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The Block house shut down after asbestos found

The Block house shut down after asbestos found

There was a worrying development in Monday’s episode of The Block, as a contestant hammered into the floor of his house – only to discover what he suspected to be asbestos.

Melboune plumber Tom was nearing the end of the demolition process for he and wife Sarah-Jane’s guest bedroom, with just a small section of floor left to smash.

But when the mallet came down, he made a startling discovery.

“As soon as I saw it, I’m like: Oh god, here we go, more delays,” he said.

The Block moved quickly once the deadly substance was spotted, with everyone in House One downing tools for a full day as a team moved in to assess the risk and remove the asbestos.

“They shut our house down, and rightfully so – asbestos is very dangerous,” said Tom, who was left with little to do but visit his fellow contestants while he nervously waited to see how long his house would be out of action.

Some six hours later, foremen Keith and Dan finally returned to the site to give the all-clear that work could summarize.

And Dan also offered some explanation as to why the asbestos hadn’t been spotted before the houses were handed over to the contestants: “In this location, under the fireplace and used as formwork, it’s very hard to locate. That’s why we didn’t find it – Tom’s done the right thing in alerting us,” he said.

Elsewhere in Monday’s episode, contestant Sharon was clearly still smarting after she and partner Ankur’s bathroom came dead last in Sunday’s judging.

The couple had copped a particularly tough critique from judge Shaynna Blaze, who warned them that their house was “the grand dame, the jewel in the crown. Are you going to treat her like Este? Because if you’re going to treat her like this, you’re going to have to deal with me.”
Sharon was left in tears immediately after the judging, declaring that in a week one on The Blockshe was already “over it.”

One episode on, and she was in a more defiant mood.

“(Shaynna) goes, ‘That’s my house, I love this house, I’m really angry that they did this…’” Sharon began.

“Well, it’s not your house, babes. You haven’t bought it. If you’re gonna buy it, that’s a different story.”

She continued to call out Shaynna directly, arguing that she had missed some of the key details in the room the couple had included to appeal to her.

“Also, I did try to cater for you. You said you wanted antiques, but your antique eye didn’t even recognize the antiques in the room. I literally had stuff in there from the 1890s!”

Sharon said that, in the wake of the tough judging, she’d made a promise to husband Ankur that she wouldn’t beat herself up so much moving forward.

“That’s the pact that we’ve made to each other, because I’ve literally spent every day crying since I got here – and that’s not a good thing.”

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The Block judge Shaynna Blaze leaves contestant Sharon in tears

The Block judge Shaynna Blaze leaves contestant Sharon in tears

The Block judge Shaynna Blaze didn’t mince words when it came time to judge the first bathroom of the season, delivering some tough feedback to this year’s least-experienced team.

In short: Stop ruining this grand old country house, or you’ll have her to contend with.

Blaze and fellow judges Darren Palmer and Neale Whitaker went for their second walk-through of the five country properties on The Block: Tree Change during Sunday’s episode, and for the most part, their critics were positive.

Then it came time to visit accountant Ankur and lawyer-turned-actress Sharon’s bathroom. After some tough critiques in the first challenge, Sharon was confident she’d done a lot better this time around.

“I think I nailed the brief of luxe, sexy, but heritage,” she said.

“There are absolute nods to heritage all the way through… I hope they take away the energy, that feeling of luxury and country warmth that I think the buyer will want.”

They did not.

“Last week, Ankur and Sharon took us to the winery – this week, I’m not sure where they’ve taken us,” said Whitaker as the trio entered the bathroom.

“Well it ain’t this beautiful Victorian house, that’s for sure,” said Blaze, pointing out the details that most disappointed her: “Just because you’ve put that type of tap, and that type of bath, does not make it heritage at all. If any house could get me angry, it’s doing Este to that beautiful house we’ve walked through,” she said.

Blaze even asked the other two judges to start their critiques and come back to her, as the sight of the bathroom had put her “on the back foot”.

Whitaker was similarly disappointed, complaining the bathroom felt like a “pastiche” and didn’t feel “authentic”.

There was some positive feedback from Palmer though, who said he liked the room but still pointed out a few issues – tiling and an unnecessary internal wall – two things that would be very hard to change.

Blaze then continued her critique, announcing: “Honestly, it’s not a bathroom I’m feeling good in.”

She said it was especially tough to swallow, given Sharon and Ankur had chosen her favorite of the Victorian houses on offer this season.

“This is the grand dame, the jewel in the crown. Are you going to treat her like this? Because if you’re going to treat her like this, you’re going to have to deal with me,” she said.
As expected after that tough critique, Sharon and Ankur came dead last for bathroom week with a score of 20.5. (Friends Omar and Oz were the surprise winners with a score of 26, a big improvement on their negative feedback from the first challenge.)

Sharon was deflated after the judges’ scores rolled in, crying on camera as her husband comforted her.

“It just feels like I got it completely wrong, again. The choices that got caned today – they were mine,” she said.

“I’m over it and it’s week one, basically. I’m over it, and I’m so tired, and… maybe I don’t have a clue.”

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The Masked Singer 2022: Jamie Durie revealed as the Tiger

The Masked Singer 2022: Jamie Durie revealed as the Tiger

WARNING: Masked Singer spoilers below.

A fourth celebrity was revealed on Sunday’s episode of The Masked Singerwith the Tiger revealed to be…

form Backyard Blitz host and very successful Aussie export, Jamie Durie.

After his unmasking, Durie reflected on his massive career – from Manpower dancer, to TV presenter, to friend and colleague of Oprah after his move to the US: “Not bad for being a glorified bloody gardener.”

The Tiger sang the Phil Collins classic In The Air Tonight. Much like last week, all the clues had pointed to Durie – the Tiger was shown dancing the Charleston (Durie’s been a two-time contestant on Dancing with the Stars). He said he spends a “lot of time in the back” (Durie was the host of Backyard Blitz). There was also a reference to being “very Manly” – and as judge Chrissie Swan, who’d picked Durie since the start, pointed out, Durie was born in Manly.

Elsewhere, Sunday’s show opened with the Rooster performing a confident rendition of the Mamas and the Papas classic California Dreamin’ that sounded very different from his debut performance last week. It’s still hard to get a handle on this performer’s real voice, but it’s clear he’s a skilled singer.

Then the Snapdragon – who I know, in my heart, to be Eurovision and The Voice singer Sheldon Riley – performed a ballad version of the Whitney Houston smash How Will I Know. The Snapdragon’s clues package made reference to being “universal” (That’s Sheldon’s record label) and being “not the same” as other snapdragons. Sheldon’s 2022 Eurovision song was called Not The Same – come on, Ten, you’re making it too easy!

Then it was on to the Popcorn, who sang the Harry Styles hit adore you. From the moment he opened his mouth last week, I pinned the Popcorn as Black&Gold singer Sam Sparro – and the new clue package certainly pointed to that. There were references to Lindsay Lohan (Sam’s penned songs with her) and George Michael (Sam was on the line-up for an Aussie tribute concert to the late star).

Last Sunday’s Masked Singer premiere got the season off to a cracking start, with one of the show’s best-kept secrets revealed when actor Ryan Moloney – aka Toadfish from neighbors – was unmasked after a surprisingly decent rendition of an Ed Sheeran hit.

There was another surprise the following night, when the Caterpillar was revealed to be Australian swimming legend Lisa Curry.

And on Tuesday came the reveal of another celeb it felt like nobody had guessed correctly, when the Thong was unmasked as Looking for Alibrandi actress Australian Survivor winner) Pia Miranda.

Meanwhile, we’ve had our annual guess at who exactly is beneath each of the remaining masks this season – and we’re confident we’ve correctly picked at least five of the contestants’ true identities.

The Masked Singer continues 7:30pm Monday on Ten.

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Kyle gives Jackie O first look at baby Otto

Kyle gives Jackie O first look at baby Otto

One day on from the birth of his first child, radio host Kyle Sandilands has given his co-host Jackie O her first look at her new godson.

And the heartwarming moment played out live on-air, as Sandilands brought cameras inside the hospital to see how his fiance Tegan Kynaston and their newborn son Otto were both doing.

Sandilands told listeners he didn’t cry during the birth, but that it was “an overwhelming feeling,” particularly as Tegan had a cesarean section, which “petrified” him.

“They put up a sheet, and then I could see (her) intestines,” he said.

Sandilands then wheeled baby Otto into view, the newborn looking peaceful as he slept in a cot.

Also making a brief appearance on camera: Kyle’s Tegan, dressed in a black silk gown and up and walking just a day after her C-section birth.

“Oh my god, she looks fabulous,” said Jackie O.

“I said, it looks like you’ve had a baby on Day of Our Lives,” Kyle said.

Kyle, a first-time dad at 51, was beaming with pride as he told his longtime co-host about his plans for fatherhood.

“You are going to give Otto the life you always wanted. The chandeliers, the gold crib, and everything gold,” said Jackie O.

Tegan went into labor midway through Thursday’s episode of The Kyle and Jackie O Showforcing Kyle off-air as he made a desperate dash to the hospital to be by her side.

“I think I might have to leave the show… and go to the hospital,” he said.

“Oh, it’s time!” said his elated co-host.

“Calm down, we don’t want the kid coming too soon,” he said. “Guys, I’m so sorry. I feel very unprepared. I’ve got to run … I feel like I’m abandoning you, but I’m there for my child.”

A short time later came the happy news: All had gone well and Kyle and Tegan were now proud parents to baby Otto.

Speaking on-air today, Sandilands revealed the couple had organized an at-home nurse to stay with them when the new family leaves hospital.

And that house is a sprawling Bellevue Hill mansion that Sandilands paid a whopping $13.8m for in June.

The family’s new home features five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a two-car garage, a plunge pool, spacious wine cellar, and lift access to all four of its spacious levels.

Kyle and Tegan announced they were expecting back in February – the same month they had an extravagant gender reveal party on a yacht in Sydney Harbour, where they announced they were having a boy.

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Kate Langbroek explains X-rated Have You Been Paying Attention moment

Kate Langbroek explains X-rated Have You Been Paying Attention moment

Kate Langbroek has opened up about a “mortifying” X-rated joke she made as a panellist on Monday’s episode of Have You Been Paying Attention – after forgetting her own teenage son was in the studio audience.

A slightly sheepish Langbroek hopped on a call with Kyle and Jackie O on Tuesday morning to explain the moment, which was edited before it aired on Channel 10 due to its explicit nature.

After fellow panelist Sam Pang complained about the torrent of innuendo about a food prop – a phallic-shaped tube of liverwurst – Langbroek exclaimed, “What innuendo?” and she mimed performing oral sex on the prop, even pushing her own head down onto it as host Tom Gleisner buried her head in her hands.

Langbroek soon had the same reaction when Pang reminded her that her son Lewis was in the studio audience.

Lewis, 18, a year 12 student, was shown on camera giving a nervous laugh as he watched his mum’s antics.

Speaking to Kyle and Jackie O this morning, Kate groaned as she explained how she’d gotten carried away in the moment.

“First of all, it wasn’t live – they edit (the show) for time. But because there was a (studio) audience in there, and there hasn’t been since pre-Covid, you get a bit giddy. The boys yell out swear words and you know it’ll be cut out. I thought that was going to happen!” she said.

“I was giddy as a girl, I was having fun, I was with my friends… Oh. My. Goodness. When Pang said, ‘You know your son’s in the audience,’ it was like the world closed in on me. I was so mortified. He was in the front row!”

Langbroek said Lewis had been “a good sport” about it, but when Kyle and Jackie O got him on the line he couldn’t resist publicly raking his mum over the coals.

He told the hosts the moment had been “pretty mortifying, to be honest.”

“Externally I was laughing, but internally… the pain that I feel cannot be overstated,” he joked.

Kyle tried to throw Langbroek even further under the bus by asking if Lewis had seen his mum’s early acting work on the racy ’90s soap Chances (Langbroek famously appeared topless in one episode).

As his mother begged him to hang up, Lewis told the hosts: “I don’t think I want to explore down that path.”

“But some of your mates might, darling,” Kate quipped.

Langbroek had previously told Kyle and Jackie O she and her eldest son shared a special relationship – one forged in part by Lewis’ childhood cancer battle.

Speaking on the KIIS Network’s 3pm Pick Up back in June, she gave listeners an emotional update about her son’s health.

Lewis was diagnosed with leukemia when he was six and endured four years of “terrible” treatment, she said.

His latest annual check-up marked an important milestone, as it was the last time the now-18-year-old would need to visit Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital to monitor his health.

“They told us: ‘This is the last time we’ll be seeing you at this hospital because Lewis is transitioning to an adult hospital.’ I thought ‘oh my goodness, there were so many times where we thought this day may not come’,” Langbroek said.

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Vanessa Amorosi stops Sunrise interview after Olivia Newton-John’s death

Vanessa Amorosi stops Sunrise interview after Olivia Newton-John's death

Australian singer Vanessa Amorosi appeared overcome with emotion and had to bow out of her live interview on Sunrise this morning, having only just learned of the death of Olivia Newton-John.

Amorosi was booked to appear on the program to discuss her new single, having just performed at the closing ceremony of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

But with Newton-John’s death aged 73 after a long cancer battle being the biggest news of the morning, Sunrise hosts Natalie Barr and David Koch were keen to first ask Amorosi about her memories of the star.

“It is an incredibly sad day – Vanessa, what are your memories?” Barr asked as they crossed to the Aussie singer in Birmingham.

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“Uh… I don’t know. I don’t particularly want to think about it, because I’ll get very emotional,” Amorosi began. “I just literally had one of the highest endorphins that just happened out there (at the closing ceremony), to being extremely sad coming offstage and checking my phone. I don’t think I’ve really processed it yet.”

Koch said he’d give Amorosi a chance to “compose” her thoughts about the late music legend, and changed tack to discuss her Commonwealth Games performance and new single.

A few minutes later, and with the interview nearing its end, the hosts moved the topic of conversation back to Olivia Newton-John.

“We know it’s a sad day for you and so many people, but we wanted to show this photo from quite a few years ago of you, Olivia Newton-John and Tina Arena,” Barr said, as a photo of the three Aussie singers at the Sydney 2000 Olympics appeared on screen.

“Can you talk us through those memories, that time, Vanessa?”
Amorosi gave it her best – but soon became overcome with emotion.

“Both of these women I have looked up to since (I was) a kid… I don’t know. I’m actually very sad about Olivia, to be honest. It’s..”

With that, she bowed her head and raised her hand, signaling the interview to stop.

Barr and Koch thanked her for her time – and Barr noted how hard it must’ve been to learn the news between a live performance and a live TV interview.

“I’m horrible. I feel for her, after coming off that.”

It’s been an emotional morning on breakfast television as friends, colleagues and fans of Newton-John have reacted to the news of her death in real time, after it broke at around 5:30am AEST.

Over on Nine, veteran entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins at first held it together as he reported the sad news on Today – but later in the morning, he was overcome with emotion, sobbing as host Karl Stefanovic rushed to comfort him.

And back on Sunriseanother emotional live interview, this time on the streets of Los Angeles with Grease casting director Joel Thurm, who wept openly as he described his fond memories of Newton-John.

The British-born, Melbourne-raised entertainer had waged a decades-long battle against cancer, which returned again in 2013.

In May 2017, she announced her breast cancer had returned and metastasized to her sacrum, and in 2018, it was revealed she was again battling the disease.

In October last year, Newton-John revealed that she was battling Stage 4 breast cancer but was managing the pain with medical marijuana.

Then today came the news fans had been fearing for years: Newton-John had died at her Southern Californian ranch, surrounded by loved ones, including her husband, John Easterling, and daughter, Chloe Lattanzi.

Chloe has today paid tribute to her late mum on social media – who she just days ago referred to as her “best friend.”

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The Masked Singer Australia: Lisa Curry revealed as second celebrity

The Masked Singer Australia: Lisa Curry revealed as second celebrity

WARNING: Masked Singer spoilers below.

The second round of Masked Singer contestants performed on Monday’s episode, with another celeb unmasked at the end of the episode.

And this time, it was Australian swimming champion Lisa Curry, revealed to be the celeb under the caterpillar costume.

The Caterpillar had said in her clues package that she could be found worldwide, “from coast to jungle.” She was shown being knighted by a royal – while someone else in the shot did their ironing of her. Meanwhile in the corner of the screen, a counter ticked up to the number 15.

After she performed a distinctively Australian-accented rendition of Tones And I’s song cloudyday, the judges guessed Carrie Bickmore, Sally Pearson, Schapelle Corby (!) and Emily Seebohm. But the clues pointed to Curry: She can be found on the coast and in the jungle, thanks to her stint de ella on I’m A Celeb. She’s got an MBE (there’s the royal knighting) – and her birthday de ella is May 15. And with her ten medals, she’d fit as the “Commonwealth Games superstar” Ten have been teasing will feature in this season.

After her reveal, Hughesy dubbed the swimmer “an absolute icon in this country”, while Chrissie Swan said she was moved by Curry’s spirit, given her traumatic recent past (her daughter passed away in September 2020).

“You know what? I needed a bit of cheering up, so I just thought, ‘Why not do it?’ Because you only get these opportunities once and you never lose, you only learn,” Curry said.

Here’s who else performed on Monday’s episode – along with the best guesses about who exactly is under each mask:

Tiger

The Tiger said he had “links to lions” in his clues package, which showed him playing the theme tune to BMX Bandits on a piano alongside a framed photo of Chelsea Clinton. He was shown wearing a tutu and made a reference to stripping.

The Tiger had a baritone, growling voice for a powerhouse rendition of feeling good. Definitely Australian, and someone with a strong voice.

Chrissie had a “very strong vibe” she was watching Jamie Durie, while Mel B went for British soccer star Paul Gascoigne. Abbie Chatfield guessed Jett Kenny, and Hughesy… Tom Cruise.

I’m siding with Chrissie Swan for this one, given how strongly she felt it was former Manpower stripper turned Backyard Blitz host Durie under the mask. And the clues match up… Chelsea Clinton, you ask? How about this: Durie won gold at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in 2008.

Snapdragon

Now for an easy one. The Snapdragon’s clues package included a sign declaring they “love Jim Carrey,” and showed them lifting weights labeled 100 and 1. There were references to being mysterious and not being seen as they are.

Then Snapdragon launched into a performance of Demi Lovato’s Sorry Not Sorry – and anyone who’s familiar with The Voice and Eurovision star Sheldon Riley will instantly recognize that voice. In fact, many fans already picked him from his brief appearance in the pre-season ads.

With Sheldon in mind, the clues about being hidden and mysterious make more sense: He often covers his face behind jeweled headpieces when he performs (could the Jim Carrey clue be a reference to The Mask?)

And those 1 and 100 weights? Sheldon’s Eurovision song Not The Same went to number 1 on the AIR 100% Independent Singles Chart.

Mel B guessed former boyfriend Peter Andre, Abbie Chatfield went with drag star Trixie Mattel, Chrissie pinned it on Courtney Act and Dave Hughes guessed … Renée Zellweger. He’s really just pulling Hollywood A-lister names out of a barrel at this point.

Popcorn

Popcorn “went from nothing to huge in the blink of an eye” and said “Wikipedia says his ancestors came from Mexico.” He said he’d want to be stuck on a desert island with “Kylie and Lady Gaga.”

Popcorn delivered an impressively falsetto-filled version of Scissor Sisters’ I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ – complete with a high note to finish.

Chrissie Swan guessed Rick Springfield, Mel B thought Troye Sivan and Abbie guessed Studio 10 host Tristan McManus. I’m hearing another Aussie singer – one who enjoyed overnight success with his debut single Black and Gold. That voice is SW Sam Sparro.

The clues make sense: Sam has duetted with Kylie in the past – and he famously kept Lady Gaga’s iconic meat dress in his fridge when his fashion designer friend made it.

Rooster

The Rooster’s clues package showed him wearing boxing gloves, in front of an Auscar championships poster, and reading a book on Australia’s greatest churches. He said family was important to him, and was shown cutting someone’s hair – in front of a background of Matrix-style binary codes.

His performance of Bruno Mars’ 24 Karat Magic suggested a strong voice – and also perhaps an older male. Some on social media noted that the clues could match Hugh Sheridan – but it really sounds nothing like him.

The guesses from the judges were wild: Keanu Reeves, David Guetta, Russell Brand and John Farnham. That last one, from Mel B, seems closest, but none of them have convinced me so far.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s Masked Singer got the season off to a cracking start, with one of the show’s best-kept secrets revealed when actor Ryan Moloney – aka Toadfish from neighbors – was unmasked after a surprisingly decent rendition of an Ed Sheeran hit.

Few guessed Moloney was inside the Knight costume, but viewers were more certain about other contestants who performed on Sunday, with fans of the show convinced that Shannon Noll, former Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton and former Wiggle Emma Watkins are among those still left in the competition .

The Masked Singer continues 7:30pm Tuesday on Ten.

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Melanie C and partner Joe Marshall reportedly split up

Melanie C and partner Joe Marshall reportedly split up

Spice Girl Melanie “Sporty Spice” Chisolm has reportedly split from her partner of seven years, Joe Marshall.

The fiercely private music star has kept her relationship with music exec Marshall, who has also served as her manager, largely under wraps – few photos of them together have been published.

But it’s understood the couple had for some years lived together in North London, co-parenting Melanie’s teenage daughter Scarlett, 13, alongside Marshall’s two children from a previous relationship.

Scarlett is Chisolm’s daughter from her previous longtime relationship, with ex-partner Thomas Starr. The pair split in 2012 after a decade together.

The Sun quotes a source as saying that Mel – who tours regularly as a solo artist and has her first memoir out next month – found it too hard to juggle the relationship with her career commitments.

“Mel has an incredibly busy career between her book deal, DJ-ing and other plans,” The Sun’s source said.

“The little free time she does have is devoted to her daughter Scarlett, and that doesn’t leave much time for a relationship.”

The source said that the split was “amicable” and that Mel is “not afraid to be single if she thinks it’s for the best”.

Melanie C is undoubtedly the most private of the five Spice Girls when it comes to her love life, largely keeping her personal life under wraps since a string of romances with high-profile musicians in the late 90s and early noughties.

Mel briefly dated Robbie Williams, had a relationship with Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis that inspired a song on their album Californicationand also had an on-again, off-again relationship with former Five boy band star Jason ‘J’ Brown.

Meanwhile, Melanie’s Spice Girls bandmate Mel B makes her return to Australian TV tonight as a judge on the season premiere of The Masked Singer. Speaking to news.com.au ahead of the new season, Mel B opened up about her life as a Spice Girl – and whether the group’s long-rumored first Australian tour might ever hit our shores.

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Hunted Australia finale: Stathi and Rob win the $100,000

Hunted Australia finale: Stathi and Rob win the $100,000

The first season of Ten’s new reality game show hunted came to a close on Tuesday night, with contestants Stathi and Rob taking out a double win – earning half each of the game’s $100,000 prize money.

Speaking to news.com.au today, the two players opened up about their time on the show, revealing that life on the run was even harder than it appeared to viewers, with some key scenes not making the edit.

Namely, the apparent willingness of members of the general public to help panicked contestants, sometimes dressed in bizarre disguises and always trailed by camera operators, as they approached and announced: “I’M A FUGITIVE ON THE RUN, CAN YOU HELP ME?”
Time and again, complete strangers were shown on-screen leaping into action, housing, transporting and feeding the fugitives – but the winners explained they actually experienced very little kindness from those they approached.

“Not a single person wanted to help you, when you’re out on the streets looking for help,” said Rob. “People would just look at you. You’d think that having a camera with you would help, but it didn’t.”

Rob estimated that around “90% of people” he and team mate Jake approached on the run would “tell us to piss off” – starting from their first minutes in the game, when they needed to find a phone to make their first call.

“From the moment we got out at Federation Square, (hunted) didn’t show the 30 or so people who said no to letting us use their phones,” he explained.

Stathi said begging a largely indifferent public for help quickly became one of the hardest elements of his 21 days as a fugitive.

“That rejection… it makes you doubt yourself and gets you into that paranoid mindset, which is exactly what you don’t need when you’re on the run,” he said.

How the finale played out

Three contestants were left in the game heading into Tuesday’s season finale: friends Jake and Rob, and Stathi, who lost his buddy and team mate Matt during Monday’s episode.

All three had to phone Hunted HQ 24 hours before the 21 days were up to be told the game’s ‘extraction point’ in Inverloch, on Victoria’s south eastern coast.

As soon as they called, their exact location was disclosed to the Hunters – yet another advantage for the Hunters, and one that some viewers decried as unfair.

Policeman Jake was soon tracked down to the address he was staying, leading to a dramatic foot race between he and two Hunters, who eventually captured him.

It was left to make-up artist Rob and humanitarian worker Stathi to make their way to the extraction point: a helicopter that had landed on the beach in Inverloch.

Both did so as stealthily as possible, with Stathi blending in with some local hikers as he made the approach along a coastal track, while Rob raced straight into the chopper from the car that had just dropped him off.

Both made it into the chopper with minutes to spare and with Hunters hot on their tail – making them the joint winners of huntedseason one.

Rob and Stathi revealed to news.com.au today that their helicopter rendevzous was the first time they’d properly met and been able to have a conversation – and Rob did joke that, as first to the chopper, he was tempted to ask the pilot to leave when he saw Stathi approaching.

Both players vowed to share their split of the $100,000 prize money with their fallen team mates, meaning both winners will go home with $25,000 for their 21 days on the run.

It’s a small prize, compared to the megabucks awarded to winners on other Ten reality shows like Australian Survivor ($500,000) and Amazing Race Australia ($250,000).

Truth about those drag disguises

Monday’s penultimate episode of the season saw Jake and Rob don elaborate drag disguises to evade detection from the Hunters – a tactic Rob employed again for the finale (although this time, the Hunters clocked his real identity on CCTV).

Rob said it wasn’t any easy move to make, admitting he was “terrified” the first time he stepped out in public in drag.

“It was a huge, huge thing to do. I had this sense of nerves, going out in public like that… I also didn’t want to misrepresent anyone either, dressed as a woman.”

Hairdresser Rob dressed himself and policeman Jake in wigs, make-up, breast plates and even facial prosthetics to transform into women for a visit to a local pub, where they successfully convinced members of the public to take them in for the night.

It was far and away the most elaborate disguise in a season that saw contestants try to go undercover in an array of cheap wigs, op shop dresses and in one occasion, even a nun’s habit. Then there was Stathi’s infamous “nonna” disguise – or, as he put it to news.com.au, “K Mart drag.”

602,000 viewers across the five metro capitals tuned in to the climax of last night’s finale – a respectable end for a season that opened three weeks ago to an audience of 619,000, then rose to a season high of 711,000 viewers for episode two.

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Beauty and the Geek Australia 2022: Four more Geek makeovers

Beauty and the Geek Australia 2022: Four more Geek makeovers

Beauty and the Geek’s four remaining ‘Geeks’ underwent their makeovers during Monday’s episode of the reality series – and one got an instant tick of approval from his ‘Beauty’, who leapt into his arms for a lingering kiss.

Check out the impressive makeovers below…

Jason

Victorian muso Jason, 29, had perhaps the night’s biggest transformation, losing his shaggy hair and beard – and stepping out with a discernible new air of confidence and even a few male-model poses.

He said he’d changed a lot since the show started, explaining that on his first day, he could “barely muster standing within 20m of the Beauties.”

Jason came out to wild reactions from the rest of the contestants, one of whom summed up the mood by saying: “Who the hell IS that?”

The Beauty he’d been paired with, Emily, could not stop screaming.

“When I saw myself in the mirror, I didn’t recognize myself. I saw someone new…almost like a long-lost brother or something. It was really wild to see myself like that,” Jason said.

“I feel like a weight has been lifted off me. Something as simple as not having beard hair to fiddle with or hair on my face to block my view of things is tremendously powerful for my confidence.”

Aaron

NSW train driver Aaron said he had come “so, so far” on the show, listing a few of his “firsts”.

“I’ve conquered my fear of dogs, jumped off a train through a firewall, posed with my shirt off and grown so much. I’ve changed so much through this experience,” he said.

Emerging post-makeover with a new haircut and outfit, Aaron said he felt “so, so happy… I’m ready to start living now.”

His Beauty Karly was full of praise, dubbing him her “sexy Aaron-cini ball.”

anthony

A self-proclaimed Harry Potter superfan, 26-year-old Anthony suffered bullying at high school and had never quite built his self-confidence after that trauma.

So it’s understandable that his makeover was an emotional experience – he shed a tear or two when he first looked at himself in the mirror.

“It was very emotional,” he said. “It was like, ‘why can’t you love yourself? Why can’t you be proud of who you are?’”

Thankfully his Beauty Tegan was there to be his biggest cheerleader, dubbing the new-look Anthony “a bad boy rich sugar daddy.”

Michael

Fans who’ve been watching this season will know that 25-year-old children’s party entertainer Michael has already developed quite the connection with his Beauty, Tara.

Even so, it was a shock when the new-look Michael stepped out – and an overwhelmed Tara immediately ran into his arms to give him a long, lingering kiss on the lips.

For Michael, it was the dream outcome.

“That was so romantic. I have dreamt of a moment like that. I really felt, really happy… very wanted. I didn’t know she could move that fast in heels!” he said.

Tara couldn’t hide her excitement at the new-look Michael.

“Obviously I fell for you before (the makeover) but this is a cherry on top – I’m not complaining,” she said.

“A sexy bonus?” asked host Sophie Monk.

“I’m glad to be your sexy bonus,” said Michael.

After that loved-up moment, it was a bittersweet end to the episode, as Jason and Emily were eliminated from the competition.

The four makeovers came after fellow contestant Christopher underwent his big transformation last week.

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