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We pay tribute to a Kiwi comedy icon, see how the reign of glamour continues in Monaco and take a peek at the return of a favourite British nanny.
Farewell Fred New Zealand lost one of its comedy heroes with the death of John Clarke on April 9. Hailed as the father of modern Kiwi comedy, John was best known for creating the laconic farmer Fred Dagg, but also enjoyed success as an actor, author and screenwriter throughout his long career in New Zealand as well as Australia. He filmed an episode for the Australian TV series The Ex-PM – which he had regularly appeared in since 2015 – just a few days before his death, aged 68, while out hiking with family and friends in the Grampians National Park in Victoria. “John died doing one of the things he loved the [most], taking photos of birds in beautiful bushland with his wife and friends,” said a family spokesperson. “He is forever in our hearts.” Comedians and actors on both sides of the Tasman have paid tribute to the man who taught us how to laugh at ourselves. John got his first big break with a part in a Barry Humphries film in London in the early 1970s, and returning to New Zealand a year later created his iconic Fred Dagg character. He later moved to Australia, where he set up a production company in partnership with his dear friend, Kiwi actor Sam Neill. He has worked regularly in film and TV shows, including The Games, a series satirising the preparations for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, which he co-wrote and starred in. But Fred Dagg remains his most beloved character – a gift to Kiwi comedy and his many, many fans.