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Aussie TV star wins $9.2m on game show – the largest in history

<p>In an electrifying moment that will surely go down in television history, Australian reality TV star David Genat has claimed a jaw-dropping AUD$9.2 million prize on US television, securing the largest single cash payout ever seen on American TV.</p> <p>The 44-year-old, widely recognised by Aussie audiences from <em>Survivor Australia</em>, <em>Celebrity Apprentice</em>, <em>Rush</em> and <em>Getaway</em>, delivered a masterclass in risk-taking and intuition in NBC’s <em>Deal or No Deal Island</em>.</p> <p>Genat, dubbed the “Survivor golden god” after his 2020 <em>Survivor Australia: All Stars</em> victory, knew he had the upper hand early in the final showdown. But the real twist came when the show’s notorious banker was revealed as none other than Chrissy Teigen.</p> <p>Faced with 26 cases – one containing the life-changing sum of AUD$12.2 million – Genat navigated a nail-biting elimination round, fuelled by his father’s memory and a razor-sharp strategy. Rejecting a staggering seven offers, including multiple million-dollar deals, he played with nerves of steel until just two cases remained.</p> <p>Then came the final offer: a mind-blowing $US5.8 million ($AUD9.2 million). With tension at an all-time high, Genat made the call – he took the deal.</p> <p>It was a decision that paid off in monumental fashion. When his chosen case was opened, it contained just $75. Had he gambled one step further, he would have walked away with next to nothing. Instead, he etched his name into television history with the record-breaking win.</p> <p>“It was surreal,” Genat later shared with <em>USA Today</em>. <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">“The offer came in at US$5.8 million and I started thinking about it, and that is just so much money. I was having a spiritual experience, man. I just knew where that money was. I knew which cases to open. I was looking for signs from my father, who passed away a couple of years ago. I felt his presence there, and he was just guiding me on what cases to open.”</span></p> <p>That deep connection gave him the clarity to seize the moment and walk away with a life-altering fortune. “My frequency is on another level,” he added. “I fully feel like I’m floating.”</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">With his newfound millions, Genat already has a few indulgences in mind, including a new motorcycle, a luxury watch and some sleek new cars for his four kids.</span></p> <p>But the adventure might not stop here. Rumours are swirling that Genat could be gearing up for another reality TV showdown on the upcoming <em>Survivor: Australia vs. the World</em>, set to air later this year.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"Get under your desks!": Incredible moment tornado strikes TV studio during live broadcast

<p>Dramatic footage captured the moment an EF-2 tornado slammed into the FOX 35 television studio in Lake Mary, Florida, on Monday morning. The on-air meteorologist, Brooks Garner, swiftly ordered his colleagues to take cover as the storm bore down on them in real time.</p> <p>Garner, a seasoned meteorologist for FOX 35, remained remarkably composed as the tornado, with winds reaching up to 200km/h, moved directly toward the station. The storm was first spotted on the studio’s outdoor camera, showing it charging across Interstate 4 before closing in on the journalists inside.</p> <p>Once the wind and heavy rain obscured visibility, leaving only swirling debris on the cameras, Garner issued an urgent warning.</p> <p>“We got debris? Okay. Take shelter! Everybody in the FOX 35 building, get to your safe space. Under your desk if you’re not in a designated area. We’re catching debris right now on the roof,” he said during the live broadcast.</p> <p>As debris pounded the building, Garner repeated his instructions with greater urgency. “Seek shelter immediately! Get under your desks, guys, anchors. Under the desks. Producers, everybody get under the desks.”</p> <p>After the storm passed, Garner quickly shifted his focus back to the safety of viewers still in its path.</p> <p>“Get to the ground level, an interior room, away from the windows,” he urged. “This is a very serious situation. This is a real, live tornado. It just hit our station.”</p> <p>According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the tornado formed at 9:35am. near the southeastern edge of Wekiwa Springs State Park. The twister carved a destructive path through residential areas in Longwood, damaging homes, shattering windows and tearing off roofs.</p> <p>Officials later confirmed that at least one home collapsed. Additionally, a semi-truck was overturned with its driver and his dog inside. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported, though the region suffered widespread power outages and fallen trees. Even inside the fortified FOX 35 building, lights flickered as the tornado struck.</p> <p>Emergency crews have since been deployed to assess the damage and assist affected residents. Authorities urge locals to remain alert, as severe weather conditions persist in the area.</p> <p><em>Image: FOX 35</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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A late start, then a big boom: why it took until 1975 for Australians to finally watch TV in colour

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>Some 50 years ago, on March 1 1975, Australian television stations officially moved to colour.</p> <p>Networks celebrated the day, known as “<a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/c-day-and-the-colour-monster-national-archives-of-australia/LAWRcgnnNY1cKA?hl=en">C-Day</a>”, with unique slogans such as “come to colour” (ABC TV), “Seven colours your world” (Seven Network), “living colour” (Nine Network) and “first in colour” (<a href="https://televisionau.com/feature-articles/network-ten">0-10 Network</a>, which later became Network Ten). The ABC, Seven and Nine networks also updated their logos to incorporate colour.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T7gZdYVZJNc?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>For most viewers, however, nothing looked much different. The majority owned a black and white TV, while a coloured broadcast required a colour TV set.</p> <p>Advertisers were initially reluctant to accept the change, which required them to re-shoot black and white commercials with colour stock at a significantly higher cost.</p> <p>Many reasoned viewers were still watching the ads in black and white. And initially this assumption was correct. But by nine months later, 17% of Australian homes <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110829595?searchTerm=colour%20television%20in%20australia%201975">had a colour receiver</a>. This rose to 31% by July 1976.</p> <p>By 1978, 64% of Melbourne and 70% of Sydney households owned colour TV sets, making Australia one of the world’s fastest adopters of colour TV.</p> <p>According to the Federation of Australian Commercial Television Stations (FACTS) annual report for 1975–76, colour TV increased overall viewership by 5%, with people watching for longer periods.</p> <p>The 1976 Montreal Olympics also led to an <a href="https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/asset/96836-olympic-games-coverage-colour">increase in TV sales</a>, with the colour broadcast shared between the ABC, Seven and Nine.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L-75iIoshak?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Highlights from the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games marathon event.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>A late start</h2> <p>With the United States introducing colour TV from 1954, it’s peculiar that Australia took so long to make the transition – especially since conversations about this had been underway since the 1960s.</p> <p>In 1965, a report outlining the process and economic considerations of transitioning to colour was tabled in parliament.</p> <p>Feedback from the US highlighted problems around broader acceptance in the marketplace. Colour TV sets were expensive and most programs were still being shot in black and white, despite the availability of colour.</p> <p>Networks were the most hesitant (even though they’d go on to become one of the most major benefactors). In 1969, it was <a href="https://australianfoodtimeline.com.au/colour-tv-introduced/">estimated transitioning to colour</a> would cost the ABC A$46 million (the equivalent of $265,709,944 today) over six years.</p> <p>The federal government, led by then prime minister Robert Menzies, decided to take a cautious approach to the transition – allowing manufacturers, broadcasters and the public time to prepare.</p> <p>The first colour “test” broadcast took place on June 15 1967, with <a href="https://televisionau.com/2025/03/tv-50-years-in-colour.html">live coverage</a> of a Pakenham country horse racing event in Victoria (although few people would have had coloured TV sets at this point).</p> <p>Other TV shows also tested broadcasting in colour between 1972 and 1974, with limited colour telecasts aired from mid-1974. It wasn’t until March 1975 that colour TV was being transmitted permanently.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vIqqiK4ncfs?wmode=transparent&amp;start=40" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">‘Aunty Jack Introduces Colour’ was a one-off television special of The Aunty Jack Show, broadcast on the ABC on February 28 1975.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>The cinema industry panics</h2> <p><a href="https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/vietnam-war-1962-1975/events/withdrawal-from-1971">Australia’s involvement</a> in the Vietnam War created further urgency to televise in colour. With the war ending in April 1975, Australians watched the last moments in colour.</p> <p>Other significant events broadcast in colour that year included the December federal election, in which Malcolm Fraser defeated Gough Whitlam after the latter was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXq056TJhU4">dramatically dismissed</a> as prime minister on November 11.</p> <p>With the public’s growing interest in colour TV, local manufacturers began lobbying for higher tariffs on imports to encourage domestic colour TV production.</p> <p>In the mid 1970s, a new colour set in Australia cost between $1,000 and $1,300, while the average full-time annual income was <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/6302.0Main+Features1Sep%201975?OpenDocument=">around $8,000</a>. Still in the throes of a financial recession, customers began seeking out illegally-imported colour TV sets – which were appearing at car boot markets across the country.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wTKMqPg4hM8?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">British childrens show The Wombles came to Australian screens shortly after colour TV was introduced.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>The government also created an advertising campaign warning the public of scammers who would offer to convert black-and-white TVs to colour. These door-to-door “salesmen” <a href="https://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/instant_color_tv#google_vignette">claimed to have</a> a special screen which, when placed over a TV, would magically turn it colourful.</p> <p>By 1972, the estimated cost of upgrading broadcasting technology to colour <a href="https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/colour-tv-part-1">had reached $116 million</a>. The cinema industry, in a panic, even questioned whether colour TV could damage a viewer’s eyesight.</p> <p>The industry had previously suffered huge losses in cinema attendance with the introduction of black-and-white TV from 1956. Cinemas had a monopoly on colour and were petrified over what the introduction of colour to television could do to their attendances.</p> <p>Such fears were founded. In 1974 Australia had 68 million admissions to the cinema. By 1976, there were just 28.9 million admissions. Never again would yearly cinema admissions reach <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/historical-admissions">above 40 million</a>.</p> <p>But despite the complaints – from the cinema industry, advertisers, broadcasters and manufacturers – audiences were ready for colour. And any network that dared to program in black and white would subject itself to a barrage of annoyed viewers.</p> <p>Colour TV was here to stay.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/251363/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-gaunson-265553">Stephen Gaunson</a>, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-late-start-then-a-big-boom-why-it-took-until-1975-for-australians-to-finally-watch-tv-in-colour-251363">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: </em><em>Youtube/Austvarchive</em></p> </div>

TV

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Nine pulls reality TV series off the air over "staging" claims

<p>Channel Nine's real estate reality show <em>Find My Beach House</em> has been  pulled off air after producers were caught out "staging" scenes for the cameras.</p> <p>The show hosted by <em>The Block's </em>Shelley Craft, focuses on couples hunting to buy their "dream home".</p> <p>However, according to Media Watch, one couple featured on the show already owned the property that was showcased on a recent episode. </p> <p>According to the Media Watch report, couple Toneya and Lochie had owned the luxury pad for eight years.</p> <p>"In fact, days after the show was broadcast, Toneya and Lochie put the house on the market – asking price $3.8 to $4.15 million. Can’t buy advertising like that," Media Watch host Linton Besser said.</p> <p>Media Watch also claimed that another property featured on the show was owned by "home seeker" Kirsty, who had it listed on Airbnb for $4,000 a week. </p> <p>The show was pulled from 9Now after Media Watch made their enquiries </p> <p>In a statement shared with viewers of Media Watch, the producers admitted "reversed engineered the house-hunting process".  </p> <p>"Abode Entertainment produces Find My Beach House, which is licensed to Channel 9,' the statement began.  </p> <p>"The show is designed as light entertainment, offering viewers engaging tours of stunning homes. </p> <p>"At its core, the series follows a couple’s journey, adding a compelling narrative that keeps audiences invested," they continued. </p> <p>"To enhance storytelling and ensure a satisfying viewing experience, we sometimes reverse-engineer the house-hunting process." </p> <p>"Each episode is based on real property searches and purchases. In some cases, aspects of the home-buying journey have been reconstructed for storytelling purposes. </p> <p>"This means the buyers have already purchased their home before filming, and we then showcase additional properties to capture their reactions and insights authentically.</p> <p>"Moving forward we are making the change to include a disclaimer on each episode."</p> <p><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

TV

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TV star shot in the face at husband's birthday party

<p>Actress Christy Carlson Romano has opened up about a terrifying accident that left her fearing for her life. In a candid video shared with her 735,000 Instagram followers, the former Disney star revealed that she was shot in the eye while participating in a clay pigeon shooting activity for her husband Brendan Rooney's birthday.</p> <p>Romano explained that an unidentified member of their party "unsafely fired in the wrong direction", resulting in her being struck in the face. Displaying her injuries on camera, she showcased a visibly bruised eye and disclosed that she sustained multiple hits, with one fragment landing only centimetres from her right eye.</p> <p>Recalling the ordeal, Romano shared that her husband immediately rushed her to the hospital. Medical professionals determined that a fragment was still lodged behind her eye, but said it was too risky for surgical removal at the time. She also pointed out another fragment embedded in her forehead.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DF0dgT5uibG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DF0dgT5uibG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Christy Carlson Romano (@thechristycarlsonromano)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Despite the severity of the incident, the actress reassured her fans that she could still see normally and was under medical supervision. "With everything that happened, all I can think about is how grateful I am to be alive," Romana wrote. "I love my daughters, husband, family, and friends so much. I saw my life flash before my eyes and I’m telling you, hug the people around you every chance you can. Life can change in an instant."</p> <p>Fans and fellow celebrities quickly flooded her post with messages of support, and hours later Romano took to her Instagram Story to express her gratitude, writing, "This has been scary and your positivity is meaningful to my healing."</p> <p>Romano, who rose to fame in the early 2000s with roles in Disney Channel’s <em>Kim Possible</em> and <em>Even Stevens</em> alongside Shia LaBeouf, has since transitioned into podcasting. She currently hosts "Vulnerable", a show where she discusses personal and industry-related topics.</p> <p>Married to producer Brendan Rooney since 2013, the couple shares two children together. As Romano continues to recover, fans remain hopeful for her swift and full healing.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Aussie TV and theatre legend found dead at age 67

<p>Australian TV and theatre legend Nicholas Eadie has died at the age of 67. </p> <p>Eadie, who was known for his work on multiple shows, including <em>Cop Shop</em> and <em>Underbelly</em>, died in Sydney on Wednesday, with his friend and fellow actor Will Conyers confirming the sad news in a social media post.</p> <p>“Vale, Nicholas Eadie, 1958 – 2025,” he wrote.</p> <p>“I send my deepest sympathy to all those that were touched by this very special artist and human being.”</p> <p>According to the <em>Daily Mail</em>, Eadie's body was found at his home, although no cause of death has been given.</p> <p>Many of Eadie’s industry colleagues have taken to social media to pay tribute to him following the news of his passing.</p> <p>Actor Rhys Muldoon, who worked with Eadie a “number of times” wrote that he was “shocked” at the news, describing him as “a great actor” and “one of life’s best scallywags”.</p> <p>Toby Schmitz, who appeared in <em>Underbelly</em> alongside Eadie, also paid tribute to him on X.</p> <p>“Bon voyage Nicholas Eadie. An actor thrumming with savvy truth, dangerous wit; a thrilling artist,” he posted.</p> <p>Theatre manager Les Solomon spoke of his devastation at the loss of the “magnificent” Eadie, describing him as “one of Australia’s finest actors”.</p> <p>Eadie’s career began shortly after his graduation from the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) in Sydney in 1980. He landed the role of Constable Sam Phillips on Channel Seven’s <em>Cop Shop</em>, and stayed on the series for two years.</p> <p>Across the following decades, he appeared in many well-known Australian film and television productions, including <em>A Country Practice</em>, <em>Return to Snowy River</em>, <em>Halifax FP</em> and <em>Vietnam</em>, which he starred in alongside Nicole Kidman. </p> <p>Eadie was also a successful theatre actor, starring in <em>A Midsummer Nights Dream</em> and <em>The Taming of the Shrew</em>, among many others.</p> <p><em>Image credits: IMBD / news.com.au</em></p>

Caring

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Legendary Australian TV presenter dies at age 79

<p>Australian TV presenter and journalist Simon Townsend has died at the age of 79. </p> <p>Townsend died on Tuesday after a battle with an aggressive form of cancer, with his family confirming the news of his passing in a statement. </p> <p>The statement read, “In his final days, Simon was surrounded by his family and a mix of journalists, writers, actors, political activists and Italians."</p> <p>“The conversation to the last was loud, passionate and full of laughs.”</p> <p>Townsend was best known for creating and hosting children’s entertainment TV show <em>Wonder World</em> on Network 10, which ran between 1979 and 1987 and won five Logie Awards.</p> <p>“Simon often found himself in a stoush with Australian children’s television regulators, fighting to maintain his show’s boundary-pushing ethos and preserve his children’s TV rating,” his family’s statement continued.</p> <p>“The edict to all involved in making the show was that they never talk down to children.”</p> <p>Townsend was also known for a stint in Long Bay jail that sparked protests across Sydney, after he became a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War. </p> <p>Townsend's passing prompted a wave of tributes from Australian media personalities, with Amanda Keller being the first to share her experience of working with Townsend as she revealed her first job was on <em>Wonder World</em>.</p> <p>“I was a researcher there, and was lucky enough to work alongside some of the most talented people of my generation,” Keller wrote.</p> <p>“Many of my closest friends today are from those days. I’ll forever be grateful to the show, and to the groundbreaking force that was Simon Townsend. My condolences to all who loved him.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Network 10</em></p>

Caring

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Sam Armytage's stunning return to breakfast TV

<p>Samantha Armytage has made a stunning return to breakfast television. </p> <p>The beloved journalist made her debut as co-host of the <em>Today</em> show on Monday morning alongside <em>Weekend Today</em> weather presenter Dan Anstey. </p> <p>The pair took over the reins from <em>Weekend Today</em> hosts David Campbell and Sylvia Jeffreys who were filling in for Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo. </p> <p>This is the first time Armytage has appeared on morning TV, since she last co-hosted Seven’s rival breakfast show <em>Sunrise </em>with David Koch from 2013 to 2021.</p> <p>“I’ve remembered where I am, on channel Nine. Isn’t it lovely to be on channel Nine?” she asked, addressing the elephant in the room, before saying, "Hi guys, good morning, it's nice to be here and nice to look at this new team."</p> <p>“Well, we met at Melbourne Cup, didn’t we? You were handsome as always,” she told co-host Anstey, who jokingly replied: "I can't remember that now." </p> <p>"You may have confused me with another Dan."</p> <p>Armytage, who started her TV career on Nine, was recently welcomed back as host of the new dating program, <em>The Golden Bachelor</em>, which will premiere next year. </p> <p>Her appearance on the breakfast TV show comes after a dramatic development in her personal life, following news of her<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/the-reason-behind-sam-armytage-s-shock-split-from-husband" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> split from husband</a> Richard Lavender after four years together. </p> <p><em>Images: Today</em></p>

TV

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Queensland's first TV star dies aged 90

<p>Queensland's first television star, Hugh Cornish, has died at a retirement village in Hamilton, Brisbane aged 90. </p> <p>A major figure in television, the iconic presenter made history as the first person to ever greet Channel 9 audiences in Queensland when television went live on August 16, 1959.</p> <p>"I said something like, 'Hello Brisbane, welcome to television' and really, that was it," Cornish recalled in a 1990s interview. </p> <p>His son Tim, confirmed the news of his passing on social media. </p> <p>"Last night we lost one of the remaining burning stars. He was the greatest gentleman you could ever hope to meet," he shared.</p> <p>Cornish began his media career as a radio presenter at 4IP in Ipswich in 1934. </p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Following his first TV appearance, Cornish eventually became the general manager of Channel 9 Queensland, and was the first person to run the same shows every night instead of once a week. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">In the 1960s he hosted the variety show </span><em>Brisbane Tonight </em>before he went on to present the talent show <em>Stairway to the Stars </em>in the 1970s.</p> <p>He later served as an executive at Nine and the Seven Network.</p> <p>The TV star was remembered by his loved ones today after news of his death. </p> <p>"Every time I think of Hugh Cornish, I think, I know we had the best days in the television industry because they were pioneering days," former television director Garry Gibson said.</p> <p>"I just remember him as a kind loveable person who would help anybody.</p> <p>"This man was interested in television and he wanted to make entertainment and we all chased that."</p> <p>Managing director of Nine Queensland Kylie Blucher said his contributions to the media landscape were second to none. </p> <p>"His face and voice became a trusted presence in countless homes," Blucher said in a statement.</p> <p>"For decades, he brought warmth, professionalism, and dedication to Channel Nine's screen."</p> <p>Veteran newsman Brett DeBritz added that many in this industry "owed their careers" to Cornish. </p> <p>"Everybody who grew up in the sixties and seventies knew his face. He was the guy who brought local current affairs to Channel Nine, and he was also an entertainer.</p> <p>"A lot of people owe their careers to him."</p> <p>"He probably made a bigger impact on getting talent known and up and running in Brisbane than anybody else I know, ever," producer-director and friend John Stainton said.</p> <p><em>Images: Nine</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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From the bed sheets to the TV remote, a microbiologist reveals the shocking truth about dirt and germs in hotel rooms

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/primrose-freestone-315921">Primrose Freestone</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-leicester-1053">University of Leicester</a></em></p> <p>For most of us, staying in a hotel room is either something of a necessity – think business travel – or something to look forward to as part of a holiday or wider excursion.</p> <p>But what if I told you there’s a large chance your hotel room, despite how it might appear to the naked eye, <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/922575">isn’t that clean</a>. And even if it’s an expensive room, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s any less dirty.</p> <p>Indeed, whoever has stayed in your room prior to you will have deposited bacteria, fungi and viruses all over the furniture, carpets, curtains and surfaces. What remains of these germ deposits depends on how efficiently your <a href="http://www.europeancleaningjournal.com/magazine/articles/european-reports/bacteria-that-breed-in-hotel-rooms">room is cleaned</a> by <a href="https://www.today.com/money/hotel-maids-how-much-how-little-do-they-really-clean-1D80287464">hotel staff</a>. And let’s face it, what is considered clean by a hotel might be different to <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/dirty-spots-in-hotel-rooms_n_5ae09906e4b061c0bfa4356d">what you consider clean</a>.</p> <p>Typically, assessment of hotel room cleanliness is based on <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26330308">sight and smell observations</a> –- not on the invisible microbiology of the space, which is where the infection risks reside. So let’s take a deep dive into the world of germs, bugs and viruses to find out what might be lurking where.</p> <h2>It starts at the lift</h2> <p>Before you even enter your room, think of the hotel lift buttons as germ hotspots. They are being pressed all the time by many different people, which can transfer microorganisms onto the button surface, as well back onto the presser’s fingers.</p> <p>Communal door handles can be similar in terms of germ presence unless sanitised regularly. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25005587/">Wash your hands</a> or use a hand sanitiser after using a handle before you next touch your face or eat or drink.</p> <p>The most common <a href="https://www.rd.com/list/ways-your-hotel-room-could-be-making-you-sick/">infections people pick up</a> from hotel rooms are tummy bugs – diarrhoea and vomiting – along with <a href="https://www.everydayhealth.com/cold-and-flu/surprising-ways-hotels-can-make-you-sick.aspx">respiratory viruses</a>, such as colds and pneumonia, as well as <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/3/21-2318_article?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_333-DM72795&amp;ACSTrackingLabel=Latest%20Expedited%20Articles%20-%20Emerging%20Infectious%20Diseases%20Journal%20-%20December%2029%2C%202021&amp;deliveryName=USCDC_333-DM72795">COVID-19</a>, of course.</p> <p><a href="https://ami-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jam.15121">Toilets and bathrooms</a> tend to be cleaned more thoroughly than the rest of a hotel room and are often the least bacteriologically colonised environments.</p> <p>Though if the drinking glass in the bathroom is not disposable, wash it before use (body wash or shampoo are effective dishwashers), as you can never be sure if they’ve been cleaned properly. Bathroom door handles may also be colonised by pathogens from unwashed hands or dirty washcloths.</p> <h2>Beware the remote</h2> <p>The bed, sheets and pillows can also be home to some unwanted visitors. <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/9/20-1435_article">A 2020 study</a> found that after a pre-symptomatic COVID-19 patient occupied a hotel room there was significant viral contamination of many surfaces, with levels being particularly high within the sheets, pillow case and quilt cover.</p> <p>While <a href="https://www.rd.com/list/dirty-hotel-room/">sheets and pillowcases</a> may be more likely to be changed between occupants, bedspreads may not, meaning these fabrics may become invisible reservoirs for pathogens – <a href="https://www.indy100.com/science-tech/beds-more-germs-than-toilet">as much as a toilet seat</a>. Though in <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/17444370/hotel-sheets-clean-changed-dirty/">some cases</a> <a href="https://www.insideedition.com/investigation-finds-sheets-werent-changed-between-guests-at-some-new-york-hotels-60419">sheets</a> <a href="https://www.frommers.com/tips/health-and-travel-insurance/hotels-dont-always-change-the-sheets-between-guests#:%7E:text=Sheets%20are%20usually%20changed%20between,they%20aren't%20washed%20regularly.">aren’t always changed between guests</a>, so it may be better to just bring your own.</p> <p>Less thought about is what lives on the hotel room desk, bedside table, telephone, kettle, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep17163?utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_source=commission_junction&amp;utm_campaign=CONR_PF018_ECOM_GL_PHSS_ALWYS_DEEPLINK&amp;utm_content=textlink&amp;utm_term=PID100087244&amp;CJEVENT=7cf55981c74311ed82a0034b0a18ba73">coffee machine</a>, light switch or <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hotel-room-tests-uncover-high-levels-of-contamination-1.1160859">TV remote</a> – as these surfaces aren’t always sanitised between occupancies.</p> <p>Viruses such as the <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/17444370/hotel-sheets-clean-changed-dirty/">norovirus can live</a> in an infectious form for days on hard surfaces, as can COVID-19 – and the typical time interval between room changeovers is often less than 12 hours.</p> <p>Soft fabric furnishings such as cushions, chairs, curtains and blinds are also difficult to clean and may not be sanitised other than to remove stains between guests, so washing your hands after touching them might be a good idea.</p> <h2>Uninvited guests</h2> <p>If all those germs and dirty surfaces aren’t enough to contend with, there are also bedbugs to think about. These bloodsucking insects are experts at secreting themselves into narrow, small spaces, remaining dormant without feeding for months.</p> <p>Small spaces include the cracks and crevices of luggage, mattresses and bedding. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/bedbugs/faqs.html">Bed bugs</a> are widespread throughout Europe, Africa, the US and Asia – and are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278431920301201">often found in hotels</a>. And just because a room looks and smells clean, doesn’t mean there may not be bed bugs lurking.</p> <p>Fortunately, <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bedbugs/">bed bug bites</a> are unlikely to give you a transmissible disease, but the bite areas can become inflamed and infected. For the detection of bedbugs, reddish skin bites and blood spots on sheets are signs of an active infestation (use an antiseptic cream on the bites).</p> <p>Other signs can be found on your mattress, behind the headboard and inside drawers and the wardrobe: brown spots could be remains of faeces, bed bug skins are brownish-silvery looking and live bed bugs are brown coloured and typically one to seven millimetres in length.</p> <p>Inform the hotel if you think there are bed bugs in your room. And to avoid taking them with you when you checkout, carefully clean your luggage and clothes before opening them at home.</p> <p>As higher-status hotels tend to have more frequent room usage, a more expensive room at a five-star hotel does not necessarily mean greater cleanliness, as room cleaning costs reduce profit margins. So wherever you’re staying, take with you a pack of antiseptic wipes and use them on the hard surfaces in your hotel room.</p> <p>Also, wash or sanitise your hands often – especially before you eat or drink anything. And take slippers or thick socks with you so you can avoid walking barefoot on hotel carpets – known to be another <a href="https://www.rd.com/list/dirty-hotel-room/">dirt hotspot</a>. And after all that, enjoy your stay.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202195/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/primrose-freestone-315921">Primrose Freestone</a>, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-leicester-1053">University of Leicester</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-the-bed-sheets-to-the-tv-remote-a-microbiologist-reveals-the-shocking-truth-about-dirt-and-germs-in-hotel-rooms-202195">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Travel Trouble

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Husband of Aussie TV presenter dies two years after his wife's passing

<p>Alan Plummer, husband of TV presenter Erin Jayne Plummer who <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/tv-presenter-s-cause-of-death-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> in 2022, has passed away. </p> <p>The 49-year-old passed away in a suspected self-harm incident in Sydney's northern beaches on Saturday, with his death leaving the couple's three daughters orphaned. </p> <p>The tragedy comes two years after his wife, who was a host on <em>Studio 10</em>, died at just 42 years old in May 2022.</p> <p>Erin represented Australia as a synchronised swimmer at three world championships and won 11 national titles, before going on to have a successful career hosting advertorials, appearing on <em>Studio 10</em>, <em>TVSN</em>, <em>Mornings with Keri-Anne</em> and <em>The Morning Show</em>.</p> <p>At the time of Erin's death, <em>Studio 10</em> host Sarah Harris shared the devastating news with the audience. </p> <p>“For two decades, Erin has been a friendly and familiar face on Australian telly, and for a lot of that she's been brightening up our mornings with her bubbly personality and megawatt smile."</p> <p>“Erin was just a gorgeous human inside and out... We'll miss your sunshine around the studio, Erin Jayne, and all of us here are sending lots of love and strength to her family. You'll be very missed.”</p> <p>A NSW Police Force spokesperson confirmed the Alan's death in a statement to <em>Daily Mail Australia</em>, saying, “Officers from Northern Beaches Police Area Command will prepare a report for the information of the Coroner regarding the death of a 49-year-old man at Freshwater on Saturday.”</p> <p>Mr Plummer had recently sold the family’s four-bedroom Freshwater home, which they had owned for more than two decades.</p> <p>He was the former director of Shine VIP Tours Australia PTY LTD — a now-defunct company that was shut down in 2020. </p> <p><em><strong>Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone. </strong></em></p> <p> </p> <p><em><strong>Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au</strong></em></p> <p> </p> <p><em><strong>Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636</strong></em></p> <p> </p> <p><em><strong>SANE: 1800 187 263; saneforums.org</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Caring

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"In shock ever since": Aussie TV legend opens up on divorce

<p>Noni Hazelhurst has opened up about her high-profile divorce from actor John Jarratt in 1999, admitting she has "been in shock ever since" the relationship split. </p> <p>The former <em>Play School </em>host, 71, wrote candidly about her former husband in her new memoir <em>Dropping The Mask</em>, sharing the real reason they called off their marriage. </p> <p>Hazelhurst and Jarratt were married for 12 years, from 1987 until 1999, and share two sons together, Charlie, 36, and William, 30. </p> <p>The couple even co-hosted <em>Better Homes and Gardens</em> together, but sadly, the show wound up playing a role in their divorce.</p> <p>“John and I had some wonderful times together – and then we didn’t," Hazlehurst told <em><a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/noni-hazlehurst-ex-husband/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woman’s Day</a></em> in a new interview.</p> <p>“That’s true of many relationships. They start off full of hope and optimism and, along the way, buried issues come to the surface.”</p> <p>Noni went on to say their relationship started to end when John grew closer to a member of the <em>Better Homes</em> crew, saying “At that moment, I knew the marriage was over.” </p> <p>“We simply wanted different things. I wanted a family. John wanted another woman… The ending of my previous relationships had been hard enough, but this was far worse. In some ways, I think I’ve been in shock ever since.”</p> <p>Despite the divorce, Hazlehurst insisted she had no hard feelings toward her ex, saying, “The end result of our marriage was two beautiful children. Whatever happened can’t negate the joy they’ve brought me.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram / news.com.au</em></p>

Relationships

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Heartbreaking final message from beloved TV icon

<p>Australian TV icon Fiona MacDonald has died after a "very tough battle" with motor neurone disease, announcing her own death on social media. </p> <p>Fiona died with her sister Kylie and sons by her side, writing in her final post she had “left the building” in an emotional message shared by her sister. </p> <p>“Last night brought an end to a very tough few months,” she said.</p> <p>“Was very peaceful, the boys and Kylie stayed with me to say goodbye. While I’ve never wanted to die, the thought of leaving my tortured body was a relief.”</p> <p>She went on to detail how she had been struggling in her final months, saying she was "slowly starving, growing weaker and weaker," but even at the very end, always kept her "black humour that served me well through the first years of this journey".</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DApP3VWz0b9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DApP3VWz0b9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by fionafinewines (@fionafinewines)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>She ended her post writing, "So let’s not call it goodbye as I hope to see you again on the other side. I carry your love and laughter with me and hope you’ll remember mine."</p> <p>MacDonald was a television regular during the 1980s as the host of popular children’s program <em>Wombat</em> alongside a puppet called Agro, and also the host of the gameshow <em>It’s A Knockout</em>.</p> <p>Fiona was first diagnose with motor neurone disease in 2021, and had been keeping her fans updated on there health journey on Instagram. </p> <p>Tributes have flooded MacDonald’s post, with friend and sculptor Cybele Rowe commenting, “What a spectacular human you were here on this planet! I’m sure there is something fabulously entertaining on the other side and you’re just joining in the groove.”</p> <p>“Shine on Sista, Like the moon, the stars and the Sun. Big love to all your loving family.”</p> <p>"Oh Fiona what a shining light you have been," added TV Chef Lyndey Milan. "So brave, strong, courageous and magnificent in cruel adversity. Sending love to your family and your incredible, supportive friends."</p> <p>"Time to rest beautiful Fi," wrote journalist and TV host Melissa Hoyer. "You will be missed. Thinking of you, the boys &amp; your family."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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The power of nostalgia: why it’s healthy for you to keep returning to your favourite TV series

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anjum-naweed-1644852">Anjum Naweed</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p>How often do you find yourself hitting “play” on an old favourite, reliving the same TV episodes you’ve seen before – or even know by heart?</p> <p>I’m a chronic re-watcher. Episodes of sitcoms like Blackadder (1983–89), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–21), Doc Martin (2004–22) and The Office US (2005–13) – a literal lifetime of TV favourites – are usually dependable in times of stress.</p> <p>But recently, ahead of an exceptionally challenging deadline, I found myself switching up my viewing. Instead of the escapist comedy I normally return to, I switched to Breaking Bad (2008–13), a nail-biting thriller with a complex reverse hero narrative – and immediately felt at ease.</p> <p>What do our re-viewing choices tell us about ourselves? And is it OK that we keep returning to old favourites?</p> <h2>Fictional stories, real relationships</h2> <p>Although one-sided, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/neighbours-vs-friends-we-found-out-which-beloved-show-fans-mourned-more-when-it-ended-212843">relationships</a> we form with characters in our favourite TV shows can feel very real. They can increase a sense of belonging, reduce loneliness – and keep pulling us back in.</p> <p>When we rewatch, we feel sadness, wistful joy and longing, all at the same time. We call the sum of these contradictions <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ekaterina-Kalinina-2/publication/313531584_What_Do_We_Talk_About_When_We_Talk_About_Media_and_Nostalgia/links/589d9aa592851c599c9bb12c/What-Do-We-Talk-About-When-We-Talk-About-Media-and-Nostalgia.pdf">nostalgia</a>.</p> <p>Originally coined in the 17th century to describe Swiss soldiers impaired by homesickness, psychologists now understand nostalgic reflection as a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1037/gpr0000109">shield</a> against anxiety and threat, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X2200269X">promoting</a> a sense of wellbeing.</p> <p>We all rely on fiction to transport us from our own lives and realities. Nostalgia viewing extends the experience, taking us somewhere we already know and love.</p> <h2>Bingeing nostalgia</h2> <p>The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a wave of nostalgia viewing.</p> <p>In the United States, audience analyst <a href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/nielsen-2023-streaming-report-suits-the-office-record-1235890306/">Nielsen</a> found the most streamed show of 2020 was the American version of The Office, seven years after it ended its television run. A <a href="https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/watching-tv-and-movies-favourite-lockdown-exclusive/">Radio Times survey</a> found 64% of respondents said they had rewatched a TV series during lockdown, with 43% watching nostalgic shows.</p> <p>We were suddenly thrown into an unfamiliar situation and in a perpetual state of unease. We had more time on our hands, but also wanted to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00221309.2020.1867494">feel safe</a>. Tuning into familiar content on television offered an <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-coronavirus-might-have-changed-tv-viewing-habits-for-good-new-research-146040">escape</a> – a sanctuary from the realities of futures unknown.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g4IQjUpTNVU?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Revisiting connections with TV characters gave us a sense of control. We knew what lay in their futures, and the calm and <a href="https://www.news24.com/life/wellness/body/condition-centres/depression/anxiety-disorders/the-psychology-behind-why-you-like-to-rewatch-your-favourite-movie-or-series-during-the-pandemic-20200814-2">predictability</a> of their arcs balanced the uncertainty in ours.</p> <h2>Nostalgia as a plot point</h2> <p>Nostalgia has been in the DNA of television since some of the earliest programming decisions.</p> <p>Every December, broadcasters scramble to screen one of the many versions of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ much-retold and family-friendly ghost story, which also features nostalgia as a plot device.</p> <p>First screened on live TV in New York City <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptations_of_A_Christmas_Carol">in 1944</a>, on the still-new technology, the broadcast continued a 100-year-old tradition of the classic appearing on stage and cinema screens.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pNo-Q0IDJi0?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Settling in around the telly for A Christmas Carol connects us to the holiday period and a heartwarming metamorphosis. Ebeneezer Scrooge revisits long-lost versions of himself and turns from villain to hero and our old friend in a single night.</p> <p>For viewers, revisiting this character at the same time every year can also reconnect us with our past selves and create a predictable pattern, even in the frenzy of the silly season.</p> <h2>Real-world (re)connection</h2> <p>The neuroscience of nostalgic experiences is clear. Nostalgia arises when current sensory data – like what you watch on TV – matches past emotions and experiences.</p> <p>It triggers a release of dopamine, a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/scan/article/17/12/1131/6585517">reward-system</a> neurotransmitter involved in emotion and motivation. Encountering nostalgia is like autoloading and hitting play on <a href="https://nwnoggin.org/2023/03/30/the-neuroscience-of-nostalgia/">past positive experiences</a>, elevating desire and regulating mood.</p> <p>So, nostalgia draws on experiences encoded in memory. The TV shows we choose to rewatch reflect our values, our tastes, and the phases of life we have gone through.</p> <p>Perhaps this is a reason why reboots of our favourite shows sometimes fall flat, and ultimately set fans up for disappointment.</p> <p>I still remember the crushing disillusion I felt while watching the reboot of Knight Rider (2008–09). I immediately turned to social media to find a community around my nostalgic setback</p> <h2>Stronger through stress</h2> <p>Going back to my challenging deadline, what was it about the nostalgic experience of watching Breaking Bad that made it different?</p> <p>Breaking Bad evokes a particular phase in my life. I binged the first three seasons when writing up my PhD thesis. Walter White’s rise and fall journey towards redemption is enmeshed in the nostalgia of a difficult time I made it through.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HhesaQXLuRY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>The predictability of Walter White’s arc on second viewing was an unlikely haven. It’s escalating high-stakes drama mirrored my rising stress, while connecting me to who I was when I first enjoyed the show.</p> <p>The result? “Dread mode” switched off – even as my anti-heroes marched again to their dire cinematic comeuppance. Reality, past and present, could be worse.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237753/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anjum-naweed-1644852">Anjum Naweed</a>, Professor of Human Factors, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-power-of-nostalgia-why-its-healthy-for-you-to-keep-returning-to-your-favourite-tv-series-237753">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Jamie Durie returns to Aussie TV with new show featuring his family

<p>Jamie Durie is set to return to Aussie TV screens with his new renovation show, <em>Growing Home</em>, and this time it will feature his young family. </p> <p>The international award-winning landscape designer and seven-time Logie-winning host of shows such as<em> Backyard Blitz</em>,<em> The Block</em> and many more, will showcase his skills through the process of building a sustainable and luxury dream home for, and with his family. </p> <p>“After 26 years making TV shows all over the world, this is the show I’ve always wanted to make. And if we’re creating a show around sustainability, then my family and I need to do it first and practise what we preach,” he said in an interview for <em>Better Homes and Gardens</em>.</p> <p>Durie has called this the biggest challenge of his career. </p> <p>It’s been “five long years of planning and researching the most eco-friendly partners, methods and technologies we can find, and we’re finally ready to build this house,” Durie said. </p> <p>Durie will film alongside his wife singer/songwriter Ameka Jane, who is equally committed to sharing real-life stories with the world, and creating a more authentic life. </p> <p>“I think there is a common misconception that ‘sustainable’ or ‘eco-friendly’ means that it’s complicated or that we have to compromise on style and function,” Jane said. </p> <p> “We want to show Australia how easy and accessible it is to create a green home on any scale. Small changes can make a big impact. I was a green novice at the start of this mission, so if I can do it, anyone can.”</p> <p>Their two kids, three-year-old daughter Beau and 18-month-old son Nash, will also make appearances on the show. </p> <p><em>Growing Home </em>aims to show an honest depiction of the struggles and accomplishments of building in the Northern Beaches, while educating on sustainability and what a greener future for Australia could look like. </p> <p>While no exact date has been released for the show, it is set to air soon on Channel 7 and 7Plus. </p> <p>You can watch a teaser for the show <a href="https://www.growinghomewithjamiedurie.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/ Growing Home with Jamie Durie</em></p>

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Aussie TV star shocks with unrecognisable makeover

<p>An Aussie TV star has undergone a major makeover to become a popular television character. </p> <p>Ahead of the release of the highly-anticipated <em>The Penguin</em> show on HBO, Karl Stefanovic spent hours in hair and makeup to turn into the Gotham City bad guy. </p> <p>The 50-year-old <em>Today</em> show host completed his look with the super-villain’s signature facial scar, all while sporting The Penguin’s infamous black and purple suit.</p> <p>“There’s a new Kingpin in town…” read a captioned posted on the Today show’s Instagram.</p> <p>The makeover didn't stop there, with Stefanovic then spotted driving around the streets of North Sydney outside Nine HQ, in a bright purple Maserati with the windows down as he laughed at passers-by in the trademark Penguin snarl. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAFscMouMYi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAFscMouMYi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by thetodayshow (@thetodayshow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“You know there’s only one man big enough to run this city,” he said in character, while telling the gathering crowd to “get back to work, you bludgers”.</p> <p><em>The Today Show</em> posted a behind the scenes look at the extensive transformation, with Karl being layered up in silicone and special effects makeup, before receiving a heavy coating of fake tan to finish the look.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAFuFs3u8Nw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAFuFs3u8Nw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by thetodayshow (@thetodayshow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Karl's makeover coincides with the release of <em>The Penguin</em> on streaming service Binge on Friday, in the next instalment of the <em>Batman</em> universe after the 2022 film starring Robert Pattinson. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

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"What do you say?" TV host's heartbreaking parenting plea

<p>An Aussie TV host has shared a heartfelt plea for advice after revealing that his 12-year-old daughter has been bullied at school.</p> <p>Barry Du Bois, co-host of <em>The Living Room</em>, shared an emotional post on Instagram admitting he is struggling to help Arabella with the bullying issue, and asked other parents for advice. </p> <p>“I just watched my little girl walk out the gate of our home, a place where I know she is safe and feels a sense of security and belonging,” Barry said.</p> <p>“She is heading to a place that doesn’t offer that same security, her school. As a parent, I’m supposed to protect and guide her through difficult times, but this morning, I am lost.”</p> <p>“Yesterday, Arabella came home from school claiming she was sick,” he continued. "This isn’t the first time it has happened. She wasn’t actually sick but is instead being bullied again.”</p> <p>Barry then asked for help from his followers on how to help his daughter, asking, “What do you say to a child when you’ve already said, ‘Don’t let them upset you. Just keep being kind. You are not the horrible things they say’.”</p> <p>“She said, ‘I don’t want to be special; I just want to be liked’,” the TV star added before revealing he felt “weak, angry, confused and a little fearful”.</p> <p>The touching post encouraged some of his famous friends to share their own stories of helping their kids deal with bullying. </p> <p>“My mate sent his daughter to Jiu Jitsu after being bullied. She fell in love with it and gained another level of confidence,” wrote <em><span id="U841310982414ULB">The Bachelor Australia</span></em> star Tim Robards. </p> <p>“Sometimes you’ve just got to go up to the parents and say, ‘your kid bullies mine’,” added <em><span id="U841310982414cBD">Married At First Sight’s</span></em> Ryan Gallagher.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Family & Pets

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Does free-to-air TV really need gambling ads to survive?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-hughes-2728">Andrew Hughes</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a></em></p> <p>If anything is a sure bet right now, it’s corporate Australia’s willingness to use some variation of the “for society’s good” argument.</p> <p>The most recent example of this is the claim being made, including by federal minister <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/13/gambling-ad-ban-labor-bill-shorten-tv-media-advertising-revenue">Bill Shorten</a>, that an outright ban on gambling advertising would be disastrous for free-to-air TV.</p> <p>To be clear, Labor still supports new restrictions on gambling advertisements, including hourly caps and bans during kids’ TV and during and around sports broadcasts.</p> <p>But it has rejected the idea of a total ban, prompting a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-mps-say-total-ban-is-the-only-way-on-gambling-ads-20240812-p5k1q0.html">backlash</a> extending as far as some of its own backbench MPs.</p> <p>Speaking on ABC’s Q&A on Monday night, Shorten said Australia’s free-to-air TV broadcasters were in “diabolical trouble”, with many needing gambling ad revenue “in order just to stay afloat”.</p> <p>“I’m not convinced that complete prohibition works,” he said.</p> <p>So would our commercial TV networks really fall over tomorrow without gambling ad revenue? Or is something else at play?</p> <h2>Who is buying ads in Australia?</h2> <p>Let’s start by building a bigger picture of where advertising spend more broadly comes from in Australia. Global analytics firm Nielsen regularly compiles <a href="https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2024/top-20-categories-by-ad-spend-for-2023-revealed-in-latest-nielsen-ad-intel-report/#:%7E:text=Retail%20topped%20the%20list%20with,significant%20investment%20of%20%24596m.">top 20</a> lists of both the categories and individual companies spending the most on ads here.</p> <p>In 2023 the top category, retail, accounted for A$2.56 billion in advertising spend. Gambling and gaming, in contrast, represented just $239 million, less than a tenth of this figure.</p> <p>Harvey Norman topped the list of <a href="https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2024/australias-top-20-highest-spending-advertisers-of-2023-revealed-in-latest-nielsen-ad-intel-report/">individual companies</a> in 2023. The first we see of any gambling brand is Sportsbet, which came in at 16th.</p> <p>For gambling companies, it’s fair to assume the lion’s share of this goes to TV. <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/publications/2023-10/report/gambling-advertising-australia-placement-and-spending">Research</a> by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found 68% of gambling companies’ ad spend went to free-to-air TV markets.</p> <p>As for the remainder, 9% went to radio, 15% to social media and 8% to other online platforms.</p> <h2>How much is actually getting spent?</h2> <p>But how do we estimate the gambling industry’s total annual advertising spend? There are certainly a lot of numbers getting thrown around.</p> <p>One <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/tv-networks-to-demand-fee-relief-as-40m-wagering-hole-opens-up-20240804-p5jzav">source</a> put it at $300.5 million for 2022.</p> <p>More recently, ACMA published detailed figures for the period between May 2022 and April 2023 which put it at just over <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/publications/2023-10/report/gambling-advertising-australia-placement-and-spending">$238 million</a>, with $162 million of this going to free-to-air TV networks.</p> <p>But the way advertising is classified – what defines an advertisement – can sometimes differ between agencies. Then there is the <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/check-if-gambling-operator-legal#register-licensed-gambling">number of brands operating</a>, which is constantly changing.</p> <p>In a market with so many competitors, any new entrant needs to spend big on advertising just to capture enough market share to be viable.</p> <p>This is why I argue that the actual figure for financial year 2023 may be slightly higher than ACMA’s widely quoted figure, accounting for the big ad spend of new entrants that may have fallen outside the time window assessed.</p> <p>Based on average company ad spend as a percentage of revenue and the size of the gambling industry, I estimate it could be higher, in the ballpark of $275 million.</p> <h2>How much is that to the networks?</h2> <p>This exercise is all about putting these figures in context.</p> <p>Channel Seven, for example, brought in <a href="https://www.sevenwestmedia.com.au/assets/Uploads/Final-2023-Annual-Report.pdf">$1.5 billion in revenue in 2023</a>. Even if it had received the gambling industry’s entire ad spend at my higher estimate of $275 million, this would still only account for less than 20% of its annual turnover.</p> <p>If that money all went to TV ads, Channel Seven’s stated 38.5% share of television advertising revenue would put its revenue from the estimated sports betting advertising at about $106 million in this example, around 7% of its total annual revenue.</p> <p>Losing most of that would hurt, but wouldn’t mortally threaten the business.</p> <p>A total ban would most likely be <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-13/peta-murphy-left-online-gambling-legacy-why-isn-t-labor-adopting/104217328">phased in</a> over a number of years, not enacted overnight.</p> <p>Australia’s free-to-air networks would adapt, restrategise, and find and develop new markets to replace that revenue. Their management teams are far too smart to just shrug their shoulders and take a revenue hit on the corporate chin.</p> <h2>Networks have had plenty of time to adapt</h2> <p>Just a refresher. LinkedIn is now more than 20 years old. Facebook is 20. YouTube is 19. X (formerly known as Twitter) is 18. TikTok is seven.</p> <p>If free-to-air TV’s business model is so glacial it can’t function in the digital age, it probably doesn’t deserve to be operating in the big leagues.</p> <p>Digital is here and has been for a while now. The media industry has borne the brunt of this change, but has also had the most time to adapt to the disruptors, who are now more established oligopolies and duopolies than “cool start-ups” out of Silicon Valley.</p> <p>The argument that we need to protect sports gambling ads to protect the big media brands – has little to no basis. It’s a worn out argument we’ve seen time and time again – <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-push-to-end-tobacco-advertising-in-the-1970s-could-be-used-to-curb-gambling-ads-today-200915">big tobacco</a>, I’m looking at you.</p> <p>Protecting the interests of corporate Australia at the cost of society itself is a gamble none of us should be prepared to take.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/236686/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-hughes-2728">Andrew Hughes</a>, Lecturer, Research School of Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-free-to-air-tv-really-need-gambling-ads-to-survive-236686">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

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Revered journo and TV reporter dies after cancer battle

<p>Jane Hansen, a pioneering female journalist in the world of Australian media, has died after a near two-year battle against an aggressive brain tumour.</p> <p>Hansen, who most recently worked with News Corp's <em>Sunday Telegraph</em>, died surrounded by her loved ones on the Gold Coast on Tuesday evening. </p> <p>Her brother confirmed the news of her passing in a statement, saying the former <em>A Current Affair</em> reporter remained her humorous self until the end.</p> <p>“To all that knew and loved my sister, Jane passed away peacefully at approximately 11.40pm 6 August. Jane put up an amazing fight right till the end and never once complained, and never lost her sense of humour this whole time,” he wrote.</p> <p>“We will be in touch soon regarding Jane’s funeral arrangements and yes there will be a wake to celebrate this fantastic woman!”</p> <p>Her brother thanked family and friends for their “extraordinary level of support, love and compassion,” over the past 18 months.</p> <p>Claire Harvey, now editorial director of <em>The Australian</em> and former deputy editor of <em>The Sunday Telegraph</em>, described Ms Hansen as “the most passionate journalistic crusader” she has ever known. </p> <p>“She swore a lot. She got outraged a lot. And she laughed a lot – and made me laugh – every time we spoke,” she said.</p> <p>While making waves with her stellar journalistic career, Ms Hansen's most notable work came in 2008 when she, along with fellow reporter Fiona McKenzie, published the novel <em>Boned</em> under an anonymous name. </p> <p>The novel, which was believed to be a work of fiction, “blew the lid off the blokey culture of commercial television”, as the title of the book was a reference to the Today show host Jessica Rowe's infamous sacking by Channel Nine. </p> <p>In a 2017 article revealing herself and Fiona McKenzie as the co-writers, Ms Hansen said she felt like she needed to “take a stand against” the “despicable behaviour of the men in charge”.</p> <p>“I would not go to pieces if someone pulled their penis out in front of me in the board room (it happened),” she wrote.</p> <p>“I’ve slept on the floor in the bombed-out “sniper side” at the Holiday Inn, Sarajevo, in the middle of the Bosnian war, bribed murderous Iraqi officials to extend my visa in Baghdad, slept rough without a shower for over a week in the Iraqi desert to be the first to track down Australian troops during the war on terror (only to be asked in a live cross where I was washing my knickers)."</p> <p>Ms Hansen said after all she had done, defending her position as a seasoned journalist in commercial television was “exhausting and depressing”.</p> <p>Ms Harvey went on to describe Ms Hansen as a “fiercely loving, protective and joyous mother to her beloved son Sam”, who was her first thought when she first diagnosed with cancer. </p> <p>“She got to see Sam finish school, and he was by her side when she passed away, surrounded by her loving family and friends, this week,” she said. </p> <p>“I feel so lucky to have known Jane, and proud that here at News Corp Australia we published her work with the pride and prominence it deserved.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Sky News</em></p>

Caring

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TV star charged over making indecent images of children

<p>Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been charged with making indecent images of children. </p> <p>The 62-year-old, who left the UK public broadcaster in April after 40 years, faces three charges over alleged activity between December 2020 and April 2022.</p> <p>Police claim the offences are claimed to be linked to images shared on WhatsApp.</p> <p>After being arrested in November last year by London's Metropolitan Police, he was charged with the offences on June 26th.</p> <p>A Metropolitan Police spokesman said of the arrest, “Huw Edwards, 62, of Southwark, London has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children following a Met Police investigation."</p> <p>“The offences, which are alleged to have taken place between December 2020 and April 2022, relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat. Edwards was arrested on 8 November 2023. He was charged on Wednesday, 26 June following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service."</p> <p>“He has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 31 July."</p> <p>Married dad-of-five Edwards resigned from the BBC three months ago after a stellar career spanning almost 40 years.</p> <p>The BBC revealed their star presenter’s resignation in a short statement on April 22nd, writing, “Huw Edwards has resigned and left the BBC."</p> <p>“After 40 years of service, Huw explained that his decision was made on the basis of advice. The BBC has accepted his resignation.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: BBC</em></p>

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