Latest news with #KathandKim
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Magda Szubanski's shock career move following rare blood cancer diagnosis: 'Close to my heart'
Famed Australian actress Magda Szubansk is set to reboot the fictional character that made her a household name. The 64-year-old, who revealed last month that she has been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer, will appear as her beloved Kath & Kim sitcom character Sharon Strzelecki in a new nationwide mental health initiative. Magda, who originated the part in the TV classic Kath and Kim, will revive Sharon for a 60 second ad for Medibank's 'Family Roast' campaign. Based around around a card game intended to help Australians have more 'meaningful' conversations around mental health, the Family Roast will also introduce two new characters - Sharon's children Tim and Pam. 'Supporting the mental well-being of Australians has always been close to my heart - whether through making people laugh, or through raising awareness and funds for trauma,' Magda, who has been working on the campaign for three months, announced on Tuesday. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'This is a fantastic initiative, and we hope it gives everyday Aussies some practical tools to better understand mental health and connect more meaningfully with one another.' Medibank's announcement revealed that the ad campaign, which drops on June 8, will feature Magda as Sharon and her 'children' playing the Family Roast card game and 'getting to know each other on a deeper level.' Magda starred as the unlucky in love Sharon in the ABC hit comedy Kath & Kim from 2002 to 2005 and again in 2007 and 2022, as well as two films, Da Kath & Kim Code in 2005 and Kath & Kimderella in 2012. The sitcom, which also starred Jane Turner, Gina Riley, Glenn Robbins and Peter Rowsthorn, went on to become one of Australia's most beloved comedies. It comes after Magda revealed last month that she has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The Australian comedian announced she is battling Mantle Cell Lymphoma - a rare and fast-moving blood cancer. Sharing the news on line Magda appeared on camera with a shaved head after beginning her treatment to fight the disease. 'Hello my lovelies. So, the head is shaved in anticipation of it all falling out in a couple of weeks because I have just been diagnosed with a very rare, very aggressive, very serious lymphoma,' she began. 'It is one of the nasty ones, unfortunately. But the good thing is I'm surrounded by beautiful friends and family and an incredible medical support team. 'Honestly, we have the best in the world here in Australia, particularly in Melbourne, so I feel very fortunate. 'It's pretty confronting. It is a full on. But new treatments keep coming down the pipeline all the time.' Magda said she has started a treatment called the Nordic protocol, which treats Mantle Cell Lymphoma by shrinking the tumours with a combination of drugs administered in five phases. It's known as the Nordic regimen based upon its clinical trial sites in Denmark and Norway. The actress explained she will be 'lying very low' due to her weak immune system. '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,' she said. 'Please keep a distance though because I will be very immunocompromised. So I can't hug no more. 'Don't hug me, kiss me, or breathe anywhere near me! Wave enthusiastically from a safe distance and know I love you madly.' The Kath & Kim star said the cancer was discovered during a routine breast screening. 'This is an obscure cancer and was only discovered incidentally via a breast screen where they found my lymph nodes were up,' she explained. 'TBH, I've been feeling pretty rats**t for ages. So I asked for extra bloods and - voila! So the take away is - get tested and listen to your body!
Sydney Morning Herald
30-05-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
What is the Nordic Protocol, Magda Szubanski's cancer treatment?
On Thursday, beloved Australian actress Magda Szubanski announced that she has stage four cancer. The 64-year-old, known for her performances in Kath and Kim and sketch show Fast Forward, also revealed she was starting 'one of the best treatments available' – the Nordic protocol. Here's what we know about it. What is the Nordic Protocol? The Nordic Protocol is a type of chemoimmunotherapy treatment. It combines chemotherapy (which slows the growth of cancer cells) with immunotherapy (which aims to restore the immune system). According to the NSW Cancer Institute, the treatment is suitable for patients under 65 with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma. Also known as the Nordic Regimen, its name comes from a major trial that happened at the Danish-based Nordic Lymphoma Group. What is mantle cell lymphoma? Mantle cell lymphoma is a rare type of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is a cancer of the lymphatic system – part of the immune system which produces immune cells and protects the body from viruses and bacteria. According to the Leukaemia Foundation, the cancer is relatively uncommon, accounting for between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
The Age
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
What is the Nordic Protocol, Magda Szubanski's cancer treatment?
On Thursday, beloved Australian actress Magda Szubanski announced that she has stage four cancer. The 64-year-old, known for her performances in Kath and Kim and sketch show Fast Forward, also revealed she was starting 'one of the best treatments available' – the Nordic protocol. Here's what we know about it. What is the Nordic Protocol? The Nordic Protocol is a type of chemoimmunotherapy treatment. It combines chemotherapy (which slows the growth of cancer cells) with immunotherapy (which aims to restore the immune system). According to the NSW Cancer Institute, the treatment is suitable for patients under 65 with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma. Also known as the Nordic Regimen, its name comes from a major trial that happened at the Danish-based Nordic Lymphoma Group. What is mantle cell lymphoma? Mantle cell lymphoma is a rare type of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is a cancer of the lymphatic system – part of the immune system which produces immune cells and protects the body from viruses and bacteria. According to the Leukaemia Foundation, the cancer is relatively uncommon, accounting for between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
7NEWS
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Kelly Osbourne, Sam Neill, Kylie Minogue among host of celebrities to rally behind comedian Magda Szubanski after cancer diagnosis
Reality TV star Kelly Osbourne is among a slew of celebrities who have rallied around much-loved comedian Magda Szubanski after she revealed her diagnosis with an 'obscure' cancer. The Kath and Kim star announced she had stage-four mantle cell lymphoma, describing it as a 'rare and fast-moving blood cancer'. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today The 64-year-old went public with the diagnosis in an Instagram post on Thursday in which her head was shaved, saying it was in preparation for her treatment in which it would fall out. The comment section of the post was flooded with love and support, notably from a host of celebrities both Australian and international. Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy Osbourne, shared her adoration for Szubanski, saying her character Sharon from Kath and Kim 'got me through some of my darkest days'. 'I know you don't know me but I wanted to share with you that every time I don't feel well whether it be mental or physical illness I put on Kath and Kim,' she wrote. 'I want to take the time to reach out and tell you how much I f****n love you. You have helped me so much if there is ever anything I can do to help/support you on this journey please don't hesitate to reach out.' British actor Richard E. Grant said: 'WE ALL LOVE YOU SOOOOOO MUCH Mags.' Notable Australian celebrities also came out in spades to support the beloved comedian including Sam Neill, Terri Irwin, Rebecca Gibney and both Dannii and Kylie Minogue. 'Sending all love,' Kylie wrote. TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson said all of Australia was behind the comedian in her fight. 'Sending love, strength and every ounce of joy you have given all of us over the decades, to help see you through these difficult times darling Magda,' she wrote. Szubanski smiled and laughed throughout her video, at one point cackling as she exclaimed 'what are you gonna do?' 'I won't sugar coat it, it's rough,' she wrote of her diagnosis. '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.' According to the Leukemia Foundation, mantle cell lymphoma affects the outer-edge — or mantle zone — of B-cells in the lymph node follicle. It accounts for about five to 10 per cent of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas, with the average age at diagnosis between 60 and 65 years. Szubanski said she would be lying low while her immune system 'takes a hammering'. 'I've been feeling pretty ratsh*t for ages. So I asked for extra bloods and — voila,' she wrote. 'So the takeaway is, get tested and listen to your body.' Szubanski is best known for winning the hearts of Australians as the sporty, unlucky-in-love Sharon Strzelecki in sitcom Kath and Kim. That sparked character roles in the smash-hit movies Babe and Happy Feet (and both sequels) among others. She first burst onto Australian screens in the mid-1980s after being picked up by ABC talent scouts watching her perform in a university revue. Her credits include sketch shows Fast Forward and critically acclaimed Big Girl's Blouse, alongside Kath and Kim co-writers Gina Riley and Jane Turner. The comedian was a prominent marriage equality campaigner after coming out as gay in 2012. She used her profile to push for a yes vote in the 2017 Australian referendum on same-sex marriage, including a pivotal appearance on the ABC's Q&A program and an address to the National Press Club.
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
Australian comic actor Magda Szubanski, star of 'Babe' and 'Kath and Kim,' reveals cancer diagnosis
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Australian comedian and actor Magda Szubanski, best known for roles in the television sitcom 'Kath and Kim' and the movie 'Babe,' announced on Thursday she had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer. The 64-year-old Melbourne resident posted on social media that she had started treatment for stage four mantle cell lymphoma, which she described as a 'rare and fast-moving blood cancer.' 'It's serious, but I've started one of the best treatments available (the Nordic protocol), and I'm lucky to be getting absolutely world-class care here in Melbourne,' Szubanski posted. '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,' she added. Szubanski said that she had shaved her head before appearing in a video 'in anticipation of it all falling out in a couple of weeks.' That was an apparent reference to undergoing chemotherapy. Szubanski received international acclaim for her role as the farmer's wife Esme Hoggett in the 1995 movie 'Babe.' The movie that tells the story of a pig that wants the job of a sheepdog was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Szubanski reprised the role in the 1998 sequel: 'Babe: Pig in the City.' She played sports-loving Sharon Strzelecki in Australian sitcom 'Kath and Kim.' The series ran from 2002 to 2005 and inspired an American remake with the same name. Szubanski voiced the role of Miss Viola in the animated films 'Happy Feet' in 2006 and 'Happy Feet Two' in 2011. Both were produced and directed by George Miller. Szubanski was born in Liverpool, England, on April 12, 1961, and moved to Melbourne with her family in 1966.
