NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

'Olivia must be cringing': Delta Goodrem savaged for 'awful' performance in biopic of Grease star

news.com.au
13 May, 2018 11:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Olivia Newton John biopic movie starring Delta Goodrem. Source: Channel 7

They are two of Australia's best-known stars, but Delta Goodrem's homage to Olivia Newton-John failed to impress some viewers.

The 33-year-old singer's performance as the Grease icon in mini-series Olivia: Hopelessly Devoted To You was slammed as "awful" and a "debacle" after it screened last night.

"Olivia must be cringing," one fan wrote on Twitter. "So bad."

Another joked that it made them want to fake their own death and disappear to Mexico, a reference to Newton-John's ex-partner Patrick McDermott, who was thought to have done exactly that after he vanished during a 2005 fishing trip.

"This is a struggle to keep watching," one viewer tweeted, while another observed that "the paint on my wall dried quicker."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Some viewers thought Morgan Griffin, who plays the young Olivia, put in a better performance than Delta, who starred in Neighbours before shifting focus to her singing.

Several people criticised the two-part Channel 7 production, calling it "dodgy" and "cheap", and comparing it to "a dramatic reading of Olivia Newton John's Wikipedia page."

But a few gave the show positive reviews, revelling in the carefully recreated outfits and locations. One viewer said people had expected the biopic to be a trainwreck but it was, in fact, "quite good".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And The Voice coach did have her fans, with some saying, "No one could have done it better" and calling her "out of this world".

@Channel7 the young woman playing Livvy could’ve taken the role all the way through. Her voice sounds like ONJ. Letting Delta do this as her vanity project was a mistake. #Olivia

— Natalie (@natrose38) May 13, 2018

I’ve watched 10 mins of #Olivia and I’m about to slip into a coma! Help!

— ☯️ SHΔKTI ♋️ 🏳️‍🌈🎧🌹 (@ShaktiEvo) May 13, 2018

Olivia Newton-John said she probably wouldn't watch it, but accepted that it was going to happen whether she liked it or not, and wanted to see Delta star in it.

She eventually agreed to record two songs for the soundtrack, I Honestly Love You, with Delta in Los Angeles.

The two women are friends, with Newton-John becoming a mentor to the Born To Try singer after they met in New York when Delta was a starstruck seven-year-old.

Discover more

Entertainment

Why Grease is the most offensive movie ever made

15 Jun 06:05 AM
Entertainment

Inside Delta Goodrem's secret marriage

22 Oct 09:00 PM

There are many parallels between their lives and careers, with both writing hit albums as well as acting and fighting cancer. Newton-John, who had breast cancer, contacted Delta when she was diagnosed with Hogkins Lymphoma at 18.

Newton-John's cancer battle, her stalker and her split from ex-husband Matt Lattanzi, played by Richard Brancatisano, are among the challenging moments portrayed in the two-part series.

Look, there were some dodgy accents not going to lie but I didn’t turn it off. I enjoyed it. I didn’t think I would and that’s being 100% honest. #HopelesslyDevotedToYou #Olivia

— Guy Ⓥ🎗🌱 (@greysfan) May 13, 2018

Alright well I’m truly shook
The first episode was so much better then I expected Morgan done such a great job oh and @DeltaGoodrem girl the vocals and your acting skills 👏🏼
You are both doing #Olivia so much justice so far👏🏼 so proud ❤️

— THOMPSON🕊 (@caitlynthomo) May 13, 2018
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Premium
Entertainment

Oprah shamed him. He’s back anyway

15 Jun 06:00 AM
Premium
Entertainment

Scarlett Johansson unveils her newest role at Cannes: Filmmaker

14 Jun 07:00 PM
Entertainment

Chopper's favourite places in Auckland

14 Jun 05:00 PM

BV or thrush? Know the difference

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Premium
Oprah shamed him. He’s back anyway

Oprah shamed him. He’s back anyway

15 Jun 06:00 AM

NYT: A Million Little Pieces became a global scandal – 20 years later, James Frey is back.

Premium
Scarlett Johansson unveils her newest role at Cannes: Filmmaker

Scarlett Johansson unveils her newest role at Cannes: Filmmaker

14 Jun 07:00 PM
Chopper's favourite places in Auckland

Chopper's favourite places in Auckland

14 Jun 05:00 PM
Miriama Kamo reflects on Matariki, new projects and family legacy

Miriama Kamo reflects on Matariki, new projects and family legacy

14 Jun 05:00 PM
It was just a stopover – 18 months later, they call it home
sponsored

It was just a stopover – 18 months later, they call it home

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP