
Mark Wahlberg tells Scots brothers their Pacific rowing bid ‘could be a movie'
The Perfect Storm star spoke to Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean 54 days into their bid to row 9,000 miles non-stop and unsupported from Lima, Peru to Sydney, Australia.
As well as aiming to set a record for the fastest row across the world's largest ocean, the brothers are hoping to raise £1m for clean water projects in Madagascar.
Wahlberg told the brothers that he was 'so inspired' by their undertaking, which has seen them battle salt sores, relentless weather and broken equipment during more than seven weeks at sea.
'You're badasses doing something no one else would think of', he told them.
'This could be a movie. The best films I've done are based on true stories – ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
'No way I'd row an ocean, but I'd play one of you guys in a movie.' PA Media The Maclean brothers described speaking to Mark Wahlberg from the middle of the Pacific Ocean as 'surreal' (The Maclean Brothers/PA).
He added: 'What you guys are doing is next level. You're living out a sense of purpose – combining passion with impact.
'That's rare, and it's humbling to watch. People need to hear about what you're doing.'
Ewan Maclean told the actor that speaking to him from the middle of the Pacific was 'probably the most surreal situation I've ever been in'.
Lachlan added: 'We're operating on such little sleep that we thought it could all have been a hallucination.'
Wahlberg responded that he 'couldn't be more inspired by the grit, the determination, the resiliency' that the brothers were showing.
He continued: 'What you guys are doing for such an amazing cause, and how hard you're willing to sacrifice yourself and your own wellbeing for the good of others, is so inspiring.
'For you guys to do this under your own free will – it's pretty crazy. Some would say we might need to give you a couple of psychological examinations.'
Wahlberg, who owns restaurants in Sydney and the Gold Coast, also told the brothers he would 'have a meal waiting for you' at the finish line.
Asked about conditions so far, Ewan replied that 'it's been much harder than expected', but that earlier that day they had seen 'dolphins surfing near the boat, and that lifted our spirits'.
Wahlberg quipped: 'You guys are probably getting a lot more sunshine than you're used to at home.'
He added: 'I've been fortunate enough to visit a couple of times and it's a beautiful, beautiful country. So you guys are making your homeland proud.'
The brothers expect to spend more than 100 days on board their 28-foot carbon fibre boat, named Rose Emily in honour of their late sister.
Supporters can follow their journey and donate on their website.
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STV News
3 minutes ago
- STV News
Ozzy Osbourne: From factory worker to music's Prince of Darkness
A behemoth among the monsters of rock music, Ozzy Osbourne will be best remembered for his showmanship and unique sound. As frontman of Black Sabbath, he was at the forefront of the heavy metal scene – a deeper, darker offshoot of hard rock. His theatrical stage presence – including once biting off the head of a bat – and styling himself as the Prince of Darkness marked him out as a controversial figure. Band break-ups fuelled by disputes with fellow members and drug abuse and a well-documented battle with alcoholism cemented that reputation. PA Media He was also among the vanguard of now-ubiquitous modern reality TV stars, appearing with his family in the hit MTV show The Osbournes. Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, he left school at 15 and did odd jobs including factory work before teaming up with school friend Geezer Butler in several bands. The pair then linked up with the other founder members of Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, to form what was then called Earth Blues Company – later shortened to Earth – in 1968. Initially a Mod who loved soul music, according to his biography on the band's official website, Osbourne crafted his darker image after writing lyrics for a song entitled Black Sabbath after the 1963 Boris Karloff film of the same name. The name stuck – after they were forced to change it from Earth – and the band went on to sell millions of records over the next decade on the back of sound-defining tracks including Paranoid and War Pigs. A product of their working-class roots and the post-Vietnam War era, the band tackled themes of war, social chaos and the supernatural. But drug use began to take its toll on Osbourne and his relationship with his fellow band members, and he was eventually fired in 1979. PA Media He launched a solo career, enjoying success during the 1980s, before reforming with Sabbath several times – including in 2016 for a final world tour. As a group, Black Sabbath are widely credited with defining and popularising the sound of heavy metal. As a solo artist, Osbourne released 11 albums, with his debut Blizzard Of Ozz issued in 1980, which featured two of his most revered songs, Crazy Train and Mr Crowley. The Birmingham-born singer sold more than 100 million records worldwide with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist. In 2014, he was presented with a global icon award at the MTV Europe Music Awards. 'It's taken us 57 years to get to the Villa, we made it. Back to the Beginning.' – Ozzy Osbourne — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 4, 2025 Osbourne married his first wife Thelma Riley in 1971 and became a stepfather to her son. The couple also had two children but split in 1982 after, he admitted, his rock 'n roll lifestyle meant he put her 'through hell'. He married Sharon, the daughter of his former Black Sabbath manager Don Arden, in July of that year. The pair had met in the 1970s via her father and she took over managing Osbourne after he was booted from the heavy metal group. Ozzy and Sharon had three children together: Jack, Kelly and Aimee. The couple became an unlikely hit after starring between 2002 and 2005 in The Osbournes, which also launched the careers of Jack and Kelly, but the pair temporarily split in 2016. Former X Factor judge Sharon later revealed they had tried marriage counselling to get their relationship back on track – but gave up because it made him angry. In 2017, during an interview with music magazine Rolling Stone, he joked that the secret to his marriage was 'don't get caught with your mistress'. He is quoted as telling Rolling Stone: 'When I was a crazy f, I'm lucky she didn't walk out. Now I'm coming on five years clean and sober, and I've realised what a f* idiot I was. I mean, I'm still nuts, but in control of it a bit more.' Osbourne added: 'When I said, 'Don't get caught by your missus,' I'm not proud of all that s. I upset my wife and I upset my family and I made a lot of shock and shame. I love my wife, and it made me realise what a f*** idiot I've been.' He also told the magazine he had taken up painting to relax and that he was 'obsessed with Game Of Thrones', the TV series based on George RR Martin's books. PA Media In 2016, he revealed he was undergoing 'intense therapy' for a 'sex addiction' that nearly resulted in the disintegration of his marriage but he later told The Times he was not a sex addict, saying: 'I'm in a f rock band, aren't I?' In 2017, he and Sharon renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas. Osbourne has also been a firm supporter of the health service, having been treated by NHS staff in 2003 after a near-fatal accident at his Buckinghamshire home left him with a fractured neck vertebra, fractured ribs and a broken collarbone. The singer often hit the headlines for his off-the-wall comments, like his quip about Brexit to the Big Issue magazine in 2018. 'People keep going on at me about that – is it a big deal over there?' he asked in an interview with the publication. He added: 'I don't read the newspapers and I don't really talk politics because I don't really know. I don't really understand Brexit.' In his later years Osbourne attempted to press on with his rock career, but was hampered several times by illness and injury. In early February 2019, Sharon revealed he had been admitted to hospital after suffering from flu. She said her husband had experienced 'complications' from the illness and doctors advised him to go to hospital. Sharon tweeted: 'As some of you may have heard, Ozzy was admitted to hospital following some complications from the flu. 'His doctors feel this is the best way to get him on a quicker road to recovery. Thanks to everyone for their concern and love.' The illness led to him cancelling a string of tour dates while he recovered, including postponing the UK and European legs of his No More Tours 2. PA Media A tweet from his official account said planned performances in Australia, New Zealand and Japan had also been axed. In October 2018, he insisted he was not retiring, telling Rolling Stone: 'In essence, what I'm trying to do is slow my lifestyle down to a more comfortable way of living.' But within months he was forced to postpone another string of tour dates – including a show at the famous Hollywood Bowl – after suffering a fall at his Los Angeles home in April 2019. In November 2019, he returned to the stage for a one-song performance at the American Music Awards alongside rappers Post Malone and Travis Scott. The trio performed the song Take What You Want, from Malone's album Hollywood's Bleeding, although Osbourne spent most of the performance sat immobile in a gothic-style throne towards the back of the stage. Another blow came in January 2020 when the singer revealed on US television that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which was discovered by doctors after a fall. Sharon, who was at his side during the Good Morning America interview, said the diagnosis was 'not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination'. She added: 'But it does affect certain nerves in your body. And it's like you have a good day, a good day, and then a really bad day.' The musician was revealed to have a rare form of the disease called Parkin 2, which he had since birth. 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STV News
33 minutes ago
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Paintings celebrate 800 years of Britain's ‘first environmental laws'
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Oleksandr Usyk is one of boxing's greats – but he'll never be able to enjoy success due to horrors of Ukraine war
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