Latest news with #60Seconds
Metro
20-07-2025
- Metro
‘A shark ate my arm and leg - I wouldn't change a thing'
February 11, 2009, began as an average day for Paul de Gelder. He was conducting a military operation in Sydney Harbour as part of the navy, but while in the water he felt a whack on the back of his leg – it was the jaws of a bull shark. 'I thought the guys on the boat got too close to me but I looked down and there's a massive shark's head attached to my leg.' Paul tells Metro. 'I'm thinking, 'I've seen Shark Week, I'll jab it in the eye but I can't move my arm. I look down and my hand is trapped in the shark's mouth as well as my leg. I grab it by the nose, try to push it off me but it decides that I'm breakfast, thrashes me around, takes me underwater and the pain is so all encompassing it takes the fight out of me. I was drowning in agony, being eaten alive and I realised there was nothing I could do, so I gave up.' As Paul conceded defeat, the shark's teeth ripped off his hamstring and hand. His wetsuit made him buoyant and to his shock, he floated back to the surface and realised, by some miracle, he was still alive. 'My medical training kicked in. I kept the wound above my head and swam back with one hand and one functioning leg through a massive pool of my own blood.' Hours later Paul woke up in hospital, relieved to see his leg was still attached. 'But I only had the leg for a week. I had my leg removed and the medication couldn't manage my pain so I went through 20 hours of agonising torture, wishing I would die.' The attack was captured on film – and if you're so inclined, is available to watch on YouTube. The entire attack lasts for eight seconds – eight seconds that would completely change the course of Paul's life. It's a living nightmare few of us could ever imagine, but 16 years later, Paul's life is quite astonishing. Unbelievably, he's now one of the world's leading shark conservationists, devoting his whole life to protecting the animal that almost killed him. Paul's determination to give sharks a rebrand combined with his personal relationship with the apex predator has taken him all over the world. But the turning point came when Australia's 60 Seconds, the biggest televised interview Down Under, called with a question: 'Would you be willing to face bull sharks again?' Paul agreed to confront his fears, flying to Fiji to swim with bull sharks. 'They wanted tears but I gave them excitement and ended up feeding the bulls.' Now, he's just finished filming a new show for Shark Week, How To Survive A Shark Attack, where he flippantly tells me: 'I had to be attacked by sharks several times' and he's worked with A-list stars like Will Smith and Mike Tyson. He also helped British celebrities including Sir Lenny Henry and Countdown's Rachel Riley build up the courage to swim with one of the world's largest and deadliest species of sharks, the Tiger shark as part of ITV's Sharks! Celebrity Infested Waters, an alarming new reality TV series marking the 50th anniversary of Jaws. Stephen Spielberg's 1975 horror is without a doubt the reason I'll suddenly panic swimming lengths in a swimming pool – the sea is completely out of bounds. My irrational fear of being eaten alive by a shark in the sea, a lake or even the bath is shared by millions, even if there are rarely more than 10 fatal shark attacks around the world every year. Call The Midwife's Helen George is in the same boat as me, and until filming the series had been too afraid to even put her head under water for 20 years, let alone free dive with one of the ocean's largest man-eating predators. On paper, it sounds like I'm A Celebrity on steroids, but it's a surprisingly moving watch. Columnist Adam Miller shares his thoughts on the fascinating new series: On paper, Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters sounds like a Bushtucker trial ramped up to 100. An impressive cast, boasting Sir Lenny Henry, Countdown's Rachel Riley and McFly's Dougie Poynter, is helped by leading shark experts to come face to face with some of the most feared predators in the world in their natural environment. Even as somewhat of a shark obsessive (rarely a day goes by when I don't lose myself down a rabbit hole of shark videos on Instagram) I wasn't sure how or if Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters would work. Obviously, there's no real jeopardy – not that I'd want that – but without it what is the pull? Reality television is at its best with camaraderie at its core, and I can't recall another show that shows teamwork quite like this. It's refreshing and actually quite a bold move not to have any contest running through Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters but it's a gamble that pays off. I had no idea what there would be to love about watching celebrities learning to dive but there are few reality shows which show so much growth and so quickly. To read more, click here. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'The show is really touching' says Paul. 'It has all the emotions – fear, anxiety, happiness. Every spectrum of human emotion is there but it has an underlying message too. It's about the plight of sharks. 'People are out there killing sharks for fun every day and by doing so it's bringing us closer to extinction. If the sharks die, the ocean dies and we die. We're trying to get celebrities and the viewers to fall in love with sharks – which, granted, is hard because they keep biting people.' Chucking British national treasures into shark infested waters is another unexpected adventure for Paul, one more turn he didn't expect his life to take when his limbs were torn from his body. Few will ever know how they'd respond to the trauma of a shark attack, particularly one quite so cataclysmic. More Trending I've rarely met someone with so much self-assurance, so much peace. Paul says coming close to death gave him freedom in life. 'It really just opened my mindset to becoming even more unlimited in what I want to in this world and with my life,' he says. I wonder if he imagines what his life would look like without the attack? 'I do to a very small degree. I wouldn't change it – there's no reason for me to change it. I don't know who that guy is because my life went this way and I love my life. I live in America. Arnold Schwarzenegger says hello to me at the gym in the morning. I've got great friends, I get paid to travel the world, have adventures and inspire people. What's not to love about that?' Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters is available to stream on ITVX. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Two I'm A Celebrity legends 'set to return' for epic All Stars series MORE: 'One of the most important British dramas ever made' joins major streamer MORE: Jeremy Clarkson is launching 'ruthless' Who Wants To Be A Millionaire ITV spin-off series
Perth Now
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Astronaut Chris Hadfield reveals why Space Oddity cover put 'big smile' on David Bowie's face
Chris Hadfield is glad his version of 'Space Oddity' "put a big smile" on David Bowie's face. The 65-year-old astronaut and spaceship commander performed his own "optimistic" rendition of Bowie's iconic 1969 hit 'Space Oddity' from the International Space Station in 2013, and he has opened up about the process of putting a different spin on the track. He told the Metro newspaper's 60 Seconds column: "He wrote that song before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went to the Moon. "There had been the Apollo 1 accident, where the astronauts burned to death and there was a huge amount of uncertainty and much higher risk than we might be willing to take today. "So the original was more pessimistic. My song Evan updated the words to have an optimistic take at the end, instead of dying alone in space. "We got permission and Bowie loved the final version. The great delight for me was it put a big smile on his face in the final years of his life." Chris' version was the first music video to be performed in space, and featured him floating around the space station as he sang and played guitar. In the original song, the character of Major Tom lost communication with Ground Control and ended up lost in space. However, in Chris' story Tom gets orders to land and manages to do so safely. Bowie - who died aged 69 in January 2016 - referred to the cover on his Facebook page as "possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created". Meanwhile, Chris has now admitted he's received offers to turn his own experiences in space into a feature film, although it's not something he's immediately jumped on board with. He said: "I was approached recently by someone who wants to do a biographical movie. It's flattering and maybe interesting but..." If the project did come to fruition, Chris has a simple guideline for who would be best to portray him on the big screen. He quipped: "Someone with a moustache, I guess! When I was living in London, as I turned 18 that year, that was the last time that I shaved my upper lip."
The Spinoff
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Spinoff
The Spinoff is hiring for three new roles
We have three exciting new roles! The Spinoff is advertising for three new roles – one permanent and two fixed term opportunities. This is an opportunity for three creative people in vastly different areas to join our small team. Video journalist The Spinoff has been funded by NZ On Air for a new current affairs project called 60 Seconds. 60 Seconds is a dynamic and essential short-form online video series where an urgent issue affecting Aotearoa is unpacked for rangatahi in just one minute. We're looking for a video journalist to join The Spinoff team for the 42-week duration of the project. You'll be responsible for scripting approximately three episodes of 60 Seconds each week and presenting at least one of those three episodes as a recurring presenter. Working closely with the editorial and audience teams as well as the video editor and series producer of the project, you'll be responsible for delivering each episode on time to maximise reach to our audience. Understanding current affairs and digital media is crucial to this role. Excellence in writing, meeting deadlines and presenting on camera are a must. Building strong working relationships and effective communication are also essential. You will report directly to the head of audience and will work closely with the video editor and series producer of 60 Seconds. Next steps This job is a full time fixed-term contract, for 42 weeks. Ideal start date is Monday June 9, 2025 but there is a degree of flexibility here. Applicants must be based in Tāmaki Makaurau and have the right to live and work in Aotearoa to apply for this role. We would also consider fewer than 40 hours a week for the right candidate. For more information or to apply for this role, please visit SEEK. All applications require a CV and a cover letter to be addressed to The Spinoff general manager, Sophie Dowson. Please note that the second part of the application process will involve a self-tape screen test. Applications are due by May 23 but may close earlier if a suitable applicant is found. Audience insights specialist The audience insights specialist will be a key contributor to our audience-led strategy and the growth and sustainability of The Spinoff's award-winning, locally owned and independent journalism. You will work closely with the head of audience and the audience team at an exciting juncture for the company to increase our paying membership base, deepen audience engagement and inform critical and strategic decisions with insights as we implement our roadmap for the future. This role combines data analysis and audience insights experience, a love of experimentation, efficiency and results, communication and data presentation skills. You'll build our understanding of what drives audiences to strengthen their relationship with us across all our channels. You'll be involved in all audience activity, including onsite, always-on activity, campaigning, display advertising, SEM, life cycle and communications email programmes, newsletters, video, podcasts and social media. You'll translate audience data into insights to assist all teams at The Spinoff and investigate ways to provide accessible and useful reporting on strategically important audience insight, metrics and KPIs. You will work with the audience team to test and refine approaches to deepening audience relationships and providing them with experiences and interactions they value. In this newly created position, you can contribute to the future of The Spinoff, how we understand and respond to our audience's needs, create more meaningful relationships with them and build sustainable and effective paths to revenue growth. Next steps This job is a full time fixed-term contract, for 48 weeks. Ideal start date is Monday June 9, 2025 but there is a degree of flexibility here. Applicants must be based in Tāmaki Makaurau and have the right to live and work in Aotearoa to apply for this role. For more information or to apply for this role, please visit SEEK. All applications require a CV and a cover letter to be addressed to The Spinoff head of audience, Anna Rawhiti-Connell. Applications are due by May 23 but may close earlier if a suitable applicant is found. HR and Finance Support The Spinoff is looking for a highly organised and proactive HR and Finance Support person. This role is critical in ensuring smooth day-to-day operations, including HR and administrative functions, and supporting our finance manager. You'll be responsible for managing HR processes and office operations to maintain a welcoming and well-organised environment where people can thrive. You will also be supporting our finance manager. The ideal candidate will have experience in HR and office administration with some knowledge of financial management. On-the-job training from our finance manager will be available. Next steps This is a permanent position. We would also consider fewer than 40 hours a week for the right candidate. Ideal start date is Monday August 4, 2025 but there is a degree of flexibility here. Applicants must be based in Tāmaki Makaurau and have the right to live and work in Aotearoa to apply for this role.
