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Kamahl lifts the lid on "disrespectful" Hey Hey, It's Saturday feud

Kamahl has lifted the lid on his many years as a regular co-host on Hey Hey, It's Saturday, calling out the show's "disrespectful" actions. To celebrate his 90th birthday, Kamahl has shared the highs and lows of his career in his newly-released biography, Kamahl: The Triumph of Hope. In the book, the musician and TV presenter criticised the popular Australian variety show for constantly using him as the butt of many jokes, despite his popularity on the program. Hey Hey stopped airing in 1999, but in 2021, Channel 7 showcased a special episode of the show to celebrate its 50 year anniversary. Despite being a regular fixture on the show for many years, Kamahl wasn't invited to participate, even though he said at the time he would've gladly joined in the celebrations if they had asked. Instead of Kamahl appearing in person, they acknowledged his many years on the show with a split-second image amongst a montage of pictures of hundreds of other artists who had appeared on the show during its history. Kamahl wrote in his book that while the snub was ungracious, it was consistent with a lot of the treatment he received on the program over the years, so it wasn't unexpected. Kamahl said, “You know, I have never been capable of being disrespectful, so when on the receiving end of such treatment, it genuinely confuses me. However, the resurrection of the show in the 50th Anniversary special just made me reflect once again on some of the things that had involved me on the show over the years. A number stood out for all the wrong reasons." “It was obvious that they had got me on the show as some kind of comic foil. It was hardly subtle nor clever, but it appealed to a segment of their audience, so they milked it for all it was worth. I thought that by taking such treatment in my stride in good grace may show that I could rise above it all by not overreacting." “I thought that by going along with it, by being a good sport, the audience may understand that we can laugh at ourselves and that we aren’t all that different. I now realise that in doing so I may have been seen to be supportive of such treatment, which is wrong." “When the 50th Anniversary special aired and it was being lauded by all and sundry within the business, I felt compelled to seek an answer as to why my career milestone was treated with such disdain. I wrote an open letter to Daryl Somers so that he could be given an opportunity to publicly explain his actions.” The <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/i-felt-let-down-kamahl-s-open-letter-to-daryl-somers-after-hey-hey-smash-hit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open letter</a> to Somers, that was published on many news sites in the days after the anniversary special aired, Kamahl stated, “In a week where you are deservedly receiving such plaudits for your career milestone, I am left wondering why when you had the opportunity to acknowledge mine you chose not to.” Kamahl's open letter remained unanswered. Image credits: Getty Images / New Holland Publishers <div class="media image" style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 24px; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; width: 705.202209px; max-width: 100%;"> </div>

Beloved Hey Hey It's Saturday star passes away

Beloved Australian entertainer Marty Morton has passed away at the age of 82. Morton, who was best known for his role as a children's entertainer in the 1970s on shows such as The Super Flying Fun Show and Hey, Hey It’s Saturday, died on Friday after a lengthy battle with cancer. His sons, Anthony and Terry, confirmed the news on behalf of their family in an emotional statement, writing, “It is with great sadness that my first post in a very long time, is to let you know that my father, Marty (Darrell) Morton passed away on the morning of Friday." “He almost made it to 83. I love him and will miss him big time.” Morton was born in Lancashire in the north of England in 1941 before moving to Australia with his family at a young age. His 50-year career in entertainment began on the stage, before the talent ventriloquist became a regular face on television, where he appeared with puppet Emu on The Super Flying Fun Show alongside Marilyn Mayo. Along with his work in children’s television, Morton also featured in a string of other guest roles including on Spyforce, Division 4, The Young Doctors and All Saints, and maintained a presence on the cabaret and comedy circuit. His contributions to Australian entertainment were recognised by the Australian Entertainment Mo Awards, where he was awarded the Versatile Variety Act of the Year in 1982, 1983 and 1986. A celebration of his life will be held on Monday, with attendees asked to dress “happy and bright with even a touch of cringe if you feel the need”, with Terry saying, “It’s dad, remember.” “Dad had two favourite charities, A.L.V.A inc. (entertainers’ benevolent fund), and the Cancer Council. Dad would have preferred a donation to charity rather than flowers.” Image credits: Facebook

Caring

Daryl Somers drops big hint over Hey Hey It's Saturday tour

Daryl Somers, 72, was named Victorian of the Year during a ceremony at Melbourne Town Hall on Monday. During his speech, the TV veteran revealed that he was "serious" about touring highlights from his iconic show, Hey Hey It's Saturday. “I’m seriously considering going out and touring with the archives because we’ve digitised well over 20 years worth of Hey Hey,” Somers revealed. “There are some marvellous backstories to things that happened over that time.” The presenter accepted the honour for his charitable contributions and services to entertainment, after a nearly 30 year career on the show, which ran until 1999. He told the audience that he was a "performer at heart" and missed the excitement of live entertainment. During his speech, he also admitted that even though it was an honour to receive the award, it had come at a difficult time, following the death of close friend and former co-star John Blackman, who served as Hey, Hey’s voiceover artist for the show. Blackman passed away on June 4 after a battle with cancer. “It is an honour, I’m a born-and-bred Victorian,” he said. “You think about the highs and lows in life and this is a high for me at the end of a rather solemn week. “Last week, we laid to rest my dear friend John Blackman. John was a passionate and loyal Victorian as well. “He is not here, but in part I’d like to dedicate this award to him because we had an endearing friendship. I love the guy – we went back over 50 years.” Somers also thanked his team and his wife, Julie for supporting him throughout his career. The TV veteran was also involved with plenty of charities over the years including Lost Dogs Home, Kids Under Cover and Camp Quality. Images: Channel 9

How to write creative non-fiction history

Discovering an old photo album from the 1920s, celebrated author and adjunct professor Paul Ashton embarked on a journey to turn historical research into engaging creative non-fiction, blending meticulous evidence with captivating storytelling. Here he shares he insights on the fascinating process. One afternoon my elderly father and niece came to my home for lunch. On their way they had seen something on a council clean up. ‘We thought you might be interested in this,’ said my father handing me a small, brown photo album. I was. The album contained around 100 undated black and white photographs. It became apparent quickly that this was the record of a road trip done in the 1920s or 1930s. A boy, two women and a man had gone on a trip from Sydney up through New England, to Tamworth then to Brisbane and back to Sydney. Shadows in some of the images indicate that they were taken by the man and at least one of the women. The album provided the basis for my first children’s book, Palmer’s Mystery Hikes. One photograph stood out for me. Hundreds of people were gathered somewhere in the bush. In the far left-hand corner in the background was an elevated table covered with a large white tablecloth. With a magnifying glass I could just make out ‘Palmers [something] Hike’. In 1932 Palmer’s men and boys’ department store, in Park Street in Sydney, had established a hiking club to promote the sale of hiking apparel. You bought a ‘mystery’ ticket from New South Wales Railways with which Palmer had an arrangement; turned up at Central Station on Sunday morning; and were taken to a mystery destination. From there you did a ten-mile hike to another station and were then trained back to Sydney. There were five hikes. The third one to the Hawkesbury River attracted over 8,000 people. Turning historical research into believable fiction or creative non-fiction has certain demands. How do you strike a balance between historical research and evidence and the narrative form? This is a big question and will ultimately depend on many things, including the availability of primary and secondary sources and the nature of the particular narrative. But perhaps the most important question is: how do writers use the past to give their work historical dimensions and insights? For me, the most critical element is context. And it’s the thing most missing in much historically based fictional literature. Evoking people, places and periods involves understandings of things such as continuity and change over time, historical process – like colonisation and suburbanisation – ideologies and superstitions. Where appropriate, these should form subtle backgrounds to the narrative. Fiction and creative non-fiction as historical modes of presenting history should also show – not tell. My edited collection, If It’s not True It Should Be (Halstead Press), explores writing history using fictional techniques. As Peter Stanley has written in that book, ‘those who seek to illuminate the past through the imaginative recreation of historical fiction … [are] motivated by the fundamental conviction that what links the fidelity of the historian and the imagination of the historical novelist is that the work of both should be offered and read as if it were true.’ ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul Ashton is adjunct professor and co-founder of the Australian Centre for Public History at the University of Technology Sydney and adjunct professor at the University of Canberra and Macquarie University. He has authored, co-authored, edited and co-edited over 40 books and is editor of the journal Public History Review. His series of creative non-fiction children’s histories – Accidental Histories – is being published by Halstead Press. Images: Supplied

Books

Sydneysiders witnessed horrific scenes on Saturday. How do you process and recover from such an event?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kim-felmingham-9075">Kim Felmingham</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Like many, I watched the reports of the violent attack at Bondi Junction yesterday with shock, horror and disbelief. My heart goes out to the people involved, the courageous first responders and to those who have lost loved ones in this tragic event. I also feel for those who witnessed the horror and will be working out how to get through the initial shock and, over time, put it behind them. Distress and strong emotional reactions are <a href="https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/the-psychological-and-psychiatric-effects-of-terrorism-lessons-fr">common</a> after these types of mass violent events. But different people will have <a href="https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/types/mass_violence_help.asp">different emotional reactions</a> – and some may experience a range of shifting emotions. <h2>The first few days and weeks</h2> In the days and weeks after traumatic events like these, people <a href="https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/isitptsd/common_reactions.asp#:%7E:text=All%20kinds%20of%20trauma%20create,stop%20thinking%20about%20what%20happened.">often experience</a> a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306457320308670">range of emotions</a>: from fear and anxiety, anger, sadness and grief, disbelief and numbness, guilt and worry about safety. They may be jittery, more irritable or on edge, or it may affect their sleep. For many, their sense of risk may be heightened, particularly as such random violence occurred during such an ordinary event – shopping on a Saturday afternoon. This <a href="https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/types/mass_violence_help.asp">can lead to</a> a heightened awareness of danger and concern for safety. <h2>What’s likely to happen over time?</h2> For most people, as they begin to process and make sense of what happened, these feelings will gradually reduce in intensity and people will begin to recover. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25311288/">Research shows</a> the majority of people recover from mass violent events within the initial few months. However, for people with more direct exposure to the trauma, these events and reactions may be more difficult to process. Some people <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26084284/">may go on</a> to develop mental health difficulties, most commonly anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understandably, those <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26084284/">more at risk</a> are people who were present during the trauma and experienced a direct threat, as well as those who witnessed the violence or aftermath, first responders (paramedics and police) and those who had loved ones injured or lost during the event. People who had more intense emotional responses during the trauma, or previous psychological difficulties or traumatic experiences, may also be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26084284/">at greater risk</a>. <h2>What helps – and hinders – your recovery?</h2> To help process these traumatic events and promote recovery, social support is <a href="https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/types/mass_violence_help.asp">particularly important</a>. Spending time with trusted family and friends can help people process the events and their emotional reactions. Talking about your feelings with supportive people can help you understand and accept them. But even if you don’t want to talk about your feelings, spending time with loved ones is helpful. It is also fine to need some time to be alone, but try not to isolate yourself or withdraw. If you can’t talk about your feelings, try not to bottle them up or deal with them by using alcohol or drugs. Find <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7957853/">another way to express them</a> – whether through writing, art or music, or exercise. Give yourself permission and time to feel these emotions. Remind yourself you have just been through something extremely traumatic, take things day by day, and don’t expect too much of yourself. Try not to judge yourself for your actions or how you are coping. Keep some structure in your day, setting small goals, and increase your self-care: eat well, rest (even if you can’t sleep well), try yoga or relaxation. When you’re ready, try to get back to your normal routine. Seek out information from <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7957853/">trusted sources</a>, but try to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0886260517742915">avoid</a> being saturated by images or stories about the trauma, particularly graphic footage or speculation common on social media. <h2>What if children have witnessed it, too?</h2> If your children have been impacted, reassure them that they are safe and loved. When they are ready, talk to them gently about the trauma, acknowledge it and answer their questions. Encourage them to express their feelings and spend more time together doing family activities. Importantly, try to limit their exposure to graphic footage and images of the events in the media, and on social media. <h2>When to seek mental health care</h2> Reach out for professional mental health support if you experience ongoing difficulty with your emotional reactions, or if you’re having distressing memories of the trauma, difficulty sleeping or nightmares, or you want to avoid things that remind you of the traumatic event. Not everyone requires professional mental health support, but if you are experiencing these types of post-traumatic stress reactions a few weeks after the trauma, it’s important to speak to your GP to seek out professional support from psychologists or counselling services. If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/227867/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kim-felmingham-9075">Kim Felmingham</a>, Chair of Clinical Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/sydneysiders-witnessed-horrific-scenes-on-saturday-how-do-you-process-and-recover-from-such-an-event-227867">original article</a>.

Caring

Why we need to stop being so judgemental – and the 4 steps to do it

As a society, we've become increasingly judgmental. We tend to judge not only others but ourselves as well. From a person's physical appearance to their actions, we criticise and judge everything. Everyone is too fat, too thin, too old, or too young, creating an environment where nothing seems to be good enough. This constant pattern of judgment is now harming our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. When we judge, we compare ourselves to others, leaving us emotionally vulnerable. Through this judgement, we seek to establish a sense of security and control over our lives and surroundings, often without even realising it. However, by increasing our emotional resilience and sense of control, we become consciously aware of this behaviour and can take steps to change it. So, is it possible to become less judgemental? As an educator and researcher, I developed an Emotional Resilience language (ER). It introduces simple changes that can reduce judgment, foster empathy, compassion, and personal responsibility, and bolster emotional intelligence and resilience when integrated into everyday life. Using a driving metaphor, ER simplifies the intricate world of emotions, providing an innovative way to integrate emotional vocabulary into daily life. It enhances understanding and establishes new neural pathways and healthier thought patterns. The following outlines the initial steps of ER, which can effectively manage judgement towards yourself and others. Though the changes may appear simplistic, they are instrumental in establishing lasting transformation. 1. Removing judgement towards how you or others may feel: Instead of labelling emotions as good or bad, view them as rough or smooth emotional roads. Just as roads serve different purposes, so do emotions. Rough emotions build resilience, while smooth emotions promote well-being, removing the need to lift everyone off a rough road. This makes it easier to recognise and accept emotions without feeling like a failure when things aren't going smoothly. You don’t know why someone is on a rough road, so resist the temptation to judge them. 2: The metaphorical steering wheel in ER represents emotional control and the power of choice in navigating life's challenges. As in a car, you should be the only one controlling your emotional steering wheel. Rather than judging yourself and others, this logical approach empowers you to regain control over your focus, emotions, and destination. Just because someone else is on a rough road doesn’t mean you must join them, fostering resilience and responsibility. 3. Shifting judgement and blame to responsibility involves removing phrases such as "You are making me angry, " which inadvertently hands your emotional steering wheel to others. Replace it with, "I am choosing to feel angry in response to this situation." This subtle alteration, substituting "making" with "choosing," helps reclaim ownership of your steering wheel rather than relinquishing control to external factors. Assigning blame—"It's your fault, it's the government's fault, it's my partner’s fault"— leaves you feeling like a victim, and you then resort to judgement and retaliation to regain control. 4. The importance of taking control: Understanding that judgement cannot be contained nor emotional resilience built when you are out of control on either road is crucial. Out-of-control scenarios activate the amygdala, the brain's fight, flight or freeze mode, disabling the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for thinking and creativity. It is only possible to discuss a situation once the involved parties have regained control and can access the thinking part of their brain. Therefore, regaining control is essential for reducing judgement, as then you can have productive discussions that help maintain emotional well-being. This includes your conversations with yourself, which can often be the harshest! ER helps reduce judgement by developing your emotional resilience. Awareness of the emotional state of yourself and others fosters emotional intelligence, while learning to regain control builds resilience. Recognising that navigating rough emotions is crucial for growth alleviates the pressure from always needing to be on a smooth road and judging yourself and others if they aren’t. It shifts focus from dwelling on challenges and comparing yourself to others to being able to understand and manage your responses. Incorporating language changes into daily life builds new neural pathways, creating new thought patterns that reduce judgment and blame. By avoiding the tendency to judge yourself or others, you take back control of your reactions to people and circumstances. This leads to better mental and emotional well-being and fosters positive relationships with yourself and others. Does this mean you will never judge again? Of course not. You’re human. It’s what you do with the judgment that can make all the difference. Dr Jane Foster is a leading educator, researcher, presenter and author of It’s In Your Hands; Your Steering Wheel, Your Choice. Combining her educational skills with neuroscience and positive psychology, Jane equips people with strategies to help build emotional resilience and manage their daily stresses, successfully changing perspective and creating new neural pathways. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.emotionalresiliencetraining.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.emotionalresiliencetraining.com.au</a> Image: Getty

Mind

John Travolta’s iconic suit snatches a sweaty sum at auction

John Travolta’s sweat stains have hit the market, snagging a staggering sum, alongside the iconic Saturday Night Fever white three-piece suit. The look rose to international fame when Travolta - as Tony Manero - took to the dancefloor in the 1977 classic, joining Stephanie Mangano for an intense disco dance competition. But it was the film’s promotional imagery that truly immortalised the suit - despite popular, yet incorrect, belief that Travolta had flaunted it during his solo ‘Night Fever’ dance. In posters - as well as on VCR, DVD, and CD covers - Travolta can be seen with his right arm in the air, on a dancefloor, white polyester front and centre. As Costume designer Patrizia von Brandenstein explained to the New York Post, they were looking for “a white, three-piece suit: dressy, inexpensive and polyester. There was a producer who thought a black suit would be more elegant. But heroes wear white; it’s as simple as that. “The pastel suits were nice and pretty, but John’s character is very much a hero. Plus, it needed to be something that a boy who works in a paint store would be able to afford. I think the suit sold for $150 or $200.” Initially purchased off the rack in Brooklyn for $100, the jacket - with matching waistcoat, flared trousers, black shirt, and Travolta’s 45-year-old sweat stains - was expected to fetch up to $250,000 USD (~$374,000 AUD) when it went under the hammer at Los Angeles’ Julien’s Auctions. Despite its distinct lack of a thorough cleaning, the suit did find a new home, with a buyer dishing out a total of approximately $388,692 AUD to call it their own. As a spokesperson for the auction house explained, “This suit is considered to be one of the most iconic costumes in cinema history. It is one of only two known to exist that was used during production. It has never been exhibited or sold at auction before. “It has become emblematic of not only the film but of the whole disco era.” The suit in question was actually one of a few purchased by the film’s costume designer - two were used on set, rotated in and out while the other dried, and another was used for promotional material - and was given to Julien’s Auctions by an anonymous collector who had received it from Saturday Night Fever’s director, John Badham in 1991. As for why the iconic outfit was being sold in its unique condition, the executive director of Julien’s Auctions had a simple explanation. “The sweat is how you know it’s authentic,” Martin J Nolan told The Guardian. “It was incredibly hot during filming, so you can still see the sweat marks around his waist. We never wash memorabilia. People want the stains, the DNA, particularly when a suit like this one hasn’t been auctioned before.” Images: Getty

Movies

“Luckiest person on earth”: John Blackman shares health update

Australian TV personality John Blackman has opened up about the extreme surgery he underwent to remove a cancerous growth on his mouth and jaw. John, who is best known for his voice work on the variety TV show Hey Hey It’s Saturday, was diagnosed with a basal cell carcinoma in 2018. The cancer, which had formed on his chin, is classed as both a rare and aggressive type of skin cancer. John’s extensive surgery spanned 10 hours, and saw his jaw removed to be replaced with a bone from his leg. Speaking to the You Cannot Be Serious podcast, he shed some insight into the operation, and on his entire journey, from diagnosis to the present. “I had a little pimple under my skin, you scratch at it and it turned out it was a BCC,” he explained. “SCC (squamous cell carcinoma) is the most deadly thing you can get on your chin apart from a pimple. “Over time it rotted my chin and it was hideous. They said it was really aggressive and it was about to eat away the rest of my face and eventually get to my brain and I’d be brown bread. “Another aggressive SCC started growing in a crater that was created when they removed one minor one and it was heading towards my brain. There’s the skin, then there’s the scalp, then there’s your brain. What this was doing was very aggressive and it was starting to go through what’s left of my meniscus.” At one stage, he compared his surgery to John Farnham's - the singer underwent a similar surgery of 11 and a half hours to remove a cancerous mouth tumour last year. 'I don't think his was as radical as mine,” John mused, “because I had all of my lower jaw removed along with the teeth.” “Hopefully John will get through this with as little angst as possible,” he said of Farnham’s experience, “and he’s going to need all the support he can get. I know his family is very loving and they’re all going to gather around him.” John has maintained a positive approach throughout his fight, as he demonstrated in 2020 after surgery when he tweeted his thanks, and that his “journey towards becoming George Clooney's stunt double for all his love scenes … continued today at Linacre Private Hospital.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> My journey towards becoming George Clooney's stunt double for all his love scenes (or the part of Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz) continued today at Linacre Private Hospital. Huge thanks to all the wonderful staff and my plastic surgeon Doctor Frank! <a href="https://t.co/9Xta5eDB3E">pic.twitter.com/9Xta5eDB3E</a> — JohnBlackman (@johnblackmanhey) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnblackmanhey/status/1259757239964844045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2020</a></blockquote> In another 2020 update posted to Facebook, John continued his good humour, writing, “sufficed to say, there’ll be more excavation work going on around my face tomorrow than the Westgate Tunnel Project!” While the nature of John’s cancer is aggressive, and the surgeries long and difficult, John has remained optimistic, and considers himself to be “the luckiest person on earth.” “Adversity,” as he told You Cannot Be Serious hosts Sam Newman and Don Scott, “doesn’t matter how important or smart you think you are, everyone has some sort of adversity in their life.” Images: Facebook

Caring

John Blackman’s advice to John Farnham following similar diagnosis

Hey Hey It’s Saturday star John Blackman says John Farnham has a long road to recovery following his experience with cancer. Farnham, 73, is in a stable condition following a marathon surgery due to <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/john-farnham-hospitalised-after-cancer-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cancerous growth in his mouth</a>. The singer was transferred to an intensive care unit where he is currently recovering after having a part of his jaw removed. Blackman, who had a similar procedure done after being <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/hey-hey-it-s-saturday-star-s-devastating-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer</a> which saw surgeons replace his chin with a leg bone, says Farnham’s recovery will take time. “Hopefully John will get through this with as little angst as possible, and he’s going to need all the support he can get,” Blackman said. “I know his family is very loving and they’re all going to gather around him.” Farnham has been surrounded by family and friends following his <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/john-farnham-health-update-after-11-hour-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lengthy procedure</a> with his family releasing a statement saying he is ready to “heal”. “John has been through an eleven and a half hour surgery in Melbourne yesterday and is now in a stable condition in ICU,” Jill said in a statement. “The cancer tumour was located in his mouth and it has been successfully removed. “There is still a long road of recovery and healing ahead of us, but we know John is up for that task.” Images: Facebook/Getty

Caring

Hey Hey It's Saturday star's devastating diagnosis

Hey Hey It's Saturday star John Blackman has been dealt a second blow by the same rare form of cancer. The 74-year-old revealed in a lengthy post on Facebook that he was diagnosed with bone cancer a month ago. The devastating diagnosis comes four years after he battled an aggressive form of skin cancer which saw surgeons replace his chin with a leg bone. “Four weeks ago, I was diagnosed with a very unexpected bone cancer on the top of my noggin and the possibility of brain cancer beneath (yes, I actually do have a brain). This was the same aggressive cancer that took my jaw four years ago,” the TV personality wrote. “Happily, the cancer (if there is a happy side to cancer) was spreading up and down and not in multiple directions. This could have made surgery improbable. “Following PET and CAT Scans and a radioactive MRI, my plastic surgeon Frank consulted with my neurosurgeon, Patrick and together they devised a plan of attack.” <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjohn.blackman.1253%2Fposts%2F1509906142786865&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="738" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> The actor confirmed that he had already undergone an eight-hour surgery at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and is due to start six weeks of radiotherapy next week. "The cancer infected bone has gone and been replaced with a titanium mesh cover; a skin graft has replaced all of the skin on top of my head; and brain biopsies taken during surgery are clear," he continued. "A great result with enormous gratitude to the dedicated doctors and nurses at The Alfred – true heroes each and every one of them. Six weeks of daily radiotherapy begin next week." Blackman had already returned home since the gruelling surgery, wearing a “Fight MND” beanie in support of footy legend Neale Daniher, who was diagnosed with the incurable disease in 2013. He encouraged his legion of fans to donate to the Fight MND organisation. The star was also appointed as the Director in Charge of Creative Ideas for his wife Cecile’s YOU NEED A HUG start-up. “It was either that… or, ironing! It’s a fabulous concept,” he joked. Back in 2018, Blackman was diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer known as basal-cell carcinoma. It appeared to be a “little pimple” on his chin that just didn’t quite disappear, but then doctors feared it would spread to his brain if left untreated. Blackman then had his jaw removed during a 10-hour operation and it was replaced with part of his leg bone. “[My surgeon said] Well, just get prepared to not be able to do all the things you've been able to do for the past 50 years,' which is a bit of a kick in the guts," Blackman told A Current Affair at the time. "To perform, you have to look good, you have to sound good, you have to sound confident and be confident. I just won't be able to do that anymore. "Life without doing that is just so alien to me. I mean, I don't know what I'm going to do." Images: Facebook

Caring

“We’re all still living with it”: ‘Hey Dad!’ abuse victim speaks out

Content warning: This article includes mentions of sexual assault and child sexual abuse. Former Hey Dad! child star Sarah Monahan has spoken out after she learning the man who sexually abused her on national television will be released from prison. Monahan told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/former-hey-dad-child-star-sarah-monahan-speaks-out-as-robert-hughes-granted-parole/39c59cbe-394b-4a09-8ca3-63f2504d8acf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a> that the release of her former TV dad, Robert Hughes, had made her feel emotional, angry, and relieved. “I think we went from sadness, to despair, to bitterness,” she said. “I did not make it through the phone call without like, just tears coming out. There’s just been so much over so long and I guess it is now… it’s just … it’s over.” “He will never say sorry and I’m fine with that. He’ll never say it. I’m not going to beg for it; I’m not going to ask for it,” she added. In 2014, Hughes was convicted for sexual assault offences involving four girls and wasn’t eligible for parole until 2020. After serving eight years of his decade-long prison sentence for sexually abusing four girls, the 74-year-old TV star has been granted parole. In a 13 page judgement, the New South Wales State Parole Authority announced the decision, writing that the “offences took place in particular settings in which the offender abused his power and his position of trust”. While the parole authority was considering the decision at a public hearing last week, Monahan arrived in Sydney from the US and spoke with A Current Affair about her abuser. “I’m not scared of him anymore … he’s not going to be able to intimidate me anymore,” she said. With Hughes being granted parole, Monahan said she and the other victims would no longer have to face yearly parole applications. Now, Hughes will be heading to a detention centre before being deported back to the UK, having previously renounced his Australian citizenship. “He gets to move on with his life to go to England, but we’re still all living with it. So I guess it’s not really the release that I thought it would be,” Monahan said. He will also be subject to Interpol notification orders, meaning he’ll have to report to the UK police within days of arriving, as well as yearly, and inform Interpol of his address, any travel plans, and if he plans to stay at an address where a child is present for longer than 12 hours. His wife, Robyn Gardner, has promised that Hughes will undergo psychological counselling. Hughes is also prohibited from contacting, communicating with, stalking, harassing or intimidating his victims or their families, and he cannot be in the company of a person under the age of 16 without a responsible adult present. “I’m sure he thinks he’s won and he’s very happy that he’s going to get to go home,” Monahan said. She added that now she just wants to put Hughes out of her life. “This has consumed my entire life for the last 12 years, 14 years, so I guess I’ll have to find a new me now,” she said. “I don’t want to be a victim anymore.” Image: A Current Affair

Legal

"Hey, we're Aussies": Bec Maddern's classic response to leaked Djokovic footage

7News anchor Rebecca Maddern has spoken out about her leaked comments about Novak Djokovic with co-host Mike Amor. The pair of news reporters were captured speaking candidly about the Serbian tennis champion's recent deportation from Australia over his vaccination status, with Rebecca calling Novak an "a**hole".The footage of the seemingly off-air comments was leaked by an external Channel Seven staffer, with both reporters staying quiet about the blunder until now. Speaking with <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar/rebecca-madderns-one-regret-about-viral-novak-outburst/news-story/2eae792fb5c679a41b412d36e990e0c8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stellar magazine</a>, Rebecca said her and Mike had been friends "long before" their news program together, and were simply exchanging casual banter between mates. "I'm 100 percent sure that the exact same conversation was actually happening in a pub. And lounge rooms. And workplaces," she said. "Whether you agree with what I was saying or not is actually irrelevant. Everybody was talking about this and so were we. My language was questionable, but hey, we're Aussies."The expletive-ridden rant about Novak quickly went viral on social media, with many Australians feeling divided over Mike and Rebecca's views.Rebecca hit back at critics that called her and Mike "unprofessional" and "biased", as she said the idea of impartial journalists was "antiquated"."We are human beings and part of the same community as everybody else. Just because I have an opinion on a topic doesn’t mean I can’t present or write about a topic without bias. It’s called training."When I’m on air, I’m a professional and I don’t use that language. I’ll be presenting the news straighty-180 from now on."Image credits: 7News / Channel Nine

“Hey, doesn’t this look like the prince’s dog?”

Two young women got the shock of their lives when they discovered a lost dog while out walking and called the phone number on its collar, only to discover the dog belonged to none other than Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and his family. The dog, Siri, who lives with the Prince, his wife Princess Sofia and their children, is known for escaping the palace, with an escape in 2018 ending with Siri being <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2018090762038/prince-carl-philip-princess-sofia-dog-siri-missing/" target="_blank">found by police</a>. This time, it was a pair of young women who found the pooch while walking around Stockholm, and they thought to call the phone number on the dog’s collar. When nobody picked up, they tried the police animal unit, but after waiting “a long time”, they still hadn’t received a response. At this point, one of the girls joked that the dog looked like the Prince’s pup, at which point they searched Google for photos of Siri and realised they were in the presence of royalty. <div class="embed"><iframe class="embedly-embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2F7033463733485604101&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40angieberge%2Fvideo%2F7033463733485604101%3Fis_from_webapp%3D1%26sender_device%3Dpc%26web_id7007617673963046402&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" scrolling="no" title="tiktok embed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div> "I searched Google and came up with an article about the prince's dog having escaped in the past. I saw the picture of the dog and fell to my knees — I couldn't stop laughing because it was so hilarious," Angelina Berge, who posted a video to Tiktok about the incident, said. "We started talking to the dog and said her name: 'Siri, Siri'. She was super happy. Then we realised it was probably the prince's dog." They carried Siri to the royal couple’s residence Villa Solbacken, as they said her legs were “a bit tired”. Understandable after fleeing a palace and wandering around Stockholm! <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CGfRIbNnX20/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CGfRIbNnX20/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Prinsparet (@prinsparet)</a> </div> </blockquote> When they arrived, they were greeted by a grief-stricken Prince Carl Philip. "We rang the doorbell of the prince and princess' house," Berge said. "Prince Carl Philip came down with his son and picked up the dog. He was so very nice and kind and thanked us again and again." Berge said of the interlude, "We were both kind of shocked and thought. 'What are the odds of this happening to us?'" Considering how often Siri seems to escape, the odds might be better than you think! Image: Tiktok

Family & Pets

Kamahl opens up on "secret addiction" that ended his marriage

For the first time, Kamahl has opened up about his separation, and the addiction that he believes contributed to it: his addiction to social media. The singer was married to wife Sahodra for 55 years, before <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/she-really-is-my-everything-kamahl-splits-from-wife" target="_blank">announcing their separation</a> earlier this month. Kamahl made the announcement in an interview with New Idea, and admitted that he’s “praying” for a reconciliation. Now he’s opened up about what he believes contributed to the breakdown of his marriage, his social media addiction. Appearing on A Current Affair, the 87-year-old said that he blames himself for letting himself be distracted from what really matters. He revealed that he was spending up to five hours a day scrolling social media, saying, “I was isolated with my computer. I think she was sick and tired, I’m consumed with politics. I’m tweeting from morning to night … I’m paying a terrible price for it.” The singer also revealed that he has gifts waiting for his former wife, but isn’t sure if she’d want them, saying, “She might throw it back at me, but I’m going to give it to her anyway. She really is the wind beneath my wings. I now realise I probably wasn’t the most attentive husband. “Fame can do that – it can distract you from what really matters. But I’m keeping everything crossed we can work through this rough patch, as she really is my everything. “At the end of the day, I am the sinner. She is the saint.” The couple have two children together – son Rajan, 52, and daughter Rani, 50 – and Kamahl said that despite the split, they remain close. “Thankfully, things are convivial – we see one another regularly. She still cooks me her unbelievably delicious lamb shanks every fortnight.” Earlier this year, Kamahl <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/music-legend-kamahl-opens-up-about-terrible-experience-on-hey-hey-it-s-saturday" target="_blank">opened up about his treatment</a> on Hey Hey It’s Saturday, after videos of his appearance on this show resurfaced online. Appearing on Studio 10 earlier this month, he said of the episode, “There is a reason why they did what they did. The reason is that I was successful … They couldn’t understand it … It’s a form of envy, jealousy, hate. It was their form of cutting the tall poppy down. “It hurt, of course it hurt. It’s terrible to be humiliated. I know they wouldn’t hit John Farnham or Jimmy Barnes in the face with a powder puff, but the root of it was I was too successful for them … If I was a nobody, they wouldn’t have done anything.” Image: Hanna Lassen/WireImage

Relationships

Ed Sheeran tests positive for Covid-19

British singer Ed Sheeran revealed he has tested positive for Covid-19 and plans to carry out performances and interviews from his house while he self-isolates. The 30-year-old performer broke the news on his Instagram on Monday, just days before his new album titled "=" was due to be released. He wrote, "Quick note to tell you that I've sadly tested positive for COVID, so I'm now self-isolating and following government guidelines." He said he is unable to go about his usual promotional appearances and will be doing as many interviews and performances as he can from his home. He concluded by saying "Apologies to anyone I've let down." <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVar2LAIeVf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVar2LAIeVf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)</a> </div> </blockquote> Sheeran's Instagram post has garnered over 16,000 messages of well wishes, as fans from all over the world send their positive messages to the singer. The news comes as Ed has been announced as the musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live on November 6th. According to sources at <a rel="noopener" href="https://pagesix.com/2021/10/24/snl-scrambling-to-replace-ed-sheeran-amid-covid-19-diagnosis/" target="_blank">Page Six</a>, SNL producers are now "scrambling" to find a replacement performer who appeals to the same demographic. “Ed is offering to perform live via video link, but this isn’t something SNL does,” the insider source said. “The show likes to have the performer in studio.” Ed's fourth studio album "=" is still expected to be released on October 29th. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSweHB5iOyZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSweHB5iOyZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)</a> </div> </blockquote> Image credit: Getty Images

Music

Tributes pour in for shock death of Hey Hey It’s Saturday star

Australian entertainer Desmond “Dezzy” McKenna has passed away in Thailand. The musician, better known as 'Animal' on Hey Hey It's Saturday, had been residing in Thailand since the mid 1990s. He was a regular guest on the variety show alongside Red Symons, Wilbur Wilde and Daryl McKenzie, and became a fan favourite. Desmond's brother Brian announced the news on social media, saying "So sad. Sorry to say that my brother Des "Animal" McKenna died last night in Thailand." "He was a saviour and huge inspiration to me. Remembering all the wonderful times." Social media has been awash with tributes to the extraordinary life and career of the musician, as fellow entertainers shared their memories of Des. Singer Joe Camilleri also paid tribute, writing, "Des 'Animal' McKenna has gone ahead… we had fun playing music and listening to jazz… so with a heavy heart I will give Pharaoh Sanders Floating Points a spin and think of the times we shared." Des worked in the music industry for many decades, and played with big names in the Aussie music scene including Men At Work, Goanna, Joe Camilleri and many more. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVHDrbgBlMb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVHDrbgBlMb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Joe Camilleri (@jojocamilleri)</a> </div> </blockquote> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWilburWildeOfficial%2Fposts%2F1017533772123516&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="608" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Mr Desmond McKenna, an Australian musical icon and one of the best drummers on the planet, passed away on 15 October 2021. Many Australians will remember Des playing drums on ‘Hey Hey.’ Vale. <a href="https://t.co/UHs0hW264g">pic.twitter.com/UHs0hW264g</a> — Rockin Robin Tweet Tweet (@Robin18601078) <a href="https://twitter.com/Robin18601078/status/1449714552619159556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2021</a></blockquote> Image credits: Channel Nine

News

“I felt let down”: Kamahl’s open letter to Daryl Somers after Hey Hey smash hit

After Hey Hey It’s Saturday raked in views once again with the airing of the show’s <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/huge-twist-in-hey-hey-it-s-saturday-ratings-smash" target="_blank">50th anniversary special</a>, singer Kamahl has shared an open letter to host Daryl Somers. The show was recently hit with criticism after a compilation of vintage clips went viral earlier this year, with many of them revealing the mocking and belittling treatment Kamahl received. Somers publicly apologised to Kahaml in March and stated that all of the show’s team “do not condone racism in any form”. Kamahl released his open letter to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/flashback/kamahl-pens-open-letter-to-daryl-somers-one-unanswered-question/news-story/1f1038f0559bc7df8a1151c760958454" target="_blank">news.com.au</a> several days after the anniversary special, saying that he has “one unanswered question” for the host. The singer opened with the “warmest congratulations” to Somers and the team that produced the anniversary show. “The accolades that you received within the program were well-earned and rightly acknowledge your place in Australian TV history,” he wrote. “As an Australian entertainer, my being part of that history for a number of years is truly humbling.” Kamahl went on to describe a particular incident in an episode from 1984, where he was ambushed while singing and hit in the face with a white powder puff. <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844801/kamahl-somers1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5f07f1a4e6ec47fdbc956b0a60e90414" /> Image: Hey Hey It’s Saturday The stunt came a week before Kamahl was due to perform for the second time at New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall. He said it was “puzzling” to him that the show “decided on setting me up as the butt of a rather crude joke in preference to acknowledging my achievement”. “The fact that I had poured my heart and soul into making that concert a success made the stunt on Hey Hey that evening an incredibly dispiriting experience,” he said. “As a supporter of Hey Hey, I have to say that at the time I felt let down by your show and it is a disappointment that still remains with me today.” With that moment in mind, the singer had one question for Hey Hey’s host. “If I had been any other Australian artist about to embark on such a massive venture would I have received such treatment?” he wrote. “In a week where you are deservedly receiving such plaudits for your career milestone, I am left wondering why when you had the opportunity to acknowledge mine you chose not to.” In a reference to the original clip, Kamahl concluded the letter with the question, “Why are people so unkind?”. <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844802/kamahl-somers2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a8359af51cbc4f1c82f15de1fdd0323c" /> Image: @johnpatterson / Twitter The cartoon was one of several that flashed up on screen during his 1984 appearance, which shocked many as it circulated on social media. Image: Getty Images

Huge twist in Hey, Hey It's Saturday ratings smash

The one-off anniversary show celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hey Hey It’s Saturday has been a hit with Aussies, attracting more than 1.22 million viewers when it aired on Sunday night. Hey Hey We’re 50 outperformed The Block in the 7pm slot, which saw 920,000 people tuning in. In a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/flashback/hey-hey-its-saturday-50th-anniversary-special-smashes-the-ratings/news-story/e7b35d950c4890e09814a6f58081823f" target="_blank">breakdown</a> of the ratings, the Hey Hey special garnered a high proportion of its views from people over the age of 55, and was the third most popular for viewers aged between 25 to 54. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Reunited... and it feels so good! 😍✨ Get set for the celebration of a lifetime 📺 'Hey Hey It's 50 Years' premieres TONIGHT 7.00 Channel 7 and <a href="https://twitter.com/7plus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@7plus</a>. <a href="https://t.co/Yfh3pS8wE8">pic.twitter.com/Yfh3pS8wE8</a> — Channel 7 (@Channel7) <a href="https://twitter.com/Channel7/status/1446996165430493184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2021</a></blockquote> The anniversary show saw the return of original host Daryl Somers and featured messages from Molly Meldrum, Red Symons, Marcia Hines, Dave Hughes and Rhonda Burchmore, among other celebrities. Many fans took to social media to share their excitement over the show and the nostalgia that came with it. “Loving Hey Hey and this trip down memory lane,” one fan tweeted. “Considering how uncertain, depressing and crap things are right now, I always find comfort in nostalgia - Thanks for the memories.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Welcome back to TV, Daryl and gang! This is REAL fun and entertainment! What a blast of great memories and moments! For these 90 minutes, Australia feels like Australia again!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeyHeyIts50Years?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeyHeyIts50Years</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Channel7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Channel7</a> <a href="https://t.co/D2RESCpeQ5">pic.twitter.com/D2RESCpeQ5</a> — Erin Churchill (@erintheboss) <a href="https://twitter.com/erintheboss/status/1447125651727663105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2021</a></blockquote> After Sunday’s anniversary special, some critics took to social media to call out the show for its “dated” skits by today’s standards. “Things that seemed good when we were younger and less aware maybe weren’t that good and we don’t have to pretend they were good just because they’re familiar,” one person tweeted. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> happy 50th birthday to a show that has spent 40 per cent of the past 50 years cancelled <a href="https://t.co/Uf2AVuZzCd">https://t.co/Uf2AVuZzCd</a> — casey briggs (@CaseyBriggs) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaseyBriggs/status/1437274367788871683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2021</a></blockquote> Following the announcement of the anniversary special earlier this year, Somers said in a statement that he was “absolutely delighted” when approached with the idea by Channel Seven. “Trawling back through the vast archive has been almost as much fun as doing the show in the first place, so I hope we can offer a few laughs, not only to the diehard Hey Hey fans but to all Australians, as we desperately need a touch of levity at this time,” he said. Seven’s decision to bring the show back came shortly after the show faced accusations of racism, including claims surrounding the treatment of singer Kamahl. After a compilation video that showed all the racist jokes and stereotyping Kamahl went viral online, Kamahl told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/mar/31/daryl-somers-apologises-to-kamahl-for-inappropriate-treatment-on-hey-hey-its-saturday" target="_blank">Guardian Australia</a> that he felt “humiliated” by his experiences on the show. Somers later apologised to the singer, saying that “in the context of modern society some material from the past is plainly inappropriate, and would not go to air today”. Image: @Channel7 / Twitter

“We lost a comedy giant today”: Norm Macdonald dead at 61

The comedy world is in mourning after Norm Macdonald died of cancer on Tuesday at age 61. The Canadian stand-up comic and Saturday Night Live cast member had been battling cancer in private for nearly a decade, according to his lifelong friend Lori Jo Hoekstra who was with him when he dies. "He was most proud of his comedy", she said. "He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him." "Norm was a pure comic. He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly.” Norm was known in the comedic circle for his signature deadpan delivery and dry style of humour that quickly made him an icon of the craft. Norm's impressions of famous figures, such as TV star Burt Reynolds, became a teaching tool and huge inspiration for up and coming comics. “I essentially ripped off his delivery when I first started acting,” actor and fellow Canadian Seth Rogen tweeted. “I would stay up specifically to watch him on talk shows. He was the funniest guest of all time. We lost a comedy giant today. One of the all time greats.” Norm shot to fame when he was cast on Saturday Night Live in 1993 after performing in comedy circuits in Canada for several years. He performed on SNL until 1998, serving as a co-host of Weekend Update for three seasons. Norm then went on to star in his own ABC sitcom, The Norm Show, from 1999 until 2001, and also became a hilarious regular on a series of talk shows. In 2018, he hosted a Netflix talk show, Norm Macdonald Has a Show, that was inspired by his podcast and garnered an international audience. Hundred of comedians have shared their stories of Norm on Twitter in remembrance of the comedy giant and all he did for the world of show business. Actor Josh Gad wrote, "Absolutely gutted. One of the most underrated and hilarious SNL performers." Writer and director Edgar Wright also tweeted, saying, "Of the many addictive rabbit holes you can disappear down on the internet, the most pleasurable is ‘Norm MacDonald chat show appearances'." “Thanks for all the laughs Norm, very sorry to see you go.” Image credit: Getty Images

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Daryl Somers issues apology to Kamahl

Former Hey Hey It's Saturday host Daryl Somers has issued an apology to Kamahl after the Malaysian-born singer opened up about the "humiliation" he endured on the once-beloved variety show. In the statement, Somers says he “deeply regret(s) any hurt felt” by Kamahl and that he “never set out to offend anybody.” Unearthed skits from the show - including one in which Kamahl was hit in the face with white powder and told "you're a real white man" afterwards - have been making the rounds on the internet recently, with Kamahl commenting on the racial abuse he was subjected to on the show. “They wouldn’t hit John Farnham or Jimmy Barnes in the face with a powder puff,” <a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/AngelaBishop/status/1376658568858923015" target="_blank">he told Studio 10 on Tuesday</a>, adding it “hurt” to be humiliated on live national television. Responding to the uproar in a statement to 3AW, Somers - who is gearing up to host Channel 7's Dancing with the Stars: All Stars - apologised to Kamahl and others who found the show's content "offensive". “I want to make it very clear that I and all members of the Hey Hey team do not condone racism in any form,” Somers said. “I have always considered Kamahl a friend and supporter of the show, so I deeply regret any hurt felt by him as a result of anything that took place on the programme in the past.” He went on to say he supports diversity in the entertainment industry, claiming the show “never set out to offend anybody but always strived to provide family entertainment”. He added that he is “proud” of the long-running show’s contribution to Australian television, but added that “in the context of modern society” the material was “plainly inappropriate” and “would not go to air today”. The “long overdue” apology — which begins with Somers asserting that he is “currently in the middle of recording Dancing With The Stars: All Stars” — has been slammed by some social media users. “Just say sorry. No need to contextualise. It was vile then and remains so now,” <a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/JaniceKPetersen/status/1377039408143036416" target="_blank">one said</a>. “The Daryl Somers “apology” to Kamahl … the good old “these things were ‘appropriate’ in the past & we are so much more evolved now” defence. Yeah nup; it was racist back then & it’s still racist now,” <a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/TracyWesterman/status/1377055382451855363" target="_blank">another wrote</a>. “At no point in Daryl Somers’ ‘apology’ did he apologise. He does fit in a hell of a lot of flexing though,” <a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/thebigjohnnyd/status/1377043262377132034" target="_blank">one more quipped.</a> <a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/AdamNBednarczyk/status/1377062331776036864" target="_blank">Another chimed in</a>: “I see this more as a PR-written “apology” than a Daryl Somers’ apology but anyway, let’s move on.” Kamahl, however, has accepted the apology, writing: “To whom it may concern, “This is to say that I, Kandiah Kamalesvaran, AKA Kamahl, accept and acknowledge the apology from friend Daryl Somers, unreservedly”.

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