Latest news with #panelshow
News.com.au
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Unemployed': The Project's Sam Taunton makes light of losing his TV job
The Project star Sam Taunton has poked fun at Channel 10 axing the long-running panel show, effectively making he and his co-stars unemployed. It was confirmed last week that the current affairs and entertainment panel program was wrapping up at the end of this month after 16 years on air, with hosts including Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris and Hamish Macdonald all leaving the network. Taunton, who regularly hosts comedy segments on the panel show, broke his silence over the show's axing during his latest stand-up routine, where he revealed his close family's reaction to the news that he was now unemployed. 'It's just like everyone f**king knows you've lost your job and it's crazy,' said the comedian. 'My dad rang me and said: 'Look, if I'm honest, the show wasn't for me. I prefer real news.'' He continued: 'My girlfriend just sent me a Google Docs spreadsheet that said 'Chores now that Sam's unemployed.'' Taunton also revealed during his set that co-star Waleed Aly had warned him about the attention they would be receiving after the news was announced to the world that the show was coming to an end. 'It's weird losing your job very publicly. Waleed, you might know that guy. He texted me on Wednesday and he goes, he goes, I'm so sorry, Sam. Get prepared. I just got papped by the paparazzi outside Chemist Warehouse near the studio.' Taunton then joked: 'I ran as fast as I could to the chemist's warehouse. Not one f**ker took a photo of me!' Ten recently revealed details of the program replacing The Project, which launches on June 30. 10 News+ will be hosted by journalists Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace from Sunday to Thursday, and Hugh Riminton and Urusa Heger on Fridays. Also featured in the presenting line-up are political editor Ashleigh Raper, Billy Hogan, Brianna Parkins, Samantha Butler, Carrie-Anne Greenbank, Claudia Vrdoljak and entertainment editor Angela Bishop. Veteran producer Daniel Sutton will serve as EP. In a statement, Ten said that the new program 'will offer a fresh perspective on critical local and global stories, tailored for an engaged audience seeing an in-depth news coverage.'
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
ITV panel show in major shake-up as Holby City star named new host and soap favourite joins line-up
AN ITV panel show is set for a major shake-up as a Holby City star is named as the new host. Sorry, I Didn't Know first aired as a pilot in 2016, before returning as a full series in 2020. 5 5 Although the show has been renewed for a sixth series, the on air team will be slightly different. Panelists answer questions about Black history throughout the programme. Holby City legend Chizzy Akudolu, who played Mo Effanga, will be taking over as host. The 51-year-old has been with the show from the start, appearing as a team captain. She succeeds fellow Holby alum Jimmy Akingbola, who is filming the final season of US drama Bel-Air. Jimmy, 47, had presented Sorry, I Didn't Know throughout its run on-screen. He will be continuing as an executive producer and may return as presenter in the future, according to Deadline. Viewers will also see soap star Richard Blackwood replace Chizzy as a team captain. The actor and rapper, 53, played Vincent Hubbard on EastEnders as well as Felix Westwood on Hollyoaks. He will be joining former Strictly star Eddie Kadi, who became a team captain in 2022. ITV confirms return of landmark panel show after record-breaking ratings and rave reviews The programme's co-creator Frazer Ayres said: 'Chizzy has been part of the SIDK family since our pilot in 2016 and was amazing when she hosted an episode last series, so it's great to see her in the hosting seat. "And in Richard we have the perfect sparring partner for Eddie. "They're long-time friends and he has already shown he's a brilliant and hilarious guest, so we are thrilled he will be joining the team on the regular.' Past guests include Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu and comedian Russell Kane. Ex- Hollyoaks actress and former Loose Women panelist Jamelia has also competed. Sorry, I Didn't Know airs on ITV1. 5
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Future of iconic comedy panel show revealed after 32 series on air
THE fate of a beloved panel show has been revealed following 32 series on air. Iconic comedy game Never Mind The Buzzcocks first launched on BBC Two in 1996. 4 4 4 It combines classic comedy panel show with a pop music theme. Following a six year hiatus, the show relaunched on Sky Max in 2021. The programme has now been renewed for a new series - its fifth since being revived. Greg Davies was selected as presenter when Never Mind The Buzzcocks returned to screen. Joining the Taskmaster star is Noel Fielding, who reprises his team captain role from the original run. Daisy May Cooper leads the other team, while Jamali Maddix is a regular panelist. Mark Lamarr was the original presenter, followed by Simon Amstell and then Rhod Gilbert. For several years, numerous guest hosts took over presenting duties. Some examples include Jonathan Ross, who was the first guest presenter. Meanwhile, Johnny Vegas, was the show's final guest presenter. Chart star confesses she sent love letters to Liam Gallagher It comes as a Noughties pop star looked unrecognisable as she featured on Never Mind The Buzzcocks. More than 20 years had passed since Amy Studt's chart-topping song Misfit. Viewers watched as Amy was part of the line-up game for their noughties special. Taking to TikTok, the star explained why she had decided to take part. Never Mind The Buzzcocks presenters Comedy, music-infused panel game Never Mind The Buzzcocks has seen several presenters since debuting in 1996. These include: Amy shared: "A little while ago I took myself off to film in an episode of Never Mind The Buzzcocks in their line up game for their 00's special. After a little considering, I decided that having professional comedians take the p**s out of me on telly sounded like a LOT of fun and I was gonna do everything I could to win the game of not laughing.' 'If you don't know the game, the line ups are tested to stay emotionless whilst the comedians do everything they can to make you laugh.' Never Mind The Buzzcocks airs on Sky Max. 4
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
ABC to discontinue Q+A after panel show's 18 years on air
The ABC will discontinue its weekly panel show Q+A after 18 years, the public broadcaster has announced. The show, hosted by Patricia Karvelas since 2023, will not return after its hiatus, which started last month. The ABC's news director, Justin Stevens, said Q+A had made a huge contribution to the national public discussion. "We're very proud of Q+A's great achievements over the years. The team has done a terrific job, including a strong performance during the federal election campaign," he said. "Discontinuing the program at this point is no reflection on anyone on the show. "We always need to keep innovating and renewing and, in the two decades since Q+A began, the world has changed. "It's time to rethink how audiences want to interact and to evolve how we can engage with the public to include as many Australians as possible in national conversations. "We'll be working on how we can continue to foster engagement of this nature in an innovative way." Karvelas will continue hosting Afternoon Briefing and the popular Politics Now podcast along with writing her column for the ABC News website. "Patricia also recently reported for Four Corners, and we've now asked her to do more for Four Corners as time permits," Stevens said. The Q+A proposal would result in some redundancies, Stevens told ABC staff in an email. The ABC also announced it would invest in producing more news documentaries, with a new position of executive producer, documentaries and specials to be advertised soon. It will also make the Your Say project — launched during the recent federal election — a permanent initiative to drive audience engagement in communities around the country. "Your Say ensures we have a strong framework for putting the public's views, concerns and questions at the heart of our journalism, complementing our daily commissioning and reporting," Stevens said. "We're keen to see what else we can do with this." Launched by founding executive producer Peter McEvoy and host Tony Jones in 2008, Q+A was an agenda-setting program that pushed politicians beyond their standard talking points. Then-prime minister Kevin Rudd appeared solo on the first episode, before the second episode introduced the regular format of five panellists, including politicians from across the spectrum and others in public life. What made it stand out from other panel shows was the role of the audience, who led the questioning in the studio or via video and social media. McEvoy said in 2019 that the audience was the show's biggest challenge and its strength. "An ordinary panel program just has to wrangle four or five guests," he said. "Q&A has to manage 300, 400 — up to a thousand audience participants — recruiting, registering, checking identities, keeping them informed, generating and choosing questions." With the audience asking the questions, the conversation could go in unexpected directions, giving a platform to people who were not being heard in other areas of public life. But not every question took the conversation forward, earning Jones's signature line, "I'll take that as a comment". When Jones left the show in 2019, Hamish Macdonald joined as host for 18 months, before resigning. He was replaced by rotating hosts David Speers, Virginia Trioli and Stan Grant, before Grant took the role on solo. Grant resigned from the program in May 2023 after sustained racist abuse and trolling, saying on his last show: "To those who have abused me and my family, I would just say — if your aim was to hurt me, well, you've succeeded." Stevens paid tribute to the many people who had worked on screen and behind the camera over the show's 18-year run. "I want to call out current executive producer Eliza Harvey and presenter Patricia Karvelas. They are hugely talented journalists who have done an outstanding job with Q+A in recent years," he said. "Many extremely talented and dedicated people have worked on Q+A, as presenters and behind the scenes. "I extend our sincerest thanks to them all, and to everyone who has contributed as audience members and panellists." Karvelas said she had immensely enjoyed being part of the program. "Spending time with the audience members who came to Q+A late on a Monday night has been the best part of this job," she said. "They have always been the reason for this show and I'm forever grateful to them for coming on national TV and having the courage to ask questions of powerful people." The news comes in the same week Channel Ten has axed its long-running nightly panel show The Project, after almost 16 years and 4,500 episodes. The show's hosts, Waleed Aly, Hamish McDonald and Sarah Harris, will leave Channel Ten after the final episode airs on Friday, June 27. The network announced a new national "news, current affairs and insights" show that will air for an hour from Sunday to Friday.
