From a wayward dog to a cheating bombshell: The Winter Olympics moments that have everyone talking

From the curiosities of curling to the knee-tensing ordeal that is watching moguls, The Winter Olympics offers plenty to keep us entertained.

However, some of the most talked-about moments from Milano Cortina 2026 have very little to do with the competition unfolding on the ice and snow.

From a surprise canine competitor to the foods Olympians can't get enough of in the athletes' village, here are the biggest viral moments so far.

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Scotty James' Love Actually moment

Let's start with one of our beloved Aussies.

Snowboarding legend Scotty James announced his arrival in Italy by recreating the dance first performed by Hugh Grant, as the British prime minister, in Love Actually.

Watch the video above.

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Where Grant's character boogied through the halls of 10 Downing St, James wiggled around the athletes' village to The Pointer Sisters' Jump.

While he took home a silver medal in the men's snowboard halfpipe, we hereby award the homegrown hero a gold for this performance.

Ring-atoni

It's no surprise to learn Olympians are carb-loading in the village, but we didn't expect their pasta options to be so on-theme.

The athletes have been treated to pasta in the shape of the Olympic rings – which has been quickly dubbed "ring-atoni".

Several Olympians have shared videos of themselves enjoying the bespoke dish, with one declaring it "11/10".

The ring-shaped pasta is the creation of Michelin-starred Italian chef Carlo Cracco.

The affair confession heard around the world

Don't let anyone tell you The Winter Olympics doesn't deliver on drama.

Moments after winning bronze in the men's 20km biathlon, Norway's Sturla Holm Lægreid blurted out on live TV – unprompted, might we add – that he had cheated on his ex-girlfriend.

"[Six months] ago I met the love of my life, the world's most beautiful and nicest person," he said, fighting back tears.

"Three months ago I made the mistake of my life and cheated on her, and that's all I've been thinking about for a week. This has been the worst week of my life."

He later added during a press conference, "Maybe there's a chance she will see what she really means to me... I don't want to think I didn't try everything to get her back."

It was an unusual move, and one that didn't have the desired effect.

In a statement, Lægreid's ex said his infidelity was "hard to forgive, even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world."

"I did not choose to be put in this position, and it hurts to have to be in it," she added.

View gallery

Royals at the Olympic Games: The best moments in pictures

An unexpected competitor

Even years of training couldn't have prepared these skiers for the arrival of an unexpected rival: a local dog.

Nazgul, a two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog, decided to join in the fun during the heats for the cross-country skiing women's team sprint free.

The dog, whose owners operated a nearby bed-and-breakfast, was even snapped crossing the finish line in impressive style.

Croatian skier Tena Hadzic, 21, told press she thought she was "hallucinating" when the noticed the dog racing behind her.

"I don't know what I should do, because maybe he could attack me, bite me," Hadzic said.

The Paris 2024 muffin is dethroned

At the Summer Olympics in 2024, a humble chocolate muffin served in the athletes' village became a viral sensation.

That was thanks in large part to the enthusiasm of Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen, who documented his enjoyment of the treat during his time competing.

Now, athletes say they've found the equivalent treat of Milano Cortina 2026: a tiramisu.

Many Olympians, particularly Swiss snowboarder Jonas Hasler, have been raving about the Italian dessert being served up, with a lava cake also winning plenty of praise.

Christiansen, who was crowned 'The Muffin Man' in Paris, has now passed the baton, declaring Hasler 'Tiramisu Man', telling him, "Make me proud."

The Minions drama

Who could have imagined the Minions would be embroiled in Olympic drama?

Spanish figure skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté found himself in a pickle when Universal Pictures flagged "copyright clearance issues" over his use of music from the Minions movies in his routine shortly before his debut at Milano Cortina 2026.

This hadn't been an issue during the International Skating Union season in the leadup to The Winter Olympics, so it came as a rude shock to Sabaté.

"Finding this out ... so close to the biggest competition of my life, was incredibly disappointing," the skater, who even dresses as one of the yellow characters for his routine, wrote on Instagram.

However, the story had a happy ending, thanks to people power.

As news of his plight spread online, Sabaté received an outpouring of support – led by the phrase "let the minion skate" – and Universal eventually bowed to the pressure, allowing him to use the music.

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