Latest news with #ChannelNine
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Awkward moment Richard Wilkins is mistaken for Hollywood star while reporting in London - and you won't believe his response
Richard Wilkins was left frustrated this week after fans interrupted a live field report he was conducting and mistook him for his famous Hollywood lookalike. The veteran Today show reporter, 70, was covering the Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning premiere in London, when some locals enthusiastically greeted him - but confused with a Baywatch star. 'Hey, it's David Hasselhoff!' the fans yelped. An annoyed Wilkins did not mince words when reprimanding them for interrupting his report. 'Hey, will you give us a break for five minutes, please?' Wilkins asked. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Richard Wilkins AM (@richardwilkins) The fans later shared the clip to social media and captioned it with: 'Best feeling in the world meeting your idol.' The clip caught the attention of Wilkins himself, who responded with a cheeky comment. 'Don't hassle the Hoff,' Wilkins commented. 'Midnight live crosses can be challenging!' Wilkins and David Hasselhoff, 72, share a striking resemblance, with both sporting tall frames, broad shoulders, and trademark coiffed brunette hair. They both share a charismatic on-screen presence and showbiz longevity into their 70s. It comes after Wilkins shared a very surprising photo with notorious fan of heights Tom Cruise. The Channel Nine entertainment reporter shared an image of himself posing alongside the Hollywood superstar in London as they discussed his latest film Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning. What caught the eye of many is the size disparity between the two men, with Wilkins appearing to tower over the 62-year-old Cruise. The perspective of the photo, with Wilkins more in the foreground, does exaggerate the height difference between the two, although the Today star is quite a bit taller. Richard cuts an imposing figure at 1.88m (or 6'1") while Tom stands at a reported 1.7m (5'6"). 'Tom looks like he's come out of a Kinder Surprise egg,' one follower joked. Alluding to the strange perspective of the image, another offered: 'That photo doesn't look right - I know Tom Cruise is short but the photo looks distorted somehow?'
ABC News
16 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
My Little Pony and inspiring the next generation: Is the marketing of women's sport falling short?
What do you picture when you think of women's sport? You might see excited young women holding homemade signs, a family-friendly crowd, or role models on the field creating a better future for women. In a domain that has traditionally excluded women, whether as players, spectators or administrators, women's sport is claiming space. Deloitte predicts that in 2025, sponsors of Australian women's sports teams will see a 75 per cent higher return on every dollar invested compared to sponsors of men's teams. But are elite women's sports selling themselves short when it comes to marketing? In a 2024 study, researchers interviewed more than 100 English and American fans who attended the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup about their perceptions of women footballers as role models. While many fans praised the athletes for their accessibility, selflessness and being relatable, some felt this angle devalued women's athleticism and competitiveness. The researchers worried that this perspective inadvertently puts pressure on women athletes, on top of their day jobs, to motivate the "next generation" who will reap the rewards of professionalisation. They believed this takes the responsibility off those who hold the power to make change to improve conditions now, like clubs, leagues and the media. The research found that this cultural narrative was propelled by athletes, sport organisations and corporate sponsors alike. In Channel Nine's recent documentary charting the rise of Women's State of Origin, Breakthrough, Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V'Landys called women's rugby league players inspirational. "I'm proud of what they do in the communities, I'm proud that they juggle jobs, family and playing," he said. "We want to use them as much as we can to inspire the future." Jess Richards, a senior lecturer in sports management at Western Sydney University, is concerned about a sole focus on women's sport as inspirational for girls and young women. "That all comes down to clubs and organisations all over the country improving the fan engagement," Dr Richards said. "Female empowerment is very important. But I think sometimes it can actually overshadow the athletic ability of these players … their competitive nature, aggression and those types of things. "Media coverage has really highlighted women's sport as primarily this vehicle for social change, and I think that draws attention away from the athleticism of the players." AusPlay data from 2023 shows more than 600,000 Australians aged 15 and over play netball annually. It's a sport broadly accepted as a fun and social way to keep fit. And while just under 14 per cent of that participation comes from men, it's a fast-growing sector of the sport. The major sponsorship of the elite national netball competition is "Team Girls", a partnership focused on keeping girls playing sport. Demonstrating the positives of team sport, like making friends and learning life skills like resilience, it aims to "support every girl's endgame". Since 2021, Netball Australia has also partnered with toy brand My Little Pony, encouraging children through its junior program NetSetGo to "find their sparkle" and be proud of their individuality. While these are meaningful inclusion initiatives, combined they could suggest to adult fans that the professional sport they're following is predominantly for children. Take a passing look at the Matildas' Instagram page and you'll find an emphasis on girls — fans on game day and at training holding signs seeking selfies and match-worn uniforms. You'd be forgiven for forgetting the diverse fanbase the Tillies have developed across Australia, particularly since they hosted the Women's World Cup in 2023. Carleigh Yeomans, a lecturer in sports management at Swinburne University of Technology, says engaging girls in sport is important so they can imagine themselves participating. Numerous studies have shown the high drop-out rates of girls in sport, with some suggesting up to 50 per cent stop playing by the time they turn 17. "We want them to get the mental and physical health benefits," Dr Yeomans said. "We need to be able to carry them through that 13 to 16-year-old drop in participation so that [their participation] can be sustained." Do you have a story idea about women in sport? Email us abcsport5050@ The perception of women athletes as role models is reinforced by the ongoing marketing of women's sport as family-friendly. "We want to make sure our marketing is highlighting the skill, the competition, the toughness that comes with women's sport just like it does with men's," Dr Yeomans said. Dr Richards agrees. In 2021, she co-authored a study of the Sydney Sixers Women's Big Bash League games, which found that the contrast in marketing with men's matches contributed to their atmosphere. Men's games were portrayed as a battle between rivals, while women's games were marketed as "cheap and enjoyable family days out." This framing, Dr Richards says, "may inadvertently reinforce stereotypes in a way that [suggests] girls need a softer approach. It subtly implies that they're not suited to competitive, intense environments." "I don't understand why we only just focus on the women's team when we talk about creating safe and inclusive spaces, because every sports game in any code in Australia should be a safe place for people to go and watch sport." In April, UK-based broadcaster Sky Sports released a study on women's sport fandom in the United Kingdom. Surveying more than 2,500 fans across age groups and sports, it found that women's sport's dominant audience is actually fans who follow both men's and women's sport, with 80 per cent of UK sports fans interested in at least one of each. According to the report, their fandom is driven by passion for the sport and its skill and achievement — not the gender of who's playing. Yet, only 1 in 2 women's sport fans thought analysis content on women's sport was easy to find, in comparison to more than two-thirds of men's sport fans accessing the same content. The report concludes that women's sports should deepen their engagement with these existing fans for commercial value by spotlighting individual athletes and their successes, rather than focusing exclusively on attracting new fans or fans of women's sport only. It takes concerted effort to shift away from a dominant narrative, but Dr Richards and Dr Yeomans agree that it comes back to concentrating on game play. Dr Richards points to the Women's State of Origin ads in 2024 that showed the athletes tackling and visibly sweating, in contrast to previous years' marketing. "We're still uncomfortable watching women sweat, bleed, and bruise," she says. "I think there's certainly been progress in this space around the way that we market women's sport, [as] not just something that women should have an opportunity to have a try [at]… it is a physical competition." Dr Yeomans was pleased to see Cricket Australia engage women and men in the same marketing campaigns last summer, and highlighted the increase in game play in AFLW promotional material. "[They're promoting it as] a contest as opposed to a player standing there and smiling. And I think that's an important transition to make because we want it to be comparable from a competitive landscape." Finally, another starting principle is not to expect everyone of the same gender to like the same things. "Women and girls sometimes are still viewed as a homogenous audience, like they're all the same," Dr Yeomans says. "We need to get a little more specific about what that target audience is." ABC Sport is partnering with Siren Sport to elevate the coverage of Australian women in sport. Danielle Croci is a policy officer and freelance writer and podcaster specialising in women's sport.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Lego Masters star Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught reveals what it's REALLY like working with Hamish Blake
Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught has revealed what he really thinks of working with co-host Hamish Blake. The Lego Masters star has shared the screen with Hamish for the past seven years on the hit Channel Nine game show. On the cusp of the premiere of Lego Masters' seventh season - Grandmasters of the Galaxy - Ryan opened up about what it's like working with Hamish. Speaking to Nine, Ryan admitted that, rather than displaying any diva-like behaviour, Hamish has always been incredibly genuine. 'I'm not surprised by how funny he is, because he's exactly the same guy off camera as what he is on camera. So there's nothing hidden from that perspective,' Ryan said. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'He's just incredibly genuine, like he's the same guy, so it makes it pretty easy to go to work I'll be brutally honest.' The Lego doyenne added that when the pair first met eight years ago, they hit it off instantly, bonding over eerily similar hobbies and interests. 'Whilst I'm creative with Lego from a professional point of view, and he's obviously a comedian and media personality type guy, we both cycle every day to and from the studio,' he said. 'We're both into footy. We both play golf. There's lots of things that we do that are the same, which made for a pretty easy connection, and we have a very similar sense of humour.' The chemistry has obviously translated successfully to the screen with Lego Masters proving quite the ratings hit for Nine. The 2024 series finale boasted a national total reach audience of 1.9million viewers - a figure that remained relatively consistent throughout the season with the premiere bringing in 2.2million fans. Ryan's ringing endorsement comes after Hamish was revealed to be one of the highest-paid TV stars in the country. The Australian's TV Rich List report, released this week, places the comedian third in the top 35 highest-paid stars list at a formidable $2million. He trails behind fellow Nine colleagues Scott Cam, who is on $2.4million and Karl Stefanovic who tops the list at an eye-watering $2.8million. However, the Brickman is nowhere to be seen on the list, with the lowest-placed star, 60 Minutes reporter Amelia Adams bringing in $300,000. Hamish recently revealed the celebrity interview that changed his life. The radio star, 42, appeared on the ABC series The Assembly in 2024 and said speaking with billionaire business magnate, Richard Branson, 74, was a life-changing experience. He recalled a time when he was left stunned by Richard's response to a producer who asked for $1,000 during an interview in 2010 on Hamish & Andy. Hamish explained he was chatting with Richard on the comedy show he hosted with co-star Andy Lee when producer Jack Post asked the billionaire for some cash. 'Jack basically said to him, "You are a billionaire. Can we just go downstairs to the ATM, can you give me a thousand dollars? It's nothing to you but it will change my month,"' Hamish said. '[Richard] was like, "I'll tell you what – there's something I'd give you all my money for," and Jack's like, "Really?" and [Richard] goes, 'Your age."' Hamish went on to say Jack was penniless and 22 at the time while Richard was wealthy and 60, but the Virgin co-founder insisted he would love Jack's life. 'We were like, "What do you mean by that?" and he said, "I'd happily be broke and 22 than a billionaire and 68," or whatever he was at the time,' Hamish explained. He added: 'It's true. I think that it will be true for all of us. As we get older, you're like, "OK, money's thing in life, a tool that can certainly take some bad situations and discomfort away, but it's not happiness." 'It's nowhere near the exhilaration of getting to live, and all the best stuff is free. I think about that all the time. 'That always stuck with me, that idea that we've got something immediately available to us, that in the future we'd give all our material possessions for.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Billy The Kid looks out of bullets as Maroons faces another Origin defeat
As the State of Origin teams were read out in front of 54,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday, the loudest cheer accompanied the final name on the announcer's list. That roar was bigger than for Kalyn Ponga or Cameron Munster. Throatier than the one reserved for Patty Carrigan. And the face who inspired it hasn't seen a tackle in seven years. To say Billy Slater is well-loved by Queenslanders is an understatement. As if Romeo had only a passing interest in Juliet. Or, to a fresh batch of biscuits, the Cookie Monster wouldn't say no. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion There is good reason, too. Slater's playing career sparkles with highlights as much as honours. Millions followed his journey as humble roustabout from Nambour to the heights of rugby league, never losing his endearing identity as Billy 'The Kid'. He proved himself to be a Maroons great, one of the symbols in Queensland's most successful Origin era. Since retiring in 2018, his legend has only grown. He has shown to be an adept analyst on broadcasts, often speaking in front of AAMI Park's Billy Slater Stand. His business as a thoroughbred breeder goes from strength to strength. His performance as a horse-riding TV compère at last year's Melbourne Cup carnival was the highlight of Channel Nine's coverage. And of course, as a rookie coach, he masterminded Queensland victories in his first two Origin series. In this context, the crowd's affection for him on Wednesday night is to be expected. But after New South Wales' largely one-sided victory in the State of Origin opener, it's clear love can only do so much. 'I feel pretty flat, to be honest, about our performance', he said after the 18-6 defeat. The result was hardly a thrashing, and for Slater there were positive signs. Winger Xavier Coates was a constant aerial threat and backrower Jeremiah Nanai was a willing combatant. Debutant Robert Toia was targeted by the Blues and forced into 24 tackles (the Maroons' other centre Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow made just seven) but the rookie missed just three and was tidy with the ball. 'I thought his debut was great, so he can hold his head up high,' Slater said. But in truth, there is just as much cause for concern. The Blues went in as favourites, and were far from their best themselves. Five-eighth Mitch Moses, catalyst for the Blues' resurgence in last year's series, was mostly a bystander. Latrell Mitchell ran for just 58m, Liam Martin even less. Spencer Leniu played just 26 minutes. The Maroons coach believes the fans at Suncorp 'didn't see the best of this Queensland team' on Thursday. That 'it's definitely not a personnel thing'. That he knows 'what this team's capable of'. But it's becoming difficult to understand what he sees. In the past four Origin matches, the Maroons have scored 10 tries. Half of those came in the one match, after the Joseph Aukuso Sua'ali'i send-off in Sydney last year. Another three came in the second half of the MCG clash in which they trailed 34-0 at half-time. Wednesday's lone try came directly from a Latrell Mitchell handling error. The last time the Maroons crafted their own a four-pointer in a tight contest against a full Blues contingent was in the fifth minute of last year's series, when Ben Hunt crossed from Daly Cherry-Evans' blindside sneak. The 36-year-old halfback became the oldest Origin player on Wednesday, but admitted the poor attacking return means his place in the team is now a matter of debate. 'We've opened ourselves up to these sorts of questions,' Cherry-Evans said. 'But yeah, I'd love the opportunity to come back and correct it.' The coach said he too faces the same pressures. 'It's not just the players, it's everyone, and we'll all look at ourselves.' He said he still believes in the group, that the attitude of the squad was right even if their indiscipline let them down. And he said he feels responsible to help them find their best football. Slater has spent two decades taking rugby league by the scruff of the neck. But after three straight Origin defeats, this series might be out of his hands. 'At the end of the day,' he admitted, 'it's got to come from the players'.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
The match-defining moment in hoodoo-smashing Popyrin's Roland-Garros triumph
Locked in a tight second-round battle with Tabilo, and having thrown away a hard-earned break of serve a few games earlier, the best version of Popyrin made an appearance. Popyrin was already up a set – a 7-5 dogfight across 52 minutes – but Tabilo arguably had the momentum as he served for a 4-3 second-set lead. At 30-all, Popyrin engaged in some baseline warfare with his left-handed rival. There was nothing passive about how the Australian approached the point, but he combined measured power, depth, margin and just the right amount of patience to work the Chilean over then pound one of his favoured inside-out forehands past him. On the next point, it was Tabilo who blinked first to hand over another break that Popyrin soon translated into a two-set advantage and eventually a straight-sets win in two hours, 19 minutes over a dangerous opponent. The 25-year-old rifled eight aces and 37 winners in total, including a wonderfully executed backhand cross-court pass to seal victory. Even more impressive was Popyrin committed only 26 unforced errors. Commentating for Channel Nine, Thanasi Kokkinakis – Popyrin's five-set conqueror in the first round at Roland-Garros last year – hailed his fellow Australian's performance as 'probably the most focused I've seen him for three straight sets'. Popyrin, who won the Roland-Garros boys' singles title eight years ago, has put behind his baffling poor record at the grand slam to now reach at least the third round at all four majors. Ruud's loss to Borges has presented Popyrin with a great opportunity to match his best grand slam result from last year's US Open, where he stunned Novak Djokovic in four sets to make the round of 16. Ruud, one of the world's best claycourters, revealed afterwards that he had dealt with a knee issue throughout the claycourt season. 'It's hopefully nothing too serious. For the last couple of weeks [since Monte-Carlo] I've been struggling a little bit with knee pain on and off,' Ruud said. 'That's why I decided to pull out of Geneva after Rome, do my best, and heal to [try and] be ready here … I decided to push through it doing some anti-inflammatory pills and painkillers to try to get rid of it, which has helped to a certain degree, but not enough.' This is a pivotal result for Popyrin, who is defending more than half his ranking points in the second half of this year, including his monumental Montreal Masters 1000 title. He was a junior peer of Australia's top-ranked player Alex de Minaur and they both spent time honing their talents abroad growing up, but he has largely lived in his tenacious countryman's shadow. Even if that remains the case, Popyrin is making a strong case to be Australian tennis' Robin as the 'Special Ks', Nick Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, again nurse injuries that sidelined them from Roland-Garros. Loading Popyrin is guaranteed to also be seeded at Wimbledon, which will greatly aid his hopes of again advancing to the third round there. Djokovic stopped him at the All England Club last year before Popyrin reversed his fortunes a few months later in New York. De Minaur, Adam Walton and Daria Kasatkina will try to emulate Popyrin's effort when they play their second-round matches on Thursday, against Alex Bublik, 16th-seeded Andrey Rublev and Leolia Jeanjean, respectively.
