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The Masked Singer Australia: Ryan Moloney revealed as first celeb

The Masked Singer Australia: Ryan Moloney revealed as first celeb

WARNING: Masked Singer spoilers below.

The new season of The Masked Singer started with a bang on Sunday night, with the first contestant revealed as an Aussie TV legend.

And after a surprisingly solid rendition of the Ed Sheeran hit Bad Habitsthe knight was unmasked as none other than veteran Neighbors actor Ryan Moloney – aka Ramsay Street legend Toadfish!

The knight’s clues had teased that he was “the closest thing Australia has to true royalty” – and we can’t argue with that. But despite his ubiquity on our screens for almost three decades, he got away with his brief stint on the show without anyone from the judging panel or seemingly any viewers guessing his true identity. With neighbors finally finishing up last week, could a new singing career be on the horizon for Ryan Moloney?

Here’s who else performed on Sunday’s premiere – and who we think they really are:

The Blowfly

In their clues package, the Blowfly was shown playing cricket, said he loves “cruising in his big V8” and proclaimed that he’s “Aussie as.” There were also a couple of references to “High Fives.”

The Blowfly then performed a gravelly rendition of Miley Cyrus’ midnight sky – and between all those ocker clues and the Barnsey-esque vocals, I’m pinning the Blowfly as former australian idol runner-up Shannon Noll – and many viewers on social media have the same idea.

The judging panel was leaning sporty though, picking Freddie Flintoff, Daniel Ricciardo and, er… Stevie Nicks (good try, Hughesy).

mirror ball

Some puzzling clues for the Mirrorball, who was shown standing in front of a Mexican flag and the number 48. She was also shown lounging on a piano adorned with framed photos of pulp fiction stars Uma Thurman and John Travolta.

Things got even trickier when the Mirrorball launched into her performance of the Olivia Newton-John classic Xanadu – sounding just like Livvy herself. Surely not?

Many viewers on social media have claimed the Mirrorball as former Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton, who was previously rumored to be a contestant on this season. She can certainly sing, has Mexican heritage-and she appeared in the 2005 movie be coolstarring… Uma Thurman and John Travolta.

And diehard Pussycat Dolls fans are convinced: A top PCD fan account posted a YouTube preview of the Mirrorball’s performance several weeks ago under the title ‘MELODY THORNTON ON MASKED SINGER AUSTRALIA.’

On the judging panel, Chrissie Swan guessed Olivia Newton John’s daughter Chloe Lattanzi, but I’m less convinced – Chloe is a singer but doesn’t quite have her mum’s high vocals.

Mel B seemed to have a brainwave mid-performance, insisting she “knows that voice” – she’s absolutely convinced it’s Aussie singer Samantha Jade. Given Mel B was a judge on the season of Australia’s Got Talent that Jade won, it seems like the most realistic guess from the panel.

Zombie

There’s an airplane theme to Zombie, who was shown in her clues package as an air stewardess. “I’m not as green as I used to be – or as orange. Would you care for a baked potato?” she asked. hmm. There were also references to opera singers and Wicked Witches among her clues about her.

The Zombie delivered an, ahem, limited performance of the Ava Max song Sweet But Psycho – to these ears, this seems to suggest the Zombie isn’t a professional singer – but many viewers on social media seem convinced that the Zombie is former Wiggle Emma Watkins. If so, um… first night jitters?

Chrissie Swan had other ideas though, guessing Broadway great Idina Menzel (Chrissie, I think you owe Idina an apology for that one). The rest of the panel were on the ‘non-professional singer’ wavelength though, with Mel B guessing supermodel Heidi Klum, Dave Hughes guessing Boost Juice founder Janine Allis, and Abbie guessing Aussie actress Kate Ritchie.

thong

According to the clues package, the Thong is an “Aussie icon with the background overseas,” who’s “better known for their work with M&M.” Oh, and they love fish.

Based on her performance of footloose, I’d guess the Thong is also another non-professional singer – it was a very Friday night karaoke performance. Chrissie guessed Bindi Irwin, Mel B picked surfer Stephanie Gilmore, Hughesy guessed English singer Dido (what? Why?) and Abbie guessed MasterChef and survivor star Khanh Ong.

This one’s got me stumped – it’s hard to pick when it’s clearly someone who’s not known for their singing!

And it seems there’s no real consensus among viewers on social media, with more than a few pitching their votes for Chrissie’s guess, Bindi Irwin.

The remaining five Masked Singer contestants will perform in Monday’s episode, with another celeb unmasked at the end of the night.

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Entertainment

Nichelle Nichols dead at 89: Star Trek icon who played Lieutenant Uhura passes away

Nichelle Nichols dead at 89: Star Trek icon who played Lieutenant Uhura passes away

Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols has passed away at age 89.

The groundbreaking actress played Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on Star Trek: The Original Series from 1966 to 1969, reports The Sun.

In an Instagram post on Sunday, Kyle Johnson, Nichelle’s son, said: “Friends, Fans, Colleagues, World.

“I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years.

“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light from her however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from and draw inspiration. ”

Her acting career lasted for over 40 years. She made great strides in the representation of women of color in not only television but in outer space.

Nichols was awarded the NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal in 2021 for inspiring and recruiting diverse communities to join its space programs.

In an interview with the Archive of American Television, Nichols recalled a life-changing moment with a fan.

The actress was about to quit star trek after the first season because she was offered a role in a play and dreamt of being on Broadway.

She even handed in her letter of resignation to the creator of star trek Gene Roddenberry – which he rejected, telling her to think about it for a few more days.

Then a fan, Dr Martin King Jr, said to her: “You cannot, you cannot. Don’t you understand what [Roddenberry] have you achieved?

“For the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen every day – as intelligent, quality, beautiful people who can sing and dance and who can go into space.

“Who can be lawyers, who can be teachers, who can be professors, who we are in this day and yet you don’t see it on television until now,” he said.

“Gene Roddenberry has opened a door for the world to see us.

“If you leave, that door can be closed because you see your role is not a black role and it’s not a female role. He can fill it with anything including an alien.”

Dr King persuaded her to stay on the show and continue to be a role model.

Her son’s statement continued: “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.

“I, and the rest of our family, would appreciate your patience and forbearance as we grieve her loss until we can recover sufficiently to speak further.

“Her services will be for family members and the closest of her friends and we request that her and our privacy be respected.”

He concluded by saying: “Live Long and Prosper.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission

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Entertainment

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ daughter makes big screen debut

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter makes big screen debut

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ daughter made her on-screen debut.

Holmes, 43, stars in the newly released movie “Alone Together,” and her daughter Suri Cruise, 16, joined her on the big screen, Fox News Digital has reported.

“I always want the highest level of talent,” Holmes said in an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment. “So, I asked her. She’s very, very talented. She said she would do it, and she recorded it, and I let her do her thing about her. That’s the way I direct in general. It’s like, ‘This is what I think we all want – go do your thing.’”

In the movie, Suri sings a cover of “Blue Moon,” which plays during the opening credits of the film. Holmes told the outlet this will not be her daughter’s only on-screen singing gig.

“She actually did sing in ‘Rare Objects,’ which is the film we did last fall,” Holmes explained. “Other than that, she she’s a 16-year-old kid doing high school.”

Cruise and Holmes were married from 2006 to 2012. Suri is their only child together, and Suri’s parents opted to keep her out of the public eye for a majority of her childhood.

Holmes directed, wrote and stars in “Alone Together.” She stars alongside Jim Sturgess in the romantic comedy set during the coronavirus pandemic. The film follows a man and woman fleeing New York City during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020.

The pair end up booking the same Airbnb and ultimately decide to stay at the upstate property together.

Sturgess praised Holmes’ directing style and shared that she gives actors wide latitude when they are in front of the camera.

“She gives you this incredible space between action and cut,” Sturgess said of his co-star.

“She very rarely shouted, ‘Cut!’ actually. You’d think the scene had ended and she just kind of left it hanging. I love that she was always searching for those little nuggets of authenticity.”

The movie is in theaters and will move to video on demand on Friday.

This article originally appeared in Fox News Digital and was reproduced with permission.

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Business

Inflation: NYC shop Duane Reade locks up Spam in antitheft cases

Inflation: NYC shop Duane Reade locks up Spam in antitheft cases

It’s the nation’s crises in a can.

Inflation and crime have gotten so bad in New York that even cheap meat like Spam has to be locked up, the New York Post reports.

At Duane Reade’s store in the Port Authority bus station, the shelf-stable product — only $US3.99 ($5.70) a can — is now being stocked in plastic, antitheft cases.

“I’ve never seen that before!” one cashier laughed while using a magnet to remove a can of Spam from its cage from him.

The cashier was among the employees, tourists and store regulars stunned that the iconic blue-and-yellow cans are now being kept under lock-and-key — some even poking fun at the sight as “a sort of Jeff Koons homage,” per one viral tweet.

Jenny Kenny, 43, who was visiting from Kentucky, was aware of the ongoing crime waves hitting cities like New York and San Francisco, but still couldn’t believe the sight of “so many things in boxes.”

“Some of these things are pretty ridiculous,” she said.

As prices and crime skyrocket, New York City stores have taken to locking up staples like toothpaste and soap to prevent crooks from stealing and then hawking the products on the sidewalk or online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.

Yet some shoppers were confused why Spam, along with $US1.89 cans ($2.70) of StarKist tuna, was enclosed under plastic, while pricier foodstuffs like $US5.49 cans ($7.86) of Amy’s soup sat unencumbered.

“To put Spam in a cage is stupid — and kind of insulting to the customers that would buy it,” said shopper Dennis Snow, 46.

Snow said he doesn’t think Spam is being stolen to “sell it for crack,” but rather because the homeless in the area are looking for a quick and easy meal.

“Someone is stealing this because they need it,” agreed Delia Kemph, a 28-year-old teacher.

Employees at the store said thefts have been surging over the past two-plus years, with one estimating a minimum of four shoplifters every evening shift.

“I don’t think they stop anything,” Iggy, 21, a store clerk, said of the antitheft cases. “It’s security theatre. If you really needed it, you would stomp on it.”

The employee’s complaints were prescient — at around 7pm on Thursday, a man in a black tank top and gray sweatpants had an employee unlock the glass case for a $US38 ($54.40) electric razor, and then bolted with the appliance past a yellow-shirted security guard and out the door.

With inflation out of control — the consumer price index spiked 9.1 per cent in June compared to a year ago, even as President Joe Biden this week refused to acknowledge the nation is in a recession despite the economy contracting two quarters in a row — emboldened thieves have found a ready market for discounted stolen goods among recession-weary consumers.

Petty theft complaints for the New York Police Department’s Midtown South Precinct, which includes the Port Authority bus terminal, have shot up 52 per cent — to 1,771, through July 24 — compared to the same period last year.

Hormel CEO Jim Snee told analysts last month that prices for their legacy product were set to increase in late July to cover increased transportation, packaging and meat costs.

A spokeswoman for Walgreens, which owns Duane Reade, refused to say why Spam was locked down at this particular location, and that installing antitheft devices is done “in response to theft data.”

Liz Tawfik, 57, a home health attendant, complained that the added security measures are hampering the once-smooth shopping experience — and annoying customers like herself.

“If you’re gonna catch a train you wanna grab something quick, it’s not quick anymore,” she said. “You might as well have someone take your order at the door and get what you want.”

Not all drug stores have put Spam under lockdown.

Two other Duane Reades and a pharmacy in the Times Square area, along with two other stores in Central Harlem, sold their cans of Spam, cage-free.

Dariel Cepin, 23, an employee at a West 44th Street Duane Reade, said, “Here, we lock up ice cream.”

This article originally appeared on NY Post and was reproduced with permission

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