From rose ceremonies to the TV WEEK Logies red carpet, former Bachelor Matty Johnson and Bachelorette Sam Frost have certainly come a long way!
The ex-reality stars have just been announced as nominees in the category of Best New Talent. But no, it’s not for their time on The Bachelor.
Sam, 29, is in contention for her debut acting role as Jasmine Delaney on Home And Away, while Matty J is receiving recognition for his work as a first-time presenter on The Living Room.
He filled in for Dr. Chris Brown, who was in South Africa for I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
However, the duo will face stiff competition alongside fellow nominees Dilruk Jayasinha (CRAM!), Sophia Forrest (Love Child) and Sophie Dillman (Home And Away).
Live Voting for the 60th TV WEEK Logie Awards is now open! To cast your vote in the 10 ‘Most Popular’ categories, click here.
The 2018 TV WEEK Logies nominees for the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent.
For Sam, the announcement comes as a surprise. In an exclusive chat with TV WEEK, the actress couldn’t hold back her excitement.
“My palms are sweating and I’m really excited!” Sam says.
“I’ve grown up watching The Logies and there’s a huge calibre of talent, so it’s a huge honour!”
Earlier this year, the Melbourne-born star was hit with a tsunami of criticism when Channel Seven announced she would be joining the cast. Her social media was inundated by trolls who labelled her a “publicity stunt” for the long-running drama.
But despite the negativity, Sam continued to hone her craft and is now proving the naysayers wrong.
“It’s really nice considering when I first started there was a lot of criticism. The nomination goes to show that regardless of how loud and noisy the critics want to be, Australia is filled with so many encouraging and supportive people.
“I know I still have a long way to go, I’m still learning, but its nice to know I have people’s support.”
Sam’s Home and Away co-star Sophie is also ‘speechless’ over the nomination.
“It is an incredible honour [to be nominated] and what a way to top off my first year on Home and Away!”
Meanwhile, Matty J is seemingly still in disbelief. The 31-year-old told TV WEEK he is “excited”.
The Sydney-sider is a shock contender for the award, particularly due to his short hosting gig. But nobody is more surprised than Matty himself.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d be nominated for a Logie,” he says. “It’s so crazy!”
The star concedes he can’t believe his incredible run of luck since he moved home to Australia a few years ago.
“After I moved back home to Australia I saw an advert for the show about looking for love, The Bachelorette,and I thought ‘yeah I’ll give it a go’.
“I’ve found love, I’ve presented on The Living Room, and now I’m nominated for a Logie. The past two years have been amazing!”
Undoubtedly, he will be celebrating the news with 32-year-old girlfriend Laura Byrne. The pair has been together since Matty J chose her in his final rose ceremony on The Bachelor in 2017.
They both recently shared a loved-up tribute to their one-year anniversary on social media.
Reflecting on their journey, the pair are both thrilled to have made it to where they are today, noinated for a TV WEEK Logie Award. So the question is, will they vote for each other?
“It’s stiff competition, Sam is very hard to beat,” says Matty. “She’s hugely popular and rightfully so. I think she’s been a great addition to Home And Away, so if she wins it’ll be hugely deserving.”
May the best Bachie graduate win!
Find out more about the exciting new Live Voting system for the upcoming TV WEEK Logie Awards here.
