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Sky News AU
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Play School presenter Donald Macdonald dies at 86
Donald Macdonald, one of Play School's first presenters and a respected actor, has died aged 86. Remembered as one of the original presenters when Play School launched in 1966, the Sydney-born actor died following a battle with cancer surrounded by family. Journalist Craig Bennett shared the news on Monday, penning a heartfelt tribute to 'a true gentleman'. 'One of our showbiz greats left us at 12:45am today,' the post said. 'Donald Macdonald was a stalwart of stage and screen, who'd written smash hit plays like Caravan, dazzled on London's West End, and delighted millions over the decades with his starring turns on TV series like Play School where he was a presenter from 1966 to 1969.' Spending his final days with his 'cherished' cousins Paula Duncan and Amelia Barrett, Bennett said Macdonald faced the cancer with 'copious good humour'. 'On Saturday we turned his hospital room into a party, laughs and smiles a-plenty, as Donald enjoyed some bubbly and lemon meringue pie!' Bennett wrote. 'Blue was always his colour, even in a hospital gown!' Macdonald's career spanned more than 40 years, with credits including appearances on popular Australian TV shows such as Certain Women, The Box, Rake, Cop Shop, and Skyways. He also featured in the cult film Alvin Purple and made a cameo in Superman Returns. A highly regarded figure in the arts, Macdonald became an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1991 for his leadership as general manager of the Australian Opera. In 2006, he was recognised as a Companion of the Order of Australia for his outstanding impact on national life and the creative industries, including his work in public broadcasting. Fans remembered Macdonald as a 'lovely gentleman', posting condolences under the tribute. 'A very good man … was honoured to be part of the first national tour of Caravan. Some wonderful memories. Sending love to you all,' one fan commented. 'Thank you, Craig for letting us all know. A sad day for those Left Behind who loved this dear gentleman. It's beautiful Craig how you honour people that need to be honoured and reminds all of us of their rich and incredible life. May he rest in peace.' another added. 'We were VERY LUCKY to meet Donald through you both, get to know him, and be entertained by his lovely demeanour, sharp wit and of course his writing skills. What a lovely, gentleman.' Originally published as 'Dapper Delight': Acting great Donald Macdonald dies after cancer battle
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Donald MacDonald dead aged 86: BBC children's TV star dies after cancer battle as family pay tribute to ‘true gentleman'
A LEGENDARY TV presenter hailed for hosting a beloved children's' show has died aged 86. Donald Macdonald, best known for lighting up the screen on Play School, passed away on Monday after a brave battle with cancer. Across his stellar 40-year career, Donald starred in stage productions and TV dramas. His credits include John McKellar's A Cup of Tea, a Bex and a Good Lie Down. News of the star's death was confirmed by journalist Craig Bennett. He penned a moving tribute on Donald's social media which read: "One of our showbiz greats left us at 12:45am today. "Donald Macdonald was a stalwart of stage and screen, who'd written smash-hit plays like Caravan, dazzled on London's West End, and delighted millions over the decades with his starring turns on TV series like Play School where he was a presenter from 1966 to 1969. "He guested on shows from Certain Women, The Box, Cop Shop and Skyways, to the raunchy Alvin Purple, and in movies like Superman Returns. Donald was a dapper delight and always great company." He added: "On Saturday we turned his hospital room into a party, laughs and smiles a-plenty, as Donald enjoyed some bubbly and lemon meringue pie. "Blue was always his colour, even in a hospital gown! He gave his permission to post his last photo, saying 'what the heck!' Vale to a true gentleman." 1 is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Perth Now
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Beloved Play School actor dies at 86
Donald Macdonald, one of Play School's first presenters and respected actor, has died aged 86. Remembered as one of the original presenters when Play School launched in 1966, the Sydney-born actor died following a battle with cancer surrounded by family. Journalist Craig Bennett shared the news on Monday, penning a heartfelt tribute to 'a true gentleman'. 'One of our showbiz greats left us at 12:45am today,' the post said. 'Donald Macdonald was a stalwart of stage and screen, who'd written smash hit plays like Caravan, dazzled on London's West End, and delighted millions over the decades with his starring turns on TV series like Play School where he was a presenter from 1966 to 1969.' Macdonald with his close friend Judy Nunn. Facebook/ Craig Bennett Credit: Supplied Spending his final days with his 'cherished' cousins Paula Duncan and Amelia Barrett, Bennett said Macdonald faced the cancer with 'copious good humour'. 'On Saturday we turned his hospital room into a party, laughs and smiles a-plenty, as Donald enjoyed some bubbly and lemon meringue pie!' Bennett wrote. 'Blue was always his colour, even in a hospital gown!' Macdonald's career spanned more than 40 years, with credits including appearances on popular Australian TV shows such as Certain Women, The Box, Rake, Cop Shop, and Skyways. Craig Bennett salutes Macdonald's life and friendship with Paula Duncan and Craig Murchie. Picture Facebook/ Craig Bennett Credit: Supplied He also featured in the cult film Alvin Purple and made a cameo in Superman Returns. A highly regarded figure in the arts, Macdonald became an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1991 for his leadership as general manager of the Australian Opera. In 2006, he was recognised as a Companion of the Order of Australia for his outstanding impact on national life and the creative industries, including his work in public broadcasting. Fans remembered Macdonald as a 'lovely gentleman', posting condolences under the tribute. 'A very good man … was honoured to be part of the first national tour of Caravan. Some wonderful memories. Sending love to you all,' one fan commented. Macdonald, pictured with Duncan, has been remembered as a 'stalwart of stage and screen'. Facebook/ Craig Bennett Credit: Supplied 'Thank you, Craig for letting us all know. A sad day for those Left Behind who loved this dear gentleman. It's beautiful Craig how you honour people that need to be honoured and reminds all of us of their rich and incredible life. May he rest in peace.' another added. 'We were VERY LUCKY to meet Donald through you both, get to know him, and be entertained by his lovely demeanour, sharp wit and of course his writing skills. What a lovely, gentleman.'
7NEWS
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Beloved Play School presenter Donald Macdonald, dead at 86
Australian actor Donald Macdonald has died, aged 86. The former Play School presenter, who had a stage and TV career for 40 years, died following a battle with cancer. Macdonald appeared on Play School between 1966 and 1969. Journalist Craig Bennett broke the news of the death on Monday. 'One of our showbiz greats left us at 12:45am today,' the post read. He continued: 'Donald Macdonald was a stalwart of stage and screen, who'd written smash-hit plays like Caravan, dazzled on London's West End, and delighted millions over the decades with his starring turns on TV series like Play School where he was a presenter from 1966 to 1969.' 'He guested on shows from Certain Women, The Box, Cop Shop and Skyways, to the raunchy Alvin Purple, and in movies like Superman Returns. Donald was a dapper delight and always great company.' Macdonald had been with his cousins, Paula Duncan and Amelia Barrett, according to Bennett. 'On Saturday we turned his hospital room into a party, laughs and smiles a-plenty, as Donald enjoyed some bubbly and lemon meringue pie,' he continued. 'Blue was always his colour, even in a hospital gown! He gave his permission to post his last photo, saying 'what the heck!' Vale to a true gentleman.' Macdonald had a storied career, including in several theatre shows, including Is Australia Really Necessary, A Cup of Tea, a Bex and a Good Lie Down. He also appeared in A Country Practice, Rake and Rafferty's Rules. A number of fans were quick to share their grief. 'We were VERY LUCKY to meet Donald through you both, get to know him, and be entertained by his lovely demeanor, sharp wit and of course his writing skills. What a lovely, gentleman. xx' one fan wrote. 'A very good man… was honoured to be part of the first national tour of Caravan. Some wonderful memories. Sending love to you all,' yet another added. 'Thank you, Craig for letting us all know. A sad day for those Left Behind who loved this dear gentleman. It's beautiful Craig how you honour people that need to be honoured and reminds all of us of their rich and incredible life. May he rest in peace. Xx' another added.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Ottawa Valley STOMP Music Festival kicks off Friday
The Ottawa Valley has a brand-new music festival to take in this Canada Day long week. Friday marks the first night of the new Ottawa Valley STOMP Music Festival being hosted in Petawawa. The three-day festival at the Petawawa Civic Centre features two headlining bands that are bringing the 80's back, The Box and Honeymoon Suite. 'Our crowd, the demographic is 80's, and you can't really go out and get your fix of the 80's,' said organizer and STOMP's chief technical officer Jim Dent. 'So this this is your chance to come on out and have fun with us. This is a great music, we've got The Box, we've got Honeymoon Suite, that's as 80's as it gets.' The weekend festival is a combination of many family activities, including a lumberjack competition on Saturday, a buttertart festival, an array of food festival trucks, a touch-a-truck event for kids and more. Dent says the all-Canadian festival brings together different aspects of the Ottawa Valley. 'We've never done this before in our hometown, so we thought that we'd bring it here. Everyone's after us to bring it here, and they want to see it. They don't want to have to drive to Ottawa to see a show.' Speaking with CTV News ahead of their set Friday night, lead singer for Montreal-based band The Box, Jean-Marc Pisapia, says they are getting asked to play many new summer music festivals each year, and enjoy the crowds small towns create. 'Actually, they are a lot more enthusiast than the big city, blasé kind of attitude, where you really need something hip, otherwise it's not going to work,' says Pisapia. 'Here, people, they just love it.' Due to the weekend's rainy forecast, Dent says the festival had to move its stage inside the Petawawa Civic Centre, but in doing so, allows bands to play longer since they do not have to abide by the outdoor noise bylaw. Pisapia says The Box will make it up to fans by playing a longer set. 'In the first half of the show, we're going to do some more recent material. And in the second half, all the old hits for the 80's. So if someone's wondering, is it like if I go see the Police and they don't play Roxanne, no, we do all our old hits from the 80s.' With the live music moving indoors, it does put a cap on tickets, which Dent says is roughly 1300. He says as of Friday afternoon, the festival had sold about 1000 tickets. 'So if you haven't got tickets, you better get them, because we have a capacity here in this building and we're very close to that now.' If successful, Dent says the plan is to host the Ottawa Valley STOMP Music Festival annually, moving it around to different host communities in the region. Petawawa Mayor Gary Serviss says the town has no projections for the economic impact the festival will bring, but hotels in the area are fully booked. 'I'm hoping that it's more than just a Petawawa celebration, that it's a Renfrew County, Upper Ottawa Valley celebration,' he says. 'That we attract everybody from all around to come to Petawawa and enjoy all that we have to offer this weekend.'
