Survivor Australia 2024 host Jonathan LaPaglia has been surprisingly loose-lipped when dishing some info about the contestants in the upcoming season.
He revealed which of the players will forge strong relationships in the Titans V Rebels season.
“We have some really fun relationships that develop this season,” he told TV Tonight.
Survivor. Ten.
“Feras and Raymond are these really unlikely bedfellows. They come from completely different worlds, completely different personalities, but they quickly developed this friendship. They’re they’re so fun to watch.
Jonathan added that there will also be an age division in the tribes.
“Caroline and Mark are a bit older, they’re kind of the voice of reason. Alex and Kelly are the ultimate frenemies and it’s hilarious watching those two.”
He’s surprised one of the contestants wasn’t cast in an earlier season
Jonathan told the publication that one of the competitors has been auditioning for the competitive reality TV show for years.
“Eden is like a nerdy super fan. He revealed to me that he’s been trying to get on the show since Season One and he’s so good, I just can’t understand why he wasn’t brought on before that. I was kind of baffled by that. But he’s really great,” he said.
Survivor. Ten.
Jonathan reveals there are strong contestants this year
The host said that fans can expect to see some powerful castaways on Titans V Rebels, and he pointed out two names in particular.
“Valeriais hilarious. She’s this Russian model with a silver tongue. Viola is a competitive powerlifter but she ends up being pretty savvy when it comes to the game.”
“Jaden might be Australia’s strongest man, but he is hilarious,” he added.
Stream Survivor Australia 2024 from January 29, 2024, at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
They say with age, comes wisdom, and let’s hope the old adage is true for Richard Sauerman’sMAFS bride.
At 62, Richard is the oldest groom to ever saunter down the aisle on Married at First Sight Australia.
Richard. Instagram.
What does Richard do for work?
Over the years, Richard has kicked some serious goals when it comes to his career.
He’s a motivational speaker who’s known as ‘the Brand Guy’ and has ranked in the Global Top 30 Brand Gurus since 2014.
He’s worked with some massive brands, including Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Levis, Nescafe, Arnott’s, Vodafone, CSIRO and QBE.
Richard. Instagram.
Has Richard been married before?
Yup, according to his Channel Nine bio, Richard was married for 27 years, but left her “because the relationship had run its course and the spark was no longer there”.
More recently, he dated a woman 27 years younger than him, but they broke up because she wanted children and he didn’t.
Does Richard have kids?
He does. Richard has three children.
Richard and his daughter Roxy. Instagram.
Where is Richard from?
Richard grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. He’s lived in London and Bangkok, and Sydney has been his home for thirty-five years.
Watch Married at First Sight Sundays at 7.00 pm and Monday – Thursday at 7.30 pm on Nine and 9Now.
Survivor Australia 2024 contestant Feras Basal draws strong similarities to former castaway George Mladenov in the sense of strong strategic and social play.
And, in Feras’s Survivor promo videos, he pointed exactly that out.
“George was the closest thing we had to an Arab being on TV, and we loved it. I’m here to finish what he couldn’t do,” he said.
Feras considers himself a likeable and loud person, and said that he’s not afraid to “step on people’s toes”.
“I’m definitely a physical threat, but people should be more worried about my social game than my physical game, 100%
“I know how to articulate what I’m feeling, I know how to communicate, I know how to read people. I’ve a very big strategist.”
Like a few of the castaways on Survivor Australia 2024, Feras is very active on social media. He has a TikTok account with over 70,000 followers called @laughwithferas, where he regularly posts parody videos.
“My wife is the one person who I crumble around. If you bring her to this island, I’ll shatter into a million pieces,” he said in his Surviovr bio.
“She’s a tough woman and a quarter of my size so people think I’m wearing the pants but definitely not. She’s my absolute everything.”
Feras. Instagram.
Is Feras a Titan or a Rebel?
This year’s theme is Titans v Rebels, and Feras is on team Rebel.
“I want to be the Sole Survivor because I feel like I can prove that a little old Arab man from Western Sydney can win this thing. I want to prove people wrong and show little seven-year-old Feras that he can do something like this. I want to be the minority who takes over the majority. I’m a Rebel through and through,” he said.
Stream Survivor Australia 2024 from January 29, 2024, at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Every season of MAFS Australia, some participants come out looking a little worse for wear, and more often than not, those brides and grooms blame it on the edit.
The show’s top boss Tara McWilliams has dismissed claims about the unfair portrayal of the participants and called them “bulls**t” in an interview with Daily Mail Australia.
However, Olivia Frazer, who was by far the most villainous bride on MAFS 2023, has fired back at the claims, saying that it’s a form of gaslighting.
MAFS. Nine.
What did Tara McWilliams say?
Tara McWilliams was the Executive Producer of MAFS from 2016 for six years. In 2023, she was promoted to the role of director of content at Endemol Shine Australia, the production company behind the hit reality TV show.
Tara told Daily Mail Australia that she doesn’t believe that edits on MAFS misconstrue what a participant actually said or did.
“I don’t agree that someone good gets a villain edit,” she told the publication.
“We don’t manufacture storylines or characters,” she added. “What you see is a reflection of absolutely what’s happened on the show.”
“It’s not a villain edit. It’s the edit… If you’ve got your so-called hero edit, it’s because you’re behaving well.”
Tara McWilliams. Endemol Shine.
What did Olivia Frazer say?
After Tara’s interview was published, ahead of MAFS Australia 2024‘s premiere on January 29, former bride Olivia Frazer took to Instagram to slam Tara’s claims.
“Let me not mince my words here: MAFS executive producers coming out and doing their yearly interview saying that their show ‘holds a mirror up to the participant’s self’ is the biggest crock of s**t,” she began.
“They’re only coming out and saying this preemptive to the show (as they do every year) to defend their editing/manipulation/detrimental choices, to coerce the audience into believe their narratives (for ratings), to gaslight participants (both past and present) and to discredit the many voices that ‘the edit’ has crucified.”
She continued, “EVERY YEAR there are more and more of us calling out the edit and that’s for a reason. Please remember that when watching any reality show. When enough voices are saying the same thing, eventually the public will have to believe it.”
Married at First Sight 2024 will premiere at 7:30pm on January 29th on Channel Nine and 9Now.
It’s generally assumed that the application process for a reality TV show is vigorous and time-consuming, however, thanks to a little thing called NDA’s there’s not *too* much info about what actually happens.
Fortunately, a TikToker named Julia has changed that, by lifting the lid on what happened during her application for MAFS Australia 2024.
Julia made it very far in the process and was almost cast as a bride. However, she’s since met the ‘love of her life’ so she said she didn’t mind dishing about what happened because she knows she’ll “never go on it” now.
Julia told her followers that she applied for the reality TV show after her friends suggested that she go on MAFS.
She filled out the application online and received a call from a producer the next morning who set up an interview for that week.
“There were a lot of interviews, all of them were with different producers, and all of them were recorded, except for one with a publicist,” she explained. “But that was not the only thing I had to do. I had to, of course, do a full police check, citizenship test, etc. But they also make you do an entire medical exam to make sure you are mentally and physically fit to participate on the show.
“One thing that shocked me, but probably shouldn’t have shocked me, was that I was required to do every single STI check, including blood,” she added.
She claimed producers tried to make her into a villain in the interview process
Julia said that even though she was only in the interview process, her meetings with the producers were filmed, and they could have been used on the show if she had been cast.
“I think the interviews were some of the most interesting part of the process, lots of different people for all of the interviews, and if you’re wondering if, on reality TV, where producers kind of try to put words in your mouth and try and make you say things on camera – that started in the interview process,” she said
Julia explained that producers zeroed in on her extensive education.
“I had producers say stuff like, ‘Now Julia, you have three university degrees, and you speak five languages. Are you sure you’re going to find your intellectual equal on this show?'”
She explained that producers told her that she would be the smartest person in the room, and asked if she’d make friends with some of the other girls who would “be hairdressers and makeup artists”.
“They were fully trying to get me to say that I was smarter than everyone else and that no man on the show would be good enough for me. And all of this was recorded and I did not want to give them any opportunity to make me the villain.”
Married at First Sight 2024 premieres at 7:30pm on January 29th on Channel Nine and 9Now.
Perth-based foodie Lauren Dunn is set to be one of the most outrageous brides tying the note in MAFS 2024.
The 32-year-old Perthian has her own marketing and PR consultant marketing consultancy called LCD Consulting. Lauren also runs an Instagram account called “So Cooked” where she chronicles her food adventures through Perth.
But, on a juicier note, Married At First Sight 2024 won’t be Lauren’s first time in the limelight either. She previously dated Dockers AFL player Ryan Crowley for five years but the couple broke up shortly before filming of the new season kicked off.
Crowley, who played with the Dockers for ten years, and Lauren split in June 2023, and filming of MAFS 2024 reportedly kicked off in July 2023. Dunn told PerthNow that the relationship has “simply run its course”.
Lauren’s Instagram account shows her gallivanting around the world at a number of beautiful destinations, including Portugal, Spain and Indonesia.
Lauren Dunn. Instagram.
When is MAFS 2024 on?
MAFS 2024 will premiere at 7:30pm on January 29th on Channel Nine and 9Now. Certified sexologist Alessandra Rampolla and relationship experts John Aiken and Mel Schilling will all return for season 11 of MAFS.
Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum US, which is debatably the most wholesome reality TV show of all time, is back for season two.
The homegrown Emmy Award-winning show is created, produced and directed by the Australian production company, Northern Pictures.
Not to be confused with the original Australia: Love On The Spectrum, which is Australian features the oh-so-sweet Michael, Netflix has dropped a sophomore season of the US iteration.
Michael. Love on the Spectrum Australia.
The show follows a cast of people on the autism spectrum as they navigate the world of dating and relationships.
The new season dropped on Netflix on January 19th, and season one cast members Abbey and David are back to continue to explore their relationship.
Who’s in Love on the Spectrum US season two?
Returning cast members include Abbey, David, Dani, Steve, and James. There are also three cast members in season 2 – Connor, Tanner and Journey.
Love on the Spectrum. Netflix.
Love on the Spectrum US was produced in Australia
Yup, even though the show is an American version of the series, and the cast is predominantly from the States, the show was actually produced in Sydney.
“We love being able to produce this show from our Northern Pictures office in Redfern with our satellite office in Venice Beach, California,” Co-creator and Executive Producer, Karina Holden said. It’s an original Australian idea that’s travelled elegantly onto the world’s biggest streaming platform, carrying with it the same sensibilities that evolved through the original ABC series.
“The positive response to Season One of Love on the Spectrum US was truly heart-warming. This season, we have some familiar faces and we’ve also expanded the cast to include new individuals, including from the LGBTQ+ community. We hope to constantly push the pre-conceptions the audience might have about autism and encourage them to embrace diversity. I think this season is our best yet.”
Is there a trailer?
There sure is! Watch it below.
Stream Love on the Spectrum US season two on Netflix.
Two of the greatest villains the franchise has ever seen, George Mladenov and Jonny Fairplay, are teaming up for Survivor Australia 2024 viewing parties here in Australia.
George, who was on Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn and Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains and Jonny Fairplay who was on America’s Survivor: Pearl Islands and Survivor: Micronesia are two of the most recognisable faces to come out of the show.
George is known for his scheming and manipulative ways, while Jonny claimed that his grandma died in order to win a reward challenge in Pearl Islands, a move that’s practically become part of his identity.
The problem with their viewing parties
While the pair-up is a very exciting collab for Survivor super fans, the men have faced one massive problem with their scheduled viewing parties.
The season was slated to kick off on February 5th, which is when Jonny and George organised their first viewing party in Melbourne for. However, the premiere date has recently been moved forward to the 29th January, meaning that the men will miss the premiere.
However, George has confirmed on Instagram that the dates will stay the same, and the viewing party will be for whatever episode is playing on that particular day.
The viewing parties will be taking place in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Find out more about each below.
Survivor Australia. Ten.
George Mladenov and Jonny Fairplay‘s viewing parties
MAFS expert Mel Schilling has dished on the drama coming up on Married At First Sight 2024, and she certainly didn’t hold back.
Mel’s juicy recount of the upcoming season makes the previous instalments look like child’s play. She told Yahoo Lifestyle Australia that she was “literally gobsmacked” by some of the things that went down on MAFS Australia 2024.
“Sometimes I think I’ve heard it all and then one of these participants opens their mouth and something completely unexpected comes out and I think, ‘Wow, I didn’t think it could get any worse and there it is’,” she said.
Mel Schilling. Instagram.
“There’s a number of people who behave in ways that are absolutely abhorrent and inappropriate and cross boundaries that just should never happen in any social environment. You will have so many jaw-on-the-floor moments from a whole range of different people, and really from some people that you won’t expect.”
Mel Schilling on the main storylines of the season
Much of the drama from MAFS 2023 was focused on Bronte Schofield and Harrison Boon’s continuous bickering, and MAFS 2022 similarly focused on the feud between brides Olivia Frazer and DomenicaCalarco.
MAFS. Nine.
However, Mel shared that the upcoming season would vary in the sense that there are “loads of little dramas” rather than one polarising storyline.
“In other seasons, I think we’ve had one really fascinating, interesting story running through where there’s been a couple of key players and everyone’s been really focused in on what’s going on in their dynamic,” she reaveled.
“But this time, it’s like there’s so many different little subplots going on. There are so many interesting dynamics that happen between people that you wouldn’t even expect. I think it’s much more interesting actually.”
The experts will be VERY involved
If you thought the experts were too involved last year, with their introduction of the partner swap, and their constant criticism of poor old Leighton, then buckle up. Apparently, relationship experts MelSchilling, Alessandra Rampolla and John Aiken will be involved more than ever in MAFS 2024.
Alessandra Rampolla. Instagram.
“Because there is so much going on within the dynamic and within the couples, you’re going to see us doing a lot more intervention,” she said. “A lot more pulling people up, holding up that mirror and calling people out.
“It’s probably less of the ‘Let’s all celebrate happy families’, and a lot more of the ‘The way you’re behaving right now is actually harming someone else, let’s talk about the impact of that’. So you’re going to see the three of us really stepping in in quite a firm way, and that felt quite different for us this time.”
There will be different social groups
Mel said that this year’s participants tend to hang out with other cast members who are a similar age to them, which leads to a divide in the group.
“We’ve actually got two different couples that are my age and older, which is a first,” she said.
“So it’s not only that interesting relationship between those couples, but we’ve now almost got the older group and the younger group. And what happens is there’s a beautiful sort of mentor-mentee relationship that develops that I absolutely love and some really unexpected role modelling and learning that happens between people. We’ve never really seen that before.”
Married at First Sight 2024 premieres at 7:30pm on January 29th on Channel Nine and 9Now.
Hammer and a crew of brand-spanking new Gladiators have stormed the Gladiators Australia 2024 arena and are determined to take down each one of their competitors.
But, when exactly are they doing just that?
Well, we know that you have *much* better things to do than scour the TV guide each day to find out when the battles are going down, so we’ve put together a handy release schedule for you. You can thank us later!
Gladiators. Ten.
When is Gladiators Australia 2024 on?
The release schedule has changed since the show started airing, and it was will now be on more regularly.
Originally Gladiators was meant to air Sundays through Wednesdays, however, this week it will be airing Monday to Friday, and then again on Sunday.
You can check the exact dates for when each of the first seven Gladiators Australia 2024 episodes airs below.
Episode one (premiere): Monday, January 15th at 7:30pm.
Episode two: Tuesday, January 16th at 7:30pm.
Episode three: Wednesday, January 17th at 7:30pm.
Episode four: Thursday, January 18th at 7:30pm.
Episode five: Friday, January 19th at 7:30pm.
Episode six: Sunday, January 21st at 7:30pm.
Episode seven: Wednesday, January 24th at 7:30pm.
Gladiators. Ten.
What channel is Gladiators Australia 2024 on?
Gladiators Australia 2024 airs free-to-air on Channel 10. It can also be watched live and on-demand on 10Play.
Who are the Gladiators?
Chaos, Cobra and Spartan are a few of the new Gladiators. You can see the entire cast here.
Who are the hosts?
The revival is hosted by sporting and reality TV elite Beau Ryan and Liz Ellis.
Gladiators. Ten.
Liz was the captain of the Australian Diamonds Netball team for four years and was the winner of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Australia.
Beau was an NRL player for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Wests Tigers. He’s now the host of Amazing Race Australia and previously had regular gigs The Footy Show.
Gladiators Australia 2024 airs Sunday to Wednesday on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Former MasterChef host Melissa Leong has accepted a new hosting gig, and it’s probably very different to what you were expecting.
Nope, Mel won’t be the face of another cooking show. Instead, she’ll be hosting Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) Fight Week.
She’ll be joined on the show by panellists Tyson Pedro and Dan Hooker. Both men are very established UFC fighters.
The trio will offer commentary ahead of UFC 297 commentary ahead of UFC 297 conduct interviews with UFC middleweight champions Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.
UFC. Fox Sports.
Melissa announced the new gig on Instagram
The food journalist shared the exciting news about her new UFC gig on Instagram by sharing some behind-the-scenes photos and videos.
“Careful what you wish for… started watching UFC during the pandemic, just hosted Fight Week for UFC297,” she wrote alongside an image of herself posing on set.
“I feel very fortunate [to] have been met with such kindness in this incredible space,” she added.
In another post, Melissa wrote: “And yes, why not begin by interviewing Strickland and Du Plessis… cos we don’t do things by halves.”
Melissa compared UFC to MasterChef
Back in November 2023, during an interview with ABC, Melissa first publicly shared her love of UFC.
“I’m obsessed with the UFC. There, I said it,” she told the publication. “What I love is [that] it is incredible sportsmanship.”
She likened the sport to her former show MasterChef, and said that she loved that it was about both strategy and skill.
‘It’s just like MasterChef. Everybody’s competing against one another and you don’t know what the other person’s going to bring out, so you need to bring your best, but also interpret on the fly,” she said.
More recently, she appeared on UFC podcast Who The Fook Are These Guys.
Survivor, MAFS and Australian Idol are all going head to head and premiering on the same night – and at the same time.
The three huge reality TV programs will be kicking off on Monday, January 29th, 2024.
Interestingly, Survivor Australia has shifted its season 11 start date earlier, it was originally meant to premiere on February 5th.
The shift in schedule has seen Ten’s schedule move Gladiators Australia forward, in order to air all of the episodes before Survivor begins. The channel’s schedule previously had the show scheduled for Sundays to Wednesdays, but have added episodes on Thursday and Friday this week.
Gladiators. Ten.
How to watch the MAFS premiere
MAFS Australia 2024 will premiere on Channel Nine and 9Now at 7:30pm on Monday, January 29th, 2024.
As always, season 11 of MAFS is expected to be packed full of drama. A previous Married At First Sight Groom took to social media to claim that his friend, who is a participant in the upcoming season, was “horrified and saddened with his time on the show”.
MAFS. Nine.
How to watch the Survivor premiere
Survivor Australia 2024 will premiere on Channel Ten and 10Play at 7:30pm on Monday, January 29th, 2024.
This year’s theme is Titans v Rebels.
“Titans are both physically intimidating and utterly ruthless, but they’ll need to be at their absolute best to take on the Rebels — a group of individuals who live life by a different set of rules,” Paramount said in a statement.
Survivor. Ten.
How to watch the Australian Idol premiere
Australian Idol 2024 will premiere on Channel Seven and 7Plus at 7:30pm on Monday, January 29th, 2024.
2023 returnee judges Kyle Sandilands and Amy Shark will be joined by OG judge Marcia Hines.
“I consider Kyle a good friend and Amy is one-in-a-million and a real individual, without trying to be. Also, Kyle’s a Gemini, Amy’s a Taurus, and I’m the Cancerian in the mix and those three-star signs get along very nicely,” Marcia said of her move to join the judging panel.
The entire premise of Gladiators Australia 2024 is for the Gladiators to take down the contestants (or vice versa!) one by one. So, there’s a pretty good chance that a few of the competitors will be injured throughout the show.
While both sides of the competitors are decked out in safety gear, and the challenges are predominantly on foam mats, injuries do happen.
Check out the contestants and Gladiators who have been injured on the show so far.
Episode One
Competitor: Ben
What happened: 19-year-old Ben injured his ankle when he was tackled by Phoenix in Powerball.
“Ben will not be back due to injury, the rules state there can be a substitute contender,” Ref Hammer stated. He was replaced by a backup competitor called Kurt.
Gladiators. Ten.
Episode two
Gladiator: Viking
What happened: Viking injured his left arm during his Gladiator debut in the same event. The Powerball challenge saw him injure his left shoulder and sit the rest of the episode out.
Viking wasn’t replaced in the challenge, and the two competitors were left to take on just two Gladiators, instead of three.
Gladiators. Ten.
Gladiators Australia 2024 airs Sunday – Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
MAFS expert Mel Schilling has opened up about the symptoms she experienced before receiving her colon cancer diagnosis.
The long-running Married At First Sight expert revealed that she suffered pain while filming the new season of the popular reality show, but didn’t think too much of it.
“At the reunion dinner party I was doubled over in pain and then during the whole reunion shoot, I was just trying to smile through the pain and just get through it,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle Australia.
“I didn’t know what it was, I thought it was jet lag. I really did. I just thought I’m working too hard, it’s the travel, I’m just not taking care of myself. I really didn’t think it was anything else.”
Mel said she can “barely remember” what happened on that particular day of filming, so she’s interested to watch it unfold on the TV.
“It’ll be really bizarre actually to watch that,” she remarks. “It’s a little bit of a fuzzy memory now.”
MAFS. Nine.
Mel has the tumour removed
On December 21st, the MAFS expert shared her diagnosis on Instagram, and the following day she went into surgery to have the tumour, which she named Terry, removed.
“Terry, you are the weakest link…goodbye! ,” she penned, accompanying a photo of herself giving the thumbs up.
“So yesterday lunchtime I had keyhole surgery to remove my tumour (AKA Terry) and in the words of my amazing surgeon, it couldn’t have gone any better!”
The official MAFS cast photos have been released and fans have had a chance to feast their eyes on the brides and grooms who’ll be creating havoc this year.
The photos don’t give away too much, they’re simply promo, high-quality shots of the participants (mostly) smiling at the camera while wearing their wedding attire. However, one snap is noticeably different from the rest.
Groom Simon Flocco’s photo is considerably lower quality than the others, and it seems as though it’s been cropped with a photo-shop-like tool.
This detail suggests that Simon left the experiment before the cast was due to take their promotional photos, and fans agreed.
“Last minute photoshop addition to the show ,” one wrote on the MAFS Facebook page, another commented: “Did they photoshop his mugshot onto a groom?”
Simon opened up about why he left MAFS early
Simon confirmed to Daily Mail Australiathat he made the decision to leave. However, he cryptically added that he will return to MAFS later in the season.
“MAFS wasn’t what I thought I wanted at this point in my life, that’s all,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
He added, “I just felt bad for whoever they set me up with. I did initially leave, but they managed to coax me back… I gotta look out for myself.”
Simon Flocco. Instagram.
A source confirmed when Simon left MAFS
A source told Yahoo Lifestyle Australia that Simon decided to leave towards the beginning of the experiment.
“Shortly after filming his backstory and the grooms’ bucks party, he changed his mind about doing the show and quit,” they said.
“The picture of Simon is one he submitted to producers himself during pre-production to show them his suit.”
Married at First Sight 2024 premieres at 7:30pm on January 29th on Channel Nine and 9Now.
Australian Idol is coming back again for a second revival season in 2024.
The singing reality TV show first hit the air way back in 2003 and saw Guy Sebastian pip Shannon Noll to become Australia’s first Idol.
Australia Idol was shelved in 2009 after series seven but was revived in 2023 with Harry Connick Jr., Meghan Trainor, Amy Shark and Kyle Sandilands as judges.
The returning season saw Royston Sagigi-Baira take out the Idol title, and 15-year-old Phoebe Stewart come runner-up.
Australian Idol. Seven.
This year, both Amy and Kyle will return as judges, and they’ll be joined by OG judge Marcia Hines. In the trailer, Amy said the trio are looking for “a singer with the sound and style to woo the nation.”
Instead of searching for 50 finalists, there will only be thirty golden tickets available.
“The 30 who make it into that group have got to work harder to get there, and have to impress our judges to get that golden ticket,” Seven’s head of entertainment, Majella Hay said in an interview with Chattr ahead of the show’s premiere.
Here’s everything you need to know about Australian Idol 2024.
Is there a trailer?
There is! You can watch a compilation of feel-good moments that make up the trailer below.
Who are the judges?
Returnee judges Kyle Sandilands and Amy Shark will be back on the panel, and they’ll be joined by Marcia Hines who was a judge on the original iteration of the show from 2003-2009.
“I consider Kyle a good friend and Amy is one-in-a-million and a real individual, without trying to be. Also, Kyle’s a Gemini, Amy’s a Taurus, and I’m the Cancerian in the mix and those three-star signs get along very nicely,” Marcia said of her return.
Australian Idol (2008). Ten.
Meanwhile, Kyle said that he’s looking for someone with star quality.
“The ultimate performer is someone that you admire for their talent, and they’ve got a little swagger or a pizzazz about them that just makes them stand out from the crowd,” he said.
And, Amy is after the same thing as Kyle.
“I’m usually blown away if someone can potentially showcase their personality, voice, style and direction in the space of 10 minutes and leave me wanting more. If I want to learn more about you, I’m interested.”
Who are the hosts?
Ricki Lee Coulter, who came seven on the second season of Australian Idol back in 2009, will be one of the hosts. Coulter hosted the show in 2008 and 2009, and returned again last year for the reboot.
She’ll be joined by Scott Tweedie, who was also a host in 2023.
What careers has Australia Idol launched?
The show is famously known for kicking off both winner Guy Sebastian and runner-up Shannon Noll’s careers in season one. It’s also launched Jessica Mauboy, Matt Corby, Ricki-Lee, Anthony Callea, Stan Walker, Casey Donovan and Courtney Act into stardom.
Australian Idol premieres on Monday, 29 January 2024 on Channel 7 and 7plus.
The Block Australia is famously filmed in Victoria each year, and the contestants usually make no secret of the freezing weather conditions they experience while renovating.
Generally, filming of The Block begins in March, and finishes in June, meaning the latter months are very cold.
Much to the crews’ relief, it was reported that the filming schedule for The Block 2024 would be moved forward to being in January, but that has since changed.
“The show has needed to reset and for many reasons involving the location and casting of the 2024 series, The Block will be filmed at the same time as last year,” a source told Yahoo Lifestyle Australia.
“There had been some promises made to crew about the conditions on set being improved and these delays have affected that promise.”
How the filming schedule affects the contestants and crew
Victoria is well-known for its frequent downfall during winter, as well as for being one of the coldest cities in Australia.
The source noted that the winter schedule regularly creates “many obstacles for the cast and crew”.
“The mud issue in 2022 while filming the Tree Change season had many long-standing crew members questioning if they could survive a similar shoot if the show returned to a similar climate,” they said.
“So when the locations being sourced were Daylesford, Phillip Island and Yarra Valley, it was a relief to hear the schedule had been moved forward to a January/February start date to avoid the bitterly cold months.”
Chattr reached out to Channel 9 for comment, but are yet to hear back.
There may be eight teams this season
While the reasons behind the apparent delay in production have been kept quiet, they could have something to do with the rumour that there will be twice as many teams in the upcoming season.
Channel Nine purchased a holiday resort on Phillip Island named Island Cove Villas for $9.5 million to be used on The Block. The space has a shared swimming pool, tennis court and rec centre, as well as eight identical properties.
However, there is also a chance that each team may be allocated two properties each, and have the job of joining them together to make one large house.
Four months after originally being scheduled, the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards have taken place, honouring outstanding achievements in the television industry.
Here’s everything that happened!
At a milestone event, host Anthony Anderson paid homage with an opening monologue — nay performance — about how television has shaped him, complete with a song on the piano, a “diverse choir” and Travis Barker on the drums. He even called on the assistance of his mum who he had enlisted to help wrap up the 27 speeches that were to come!
Christina Applegate was the first presenter of the evening, overcome with emotion as the room gave her a standing ovation. However, she then made a joke: “Oh my god, you’re totally shaming me with disability by standing up. It’s fine. Body not by ozempic.”
The Sopranos stars Lorraine Bracco and Michael Imperioli paid tribute to the late James Gandolfini while announcing Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
After winning, Jennifer Coolidge thanked the “evil gays” for their support of The White Lotus.
Matthew Macfadyen, who won Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, thanked his “on-screen wife Sarah Snook” and his “other on-screen wife, Nicholas Braun” for being great scene partners! Lol!
John Cryer and Holland Taylor introduced the Best Supporting Actor in a comedy series with Holland comparing the acting role to a “good bra”. “They look good and support the whole thing!” HA!
John Oliver played up to Anderson’s mum, refusing to finish his speech so that she would tell him off. After asking the audience to tell him later where to get “Pokemon cards” for his kids, he then rattled off the team names of Liverpool FC, before thanking his mum and Jesus. Amazing.
After winning Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Niecy Nash-Bettsthanked, well, herself… for having the power to believe that she could achieve anything, before also dedicating the award to every “black and brown woman”. She finished by screaming: “Mama, I won!”
The Cheers cast including Ted Danson, Rhea Pearlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger and Kelsey Grammar, had an epic reunion complete with the set.
Kelsey Grammar, Rhea Pearlman, Ted Danson and John Ratzenberger. Binge
RuPaul Charles accepted the award for Outstanding Competition Program for RuPaul’s Drag Race, saying during his speech: “If a drag queen wants to read you a story at a library, listen to her because knowledge is power, and if someone tries to restrict your access to power, they are trying to scare you. So listen to a drag queen!”Charles also holds the record for most Emmy wins for a reality host as well as the record for the most awards won by a person colour.
"If a drag queen wants to read you a story at a library, listen to her because knowledge is power, and if someone tries to restrict your access to power, they are trying to scare you. So listen to a drag queen!"
The OG Greys Anatomy cast reunited onstage including Katherine Heigl, Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson. Heigl joked about “the changes” that had been made on the show through the years and Wilson revealed they were the “longest-running Prime-time medical drama” in TV history.
Chandra Wilson, Justin Chambers, Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl and James Pickens Jr. Binge
Paul Walter Hauser couldn’t help but tell the Grey’s cast, “My wife loves your show” upon accepting his award for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Black Bird. He then rapped his acceptance speech.
Mid-way, Anderson asked if everyone was enjoying the “chocolate awards” saying it was like “MLK day and Juneteenth all wrapped up into one.”
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler announced the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) award, with Elton John: Farewell from Dodger Stadium winning. This award marks an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award) for the iconic performer.
Netflix’s Beef won Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, which marked their fifth win for the evening.
GLAAD was awarded the Governor’s Award with Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD accepting with a powerful speech. “More people say they have seen a ghost than know a transgender person. When you don’t know people, it’s easy to demonise them. Visibility creates understanding, and it opens doors. It’s life-saving.”
‘In memoriam’ honoured Angela Lansbury, Angus Cloud, Stephen ‘Twitch’ Boss, Suzanne Somers, Leslie Jordan, Irene Cara, Kirstie Alley, Andre Braugher, Alan Arkin, Barbara Walters and Matthew Perry to name a few. Charlie Puth led the segment by performing See You Again and I’ll Be There For You, in a tribute to Perry and his role in Friends.
Matthew Perry from the In Memoriam, Binge
Kieran Culkin won the Lead Actor in a Drama Series, struggling with the button on his suit jacket before ripping it off. He became emotional when thanking his colleagues as well as his wife and kids. Culkin also said: “Thank you for giving me two amazing kids. And Jazz… I want more. You said, you said maybe if I win!”
Australia’s own Sarah Snook won Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Succession
Matty Matheson and Ebon Moss-Bachrach shared a looong kiss on stage after The Bear won the award for Outstanding Comedy Series.
It’s Sarah Snook‘s world and we’re all just living in it! The Australian actor has now won THREE prestigious awards during the 2024 awards season, now adding a Primetime Emmy to her collection.
During the January 15 coverage (January 16 in Oz), Snook took home Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Shiv in Binge’s Succession.
“Thanks for everyone who voted and for everyone loving the show as much as the cast did making it,” she said, before thanking her parents for having a dress-up box
“Really it was her who carried me,” she said of her daughter. “It’s all for you from here on out.”
On January 7 (Monday, January 8 in Australia), Snook took home Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Drama at the Golden Globes.
“Thank you Jesse [Armstrong] for casting me in this and Francine for putting me in front of Jesse,” she said thanking her team. “This show has changed my life and everybody in it was amazing.
“The cast of crew were fantastic. This was a team effort. It was always a team and that was what made the show amazing.”
Sarah Snook at the Golden Globes. Stan
Snook also won a Critic’s Choice Award on January 14.
Elton John has achieved EGOT status after his Live show won Outstanding Variety Special (Live) at the 75th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards for Farewell From Dodger Stadium.
John is the 19th person ever to get an EGOT.
He has won five Grammys (his first in 1987 for That’s What Friends Are For), an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1994 for The Lion King’s Can You Feel the Love Tonight and in 2000, he won a Tony Award for his Aida score.
Unfortunately, John was recovering from a knee operation and couldn’t attend the ceremony; however, his team, including his husband David Furnish, accepted the award on his behalf.
Farewell From Dodger Stadium showcased the icon’s final North American show as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour which began in 2018 and was then postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
