Latest news with #CelebrityTreasureIsland
The Spinoff
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
‘Who's this idiot?': Courtney Dawson on the irresistible pull of reality TV
The comedian and star of TVNZ series new series Don't, takes us through her life in television. In one of the funnier scenes from TVNZ's new documentary series Don't, Courtney Dawson gets dressed up to face one of life's greatest challenges: buying a house. With a charming purple feather fascinator atop her head, Dawson and comedian Bubbah (resplendent in a pair of pink lace gloves) meet with an Auckland real estate agent to find out exactly what people need to do today to buy a home – other than look the part of a wealthy homeowner. 'We thought we better get dressed up like ladies from Remuera,' Dawson laughs over Zoom. 'So we got some gorgeous wee crowns and silly little jewels, and we had a great time.' In Don't, Bubbah is joined by Dawson, Rhiannon McCall and Bailey Poching as they tackle the big issues facing young New Zealanders today: getting married, having children and buying a home. They speak to a variety of experts to learn what their options are, and consider what 'living the dream' in Aotearoa really means for our younger generations. It's the latest TV project for Dawson (Ngāti Kurī, Ngāti Amaru) who, as well as being an award-winning comedian, has appeared on shows like Rags are Riches, Have You Been Paying Attention NZ, Paddy Gower Has Issues and Celebrity Treasure Island. Not only was Don't a chance for Dawson to work with her friend Bubbah ('as soon as I got asked to be part of the project, I was like, 'if Bubba's in, I'm in''), Dawson appreciated how the docuseries offered a variety of perspectives from young people. 'It was nice to think it's actually all good if you don't want to own a home. There's lots of different ways to live a life.' That includes living your life through television, of course, so we sat down with Dawson to delve into a past filled with a nightmarish alien experience, an empowering Celebrity Treasure Island moment and a strong yearning to watch Love Island at the pub. My earliest TV memory is… My nan had a strong VCR game and she recorded all the episodes of the BBC's The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. I have vivid memories of going to this beautiful mid century cabinet and picking out the videos with the labels all peeling off and her beautiful handwriting. I would watch it and be completely transported. The TV show I loved as a kid was… The Simpsons was a big thing in my family, but we also had long periods of having no TV as well, probably because we were homeschooled. The Simpsons was the one that we would all stop and watch. My earliest TV crush was… Jonathan Taylor Thomas from Home Improvement, but I was a hard out tomboy so I would never admit that I had a crush on him. My best friend did, and I'd be like, 'oh, you're yuck', but really, I had a secret poster of him in my room from a Girlfriend magazine. The TV moment that haunts me is… Like lots of kids who grew up in the 90s, I was terrified of The X-Files. Whenever I used to hear theme music, I would run into my room. One night I was brave and sneaky and I peeked out – with just one eye – to look at the TV. As I was doing it, there was an alien that was peeking out from behind a drainpipe. I had nightmares that night, and I've had a recurring nightmare about that alien for years. My TV guilty pleasure is… Love Island. I thought reality TV was a waste of time, but my flatmate is a big reality TV fan. I'd walk in the lounge when she was watching Love Island and be like, 'who's this idiot?' Before I knew it, I was fully invested in all of these people's lives and looking them up on Instagram. I don't know whether I like Love Island, or I just like yelling at the TV. That's the only thing that I'm jealous of with men, is that they get to watch their programmes in bars and yell at the TV in public. I would love to do that with Love Island. My favourite moment from my own TV career is… Celebrity Treasure Island. It was an amazing but real harrowing experience. There was one challenge where we had to throw sacks of sand at a pole and knock it off. I was hanging back, but as soon as I threw it, all of this muscle memory came back from when I used to play softball, and I ended up knocking both the poles off. I felt like the most powerful woman alive. The funniest person on TV is… Bubbah, and I'm not just saying this because we made a show together. She's so funny on stage and television, but she's also a genuinely crackup person in her normal life. She's done something similar to Tofiga [Fepulea'i] in that she's built this beautiful, amazing career on her terms, in her own community, which is a real testament to the natural charisma that she has and the strong values that she has. She's a really inspiring, awesome person. My favourite TV show that I've ever been involved with is… My first TV show that I ever did, Rags are Riches. It was this little Māori TV show that Joe Daymond made. The only person on the cast and crew who had ever done TV before was the soundie. None of us had any idea, but it was so fun. The most stylish person on TV is… Janaye Henry. She made a show called 2 Cents 2 Much, and far out, the outfits and the styling of the set was so good. I re-watched it recently just to look at her outfits for inspiration. The TV show I wish I was involved with is… Taskmaster. It looks so fun. If I can make a career out of playing games on television, that would be awesome. What is your most watched TV show of all time? I've watched every season of Black Mirror because I'm terrified of AI and I like scaring myself. The show I'll never watch, no matter how many people tell me to is… Game of Thrones. The more someone tells me to watch something, the less likely I am to watch it. I'm happy you guys got to enjoy your dragons, but that's just not going to happen for me. The last thing I watched on TV was… Black Mirror, and before that, Severance, because I'm scared of computers. I'm scared of the robots. I love horror stuff, so combining fake horror with potential real life horror, that's my favourite.
Scoop
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Run It Straight: What Do The Fans Think?
Article – Mary Afemata – Local Democracy Reporter The events have drawn criticism from experts and local politicians for the health and brain injury risks, with some competitors knocked out in matches. Run It Straight's viral full-body collisions are stirring controversy in Aotearoa, but fans say the competition builds people up and brings the community together. The events have drawn criticism from experts and local politicians for the health and brain injury risks, with some competitors knocked out in matches. Last week, two grassroots 'Run It Straight' events in South Auckland were cancelled. Instead, the organisers held a giveaway event at Foot Locker in Sylvia Park on Thursday night. Lines stretched into the car park as fans, from teens to grandparents, young families and babies, were amongst the crowd that turned up. Here's what the fans had to say High school teens gathered in groups, with one group of boys in uniform performing the haka. 'I watch [Run It Straight] almost every night,' says one teen. Tayla, another teen, says she watches the group with her dad on YouTube. TikTok creator Steven Setu was among the hype, taking photos with fans in store. 'I'm here to support the brothers. They're doing something amazing for the Polynesians, man. They're bringing everybody here. They're building people up. It's amazing. It's unfortunate they couldn't be at the fields.' Bernice, mother to Marcellus, 2, and Moziyah, 4, was ecstatic that her sons won $100 each for dancing in the crowd. 'We just came out for the vibes. I thought I'd bring my kids with me just to let them see what the boys from Sydney are about.' When asked about the risks, she says the injuries were one of the cons. 'But the pros are bringing the community together, and also the boys being able to use their strength and ability to earn money from it.' One guy came straight from work after seeing the event on Instagram. 'It is a dangerous sport. But they say they're doing it on behalf of mental illness, mental health, people with high rates of suicide, especially us Pacific men.' Another guy, who came with his wife and daughter, says participation is a personal choice. 'My thoughts on Run It Straight is [that] everyone has a decision to make. Obviously, there are risks with everything, risks with rugby, league, whatever you do. So it just comes down to the individual. If that person decides that's what they want to do, man, power to them.' Evelyn says her grandkids brought her to the event. When told about the collision-style concept, she says: 'Oh, that's mean… yeah, my granddaughter can do that.' 'It's like being brought up old school. You've got to learn to toughen up.' Actor and Celebrity Treasure Island winner JP Foliaki, who happened to be passing through, says everyone used to do it at lunchtime growing up – it's always been done. 'I think safety is important, so as long as everyone's being safe and enjoying themselves and having fun.' 'There's always going to be backlash' Run It Straight CEO and owner Charizma, real name Christian Lesa, pivoted from the cancelled events into a meet-and-greet pop-up. The group gave away about $15,000 in merchandise, gift cards and cash at the Foot Locker event, Charizma says. Although unsuccessful in his efforts to secure local fields to host events, Charizma says, with anything big, 'there's always going to be backlash'. 'We're creating so much noise – it's new, so I expected this. I expected a bit of backlash from the government and the councils because it's something different.' Tauanu'u Nick Bakulich, Chair of the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board, confirmed the board opposed the event that was to be held at Williams Park in Māngere on public health and safety grounds. Eli Nathan, Auckland Council's Head of Area Operations, explained that permits are required for events involving large crowds or potential safety issues. He encouraged organisers to reach out to the council early to understand the requirements. Charizma says they are looking to help people with mental health struggles and inspire Pacific youth to chase their dreams like himself. 'We just got to keep continuing to grind and make sure that we prove the haters wrong.'
NZ Herald
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Run It Straight: What do the fans think?
High school teens gathered in groups, with one group of boys in uniform performing the haka. 'I watch [Run It Straight] almost every night,' says one teen. Tayla, another teen, says she watches the group with her dad on YouTube. TikTok creator Steven Setu was there, taking photos with fans in store. 'I'm here to support the brothers. They're doing something amazing for the Polynesians, man. They're bringing everybody here. They're building people up. It's amazing. It's unfortunate they couldn't be at the fields.' Bernice, mother to Marcellus, 2, and Moziyah, 4, was ecstatic that her sons won $100 each for dancing in the crowd. 'We just came out for the vibes. I thought I'd bring my kids with me just to let them see what the boys from Sydney are about.' When asked about the risks, she says the injuries were one of the cons. 'But the pros are bringing the community together, and also the boys being able to use their strength and ability to earn money from it." One guy came straight from work after seeing the event on Instagram. 'It is a dangerous sport. But they say they're doing it on behalf of mental illness, mental health, people with high rates of suicide, especially us Pacific men.' Another guy, who came with his wife and daughter, says participation is a personal choice. 'My thoughts on Run It Straight is [that] everyone has a decision to make. Obviously, there are risks with everything, risks with rugby, league, whatever you do. So it just comes down to the individual. If that person decides that's what they want to do, man, power to them.' Evelyn says her grandkids brought her to the event. When told about the collision-style concept, she says: 'Oh, that's mean ... yeah, my granddaughter can do that. It's like being brought up old school. You've got to learn to toughen up.' Actor and Celebrity Treasure Island winner JP Foliaki, who happened to be passing through, says everyone used to do it at lunchtime growing up – it's always been done. 'I think safety is important, so as long as everyone's being safe and enjoying themselves and having fun.' 'There's always going to be backlash' Run It Straight CEO and owner Charizma, real name Christian Lesa, pivoted from the cancelled events into a meet-and-greet pop-up. The group gave away about $15,000 in merchandise, gift cards and cash at the Foot Locker event, Charizma says. Although unsuccessful in his efforts to secure local fields to host events, Charizma says, with anything big, 'there's always going to be backlash'. 'We're creating so much noise – it's new, so I expected this. I expected a bit of backlash from the Government and the councils because it's something different.' Tauanu'u Nick Bakulich, chair of the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board, confirmed the board opposed the event that was to be held at Williams Park in Māngere on public health and safety grounds. Eli Nathan, Auckland Council's head of area operations, explained that permits are required for events involving large crowds or potential safety issues. He encouraged organisers to reach out to the council early to understand the requirements. Charizma says they are looking to help people with mental health struggles and inspire Pacific youth to chase their dreams like himself. 'We just got to keep continuing to grind and make sure that we prove the haters wrong.'
