Latest news with #Don't
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.
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ed Sheeran given unusual secret code name ahead of Big Weekend surprise set
Only 10 people knew that Ed Sheeran would be performing at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend today - and they used a secret code name when talking about the Shape of You singer Ed Sheeran was given a secret code name ahead of his surprise appearance at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend today, we can reveal. The announcement of his performance came just 45 minutes before the Shape of You singer, 34, took to the stage and security had to close the area after it reached capacity. Opening with Castle on the Hill, Ed performed old and new hit Shivers, A-Team, Don't, Old Phone and Photograph. Insiders said the performance had been in the planning for two months - but only 10 people knew about it. And to keep Ed 's appearance secret, they would refer to the singer as John Smith up until today. Radio 1 breakfast show host Greg James was one of the few people that knew about Ed's secret gig from the beginning. "I don't even tell anyone at work," revealed Greg. "I was sworn to secrecy. He wanted to do it as a surprise. He wanted to build that excitement. "I saw him an hour before in his dressing room and he said 'I'm worried because no one knows I'm here, no one's going to turn up and the tent's going to be empty.' I said 'You're Ed Sheehan mate, the tent's not going to be empty.' Big Weekend throws up those surprises. The tent was full, people got turned away." During his performance, Ed told fans he chose to sing on the new music stage as it's the only one he hadn't sang on and wanted to celebrate up and coming musicians. He told the audience at Sefton Park: "I'm glad you turned up. I know this was a secret. "I'm gonna play some songs that hopefully you know; If you don't know, it's gonna be a long hour for you." The singer added that by using his loop station, his set would be unique: "Everything you hear today is completely live. There's no backing track whatsoever. "It's made live on the spot - control of my feet - and at the end it's deleted and it won't be the same at the next show. The way that it works is you press record like this, and when you press play, it plays back and loops, and you can add layers on top of it." During his performance of latest song Azizam, Ed stopped and restarted his loop recording, telling the crowd: "I'm going to have to do this again again. This is how you know it's live. One more time." Ed, who has 14 UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums and headlined the Big Weekend music festival in Coventry in 2022, finished his surprise set with Bad Habits. A source at Big Weekend said: "The BBC knew Ed would draw in a huge crowd on the BBC New Music stage. The crowd were filled with hysteria as the Red head took to the stage. But just minutes after he took to the stage, the crowd was put on lockdown due to unprecedented demand meaning nobody else could get in until after his set." Sam Fender, Wolf Alice, Blossoms, Myles Smith and the Sugababes all took the stage for the second day of the three day event. Haim and JADE are among those performing on Sunday.
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Watch Ed Sheeran wow fans with surprise festival gig as security step in
Singer Ed Sheeran has wowed fans as he made a surprise performance at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend today, much to the delight of fans. Thousands packed into the new music stage after it was announced he was performing just 45 minutes before his set. Security had to close the area after it reached capacity for the secret performance. Opening with Castle on the Hill, he went on to perform old and new hit Shivers, A-Team, Don't, Old Phone and Photograph. He told fans he chose to perform on the new music stage as it's the only one he hadn't sang on and wanted to celebrate up and coming musicians. A source at Big Weekend said: "The BBC knew Ed would draw in a huge crowd on the BBC New Music stage. The crowd were filled with hysteria as the Red head took to the stage. "But just minutes after he took to the stage, the crowd was put on lockdown due to unprecedented demand meaning nobody else could get in until after his set.' The 34 year old Perfect singer's performance at the Liverpool-based festival was announced a mere moments before he appeared on stage. BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend fans were seen dancing, jumping and singing along with their hands in the air while the music star belted out his hits. Rumours had been swirling that a big name star was set to make an appearance at the festival and it was later announced that the special guest was Ed. BBC Radio 1 made the announcement on their Instagram. In the video announcement, BBC Radio 1 star Greg James says the secret set is "the best surprise we could possibly have done". And it appears festival-goers were also in agreement as the area was so packed during Ed's set that it was locked down. A photo from the festival shows the crowd stretching out way past the tent which Ed is performing in. Ed's performance wowed festival-goers as one wrote on the comments of Radio 1's Instagram announcement: "Absolutely everything Liverpool needed" another added: "The goat is in town". Ed's surprise set comes as the singer is currently on tour.
NZ Herald
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Bubbah brings silliness to serious life questions in new TV series Don't
In comedy, timing is everything. And there's been something undeniably funny about comedian Bubbah announcing she's relocating to Samoa while on the publicity trail hawking her new TVNZ+ series, Don't.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' is the OKC Thunder's victory anthem at Paycom Center
Thunder fans want lots of things on Sunday afternoon. A big game from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. A better game from Jalen Williams. A defensive gem from Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Oklahoma City's band of greedy guardians of the goal. Advertisement But above all, the fans want a Game 7 win against the Nuggets to close out the Western Conference semifinals and advance to the Western Conference finals. Then, cue the celebration. The music, too. Regulars at Paycom Center know the routine: As soon as that final buzzer sounds on a Thunder victory, the opening strains of Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' pump through the arena. It starts with just Freddie Mercury and some piano. Don't stop me now. Don't stop me now. 'Cause I'm havin' a good time … And with that, the tempo picks up and it's raucous and energetic and fun. MUSSATTO: What's at stake for Thunder vs Nuggets in Game 7? 'It's do or die' Look around the sports world, and you'll hear all sorts of victory music. Some of it has been used by the team for decades, and a few even have victory music written especially for the franchise. Others have songs that have a connection to their city or state. But more often than not, especially in the NBA, the victory music is random, often fast paced in the 'Jock Jam' model of tunes. Advertisement Quite frankly, the Thunder's victory music is one of the more unique choices in all of sports. So, how did a franchise in the buckle of the Bible belt that has a deep and rich country music history land on a 1978 song by a British rock band known to be flamboyant and defiant? Dan Mahoney said it was hard to ignore the lyrics. 'You come upon Freddie Mercury and Queen — that's a pretty good place to start,' the Thunder's vice president for broadcasting and corporate communications said. 'And a lyric like, 'Don't stop me now, I'm having a good time,' you can't beat that.' The Thunder started using 'Don't Stop Me Now' during the 2022-23 season. Before that, the team had used several other songs for its victory music. Advertisement 'Thunderstruck' by AC/DC. 'Takin' Care of Business' by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. 'Celebration' by Kool & The Gang. 'I Gotta Feeling' by Black Eyed Peas. 'We look to keep things fresh,' Mahoney said. More: How OKC Thunder gave Denver Nuggets hope in Game 6, 'most dangerous thing' in NBA Playoffs Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates a 3-point basket during Game 1 of the NBA playoff series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City , Sunday, April, 20, 2025. That's the franchise's approach to all things related to what the fans see, hear and feel during games. Promotions. Skits. Entertainment. Lighting. Videos. Advertisements. And yes, music. It's collectively the game experience. 'Our whole approach has always been, what can we do to make a wonderful game experience for our fans even better?' Mahoney said. 'We're constantly striving for that.' Advertisement He said the team that internally focuses on such things strives to give fans moments that they'll always remember. 'And obviously, the game ends and if we win, everyone's happy, everyone's walking out excited,' Mahoney said. 'We want to just help enhance that. Music is a very important part of that.' So, what's important in a victory song? First off, it needs to be something that sticks with fans. It doesn't have to be the most popular song in the world, but it needs to be catchy and almost earwormy. 'We want a song that people will sing all the way out of the building, all the way to their cars and all the way home to keep the moment going, keep the fun going,' Mahoney said. Advertisement Second, it needs to be a song that reflects the mood. Something celebratory and jubilant, and if it has a smidge of togetherness and community, all the better. Listen to other teams' victory songs, and you'll hear many of the same attributes. The Minnesota Twins, for example, use 'Let's Go Crazy' by Prince after they win, and while the artist and team are a perfect fit — Prince was born, raised and lived in Minneapolis — the song would be great even without those ties. It is loud and upbeat, and the idea of 'Let's Go Crazy' after a win is perfect. 'Cleveland Rocks' is similarly fitting for the Cleveland Guardians. The peppy tune covered by the Presidents of the United States of America is a musical love letter to the sometimes besmirched city. Advertisement While it has a different vibe, 'New York, New York' by Frank Sinatra has a similar resonance with Big Apple residents when played after Yankee wins. CARLSON: OKC Thunder needs more from Jalen Williams to oust Nuggets from NBA Playoffs in Game 7 3rd September 1984: British rock group Queen in concert with singer Freddie Mercury (Frederick Bulsara, 1946 - 1991) and guitarist Brian May. (Photo by Rogers/Express/Getty Images) Speaking of songs and artists with strong ties to a team, Oklahoma City has no shortage of options. There are all sorts of songs about Oklahoma. The state song, 'Oklahoma!', is a classic. 'Oklahoma Breakdown' by Stoney LaRue is lively. And there's about a million options from Garth Brooks and Vince Gill and Reba McEntire. If you don't want country, The Flaming Lips have quite the catalog, too. Advertisement No doubt the Thunder has considered all of those options and more. Who knows? Maybe there'll come a day when one of them gets the nod. Maybe a victory song might even stick. Mahoney said the Thunder isn't opposed to one song becoming the tradition. 'We look for ways that we can keep things going as tradition,' he said. 'Sometimes, that's important, but sometimes, changing it up, keeping things fresh is important.' Change has been the constant with the team's victory song. Who knows? If the Thunder keeps winning, it might be the soundtrack to a return to the NBA Finals or perhaps even an NBA title. That might enshrine 'Don't Stop Me Now' as the team's victory music for years to come. Advertisement Or it might be a reason to retire it. 'There's no expiration date on it,' Mahoney said of 'Don't Stop Me Now' as the victory song, 'but we'll continue to evaluate what's the best for the game experience like we do with everything else.' More: Thunder vs Nuggets grades: Julian Strawther, foul trouble spell trouble for OKC in Game 6 Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at jcarlson@ Like her at follow her at @ and and support her work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' is OKC Thunder's home victory song
