• Solo performances saw contestants falter on Australian Idol
• Garrick sent home on Australian Survivor
Nine
Nine’s A Current Affair looked at how the Australian War Memorial is calling on the public to assist in transcribing thousands of love letters dating back almost a century. Launching on Valentine’s Day, the project will see the digital release of hundreds of thousands of personal letters, diaries and other handwritten documents.
Then, on Married at First Sight, Intimacy Week continued as Ellie and Ben were in disarray as their date night went wrong after Ben mocked Ellie. For Tim and Sara, a successful eye-gazing task leaves them feeling closer while Jack and Tori were tasked with the “genital cupping” exercise, which Tori hoped would help them finally consummate their marriage.
Sexologist Alessandra Rampolla invited the brides and the grooms to separate group intimacy workshops. Richard revealed how extremely compatible he and Andrea are while Cassandra revealed she and Tristan were at a cooler temperature than normal because of his moods.
Later, Ben tells Ellie he has had an epiphany about his desires for the future and she is delighted. At the same time, Alessandra intervenes with Cassandra and Tristan and a romantic date spells disaster for Tim and Sara.
Seven
Over on Seven, Home and Away began the evening as Xander and Harper were the talk of the town. Meanwhile, Theo and Kirby clashed and Valerie led Theo astray.
Then, it was time for the Solo Performances on Australian Idol! As Top 30 week continued with the final challenge – the solo challenge – and the last opportunity for the performers to secure a coveted spot in the Top 21 began.
Singing for the first time in front of a live audience and accompanied by a live band, contestants had to leave a lasting impression on the judges, as failure to do so put them at risk of being put on notice and ultimately eliminated from the competition.
However, there was more drama than anyone bargained for at the end of Isaac McCallum‘s performance when judges Kyle Sandilands and Marcia Hines became at odds. While Marcia could appreciate the pressure Isaac was under — particularly given just a few weeks earlier he had been a trolley pusher — Kyle was unforgiving when it came to whether he should go through since he had forgotten some of his lyrics. While Marcia wanted to deliberate, Kyle was adamant that Isaac should be put on notice, before a heckler from the crowd called out to the shock jock.
“Kyle, you suck!” the man yelled.
“You think you know better?” Kyle said, turning around. “Come down here you clown. Come down here and say what you think. Do you think it’s great? Then shut your pie hole!”
Ultimately, Isaac was put on notice.
Kyle Sandilands, Marcia Hines and Amy Shark. Australian Idol
10
On 10, The Project welcomed Wil Anderson to the desk who revealed he was a low-key Swiftie, and he tells us why he thinks Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is a great thing for the whole world.
Then, it was time for another instalment of Australian Survivor. Over in the Rebel’s Tribe, Mark was left grovelling for survival after his failed blindside of Caroline. Meanwhile, in the Titans camp, Feras believed Kelli had found a hidden Immunity Idol, a mistake Kirby
could take advantage of. But Feras’ paranoia made him tell Ray and Garrick that Kirby had to be their next target.
After the Titans win a Mexican Feast Reward, both alliances start courting the three OG Titans (Charles, Winna
and Valeria) who have become the swing votes in the tribe. Rather than being at the bottom, they find themselves holding all the power. When the Titans lose the Immunity Challenge, Aileen quickly pitches “OG Rebels Strong”, but Garrick’s grudge against
Kirby begins to boil over. With the OG Titans on their side, they’ll have the numbers to finally get rid of Kirby; however, catching wind of the vote, Kirby planned to get rid of Garrick, a plan that was executed.
ABC
ABC’s 7.30 put the spotlight on what happened to the missing Victorian woman Samantha Murphy. Plus the program looked at how the government has released its first Closing the Gap report since the failed Voice referendum.
On Back Roads, the team set out to discover the wildlife carers of Western Australia’s Northern Wheatbelt. Presenter Heather Ewart met the fascinating people who have dedicated their lives to helping animals.
Then on McCartney 3,2,1, Paul McCartney and Rick Rubin discussed McCartney’s songwriting evolution, his creative partnership with John Lennon, and his development as a solo artist.
Finally, on Earth, the documentary revealed the violent birth of our atmosphere – from the cold void of space to a life-sustaining bubble.
SBS
Over on SBS, Who Do You Think You Are spoke with artistic director and choreographer Stephen Page who investigated his mother’s maternal history and is surprised to discover his two-time great-grandfather was a charismatic sailor and fisherman from the Philippines who left an extraordinary family legacy.
Then on Stephen Fry: Willem and Frieda, the program explored the occupation of the Netherlands in WW2, where Willem Arondeus, a painter and Frieda Belinfante, a cellist, used their artistic skills to forge identity cards that saved thousands of Jews from the death camps.