Latest news with #Kath&Kim
Sky News AU
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'Not all bad': Aussie icon Magda Szubanski shares upbeat health update as she continues treatment for stage four blood cancer
Beloved Aussie comedian Magda Szubanski has returned to social media with a health update, just over a month since revealing she's battling stage four Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive blood cancer. The 64-year-old posted a lighthearted video to Instagram on Monday night, giving fans a glimpse into how she's coping with treatment. True to form, Magda managed to find humour in the tough situation, captioning the post: "The upside of The Cancer - it ain't all bad!!" "Thank you @lego and @thrivepr for my new Lego Land Rover classic Defender. This will keep me busy for a bit," she said. Dressed in a cosy grey hoodie, the Kath & Kim star beamed as she showed off her new LEGO set. "Having The Cancer is not all bad because, look… LEGO," she said in the clip, grinning. Magda then quipped that she's "such an 11-year-old boy trapped in a 64-year-old lesbian's body". "I don't know how that happened, it just is what it is," she said. While the comedian and writer admitted that fiddly LEGO builds can be a challenge thanks to "chemo-induced numbness" in her fingertips, she said she's "planned ahead by ordering a kit with pliers and finger protectors". "GOOD TIMES!!!" she joked. The Logie-winning actress even gave a sweet nod to the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was known for her penchant for Land Rovers. "Now all I need is a Lego Queen Elizabeth II to pop in the driver's seat," she said. Magda's update was quickly met with a flood of supportive messages from fans and fellow celebrities alike. "God bless you and your beautiful outlook on life and Lego… sending positive vibes," Married At First Sight alum Dave Hand wrote, while Big Brother winner Reggie Bird added: "Oh looking forward to the end result." MasterChef favourite Julie Goodwin left a simple but heartfelt purple heart emoji. "The one thing chemo hasn't taken away from you is your spirit & your sense of humour Magda. You rock, you've got this x Hang in there, Lego is great!" one fan commented. Another wrote: "Love you Magda. (Love Lego too!) Keep up the good work. We are all here cheering you on from the sidelines." One admirer even suggested LEGO make a Sharon Strzelecki figurine - Magda's iconic Kath & Kim character – to "pop in the driver's seat". Magda first revealed her diagnosis on 29 May, sharing that the aggressive cancer was only discovered by chance during a routine breast screening, which detected swollen lymph nodes. "TBH, I've been feeling pretty rats*** for ages," she said at the time. "So I asked for extra bloods and - voila!" While she admitted the diagnosis is "very rare, very aggressive, and very serious", she said she was already undergoing treatment in her hometown of Melbourne and remained hopeful. "I won't sugar-coat it: it's rough. But I'm hopeful," she told fans. "I'm being lovingly cared for by friends and family, my medical team is brilliant, and I've never felt more held by the people around me." She urged others to be proactive about their health, saying: "Get tested and listen to your body!" Just days later, on June 1, she returned to Instagram to thank fans for their outpouring of support. "It's been so moving, and really, youse are the wind beneath my wings," she wrote, her trademark humour shining through. "Thank you very much, love youse all."
Courier-Mail
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
What is the best Aussie TV show of the 21st century?
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Australian TV landscape has come a long way since exec Bruce Gyngell launched the new medium here in 1956 with the famous words, 'Good evening … and welcome to television.' Since then, we've gone from broadcast to digital to streaming. But at the heart of it all lies the great TV shows and stories that continue to be produced on home soil. To celebrate the launch of the new app, we're celebrating the people, places and events we'll never forget from the first quarter of the 21st century by asking for Australia's view. Our 25@25 series will finally put to bed the debates you've been having at the pub and around dinner tables for years – and some that are just too much fun not to include. Between our comedies and our dramas, Australia has proven to be a force for entertainment – we've even rolled out one of the best children's shows of all time. Our beloved export Bluey is watched by millions across the globe. Here in Australia, the series has clocked up a whopping 96 million streaming hours on ABC iView alone. Is it the best Aussie TV show of the 21st century? Take our poll. What is the best Aussie TV show of the 21st century? Fisk Love My Way Kath & Kim Wentworth Summer Heights High Australian Idol Underbelly Bluey Offspring Mr Inbetween Cast your vote Bluey Homegrown Aussie animation Bluey is arguably one of the best TV shows to come out of Australia. The popular children's program follows a Blue Heeler puppy named Bluey and her family, whose everyday adventures are relatable and heartwarming. Created and produced in Brisbane in 2018, the TV show has captured the imagination of households worldwide, with both parents and children watching in droves. The storylines are a reflection of parenting and all its ups and downs as it encourages both parents and kids to connect and make the most of family life. Bluey has captured the imagination of households worldwide. Picture: ABC The viewership figures speak for themselves too, with millions of people inviting Bluey into their homes. 'In 2024, Australians couldn't get enough of our favourite Blue Heeler with 96 million hours of Bluey content viewed on ABC iview,' Jennifer Collins, ABC's Director of Screen, tells 'We're incredibly proud that Bluey has captured the hearts and minds of audiences across the globe. The series is quintessentially Australian and has the remarkable ability to resonate across generations, making it a standout in children's television content.' Kath & Kim You'll be hard pressed to find any best TV list without the inclusion of Kath & Kim. The comedy premiered in 2002 and became one of the ABC's highest-rated shows. The series is an ode to Aussie suburbia, with its comedy and commentary providing a hilarious insight into Australian culture. Jane Turner (right) as Kath and Gina Riley as Kim. Picture: ABC Starring Jane Turner as middle-aged mum Kath Day-Knight and Gina Riley as her narcissistic daughter Kim Craig, the show follows the duo's life in fictional Fountain Lakes with their 'hunks of spunk' - Kath's fiance Kel (Glenn Robbins) and Kim's on-again, off-again husband Brett (Peter Rowsthorn). The series also starred Peter Rowsthorn, Glenn Robbins and Magda Szubanski. Picture: ABC Relationships and entanglements aside, the mishaps, fashion faux pas, exaggerated accents and catchphrases make this series 'noice, different, unusual'. The series also starred Magda Szubanski as Sharon Strzeleckibest, Kim's 'second best friend'. (INSERT KATH AND KIM VERTICAL) Australian Idol Australian Idol significantly changed Aussie pop culture and the music industry when it launched here in 2003. The singing competition searched the country far and wide for the next big voice, subsequently launching the careers of numerous musicians over the years. Among them is Ricki-Lee Coulter who rose to fame in 2004 on the second season. Although she placed seventh in the competition that year, she has gone on to become one of the most successful artists to be discovered on Idol. Ricki-Lee Coulter rose to fame on Australian Idol in 2004. Picture: Ten Coulter is now the co-host of the Australian Idol reboot. Picture: Nicholas Wilson. Fast forward 21 years and Coulter has released five studio albums and is now a much-loved radio host on Nova's drive show, Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel. 'Twenty-one years ago, Australian Idol changed my life,' she tells to 'After walking through those audition doors, my life was never the same. I've been fortunate enough to have an amazing career releasing music, travelling the world writing and recording songs, and touring – and doing all the things I dreamed of as a kid.' (INSERT STREET INTERVIEW VERTICAL) In a full circle moment, Coulter is now the co-host of the rebooted Australian Idol series alongside Scott Tweedie, which airs on the Seven Network. For her efforts, the singer has been nominated for a TV Week Logie Award for Most Popular Presenter, with Australian Idol also nominated for Best Entertainment Program at the upcoming awards ceremony on August 3. The star, seen here with co-host Scott Tweedie, has been nominated for Most Popular Presenter at the 2025 Logies. Picture: Seven 'So many lives have been changed and careers kickstarted by this show and I'm so grateful that all these years later, I get to be part of that for a whole new generation,' she says. 'We have so much untapped talent in this country, and Australian Idol gives the opportunity for young artists with huge talent and big dreams to have millions of people watch them on TV and hear them sing and get to know them and fall in love with them week after week. 'There is nowhere else artists are getting that kind of opportunity or exposure – and THAT is why I think Australian Idol is the best show on television.' Summer Heights High You are basically a genius when you seamlessly portray all the main characters on a TV show. That's what comedian Chris Lilley did on Summer Heights High. Not only did he create and write the documentary-style sitcom which aired on the ABC and then Netflix, he also played the three leads: controversial performing arts teacher Mr G; posh private-school exchange student Ja'mie King; and disruptive Tongan-Australian student Jonah Takalua. Chris Lilley as performing arts teacher Mr G in Summer Heights High. Picture: ABC The series revolves around the trio's high-school experiences and their different viewpoints, with Lilley nailing the idiosyncrasies of each character in a ridiculous yet believable manner. Lilley also set out to make their fictional world as real as possible by recording the series like a documentary with non-actors playing supporting characters. Yep, the students and staff from the Brighton Secondary College in Melbourne, where it was filmed, performed as extras. There was only one season of Summer Heights High consisting of eight episodes, but its boundary-pushing humour makes it one unforgettable show. Lilley also portrayed Ja'mie King in the series. Picture: ABC The comedian in character as Tongan-Australian student Jonah Takalua. Picture: AP Photo/HBO, John Tsiavis Mr Inbetween Mr Inbetween has been praised as one of the best Aussie crime dramas ever produced. So good, when it began streaming in the US, it was claimed to be 'better than Breaking Bad'. Set in Sydney, the Foxtel series centred around Ray Shoesmith (played by the show's creator and writer Scott Ryan), a hit man for hire with a specific moral code that often leads him down the wrong paths. Scott Ryan created and wrote the series while also playing the lead in Mr Inbetween. Picture: Foxtel He appears like a regular guy trying to navigate being a father, ex-husband, lover and friend, all while juggling his criminal activities. It was this realness that resonated with audiences, who embraced the morbidly-funny crime drama, which aired from 2018 to 2021 for three seasons 'The secret sauce of Mr Inbetween that's essential is that the show is funny. You can't have a dark heart like this without leavening it with humour,' The Hollywood Reporter noted in a previous review. Wentworth Although Wentworth was released in 2013 months before the similar prison drama Orange is the New Black, it was often said to have copied the US series. While both are set inside a women's prison and explore similar themes, the Aussie drama is arguably more grittier and doesn't shy away from gripping storylines. Danielle Cormack stars in the gripping crime drama Wentworth. Picture: Supplied/Foxtel Loosely based on the hit 80s Aussie drama Prisoners, the series focuses on the lives of both inmates and staff at the Wentworth Correctional Centre. The lead character is Bea Smith (played by Danielle Cormack), a woman jailed after being charged with the attempted murder of her husband. The series also starred Leah Purcell (right) and Susie Porter. Picture: Foxtel Over eight seasons from 2013 to 2021, viewers watched Bea navigate life behind bars, before eventually finding herself at the top of the prison hierarchy. Wentworth was a highly successful drama for Foxtel when it premiered in 2013, going on to become the most watched non-sports program in subscription television history at the time. Underbelly America may have had The Sopranos, but we had Underbelly. The crime anthology series premiered in 2008 and ran until 2013, with each season telling the dramatised real-life stories of Australia's biggest criminals. The very first season received critical acclaim, thanks to the show's realistic depiction of the Melbourne gangland wars between the Moran family and the Carlton Crew – the leading criminal figures were played by Gyton Grantley as Carl Williams and Vince Colosimo as Alphonse Gangitano. Actor Gyton Grantley as crime boss Carl Williams in Underbelly. Picture: Nine There are six series in total and one mini-series released in 2022 titled Vanishing Act, which followed the story of conwoman Melissa Caddick (played by Kate Atkinson) who vanished from her luxury Sydney mansion in 2020 after swindling over $40 million from her trusted investors. In its very first season, the Underbelly episodes drew in an average 1.3 million viewers for the Nine Network. Offspring You know a TV show has impacted your life when you're still not over that death. Offspring was much loved by Aussies that its leading star Asher Keddie won the Logie for Most Popular Actress five years in a row, from 2011 to 2015. In the quirky seven-season drama, Keddie played neurotic obstetrician Nina Proudman, a loveable and flawed 30-something who navigates through the chaos of her romantic relationships and personal struggles. Matt Le Nevez and Asher Keddie played onscreen love interests in Offspring. Picture: Ten And just when she finally feels like her life is in order, her partner Dr Patrick Reid (Matthew Le Nevez) is killed in gut-wrenching scenes, leaving a pregnant Nina to face life as a single parent. An overthinker, Nina's mind often played flashbacks, animations and fantasy sequences – and it's this style of storytelling that really hooked viewers. 'My mind needs a lot of stimulation and maybe that has something to do with it. I like originality, I like things to feel unique,' Keddie previously told of playing a chameleon of characters including Nina. The cast (from left to right) Kat Stewart, TJ Power, Keddie, Alexander England, Jane Harber and Richard Davies. Picture: Ten 'I like all the many different facets of different characters, and I like exploring things I don't particularly understand. So therein lies a challenge, I suppose. I guess it's about challenge for me, but also understanding enough to be able to connect to an audience by delivering a performance that people can kind of understand.' Love My Way Top-notch acting coupled with arresting storylines makes Love My Way one of the best TV shows. The series ran from 2004 to 2007 and followed the realistic portrayal of relationships and family dynamics between single mum Frankie (played by Claudia Karvan) and her loved ones: her eight-year-old daughter Lou, ex husband Charlie (Dan Wylie), his new wife Julia (Asher Keddie), and Charlie's brother Tom (Brendan Cowell). The show has been described as a slow burn, gradually pulling you inside the complex web of its characters. But by episode 8, you're hooked after a tragedy unfolds. The episode is titled A Different Planet, in which Frankie's young daughter Lou falls from her scooter and suffers a fatal heart attack. Claudia Karvan and Ben Mendelsohn in Love My Way. Picture: Foxtel The plot twist is unexpected and the death deeply impacts the characters and their relationships. Unlike in Offspring, Frankie confronts her grief head-on – there is no melancholy music, no flashbacks, nothing but intense grief and heartache. The cast (from left to right) Brendan Cowell, Mendelsohn, Karvan, Asher Keddie and Dan Wylie. Picture: Foxtel While Love My Way has stayed with many viewers even after the series ended in 2007, Karvan says once she finishes portraying characters they 'vaporise into a puff of smoke'. 'I suppose it might sound a bit disappointing, but for me, Frankie is words on a page,' she told Stellar last year of playing her famous characters. 'They exist for other people, but they don't exist for me. I mean, they are very much facets of my personality. There's a part of me in every one of those characters. But they don't live beyond the camera when the cameras stop rolling. They don't exist.' Fisk Comedian Kitty Flanagan's much-loved series Fisk shattered records at the ABC when Season 3 premiered last October, attracting a total audience of more than 3 million. The debut was the highest-rated, non-kids episode on the national broadcaster since the introduction of the total audience measurement back in 2016. Kitty Flanagan plays solicitor Helen Tudor-Fisk in TV series Fisk. Picture: ABC Giving The Office vibes but with Aussie accents, Fisk follows no-nonsense corporate lawyer Helen Tudor-Fisk (Flanagan), who is forced to take a job at a suburban law firm after her life in Sydney implodes. Newly divorced, she finds herself downgrading to less glamorous cases while navigating her own divorce, family feuds and money matters. The first two seasons are now available on Netflix, where it has entered the top 10 in countries such as the US, Kenya, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Argentina, Canada, Uruguay and the UK. The series also stars Julia Zemiro and Marty Sheargold. Not just a TV buff? Take part in the other 25@25 polls. Originally published as Poll: What is the best Aussie TV show of the 21st century?
West Australian
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Magda Szubanski cancer: Beloved Kath & Kim star thanks fans for support after heartbreaking diagnosis
Beloved Australian comedian Magda Szubanski has sent a 'massive' thank you to fans after receiving an overwhelming amount of messages of love and support after last week revealing her cancer diagnosis. 'Hello, my darlings, I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all the love and support — it's just been so moving and really youse are the wind beneath my wings,' she told her 296,000 followers on Instagram. 'Thank you very much, love youse all. Sorry I can't reply. It's pretty overwhelming, but I just feel so loved up.' The beloved Australian comedian shared on social media on Thursday that she has been diagnosed with a fast-moving blood cancer. 'Lovelies. Well. Some not great news. I've been diagnosed with stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma,' she wrote on Instagram. 'I won't sugar-coat it: it's rough. But I'm hopeful. I'm being lovingly cared for by friends and family, my medical team is brilliant, and I've never felt more held by the people around me.' The Kath & Kim star confirmed that she has started one of the best treatments available and will be receiving world-class care in Melbourne. 'I'll be lying very low while my immune system takes a hammering, so if you see me out and about—don't hug me, kiss me, or breathe anywhere near me! Wave enthusiastically from a safe distance and know I love you madly,' she continued. 'This is an obscure cancer and was only discovered incidentally via a breast screen where they found my lymph nodes were up. TBH, I've been feeling pretty ratshit for ages. So I asked for extra bloods and - voila! 'For now, just know I'm in good hands, good spirits—but I reserve my yuman right to be a cranky old moll. Love you all, Mags'. The comedy legend appeared on Fast Forward before her breakout role as the netball-loving Sharon Strezlecki in the iconic TV series Kath & Kim. Szubanski appeared in Babe as Esme Hoggett in 1995, before reprising her role in the sequel Babe: Pig in the City in 1998. She also dabbled in animation, voicing Miss Viola in the popular cartoons Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two. Members of the Australian entertainment industry were quick to share their support and well wishes for an icon many have looked up to. 'Lots of love and support to you beautiful one,' fellow comedian Rove McManus commented on Szubanski's Instagram post. Model and actress Megan Gale wrote, 'Sending an abundance of love, hugs and strength your way Magda.'
Perth Now
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
‘So moving': Magda's message to fans after cancer diagnosis
Beloved Australian comedian Magda Szubanski has sent a 'massive' thank you to fans after receiving an overwhelming amount of messages of love and support after last week revealing her cancer diagnosis. 'Hello, my darlings, I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all the love and support — it's just been so moving and really youse are the wind beneath my wings,' she told her 296,000 followers on Instagram. 'Thank you very much, love youse all. Sorry I can't reply. It's pretty overwhelming, but I just feel so loved up.' The beloved Australian comedian shared on social media on Thursday that she has been diagnosed with a fast-moving blood cancer. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. 'Lovelies. Well. Some not great news. I've been diagnosed with stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma,' she wrote on Instagram. 'I won't sugar-coat it: it's rough. But I'm hopeful. I'm being lovingly cared for by friends and family, my medical team is brilliant, and I've never felt more held by the people around me.' The Kath & Kim star confirmed that she has started one of the best treatments available and will be receiving world-class care in Melbourne. 'I'll be lying very low while my immune system takes a hammering, so if you see me out and about—don't hug me, kiss me, or breathe anywhere near me! Wave enthusiastically from a safe distance and know I love you madly,' she continued. 'This is an obscure cancer and was only discovered incidentally via a breast screen where they found my lymph nodes were up. TBH, I've been feeling pretty ratshit for ages. So I asked for extra bloods and - voila! 'For now, just know I'm in good hands, good spirits—but I reserve my yuman right to be a cranky old moll. Love you all, Mags'. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. The comedy legend appeared on Fast Forward before her breakout role as the netball-loving Sharon Strezlecki in the iconic TV series Kath & Kim. Szubanski appeared in Babe as Esme Hoggett in 1995, before reprising her role in the sequel Babe: Pig in the City in 1998. She also dabbled in animation, voicing Miss Viola in the popular cartoons Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two. Members of the Australian entertainment industry were quick to share their support and well wishes for an icon many have looked up to. 'Lots of love and support to you beautiful one,' fellow comedian Rove McManus commented on Szubanski's Instagram post. Model and actress Megan Gale wrote, 'Sending an abundance of love, hugs and strength your way Magda.'
West Australian
30-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Magda Szubanski: COVID conspiracy theorists target TV star with ‘abhorrent' comments after cancer diagnosis
Cancer-stricken Magda Szubanski has been targeted with 'abhorrent' comments on social media after going public with her potentially life threatening diagnosis. On Thursday, the Australian TV comedy legend revealed she had been diagnosed with stage four mantle cell lymphoma, an aggressive form of blood cancer. It didn't take long for the conspiracy theorists to come out of the woodwork. Amid the avalanche of well wishes from celebrity friends and ordinary Australians, within hours they were trying to link her diagnosis to the COVID vaccine. Szubanski has been a long been a target of anti-vaxxers after she was vocal about her support for the vaccine and the strict measures put in place during the COVID pandemic. One rabidly anti-vax account on X suggested on Thursday she had been diagnosed with 'turbo cancer', linking it to the vaccine, with a follower suggesting she should 'apologise for pushing the vax on others'. Another wrote, 'She was asking for fifth booster in 2022 wonder where she's at now?' But Szubanski's supporters have come out firing, denouncing the ugly posts. 'Anti-Vaxxers don't want to be treated with contempt by society, then behave abhorrently online. 'Magda Szubanski reveals blood cancer, then you post your cooker rubbish all over news article. Think of her and her family and friends. You not cookers, you are just scum.' Another wrote: 'Cookers attacking Magda for getting cancer. Just the absolute dross of humanity.' During the height of the pandemic, Szubanski was a vocal advocate for the COVID lockdown and the vaccine. In 2020, Szubanski was the victim of a hate campaign after appearing in a Victorian Government TV ad as her Kath & Kim character, netball loving Sharon Strzelecki, urging people to abide by the strict rules introduced to keep people safe from the potentially deadly virus. 'I tell you what I am so over this lockdown,' she said. 'Playing netball against yourself is not all it's cracked up to be, especially when you still can't even win. 'But you know what, it's not the lockdown that's the enemy, it's the virus and the sooner we obey the rules the sooner this will all be over and we can get back to the stuff that really matters ... netty.' Szubanski hit out at haters on Twitter following the release of the video. 'Bring it Covid Deniers – let's see what you got. Let's bring you right out into the sunshine. Let's see your real names. And your real facts,' she wrote.
