Latest news with #Tran
The Age
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘Let's try a freak': How this chaotic comedian landed TV's most wholesome show
The Great Australian Bake Off has a very particular mood and aesthetic. Like the iconic British series it's based on, this cooking competition is all scones and jam, bright colours and big feelings. It's wholesome family viewing, punctuated by giggles and gags. Which is why many local comedy fans might have been a bit perplexed by the casting of Tom Walker this season. Not because he isn't talented. But because this 'unhinged' comedian, trained mime and Twitch streamer is, to my knowledge, the first co-host whose stand-up includes graphic sex scenes with a coat. 'After the audition I got a text that I read to my parents, and it made them laugh the hardest that they've ever laughed, which is kind of hurtful, as a comedian,' Walker says before the series' launch. 'The text said that everyone was 'pleasantly surprised'.' He adds: 'There comes a time when a production has to throw up its hands and say, 'Let's try a freak on here!'' But, however unlikely off-screen, Walker isn't at all out of place in the Bake Off shed. In this upcoming eighth season, he perfectly matches the goofy and warm energy of returning co-host Natalie Tran – who also made her name in online comedy – and has a fresh haircut and rotation of bright cardigans to blend in. 'My mullet was the first casualty of getting to be in the Bake-Off shed – and I understand why they did it,' Walker says, laughing. 'Something to keep in mind is I am approximately triple the size of everyone else. I would have been quite an intimidating presence if they had not sanded down some of the rough edges. 'I'm a 'loomer': I naturally gravitate towards standing out of focus in the background of shot. If you've seen the movie It Follows [a horror film in which people are slowly stalked by others who are possessed by a supernatural entity], that's where my presence most naturally gravitates.' Tran admits that, unfamiliar with his stand-up, she watched Walker's 2020 special Very Very (yes, the one with the coat) the night before meeting him and had some questions. 'It was fantastic! But I was like, 'Wow, they're going to let him [on the show]? OK, I love it.'' Of course, his usual material needed tweaking. Walker confirms there was a ban on him referencing poo or other bodily products, 'which is kind of like telling Tyson he can't uppercut'. But Tran says what stood out to her was how 'polite' and 'nurturing' he was after production started. 'I know that's probably not the first thing that you think of, but he brought such a caring energy to the shed,' she says. 'He was exactly what we needed.' Walker is, after all, filling the spot held by Cal Wilson, who died after a short battle with a rare cancer in October 2023. The beloved comedian left the show abruptly in season seven, leaving Tran to host on her own, and died shortly after filming finished. This new season is the first time Tran and the rest of the crew were on set since Wilson's death. 'It was tough,' Tran says. 'The thing that I had to focus on was that Cal really loved the show, and it's a real privilege to be able to work on it. There were obviously sad moments, but it was a chance to feel closer to her, too. We now have a tree for Cal in the park [where we film].' It also helped, Tran says, that Walker was longtime friends with Wilson and shared the loss. The pair had starred alongside each other in the short-lived Australian version of improv show Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 2016. Loading 'She was the most warm and kind person that I've ever met in comedy,' he says, slowly and with emphasis. 'Comedy is an industry populated by the meanest, funniest people that you could possibly meet, and no one had a bad word to say about Cal. Everybody loved her.' Was there any pressure in being asked to step into her shoes? 'I just want to make her proud. She loved this show – she truly loved it. And I want to take this thing that she loved and shepherded, and keep it safe in some small way.' Despite the absurd and ironic nature of much of his work, Walker has a real reverence for the franchise, which is arguably the most earnest show on television. He talks about looking up to Mel Buttle and Claire Hooper, who hosted for four seasons from 2015 to 2022, as well as the 'inspirational' original British hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, who helmed the show for seven years. Loading It's worth noting, however, that the latter duo's epic run has now been surpassed by the show's present co-host, Noel Fielding. The Mighty Boosh co-creator was considered a similarly strange pick when announced in 2017 – this was the guy who created characters such as Old Gregg and the Crack Fox – but he's since become the pillar of the British version of the show, his spiky surreal comedy softened into whimsy. Strangely enough, it matches the chaotic energy of the kitchen – and it's hard not to see that as a road map to Walker's casting. '[Each show] is allowed one weird guy,' Walker says. 'It's a goth over there. Here, it's some weirdo online fella who's also a mime and clown. We're duelling freaks! I know Cal would get a huge kick out of me doing this job because it's such a left-field pick. I know exactly the laugh she would be doing.'
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Let's try a freak': How this chaotic comedian landed TV's most wholesome show
The Great Australian Bake Off has a very particular mood and aesthetic. Like the iconic British series it's based on, this cooking competition is all scones and jam, bright colours and big feelings. It's wholesome family viewing, punctuated by giggles and gags. Which is why many local comedy fans might have been a bit perplexed by the casting of Tom Walker this season. Not because he isn't talented. But because this 'unhinged' comedian, trained mime and Twitch streamer is, to my knowledge, the first co-host whose stand-up includes graphic sex scenes with a coat. 'After the audition I got a text that I read to my parents, and it made them laugh the hardest that they've ever laughed, which is kind of hurtful, as a comedian,' Walker says before the series' launch. 'The text said that everyone was 'pleasantly surprised'.' He adds: 'There comes a time when a production has to throw up its hands and say, 'Let's try a freak on here!'' But, however unlikely off-screen, Walker isn't at all out of place in the Bake Off shed. In this upcoming eighth season, he perfectly matches the goofy and warm energy of returning co-host Natalie Tran – who also made her name in online comedy – and has a fresh haircut and rotation of bright cardigans to blend in. 'My mullet was the first casualty of getting to be in the Bake-Off shed – and I understand why they did it,' Walker says, laughing. 'Something to keep in mind is I am approximately triple the size of everyone else. I would have been quite an intimidating presence if they had not sanded down some of the rough edges. 'I'm a 'loomer': I naturally gravitate towards standing out of focus in the background of shot. If you've seen the movie It Follows [a horror film in which people are slowly stalked by others who are possessed by a supernatural entity], that's where my presence most naturally gravitates.' Tran admits that, unfamiliar with his stand-up, she watched Walker's 2020 special Very Very (yes, the one with the coat) the night before meeting him and had some questions. 'It was fantastic! But I was like, 'Wow, they're going to let him [on the show]? OK, I love it.'' Of course, his usual material needed tweaking. Walker confirms there was a ban on him referencing poo or other bodily products, 'which is kind of like telling Tyson he can't uppercut'. But Tran says what stood out to her was how 'polite' and 'nurturing' he was after production started. 'I know that's probably not the first thing that you think of, but he brought such a caring energy to the shed,' she says. 'He was exactly what we needed.' Walker is, after all, filling the spot held by Cal Wilson, who died after a short battle with a rare cancer in October 2023. The beloved comedian left the show abruptly in season seven, leaving Tran to host on her own, and died shortly after filming finished. This new season is the first time Tran and the rest of the crew were on set since Wilson's death. 'It was tough,' Tran says. 'The thing that I had to focus on was that Cal really loved the show, and it's a real privilege to be able to work on it. There were obviously sad moments, but it was a chance to feel closer to her, too. We now have a tree for Cal in the park [where we film].' It also helped, Tran says, that Walker was longtime friends with Wilson and shared the loss. The pair had starred alongside each other in the short-lived Australian version of improv show Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 2016. Loading 'She was the most warm and kind person that I've ever met in comedy,' he says, slowly and with emphasis. 'Comedy is an industry populated by the meanest, funniest people that you could possibly meet, and no one had a bad word to say about Cal. Everybody loved her.' Was there any pressure in being asked to step into her shoes? 'I just want to make her proud. She loved this show – she truly loved it. And I want to take this thing that she loved and shepherded, and keep it safe in some small way.' Despite the absurd and ironic nature of much of his work, Walker has a real reverence for the franchise, which is arguably the most earnest show on television. He talks about looking up to Mel Buttle and Claire Hooper, who hosted for four seasons from 2015 to 2022, as well as the 'inspirational' original British hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, who helmed the show for seven years. Loading It's worth noting, however, that the latter duo's epic run has now been surpassed by the show's present co-host, Noel Fielding. The Mighty Boosh co-creator was considered a similarly strange pick when announced in 2017 – this was the guy who created characters such as Old Gregg and the Crack Fox – but he's since become the pillar of the British version of the show, his spiky surreal comedy softened into whimsy. Strangely enough, it matches the chaotic energy of the kitchen – and it's hard not to see that as a road map to Walker's casting. '[Each show] is allowed one weird guy,' Walker says. 'It's a goth over there. Here, it's some weirdo online fella who's also a mime and clown. We're duelling freaks! I know Cal would get a huge kick out of me doing this job because it's such a left-field pick. I know exactly the laugh she would be doing.'
Wall Street Journal
10 hours ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Gold Futures Slip on U.S. Trade Deal Optimism
1303 GMT – Gold futures edge lower after a three-day rally. Futures are down 0.3% at $3,434.0 a troy ounce, but remain up 2.9% on week. The precious metal has corrected slightly lower as the U.S.-Japan trade deal calms market nerves, MUFG analysts say in a note. The deal signals some progress in broader trade talks ahead of the looming Aug. 1 implementation of U.S. tariffs, reducing demand for safe-haven assets like gold, MUFG says. Despite the pullback, gold remains up nearly 30% year-to-date on persistent global trade tensions and geopolitical conflicts, the analysts write. The market is also watching upcoming U.S.-China trade negotiations and the U.S. Federal Reserves outlook for monetary policy, as recent comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent eases fears over the central bank's independence, MUFG adds. ( 0728 GMT – Gold futures are broadly flat, holding higher prices after rallying for three consecutive sessions. Futures trade at $3,442.30 a troy ounce, and are up more than 3% on week. Gold's gains have chiefly been supported by escalating geopolitical risks, optimism about an easing in U.S. monetary policy, and persistent central-bank purchases, Linh Tran says in a note. These factors are supporting gold's role as a safe-haven and store-of-value asset, Tran says. The precious metal still appears to have significant potential in the near to medium-term, Tran writes. Given consistent geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, gold is well-placed to continue serving as a safe-haven asset for both institutional and individual investors, she adds. (
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
How Australia became home to a million refugees
Tran, who was eight at the time, counts herself as lucky that they did not encounter pirates roaming the oceans they had heard stories about. Her father had worked in a warehouse affiliated with the American army during the war, and feared he had a target on his back. On their 14th attempt, the family made it to a Malaysian refugee camp. Following months of processing, Tran remembers landing in Sydney on a rainy afternoon the following year. 'It was just joyous,' she said. 'To this day, I still love the rain, and when I'm in long car rides and it's raining, yeah, those moments come back.' Tran is a board director for six organisations ranging from liquor regulation to family violence and financial counselling for women, and said she was motivated to create opportunities for those who otherwise wouldn't have them. 'That's what I've been gifted by just being in Australia,' Tran, who sits on the Victorian Liquor Commission, said. 'We get to live without fear, and we get to live being able to make the most of what the community provides us.' John Howard's Coalition government began processing refugees offshore in 2001 after the Tampa, a ship carrying 433 mostly Hazara asylum-seekers, grabbed national attention as it tried to enter Australian waters. The Rudd Labor government dismantled the policy in 2008, with then-minister for immigration and citizenship Chris Evans labelling it a 'cynical, costly and ultimately unsuccessful exercise'. Four years later, then-prime minister Julia Gillard, under political pressure from opposition leader Tony Abbott, reintroduced offshore processing. The policy was strengthened under the Abbott government's 'Operation Sovereign Borders' program, which continues to this day with bipartisan support. There were 93 people on Nauru at the end of last year, according to the Refugee Council of Australia. Faqihi, an ambassador for the council, said her family had been threatened with violence and barred from sending their children to school in Afghanistan as members of the Hazara ethnic minority. She believed Indonesia, where the family moved in 2012, would provide safety and educational opportunities for six months before a country took them in permanently. But Faqihi and her family were stuck for a decade in processing limbo, unable to get an education or work or access public services because of her refugee status. 'Those 10 years were the darkest moments of my life,' she said. 'We lived through a decade of uncertainty … without any say in the most important decisions being made about our lives.' Eventually arriving in Australia in 2022 was like being reborn, she said. The Department of Home Affairs said the refugee program for the 2024-25 financial year had 20,000 places. Loading The UK, which has a much larger population than Australia and is also going through a major immigration debate, accepted 93,342 refugees and asylum seekers in the 2023-24 financial year. The US resettled 100,034 refugees in the same year, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The United Nations has found Australia has violated the human rights of refugees detained in offshore processing, and the policy has been widely criticised by advocates as inhumane. Faqihi continues to advocate for the almost 12,000 displaced people in limbo in Indonesia. 'There is a lot Australia can do as a leader in the region,' she said. 'Australia can respond by expanding resettlement visas, especially for those who are stuck in the region and our neighbourhood regions.' Tran said: 'I just hope that Australians continue to take refugees, not because we might add value or anything, but ... because it's the right thing to do, and the best thing you can offer someone is a chance to be Australian.'
The Age
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
How Australia became home to a million refugees
Tran, who was eight at the time, counts herself as lucky that they did not encounter pirates roaming the oceans they had heard stories about. Her father had worked in a warehouse affiliated with the American army during the war, and feared he had a target on his back. On their 14th attempt, the family made it to a Malaysian refugee camp. Following months of processing, Tran remembers landing in Sydney on a rainy afternoon the following year. 'It was just joyous,' she said. 'To this day, I still love the rain, and when I'm in long car rides and it's raining, yeah, those moments come back.' Tran is a board director for six organisations ranging from liquor regulation to family violence and financial counselling for women, and said she was motivated to create opportunities for those who otherwise wouldn't have them. 'That's what I've been gifted by just being in Australia,' Tran, who sits on the Victorian Liquor Commission, said. 'We get to live without fear, and we get to live being able to make the most of what the community provides us.' John Howard's Coalition government began processing refugees offshore in 2001 after the Tampa, a ship carrying 433 mostly Hazara asylum-seekers, grabbed national attention as it tried to enter Australian waters. The Rudd Labor government dismantled the policy in 2008, with then-minister for immigration and citizenship Chris Evans labelling it a 'cynical, costly and ultimately unsuccessful exercise'. Four years later, then-prime minister Julia Gillard, under political pressure from opposition leader Tony Abbott, reintroduced offshore processing. The policy was strengthened under the Abbott government's 'Operation Sovereign Borders' program, which continues to this day with bipartisan support. There were 93 people on Nauru at the end of last year, according to the Refugee Council of Australia. Faqihi, an ambassador for the council, said her family had been threatened with violence and barred from sending their children to school in Afghanistan as members of the Hazara ethnic minority. She believed Indonesia, where the family moved in 2012, would provide safety and educational opportunities for six months before a country took them in permanently. But Faqihi and her family were stuck for a decade in processing limbo, unable to get an education or work or access public services because of her refugee status. 'Those 10 years were the darkest moments of my life,' she said. 'We lived through a decade of uncertainty … without any say in the most important decisions being made about our lives.' Eventually arriving in Australia in 2022 was like being reborn, she said. The Department of Home Affairs said the refugee program for the 2024-25 financial year had 20,000 places. Loading The UK, which has a much larger population than Australia and is also going through a major immigration debate, accepted 93,342 refugees and asylum seekers in the 2023-24 financial year. The US resettled 100,034 refugees in the same year, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The United Nations has found Australia has violated the human rights of refugees detained in offshore processing, and the policy has been widely criticised by advocates as inhumane. Faqihi continues to advocate for the almost 12,000 displaced people in limbo in Indonesia. 'There is a lot Australia can do as a leader in the region,' she said. 'Australia can respond by expanding resettlement visas, especially for those who are stuck in the region and our neighbourhood regions.' Tran said: 'I just hope that Australians continue to take refugees, not because we might add value or anything, but ... because it's the right thing to do, and the best thing you can offer someone is a chance to be Australian.'
