Looksmaxxing is taking over millions of young men’s algorithms - a trend focused on maximising appearance that can start off harmless, but spiral into extreme measures to appear more masculine.

This week, looksmaxxer influencer Clavicular was hospitalised in Miami after a suspected overdose during a livestream. He’s previously spoken about using drugs, including methamphetamine, to suppress his appetite as part of the trend.

After leaving hospital, he described his substance use as “a cope trying to feel neurotypical while being in public” and “not a real solution.”

In this bonus episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by UNSW public health researcher Samuel Cornell who unpacks the rise of looksmaxxing and why influencers are selling so-called 'ascension' programs.

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Sofia Levin does a lot more than just eat. She’s built a name as one of Australia’s most respected food critics and landed her dream job as a judge on MasterChef Australia - bringing her expertise to one of the country’s biggest cooking shows.

From carving out a career in food media to earning her first Logie nomination, she’s rubbed shoulders with names like Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Robert Irwin and Poh Ling Yeow - learning what it takes to stand out in a world full of big personalities.

In this chat with Chris Syprou, Sofia shares stories from her travels, the reality behind her career, and the personal loss of her father to Motor Neurone Disease, a cause she’s now more driven than ever to fight.

Weekend list with Sacha Barbour Gatt and Helen Smith

• Listener Matt TO WATCH: Big Mistakes on Netflix
• TO LISTEN: Raye's album This Music May Contain Hope
• TO WATCH: Trust Me: The False Prophet on Netflix

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Headlines:

• Bail for Ben Roberts-Smith
• Israel-Lebanon ceasefire begins
• Trump “not happy” with Australia
• Pope calls out “tyrants”
• A Sydney man gets a $40m phone call

Deep Dive:

Harry and Meghan are finishing their Australian tour. Thousands turned out to catch a glimpse of Harry and Meghan as they visited Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney, and the Australian media followed the pair around on every stop. One journalist in the press pack was 7 News journalist Paul Dowsley – he gives the inside view of the tour.

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