Latest news with #JackSteele
Daily Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Telegraph
Inspired Unemployed: Jack Steele, Matt Falcon respond to scandal
Don't miss out on the headlines from Celebrity Life. Followed categories will be added to My News. EXCLUSIVE: Even though they've spent the past two years writing the modern-day how-to manual on playing practical jokes in TV show The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers, Jack Steele and Matt 'The Falcon' Ford say they are only just getting better at reading the room. 'Cancel culture now is ridiculous,' Steele says. 'It's pretty hard to do anything, because everyone has a voice and an opinion, and comedy is so subjective. 'People think their way is right, but that's just because they're offended.' Since appearing online in 2019, the pair known as The Inspired Unemployed have amassed more than 5 million followers on social media for their loveable larrikin videos and posts. In 2023, they added housemates Dom Littrich and Liam Moore to their troupe to front the Australian version of (Impractical) Jokers, a series in which the foursome's escalating prank battles result in hilarious, cringe-inducing encounters with the unsuspecting public. Matt Ford and Jack Steele of The Inspired Unemployed. Picture: Getty Images Although the show's blend of Punk'd and Candid Camera can be challenging, the team say they are serious about making sure their silliness lands right. 'You try to calculate [the risks] before you go in, even when you're in the ideas room,' Steele says. 'You're always trying to deep-dive it and think, 'OK, how will people react? Are we pushing it too far? Is the joke on us enough?' And if not, then we pull back.' Wearing uniforms to act as anything from sales assistants to yoga instructors, and shooting in the outer Sydney suburbs instead of in the CBD, staves off being recognised as famous comedians. 'Young ones tend to be more onto it,' Ford says of their attempts to fool people by blending in. 'Older ones are a bit easier to get.' And easier to anger. In April 2024, well-known media personalities Antoinette Lattouf, Clementine Ford and Yumi Stynes hosted a free Sydney event called Love Unboxed, billed as a conversation on relationships. Liam Moore, Matt Falcon, Jack Steele (front) and Dom Littrich. Picture: The Binge Guide Matt Falcon is dating influencer, Sarah Ellen. Picture: Instagram In truth, it was a set-up for a season two gag, with the three women in on the ruse. Introduced as a special guest to offer a male counterpoint, Steele spouted whatever his three mates fed him via an earpiece, including comments such as 'I think chicks dig consent'. Although Steele was the butt of the joke, the stunt received intense backlash and was cut from the show. 'It was a punishment of mine, so I had no idea what I was going into,' Steele says. 'I just played it as it comes, and obviously it didn't play great.' Ultimately, Steele and Ford say their schtick has never been about denigrating women or humiliating people. 'We have an exactly 50/50 female and male following, which translates into the show,' Steele notes. 'I guess that's who we are. We all grew up with sisters, and we're not too male-dominated in our life.' Matt and Jack, far right, with F1 driver George Russell (centre) at a Tommy Hilfiger event in 2024. Picture: News Corp Australia By chance, their show's new season launches in line with Men's Health Week (June 9-15), which focuses on helping men and boys lead healthier, happier lives. The timing resonates with Steele. 'We always talk about our emotions and if we feel insecure or vulnerable, happy or down or whatever,' he reflects. 'We get a lot of messages, particularly from women, saying, 'You've helped my husband or boyfriend talk for the first time [about their feelings]', which is really nice to hear.' To that end, the pair won't let one headline-grabbing misstep dent their confidence. 'Every day, we're surprised people go along with some of the things we're doing,' Ford says, smiling. 'We're not qualified in anything [we pretend to do]. But if you just own it, people believe it.' Season 3 of The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers premieres at 9.40pm on Monday on Network 10 and 10Play, with all episodes available to stream on Paramount+. Read the full cover story with The Inspired Unemployed in today's The Binge Guide, via The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (VIC), The Sunday Mail (QLD) and Sunday Mail (SA). For more from Stellar and the podcast Something To Talk About, click here.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘People think their way is right because they're offended': Inspired Unemployed respond to controversial routine
EXCLUSIVE: Even though they've spent the past two years writing the modern-day how-to manual on playing practical jokes in TV show The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers, Jack Steele and Matt 'The Falcon' Ford say they are only just getting better at reading the room. 'Cancel culture now is ridiculous,' Steele says. 'It's pretty hard to do anything, because everyone has a voice and an opinion, and comedy is so subjective. 'People think their way is right, but that's just because they're offended.' Since appearing online in 2019, the pair known as The Inspired Unemployed have amassed more than 5 million followers on social media for their loveable larrikin videos and posts. In 2023, they added housemates Dom Littrich and Liam Moore to their troupe to front the Australian version of (Impractical) Jokers, a series in which the foursome's escalating prank battles result in hilarious, cringe-inducing encounters with the unsuspecting public. Although the show's blend of Punk'd and Candid Camera can be challenging, the team say they are serious about making sure their silliness lands right. 'You try to calculate [the risks] before you go in, even when you're in the ideas room,' Steele says. 'You're always trying to deep-dive it and think, 'OK, how will people react? Are we pushing it too far? Is the joke on us enough?' And if not, then we pull back.' Wearing uniforms to act as anything from sales assistants to yoga instructors, and shooting in the outer Sydney suburbs instead of in the CBD, staves off being recognised as famous comedians. 'Young ones tend to be more onto it,' Ford says of their attempts to fool people by blending in. 'Older ones are a bit easier to get.' And easier to anger. In April 2024, well-known media personalities Antoinette Lattouf, Clementine Ford and Yumi Stynes hosted a free Sydney event called Love Unboxed, billed as a conversation on relationships. In truth, it was a set-up for a season two gag, with the three women in on the ruse. Introduced as a special guest to offer a male counterpoint, Steele spouted whatever his three mates fed him via an earpiece, including comments such as 'I think chicks dig consent'. Although Steele was the butt of the joke, the stunt received intense backlash and was cut from the show. 'It was a punishment of mine, so I had no idea what I was going into,' Steele says. 'I just played it as it comes, and obviously it didn't play great.' Ultimately, Steele and Ford say their schtick has never been about denigrating women or humiliating people. 'We have an exactly 50/50 female and male following, which translates into the show,' Steele notes. 'I guess that's who we are. We all grew up with sisters, and we're not too male-dominated in our life.' By chance, their show's new season launches in line with Men's Health Week (June 9-15), which focuses on helping men and boys lead healthier, happier lives. The timing resonates with Steele. 'We always talk about our emotions and if we feel insecure or vulnerable, happy or down or whatever,' he reflects. 'We get a lot of messages, particularly from women, saying, 'You've helped my husband or boyfriend talk for the first time [about their feelings]', which is really nice to hear.' To that end, the pair won't let one headline-grabbing misstep dent their confidence. 'Every day, we're surprised people go along with some of the things we're doing,' Ford says, smiling. 'We're not qualified in anything [we pretend to do]. But if you just own it, people believe it.' Season 3 of The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers premieres at 9.40pm on Monday on Network 10 and 10Play, with all episodes available to stream on Paramount+.
Hans India
28-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Heart attack or panic attack? Unmanaged anxiety forcing youngsters to call ambulance
Anxiety affects one in five Australian men at some point in their lives. But the condition remains highly stigmatised, misunderstood and under-diagnosed. Men are around half as likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder compared to women. Some feel pressure to be fearless and hide their emotions. Others simply don't understand or have the language to describe anxiety symptoms. This has serious consequences. Our latest research shows young men are turning to ambulance services when their symptoms become overwhelming – some even think they're having a heart attack. So why do so many men wait until they need to call emergency services, rather than seek support earlier from a GP or psychologist? And what prompts them to call? We reviewed the paramedic notes of 694 men aged 15 to 25 years in Victoria, Australia, to find out. Young men haven't seen others asking for help. Boys are raised to value courage, strength and self-assurance, and to suppress vulnerability. When parents encourage boys to 'face their fears', rather than offering emotional comfort and tenderness, anxiety gets positioned in conflict with masculinity. This leads to a disjuncture between the support young men are met with (and come to expect) from others, and the support they may want or need. This also means that boys grow up believing their male role models – dads, brothers, grandads, coaches advising them not to get anxious and deter boys and men from seeking help. As a result, anxiety goes undiagnosed and opportunities for early intervention are missed. Recently, we have seen positive shifts challenging restrictive masculine stereotypes. This has improved awareness surrounding men's depression – starting conversations, normalising help-seeking and leading to the development of men's mental health programs and resources. However, men's anxiety remains in the shadows. When anxiety is talked about, it's not with the same weight or concern as depression. This is despite men's anxiety having harmful health impacts including turning to alcohol and drugs to cope and increasing the risk of male suicide. What does anxiety look like? When men are encouraged to talk about anxiety, they describe various challenges including repetitive worries, feeling out-of-control and intense physical symptoms. This includes a high heart rate, shortness of breath, body pains, tremors and headaches. Jack Steele, a prominent Australian personality, opened up about his anxiety difficulties on The Imperfects Podcast last year saying: 'I didn't know what anxiety was. I thought I was the opposite of anxiety. The way I explain it, it's like your whole body just shuts down. My throat starts closing and my whole body just goes numb. […] It feels like you're just so alone. You feel like no-one can help you. You genuinely think the world's ending – like there's no way out.' These physical symptoms are common in men but can be frequently dismissed rather than recognised as anxiety. Our research has found that, when left unaddressed, these symptoms typically worsen and arise in more and more contexts. Why do anxious men call ambulances? Our new study investigated the consequences of men's anxiety going unaddressed. First, we used data from the National Ambulance Surveillance System to identify and describe the types of anxiety young men experience. We then looked at the characteristics and contexts of young men's anxiety presentations to ambulance services. Overwhelmed and lacking support, many young men turn to ambulances in crisis. Anxiety now accounts for 10 per cent of male ambulance attendances for mental health concerns, surpassing depression and psychosis. While every presentation is different, our study identified three common presentations among young men: 1. Sudden onset of intense bodily symptoms resembling life-threatening physical health conditions such as heart attacks. Twenty-two-year-old Joshua, for example, whose case files we reviewed as part of our study, was on a tram home from work when he experienced sudden numbness in his hands and feet. A bystander saw he was having muscle spasms in his hands. Joshua was alert but extremely anxious and asked the bystander for help. 2. Severe anxiety triggered or worsened by substance use. Adam, a 21-year-old man, consumed a substantial amount of diazepam (Valium) while driving home, after having an anxiety attack at work. Adam reached out to paramedics because he was concerned his anxiety symptoms hadn't dissipated, and was worried he may have taken too much diazepam. 3. Mental health deterioration with self-harm or suicidal thoughts, often tied to situational stressors such as unstable housing, unemployment, financial difficulties and relationship strain. Leo, aged 25, had been increasingly anxious for the past three days. Leo's parents called an ambulance after he told them he wanted to kill himself. Leo told paramedics on arrival that he still felt suicidal and had been getting worse over the past three months. Young men's anxiety presentations are time- and resource-intensive for paramedics, many of whom feel poorly equipped to respond effectively. After ruling out physical causes, paramedic support is typically limited to reassurance and breathing techniques. Most young men are then instructed to follow up with GPs, psychologists or other health professionals in the general community. But taking that next step involves overcoming the stigma associated with help-seeking, the shame of having called an ambulance and deep tensions between anxiety and what it means to be a man. This means many young men slip through the cracks. And without ongoing mental health support, they face high risks of presenting again to emergency services with increasingly severe mental health symptoms. To address this, we need to: -ramp up conversations about men's anxiety and take their experiences seriously -develop an awareness campaign about men's anxiety. Awareness campaigns have successfully dismantled stigma and shed light on men's depression and suicide -improve diagnosis of men's anxiety disorders by up-skilling and training clinicians to detect anxiety and the unique and distinct constellations of symptoms in men -create accessible pathways to early support through digital psychological education resources, focused on improving awareness and literacy surrounding men's anxiety experiences. (Dan Lubman is associated with Monash University. The co-writers Krista Fisher, Simon Rice and Zac Seidler are from the University of Melbourne)
New Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Heart attack or panic attack? Why young men in Australia calling ambulances for unmanaged anxiety
MELBOURNE: Anxiety affects one in five Australian men at some point in their lives. But the condition remains highly stigmatised, misunderstood and under-diagnosed. Men are around half as likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder compared to women. Some feel pressure to be fearless and hide their emotions. Others simply don't understand or have the language to describe anxiety symptoms. This has serious consequences. Our latest research shows young men are turning to ambulance services when their symptoms become overwhelming some even think they're having a heart attack. So why do so many men wait until they need to call emergency services, rather than seek support earlier from a GP or psychologist? And what prompts them to call? We reviewed the paramedic notes of 694 men aged 15 to 25 years in Victoria, Australia, to find out. Young men haven't seen others asking for help Boys are raised to value courage, strength and self-assurance, and to suppress vulnerability. When parents encourage boys to face their fears, rather than offering emotional comfort and tenderness, anxiety gets positioned in conflict with masculinity. This leads to a disjuncture between the support young men are met with (and come to expect) from others, and the support they may want or need. This also means boys grow up believing their male role models dads, brothers, grandads, coaches don't get anxious, deterring boys and men from seeking help. As a result, anxiety goes undiagnosed and opportunities for early intervention are missed. Recently, we have seen positive shifts challenging restrictive masculine stereotypes. This has improved awareness surrounding men's depression opening up conversations, normalising help-seeking and leading to the development of men's mental health programs and resources. However, men's anxiety remains in the shadows. When anxiety is talked about, it's not with the same weight or concern as depression. This is despite men's anxiety having harmful health impacts including turning to alcohol and drugs to cope, and increasing the risk of male suicide. What does anxiety look like? When men are encouraged to talk about anxiety, they describe various challenges including repetitive worries, feeling out-of-control and intense physical symptoms. This includes a high heart rate, shortness of breath, body pains, tremors and headaches. Jack Steele, a prominent Australian personality and one half of the Inspired Unemployed, opened up about his anxiety difficulties on The Imperfects Podcast last year saying: "I didn't know what anxiety was. I thought I was the opposite of anxiety. The way I explain it, it's like [ ] your whole body just shuts down. My throat starts closing up and my whole body just goes numb. [ ] It feels like you're just so alone. You feel like no-one can help you. You genuinely think the world's ending like there's no out." These physical symptoms are common in men but can be frequently dismissed rather than recognised as anxiety. Our research has found that, when left unaddressed, these symptoms typically worsen and arise in more and more contexts.
News.com.au
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Aussie comedians' full-frontal nude TV stunt
Australian comedians Matt Ford and Jack Steele – aka The Inspired Unemployed – go to extremes to launch their new TV show The List, which launches tonight on Ten and Paramount+. The new show sees the comedy duo travel around the globe to tick off some unusual 'bucket list' activities, and a newly-released teaser from tonight's premiere episode shows that among that list is a round of 'German strip shuttlecock' at a naturist resort in the European country. 'There's only one rule in German Strip shuttlecock, hit hard but don't be hard. The List is finally out tomorrow and first up is Germany,' the boys wrote, sharing a video of their exploits on social media. 'All I can say is thank f**k for blurring.' That's not what their fans say. The post had the thirstier members of The Inspired Unemployed's fanbase begging them to drop an uncensored version – which the duo rather implausibly insisted will air in prime time tonight on Ten (we'll believe that when we see it). They also offered some insights into just how awkward it was filming full-frontal nude content that saw them offer up bon mots like 'my willy's on other men' and 'my a**hole's spread apart' (both of these uttered after being hoisted up on other players' shoulders after winning the game). 'Sitting on the bus in silence with our entire film crew was also fun after this,' Steele commented. 'Honestly don't think I've been more awkward in my entire life,' said Ford. One fan pointed out who the real hero is in all of this – 'The editor who had to censor all this will need 6 weeks of leave.' Premiering 7:30pm tonight on Ten and Paramount+, The List will run for six episodes, taking Matt and Jack from Germany to Japan, India, Finland, South Africa and Malaysia.
