Amanda Keller admits Tom Gleeson’s Gold Logie speech ‘upset’ her

Amanda Keller has finally revealed what she really thought of Tom Gleeson’s controversial Gold Logies speech.

Amanda Keller has spoken out about Tom Gleeson’s controversial Gold Logies win, admitting that she was “upset” by parts of his victory speech.

The Hard Quiz host took the top prize at this year’s event after a satirical political-style campaign, which saw him target fellow nominees including Keller, Neighbours star Eve Morey, Doctor Doctor’s Rodger Corser, The Project host Waleed Aly, and Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac.

Gleeson further ruffled feathers when accepting his prize, wine in hand, telling the surprised audience to “lighten the f**k up.”

“Just because all of you want it and I’ve got it, don’t get angry with me. It’s all right, you’ll all survive. It’s a shame this is the last Gold Logie that’s ever going to be handed out — according to Grant Denyer, I’ve ruined the Logies. But at least I won this all by myself,” he said.

“ … Do you know what would have been weirder? If I campaigned for this award sincerely … Imagine me just sincerely saying I was humbled by the award. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. It would make me want to vomit.”

Gleeson made his position on the Logies very clear. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

Keller addressed the dig this morning on the radio during the first Jonesy and Amanda show since the big night — and admitted that while she understood his comedic angle, she felt he’d given everyone permission to make a joke out of hardworking members of the industry.

“I think in his speech when he said, ‘everyone who works in TV, if you want to win this you’re a big wanker’, pretty much, and that upset me because he was mean to (last year’s Gold Logie winner) Grant (Denyer) I felt,” she told WSFM co-host Brendan “Jonesy” Jones. “He said ‘Yeah I won it last year for Grant, and sucker, now I’ve done it on my own for me.’

“That’s not fair to Grant, he won that last year on his own two feet. And people that have won in the past — Carrie Bickmore changed the world, she’s raised ten million dollars for brain cancer research. Grant spoke about redemption. Waleed Aly spoke about inclusiveness.”

Gleeson and Keller joked around on the red carpet before the event. Picture: Matrix

The day after his big win, Gleeson had been quick to assure viewers on The Project that he had no bad blood with Keller.

He told the panel he had seen Keller just hours beforehand at the airport, and she had assured him she found the whole thing “funny”.

“She has a sense of humour — she would actually be offended by the idea that I felt sorry for her,” the comedian said.

“So, I find it hard to do that because if I do, I’m denying her a sense of humour, and she was finding it funny.”

But speaking a fortnight after the fact, Keller clarified her position, insisting that while she had “no problem” with Gleeson — she was still upset by some of his words.

“I like Tom, we saw him at the airport, no problem with Tom. But (his speech) gave everyone permission to say, ‘yeah you’re all up yourselves, and this is all a big joke’. And it wasn’t a joke to me,” she explained.

“I don’t know why in television we’re embarrassed to be proud of our work. The tourism industry has awards, the restaurant industry has awards … He got to a point where he said, ‘Sucko for wanting this, you know it’s all a dumb joke’ — and that’s what made me feel bad, because to the other nominees, it wasn’t.

“We were all worthy, and I don’t think we should be embarrassed for being worthy.”