Latest news with #Refinery29Australia
Refinery29
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
Where Is Stranded On Honeymoon Island Filmed & Is It Scripted? All Your Burning Questions, Answered
Stranded On Honeymoon Island is the latest reality TV show to fill the gap left by MAFS and Farmer Wants A Wife, and it's shaping up to be quite dramatic. The premise is simple: 12 singles are dropped onto a remote island where they marry a complete stranger, and then live with them for three weeks. What could possibly go wrong in this totally normal situation? Well, we've already seen bride Amy Dickinson label her husband Mike Dawes as 'misogynistic', and it looks like one of the contestants could have a relationship on the outside. Teasers for the season show plenty of tears, fights and MAFS -style dinner parties on the beach. With all the drama happening on screen, it got us wondering about what happens behind the scenes. Do contestants have to forage for their own food? Where do they sleep, and are they encouraged to have sex on Stranded On Honeymoon Island? And of course, are contestants allowed to bring makeup or clothes for the filming duration? Refinery29 Australia spoke to contestants Amy Dickinson and Jess Matthews to get all the answers to your burning Stranded On Honeymoon Island questions. Where is Stranded On Honeymoon Island filmed? Stranded On Honeymoon Island was filmed in 2023 across the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji. How many items of clothing can Stranded On Honeymoon Island contestants pack? The clothes the Stranded On Honeymoon Island contestants arrive in are the only outfits they're allowed to wear for the entire three-week duration. Production provided a 'few extra pairs of underwear' on arrival. 'White lace and tulle doesn't last long in an ocean setting so we had to get creative and make our 'fits,' Jess says. 'I suspected I wouldn't be given a suitcase of clothing, so I wore three g-strings and a pair of underwear under my wedding dress — hot!' Possibly! Production provided condoms, plus all contestants were required to undergo medical checks prior to filming. 'Condoms were provided… but whether I, or any of the other couples [had sex]... you'll just have to wait and find out,' Amy teases. 'If you've ever tried to have sex on a beach, you'll understand that sand alone is contraception,' Jess adds cheekily. 'Jokes aside, yes, condoms were provided, and it was a very pro-safe sex environment.' Where do Stranded On Honeymoon Island contestants sleep on the show? While the island is idyllic and gives off a honeymoon aesthetic, the contestants didn't exactly have five-star accommodation. Each couple is given a bed inside a shelter with a roof but no walls, so like on Survivor, they have to deal with wind, bugs, and rain. 'We had a double bed we had to share, which wasn't ideal for the couples who weren't feeling the spark. The shelter had a roof but no walls, so privacy wasn't a luxury we had either,' Amy reveals. Are contestants allowed to wear makeup on the island? Stranded On Honeymoon Island contestants aren't allowed to bring or wear any makeup for the 21 days they're stuck on the island. Jess says it meant the women had to 'rely on the sun and salt water to reveal natural beauty', and their 'vulnerabilities' were exposed. However, they do have access to some required toiletries, such as toothpaste and sunblock. 'Makeup was not a luxury we had, it was rough. We had a toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant. That was pretty much it. I ended up using my own hair to floss my teeth,' Amy tells us. 'We didn't even have a hairbrush, so my hair was in full-blown dreadlocks by day three.' Do Stranded On Honeymoon Island contestants have to find their own food? The Stranded On Honeymoon Island couples are provided with rice, pasta and vegetables. It doesn't sound very gourmet, but at least they didn't have to hunt or forage. 'We had basic food rations but no utensils or plates. This forced us to be really resourceful with what we found on the beach. We used shells as spoons, and I cut veggies with a machete — it's harder than it sounds,' Jess says. Are you allowed to have your phone on Stranded On Honeymoon Island? Couples are required to go completely no-contact with the outside world for three weeks. It sounds like a nice detox, actually. Jess tells us she didn't hold her phone for almost an entire month, and the contestants never knew what time or day it was. 'We got used to judging [the time] by the sun and moon. Very National Geographic of us,' Jess jokes. Is anything scripted on Stranded On Honeymoon Island? Reality TV doesn't always seem authentic, but Jess swears nothing on Stranded On Honeymoon Island is scripted. 'The experience is designed to make you feel things in a big way. Exposure to the elements with a complete stranger and your heart on the line means incredibly raw reactions,' Jess explains. 'The added curve ball of zero distractions heightens any feelings of anxiety or insecurities. On the island, I cried at things I would not even blink at in my real life.' Stranded On Honeymoon Island is our current reality TV obsession, but will it be able to create as many successful couples as Farmer Wants A Wife? Judging from the drama-filled previews, it seems this show might be more about entertainment than finding love.
Refinery29
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
Are Farmer Wants A Wife 2025 Couple Jack & Sarah Still Together?
As Farmer Wants A Wife 2025 barrels to a close, there's one thing on everybody's mind: which lucky couples will find their fairytale ending? Farmer Wants A Wife is one of Australia's most successful reality TV shows, with 20 couples still together today. Farmer Jack Lonie chose Sarah Linklater over Olivia Turner during his final decision, and it wasn't that much of a surprise. Sarah caught Farmer Jack's eye from the beginning, and she was invited back to his farm for a 24-hour date prior to the others. She was the first one to have a steamy makeout session with the Farmer, and to be honest, nobody else seemed to stand a chance. But are Farmer Jack and Sarah still together now that their time on the show has wrapped up? We've scoured the internet for all the clues about this adorable Farmer Wants A Wife couple. What have Farmer Jack Lonie and Sarah Linklater said about their relationship? Farmer Jack and Sarah have stayed tight-lipped on social media — perhaps they don't want to spoil anything for the reunion — but their final onscreen moment hinted at a solid foundation for the two. "My feelings for you have grown stronger and stronger. And whether we're sitting in silence or talking for hours, I feel at ease with you. I've always felt pulled back to you and I've always had you on my mind," Jack told Sarah. "I can't imagine my future without you. Sarah, you are a risk, but you are a risk I'm willing to take. I do feel like I'm falling in love with you." Sarah told Jack she was "so excited" to plan a future with him, so does that mean this Farmer really did find a wife? Are Farmer Jack and Sarah still together? An inside source told Refinery29 Australia they're unsure if Jack and Sarah made it in the real world, because they've kept their relationship hidden so well. According to New Idea, Jack and Sarah are still together, and the Cairns resident has been spotted with Jack on his farm. Yahoo! Lifestyle also reported that Sarah's name has been removed from her workplace's website, which could hint at a permanent move for Sarah to Jack's farm in Tasmania. The reality TV contestants are currently both following each other on Instagram, so that could be a huge clue. Jack also follows his runner-up Olivia, though, so he might just be keeping up appearances. However, the current application form for Farmer Wants A Wife 2026 reveals some key information. According to the website, "11 Aussie farmers have found a wife [and] nine more have found long-term love." There are 20 couples still together today, which matches this statement. If Jack and Sarah were still together, the website would have a total of 21 successful couples.
Refinery29
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
How Depinder Chhibber Is Using MasterChef Australia To Shift Stereotypes Around Indian Foods
Depinder Chhibber is having a dream run on MasterChef Australia 2025, with a bunch of wins under her belt and one of the most talked about dishes so far: her traditional Indian street food dish, Raj Kachori. In the West, there can be a stigma rooted in racism surrounding South Asian food, where the cuisine is associated with words like 'cheap' and 'simple'. Compare that to French or Italian cuisine, often considered 'elevated' and 'expensive'. This type of thinking is a 'sore spot' for Chhibber, because not only is her identity tied directly to Indian food, but she also tells Refinery29 Australia that people often don't understand how 'technical' traditional Indian recipes are. 'When I make Indian food, I know how much technicality is involved in the recipes that I'm using, which is probably the same, if not more than a French recipe, I would say,' she explains. '[I've] always said that we need to respect the local artisans, the local street food vendors, because they've been doing this for generations… when I go to Delhi, I go to the ones that have been there for like, over 100 years. These local artisans have had recipes passed down for generations and have spent years perfecting their skills. "The way they do it, they just make it look so easy. But you try and do that at home, and it's impossible to get right,' she adds. With Chhibber's Raj Kachori dish, she specifically created the street food version rather than a fancy deconstructed version, because she wanted it to be authentic. Part of her mission on MasterChef Australia is to educate Aussies about Indian food, because she believes these racist stereotypes can sometimes come down to 'lack of awareness'. 'I feel like it's my job to make everyone aware of the dishes that I know and do the best in the best possible way, if that makes sense. Because I want to go out there, and I want to create these dishes, and I want to show these dishes to the judges, to the world,' she says. ' 'It's not about the price that you pay. It's about what you get, and it's about flavour, and it's about the experience.' ' When Chhibber moved to Newcastle as an 11-year-old, she was impacted by the absence of Indian street food. There was one takeout restaurant that everybody would go to… and that was it. 'That kind of got me really interested in food, especially learning techniques and recipes that normally you wouldn't need to when you were living in India, because you could just go down the street [and buy it],' she recalls. 'I think that [food] became like an identity, kind of like a mission for me to master those and showcase those, which is what I'm aiming to do this season.' The first time Chhibber competed on MasterChef Australia, she didn't expect to have such a reaction from other Indian Australians watching the show. This time around, she's all too aware. 'When I came onto MasterChef [the first time], I was cooking Indian food without realising how much it meant to other people in the community. I honestly didn't realise the importance of that emotion, because I had never felt that before,' she says. ' 'This time around, when I'm making dishes… if I'm tearing up, I know people will be tearing up with me, because they can all feel the same emotion.' ' Her mission to bring Indian food to Australia won't stop at MasterChef Australia, whether she wins or not, because she has big plans for after the show. She's already opened her own supper club called Ghar in Newcastle, and her next step is to publish a cookbook. 'I would love to put all my recipes together, all of the things that I've learned over the last how many years I've been cooking, and I'd love to put them into a cookbook for local people that are intimidated by Indian food,' she says. 'Indian food can be quite intimidating with its flavours, with its spices, the number of ingredients. But you know what? There is an easy way to do everything. 'I think everyone can learn a little bit of spice work. And I think living in Australia, how multicultural we are, I think it's really important to kind of be across a lot of different cuisines if you're a foodie, especially if you like to call yourself a foodie.'
Refinery29
26-05-2025
- Health
- Refinery29
Everything To Know About Bouf Haircare, Sister Brand Of Tbh Skincare
Here at Refinery29 Australia, we've been long-time fans of tbh Skincare since it first made a splash with unique acne-busting patented technology. Rachael Wilde, the entrepreneur behind the successful Australian brand, turned tbh Skincare into a multi-million dollar business after launching in 2020, and, in 2023, Wilde merged Boost Lab into a banner company, York St Brands, of which she is cofounder and CMO. Now, Wilde is launching another business under York St Brands — a haircare range called Bouf. The products are formulated with patented FGF5, a hair technology that came across Wilde's desk in 2024, but was initially intended to be part of York St Brands' existing portfolio. Wilde, however, believed that the technology, which claims to strengthen and visibly thicken hair while supporting its growth, deserved a completely new brand and product line. For the last 15 months, Wilde has been using Bouf products on her own thinning hair, and the results have been nothing short of mind-blowing. "One thing my hairdresser said to me [after using Bouf] was that your hair is actually growing full to the ends, which means it hasn't just grown long and wispy, it's grown healthily all the way down to the bottom," Wilde explains in an Instagram Reel. Early 90-day testing of the products on the Bouf website also shows some incredible results. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rachael Wilde (@rachhwilde) How does Bouf work? FGF5 is a protein that tells your hair when it's time to stop growing and fall out. The protein is a crucial regulator of hair growth in humans, and it is said that a mutation in the gene can result in increased hair length. Bouf works by blocking FGF5, thus acting as a snooze button for hair fallout. So, not only will your hair grow longer, it will also grow thicker and stronger. The scientists behind Bouf's technology ran two clinical trials, according to Wilde, with the results showing hair that grew 20 per cent faster, had a 44 per cent increase in hair follicle growth, as well as an 82 per cent hair loss reduction. It is understood that around 49 per cent of women will be affected by hair loss in their life, and the reasons can vary from shedding due to stress, to conditions like postpartum hair loss. The Bouf range includes a hair-growth tonic, shampoo, conditioner, leave-in mask and hair growth supplements, with prices ranging between $29.95 to $39.95. Bouf products will be available to shop online and in-store at Priceline and Atomica on May 27, 2025.
Refinery29
24-05-2025
- General
- Refinery29
How To Show Up As An Ally For First Nations People, Today & Every Day
Practising true allyship to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is an ongoing process. Undoubtedly, it requires a lot of listening and learning, but there's also a lot more we can do to show up in a genuine way for First Nations Peoples. 'The most important thing people can do is to step up and support us and be an ally in the tough times, not just the good, happy days,' explains Dr Clinton Schultz, Gamilaroi/Gomeroi man, registered psychologist, and Director of First Nations Partnership and Strategy at the Black Dog Institute. 'It's all good for people to want to turn up during NAIDOC Week or at Reconciliation Day events, [but] true allies want to be there and walk this hard walk with us, every day.' One of the first steps we can take to become better allies to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is to educate ourselves — but that's certainly not where it ends. 'It absolutely requires people to take a step back and reflect on the everyday power and privilege, the opportunities and resources that are readily available to them, because they happen to be a non-Indigenous person living in this country,' explains Shultz. 'Then, consider: ' What am I willing to do with those in the effort to walk with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a more positive direction? ' That's the work that needs to be done by non-Indigenous people that we can not do as First Nations peoples." As Shultz tells Refinery29 Australia, true allies will ask themselves 'what they are actually willing to relinquish in that space in order to walk with us'. Educate Yourself Without Adding To The Cultural Load Of First Nations Peoples While it's essential to listen to and platform the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as part of your allyship, it's crucial to do this without adding to the cultural load of the people in your orbit, whether that's a public figure you follow on Instagram, a colleague, or a friend. 'Cultural load is that extra work that gets put upon us as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within workspaces that sit outside of our job descriptions or our everyday work,' says Shultz. Essentially, it's when people are being expected to speak for 'everything and anything Aboriginal, for instance'. Shultz emphasises that asking your First Nations colleague (or friend, or social media creator) to explain the concept of, say, a referendum to you when the same information is available to you online, is adding to their cultural load. 'So, I think, what people need to do is take the time to actually do their own background research first — that's part of the learning journey — and then come and have an informed discussion with us, rather than expect us to do the work and to just give you the answers.' Below is a non-exhaustive list of resources and organisations to visit to start, or continue, your learning journey in a culturally sensitive way: — Pay The Rent — Common Ground — Seed Mob — AIATSIS — Reconciliation Australia — NITV — NAIDOC — ANTAR — Indigenous-X — National Indigenous Radio Service Being a better ally means understanding and learning more about the traditional custodians of the land. You can do this by reaching out to your local councils, or utilising resources like the Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) or Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) to find out the history of your local area and the land your town was built on. The AECG also has local representatives in each area that you can connect with, listen to and learn from. Another organisation to learn from is Australians Together, a not-for-profit that aims to help non-Indigenous people learn the true story of our shared history and understand how it's still having an impact today. Listen To First Nations Podcasts An important part of being a better ally is listening, whether it's via podcasts, local radio or in person. Listening to the stories of the traditional custodians of the land allows their voices and perspectives on issues that impact them to be heard. Below is a list of important listens that will help educate you on how to be a better ally and to understand First Nations culture better. AWAYE! The AWAYE! podcast presents a diverse and vibrant range of Aboriginal arts and culture from across Australia. You can listen to it via ABC Listen app, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Speaking Out Speaking Out is a politics, arts and culture radio segment from a range of Indigenous perspectives. Speaking Out broadcasts on Radio National on Fridays at 12pm and on ABC Local Radio on Sundays at 9pm. Unravel: Blood On the Tracks Unravel: Blood On the Tracks is a 2018 true crime podcast from journalist Allan Clarke that delves into the unsolved murder of Gomeroi teenager, Mark Haines. It tells the story of a divided town, an investigation bungled, evidence lost and explores why critical leads were never followed up by police in the death of this Indigenous teen. Beyond The Gap First Nations Foundation (FNF) launched the 2021 podcast series, Beyond the Gap, to explore best practice reconciliation and Indigenous engagement for corporate Australia and beyond. The conversations investigate the influences and constructs that should be considered for Reconciliation Action Plans, and what is the best path forward to engage and empower our country's First Nations peoples. The host, Phil Usher, is a proud Wiradjuri man who grew up in the rich culture of the Gamilaroi people. He chats with a variety of guests to dig deep into our country's history to better our future. Frontier War Stories Frontier War Stories is a podcast dedicated to truth-telling about a side of Australia that has been left out of the history books. Hosted by Boe Spearim, Brisbane-based Gamilaraay & Kooma radio host, each episode features interviews with different Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Through these stories, we uncover research, books and oral histories that document the first 140 years of conflict and resistance. While the list below contains a wide variety of educational anti-racism books (including some on racism in America), it's also important to read the stories of our own people to understand our history and how it still affects our society today. We recommend adding these to your reading list. - Welcome To Country, Marcia Langton - Growing Up Aboriginal In Australia, Anita Heiss - Dark Emu, Bruce Pascoe - City of Gold, Meyne Wyatt - Kill the Messenger, Nakkiah Lui - Tell Me Again by Dr Amy Thunig - Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen - Come Together by Isaiah Firebrace, Jaelyn Biumaiwai (picture book) - Citizen, Claudia Rankine - Biased, Jennifer L. Eberhardt - When They Call You a Terrorist, Patrisse Khan-Cullors - On the Other Side of Freedom, DeRay Mckesson - Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates - Monument: Poems New and Selected, Natasha Trethewey - The Tall Man, Chloe Hooper - Talking To My Country, Stan Grant - Terra Nullius, Claire G. Coleman - The White Girl, Tony Birch Watch Informative Videos Here are some informative videos that will help non-Indigenous people to better understand the history of oppression, racism and suffering experienced by our First Nations Peoples. It's important that we hear these stories directly from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people to help us understand how we can be better allies and fight against racism. One part of recognising our privilege as non-Indigenous people living in Australia is recognising that sometimes, conversations about racism and discrimination are received with more open-mindedness than for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. 'I think there are some tough conversations that, unfortunately, and as hard as it is for me to recognise and acknowledge this: there are some hard conversations in this country that need to be had that, unfortunately, I think are better taken when they come from non-Indigenous people,' says Schultz. 'I know from experience that discussions on racism and discrimination are taken better and listened to more by other non-Indigenous people, when they come from a non Indigenous person, than when they come from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person or somebody else from a culturally diverse background. 'So I think some of those difficult conversations need to be taken up and really moved forward by non-Indigenous peoples, which will then give us the space that we need to add what needs to be needed from an Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander standpoint.' It's important to have these conversations with nuance and without removing important messages from cultural context. Ensuring that you are elevating the voices and words of First Nations people without alterations and without centring yourself is key here, as is seeking consent from First Nations people before inserting yourself into cultural events, and knowing when to step back, so you aren't taking up space that belongs to First Nations people.
