‘Hurtful’: Allison Langdon on THAT Tracy Grimshaw snub
Former Today Show co-host Allison Langdon has opened up about the truth behind a supposed brush-off with Tracy Grimshaw – and why she finds rumours of a feud so hurtful.
Stellar
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Throughout her career, Allison Langdon has tried to tell a wide range of stories in front of the camera while fostering a quiet camaraderie with her fellow female journalists behind the scenes. But even in the transition to her dream job this year – hosting A Current Affair – the veteran television presenter still found herself at the centre of reports that focused on anything but her skills and positive industry relationships. In a frank chat on Stellar’s podcast Something To Talk About, Langdon discusses advancement, sisterhood and life with a young family.
On her time on the Today breakfast show, which she began co-hosting with Karl Stefanovic in 2020:
“I know why it gets so much attention – you’re putting sleep-deprived people in front of a national audience and then a lot of it’s not scripted and you’re saying, ‘Off you go for the next three-and-three-quarter hours.’ There’s scrutiny because sometimes you say stuff when you’re a little bit tired. There was a period when I came back after I had my surgery [on a knee injury sustained while filming a hydrofoil segment for the show in 2021] and did the show on pain-relief medication Endone for several months. We’d get to an ad break and Karl would be like, ‘OK, cool, cool, cool. Do you know what you just said?’ I’d be like, ‘No.’ But I got away with more than he did. He got away with nothing. And rightly so [laughs].”
Listen to Allison Langdon’s full interview on Stellar’s podcast, Something To Talk About, below:
On leaving Today last December to become the new host of A Current Affair: “It was a really tricky decision because, in a lot of ways, I felt like we had unfinished business in the mornings and we were set up for a really good year this year. But then this opportunity came along and it’s pretty much impossible to say no to it. And when I look at who sat in that chair previously: my late father-in-law Mike Willesee, who started it; Tracy [Grimshaw]; Jana [Wendt]; and Ray [Martin]. And it was one of those things where, perhaps in my mind, the timing wasn’t perfect, but it’s the perfect job and you can’t say no to it. And I’m so, so excited. I know I made the right decision.”
On reaching out to Sarah Abo, who took over as Today co-host, and doing away with the stereotype that women in the media are endlessly trying to tear each other down: “One of the most important things is to pass on what you know. Guidance feels like a bit of a wanky thing to say, but just to lend that helping hand because I came through at a time when I saw both examples. I also understood why some women weren’t amazing towards other women – there was that idea of them having fought tooth and nail to get to where they are,
so why should it be easy for the next one coming along? And to be honest, it made me tougher. But I also had some great examples of women, [like journalists] Leila McKinnon and Anna Coren, who were just wonderful to me in the newsroom. And I’ve just always remembered it and always said from day one that I will be that.”
On the brouhaha that erupted when Tracy Grimshaw left the A Current Affair studios following her final episode, and footage of her overlooking Langdon – who had her arms outstretched for a hug – went viral: “And it was Karl that she hugged. If it had been anyone else, it would have been fine. I actually turned to Karl and went, ‘Trace just brushed me.’ And he went, ‘No way.’ Then he saw it the next morning and he goes, ‘She didn’t just brush you; you had your arms open, like pleading for a hug, and she ignored you.’ And Trace sent me a great message very early that morning – which is good of her, because I know she was singing karaoke at [her farewell party at Sydney bar] The Pickled Possum until about two in the morning. So well done her for being up at 6am. I think the problem was that she knew I was the new host – it hadn’t yet been announced – so she and I had been talking a lot. And I think in that moment, she’s overwhelmed because, if you know Trace, [you know] she hates a fuss. So we’re all standing and cheering her, and it wasn’t her favourite place to be. And it was like, ‘Gee, hang on, if I give Ally a hug and that gets snapped, then [people might know she’s the new host].’ I also understand that you look at it and it’s a great narrative of women hating women. But I’m sorry, it’s not the truth. I’ve got to say, [subsequent reporting of the incident] was hurtful in the sense that I’ve worked so hard and for something that’s so important to me – female relationships in this business – for that to be taken that way, I really didn’t like it.”
On how, at the age of 44, Langdon is more considered with her choices now that she has two children, son Mack, 6, and daughter Scout, 4, with her journalist husband Michael Willesee Jr: “It’s funny looking back at my work on 60 Minutes. Having two little kids now just makes it a little different. I don’t think I ever had any fear. I remember talking to a young guy who we were travelling around Australia with doing a story, and we’re sitting by
a camp fire up in the Northern Territory. We’d been out on four-wheelers and chasing buffalo or something. He was talking about a whole bunch of different stories and then of course we have a few drinks and the crew were telling all the great yarns we’ve had over the years. The young guy stopped and said, ‘So you’re all adrenaline junkies.’ I was like, ‘No, it’s not what it is …’ But there’s definitely an element of that. I’m still silly in that regard. That hasn’t entirely gone. But for example, I don’t think I’d jump in the water off South Africa with a bunch of great white sharks with no cage [which Langdon did for an episode in 2014]. I don’t think [the producers] will let me do that one anymore, either. You know, I fell off that hydrofoil and hurt my knee – they don’t let me do anything anymore!”
On whether her children understand her fame: “Not really. And I like that. They came on the Today show a few times and Mike and I had talked about when do we stop doing that because they’re little and they don’t really get it. For my final show, they came on and we thought, oh, this is pretty good. This can be their sort of final TV appearance. And since then, Macky, my little boy, he’s like, ‘Mum, so you know how I’m famous?’ And I’m like, ‘Are you, buddy?’ And he says, ‘Yeah, remember how I’ve been on TV with you?’ It’s like, oh, we gave him one too many TV appearances.”
On how the TV series Parental Guidance, which she co-hosts with parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson, has changed how she parents her children: “Mike and I have not so much changed our parenting style, but we talked about it, and there is more consistency in it. What I’ve probably learnt from [filming] season two is that I’m very anti-technology at home. I don’t like the kids having iPads. Don’t for a moment think I’m the parent who doesn’t put the kids in front of the TV. I do all of that, of course. But I have a real reluctance and probably fear of it. I give them technology, then feel super guilty about it. Now I’m aware of the language I use around it and more aware of what’s actually on there and what can happen. So don’t leave them unsupervised. You soon learn that there’s no perfect parent … except maybe Dr Justin Coulson, who has six girls. Can you imagine being the only guy in the house?”
Season 2 of Parental Guidance premieres at 7.30pm on June 5 on the Nine Network.
Listen to the full interview with Allison Langdon on Stellar’s podcast, Something To Talk About, here or wherever you get your podcasts.
Originally published as ‘Hurtful’: Allison Langdon on THAT Tracy Grimshaw snub
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