Margaret Urlich - who found fame in Australia for singing The Horses with Daryl Braithwaite - has died aged 57.

The New Zealand-born singer died at her home in the Southern Highlands in New South Wales after a two-year battle with cancer, reports said.

The ARIA-award winner was one of New Zealand’s most successful artists and had hits with Number One and Escaping.

She did not appear in the music video for The Horses and model Gillian Bailey lip-synched her backing vocals instead, with Urlich later saying she regretted not taking part.
“I was nicknamed Gilli Vanilli for a while,” Bailey told News Corp in 2016.

“I was recording an album in London when they did the video. I could have come back to do the video but I was doing my own thing by that stage. A lot of people know it’s my singing, but they don’t put two and two together that it’s not me in the video.

“In retrospect it was probably a little bit silly because the song was so huge. But at the time I was young and a bit stupid, I did what I thought was right. But it was absolutely no disrespect to Daryl.”

The Horses took four months to reach No. 1 in 1991, and eventually spent 12 weeks in the Top 10.

It has since become a cult classic and regularly features on TV shows and adverts.

Braithwaite later told the Herald Sun that Margaret dropped out of filming the video.

“Margaret Ulrich declined to do it at the last minute because she had something on,” he said.

Urlich started out her career as a vocalist in the band Peking Man before joining a New Zealand all-girl group called When the Cat’s Way.

She won her ARIA in 1991 for Best Breakthrough Artist after becoming the first female solo artist to top the New Zealand charts.

Her song Escaping was a a number one in New Zealand and her first two albums, Safety in Numbers and Chameleon Dreams, made the top five in Australia.

She was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and had been living with her partner in New South Wales.

Producer Basia Rendall who presented SBS music television shows Rock Around the World and Continental Drift, has died.

She passed away peacefully in Sydney on Saturday, surrounded by family, following long battles with cancer.

Basia Rendall (nee Bonkowski) was born and grew up in Adelaide. She was one of four children born to Polish immigrants Maria and Jerzy Bonkowski. She attended Cabra College and was attracted to writing and performing from an early age. She studied Law at the University of Adelaide before becoming ill with Hodgkins Lymphoma at the age of 17. The realisation that life is fleeting caused a switch to Flinders University where she majored in English Literature and Drama and met some of her lifelong friends.

After teaching drama she moved to Sydney to pursue a career in television, where she pioneered Rock Around the World and Continental Drift at SBS and presented The Big Byte and evening line-up updates. She also hosted music videos for Network 10 before working behind the scenes as a television writer and producer.

In 1982, Basia married director Kimble Rendall, adopting two children, William and Camille. Basia released “Jesse’s World”, a book about overseas adoption, inspired by their experiences as adoptive parents. She completed a Master of Letters Degree at the University of Sydney in 2006. Her second book, “Shimmer”, based on her mother’s life, was released in 2009.

She was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2021 and battled her health on two fronts, determined to fight for more time. Her lust for life never waned. She had plans for another book and continued working until days before her death

Over the last decade Basia worked as Executive Producer for Screentime and Endemol Shine where she produced RBT for Channel Nine.

Basia is remembered by her friends as formidable, loyal, luminously intelligent and funny. Her standards were high, “a master of life’s small details and a sweet and loving friend.”

Endemol Shine Australia Director of Content, Marty Benson said; “On behalf of everyone at Endemol Shine Australia we are deeply saddened by Basia Rendall’s passing at the weekend. Basia has been an absolute joy to work with. We send our condolences, love and best wishes to her family”.

Nine Head of Production Adrian Swift said, “We were saddened to learn of the passing of Basia Rendall over the weekend. Basia’s contribution to one of the most enjoyed and long running programs on Channel 9, RBT, made it the show it is. The warmth, humour and care she brought is a big part of why the audience embraced the show for so many years. We thank her and extend our sincere condolences to her family at this tragic time.”

'Unforgettable' long-time Play School presenter John Hamblin dies aged 87

Beloved actor and long-running Play School host John Hamblin has died at age 87.

Mr Hamblin was a fan favourite presenter on the children's television program for almost 30 years.

He is recognised by generations of Australian children and their families as one of its most memorable hosts.

Mr Hamblin began on Playschool in 1970 and appeared in more than 350 episodes of the program.

He was known affectionately as "Naughty John" during his run on the program for his cheeky sense of humour and irreverent nature.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-21/ ... /101463940

Robbie Coltrane: Harry Potter actor dies aged 72

Actor Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, has died aged 72.

He also appeared in ITV detective drama Cracker and the James Bond films Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-63261204

Rolf Harris: Serial abuser and ex-entertainer dies aged 93

Disgraced former entertainer Rolf Harris, who was jailed for a series of indecent assaults on girls, has died aged 93, it has been confirmed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60393842