The smash-hit series The Hospital: In the Deep End returns to shine a spotlight on the real-life heroes of our healthcare system 3 February, 2026
Media releases
Matt Preston, Jelena Dokic and Ruby Rose step onto the frontline to see what it takes to save a life Premieres Thursday 5 March at 8:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand *Interviews available*
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In the compelling new season of The Hospital: In the Deep End, three new iconic Australians step onto the frontline where the stakes are high, and compassion is critical. The series return expands its lens to explore a wider range of departments than ever before across not one, but two of the busiest and most well-known hospitals in the country.
Award-winning food journalist, best-selling cookbook author, radio presenter and international TV personality Matt Preston, former professional tennis player, broadcaster and public speaker Jelena Dokic, and Hollywood actor, producer, and activist Ruby Rose, each arrive with a deeply personal connection to the public health system, but nothing has prepared them for the emotional and eye-opening experiences ahead.
Don't miss the powerful stories that celebrate courage, compassion, and, above all, the strength of the human spirit. The three-part series airs weekly Thursdays from 5 March at 8:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.
Unmatched behind-the-scenes hospital access
Hospitals are being pushed to their limits[i] as demand continues to climb[ii]. More patients are presenting to Australian emergency departments than ever before[iii], and health workers are exhausted[iv]. Reports of staffing shortages, nursing resignations[v], strikes[vi] and high rates of burnout[vii], all point to a system that is on the brink. But what's it really like to work on the hospital frontline?
Returning to St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, and, for the first time, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, the series has unprecedented access to the inner workings of these two major public hospitals. It's an unfiltered, intimate glimpse beyond the hospital corridors, where raw vulnerability and strength meet in life-changing moments, taking audiences inside the pressure points testing our health system. From the high stress environment of the operating theatre to the emotional toll of treating the critically ill to occupational violence, the series bears witness to the extraordinary challenges frontline staff face every single day.
Three Australian icons. Three powerful stories.
Although Matt Preston is best known to Australians as a food journalist and author, audiences are about to see another side of the beloved TV personality. Matt has a deeply personal interest in the public healthcare system due to a tragedy in his family. When he was in his 20s, his younger brother died from SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy). Matt wants to know how far we've come in preventing deaths through SUDEP and what options are available for treating epilepsy in the public health system. At St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Matt observes a cutting-edge procedure in which electrodes are implanted into a patient's brain to discover the source of their seizures.
He also spends time in one of the most challenging areas of the hospital - the acute geriatric ward. There, he meets the extraordinary staff who care for those with dementia, a condition that affected his mother. Matt also observes a robotic prostatectomy but learns that essential services for men recovering from prostate removal can be hard to access in the public health system in Australia.
Matt Preston said: Geriatrics, epilepsy and men's health are all departments I have personal experience with, and I wanted learn what workable solutions we have for our rapidly aging population, whether men are finally taking preventive health seriously (and how to address this) and why, 40 years after my brother died of SUDEP (Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy), we still lose over 170 largely young people to this scourge[viii].
Former tennis champion and broadcaster Jelena Dokic grew up under intense scrutiny during her sporting career, while enduring years of abuse from her father that tore her family apart. The trauma she endured through childhood abuse and public pressure has shaped her advocacy for speaking out about mental health, resilience and empowerment. In the series, Jelena faces confronting reminders of her own past, particularly when working with patients experiencing family and domestic violence trauma[ix]. In Australia, it's believed that one in four women have experienced domestic violence[x]. Jelena wants to know what services are currently being offered to those seeking out help with mental, physical and emotional abuse. How do health workers cope with hearing these stories?
Having never been to the emergency department (ED) before, Jelena has a startling first experience where the unit is at capacity after a build-up of patients over the weekend. Jelena is wondering how staff in the ED deal with these confronting situations when there is no reprieve, and their conditions are often critical. Jelena later travels to St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne to work in the oncology department. She wants to better understand what can be done for the early detection and treatment of lung cancer which continues to kill around 9,000 Australians each year[xi].
Jelena Dokic said: I was truly honoured to be part of this experience. It was incredibly eye-opening and reinforced how important it is to continue raising awareness among and about our health care professionals.
Seeing firsthand what they face each day in the workplace often behind the scenes - was powerful. The dedication, care, and effort they give to every patient is remarkable. They carry one of the toughest jobs in the world, and if we
