Latest news with #BINGE
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Comedian Tom Walker plans to honour the late Cal Wilson as he joins Great Australian Bake Off as new co-host
There's a new co-host in the mix on the new season of Great Australian Bake Off, but just don't expect him to whip up anything but laughs. 'I like to cook but I am pathetically scared of my oven,' comedian Tom Walker tells ahead of tonight's Season 8 premiere on Foxtel and BINGE. 'Bakers have all of my admiration for being brave enough to shut something away in the oven and just walk away, trusting that it'll keep up its end of the bargain and become all lovely and crunchy and browned. I can't do that. I'd crack under pressure.' While he loves 'to fry an egg', Walker is leaving the culinary creations to the 12 'incredible' amateur bakers selected this season, among them a pastor, hairdresser and nurse. 'I was so happy to see the diversity of people all brought together and bonding over baking – all different careers, ages, backgrounds, eagerly discussing their shared passion. All of them with different wonderful reveals too,' he says. 'There's 12 bakers and I'd watch 10 hours on each of them.' Stream Great Australian Bake Off Season 8 on Foxtel and BINGE, available on Hubbl. However, joining the long-running series has been bittersweet for Walker, who takes over the co-hosting gig two years after the sudden death of beloved comedian and co-host Cal Wilson, who at the time had just filmed the first four episodes of Season 7. The comic admits he was a little worried taking on the role, given Wilson left a massive void in the series when she passed away from a sudden illness in 2023. 'I worry about everything, but in this case taking over the role a friend had, when that friend is loved by all. Yeah, I think – I hope – that I'm different enough from Cal. It's clear I'm not trying to replace her. No one could,' he says. 'In the end all I can do is do a good enough job that she'd be happy to hear about it. I wish I could text her that I was doing the show. She'd get a kick out of it.' And Walker has fond memories of his fellow comedian too, remembering Wilson for her kindness and warmth, and how 'the brightest person in any room' helped him when he was an emerging comic on the circuit. He is now on a mission to honour her memory on the show. 'If there's a way to honour Cal on Bake Off, I think it boils down to: be warm, and truly care. Not just on camera, but off,' he says. 'Like all of us, Cal loved this job. It's important to me to genuinely care about the people on set, the bakers who are trusting us to present them in the brightest and best light and the talented crew who make the impossible happen.' 'More important to me is how to honour Cal in real life. She was an inspiration in how she magically seemed to have enough time for everyone, and enough space in that whirring fast magical mind of hers to keep everything about the people she cared about fixed and sparkling and detailed. Love you Cal.' The stand-up comic, who has won fans over in recent years thanks to his infectious charm on shows such as W hose Line Is It Anyway? Australia and Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee, will share hosting duties with existing host Natalie Tran. 'Natalie and I get on great! She rocks and I'm really happy to have made a friend. We've been texting and yapping and organising catch-ups,' Walker says. 'She was so helpful coming in to the weird world of watching people bake – we work great together and it's so fun to hang out and make each other laugh.' 'Oh, also, just in case she reads this, she insists that she 'throws parties', but if you press her on it you find out that the party is like 6 people from her family and her husband. That's not a party, it's a gathering, and I will continue to fight her on this.' Returning judges, British culinary icon Rachel Khoo and Aussie pastry king Darren Purchese, have also welcomed Walker into the famous baking shed with open arms. 'On set everyone's always laughing and Rachel and Darren are very patient with me when I ask something truly humiliating like, 'What's ganache for?'' he says.
ITV News
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
BINGE commissions Australian scripted series based on infamous bank robber Brenden Abbott
BINGE today announced the commission of a new Australian scripted series based on the infamous Australian bank robber, Brenden Abbott (AKA 'the Postcard Bandit'). In the 1980s Abbott became a household name, committing a string of bank robberies and evading police, eventually being arrested, convicted and successfully escaping custody - twice. With the exception of inmates convicted of murder, Abbott is currently the longest serving prisoner in Australia. A propulsive, high-octane, 1980/90s crime drama, the 6 x 1-hour scripted series (as yet untitled) is inspired by the true story of 'The Postcard Bandit' and follows Abbott as a master criminal on the run, eluding police and escaping maximum security prison. Traversing Australia's colourful and unruly past, the series lifts the balaclava on the nation's most successful and ingenious bank robber. George Mason (The Power of the Dog, The Survivors) leads the cast as Brenden Abbott, with Robyn Malcolm (After The Party, The Survivors), Ashleigh Cummings (Citadel, Long Bright River, Hounds of Love), and Keiynan Lonsdale (Swift Street, The Flash) starring alongside him. Each portrays a pivotal figure in Abbott's turbulent life and the law enforcement network determined to bring him down. The ensemble cast includes David Howell (Narrow Road to the Deep North, Strife), Mia Artemis (Sweet Tooth, The Secrets She Keeps), Christian Byers (Bump, The Narrow Road to the Deep North), Roxie Mohebbi (He Had It Coming, Critical Incident), Oscar Redding (Top of the Lake, The Twelve), Anthony Hayes (Mystery Road, Gold, The Twelve), and Jayden Popik (Mystery Road, A Perfect Pairing). With cameras now rolling in Western Australia, the series promises a gripping, character-driven take on one of the country's most legendary criminal sagas. Commissioned by Foxtel Group, produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) Australia, the series is made with major production investment from Screenwest and the Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive. The series will be produced in association with, and distributed by, ITV Studios. According to Screenwest, the series is expected to attract a spend of more than $7 million into the WA economy, and the production will employ at least 80 Western Australian crew and 80 WA cast with speaking roles, as well as 400 extras. Ben Young (Hounds of Love, The Twelve) and Bonnie Moir (Exposure, Love Me) are directing, with Young also serving as executive producer. Hamish Lewis (How to Make Gravy, The Twelve) is producing, alongside series producer Matt Noonan (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Beyond Goodbye), with Michael Brooks (The Twelve, How to Make Gravy) as Executive Producer alongside Lana Greenhalgh and Penny Win as Commissioners and Executive Producers. The writing team is led by writer and script producer Sarah Walker (The Secrets She Keeps, The Twelve), alongside Matt Cameron (The Clearing, Jack Irish) and writers Scout Cripps and Anthony Hayes. Lana Greenhalgh, Executive Producer and Director of Scripted Originals, Foxtel Group, said: 'The misadventures of the elusive Brenden Abbott is as Australian as it gets and we're proud to be partnering with the team at WBITVP Australia to bring this legendary Aussie story to screen. We're thrilled to have cameras now rolling in WA where the story started nearly 40 years ago.' Rikki Lea Bestall, Chief Executive Officer, Screenwest, said: "We are pleased to welcome BINGE and WBITVP Australia back to Western Australia for their upcoming scripted series. The production shows the growing momentum in our screen industry and reinforces our growing reputation as a destination for high-quality screen production. We look forward to seeing the talented cast and crew bring this story to life here in Western Australia." Hamish Lewis, Head of Scripted at WBITVP Australia said: 'We're pumped to be back in Western Australia working with Foxtel and Screenwest again. This is a truly incredible story, too good not to be told. It's the story of extreme resilience, determination and family – with a wild backdrop of '80s and '90s Australia. We can't wait for the world to see this!' Ben Young, Director and Executive Producer said: 'This story's got everything I love in TV – action, love, violence and complex emotional relationships. If it didn't happen, you wouldn't believe it. After a great experience working with BINGE and WBITVP Australia on The Twelve, I was stoked they felt the same way about this wild ride as I did.' Production credit: Based on "Australian Outlaw - The True Story of Postcard Bandit Brenden Abbott" by Derek Pedley the 6 x 1-hour drama series is produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia for the Foxtel Group, with major production investment from Screenwest and the Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive. The series will be produced in association with, and distributed by, ITV Studios. Producer is Hamish Lewis alongside Series Producer Matt Noonan and Executive Producers Michael Brooks, Ben Young, Lana Greenhalgh and Penny Win. Directors Ben Young and Bonnie Moir. Written by Sarah L. Walker alongside Matt Cameron, Scout Cripps and Anthony Hayes.
Herald Sun
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Herald Sun
Role Aussie loss to US star: ‘More famous'
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News. British actor Jim Sturgess and Australian actress Teresa Palmer play high school sweethearts who reunite after decades apart in the new Aussie series Mix Tape. In a case of life imitating art, both Sturgess and Palmer also experience a reunion of sorts on the set, as they actually met years ago in Hollywood. That year was 2008 and Palmer had auditioned for a role in the drama 21, a film about a group of genius college students who use maths to win big at blackjack in Las Vegas. Sturgess scored the lead opposite Kevin Spacey, but Palmer didn't get the role. 'Kate Bosworth got the role ultimately. She was a lot more famous than me back then,' Palmer, 39, told But doing the audition process together at the time marked the start of a beautiful friendship between the stars. 'When they do those screen tests, they really kind of put you through it. And so me and Teresa spent a whole day together and got on really well,' Sturgess, 47, tells 'I'd always been aware of her work since that day and always sort of follow [her career].' 'Then literally 20 years later we're coming back and shooting Mix Tape together. We messaged each other about it and we were excited that we were both getting on board.' Stream Mix Tape now on BINGE, available on Hubbl. In Mix Tape, which is now streaming on BINGE, Sturgess and Palmer play former 80s high-school sweethearts Daniel and Alison who are now living in Sydney and Sheffield, respectively. As high-school sweethearts, the pair would make each other mix tapes, but a tragic event pulls them to opposite ends of the world. Through modern technology, they reconnect after a chance encounter and discover that the songs from their shared past evoke feelings that never went away. Off set, Sturgess and Palmer also connected through music – not through mix tapes, but through playlists. 'We made each other some playlists, but it was about as unromantic as you could imagine,' he laughs. 'We were sending each other hip-hop music basically. T's a big hip-hop fan, and I was sending her a lot of English sort of grime, hip-hop music, and she was sending me stuff back.' But fun and music aside, Mix Tape is more than just a rom-com. The four-part series explores missed opportunities, second chances, and childhood trauma. 'It sort of exists in this really interesting space where it's gritty enough and romantic enough and it's all these things just coming together to make the show. So that's all really of exciting and deeply nostalgic,' Sturgess says. 'This is definitely not a gushy kind of romance film. It's difficult and it's traumatic at times.' Palmer's character of Alison lives through a traumatic experience that forces her to leave town for Sydney where she now resides with her husband (played by Ben Lawson). But her troubled and impoverished childhood in Sheffield is never far from her mind. And in some ways, Palmer could relate to Alison. 'I would not say my upbringing was anywhere near what Alison went through. Not even close, but I grew up in government housing,' Palmer reveals. 'I went to a private Catholic school that my dad paid for, but I lived with my mum who was on a disability pension. I remember feeling like I was the one at school who couldn't have people over to my house because my house was so tiny and embarrassing and I didn't really want to have a lot of friends over.' 'But my place ended up being the place everyone wanted to go to because my mum was very open with her rules. We didn't really have any rules, to be honest. So all my friends suddenly were like, 'We want to be at our house. We're going to go to Teresa's house.'' Mix Tape will hit home for many people who have ever asked 'what if' – and both Sturgess and Palmer loved the 'beautiful, nuanced way' the story was told. 'I think it is hugely romantic for anyone looking back,' Sturgess says. 'There's a generation of 40 year olds that are really going to be moved by the nostalgia of it.' Mix Tape is now streaming on BINGE, available on Hubbl and watch On Demand on Foxtel Originally published as Teresa Palmer and Jim Sturgess reunite 17 years after almost starring together in Hollywood film
News.com.au
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Teresa Palmer and Jim Sturgess reunite 17 years after almost starring together in Hollywood film
British actor Jim Sturgess and Australian actress Teresa Palmer play high school sweethearts who reunite after decades apart in the new Aussie series Mix Tape. In a case of life imitating art, both Sturgess and Palmer also experience a reunion of sorts on the set, as they actually met years ago in Hollywood. That year was 2008 and Palmer had auditioned for a role in the drama 21, a film about a group of genius college students who use maths to win big at blackjack in Las Vegas. Sturgess scored the lead opposite Kevin Spacey, but Palmer didn't get the role. 'Kate Bosworth got the role ultimately. She was a lot more famous than me back then,' Palmer, 39, told But doing the audition process together at the time marked the start of a beautiful friendship between the stars. 'When they do those screen tests, they really kind of put you through it. And so me and Teresa spent a whole day together and got on really well,' Sturgess, 47, tells 'I'd always been aware of her work since that day and always sort of follow [her career].' 'Then literally 20 years later we're coming back and shooting Mix Tape together. We messaged each other about it and we were excited that we were both getting on board.' Stream Mix Tape now on BINGE, available on Hubbl. In Mix Tape, which is now streaming on BINGE, Sturgess and Palmer play former 80s high-school sweethearts Daniel and Alison who are now living in Sydney and Sheffield, respectively. As high-school sweethearts, the pair would make each other mix tapes, but a tragic event pulls them to opposite ends of the world. Through modern technology, they reconnect after a chance encounter and discover that the songs from their shared past evoke feelings that never went away. Off set, Sturgess and Palmer also connected through music – not through mix tapes, but through playlists. 'We made each other some playlists, but it was about as unromantic as you could imagine,' he laughs. 'We were sending each other hip-hop music basically. T's a big hip-hop fan, and I was sending her a lot of English sort of grime, hip-hop music, and she was sending me stuff back.' But fun and music aside, Mix Tape is more than just a rom-com. The four-part series explores missed opportunities, second chances, and childhood trauma. 'It sort of exists in this really interesting space where it's gritty enough and romantic enough and it's all these things just coming together to make the show. So that's all really of exciting and deeply nostalgic,' Sturgess says. 'This is definitely not a gushy kind of romance film. It's difficult and it's traumatic at times.' Palmer's character of Alison lives through a traumatic experience that forces her to leave town for Sydney where she now resides with her husband (played by Ben Lawson). But her troubled and impoverished childhood in Sheffield is never far from her mind. And in some ways, Palmer could relate to Alison. 'I would not say my upbringing was anywhere near what Alison went through. Not even close, but I grew up in government housing,' Palmer reveals. 'I went to a private Catholic school that my dad paid for, but I lived with my mum who was on a disability pension. I remember feeling like I was the one at school who couldn't have people over to my house because my house was so tiny and embarrassing and I didn't really want to have a lot of friends over.' 'But my place ended up being the place everyone wanted to go to because my mum was very open with her rules. We didn't really have any rules, to be honest. So all my friends suddenly were like, 'We want to be at our house. We're going to go to Teresa's house.'' Mix Tape will hit home for many people who have ever asked 'what if' – and both Sturgess and Palmer loved the 'beautiful, nuanced way' the story was told. 'I think it is hugely romantic for anyone looking back,' Sturgess says. 'There's a generation of 40 year olds that are really going to be moved by the nostalgia of it.'
News.com.au
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Binge becomes first-ever Aussie streamer to debut full episode of TV series on TikTok
In a bold new move, BINGE is set to become the first ever Australian streamer to debut a full episode of a TV series on TikTok Live. The industry-first initiative will see the Aussie streamer air an episode of its spicy new series Billion Dollar Playground on the social media platform, with Episode 1 streaming on loop for 24 hours on June 18 from 8am. The good news is it will be free for all TikTok users to watch the episode and there is no BINGE subscription required. All you need to do is head to @BINGE on TikTok and tap on the profile picture to watch. 'TikTok sits at the centre of pop culture, and by streaming episode 1 of Billion Dollar Playground directly on the platform, we're meeting viewers where they are, in the formats they love,' Annabelle Greene, BINGE Marketing Director, said in a statement. 'We're proud to work with TikTok to unlock new ways for audiences to discover our content.' Stream Billion Dollar Playground now on BINGE, available on Hubbl. Billion Dollar Playground is currently streaming on BINGE and offers a look inside real-life luxury holiday rental company Luxico and its staff of elite service experts consisting of concierges, chefs, butlers and housekeepers. The professional staff are dedicated to fulfilling every wish of their ultra-rich clients' vacations at a premium Luxico property all while trying to put on a united front for the guests, despite the drama brewing behind the scenes. But it hasn't been smooth sailing since cameras started rolling, with fallouts and walkouts among the drama captured. 'Everything you see is genuine. The dramas, the laughs, the long hours and hard work - it's all real,' housekeeper Elsie, who has worked in the hospitality industry for 13 years, tells 'It really gives you a true insight into what working in this industry and this level is like.' 'It's realness, every emotion, every conversation, every connection really did take place. And we actually worked our arse off.' And for those tuning into Episode 1 on the TikTok Livestream are in for some drama between Lead concierge Salvatore and his second in charge Heaven. '[They are] both big personalities that just didn't work well under pressure together,' Elsie says. 'Heaven could have done with holding her tongue just a little. After all he is the big boss.' While Elsie says she could've kept here cool better on camera by not swearing and shedding tears, concierge Grace – who has worked globally for the uber-wealthy – has no issues with the cameras or demanding guests. 'When you've worked for the world's elite, pressure becomes your baseline. I genuinely thrive in chaos – the tougher it gets, the more the guests want, the more I come alive,' she tells 'And once I started seeing the camera crew as just another set of guests to look after? Game on.' 'It's more than champagne and caviar – though there's plenty of that too,' adds of the series. 'You'll get a real look at what it takes to pull off seamless luxury, the pressure behind the polish, and the big personalities (and egos!) that make it all tick. And I'm not just talking about the guests…' Grace joined mid-season after getting a mayday call to help the staff – and while most were welcoming of her arrival, butler JB was not. 'Let's just say JB and I didn't exactly exchange friendship bracelets. And that's OK - this isn't summer camp,' she says. 'I'm here to elevate the guest experience, not make besties on short-term contracts.' 'I know I can be a bit of a wildcard – I'm vocal, direct, and I move fast. But just because I'm short and sweet doesn't mean I don't bring the thunder when it's time to deliver.' So what can she share with us about her past and vast experiences and challenges with her guests? 'Let's just say… NDA life is real, darling. If I told you, I'd probably get sued,' she says. 'But I will say… if it's legal, I'll always find a way to make it happen.' Grace may be bound to an NDA, but Elsie is happy to spill on what she's experienced in her career so far. 'Once someone asked me to put their shoes on for them (they were healthy and fully able to do it themselves) and another time I had to give very expensive caviar to dogs as a treat,' she shares. 'I always just try my best that's all you can really do!' Billion Dollar Playground is available to stream now on BINGE with new episodes dropping weekly and is also available on Foxtel.
