The unusual reason Foxtel host can’t celebrate with other Logie nominees
He’s made history as Foxtel’s first Gold Logie nominee - but there’s an unusual reason why Selling Houses Australia host Andrew Winter can’t celebrate with other nominees today.
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FOXTEL host Andrew Winter has made history as the pay-TV network’s first Gold Logie nominee.
The full list of TV Week Logie nominees was announced yesterday, with new Home And Away star Sam Frost also getting a nod.
Winter, host of Selling Houses Australia, was unable to attend yesterday’s nomination announcement event on the Gold Coast, his home town, as he is suffering a severe case of Bell’s palsy.
He told The Daily Telegraph he was thrilled for the nomination but saddened he could not celebrate with his fellow nominees.
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“It is a thrill to be nominated, but not so great timing, I guess,” he said. “I have been off work for about three weeks now. I am hoping that I can get back to filming in a week or so.”
Bell’s palsy is a paralysis of the facial nerve that leads to muscle weakness on one side of the face. Most sufferers recover completely.
Winter said the Gold Logie nomination was a win not just for him but the team that produces his show. “I will be at the awards even if I have to do a Sia and turn my head to the cameras all night,” he said.
The popular host is up against some of Australia’s top talent for the TV industry’s highest award.
Grant Denyer, Amanda Keller, Jessica Marais, Rodger Corser and Tracy Grimshaw are also up for the Gold.
Denyer, whose show Family Feud was axed by Channel 10, said he was excited to again be up for the honour, despite his show’s demise.
“I think I am the only person nominated who doesn’t have a show,” the affable star said.
Sam Frost was short-listed in the Newcomer category.
The 29-year-old — who has previously sought fame on reality TV and radio — said she was humbled by the nomination but felt somewhat out of place at yesterday’s star-studded event.
“I feel so very honoured with the nomination, it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” she said.
“I know I am super green and new, and have a long way to go, but this is a reminder of how many supporters there are.
“I feel a bit awkward and self-conscious at events like this.”
Frost said working on Home And Away had brought a new focus for her.
“Unlike other jobs I have had in previous years this has potential longevity. It gives me something to really focus on,” she said.
The Project, who have previously swept the nominations, received significantly less nods than in previous years.
The TV Week Logies will be held on the Gold Coast on July 1.
Quality dramas scoop the pool
Cementing itself as the home of the best Aussie drama, Foxtel has nabbed three of the five 2018 Logie nominations for Most Outstanding Drama Series.
Critically acclaimed Top Of The Lake: China Girl — which featured an all-star cast including Nicole Kidman, Elisabeth Moss, David Wenham and Gwendoline Christie — nabbed a spot on the list alongside Showcase’s Wentworth, which also features a stellar female-driven cast.
The prison drama has been one of Foxtel’s biggest success stories, with a sixth season to premiere in June and a seventh season to air in 2019.
Showcase’s ratings hit A Place To Call Home also scored a nomination, with the show’s sixth and final season to air in August.
The ABC’s Harrow and Nine’s Doctor Doctor were also named.
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