On one Friday afternoon in 2019, Hard Quiz host Tom Gleeson was preparing for his first overseas holiday as a TV Week Gold Logie Award winner.
“I’ve been driven out of the country by industry insiders,” he quipped, although he assured that the Gold Logie was in safe hands.
To mark the momentous occasion, TV Week sat down with the comedian shortly after his win to chat about what the award means to him and how his life has changed since becoming a Gold Logie winner.
“I’m now a part of TV history.”
(Image: Getty)How is life as a TV WEEK Gold Logie Award winner? Do people treat you differently?
Well, at the ABC, if anything, they all think I’m too big for my boots, but in general, it’s toned down. A guy just walked up, shook my hand and said, “Congratulations on the Gold Logie. I really loved your speech. I loved the opening. You’re a lot braver than I am, that’s for sure.”
Did you ever think of yourself as a brave person?
Not really. Cavalier, yes. I’ve always been a risk-taker. I must admit, whenever I do a TV show, I often think, “What should I not be saying right now?” and then I say it.
But surely the Gold Logie means something to you?
Oh, yeah – absolutely. I’m now part of TV history. I’m a Gold Logie winner! My career has been given the big tick, and of course, it means a lot to me. That’s something a lot of people didn’t quite get.
The Hard Quiz host is ready to take on a TV Week Logie Awards themed quiz.
(Image: Australian Broadcasting Corporation)Perhaps that’s because you said you were treating it as a joke, even if you love jokes.
What I meant – if I really have to point it out – is that as a comedian, to make a joke about something is almost the highest honour you can give it because if I don’t like something, I don’t even talk about it at all. The things in my stand-up [comedy] I usually pick on are politics, religion, the entertainment industry, the Logies. These are things I care about and actually have a lot of interest in.
The people who voted for you understand your humour.
Anyone who’s watched me up until that point and saw that speech, they saw me doing exactly what I do. If that was the first time you’d ever laid eyes on me, I admit that might have been a bit hard to take, but that’s not my fault. I’ve been out there for 20 years now; I didn’t come out of nowhere.
The 2019 Gold Logie winner was up against fellow fan-favourites Waleed Aly, Amanda Keller, and Sam Mac.
(Image: Supplied)Where is your Gold Logie now?
Well, I’ll give you an exclusive. It’s hard for me to say this, but when I took a photo of it on the back of the Monaro, the tow bar was a bit greasy, so I put a tissue under the Logie because I didn’t want to get the underside dirty. So I must actually have a bit of respect for the award! I’m actually staring at it right now in my office out at Romsey [a rural town 60 km north of Melbourne]. It’s on the shelf. It has pride of place in my office.
Have your kids practised giving their future speeches with it?
They wanted to hold it, but I told them very clearly that if they wanted to hold it, they should sit on the ground, because if you drop it, it’ll break. I didn’t want it to break, because I do value it.
Do you think the TV WEEK Logie Awards will ever be an expert category on Hard Quiz?
It hasn’t come up yet, but I reckon that’d be great. I reckon I’d be pretty good at it. I know my history. I know I’m the first person to do the opening of the Logies and win the Gold Logie on the same night since Bert Newton did it in 1984. I know I’m only one of two from the ABC to win the Gold Logie, so yeah, maybe it should be my subject if I ever go on my own show.
You’d have to come up with jibes about yourself.
Mate, I could tear myself to shreds. I’d make me doubt my own existence!
The 63rd TV WEEK Logie Awards will air on Sunday July 30, 7:30pm on Channel 7 and 7 Plus.
