NRL fans rally around Sam Thaiday after Broncos legend goes public with awful news
On Tuesday night's episode, the celebs were asked about why they'd decided to enter the jungle and the charities they'd chosen for the potential prize-money to go to. The 39-year-old spoke bravely about wanting to help the 'Find Your Feet' charity because of how it had helped him.
Thaiday, who played 304 games for the Broncos as well as 29 State of Origin games for Queensland and 32 Test matches for Australia, said he could have benefited from such a charity when he was younger. 'My charity is called Find Your Feet. It's run by a guy named Tommy Herschel,' he told the other celebs.
'He goes into schools and helps young boys, and he gives them a safe place to share their feelings and talk about how they're feeling. I sat in on one of his sessions and to hear how brave some of these young boys were in opening up and sharing their stories about what was going on in their lives.'
Thaiday made the heartbreaking admission that he contemplated suicide when he was a teenager. 'As a 13-year-old boy, I wanted to take my own life, and I wish I had someone like Tommy around to let me know that it was okay to talk about my feelings. As a young kid, I really struggled to find my place.
'I found myself too white to be black and too black to be white, and didn't know where I fit in. And if I had someone like Tommy Herschel in my life as a young kid, maybe I would have shared a lot of these stories a lot earlier in my life.
'He's a bit of a one-man band at the moment, and I just thought he needed help. So that's why I'm in here. And hopefully even, like, I don't even have to win it, I just want to raise some awareness for him, I want people talking about it.'
Learn more about our celeb's chosen charities here: https://t.co/GwcHMYgXlb#ImACelebrityAU | Watch on @Channel10AU and 10 Play pic.twitter.com/Mwqt1ELpU6
— #ImACelebrityAU (@ImACelebrityAU) January 28, 2025
Thaiday first spoke about his mental health demons back in 2020, but Tuesday night brought it to the attention of a national audience on TV. Fans took to social media to praise his bravery and rallied around the beloved NRL legend.
One person wrote: "Never had much knowledge about Sam Thaiday...After tonight, I freakin love him. What a legend of a bloke." Another wrote: "Sam Thaiday is such a lovely person. He is my pick to win ...I'm a celebrity get me out of here." While a third commented: "I'm warming to Sam Thaiday. What a lovely bloke."
#ImACelebrityAU Sam Thaiday CharityPlease donate todayhttps://t.co/hL1K8mmLmc
— AUNT TRACE HANSHAW (@HanshawTracey) January 28, 2025
How good is Sam Thaiday on #ImACelebrityAU
— dubzz2228 (@dubzz2228) January 25, 2025
Absolute legend.
— Jen Lee 🇺🇦🇺🇦 (@jenleeren) January 22, 2025
RELATED:
Corey Parker's warning after Wests Tigers rocked by Jarome Luai blow
Wayne Bennett detail called out as Latrell Mitchell cops 'wake-up call'
Thaiday first spoke about his troubles in 2020 and revealed how therapy helped him. 'I had bottled up my feelings for so long not knowing how to express them," he said. "I told her (the therapist) my story and I left that session somewhat motivated to tell people my story. Hopefully by getting my story out I can encourage people to speak up.
'I still have moments now where I second guess myself. Self doubt is the loudest voice in your head. That kind of was an ongoing thing throughout my whole life. I want to learn and grow and get better to make that the quietest voice in side my head. I see myself right now as being a little bit lost and lonely at times."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Hall of Famer Terrell Davis making a difference for kids on the golf course
Former Denver Broncos running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis was the headliner at Bank of America's "Golf With Us" event on Monday in Ken Caryl, Colorado. "I'm a golfing fanatic," Davis told Broncos Wire. "I love to be able to give back to kids and do events like this. You know they have this event where Bank of America they're partnering with Golf With Us, and it's an initiative which is designed to make golf more accessible for kids throughout this country." One of the benefits from this event is for youth to learn life lessons -- even some life lessons that Davis learned on the gridiron. "A lot of stuff I learned on a football field, I apply in golf, which is really resiliency, man, because this game will test you," said Davis with a chuckle. "You gotta be able to bounce back; you gotta be able to kind of plan things out and then control what you can control. I kind of had that same mentality when I played in the league and it's kind of funny how the same things to apply in golf and not only golf, but in life." For Davis, this event was about providing access to a sport he loves, something that Davis didn't have growing up. "I think the biggest thing (with this event) is just access; growing up in the community that I grew up in, we didn't have access to a lot of things and you sort of have a mindset where it's not -- if you don't have a growth mindset, you don't have access to things that aren't in your daily life," said Davis. "No matter what I do, I try to expose my kids to places that they've never been to, events that they've never seen, sports they've never played. And then, obviously you know whether it's restaurants or golf courses, whatever it is. "I just feel like it makes you not only more well-rounded, but it gives you a bigger plan in terms of your ideas and seeing in life in a different way. For a lot of these kids, this will be the first time that they've ever golfed and probably didn't understand golf, what the golf courses were, probably don't understand how fun golf is. It's a sport for life. Anytime, no matter what age you are, what kind of handicap you have on the golf course, anybody can play." Broncos fans can learn more about Bank of America's "Golf With Us" initiative on their website. Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
Chicago Tribune
5 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
‘The Newsreader' review: The Australian series about TV news is as sharp as ever in Season 2
One of my favorite shows of 2024 was 'The Newsreader,' a biting Australian series about the TV news business in 1980s Melbourne. I likened it to an Aussie version of the 1987 movie 'Broadcast News,' with its winning combination of satire and pathos and a news team obsessed with beating the competition no matter the fallout. Season 2 picks up a year later, with fledgling anchor Dale Jennings (Sam Reid) now a more assured presence on the nightly 'News at Six' broadcast, alongside the more seasoned Helen Norville (Anna Torv). They are partners both on the air and off, and this juicy tidbit comes up when they appear on the station's talk show, hosted by a shamelessly cheesy Irishman called Gerry Carroll (Rory Fleck Byrne). Gerry is a great addition to 'The Newsreader' ensemble, both charming and likable, but someone who has also sold out at every opportunity possible. He's the kind of guy who performs a rendition of 'I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),' the George Michael and Aretha Franklin duet, surrounded by an array of 'Solid Gold'-esque dancers. Unlike his intense colleagues on the news side, everything rolls off his back and he can ad-lib a funny line with little effort. He also has no problem pandering to the audience, so he tees up Helen and Dale with this doozie: 'In 1986, you delivered us all a newsroom romance. In 1987, can we expect a newsroom wedding?' Helen passes the question off to Dale, who pauses awkwardly, then: 'Look, we're just focusing on this critical election that we have ahead of us this year.' Oh, Dale. As much as he's smoothed out his public persona, he can't fully mask his inner discomfort. He's no Gerry. This season, there's a new owner who sees their election night coverage as a network branding opportunity. 'And our network brand is backyard barbecue,' explains Dale and Helen's weaselly producer (Chum Ehelepola). The station owner wants the tone to be 'relaxed and irreverent.' Helen makes a face: 'Are you even listening to yourself?' Helen cannot hide her emotions, except when she's on the air, and that transformation is always divine. Dale, though, is more appeasing. And he's still obsessed with nailing an assured on-air persona (as with Season 1, we get to see more of him practicing in front of the mirror; Reid is so funny in these moments). Dale doesn't want to make waves but to work within the system and keep their bosses happy. That creates tension between him and Helen when she makes some questionable judgment calls and loses her cool during an interview. She can be a dynamo, but someone needs to keep her from going off the rails. Other complications arise. The secret of Dale's bisexuality looms like a ticking time bomb when a local gossip writer gets wind of the information. The same goes for Helen's teenage history of mental illness. There are plenty of people looking to sabotage them individually, and when their relationship begins to fray, it would be inevitable that they turn on each other too. They don't, and I have so much respect for that storytelling decision. The ensemble surrounding them is a rich melange of characters who give the newsroom its dysfunctional charm. The sweet but tenacious researcher promoted to producer (Michelle Lim Davidson, whose wardrobe is more late '70s/early '80s until she buys herself an effusive peach pantsuit) is now officially in a relationship with the station's well-meaning but dunderheaded sports anchor (Stephen Peacocke). The news director (William McInnes) remains a blowhard who alienates everyone around him (my one critique of the season is that his tirades have become perhaps too cartoonish) and his secretary (Caroline Lee) is the quietly efficient presence who sees all and knows where the bodies are buried. Then there's Helen's former co-anchor and nemesis (Robert Taylor), who now works for a competitor. His wife (Marg Downey) is one of the more intriguing women on television, a Lady Macbeth-type who is obsessed with appearances and elegantly schemes to advance her husband's career. She's also well-practiced at soothing his ego. When he complains about a snafu, she says smoothly: 'Honestly darling, it didn't seem that dramatic because you handled it with such professionalism.' Their adult daughter has returned home and she is struggling, which doesn't fit with the perfect family image they want to project. Though set in the '80s, 'The Newsreader' feels timely, especially in the way it portrays journalists wanting to do the right thing when it comes to holding power to account, only to be overruled by corporate bosses. It's also a show attuned to the smallest details of an actor's performance, from the way Helen adjusts her hair before they go on air, to the smallest facial expressions on Dale's face as he listens to another man leave a flirty phone message for Helen. These days, Reid is better known for his performance as Lestat on AMC's 'Interview with a Vampire,' but what he's doing here is just as layered and complex. It's quieter. Smaller. Dorkier. It really shows his range as an actor. Dale is hilarious. Dale is heartbreaking. Dale is a work in progress. Even the show's writing is delicious. When Gerry makes a subtle pass at Dale, this is how he phrases it: 'You strike me as a bit open to … possibilities. It's a compliment. The best people are.' Pause. 'I am.' Australia's bicentennial becomes a source of rich comedy, thanks to the beautifully absurd station promo they're forced to shoot, but it's also a way for 'The Newsreader' to delve into the way the Aboriginal population is rendered invisible in the station's coverage. (When Helen asks about this, everyone goes silent; it would be so much easier for them if she didn't bring up these complications.) I wish I could say the show's depiction of sexism and racism played like a time capsule, but it feels as relevant as ever. Visually, the show's palette is a mix of tans and browns, mauves and grays and light blues and cream. Nothing too bright or vibrant. The '80s details, especially when it comes to wardrobe and hair, are bang on without being over-the-top or camp. It's a snapshot that feels wonderfully alive and relevant to this moment. 'The Newsreader' Season 2 — 4 stars (out of 4) Where to watch: AMC+
Tom's Guide
10 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Forget the Netflix price hikes — score a full year of Binge Premium for less than AU$10p/m
Maintaining subscriptions to the best streaming services is getting harder for the average Aussie, with prices always on the rise and content constantly moving around. Thankfully, a homegrown streamer has dropped a seriously cracking deal on its annual subscriptions, discounting them by 35%. From now until August 31, 2025, Binge has discounted its annual subscriptions across its three tiers, with savings of up to AU$63. While Binge's basic tier will cost just AU$48 for the full year, the best deal is on its Premium subscription, which is down to just AU$116p/y, from AU$179. Binge's Premium subscription is on par with Netflix's most expensive offering, providing viewers with 4K streaming on four screens. With this deal, you'll end up paying AU$9.67p/m for the full year – a AU$12.33p/m saving – which is AU$19.32 less than Netflix's impending price hike to AU$28.99p/m for premium. But you'll need to act fast to take full advantage of Binge's discounted annual subscription — this offer is only available until August 31, 2025. Retailing at AU$179p/y for a premium subscription, this Binge deal knocks a massive 35% off the first year. When broken down, it'll cost you just AU$9.67p/m, which is AU$10.32 cheaper than the average premium streaming subscription (AU$19.99). With this annual sub, you can access all of Binge's content catalogue and stream up to 4K on four screens. Some of Binge's upcoming releases include "The Office US" spinoff, "The Paper", arriving on September 4, and the first season of reality competition show, "The Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown", on August 22. New movies on the streamer include "Gladiator", "Sonic The Hedgehog 3", "The Brutalist" and "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy". Winter live sports are heating up in Australia, and the easiest way to stream them live and on demand is on Binge. With an annual subscription on any tier, you'll be able to stream the upcoming AFL and NRL grand finals on September 27 and October 5, respectively. You can even stream the NRLW and AFLW matches, too. In terms of news and lifestyle channels, all Binge subscribers can access Foxtel's most popular channels, such as Fox News, Sky News, BBC and Bloomberg. Premium subscribers gain the added bonus of 4K streaming on four screens, which is a big step up from Binge's standard tier (offering up to 1080p HD streaming). Plus, you won't have to sit through ads while viewing, and that's a major win in our books. But, if you find that the streamer isn't up your alley or don't want to pay the ongoing annual rate of AU$179 after your offer ends, you can always cancel your Binge subscription at any time.
