Denyer grabs gold
WINNER OF TOP TV HONOUR CALLS NEW LIVE-VOTING SYSTEM ‘THE WRONG THING FOR THE LOGIES’
THE absurdity of the Gold Logie has been exposed once again – with even this year’s winner Grant Denyer describing the new live-voting system as “wrong”.
After winning the top honour, the former Family Feud host said the gong “should be about excellence, not who has the loudest voice closest to the awards”.
His comments come after his Gold Logie victory – and additional most popular presenter Silver Logie win – were largely credited to a comical campaign led by ABC funnyman Tom Gleeson that ran wild on social media.
It capitalised on the Logies for the first time opening “live” voting to allow people to have their say on the big award in the final week, from Monday, June 25, right up until 7.30pm on Sunday.
Gleeson spruiked the #Denyer4Gold campaign to highlight the irony of a show axed due to low ratings winning a popularity vote on Australia’s third highest rating network. Prior to Family Feud being axed by Ten in May, it was averaging just 298,000 viewers an episode.
Denyer, who acknowledged Gleeson’s influence in his acceptance speech, admitted the comedian “hijacked” his Logies campaign and said the Gold gong should be an acknowledgment of excellence.
“I think it’s the wrong thing for the Logies. Reopening of voting is possibly the wrong thing to do,” he said.
“People have already voted and invested time. Making it a live competition to the finish line, I don’t think it’s the right way to do it. I have radio and television and not everyone has that. It should be a level playing field.”
Gleeson made his agenda clear during his Hard Chat segment on ABC’s The Weekly, although he later admitted his plan was “idiotic”. But he was also quick to boast about his new-found influence.
“#HardChat got @Grant- Denyer the Gold Logie,” he tweeted.
“@TurnbullMalcolm, would you like another term?”