Latest news with #MarcFennell
ABC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Treadmills Were Made for Torture
What if the reason being on a treadmill feels like such a punishment is actually by design!? Back in the 1800's the British Empire started installing 'tread-mills' in prisons as a way to both punish criminals and make them more productive. In fact, it was so soul-crushing that the poet Oscar Wilde wrote about its horrors from prison and is thought to have died as a result of the hours he spent on it. Writer Dan Koeppel, known also for running across Australia's Nullarbor Plain and writing an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, tells host Marc Fennell (Stuff the British Stole, Mastermind) the strange saga of how the treadmill went from a Victorian torture device to a piece of fitness equipment found in gyms and homes across the world. Really, it's a story about capitalism - the rise in the need for equipment to offset our unhealthy lifestyles, marketed as an aspirational wellness tool. Binge all the episodes of No One Saw It Coming now on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. And check out Dan's great article for The New York Times' Wirecutter HERE. Get in touch: Got a story for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at noonesawitcoming@
ABC News
3 days ago
- Science
- ABC News
The lingerie seamstresses who helped put man on the moon
You can probably picture that iconic moment, when Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon. But what if his 'one small step for man' was actually thanks to a group of unlikely women? In the 1960's when President JFK accelerated the space race, NASA needed someone to design a spacesuit capable of putting man on the moon. When the big contractors failed to meet the challenge, NASA had no choice but to work with the only company up to the job: Playtex — manufacturers of women's girdles and bras. 🎧 Hear No One Saw It Coming with Marc Fennell on the ABC listen app.
ABC News
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
The Lingerie Makers who put Neil Armstrong on the Moon
You can probably picture that iconic moment, when Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon. But what if his 'one small step for man' was actually thanks to a group of unlikely women? In the 1960's when President JFK accelerated the space race, NASA needed someone to design a spacesuit capable of putting man on the moon. When the big defense contractors failed to meet the challenge, NASA had no choice but to work with the only company up to the job: Playtex - manufacturers of women's girdles and bras. The UK's best selling historian under 40 Kassia St Clair tells host Marc Fennell (Stuff the British Stole, Mastermind) the incredible true story of the unsung heroes of the space race: the seamstresses who painstakingly sewed the Apollo 11 spacesuits. Binge all the episodes of No One Saw It Coming now on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. Get in touch: Got a story for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at noonesawitcoming@
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Stuff The British Stole: Trailer
Stuff The British Stole History Documentary Thought-Provoking Watch Trailer Article share options Share this on Facebook Twitter Send this by Email Copy link WhatsApp Messenger Marc Fennell goes around the world in search of the hidden histories of a whole new suite of artefacts, uncovering tales of heists, wars and skullduggery, revealing the truth about how these priceless treasures got there.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Mastermind host Marc Fennell sends fans into a frenzy with 'thirst trap' gym photos
Marc Fennell has sent fans into a frenzy after sharing a series of jacked gym photos. The Mastermind Australia host, 39, was not afraid to show off his chiselled form to his 66,000 Instagram and TikTok followers this week. The photos showed the journalist and podcaster hard at work in the gym, working out on a black tank top that showed off his well-honed biceps. Marc was not afraid to work up a sweat, either, with one photo showing him exerting himself to the limit as he worked on his upper body. The Feed co-host looked all business as he took his body through its paces, sporting a stoic expression as he adjusted weights on a bar bell. It wasn't all work for Marc, however, as one photo showed him smiling during his gruelling workout. Captioning the post, Marc joked that he had returned to the gym as he was a fan of the lighting. 'After weeks away filming, I've returned to the gym. Mostly for the lighting,' he quipped. Marc's fans were quick to gush over the pulse-raising pics with one suggesting a lucrative side-hustle. 'You should bring out a calendar,' they wrote, while another chimed in with: 'The real question is, did you steal the 'gains' from the British?' referring to Marc's podcast and ABC series Stuff The British Stole. Another suggested that Marc may just have the goods to compete with another musclebound Aussie. 'Time to give Thor Hemsworth an arm wrestle I think young marc!' they offered. It was much the same vibe over on TikTok, with one follower admitting they struggled to believe it was Marc in the photos. 'Wow, is that the same Mark Fennell I'm watching hosting Mastermind??' they asked. The photos showed the journalist and podcaster hard at work in the gym, working out on a black tank top that showed off his well-honed biceps Another swooned: 'Was I expecting a thirst trap from our Mastermind presenter? No. Do I appreciate a thirst trap from our Mastermind presenter? Yes.' Marc is perhaps best known as quizmaster on the popular SBS game show Mastermind Australia. He took over the role from famed journalist and presenter Jennifer Byrne in 2021. Having previously appeared on the show as a fill-in host in 2019 and starred as a celebrity contender, he told SBS at the time that he knows just how 'intimidating it can be'. 'While I may be the one holding the questions, I truly marvel at the gumption of the contenders. It's going to be intense,' he said. 'The best part of being the quizmaster is seeing the wild diversity of obsessions and topics that the contenders bring with them. Back in 2019, the award-winning journalist revealed the one interview that moved him to tears. Speaking to News Corp, Marc said that it was a 2017 interview with famed children's author Paul Jennings' that had made him cry. 'He casually mentioned in the interview that his dad didn't love him,' Marc said. 'It was a really raw moment for everyone involved,' he continued. 'I still look back at that interview and it moves me tears, because it is so sad that this person that was so instrumental in the childhoods of so many Australian kids. 'Millions of us were raised with Paul Jennings' books and the TV show — to know that deep underneath that was a really unhappy childhood broke my heart.'
