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Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Watch: Simon Barnett's mission to interview Tom Cruise
Christchurch radio host Simon Barnett finally met his childhood hero - Tom Cruise - at the Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning red carpet event in South Korea. Barnett and his sidekick Lana Searle hit the red carpet to meet the man who has inspired him since he was 20. The first thing Cruise said to Barnett after they were introduced was "I love New Zealand". Barnett then asked if he has "any plans to come back?" "Yeah, I'd love to. I'd like to film there again and just visit my friends - I got a lot of friends there," Cruise said. "You know, go have some adventures in New Zealand. Go do some speed flying over there if I can." Tom Cruise flanked by Lana Searle and Simon Barnett. Photo: Instagram / MoreFM Barnett said: "You know I have to say this to you - I'm 58, but it's a genuine privilege to meet you because I just respect your work so much. "For 30 years. Honestly, you bring to the world and Hollywood," Barnett told Tom. "I'm not being obsequious. It's just you've brought so much. So I just wanted to say thank you." Cruise was clearly touched by the outpouring of admiration. "You know, that means a lot to me. Thank you very much." Barnett and Cruise then discussed being "comfortable with being afraid" and where the movie star's love of stunts developed - way back when he was just a toddler. Barnett said it was "a significant joy in my life. People won't understand it, I can't really understand it, but it just is. "To actually meet that guy and to have a good chat with him. He was engaged, wasn't he? And I love that." Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning hits New Zealand cinemas on May 17. - Reporting Monika Barton
Otago Daily Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Watch: Simon Barnett's mission to interview movie star Tom Cruise
Christchurch radio host Simon Barnett finally met his childhood hero - Tom Cruise - at the Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning red carpet event in South Korea. Barnett and his sidekick Lana Searle hit the red carpet to meet the man who has inspired him since he was 20. The first thing Cruise said to Barnett after they were introduced was "I love New Zealand". Barnett then asked if he has "any plans to come back?" "Yeah, I'd love to. I'd like to film there again and just visit my friends - I got a lot of friends there," Cruise said. "You know, go have some adventures in New Zealand. Go do some speed flying over there if I can." Tom Cruise flanked by Lana Searle and Simon Barnett. Photo: Instagram / MoreFM Said Barnett: "You know I have to say this to you - I'm 58, but it's a genuine privilege to meet you because I just respect your work so much. "For 30 years. Honestly, you bring to the world and Hollywood," Barnett told Tom. "I'm not being obsequious. It's just you've brought so much. So I just wanted to say thank you." Cruise was clearly touched by the outpouring of admiration. "You know, that means a lot to me. Thank you very much." Barnett and Cruise then discussed being "comfortable with being afraid" and where the movie star's love of stunts developed - way back when he was just a toddler. Said Barnett: "It actually is a significant joy in my life. People won't understand it, I can't really understand it, but it just is. "To actually meet that guy and to have a good chat with him. He was engaged, wasn't he? And I love that." Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning hits New Zealand cinemas on May 17. -Reporting Monika Barton
USA Today
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The blobfish, 'bullied his whole life,' named fish of the year in public vote
The blobfish, 'bullied his whole life,' named fish of the year in public vote "It's time for the blobfish to have his moment in the sun." Show Caption Hide Caption Small ocean creature hatches in woman's hand A couple walking along a St. Pete Beach in Florida came across an unusual egg, a clearnose skate fish hatched and swam off. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, especially in New Zealand. A New Zealand-based environmental nonprofit, the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, announced over the weekend its annual "Fish of the Year" winner, which was none other than the blobfish. "The blobfish had been sitting patiently on the ocean floor, mouth open waiting for the next mollusk to come through to eat. He has been bullied his whole life and we thought, 'Stuff this, it's time for the blobfish to have his moment in the sun,' and what a glorious moment it is," radio show More FM hosts Sarah Gandy and Paul Flynn said in a news release. More than 5,500 New Zealanders participated in the "Fish of the Year" competition, up from 1,021 in 2024, the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust reported. What is a blobfish? The flathead sculpin, commonly known as the blobfish, gained widespread popularity after it was named the world's ugliest animal during the 2013 British Science Festival. The blobfish is recognizable for its pink blob-like body, droopy, downturned mouth and large, saggy nose. Over the past decade, the fish has been made into countless memes, appeared in different forms of media and of course, sold as squishy plush toys. But the blobfish isn't all the "blobby" in it's natural habitat. In the cold, dark depths of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans − between 1,970 to 3,940 feet deep − the blobfish looks quite different, more like a "normal" fish, in fact. Scientist Richard Arnott told National Geographic that the fish only looks so gooey because of rapid depressurization when its brought to the surface. At the depths the blobfish resides, the pressure can be a hundred times stronger than on land, according to National Geographic. At around 3,280 feet down, human lungs and other air-filled spaces would collapse. To survive under this pressure − literally − the blobfish's body has a high water and fat content. Jelly-like flesh makes the blobfish less dense than water, allowing it to easily move around, according to National Geographic. Blobfish are known as lie-in-wait predators, meaning they lay on the seabed, waiting for anything that passed by to eat up. This allows them to preserve energy. As for reproduction, blobfish reproduce in groups, laying about 100,000 eggs in each nest, National Geographic states. Blobfish parents stay close to their nests as their eggs develop. Are blobfish endangered? Blobfish are not listed as an endangered species, but human activity has caused an increased amount of danger to the fish's livelihood. Deep-sea fishing and bottom trawling, when a weighted fishnet is dragged across the sea floor, are considered some of the blobfish's key predators. What is the Fish of the Year contest? Started in 2021, the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust's Fish of the Year competition serves as an educational opportunity for New Zealanders to learn more about marine life who may be endangered or live in a fragile ecosystem, the trust's website states. In 2021 and 2022, the Eagle Ray took home first place. In 2023, the Oceanic Manta Ray won and last year, the Spotty took home the crown. Who were the Fish of the Year runner-ups? According to the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, the top nine fish, following the blobfish were: No. 2: Orange roughy No. 3: Longfin eel and tuna No. 4: Whale shark No. 5: Big-bellied seahorse and manaia No. 6: Great white shark and mangō taniwha No. 7: Lamprey and piharau No. 8: Spine-tailed devil ray and whai Rahi No. 9: Basking shark and reremai No. 10: Blue cod and rāwaru Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The world's ugliest animal is celebrated as New Zealand's fish of the year
Beauty is in the eyes of Mr. Blobby's beholders. The blobfish, a deep-sea creature, has been described as the world's ugliest animal because of its gelatinous, tadpole-like body. But voters in a New Zealand contest were having none of it, naming the blobfish — known affectionately as 'Mr. Blobby' — New Zealand's fish of the year this week in a competition held by an environmental nonprofit group. Organized by the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, the annual event seeks to educate the New Zealand public about the wide variety of fish and the fragile state of the freshwater and marine environments they live in. The blobfish, which lives mainly in waters off the southeastern coast of mainland Australia, the Australian island of Tasmania and New Zealand, emerged victorious with almost 1,300 out of more than 5,500 votes in this year's nail-biter of a race. It enjoyed a late surge in support against its fellow deep-sea dweller the orange roughy, which had been in the lead but ended up losing by almost 300 votes. The trust's co-director, Kim Jones, described the competition as 'a battle of two quirky deep sea critters, with the blobfish's unconventional beauty helping get voters over the line.' The appearance of blobfish, which have bulbous heads and loose, flabby skin and grow to about 12 inches in length, has a lot to do with their environment. In their natural habitat, on the seabed at depths of about 2,000 to 4,000 feet, blobfish look much like any other fish. But when brought to the surface, where the water pressure isn't high enough to maintain their shape, blobfish morph into the mushy creatures whose looks have been the subject of so much name-calling. Despite its high profile as the longtime official mascot of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, the blobfish had been trailing the orange roughy, which is endangered. Its fortunes changed halfway through the final week of the race, thanks to the support of two New Zealand radio hosts who encouraged their listeners to vote blobfish. 'We and the people of New Zealand had had enough of other fish getting all the headlines," More FM afternoon drivetime hosts Sarah Gandy and Paul Flynn said Monday. The blobfish 'has been bullied his whole life and we thought, 'stuff this, it's time for the blobfish to have his moment in the sun,' and what a glorious moment it is!' they said. A spokesperson for the Environmental Law Initiative, which sponsored the orange roughy in the race, said it had 'no bloblem' with the result, stressing that it's 'still a win' for deep-sea ecosystems and can help raise awareness about the environmental impact of destructive bottom trawling. This article was originally published on
The Independent
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Blobfish's remarkable comeback story, from ‘world's ugliest animal' to New Zealand's fish of the year
The blobfish defied its reputation as the world's ugliest animal to become New Zealand 's Fish of the Year, winning by about 300 votes over the orange roughy. The competition, organised by the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, was aimed at raising awareness about freshwater and marine species and their fragile ecosystems. Native to the deep waters around New Zealand and Australia, the blobfish lacks a skeleton and swim bladder, enabling it to survive at depths of up to 1,200m. The gelatinous fish grows up to 30cm long. In its natural habitat, the blobfish maintains a typical fish shape due to high water pressure. When brought to the surface, however, the lack of pressure causes its body to collapse into its signature mushy form. Psychrolutes marcidus, known for its miserable expression, was made the mascot of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society in 2013. The society aims to protect 'less attractive animals' such as the proboscis monkey. Kim Jones, co-director of the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, said it was 'a battle of two quirky deep-sea critters, with the blobfish's unconventional beauty helping get voters over the line'. A late push from More FM radio station helped secure the victory for the blobfish, turning its 'unconventional beauty' into a symbol of marine conservation and sparking a wider discussion about protecting deep-sea species in New Zealand. Campaigning for the eventual winner, More FM hosts Sarah Gandy and Paul Flynn said: 'He has been bullied his whole life, and we thought, 'Stuff this, it's time for the blobfish to have his moment in the sun.'' After the blobfish's win, the hosts said: 'The blobfish had been sitting patiently on the ocean floor, mouth open waiting for the next mollusc to come through to eat. What a glorious moment it is!' Ten fish species competed for the 2025 Fish of the Year title. The blobfish won with 1,286 votes against the orange roughy's 1,009. The longfin eel got 646 votes, whale shark 596, big-bellied seahorse 386, great white shark 344, and lamprey 312. The 2025 edition of the annual competition witnessed the highest turnout of 5,583 votes, up from 1,021 in 2024. 'In some ways it was fitting blobfish and orange roughy were close at the end. They both live in deep sea environments close to New Zealand, and the blobfish is often incidentally caught during bottom trawling for orange roughy,' Ms Jones said. The orange roughly is also a deep-sea fish found in New Zealand and Australia. 'While the blobfish's exact conservation status is unknown, orange roughy populations are struggling. Carefully managing orange roughy and its habitat will benefit the blobfish, too,' Ms Jones added. A 2012 editorial in New Zealand's Stuff noted that 'the cuteness factor' of some animal species has been the subject of scientific analysis, 'through which it was determined that cute animals always trump their more modest-looking fellow species when it comes to conservation'. New Zealand has around 1,400 marine fish species, including 300 endemics and 54 freshwater species, many of which are declining or threatened, according to the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust.
