Sky News UK. Former Nova 96.9 newsreader. Ch7 panellist. Ch9 footy commentator.
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Articles by Matt De Groot
How's the serenity?! THIS is the most amazing date night you'll have in Australia
When Darryl Kerrigan arrived at Bonny Doon in the cult film The Castle and declared "How's the serenity?" it was clear he'd never been to Tali Wiru. Tali Wiru (meaning 'beautiful dune') is an open-air restaurant 20 minutes outside Ayers Rock; set atop a dune overlooking Uluru and the vast expanses of red dust that symbolise the Red Centre. Quite simply, it's the most spectacular and romantic place I have ever dined at (it's just a shame I was alone).
Grid 2 is the Aggressive, Gorgeous Street-Racer Fans Have Been Waiting For
Ever since the original Fast & The Furious movie dropped in 2001, street-based racing games have yearned to recreate the same levels of grit, intensity and excitement the movie captured so well.
The Sega Mega Drive Mini is a Perfect Retro Blast from the Past.
Depending on your age your idea of what the first truly-memorable console was may vary; was it the NES, the Nintendo? Was it the SNES, the Super Nintendo? The real young among us may say the PS1, or the N64? No one will say the GameCube, but for a whole generation of us the answer is simple: The Sega Mega Drive. Released in the late 80’s, and lasting for the better part of a decade, the 16-bit Sega Mega Drive was the balls-to-the-wall console that opened many of our eyes to truly great gaming.
Pole Position: F1 2019 is the Best One Yet
It’s been ten years since Codemasters picked up the F1 license and started one of the most consistently excellent racing game series ever made. But F1 fans are fickle; they love their sport but love to complain about its (to be fair, many) failings more – and so every year Codemasters step back into the cockpit the demands from fans grow along with frustration with anything short of perfection.
Matt de Groot: 'I don’t regret telling my best friend not to get married'
When I read about Prince Phillip warning Harry not to marry Meghan I wanted to give him a frail, old high-five… Having once sat down with a good friend to have a similar conversation I can assure you the concerns around telling someone not to marry their chosen boo are the same, even if the global significance is not. So, what do you do when your friend is about to marry a dud? Will they appreciate your having their best intentions at heart but risk them turning against you?
Cricket 19 is the Sport’s Best Game Since SNES Cricket
Australian cricket over the past year has largely resembled Australian cricket games over recent editions. They look the part, they have all the promise of a top-flight side, but they just can’t get a complete performance together (looking at you Shaun Marsh). Enter Cricket 19, Big Ant’s latest entry into their cricket series and by far their best. Cricket 19 retains the Ashes license and the full Australian and English cricket squads (men’s and women’s) although this one is branded more broadly.
Matt de Groot: Here's why he hasn't proposed yet
As a man who’s recently married I seem to have become an authority on why other boyfriends haven’t put their hand up to do the same thing. It’s one of the most common questions I get from girlfriends ‘Why hasn’t my boyfriend proposed yet?’ Followed by ‘Make him do it!’ (Understanding that most women don’t need no man etc.) Let me give an insight why it may not have happened for those who are waiting. Fact is, guys like the idea of proposing, but can glitch-out when thinking of the enormity of it.
Why Matt De Groot invited his friends on his honeymoon with his new wife
Anyone who’s been on a honeymoon will tell you it’s a wonderful, necessary get away; but having just been on a ‘buddymoon’ I can tell you – they’re better. For the uninitiated a ‘buddymoon’ is basically a honeymoon with friends. You pick an equally romantic destination, but instead of booking one room with a view, you book 2, or 3 or even 4.
Road Testing Microsoft’s First Noise-Cancelling Headphones
When Microsoft announced it was going head-to-head with the likes of Bose and Sony by entering the noise-cancelling headphone world, I was pumped. A company with pockets as deep as Microsoft entering a market as populated as this was never going to roll-in with anything less than a premium offering. Then, when I saw the $500 price tag, I only but assumed they were throwing the kitchen sink at it.
Matt De Groot on the one thing that killed the passion on his honeymoon
I’ve just returned from my incredibly romantic, picturesque honeymoon that brought joy in every element bar one – close quarters travelling and going to the toilet. It’s an unsavoury topic, I grant you, but my god it’s time to call out one of the major design flaws in modern day hotel-travelling – thin, frosted glass bathroom doors. There is no getting around it, at some stage you’ll need to go to the loo while your partner is in the room and the anxiety is, to put it simply, distressing.
On his wedding day Matt de Groot can understand why some couples pull the pin shortly after getting married.
I’m getting married today. Married, Holy sh—t! I’m buzzing, but I confess I can now see why engaged couples don’t make their wedding day, or worse why they do, but end it soon after. That may sound more negative or foreboding than it’s intended, but hear me out… Now, I know it’s usual practice for the guy to understate his enthusiasm for today – resorting instead to gags about ‘just showing up and doing what you’re told’ – but I’ve got to say, I’m amped.
Trying The Game of Thrones Facial
For years I had thought I was at the more proactive end of man-grooming, with a particular focus on skin care (I don’t really have hair to groom, sadly). That was until my fiancée put forward the idea of our getting a series of facials together leading into our wedding. As you can imagine, I was less than enthusiastic – nor did I think it was necessary given my existing regime.
The startling procedure Nova newsreader underwent before his wedding
Want to know the key to getting your man to do anything beauty-related? Add the words ‘Game of Thrones’ in front of it. That’s exactly what my fiancée did after first putting forward the idea of us getting a series of facials together leading into our wedding. As you can imagine, I was less than enthusiastic… But when she then said it was the most intense facial you can get and had been dubbed the ‘Game of Thrones’ facial, she had my attention.
The Inconvenient Truth of Driving an Electric Car in Australia
I recently got to road-test Jaguar’s new I-Pace SUV, and couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Taking it on a 300-kilometre loop south of Sydney, I fell in love. Jaguar’s first EV SUV had won me over with its power, precision and luxury, and I was keen to spend more time with it, with a particular eagerness to know how practical it was to own one in Sydney in 2019.
The All-New Can-Am Ryker is Stylish, Fun and Affordable
I’m not a motorcycle rider, though I’ve always wanted to be and I’m not a full-time jetski rider, though I wish I could be, but I am now a Can-Am Ryker rider which is a beautiful combination of the two. I recently got to hit the track on Can-Am’s new three-wheeler and I’ve got to tell you: it’s as fun as it is accessible. The all-new Ryker is a two-wheel-at-the-front vehicle that isn’t exactly a motorcycle and it isn’t exactly not, but is undeniably one-thing: a bloody cool toy.
What 'Virgin Matthew' can teach us about men, sex and toxic masculinity
It's been easy to laugh along with the plight of ‘Virgin Matthew’ on MAFS, but beneath the easy barbs and constant questioning of ‘How?’ is a man who’s displayed an anxiety a lot of men carry. Mercifully for ‘No Longer Virgin Matthew’, he’s broken that duck and I suspect a period of rampancy has followed (mercifully for us, we no longer need to hear the voice-over lady say ‘Virgin Matthew’) but his nerves are actually not that uncommon – we just don’t admit it.
'The course that saved my marriage before it even started'
I did a specialised pre-marriage course with a relationship councillor that has saved my marriage before it even started. Now that’s not to say we were on the rocks, but the course has given us (probably mostly me) the tools to deal with issues that could very well have been terminal along the road. There’s a perception with seeing a relationship councillor that something must be wrong with you both but I’d love for this to help turn that around.
Hands On With Jaguar’s First Foray into Electric Cars, The I-Pace
Hands On With Jaguar’s First Foray into Electric Cars, The I-Pace To me, Jaguar has always represented power, noise, sophistication and a touch of British snobbery which is a direct contrast to those cars currently populating the electric-market – looking at you the Prius and the Leaf. So, when Jaguar announced they were building the full-battery electric I-Pace the traditionalist in me wasn’t sure how to feel.
'It's inevitable that co-workers will hook up at Christmas parties'
Nothing dampens festive enthusiasm more than the email from HR prior to your Christmas Party warning against getting amorous with a colleague. My advice, ignore this warning. There are two schools of thoughts when it comes to hooking-up with work-mates, ‘Don’t screw the crew’ or ‘Do…screw the crew’. I’ve never understood the former.
Jaybird's Tarah Pro Wireless Sport Headphones Boast a 14-Hour Battery Life
Jaybird’s Tarah Pro Wireless Sport Headphones Boast a 14-Hour Battery Life I’m not built for distance or endurance – largely because the thought of a 2-4 hour run or even a 6 or 7 hour hike is miserable, but the thought of doing it without music is even worse. Enter the Jaybird Tarah Pro. The latest wireless headphones from Jaybird which proudly boast a whopping 14-hour battery life for the adventure junkie.
The Huawei Mate20 is the Best Camera Phone on the Market Today
The Huawei Mate20 is the Best Camera Phone on the Market Today Huawei’s new flagship phone is a powerhouse, but that may not be enough for the Chinese giant. There are three kinds of people in the world, those who don’t know how to say Huawei (Wah-Way), those who think they are a Chinese spy agency, and those who know they are a beast of a phone.
Matt de Groot: 'Why we shouldn't give up on being chivalrous'
Chivalry is not dead. At least, most of us don’t want it to be. It’s weird that it’s been called into question because I don’t know anyone who has an actual issue with it. In the #MeToo era, the word 'chivalry' seems to bring up negative anti-feminist connotations. But it doesn’t have to. 'What does modern day chivalry look like?' is a question I increasingly see pop-up, with a tone that implies any action by a guy towards a girl deserves a negative reaction.
Sony’s New WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones Silences the Competition
There’s a feeling only those with noise-cancelling headphones know – sitting on a plane watching others unwrap the tinny-plastic airline provided options, while you recline into your cocoon of silent bliss. It’s a wonderful feeling of superiority. For many noise cancelling headphones are considered a luxury, they should be moving into the ‘essentials’ category.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the Most Astonishing Game Ever Made.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is simply one of the most spectacular achievements in the history of entertainment. End review. Well, as I’m paid by the word I’ll keep going, but all you need to know is that if you haven’t bought the game yet you’re you’ve let yourself down. For those who didn’t play RDR 1 or have missed the torrent of cowboy-memes, ads or general conversations about the game let me give you some back story.
What it’s really like to have a circumcision as an adult
What it’s really like to have a circumcision as an adult WARNING: The following article contains some graphic details Do you want to know the definition of uncomfortable? Getting circumcised at the age of 20. I’m going to articulate why it is and I’d like the parents of every new baby-boy to pay particular attention. Now, you’ll need to excuse that we’re going to enter some delicate territory, but this is important stuff and I don’t want the message to get lost...
Prince Harry’s delightful reaction to man who gave huge bouquet to Meghan
Prince Harry’s hands are bigger than I imagined, and when he shakes your hand time stands still. I had my brief encounter with him at Taronga Zoo, in Sydney, as they were making their way out of the park. If I wasn’t 6ft 4in tall and holding a $500 bouquet of flowers above my head like Simba in the Lion King I’d have never met him – but now I have. And not only that, he ‘joked’ with me never to by flowers of that size for his wife again.
How's the serenity?! THIS is the most amazing date night you'll have in Australia
When Darryl Kerrigan arrived at Bonny Doon in the cult film The Castle and declared "How's the serenity?" it was clear he'd never been to Tali Wiru. Tali Wiru (meaning 'beautiful dune') is an open-air restaurant 20 minutes outside Ayers Rock; set atop a dune overlooking Uluru and the vast expanses of red dust that symbolises the Red Centre. Quite simply, it's the most spectacular and romantic place I have ever eaten (it's just a shame I was alone).
A Message to the Men in Australia, on the Wrong Side of History
White Ribbon is an organisation that should not exist. Plain and simple. I have been an ambassador for White Ribbon for over three years, and I am embarrassed about that. White Ribbon is Australia's largest male-led campaign to end violence against women. And I'm embarrassed because this is such a preventable problem.
Nova's Matt de Groot Joins Yahoo7 As A Columnist - B&T
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