Author: Stuart

A new doco in 2026

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We’re pleased to hear that Shaun will be back on television (specifically the ABC) in 2026 with a new documentary: Shaun Micallef’s Going for Broke

You may recall in 2020, Shaun presented a short documentary series about Australia’s love of alcohol: Shaun Micallef’s On the Sauce. Next year, he’ll turn his eye on a similar national obsession: gambling. Will he make sense of it? Or will he succumb to the lure of a bet?

But unfortunately, Eve of Destruction won’t be returning for a season three next year – so Going for Broke is currently the only show announced for Shaun in 2026.

Shaun "on the sauce"

Another Christmas Eve (of Destruction)

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Season two of Shaun Micallef’s Eve of Destruction may have finished, but there’s one more treat left – Santa has brought another Christmas special episode of Eve of Destruction, airing again on, appropriately, Christmas Eve.

Eve of Destruction Christmas Special 2025

Shaun will be joined by Steph Tisdell and Luke McGregor, with special guests and some Christmas elves. Wednesday 24 December 7:30pm ABC TV and ABC iview

Micallef (Tonight) on Sam Pang Tonight

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Shaun on Sam Pang Tonight

Shaun was the guest announcer for this week’s Sam Pang Tonight! (Season 2, Episode 3)

While being a comic foil for Sam throughout the show, Shaun did get a chance to reminisce with Sam about hosting his own Tonight show 23 years ago. They spoke about the brief nature of it (13 episodes) and Sam’s favourite joke from it – that Shaun was “caught” watching a rival show (Andrew Denton’s Enough Rope) while Danni Minogue performed during his own show.

It was a nice little sprinkling of Shaun fun, but I do miss the anarchic nature of Micallef Tonight.

A ghostly new play

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Michael Ward, writer and Kraken from Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell, has written a new play: The Haunting of Spook Mansion (By Ghosts).

Professor Adrian Chambers is offered $500,000 to spend a night in a haunted house. Easy money? Perhaps. But what happens when this sceptic of all things supernatural comes face to face with the ghosts of his past? A possessed ventriloquist dummy. A mysterious locked room. A bogus séance. And ghosts. Lots of ghosts …

The play is staring another Mad As Hell alumni, Emily Tahney, as well as Peter Houghton and Ben Russell.

Shaun describes it as ‘Funnier than Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts and far less Norwegian.’

You can see it at Chapel off Chapel during November.

Recap: Shaun Micallef’s Eve of Destruction Season 2

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Here’s the wrap up of the second season of Eve of Destruction:

Episode 1
Guests: Frank Woodley, Ariane Titmus (and Colin Lane)
Threat: Nuclear destruction
Snack: Goldfish
Destroyed: Frank’s guitar

Episode 2
Guests: Lisa McCune, Josh Cavallo
Threat: Cliff Top erosion
Snack: Lemons
Destroyed: Lisa’s Coffee Machine

Episode 3
Guests: John Safran and Celeste Barber
Threat: Termites
Snack: Pigs in Blankets
Destroyed: John’s scrabble board and dictionary

Episode 4
Guests: Tony Martin and Melissa Leong
Threat: Earth’s core has stopped rotating and we’re leaving for Neptune
Snack: Sausages
Destroyed: Tony’s high school year book

Episode 5
Guests: Rhys Nicholson and Marcia Hines
Threat: House is about to be bulldozed due to being made of uranium asbestos
Snack: Tofu
Destroyed: Rhys’s Andy Warhol signed one dollar bill

Episode 6
Guests: Kate Jenkinson and David Bromley (and Tom Gleeson)
Threat: Landlord burning down the house with a Molotov cocktail
Snack: Cucumber sandwiches
Destroyed: David’s passport

Shaun to host Just For Laughs All-Star Gala

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Sydney’s annual comedy festival Just for Laughs returns, with the centerpiece being the All-Star Gala at the Sydney Opera House. And the Gala host will be Shaun!

The Gala will have a lineup of local and international comedians, including Reggie Watts, Melanie Bracewell, Wil Anderson, Joel Creasey, Celia Pacquola and Preacher Lawson.

Just for Laughs Sydney is a local offshoot of the namesake festival held in Montreal.

The show will be Saturday 15th of November – more details at the website.

Origin Odyssey returning next year

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It’s been confirmed that Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey will return in 2026 on SBS TV and OnDemand.

Origin Odyssey sees Shaun travelling with young comedians and discovering their family roots with them. The first season aired in 2024. The second season will feature a new batch of six comedians, although we’re yet to learn who, and filming will occur next year.

Interview and travel shows might be the typical fare for a “semi-retired” comedian, but Shaun has put his flavour on it, and the first season had a great mix of Shaun’s humour and genuine moments with the guest. And great to know we’ll have Shaun on our screens next year!

Second Prize for Dancing

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The Dancing with the Stars Season 22 final has been run and won; and Shaun came… second!

Which is actually a fantastic effort, given Shaun’s dancing skill probably placed him in the middle of the competition. But his entertainment value was enough to sway the judges and the audience. And it’s what we love about him – he really seemed to enjoy his time on the show and especially his last dance, which had so many little personal touches.

After it was whittled down to a final two, the public was able to vote for their favourite. Kyle Shilling, from Home and Away, was chosen as the winner.

Congratulations to Shaun and Ash-leigh for a brilliant season and effort!

Eve of Destruction returns!

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The (slightly reworked) Eve of Destruction is back August 13th!

Shaun will be back asking guests what they would save from their home if it was about to be destroyed, and what those items mean to them.

John Safran, Lisa McCune and Frank Woodley are among the guests, so there should be some very fun conversations.

You can watch it on ABC (8pm) and ABC iView (anytime after the 13th).

Dancing to the Finals

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Shaun has survived the first three eliminations of Dancing with the Stars to make it to the final six and the Grand Final this Sunday!

Two weeks ago Shaun went full Richard III to dance the Paso Doble to Queen’s We Will Rock You!

In the semi-finals, it was the Cha-cha meets a day at the races, to the soundtrack of James Brown’s Get Up Offa That Thing. The horse pose was a delight to everyone, although everyone did think it was a T-Rex pose.

Although the judges are a little critical of some of Shaun’s technique, his entertainment quality, facial expressions and the joy he seemed to be having weighed in his favour, as did the audience’s vote.

The Grand Final will be next Monday 3rd on Channel 7 and 7+