Hello from the other side of Off Campus, Prime Video’s eight-part series and the internet’s latest hockey romance obsession. After just one week on the platform, Off Campus (inspired by Elle Kennedy’s book series of the same name) has already garnered a cult following and climbed to number one in multiple countries.

Is it good? I honestly don’t know how to answer that question. Did I go absolutely feral for it anyway? You betcha.

Straight Heated Rivalry Off Campus has been confirmed for a second season, but it looks like Aussie actor Josh Heuston’s heartthrob-with-a-guitar character Justin Kohl won’t be returning. “We’ll see. Everything from scheduling to storylines to books… there’s a lot of stories to show in this particular series,” Heuston told Variety.

Oh, and happy anniversary to Shrek, which was released in cinemas 25 years ago.

Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming.

“I'm still on film sets and I do the headcount every day… There’s 10 women and there’s 75 men every morning. I love men, but what happens is the jokes become the same… it just gets boring for everybody when you walk into a homogeneous workplace. I think it has an effect on the work.”
Cate Blanchett reflected on the #MeToo movement whilst speaking on a panel at the Cannes Film Festival this week. The Aussie actor said the movement (which gained global traction in 2017) revealed systemic abuse in all industries, but was “killed very quickly”.

$419 million
How much James Murdoch will spend (US$300m) to buy roughly half of Vox Media, including New York magazine, The Cut, and Vox’s news site and podcast network. The 53-year-old son of Australian-born media mogul Rupert Murdoch told The New York Times his focus will be on “longer-form, thoughtful journalism that can really speak to the culture,” over a “daily news business” model.

Harry Styles’ team is working to urgently redesign the stage for his ‘Together Together’ tour, which kicked off in Amsterdam this week. Fans in the mosh complained their view was blocked by the height of the stage. Representatives for Styles addressed concerns about “sightline obstructions” and said they’re “actively working on making adjustments to improve visibility, while keeping everyone’s safety a priority”. Short fans in the mosh at Styles’ future performances will be standing on the shoulders of giants.*

Stephen Colbert is preparing to host the last-ever episode of The Late Show, after American network CBS announced it was axing the program last year.

Reflecting on the next phase of his career, the 62-year-old comedian said he thinks CBS might have “saved” him by ending the show.

“You can't do this forever. You have to think about, well, when is the right time to end your tenure? I didn't think this soon, but I mean, who knows?” he told People.

Colbert has been hosting The Late Show since 2015 when he took over from David Letterman.

In 2024, CBS aired an interview with then-Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

Republican candidate Donald Trump sued CBS over the editing of the interview, alleging it was an attempt to “tip the scales in favour of the Democratic Party”.

Paramount, the parent company of CBS, settled the lawsuit with Trump in July 2025 for $US16 million. On his show, Colbert referred to the settlement as “a big fat bribe”.

Three days later, CBS announced The Late Show would end in May 2026.

At the time, the network said it was “purely a financial decision”.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been in a long-standing dispute with America’s late night comedians.

Just months after CBS said it was axing Colbert’s show, rival network ABC (U.S.) pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live off the air, over the host’s comments about the reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Posting on social media, Trump called the suspension “great news for America,” adding, “that leaves Jimmy [Fallon] and Seth [Meyers], two total losers, on Fake News NBC”.

Kimmel’s show was reinstated after nearly a week, but in April, Trump again called for him to be sacked over a sketch parodying the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

The 58-year-old comedian joked that Melania had the “glow of an expectant widow,” three days before the couple were rushed from the event following an assassination attempt.

The U.S. communications regulator has since ordered a review of ABC parent company Disney’s broadcast TV licences.

After 11 seasons, Colbert admitted “it takes a lot of bone marrow to do the show every day, and now I'll be stepping down with enough time, enough energy to do other things that I want to do.”

His late-night compatriot Seth Meyers said he’s “heartbroken”.

“It would be one thing if Stephen was leaving and a younger person was getting a chance to have one of these jobs… I think it’s a very sad week for television in America,” Meyers told Deadline.

Colbert has already been joined by Jon Stewart, Steven Spielberg, David Byrne and Bruce Springsteen across his final week on air, with several surprise guests and celebrity tributes expected for the finale.

The last episode of The Late Show will air live from New York at 11:35pm Thursday, local time (1:35pm Friday AEST).

What if Macbeth was a child star?

Bell Shakespeare's latest production, directed by the electric Virginia Gay, brings award-winning FANGIRLS! creator Yve Blake's hilarious, deeply unhinged reimagining of Shakespeare's most murderous play to life.

Thirteen-year-old Mackenzie just landed her first TV gig, but when a geriatric make-up artist prophesies she'll become Number One Pop Girl of the World, her stage mum decides nothing – and no one – will stand in the way. Soaked in early-2000s nostalgia and pure, glorious chaos, this macabre play-with-songs is not to be missed.

Australia’s live music industry has been the focus of a parliamentary inquiry in NSW this week.

The State Government announced the probe in October 2025, with public submissions invited between November and February.

Local councils, industry representatives and venues all contributed recommendations to improve the live music scene, which is still considered to be in recovery from the impacts of the pandemic.

This week, the first public hearings for the inquiry into the State of Live Music were held.

Here’s what we’ve learnt so far.

Since 2020, many Australian music festivals, venues, and artists have struggled to bounce back from the pandemic.

While this has been a nationwide issue, NSW is/was home to some of the country’s biggest and longest-running festivals, such as Splendour in the Grass and Bluesfest.

Pressures like rising costs and dwindling ticket sales have been blamed, in part, for the collapse of many Aussie music festivals.

In October, the NSW Parliament’s Standing Committee on Social Issues was tasked with launching an inquiry into live music.

The State of Live Music inquiry is focused on the response to a 2017 arts economy inquiry, as well as reforms previously introduced in the state.

The committee is also looking at policy options to support the “long term sustainability” of the industry, such as by:

Following a period of public submissions, the inquiry’s first round of in-person hearings were held this week.

Representatives from the Australian Festival Association (AFA), the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), and Destination NSW were among those who spoke at the hearings.

In its submission, AFA said that live music in NSW “remains fragile” due to issues such as “rising insurance costs”, “uneven planning”, “transport barriers”, and “affordability challenge[s].”

The MEAA said Australia’s music industry is “in crisis”, calling out streaming services and ticketing companies for leaving local musicians earning “below minimum wage”.

MEAA also noted that “NSW is the epicentre of Australia’s recorded music industry” with the headquarters of the major record labels and 48% of music publishers based in Sydney.

In his submission, multi-instrumentalist and singer Declan Kelly noted that “musician incomes are well below the average, and often well below minimum wage.”

Likewise, musician Ann Palumbo said the government needs to “ensure incentives to book and pay musicians adequately and look after health and safety so they are not exploited”.

Palumbo suggested a scheme where international artists “donate $1 from every ticket sold to support the local industry”.

Guitarist and songwriter Arne Hanna said that for Sydney musicians, cost-of-living is a significant barrier and a solution would be “making housing affordable”.

AFA recommended improving transport access to live music events, such as late-night and 24-hour options. 

They also suggested increased funding for music festivals, particularly for emerging businesses. 

MEAA reiterated its calls for the Federal Government to “refer the live music industry to the ACCC” noting “potential anticompetitive conduct”, “particularly by [touring company] Live Nation”.

City of Sydney has recommended an approach similar to London, where live music venues are identified as “assets of community value”, providing protection for such facilities and opening potential tax exemptions.

In its submission, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) said: “investment in mid-tier Australian artists… is essential to developing the next generation of live music headliners and support acts”.  

The next round of public hearings will be on 16 June.

Following this, the committee will hand down a final report with their response to hearings and submissions, including official recommendations.

The NSW Legislative Council (the state’s Upper House) will then have three months to respond.

Chair Sarah Kaine said the inquiry aimed to “hear directly from those on the ground about what is needed to support music careers, rebuild audiences and secure the long-term future of live performance in NSW.”

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.