Latest news with #SarahHarris
Telegraph
21-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
I thought it was bold to let my hair go grey – but now I'm turning back to colour
Looking back at photos I reached peak hair colour, sadly, when I was five years old. I sported a natural smattering of sun-kissed blonde highlights. As I grew up my hair became a dark chestnut. I don't remember any horrific moment when I noticed my first grey hairs but they must have been making themselves known so I started using brunette dye in my mid-30s. With hindsight I rushed into it. As my hair began to lose more pigment I started to get strikingly contrasting grey roots. The battle lines were drawn. About a month after each hair appointment my young daughter would take great delight in pointing out my shock of parting when I leant down (to tidy up after her, probably). Between relentlessly regular six-week salon visits I reached for sticks, powders and sprays to disguise my roots, but it felt like people were talking to the top of my head as the crispy texture or wrong shade gave the game away. After a decade of dyeing (since I was 36), I'd had enough and decided to transition from brown to grey. I was determined to age gracefully. I didn't want to be the female equivalent of a man with a comb-over. I was inspired by similar-aged women with great grey hair such as Sarah Harris, then deputy editor of British Vogue. I liked the way she saw it as 'honest and non-conformist'. It felt like an act of rebellion. I like to think of myself as an early adopter of the trend. I joined a supportive network of women on Instagram under the hashtags #silversisters, #greyhairmovement and #greyhairdontcare. As well as sharing their journeys they celebrated other trailblazers like the designer Liz Kamarul, make-up artist Michele Aikin and British model Sammie K. I felt liberated. I was free from the shackles of six-week hair cycles. I felt chic and confident. Women would compliment me or say I was inspiring them to ditch the dye. Covid and the consequential lockdown gave energy to the trend as women were denied visits to the hairdressers. They took advantage of being hidden away while they transitioned. Six months in I lost my patience with project grey. Around this time my husband told me I looked like I'd had a bag of flour dropped on my head. I wasn't prepared to chop short my long bob but recognised it would be another year before the grey had grown in. I needed help. So I cheated and revisited my colourist. I was lured into regular four-hour appointments where magic was weaved with foils, bleach and toners, to transform me to a cool ash-grey blonde. But over time my hair began to protest by throwing up frizz on good days, looking brassy and parched on bad. I sourced vats of nourishing products to try to appease it. Investing so much money and energy soon became a bore, so once again I opted to let the grey conquer. But as my blonde grew out I found I was having to supplement my look by upgrading my skincare, make-up and clothes to stop my late mother's voice tutting in my head and asking if I'd 'let myself go'. I'd catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror first thing in the morning, in my dog-walking gear, and fret that I looked frumpy. My husband posted a photo of me out walking on the family group chat and I was horrified how the hair on the back of my head was bright white and glowed conspicuously. I also noticed just how many women my age had opted out. I was no longer an outlier but just literally mainstream grey. I felt metaphorically drab too. I considered making a statement by using purple and pink toning shampoos but was put off by women decades older than me choosing this option. Is the recent trend for these just a re-marketing of a 1970s blue rinse? Natural-ish actual colour was what I yearned for. But I didn't want to reintroduce the dreaded regrowth ghost, so my hairdresser advised on bleaching then using a semi-permanent soft caramel which gently fades with each wash. As soon as I saw my new hair I felt physical relief. The warmer tones stopped my face looking washed out. A colleague has already confessed she feels her grey has made her feel invisible so is opting out too. And my colour-committed best friend, always ready with an honest opinion, simply said 'phew' when she saw me. OK, so I have to return every month but it only takes about an hour (including the cut), which is a quarter of the time I'd be sat having blonde highlights. I just wish I'd relented and done it sooner.
Courier-Mail
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
‘Disaster': Network 10 could ‘pull the plug' on 10News+ after disastrous first week ratings
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News. Numerous executives at Network 10 reportedly believe that replacing The Project with a hard news show has been a 'big screw up'. 10 News+ began last week on the channel after The Project aired its final episode, but sadly for the network the ratings were lacklustre at best. It reflected on social media too, where criticism of the new show was swift and cutting from viewers. Launching with just 291,000 viewers, it continued to decline throughout the week, eventually being surpassed by a regional offering. According to insiders at 10, the original proposal was to replace The Project with a five-nights-a-week version of The Cheap Seats. Sarah Harris was among the stars to have been let go by Network 10 following The Project's axing. However, after much deliberation, bosses at 10 decided to opt for a hard news show instead. 'They screwed up ... and that probably wasn't the right foundation for what was needed to triumph in that timeslot,' 10 insider told Daily Mail Australia. 'Everyone felt rushed. It was clear the format wasn't ready but they needed something fast to replace and justify the budget cuts.' Things have reportedly gone so bad after the show's first week on air that insiders at the network believe the show won't last out the year. 'There's already talk that they'll pull the plug once the ratings come in,' added the insider, while another called the show a 'total disaster' for Network 10. Martin White, vice president of broadcast news at Paramount and EP Daniel Sutton are the two faces thought to be facing the most heat from the new show's poor showing. 'Disaster. An EP who has never produced anything before. Hosts who have never hosted anything before,' they said. 'I watched it last night – it's genuinely terrible. Day one – stillborn. Day two – buried. Martin's masterpiece.'' Insiders have claimed that Network 10 originally had a much lighter show planned before they ended up with 10 News+. A spokesperson for Network 10said they recognise that building up an audience is a 'marathon and not a sprint'. 'Daniel Sutton is a seasoned journalist and producer with 25 years' experience. Network 10 is proud to invest in its staff and promote talented executives.' 'Ten is taking a long-term, multi-platform view of audience development. Building a loyal news audience takes time, and we are prepared for gradual growth as audiences discover and connect with our unique approach to news delivery across many platforms. 'Ten is fully committed to 10 News+. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We are investing in building a sustainable, quality multi-platform news service that will grow and evolve with our audience's needs over time.' Originally published as 'Disaster': Network 10 could 'pull the plug' on 10News+ after disastrous first week ratings
Sky News AU
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Channel Ten considered replacing The Project with new version of comedy show The Cheap Seats before settling on 10 News+
Channel Ten was considering replacing The Project with a comedy show called The Cheap Seats before abruptly pivoting and launching a revamped current affairs program instead. The Project's final episode, which ran for 90 minutes, aired on June 27 with panellists Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, Sam Taunton, and Georgie Tunny signing off for the last time following years of declining ratings. However its replacement 10 News+ debuted last Monday with an underwhelming average national broadcast audience of 291,000 viewers. Promising "extended context and deeper reporting on the day's biggest stories", 10 News+ is anchored by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace from Sunday to Thursday, with Ursula Heger and Hugh Riminton on Friday. Viewership declined rapidly throughout the show's first week before plummeting to a low of 152,000 viewers by Friday. This represents a significant decrease of 139,000 viewers compared to Monday and, perhaps most worryingly for Ten, stands in stark contrast to the 478,000 people who tuned in to The Project's final episode. The network's top executives could well be kicking themselves for launching The Project's successor now after letting go of the alternative option, a trimmed-down, five-nights-a-week version of The Cheap Seats. The Cheap Seats is helmed by Ten's own Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald, who feature selected clips of the week's news and TV show accompanied by humorous commentary reminiscent of The Project. Ten's top brass, who favoured a new version of the comedy show, agreed it would inject some lightheartedness and levity into Ten's programs while still retaining viewers' familiarity with The Project. Yet, the decision flipped the other way, and Ten ultimately launched 10 News+ with a more serious news feel. The show inherited the first half of The Project's 6:30pm–7:30pm slot, but still, not everyone agrees. "They screwed that probably wasn't the right foundation for what was needed to triumph in that time slot," a Ten insider told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. "Everyone felt rushed. "It was clear the format wasn't ready, but they needed something fast to replace and justify the budget cuts." The Project's former panellists, Carrie Bickmore and Peter Helliar, left the show in 2022 amid reported budget cuts, criticism over the show's perceived "woke" left-wing bias, and declining viewership at Network Ten. The series' most well-known lineup was arguably Bickmore, Helliar, Waleed Aly and Hamish McDonald. In the end, the regular presenters included Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, Sam Taunton, and Georgie Tunny, from Sunday through Friday. Bickmore since reprised her TV career by lending her voice to comedian Andy Lee's new children's series Do Not Watch This Show on ABC. Tunny meanwhile revealed she's staying with Network 10 as part of the new current affairs show.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The surprising show that was going to replace The Project before executives panicked and pushed out 10 News+ - and why the 'rushed' current affairs show is tipped to not last long
The Project replacement 10 News+ launched to a whimper last Monday, with a measly 291,000 Australians tuning in for the much-hyped news program. Network 10 announced The Project had been officially axed after 16 years last month, and, in a surprising one-eighty, replaced the peppy infotainment series with a traditional hard news bulletin. The Project launched in 2009 as an experimental attempt to recapture a national audience who were turning off 'serious' news en masse in favour of social media. Many were quick to question why Network Ten believed a serious news bulletin would retain and expand The Project's audience. Daily Mail Australia can exclusively reveal that behind closed doors, executives were wringing their hands over the same question. 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. Network 10 announced The Project had been officially axed after 16 years last month, and in a surprising one-eighty, replaced the peppy infotainment series with a traditional hard news bulletin. Pictured L - R: Sam Taunton, Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, and Georgie Tunny Top Ten executives were reportedly torn over which direction to take the primetime 6-7pm time slot, with some pushing for a stripped, five-nights-a-week version of The Cheap Seats instead. Those in favour of expanding the popular comedy panel show argued it would inject some much-needed humour and levity into the Ten line-up. But in the end, they went the other way, opting for a serious, newsier feel with 10 News+. However, the decision hasn't landed well with viewers or the crew. On Tuesday, 10 News+ shed another 10,000 viewers despite a massive available audience as a 'bomb cyclone' descended on the East Coast. The network swiftly rehired The Project's Georgie Tunny on Thursday to join new anchors Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace. 'I've always been a fan of news delivered differently and am excited to be staying with the 10 family. Can't wait to see where this new chapter leads!' Georgie said. 'They "screwed up" in a covert style and that probably wasn't the right foundation for what was needed to triumph in that time slot,' a Network Ten insider tells Daily Mail Australia. 'Everyone felt rushed,' the insider spills. Top Ten executives were reportedly torn over which direction to take the prime time 6-7pm time slot, with some pushing for a stripped, five-nights-a-week version of The Cheap Seats instead. Pictured: Cheap Seats co-host Melanie Bracewell 'It was clear the format wasn't ready but they needed something fast to replace and justify the budget cuts.' In June, The Project attracted between 238,000 and 357,000 viewers nationally. The news show, which has been in a ratings free-fall since Carrie Bickmore left her seat as host at the end of 2022, still drew a larger audience than 10 News+ in its launch week. This is in stark contrast to The Project's competitors – Seven and Nine News – which routinely attracted more than 2 million viewers to their 6pm bulletins. While 10 News+ is expected to limp through to the end of 2025, many believe it won't return in 2026. 'There's already talk that they'll pull the plug once the ratings come in,' our insider adds. One certainty is The Project isn't coming back. With high-priced contracts for hosts Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris and Hamish Macdonal d axed and no plans to resurrect more familiar faces, Network Ten is said to be scrambling for younger, fresher talent. 'It was clear the format wasn't ready but they needed something fast to replace and justify the budget cuts.' 'They should've stayed in their lane and gone lighter,' our source says. 'That's what Ten does best and that's what viewers actually want.' A second Ten insider didn't mince words when Inside Mail asked about the performance so far. 'Disaster. An EP who has never produced anything before. Hosts who have never hosted anything before,' they said. 'I watched it last night – it's genuinely terrible. Day one – stillborn. Day two – buried. Martin's masterpiece.' The 'Martin' mentioned at the end is Martin White, vice president of broadcast news at Paramount. The executive producer who copped a spray is Daniel Sutton, a veteran journalist, sure, but a first-time EP. When contacted for comment, a Ten spokesperson went to bat for Sutton, telling us: 'Daniel Sutton is a seasoned journalist and producer with 25 years' experience. Network 10 is proud to invest in its staff and promote talented executives.' They added of 10 News+ more generally: 'Ten is taking a long-term, multi-platform view of audience development. 'Building a loyal news audience takes time, and we are prepared for gradual growth as audiences discover and connect with our unique approach to news delivery across many platforms. 'Ten is fully committed to 10 News+. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We are investing in building a sustainable, quality multi-platform news service that will grow and evolve with our audience's needs over time.'
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gold Logie nominee Poh Ling Yeow reveals the 'worst' part about attending the exclusive award show: 'Really hard'
Poh Ling Yeow has opened up about the 'worst' part of attending TV's annual night-of-nights. The MasterChef star, 51, who is up for a Gold Logie this year, has said the exclusive awards show isn't always as glamorous as it seems, reported TV Tonight on Saturday. Despite bumping shoulders with some of Australia's biggest television stars, the celebrity cook said she struggles with wearing heels and doing red carpet interviews. The heels are the worst thing and I do find the red carpet really hard,' she said. 'Sometimes the questions are so random. Often they're quite young and they [refer to] trends and things, and I don't know what's going on.' 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. It comes after Poh revealed Gold Logie nominees are quietly told weeks in advance about their nomination, despite the fanfare of a live announcement. Appearing on The Project last month, the beloved culinary star said she was informed of her Gold Logie nomination in May and had to keep it a secret from everyone. 'Big Gold Logie nomination,' co-host Sarah Harris teased at the time, before asking how Poh found out. 'Ah, well, I got, I found out actually about three weeks ago,' she said. 'So I had to… mum's the word, and it was quite hard to keep it away from, you know, close friends and family. Uh, but I was really shocked.' Poh recalled being pulled aside after filming an episode of Have You Been Paying Attention? by a Network Ten publicist. 'I'd actually just done Have You Been Paying Attention? and a Channel Ten publicist pulled me aside and said, "Oh, just got a little bit of housekeeping to do,"' she said. 'I was kind of milling around with the comedians… and she's like, "Just hang out in the corridor for a bit." The MasterChef star who is up for a Gold Logie this year, has said the exclusive awards show isn't always as glamorous as it seems, reported TV Tonight on Saturday 'She sat me down in the boardroom and said, "So…" I thought she was going to leave or I thought it was about her because I love her. 'And she goes, "Ah, so yeah, you've been nominated for…" and I was just so bamboozled. I couldn't believe it. 'Yeah. I was speechless. I just… yeah. I'm still feeling a little bit odd about it.' When asked if it had sunk in, Poh replied: 'Can't… I can't. It's hard to process.' Her candid admission stunned fans as it's the first time a TV star has publicly revealed Logie nominees are privately informed weeks before the annual 'reveal' to the media. Poh joined the MasterChef judging panel in 2023 and quickly won over audiences with her warmth, humour and no-nonsense approach to food. The news comes just days after Daily Mail Australia revealed Poh has signed on to return for MasterChef 2026, putting an end to recent speculation she was preparing to bow out. A spokesperson for the popular chef flatly denied the claims, revealing: 'There's no truth to the speculation. Poh is loving her time on MasterChef and feels like she's found her place.' It followed a report by New Idea at the time which suggested Poh was considering leaving the series, prompting executives to quietly begin scouting a new judge to join Andy Allen, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli at the judging table. win the first season of MasterChef back in 2009.
