AACTA Awards 2020: Tom Gleeson set to roast Aussie TV stars

Delta Goodrem and the new MasterChef judges are some of the stars Tom Gleeson plans to mock during today’s AACTA Awards.

Tom Gleeson is set to shock when he hosts tonight’s AACTA Awards in Sydney.

The 2020 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel will be held over two ceremonies due to COVID-19 – a film ceremony in the afternoon and a TV/online ceremony in the early evening.

Rove McManus and Susie Youssef will host the afternoon film awards with Tom Gleeson taking the reigns for the TV ceremony.

Speaking to news.com.au, Gleeson said he gave the show’s producers a look at the jokes he intends to say on stage and they weren’t thrilled with some of them.

“When I handed my script in, the AACTAs did say a few bits made them nervous,” Gleeson said. “But at the same time, they’re not paying me so I can say what I want.
“You can’t really fire somebody if you don’t pay them.”

Tom Gleeson is the reigning Gold Logie winner. Picture: Darren England/AAP

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Gleeson said he plans to target all of the major TV shows and will poke fun at how they have had to adapt to deal with COVID-19 restrictions.

“That’s why I’m hosting the TV section, because it’s easy to make jokes about TV because people actually watch it, unlike Australian cinema,” Gleeson said. “If you’re hosting the cinema awards you have to explain what the film is before you make a joke about it.”

Due to social distancing requirements, only 150 guests will be allowed into each of the two ceremonies at The Star Sydney.

“I suspect that the AACTAs are using COVID as an excuse to be cheap,” Gleeson joked. “Maybe they’re hiding behind COVID safety to save a few dollars.

“It’s going to be even more budget than normal. I’m not expecting any catering, put it that way.”

The MasterChef judges will be attending the AACTA Awards.

Some of the celebrities set to attend today’s awards are Delta Goodrem, Anne Edmonds, Melissa Leong, Tim Minchin, Celia Pacquola and Charlie Pickering.

And Gleeson said he expects all of them to comply with the event’s COVID-safe plan.

“My guess is the celebrities will all wear the masks down the red carpet so they’re seen to be doing the right thing, and then as soon as the camera’s off they’ll pull off their masks and start snorting cocaine,” he laughed.

The AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Ceremony will air on Foxtel Arts, December 6 at 7.30pm AEDT. And Tom Gleeson is set to perform his Lighten Up stand-up show at the Sydney Opera House on December 4 and 5.

Originally published as AACTA Awards 2020: Tom Gleeson set to roast Aussie TV stars