I’m a Celebrity – live recap

Akmal SalehAkmal Saleh

Anthony CalleaAnthony Callea

Bonnie LythgoeBonnie Lythgoe

Brendan FevolaBrendan Fevola

Courtney HancockCourtney Hancock

Dean GeyerDean Geyer

Havana BrownHavana Brown

Jo Beth TaylorJo Beth Taylor

Laurina FleureLaurina Fleure

Paul HarroganPaul Harrogan

Shane WarneShane Warne

Val LehmanVal Lehman

LIVE BLOG (SA TIME):  Missed the first minute and tuned in to see Akmal has already arrived. Yay – he’s good value.

They are moving quickly – it’s Bonnie Lythgoe (ex-wife of Nigel Lythgoe, creator of So You Think You Can Dance). Makes sense –  she was a judge on the Aussie version years ago, which was a Channel 10 product. Was there a little bit of her contract left to use up? Yes, I watched it but I wonder if many of the other celebs did. She and Akmal politely pretend to know who the other is.

30 seconds later  – it IS Anthony  Callea, ex-Australian Idol singer. Poor lad must be sweating in that glittery jacket.

Courtney Hancock is next. Sorry, I don’t know you, champion ironwoman, but you seem nice. No-one else knows her either.

Bonnie confesses she has never slept in a sleeping bag. She is going to be the Maureen of the season.

Paul “The Chief” Harrogan is the NRL captain – hadn’t thought of him at all. He knows who Akmal is. Phew.

Here comes the helicopter … darn, it’s only Chris and JMo, who tell them they will be trekking to the camp together. Five angry blokes with pregnant bellies AKA parachute backpacks pop out to give everyone the willies. Our Famous Five realise they will have to jump out of a plane. Geez, who’d have thunk that was a possibility on a show like this. “Just think of it as an instant facelift,” say Callea. Good one, Ant. They will have to change into their khaki shirts and red pants. Luckily Ant has red dacks on already .

12 mins in: I’ll give Ten credit – they are ripping right through it. JMo is wearing a super shiny blue retro swing dress but it is it just me or does she not really look like her? I prefer her usual make-up and do.

17 mins in: Cut to pre-recorded confessionals. Bonnie does not want to share a toilet. Please, someone, make her swim in a vat of elephant poo like last year.

OMG It’s Jo Beth Taylor! Didn’t pick that – she’s ex-Channel Nine. Guess that rules out Toni Pearen then.

Yes, as we already know, it’s Val Lehman: Bea Smith from Prisoner. Jo Beth knows who she is but I don’t think it’s reciprocated.

And, it’s Fev (Brendan Fevola), to be this season’s Barry Hall. Jo Beth introduces herself as JB. Fev is afraid of snakes, spiders and, errr, mozzies.

The international DJ is Havana Brown and she knows Fev. She is kinda famous overseas but I’m tipping not many TTV readers will know her. Will find some links to her songs later.

Dean Geyer – another Idol contestant! His family moved here from South Africa years ago. I last saw him playing a buff marine type in Terra Nova, a US sci-fi series filmed in Queensland. Must be between gigs. He came third on the season of Idol won by Damien Leith (the Irish guy with the beautiful voice), with runner up Jessica Mauboy.

We were right – it is Laurina Fleure from Bachie Blake Dirty Dog season. She will be good TV.

 JMo and Chris are back. Let’s hope Fev offers to carry Val’s bag for her. They have to canoe to camp. Deano puts his tank top on backwards and has to have Fev point it out. D’oh.

32 mins in: More precorded confessionals. All pretty tame so they have to cut to a clip of a scary-looking snake. Chris has placed a wooden statue of a gazelle between him and JMo to keep her mitts off him.

The Famous Five get the speech on how a lion could eat them when they land, although there’s probably  more danger of being shot accidentally by one of the armed guard.

Val is cacking herself because Fev can’t steer a canoe and they go backwards. Laurina is the first one to say shit as she and Jo Beth capsize. Jo Beth then clocks herself in the face with her own oar. Let’s hope she didn’t smash a tooth. Havana benefits from the fact Dean looks like he’s rafted before, plus she’s not a 72-year-old woman.

We’re still waiting on the 12th celeb – is this Warnie?

 To recap, we have:

Akmal

Bonnie

Ant

Havana

Laurina

Jo Beth

Courtney Ironwoman

Fev

Paul Harrogan

Deano

Val

43 mins in: Heather (ex-Bachelorette) and Joel Creasey, who host the after-show, say g’day. We know they are cool because Joel is wearing art curator glasses and Heather is in a playsuit.

Cut to the sky and they have to push Harrogan out of the chopper. He’s a big unit so that skydiver must have some guns. He’s packing death and fair enough – I wouldn’t do it. The River Tribe is waiting to welcome the Sky People. So we have khaki shirts versus navy shirts – is this a two tribes scenario, a la Survivor?

Poor Courtney lands a bit hard and looks shaken. Bonnie jumps and there are no creases on her forehead – it can’t be just the effect of the wind. She’s a bit teary. Akmal pretty much takes it in his stride and lands standing up, leaving Ant to sweat it out on his own.

54 minutes in: Not a lot of ads tonight – I’m  surprised. Is KFC not on board this year? Ant jumps: “I’m never, ever doing this again.” So, Ant to win?

JMo is getting more texts. HAS to be Warnie. Ok, I was wrong – it’s another ad! Ten is using I’m A Celeb to lure people into staying to watch the X Files. I’ve seen part of the first ep and, honestly, it ain’t worth it. Duchovny is just dialling it in for the moolah. Can you believe they initially fought against giving Gillian the same money as DD? Makes me even less inclined to watch.

One hour in: The core 11 celebs arrive at the first Tucker Trial, which is how they win extra food. They are dangling above vats of fish guts and offal. Celebs must use their mouths to pick up stars from boxes crawling with the usual gross insects. Akmal and Val try not to swallow any mealworms and are giving it a good crack. Box 2 is cockroaches and Bonnie does surprisingly well, beating Fev. Havana and Ant try not to drown putting their heads in a tank of eels. Box 4 is 14kg of maggots. Deano laps it up and Court does well. Laurina and Harrigan have scorpions – they’ve saved them for her, expecting her to freak.

72 mins in: Laurina smashes it and seals the win for her team. So, Sky People are going to get dunked. Akmal jumps out but is made to hop back in. It’s not that bad – their heads didn’t even get slimed. The worst bit is they know a hot shower is a long way off. The others have to tell Dean and Fev what a long drop and a short drop are. Jo Beth gives delivers the horrifying news that if they poo in the wrong one they have to scoop it out with their hands. This could lead to trouble.

They get a teeny dinner of biltong and salad. Why not give them the ingredients and make them cook it? More interesting than watching them get handed food.

85 mins in: It’s dark and the Sky Peeps finally make it to camp, looking knackered. After trying to start the fire for ages the celebs finally twig they have a flame in their lantern and can use that. Some of the dunkees burn their rank undies. Val kindly tries to teach Ant how to cook rice – he buys the pre-cooked packs at home. Tim must be the chef of the couple, or perhaps Mama Callea cooks and drops off care packages for them.

Fev thinks the jungle noises are fake. JoBeth needs a Panadeine Forte desperately. Harrogan is snoring – everyone wants to kill him. Fev snores, too.

The plane with Celeb No. 12 lands and, shock, horror, it’s Mr Yeah Yeah. But – cliffhanger – they are saving his entrance for tomorrow night.

Phew – that was a jam-packed 90 minutes. So, who do we think will be out first? Court?

I leave you with this classic from Jo Beth:



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MKR – My Kitchen Rules

How skinny is Pete? Does Manu have enough sauce? This is the place to chat about MKR disasters (remember the bought curry paste?) and triumphs. The new season starts Monday, February 1 on Seven.

So, who is the new judge? There’s a bit of chatter it may be Rachel Khoo. If you watch the new SBS food channel you’ll see her Kitchen Notebook shows.

Here’s the promo (love the dress):

And here’s a link to her website with some photos of her. http://www.rachelkhoo.com/books/rachel-khoos-kitchen-notebook What do you think?

And here are the team blurbs as per the official MKR website (here’s the link https://au.tv.yahoo.com/my-kitchen-rules/teams/#page1). What, only one SA team this year? Are Adelaide cooks holding out for MasterChef?

QLD: Best mates Alex and Gareth are almost each other’s shadows. From Mackay, they live together on the Sunshine Coast and both work in fly in/fly out mining jobs. And these 25-year-olds have both been saving in the hope of chasing a food dream in the near future.

QLD: Hailing from Brisbane, sales/marketing manager Cheryl and student Matt are used to people misinterpreting their relationship. Mum-of-one Cheryl, 50, has been happily dating 26 year-old Matt for the past 18 months and says he won her over with his chicken Caesar salad.

QLD: For Nelly, 25, it was love at first sight when she met her new boss JP, 30. Luckily, after leaving the job love blossomed along with a healthy appreciation of nutritional food. Now “tea obsessed” Nelly wants to wow the MKR dining table with her tea-infused menu along with some help from her beau, who just happens to be the son of a French chef.

VIC: Facebook is to thank for Jessica and Marcos following their food dream and applying for MKR. Childhood friends, they lost touch after Jessica, 30, moved. But these old Sydney school friends reconnected online and discovered their shared love of healthy eating after Marcos, 29, also migrated to Melbourne. Now they’re ready to rattle the competition with their raw and nutritious menus.

VIC: Siblings Mitch, 21, and Laura, 19, may be the youngest cooks in the competition, but you won’t find many teens dishing up offal quite like these pair. Avid fans of nose-to-tail cooking, they are inspired by the great produce surrounding their rural Mornington Peninsular home. Both students, they are yet to decide where their future lies but the lure of the kitchen is hard to resist at times.

VIC: Siblings Tasia, 26, and Gracia, 24, can fight like the best of sisters, but they say it only fuels their passion in the kitchen. After growing up in Indonesia, India and Australia, these homely cooks have very big international influences on their cooking style. Just don’t tell anyone they fear they can’t cook rice without a rice cooker!

VIC: Newlyweds Gianni, 27, and Zana, 24, don’t do things by halves. About to open their own law firm in Melbourne, these high achievers have the MKR title in their sight. And they aim to win it while educating viewers on traditional Montenegrin food.

SA: Mum-of-two Rosie, 37, and best friend Paige, 34, love nothing more than a gossip in the kitchen. There they are happy to experiment with creating flavourful healthy food and with a wine in hand they can “solve the world’s problems”. The next step in their future is a wedding event company for Rosie, and a providore for Paige.

WA: After meeting each other two years ago, Nev and Kell found they shared a passion for food. Nev, 48, a control room attendant, thinks it’s the “duck’s nuts” to be on MKR. No need for prize money, he would’ve done it just for the apron says cleaner Kell, 44.

WA: Anna, 55, was destined to have one of her four sons grow up to be her sidekick in the kitchen and Jordan, 23, is happy to take up the role. Although her young apprentice has a few of his own ideas on making Anna’s traditional Maltese and Italian dishes a tad healthier.

NSW: Workmates Sarah, 26, and mum-of-four Monique, 33, bonded over their love of food in their stressful office. As police officers, work is serious and coming home to cook is a good relaxer for these two.

NSW: Luciano, 49, was one of the first people Martino, 48, met when he moved to Australia 11 years ago. After dancing the night away at Mardi Gras, they became instant friends and began throwing Italian dinner parties showcasing authentic dishes for their lucky friends. Now as they approach 50, they are ready for a big change and cooking just might be the answer.



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I’m a Celebrity general chat

It starts this Sunday at 6.30pm, so get ready to discuss here.

Is Rhonda Burchmore one of the celebs? She’s been in the New York blizzard for the past few days, according to social media.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BA5dl5RH3nA/

Is Warnie going in? He keeps denying it but the reports are coming thick and fast. Plus he could do with the cash for his charity. Hopefully on Sunday night we can say “yeah, yeah” – he’s in.

Thinking of growing my hair long again like this ? Thoughts ? #advancedhair.

A photo posted by Shane Warne (@shanewarne23) on



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Are you having trouble registering?

If you are not sure how to register, read the below. If you want to see a step-by-step guide with pictures, click the tab at the top of the page called How To Register.

The first time you try to use this site you will be prompted by WordPress to create a username and provide an email. WordPress then sends you an email to check you are a human being, and so you can set up a password. If you haven’t received that email, try your spam/junk folder. Once you set up a password you can post your first comment. It may not appear straight away as I have to manually approve you for your first comment, but after that is all out of the way you shouldn’t have to fuss with any more emails or passwords. Sorry for the initial palaver but it keeps spammers away. If you are having any technical issues please send an email to the address listed under the Contact section and I will get my trusty IT Sidekick on it ASAP.

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Casting for The Bachelor (Australia)

Ever wanted to be trapped in a house with 20 other women, competing to see who can wear the sparkliest, most cleavage-enhancing evening gown? Here’s your chance to make that dream a reality: The Bachelor is casting for its 2016 season. You need to hurry, though, as applications close January 29.

The website says they want single women aged 22-35 and single blokes 27-35.  Does this mean they don’t have a Bachie lined up yet, or are they scoping out talent for another season of The Bachelorette?

On the US series the Bachie is usually a rejected suitor from a past season of The Bachelorette, but the pickings from the Australia’s first season are slim. Richie was a bit of a larrikin but not as TV savvy as the others (plus he’s been photographed lately chilling with ex-Big Brother housemate Tully Smyth). And the shine seems to be off runner-up Michael.

The casting website says filming starts in about March and can take three months, so clear your calendars. The sections on the application form are:

  • Introduction
  • Applicant
  • Your Profile
  • Employment
  • Family And Friends
  • Relationships
  • Future Partner
  • Life
  • Medical/Background
  • Clothing
  • The Show
  • Photos
  • Terms
Hmm, clothing? Is there a minimum sequin quota per garment? The mind boggles. Full details of the casting process are at https://thebachelors4.castasugar.com

Would you go on a reality show to find love? We know it’s worked for some of The Farmer Wants a Wife couples and Sam Frost and Sasha Mielczarek.



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Are you ready for the onslaught?

For the past month it’s been nothing but cricket and tennis on TV (I’ve been making the most of Stan’s 30-day free trial) but now it’s time for the annual bombardment of  premieres of shows old and new.

Channel 10 is attempting to get ahead of the pack by launching the second season of I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! – a whole 24 hours ahead of the other channels. It premieres Sunday, January 31 at the family-friendly timeslot of 6.30pm (check your local guide).

There’s meant to be an after-show on Eleven, hosted by Bachelor reject Heather Maltman and jungle reject Joel Creasey, but it’s not showing up as yet on Sunday TV guides.

The following night the other channels join the party.

Nine kicks off with Australia’s Got Talent and a new panel of judges: Kelly Osbourne (daughter of Ozzy and fashion commentator), Eddie Perfect (beloved by Offspring and Play School viewers) and Sophie Monk (remember when she was an unknown on one of Australia’s first reality shows, Popstars?). Hughesy is hosting.

The Farmer Wants a Wife, also on Nine, starts the same night at 8.45pm.

I suspect Channel 7 is where most of us will land on the Monday night for the return of My Kitchen Rules (with the first part of much-promoted Molly telemovie looking likely to air on February 7).

Backtracking a little here, but if you have time the previous Monday night (January 25) turn to the ABC for the Australian of the Year Special. Four finalists have been selected for each state and territory in the categories Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia’s Local Hero.

If you’ve missed it no doubt you can catch up on iView or read more about the nominees at http://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/

Other shows due in February are Nine’s scripted comedy Here Come the Habibs! and the Australian episodes of If You are the One on SBS2. Wanted, the TV series Rebecca Gibney developed and in which she stars, starts in February on Seven. Over in Pay TV land, the excellent Selling Houses Australia returns February 3 on the Lifestyle channel.

Here’s a link to a Channel 7 ad for the MKR premiere and a few other shows that start the same day:

So, what will you be watching?

UPDATE: The Celeb after show is now appearing in the TV guides. It’s called Get Me Out of here now, runs 9.30-10.30pm this Sunday (check your local guide) on Eleven  and is rated M for “Adult Themes or medical procedures, Coarse language”.

 



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