Hilary Barry is ageing like a fine wine

For their latest ageing episode, Hilary Barry joins the On the Rag team to talk wrinkle creams, menopause and why people still think she is Jeremy Wells’ mum.  This month’s episode of On the Rag is all about ageing. Time ravages us all, of course, but there’s no denying that women bear the bigger burden … Read more

The definitive and final post-season Dancing with the Stars power ranking

The season is over but there’s one more power ranking left to do. Who won the season – really? And who truly, truly lost the season? And who the hell is in between? Sam Brooks power ranks Dancing with the Stars one last time. 12. Robert Rakete Poor Robert Rakete. Coming into this competition, you’d think … Read more

Dancing with the Stars, final week: And the winner is…

It’s the final dance off, fully voted on by the public – and here are your final power rankings. Dancing with the Stars, it is over. ABSOLUTELY NOT: Dai Henwood – Contemporary Interpretative It’s not a super successful parody dance if that dance is better performed than one of your contestants performed just the previous … Read more

Dancing with the Stars, week one million: Ding dong, David’s gone

It’s ’90s week on Dancing with the Stars – approximately the decade when this series started. We’re doing the power rankings again. And they have to dance not once, but twice! There is neither rhyme nor reason to these power rankings, so I will rank by dance, not by contestant. There’s just one more week to … Read more

Dancing with the Stars, week eight: Tumbling through ecstasy

It’s a wintry theme this week on a Cato-less Dancing with the Stars. Who adjusts to the winter chill and who is left out in the cold? These puns and more in week eight’s power rankings. Note: Each contestant danced twice this week – once with their partner and once in a team – and I … Read more

Dancing with the Stars week 7: Seeya seeya later

It was a rough week for Dancing with the Stars, with a lot of low-lights (twerking, reggaeton) and only one shining highlight. Sam Brooks is here with the week’s power-rankings. ELIMINATED: Suzy Cato (and Matt) – Samba This is an absolute travesty. What is going on with this show. Suzy Cato is not just one of … Read more

Dancing with the Stars, week six: Lightning crashes, an old Robbie cries

Marama Fox is gone, god is dead, but Dancing with the Stars is still here – with TRIO dances? Sam Brooks power ranks whoever is left on this show. ELIMINATED: Robert Rakete (and Nicole AND Fabio) – Cha cha The big problem with these trio dances is the celebrity ends up being their very own … Read more

Dancing with the Stars, week five: An icon goes home

For some reason, there’s a prohibition theme this week on Dancing with the Stars NZ! Alcohol or no, these are the power rankings. ELIMINATED: Marama Fox (and Brad) – Foxtrot Calling it now: Meghan Trainor killed Marama Fox’s chances of winning this thing. Marama Fox is a charismatic, beautiful Māori woman, and it’s sad to … Read more

Dancing with the Stars, week four: Life in a post-Naz hellscape

Amazingly, Dancing with the Stars NZ continues despite Naz’s untimely and controversial departure from the show. And as surely as the sun rises and sets, the power rankings come in. ELIMINATED: Zac Franich (and Kristie) – Paso Doble We bid adieu to the third Bachelor! The one thing I will give Zac Franich is that he seems … Read more

Dancing with the Stars NZ Power Rankings: Another star bites the dust

It’s week three but it feels like we’ve never had a world without Dancing with the Stars. We’re down one Real Housewife™ but there’s still eleven contestants left. We power-rank those who remain, and farewell one more star. ELIMINATED:  Naz Khanjani (and Shay) – Cha cha Naz had something that nobody else in this competition had: a … Read more

Dancing with the Stars NZ Power Rankings: The kiss of death for the first celeb

It’s week two on Dancing with the Stars and one star must combust. Sam Brooks and Alex Casey power rank the contestants with varying levels of expertise and insight. ELIMINATED: Gilda Kirkpatrick (and Shay) – Samba Look, if Gilda’s insta story from last Sunday night is anything to go by, her elimination is a tremendous loss to … Read more

The Dancing with the Stars NZ Power Rankings: The first seven

They challenge you to a dance-off. No trash talk, no back walk. Dance off. These are the power rankings for the first episode of highly anticipated celebrity-moving show, Dancing with the Stars NZ. From its first moments, it was clear Dancing with the Stars NZ came here to play. They knew they had stars, they knew … Read more

Covering climate change: journalism’s biggest and most difficult story, ever

Climate change is the defining challenge of our times. The Spinoff is devoting a week of coverage to the issue, its advocates, complexities, and solutions. Today, five journalists discuss the intricacies and importance of covering climate change. Climate change is the biggest story on any editor’s newslist right now. Legendary environmentalist David Suzuki wants journalists to … Read more

Samantha Hayes has proven she’s no lightweight, and deserves this chance to succeed Hilary Barry

The kid from Milton has established herself as a journalist to be reckoned with, but much will depend on the Sam-and-Mike chemistry, writes Mark Jennings, former long serving TV3 news chief. Samantha Hayes’ appointment as Hilary Barry’s replacement is big news – in Milton. Hayes hails from the South Otago town of 2,000 people, best … Read more

Television: A Week of It – Newsworthy’s Late-Night News Snacks

Calum Henderson watches Newsworthy every day for a week, to see how TV3’s late night current affairs show manages to balance both the credible, the incredible, and Gene Simmons. MONDAY Walking home from the bus stop, a long-haired orange cat followed me all the way to the front door. He wandered around the flat for a … Read more