Olivia Newton-John

Ben Elton: ‘I fancied Olivia Newton-John. It’s all right to say that about a third cousin, right?’

The standup talks about tensions behind the scenes of Blackadder, his Wiggles movie that never happened and his opinions on hecklers

Sian Cain

14, Dec, 2024 @11:00 PM

Abba, cabaret and smug marionettes: the 1974 Eurovision song contest reviewed!

Fifty years since Abba won with Waterloo, fans are paying tribute to a pop classic. Its status is a far cry from its origins in a celebration of weedy pop and dodgy lyrics – and, whisper it, ‘nul points’ from Britain

Alexis Petridis

05, Apr, 2024 @1:00 PM

‘I really had to work for it’: Courtney Act on loving – and performing – Olivia Newton-John

The drag queen will perform in a 22-song tribute alongside the full force of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra – though it’s taken years to get here

Yen-Rong Wong

27, Mar, 2024 @2:00 PM

Thousands pay tribute to Olivia Newton-John at Australian memorial service

Elton John, Hugh Jackman, Dolly Parton, Pink, Sir Barry Gibb and Mariah Carey sent video condolences, which were played to the crowd in Melbourne

Mostafa Rachwani

26, Feb, 2023 @7:21 AM

Fans and stars farewell Olivia Newton-John – as it happened

This blog is now closed

Mostafa Rachwani (now) and Rafqa Touma (earlier)

26, Feb, 2023 @6:41 AM

Fantastic Beasts to Love Actually: best films to watch over Christmas

Adam Driver stars in an action-packed adaptation of Don DeLillo’s great American novel, while Frank Capra’s smart twist on A Christmas Carol offers a lesson in the season’s true spirit

Simon Wardell

24, Dec, 2022 @7:00 AM

2022: Australia’s year of living forgetfully

Australians emerged from two years of lockdowns seemingly intent on putting the past behind them and embracing a newfound sense of liberty

Paul Daley

20, Dec, 2022 @2:00 PM

Olivia Newton-John remembered by Didi Conn

The actor who played Frenchy remembers her Grease co-star with whom she shared a deep friendship for more than 40 years

15, Dec, 2022 @6:00 PM

Olivia Newton-John’s 10 best songs – sorted!

Trying to distil the late Australian singer’s varied archive is like trying to avoid the Grease Megamix at a wedding – but superfan Kate Waldegrave is giving it a red hot go

Kate Waldegrave

14, Aug, 2022 @5:30 PM

‘Ahead of its time’: how Olivia Newton-John’s final Grease outfit became a cultural phenomenon

Images of Sandy Olsson’s infamous makeover accompanied many tributes to the actor who died this week

Lauren Cochrane

12, Aug, 2022 @2:04 PM

Olivia Newton-John was a trailblazer in the art of pop reinvention

After breaking out as a country star, she rode the changing moods of pop, through rock, electronic and, of course, the film musical – pre-empting the visual album along the way

Angelica Frey

09, Aug, 2022 @3:50 PM