Channel 9 desperately pushing Tracy Grimshaw to win the Gold Logie on Sunday
IN a campaign originally planned for now-defected star Lisa Wilkinson, Channel 9 is making a desperate Gold Logie pitch for Tracy Grimshaw — even using her name as a codeword for viewers to win cash. Who will win? Vote in our poll.
Confidential
Don't miss out on the headlines from Confidential. Followed categories will be added to My News.
IN a campaign originally planned for now-defected star Lisa Wilkinson, Channel 9 is making a desperate Gold Logie pitch for Tracy Grimshaw — even using her name as a codeword for viewers to win cash.
The usually understated veteran journalist has been all over radio since voting opened on Monday while “Help Tracy Grimshaw win the Gold Logie” is splashed across all of Nine’s platforms with the hashtag #TracyForGold.
This could all prove rather embarrassing for the network should the A Current Affair host not win — especially as Nine seems to be ignoring its other Gold Logie nominees, Jessica Marais and Rodger Corser.
“If it fails, it would be extremely embarrassing,” an industry insider said yesterday.
“If the use of all of their platforms could not secure the Gold for Tracy, they will be questioning their reach.”
MORE: Jessica Marais pulls out of Logie Awards
MORE: Hollywood actor to attend Logies red carpet
The insider told The Daily Telegraph the promotion was first designed to try to secure Australian TV’s top gong for then-Today host Lisa Wilkinson, before her shock move to Channel 10 last October.
“There was a lot in place to get Lisa the Gold. When she unexpectedly diverted over to Ten, the attention went to Tracy,” the insider said.
Wilkinson’s former colleagues at Today are on the Grimshaw bandwagon, with co-host Karl Stefanovic telling audiences on Monday morning: “For me there is only one serious contender for Gold Logie this year and this person is an absolute legend. It has got to be, for my mind, Tracy Grimshaw for Gold. What a lady.”
Nine yesterday said: “There are campaigns for all our nominees … Tracy has so many colleagues who have worked with her and are being vocal in their support and that is not a network request — it is their personal feelings.”
But when The Daily Telegraph recently asked to speak to Marais or Corser, a spokeswoman instead pushed: “We would love it to be Tracy.”
Nine’s other big stars are also singing Grimshaw’s praises to viewers — with former Gold Logie-winner The Block host Scotty Cam featuring in ads saying, “I have always been a big fan of Tracy Grimshaw and I would love to see her get Gold” — while staff across the network have been urged to go online and vote for her.
Media Week editor James Manning said that this type of Logies campaign had “form”, adding: “Given the size of the ACA audience, this should work out pretty well.
“The only drawback is that Tracy is a reluctant self-promoter but I think she is giving it a red-hot go,” he said.
“The only other person campaigning is Grant Denyer … you would think it was between those two.”
Sportsbet has Grimshaw as the favourite to grab the gong on Sunday night — but with voting open until the stars start walking the red carpet, the publicity campaigns are only expected to intensify.