CHEEKY, CLEVER & ALWAYS CARING
The Play School icon is farewelled by beloved co-stars Noni and Benita
He was the man who put the play into Play School. John Hamblin, who sadly passed away last week aged 87, was affectionately known as “Naughty John”, thanks to his cheeky sense of humour and irreverent nature.
The moment he came into our lounge rooms, children’s faces instantly lit up while parents took delight in his often bawdy and fun double entendre.
His impromptu humour often left his co-hosts giggling with delight and trying not to blush at his deliberate naughtiness.
His much-loved co-host Benita Collings spent many
an onscreen moment in raptures with John. Benita, the longest-serving host of the iconic program (she appeared in 401 episodes and John was the second-longest-running host, starring in 357 episodes), sums it up best.
WICKEDLY FUNNY
“He was wickedly funny and great to work with because he kept you on your toes. You had a script you would follow but he didn’t always follow the script,” Benita tells Woman’s Day.
“You learned to relax and enjoy the moments with him and made sure you did what you needed to do.”
Through a blur of loving tears she added, “Dear John, it was
great to work with you.” Acclaimed actress and
Play School co-host Noni Hazlehurst also fondly recalls the naughty side of John. She remembers the wonderful humour that went over children’s heads but caused many a raucous laugh among adults who religiously tuned in for their fix of John.
“I remember once John and I in the closing moments, after we had said goodbye. We were stirring pots, which we pretended were filled with soup, but they were actually filled with weird ingredients like a door snake, which we pretended was a sausage in the soup,” she said. “And John, in that throwaway moment after we’d said goodbye, said, ‘Would you like some of my sausage in your soup?’ And I said, ‘You keep your sausage to yourself thank you very much.’”
TV ICON
John retired from Play School in 1999. He returned for a special guest appearance as part of Play School’s 50th anniversary in 2016. In that time, he had managed to weave his magic among some of Australia’s most revered actresses. A who’s who of Aussie thespians, including Lorraine Bayly, came to play with John on Play School.
English-born John began his career at art school before deciding on studying drama to become an actor. He arrived in Australia in the early 1960s as a “Ten Pound Pom” and began acting with the Sydney Theatre Company. He quickly became a familiar face on television throughout the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, starring in acclaimed Aussie dramas Class Of ’74, Number 96 and Case For The Defence to name but a few. But he was best known for his role as high-flying executive AR Jordan in The Restless Years,
a role which echoed his playfulness that became his trademark on Play School.
John, who was married three times, is survived by his children Emma and Myles. His original Play School buddies Big Ted and Little Ted were a bit too sad to comment.
One thing is certain, John Hamblin will always be fondly remembered as one of the most loved “people with games and stories to tell”. Open wide, come inside, he WAS and always will be Play School.
‘You learned to relax and enjoy the moments with him’
Onlookers were forced to do a double-take after a woman who looked suspiciously like Brad Pitt’s ex Jennifer Aniston was snapped boarding a private jet with him in Italy!
Now friends of the former lovebirds tell Woman’s Day there are whispers the pair have spent time together on a clandestine holiday. It’s believed Brad brought Jen to Italy while he was there promoting his latest film. The actor was recently in the country for the Venice Film Festival premiere of the Marilyn Monroe flick Blonde, which he produced.
According to an insider, Jen had recently gone quiet with her inner friendship circle, prompting speculation that she had quietly jetted off in secret with Brad.
The actor’s camp confirm it would be “just like” the 58-year-old Bullet Train star to whisk his former wife off on a romantic Italian holiday as he tries to woo her back.
“Brad has always been a romantic, and once he started making millions, his gestures to potential partners only became grander. He’s always loved taking his partners – prospective or otherwise – on no-expense spared vacations,” tells the source.
According to friends, idyllic spots like Cinque Terre or
Positano would be top of Brad’s list for a luxe getaway with his 53-year-old ex.
“They could easily go undercover there, and relax and reconnect without anyone in the world knowing what they were up to,” says the insider of the pair, who originally called it quits in 2005 after five years of marriage.
“They seem to enjoy the mystery of it all.”
Indeed, there’s been plenty of mystery surrounding the nature of the couple’s relationship since calling time on their high-profile marriage.
RELATIONSHIP RIDDLE
In January 2020, the pair had tongues wagging when they publicly cosied up at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Brad then reportedly enjoyed a French rendezvous with Jen while she was in Paris shooting Murder Mystery 2. Now it seems the couple remain strong, albeit in secret.
‘They seem to enjoy the mystery of it all’