Channel 9's MAFS, aka Married at First Sight, is a ratings winner with a problematic track record. This season, even NSW Police have gotten involved — looking into a door-punching incident between 'groom' Paul and 'bride' Carina. James Weir, news.com.au's longtime MAFS recapper, joins Bev and Hannah to give his take on the latest happenings at Trash Towers, and why 2.8m Australians are so hooked on the show. If you need help, contact the National Domestic Family and Sexual Violence counselling service online, 1800.respect.org.au or call 1800 RESPECT. In an emergency, call 000. Get in touch: Te ..read more

If crudité platters, flower sprinkles, spotless kitchens and beige linen are your thing, you may really enjoy the Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan.  But if you’re looking for self-awareness, authenticity or any compelling insights into the post-Megxit lives of the Meghan and Harry, watching this show may leave you feeling as let down as a toddler gifted with a jute party bag full of seeds.   Hannah and Bev puzzle out how a show about the joys of entertaining at home ended up fuelling a Meghan backlash.   Also: prepare to be chuffed by bonus ..read more

We’re breaking down all four hours of the Oscars broadcast and bringing you our takes on the most moving, hilarious and awkward moments (ahem, Kieran Culkin!) and of course, whether the Academy got it right with the big wins of the night.  Culture writer and film critic Jared Richards joins Bev and Hannah for an Oscars roundtable, AND Hannah prosecutes The Case Against Long Movies. After all, this year’s Best Picture nominations were all between 2 hours and 3.5 hours (The Brutalist, its famous intermission). So, are the golden days of the 90 minute feature over?  Get in touch! We’re ..read more

We’re checking back into the dark and decadent world of Mike White’s The White Lotus. It’s the show’s third season, and a fresh cast of wealthy, dysfunctional jerks are spending a week at The White Lotus Thailand, a luxury wellness resort. But can any amount of energy healing sessions cure their privileged, rotted souls?  Consider this your spoiler alert as Hannah and Bev rate this holiday stay on a scale of toxic white males (Patrick Schwarzenegger’s creepy finance bro Saxon), class-divide hotness (BLACKPINK’s Lalisa Manobal) and kooky southern matriarchs (Parker Posey’s pill-popping Vic ..read more

A lot’s happened since Gen X singleton Bridget Jones, played by Renée Zellweger, slid down that fire pole and into our hearts. Nearly 25 years later, she’s back in a fourth, and likely last, film sequel – Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.  Bev and Hannah are catching up on where Bridget is now in life, her new love interests, and how the movie series holds up. Is it still an aspirational rom-com?  Get in touch: How do you feel about Bridget Jones’s world? Or tell us what’s got you chuffed! Send a message or voice note to stopeverything@abc.net.au Show notes:  Curbed: They missed ..read more

It’s smutty book club this week, so let’s go deep on Onyx Storm -- the latest bestselling instalment of the Rebecca Yarros Empyrean romantasy series.    Onyx Storm follows Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, continuing the saga of lightning-wielder dragon rider Violet Sorrengail's intense bond with her broody, shadow-wielding lover, Xaden Riorson.  Bev and Hannah have a lot to discuss – like who are all these characters? How’s the smut? Is there anything to rival the famous “throne scene” in Iron Flame?   This episode is for romantasy fans and the romantasy-curious, but b ..read more

New Stop Everything! co-host Hannah Reich reveals how her postpartum state has influenced her TV tastes. Together, Bev and Hannah examine how what you’re going through in life can change what you want to watch.  What content got you through a big life change – a birth, a break-up, or bereavement? Write to stopeverything@abc.net.au and tell us about it.   Also, Bev and Hannah break down the Grammy’s most pivotal moments, and how Beyonce’s reaction spoke volumes about her long journey to the big win.  Next week we’re diving into the world of romantasy with a book club on the lates ..read more

It’s been a good run, and it’s not going to stop. In fact, from now on, it’ll be double your money – Bev’s welcoming a new co-host, Hannah Reich! Hannah is an ABC digital arts producer, journalist and vexed pop culture nerd, obsessed with romantasy and mumfluencing, among other things. Together, Bev and Hannah will hold space to overthink and process the world around them every week.   But that’s not all, in 2025 Stop Everything! wants to hear from YOU. Look out for call outs and special drops in the feed.  Email us all your thoughts, whatever you’re overthinking about pop cultu ..read more

January hit hard: LA burned, Mark Zuckerberg ended fact-checking on Meta, President Donald Trump was sworn in again, Elon kept Musking, and ... it’s awards season!  If all of this is making you feel — destabilised — you’re not alone. It’s time to check the vibe on 2025. Screen critic and pop culture reporter Jared Richards is in to help Bev overthink how what’s happening out in the world is affecting our social media and pop culture habits. Is there an ethical way to reach for escapism?  Bev and Jared also pick through the Oscar nominees for Best Picture and have a lot to s ..read more

Comedian, rom-com lover and professional bookworm Jennifer Wong confesses that she’s never read Jane Austen, and Bev is horrified.  But 2025 is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth so Jen is ready to break her own denim rule for content and find out what the hype is all about.  Meanwhile, Bev has pop culture knowledge gaps of her own to disclose ... what could they be?!?  Show notes:  Read: Joel Kim Booster essay on reading Jane Austen as a gay manGet in touch! Stop Everything wants to hear from you! What’s your pop culture knowledge gap? What’s the big movie, book ..read more