On the special Valentine’s Day edition of The Richard Crouse Show on Saturday February 14, 2026 we’ll meet Heather Hendrie, the editor of a brand new (hilarious) anthology of non-fiction stories about sex and relationships entitled “Pillow Talk – An Awfully Hilarious Anthology!” Heather is a nature-based therapist and clinical counsellor based in Whistler, British Columbia and she founded the Awfully Hilarious Project to end shame, uplift women’s health and destigmatize mental health. Her two previous Awfully Hilarious anthologies, “Stories We Never Tell” (2023) and “Period Pieces” (2024) were both Canadian Book Club Awards winners.
Then we meet Shelley Saywell. As an acclaimed Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker known for tackling tough global issues like human rights, conflict, and women’s stories in war zones, her new memoir “If Only Love: A Memoir of Second Chances” marks a deeply personal shift—exploring first love, long separation, a miraculous reunion via email after 30 years, profound joy, devastating grief, and the enduring power of love amid her high-stakes career.
Each week on the nationally syndicated Richard Crouse Show, Canada’s most recognized movie critic brings together some of the most interesting and opinionated people from the movies, television and music to put a fresh spin on news from the world of lifestyle and pop-culture. Tune into this show to hear in-depth interviews with actors and directors, to find out what’s going on behind the scenes of your favourite shows and movies and get a new take on current trends. Recent guests include Chris Pratt, Elvis Costello, Baz Luhrmann, Martin Freeman, David Cronenberg, Mayim Bialik, The Kids in the Hall and many more!
All iHeartRadio Canada stations are available across Canada via live stream on iHeartRadio.caand the iHeartRadio Canada app. iHeartRadio Canada stations are also connected through Alexa, Siri, and Google Home smart speakers.
In this episode of Entertainment Is Broken, the podcast I host with and reality-TV scholar and Big Brother Canada winner Sarah Hanlon we try to make sense of a glossy new Melania Trump “documentary” that feels less like filmmaking and more like the soft launch of a lifestyle brand. From its eye-watering budget to its suspicious lack of actual substance, the conversation quickly turns to what this project really is…and where it’s likely headed next (hint: streaming platform, branded candles, possibly an apron).
As the Oscars loom, the hosts can’t help but compare this lavish production to multiple nominated films that were made for a fraction of the cost, raising uncomfortable questions about access, influence, and what gets financed in today’s entertainment landscape.
Along the way, Sarah offers a clear-eyed — and deeply reluctant — reaction to the concept of a Melania-fronted lifestyle empire, while Richard unpacks the industry mechanics behind attention farming, prestige positioning, and why this “documentary” may be less about storytelling and more about market testing.
It’s a sharp, funny, and slightly horrified look at the intersection of politics, celebrity, streaming economics, and the ever-blurrier line between content and commerce.
Spoiler alert: no one is asking for this… but someone is definitely funding it.
UPDATE: It was a pleasure hosting the In Conversation With… Sheila McCarthy at the Victoria Film Festival on Saturday February 7. As expected, Sheila was hilarious, insightful, and the hour just flew by. Thanks to the festival and to everyone who attended the sold out interview!
I’ll be hosting the British Columbia premier of “Dancing on the Elephant,” a comedy about two women who form an unlikely alliance over a shared distaste for their nursing home. Soon they are plotting one last rebellious adventure. After the screening I’m thrilled to greet the movie’s star, special guest Sheila McCarthy from the Academy Award-winning “Women Talking.”
The VFF goes all in with elbows up as we present two of Canada’s greatest gems, Sheila McCarthy in conversation with Richard Crouse. Following the liveon-stage conversation, we present the BC premiere of their latest film, Dancing on the Elephant.
Dancing on the Elephant
Directors: Julia Neill & Jacob Z. Smithunt
2025 / Canada / 94min / Drama
Atlantic International Film Festival – Outstanding Performance
Is reality TV trash…or is it secretly one of the most powerful storytelling tools we have?
In this episode of Entertainment Is Broken, the podcast I host with and reality-TV scholar and Big Brother Canada winner Sarah Hanlon dive deep into the past, present, and future of reality television — just as Canada Shore lands in Kelowna, BC and The Traitors Canada proves the genre is having a full-blown renaissance.
We unpack where reality TV really began (hint: it wasn’t Jersey Shore), why shows like Survivor, Big Brother, The Traitors, Canada’s Drag Race, Love Island, and The Great British Bake Off keep pulling us in, and whether reality television is cultural junk food…or a machine for empathy.
