feel like a lot of pressure.”
“I share so much of my life, so I understand that my followers online wanted to know what was going on. People were wanting to know what happened before we even knew what was going on.”
Rumours swirled that Reece had cheated on Tammy, but she later shut down the claims on her YouTube channel. “One or two months ago, I decided to end things with Reece. He didn’t cheat on me, I didn’t cheat on him. It wasn’t like that at all,” she said.
“I don’t want people to think we just gave up. Most people know relationships are very complex.”
Engagement #2 – Tammy Hembrow and Matt Poole
Tammy Hembrow. Instagram.
When? November, 2021.
Did they have any kids? Yes, Posy.
What happened?
Matt Poole proposed to Tammy on a rose-filled private yacht after about a year of dating. He had Tammy’s kids hold signs asking Tammy to marry him. She shared photos on her Instagram of Saskia and Wolf holding signs that read “Mummy” and “WILL YOU”.
At the time, Tammy shared the happy news on Instagram.
“I’m in shock. Honestly have not been able to stop crying happy tears. Yes yes yes my love Matt Poole,” she wrote.
Rumours started to swirl in September 2022 that the couple had split when Tammy was spotted without her engagement ring.
“Some people are just not meant to be together no matter how hard they try,” she responded to a fan who asked about their relationship status on TikTok.
“We are much better as friends. Not that it’s anyone’s business,” she added.
Matt set up a beautiful area on the beach lit with candles and lights as well as a table and chairs. Tammy shared a video of Matt getting down on one knee.
“Never in my life have I felt so safe, so loved, so understood, so cared for. What a plot twist you were,” she captioned the clip.
Lisa Brehmer has been the ringleader of some much-needed drama on The Bachelors 2023.
However, while her antics have been entertaining at times, her comments about taking Bachelor Wesley Senna Corte’s virginity have left a bad taste in many viewer’s mouths.
Wes has revealed to some of the contestants that he’s never had a girlfriend and is a virgin. During a one-on-one date with Brea, he revealed that he wants to wait until he’s in love to have sex for the first time.
Fast forward to the group date on episode 5 – which Lisa wasn’t invited to but rocked up for anyway. After a chat with Wes in the pool, Lisa dropped an icky bomb.
“I think there’s a really high potential that I could take Wes’s virginity,” Lisa said with a smug look in a producer-led interview.
The comment was met with uproar on social media, check out some of the Twitter reactions below.
Why does Lisa see Wes' virginity as hers for the taking? It's so sick and manipulative. She doesn't give a fk about him, just taking what she wants. #TheBachelorsAU
Aarthi is quirky, creative and funny – all the qualities that usually see a The Bachelors contestant make it to the end. However, her story isn’t as simple as some past contestants.
Aarthi is of Sri Lankan heritage but was brought up in Australia. Despite her Western upbringing, Aarthi’s family believe in more traditional values when it comes to finding love.
“My family’s not happy that I’m here,” she told BachelorLuke Bateman on a one-on-one date during the second episode. “You don’t see a lot of brown girls coming on here – like Sri Lankan or Indian girls – doing what I’m doing.”
Aarthi. The Bachelors.
In her Channel 10 bio, the 29-year-old Sydneysider said that she’s always trying to find a balance between doing what she wants, and doing what her family expects.
“Being a second-generation South Asian Australian girl who is trying to live the life I desire but understanding that my family and culture have different expectations. It’s hard to find a balance that works so that is the biggest obstacle I have had to overcome in my life.”
Aarthi. The Bachelors.
Aarthi left her high-powered job after she realised that she was only in the role to make her family happy so that she could come on The Bachelors in search of love.
Hopefully, for Aarthi, it will be a case of third time lucky, as she’s previously been in love twice.
“I have been lucky to be in love twice before, both with my best friends.”
Stream The Bachelors Sunday to Tuesday at 7.30 pm on 10 and 10Play.
Brea Marshall is a breath of fresh air amongst a sea of contestants looking for blue ticks on Instagram and their next spon-con deal.
Unsurprisingly, the laid-back beauty has caught the eye of not one, but two of this year’s Bachelors.
While Brea was originally pursued by Wesley Senna Cortes, but she’s since struck up a connection with NRL player turned lumberjack, Luke Bateman.
So who is Brea, the adventurous contestant who is making waves in The Bachelors mansion?
Brea Marshall. Instagram.
According to her 10 bio, she loves the outdoors and enjoys camping, freediving, spearfishing and surfing. So, Wesley’s pick for a surfing date at the wave pool was right on the money for her.
Her Instagram page is littered with photos of her travelling and being in basically any form of water – from oceans to lakes to creeks and even waterfalls.
Brea Marshall. Instagram.
Learning from past experiences, Brea is determined to find a man who will put as much effort into the relationship as she does.
“I want to feel like they want me and that I’m not a burden on them. I also find it really unattractive if they are lazy and unmotivated or aggressive with a controlling nature,” she said.
The down-to-earth nature lover isn’t sure if she’s ever been in love, but is ready to find the right person and make that leap of faith.
Brea Marshall. Instagram.
When it comes to some downtime, Brea loves a romcom and her fav flick is The Wedding Date. She believes that her choice of movies correlates with her personality.
“I’m such a people pleaser, I am always saying sorry, always putting others ahead of myself, worried about how people perceive me, chasing a guy that isn’t worth my time. When I just let my hair down and enjoy myself, I attract quality men and I need to remind myself of this more.”
Stream The Bachelors Sunday to Tuesday at 7.30 pm on 10 and 10Play.
Feast your eyes on Jamie Dornan in all of his bad-boy glory in the new trailer for Stan’s popular Original Series The Tourist.
The trailer sees Elliot (Dornan) kidnapped and tortured in Ireland, while Constable Helen Chamber (Danielle Macdonald) desperately searches for him. Elliot is still suffering severe amnesia from a car crash, and tries to piece together what he has done to cause him to be punished.
As well as being blessed with some HD footage of Dornan looking fine, Stan has also dropped an air date. The Tourist will be available to stream exclusively on the platform from January 2nd, 2024.
Who is in season two of The Tourist?
The second instalment sees the main characters Dornan and Macdonald return.
It also features a raft of new cast members including Detective Ruairi Slater (Conor MacNeill), Niamh Cassidy (Olwen Fouéré) and the McDonnell family – Donal (Diarmaid Murtagh), Orla (Nessa Matthews), Fergal (Mark McKenna), and Frank (Francis Magee).
What was season one about?
In the first season of The Tourist, Elliot embarked on a thrilling pursuit through the Australian outback. After waking up in a hospital, injured and disoriented, Elliot confronted relentless individuals from his past while navigating the unforgiving and expansive Australian terrain in his quest for identity and truth.
What will season two be about?
Season two is set one year on from where season one ended. It takes place in Dublin and follows Elliot and Helen as they travel to Ireland together.
Elliot decides it’s time to reconnect with his roots after the car crash that caused the severe memory loss. As they delve into Elliot’s past life, they find themselves caught up in a dangerous whirlwind. While Elliot battles his inner demons, Helen must unravel a larger mystery, forcing them to confront old and new enemies.
Stream The Tourist season two from January 2nd, 2024 on Stan.
If you’re a Swiftie and missed out on tickets to The Eras Tour – or you just can’t wait until February to see Miss Tay in action – then you’re in luck because Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Extended Version) is coming to Prime.
Yep, soon you’ll be able to stream all the best bits from her Eras Tour from the comfort of your living room.
Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Extended Version) is already showing in cinemas, but, as an added bonus, the Prime version will include three bonus songs not seen in theatres including Long Live, The Archer and Wildest Dreams.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film will be available to rent starting December 14 on Prime Video in Australia. According to a press release, the rental price will be USD $19.89 (approx AUD $30).
Taylor Swift. Instagram.
Taylor Swift announced the exciting news on Instagram
After the huge success of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour in cinemas, Swift announced that she would be releasing the film to rent on Prime.
“Hi! Well, so, basically I have a birthday coming up and I was thinking a fun way to celebrate the year we’ve had together would be to make The Eras Tour Concert Film available for you to watch at home!” She wrote on Instagram.
“Very happy to be able to tell you that the extended version of the film including Wildest Dreams, The Archer and Long Live will be available to rent on demand in the US, Canada & additional countries to be announced soon starting on … you guessed it, December 13.”
Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour will be released at the same time as the US in Australia, which is December 14 because of the time difference.
Swift filmed Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour during her Los Angeles dates at the SoFi stadium in August. The movie runs for 2 hours and 45 minutes.
It’s been hugely successful and took in USD $96 million (approx AUD $145 million) in its first four days at the domestic box office in America. Since then, Time has reported that the film bought in a whopping USD $248.9 million (approx AUD $377 million) at the box office.
Is there a trailer?
There sure is! You can watch it below.
Rent Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour from December 14 on Prime Video in Australia.
Abbie Chatfield is one of the most in-demand women in media, so much so that she had to turn down some very well-paying jobs.
The former The Bachelor star has made no secret about the fact that she struggles with feeling exhausted due to all her professional commitments, and regularly talks about it on her Instagram account.
She shared that she was paid an advance to write an “entry-level handbook for young feminists”, but has since reneged on the deal.
“I tried to write but I couldn’t write anything, I couldn’t force it,” she said on her It’s A Lot podcast in March.
Abbie Chatfield. Instagram.
“I got to the point where I called my friend and said I cannot do this. I drove back to Sydney two days early [from my writer’s retreat] and told my manager I couldn’t do this. They tried to convince me [to do it], but I said, ‘not to be a c**t guys, but I cannot do this’.”
According to Yahoo Lifestyle, the amount an author of her calibre would have been paid would sit around the $100,000 and $150,000 mark, which would usually be broken down into three instalments.
It is believed that Chatfield returned the money when she decided she didn’t want to go ahead with the deal.
Abbie Chatfield has cancelled other jobs because of her burnout
Abbie got her start on The Bachelor 2019, and since then she’s won I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, has been a judge on The Masked Singer, launched her own podcast It’s A Lot, hosted a popular radio program, launched a clothing line and her own beer and became the first host of FBoy Island Australia, among other media gigs.
The Masked Singer. Seven.
With so much on her plate, it’s not surprising that the book isn’t the only opportunity she’s turned down. In August, she her Hot Nights With Abbie Chatfield national radio show which an industry insider told Yahoo would have cost her six figures.
“Abbie easily would have made $300,000 from the show, plus tens of thousands more on top of that from live [ad] reads as she led the market in that time slot against Nova and KIIS,” the insider added.
“Abbie is so commercially appealing SCA [South Cross Australia] didn’t take her decision lightly but understood her reasons.”
Abbie also pulled the plug on her clothing brand Verbose in May, a year after she’d launched it.
“I’ve just been too busy to do a clothing brand properly right now … There’s nothing dramatic, it’s just that I haven’t even had time to call my mum, let alone run a label,” Abbie said at the time.
Paramount+’s Paper Dolls tells the story of five women who found fame on a reality TV show and began an all girl band.
For millennials, the plot may sound like deja vu as it’s suspiciously similar to the history of Bardot, who were created on the reality star Popstars in 2000.
Interestingly, one of the executive producers on the show is Belinda Chapple, who was a member of Bardot.
Paper Dolls. Instagram.
Four of Paper Doll’s leads Emalia, Miah Madden, Courtney Clarke and Courtney Monsma sat down with Mediaweek and Chattr’s pocast Entertainment Hotline, to reveal how closely connected to Popstars the new series is.
Is Paper Dolls based on Bardot and Popstars?
Despite the glaring similarities between the two, the cast was adamant that Paper Dolls isn’t a recount of Bardot’s experience.
Instead, Madden said that it’s focused on exposing “the underbelly of the pop world.”
“It shows what life is like for pop stars when the smoke and mirrors have blown away,” she said.
She added that the narratives shown on Paper Dolls have “happened at least once if not multiple, multiple times in the industry for different kinds of popstars.”
“Behind the glitz and glamour is just a lot of hard work and self-discovery and also learning about the world not always being what you might hope it to be like,” she said.
Paper Dolls. Paramount+.
The rehearsal process was intense
Most of the lead actresses have backgrounds in music and dancing, which Mia explained was detrimental at times because they struggled to look like the beginners they were cast as.
“In episode two, the beginning sequence is me trying to nail this dance. It looks really shamble-y and chaotic,” she explained.
“That was five sessions of one-on-one dance training to do it perfectly and figure out how to make it look like you’re messing up and how to do it in a way that makes it look like you’re more tired!”
There are whispers that the new Binge TV series Strife is based on a true story, however, the statement rings both true and false at the same time.
While Strife is a fictional series, it is loosely based on publisher Mia Freedman’s journey from magazine editor to owner of a digital empire.
For those unfamiliar with Freedman, she worked in women’s magazines for 15 years. She began her career at Cleo magazine as a beauty editor and ended it as the editor of Cosmopolitan. After leaving magazines, Freedman created the lifestyle website Mamamia, which is still extremely successful to this day.
Strife. Binge.
The TV series Strife follows Evelyn Jones’ (played by Asher Keddie) journey of building a hugely popular publication from her lounge room, the same place where Freedman started to create Mamamia.
Of course, the similarities of their paths are stark, plus Freedman’s an executive producer on the show, so is the whole thing based around her?
Is Evelyn Jones based on Mia Freedman?
The show’s journey is based on Freedman’s life, however, the former Cosmopolitan editor has stressed that Strife isn’t a non-fiction recount of her life.
“Nobody is playing me. Asher Keddie is playing a character called Evelyn Jones. Strife is loosely based on my experience of leaving magazines to start a women’s website but it’s not my personal story,” she told Mamamia.
Strife. Binge.
While Strife isn’t a true story, it is based on Freedman’s book memoir Work Strife Balance, which was published in 2017.
“[Strife is] fiction, so it’s not my life. We were all very adamant from the start that we didn’t want Strife to be a biopic. That’s why it’s inspired by the book not ‘based’ on the book. There’s a difference!
“We had a lot more creative freedom to make a compelling show without having to be faithful to any real-life narrative. But the world that we created and the things you see happen on Strife are all true to life — just not necessarily my life.”
How can I watch Strife?
All eight episodes of Strife are available to stream exclusively on Binge.
Neighbours have recruited another prominent media personality to join the soap as a cast member with the news that Maria Thattil will play Amira Devkar in 2024.
Thattil will be in a guest role on the iconic series and her character is the older, “sometimes bossy” sister of Haz Devkar, played by Shiv Palekar.
“I’m so excited to be heading to Ramsay Street to bring Amira to life, and best believe she’s coming in with a bang!” Thattil said in a statement.
“It’s a pretty surreal thing to get to play a queer woman of colour on one of the most iconic shows in Australia, as seeing that representation was unheard of when I was growing up. I couldn’t be prouder to join the Neighbours cast and I can’t wait to stir up a little fun.”
Neighboursteased that there will be some drama associated with Thattil’s role.
“We’re delighted to announce that Maria Thattil will be joining the cast next year in the guest role of Haz’s big sister! But just why she turns up suddenly at Harold’s is yet to be revealed,” the official Instagram account for Neighbours posted.
It’s certainly not Thattil’s first time in the spotlight. Her journey to stardom began when she won Miss Universe Australia in 2020, and went on to place in the top ten of the global competition.
In 2022, the 30-year-old competed on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Australia and was eliminated second. While she was in the jungle she revealed that she was bisexual.
Since then, Thatiil has gone on to become an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community and won Marie Claire’s 2023 The Voice of Now Award. She was also a guest judge in an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under this year and has written a book called Unbounded.
Maria Thattil shared her excitement about the new gig on Instagram
After it was officially announced that Thattil was joining Neighbours next year, the media personality took to Instagram to share what she was looking forward to.
“I couldn’t be more proud to join the beautiful Neighbours cast at a time when the show is evolving to tell even more Australian stories,” she began.
“Imagining 10-year-old me turning on the telly to see herself is pretty surreal … even more so because I can’t remember ever seeing a gay female South Asian character on an Australian TV show. Can you? Grateful to @neighbours & @channel10au for the honour of being an authentic representation of what we’ve been missing. And to do it with a bang.”
Neighbours airs on Monday to Friday at 6:30 on 10Peach and 10Play.
Tay and Ari Wilcoxson made history on Big Brother Australia 2023 as the first-ever joint winners of the series.
The sisters played as a team and beat out power couple Minee Marx and Loui Phillips in a public vote and took home the $100,000 prize money.
Big Brother. Seven.
In an interview with Chattr, the loveable sisters revealed what they plan to do with their winnings.
“What we want to do with the money is travel,” Tay said. “Japan is first on our list, we want to hit the slopes and go snowboarding, so that’s definitely at the top of our bucket list.”
Tay and Ari have over 680,000 followers on their joint TikTok account and want to filter some of their prize money into creating more content on the platform.
“We want to keep creating experiences and really cool content and our fan base.”
The sisters believe playing together was an advantage
Tay and Ari were the only contestants on Big Brother Australia 2023 to play as a team, and they believe it worked in their favour.
Tay said they were both approached about being on the show but only found out the day before entering the house that they’d be playing as a team.
“At the time, we were like, ‘No! It’s a disadvantage, people are going to see us as a threat’ even though it’s only one player. But, I think it ended up being an advantage,” Tay said.
“I think it was an advantage towards the middle and the end because we’re two different people,” Ari added. “We are sisters and we do think the same but we have two different personalities.
“I think we just reached out to everyone, Tay had friends that I didn’t have and it created different connections.”
Big Brother. Seven.
The sisters are gearing up for a big weekend of celebrations
Tay and Ari are still in shock that they won Big Brother, and have a wild weekend planned with some of the other housemates to celebrate.
“It hasn’t kicked in for us yet, even now we’re we can’t believe we won! that’s hectic!” Tay said, and Ari added: “We’re very grateful for everyone who voted.”
“We’re definitely going to send it this weekend!” Tay said.
“We’re catching up with a few of the housemates so that will be awesome,” Ari added.
They’ll be joined at the celebrations by their showmance partners Josh and TJ. However, both of the sisters have since split from their exes.
“We’re both single and ready to mingle!” They laughed together.
Big Brother Australia 2023 wrapped on December 6 with Tay and Ari crowned the winners. But after a season that seemingly struggled to maintain viewership, will it return in 2024?
When the latest season premiered on November 6, 274,000 metro viewers tuned in to watch 19 brand new housemates enter the Big Brother house.
By the time streaming numbers had been added in, the number climbed to 620,000, which showed promise for an iteration about finding love in an unusual environment.
Tay and Ari, Big Brother Australia 2023 winners. Seven
However, by the season finale, numbers were steadily on the decline with only 152,000 metro viewers tuning in for the final episode.
For context, last year, when the series took a gamble bringing back OG Housemates, 363,000 watched as Reggie Sorensen came out on top for the second time, meaning there was a 41% drop between the 2022 and 2023 finales.
Chattr reached out to Seven to ask whether the series would return.
“Big Brother performed well for this year in under 40s and, in particular, on 7Plus – both live streaming and video on demand. We will make a decision on a new season in due course,” a Seven spokesperson said.
Social media fans want the OG format back
For those fans on social media who have been watching the series week-to-week, they have made their sentiments known when it came to the change in format. A.K.A Turning the social experiment into a love experiment.
“I’m not getting the same vibe so far,” one person wrote. “They could be about to lose some viewers.”
While another person said: “I lasted about 30 minutes and then turned it off. It is the first time ever that I have missed a Big Brother season.”
“Bring back the original version of Big Brother. It will be the best thing for your ratings,” another said.
Meanwhile, returnee Tim Dormer took to Facebook on November 6 to share his feelings before it even began.
Tim Dormer, Big Brother 2022. Seven
“Big Brother was the original, but now seems lost in an era of trying to be liked and liked by everyone else,” he said. “Can we keep the Survivor challenges and the cringey love stories on the islands where they belong and bring back the OG real live era of BB?”
Here’s hoping BB doesn’t go in the bin completely and instead, we give the people what they want!
