Grant Denyer has opened up about being upset with comedian Tom Gleeson after his campaign to win a Gold Logies award this year turned into “taking the piss” in order to win.
Denyer took out the top award last year for the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television and this week he expressed his concerns on his 2Day FM breakfast show, saying he was disappointed with Gleeson’s methods.
“It’s become a joke this year,” Denyer vented to co-hosts Ed Kavalee and Ash London.
To win the Gold Logie you have to fight dirty. Going negative works. Here’s my Amanda Keller attack ad. #tvweeklogies #Gleeson4Gold Vote here now: https://t.co/oIgKOm3nip pic.twitter.com/G85CVsC6lM
— Tom Gleeson (@nonstoptom) June 23, 2019
“Two of the loudest Gold nominees are just effectively taking the piss.”
It seems that the former Logie winner is referring to fellow nominee and Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac, who is currently touring around Australia in an over-the-top campaign bus, while beloved Aussie comedian Tom Gleeson appears to be releasing a number of tongue-in-cheek advertisements attacking his fellow nominees.
The Hard Quiz host has also mocked all his fellow candidates in interviews.
To win the Gold Logie you have to fight dirty. Going negative works. Here’s my Waleed Aly attack ad. #tvweeklogies #Gleeson4Gold Vote here now: https://t.co/oIgKOmkYGZ pic.twitter.com/DJ26Md2A2Q
— Tom Gleeson (@nonstoptom) June 26, 2019
p>“He’s slagging everyone off,” Denyer said about Gleeson.
“He’s having a crack at Amanda Keller. She’s divine, she deserves to win. She’s been in it for 35 years. She’s not doing it because it’s a joke, she’s not ripping the heart out of the Logies. It would mean the world to her to win.
“She is a game-changer and a groundbreaker, she’s wonderfully warm, incredibly whip smart and deserves it, however Tom Gleeson is just taking all the headlines,” Denyer explained.
“I’m worried if he wins, that’s it for the Logies forever.”
In the past and during his campaign to win the top dog award, Gleeson has publicly voiced he thinks the Logies are a joke, however, is adamant he still wants to win.
“I’m in this weird position. I do think the campaigning is funny, and I don’t take the awards seriously at all — but that just makes the idea of winning it even more hilarious,” he said to the Sydney Morning Herald.
To win the Gold Logie you have to fight dirty. Going negative works. Here’s my Rodger Corser attack ad. #tvweeklogies #Gleeson4Gold Vote here now: https://t.co/oIgKOm3nip pic.twitter.com/XrY2QbYl9g
— Tom Gleeson (@nonstoptom) June 24, 2019
“The idea of my name being called out and me getting my hands on it … It just sort of makes me laugh.
“I’m just reminding everyone not to take the Logies too seriously, and I suspect that’s the way most of Australia sees it.
“I feel like if people are being offended by my antics, maybe they should reflect on their own ambitions.”
To win the Gold Logie you have to fight dirty. Going negative works. Here’s my @MrSamMac attack ad. #tvweeklogies #Gleeson4Gold Vote here now: https://t.co/oIgKOm3nip pic.twitter.com/2j0U8sHOm6
— Tom Gleeson (@nonstoptom) June 25, 2019
Denyer has also pointed out his distaste for Gleeson’s antics last year when the voting period for the 2018 Logies Awards was coming to a close.
“He [Gleeson] jumped on at the eleventh hour and basically took over my campaign,” the dad-of-two recalled on air.
“I didn’t ask him to, I didn’t really want him to, but I had no choice in that. Everybody in the country now thinks I won the award because of him, and if I’m honest, that s—s me.
“He’s done interview after interview after interview claiming the victory last year,” Denyer added.
“Forget the 20 years of work I put in to get to that particular point… I didn’t even ask for him to jump on board my campaign.”
The TV WEEK Logie Awards are on this Sunday, June 30. The Red Carpet Arrivals show starts at 7 pm on Channel 9, and the live broadcast of the awards begins at 7.30pm.