Logies 2019: Another Gold Logie nominee criticises Tom Gleeson for his ‘smear’ campaign

Tom Gleeson has upset fellow Gold Logie nominees with his smear campaign, but the comedian says he isn’t bothered in the slightest.

Another Gold Logie contender has had a crack at Tom Gleeson over his Logies smear campaign, but the comedian isn’t bothered.

It’s tradition for the nominees for Aussie TV’s top gong to support each other in the lead-up to the event each year, but Gleeson isn’t playing by those unwritten rules.

In the past few weeks the Hard Quiz host has released a series of attack ads targeting his fellow nominees: Amanda Keller, Waleed Aly, Eve Morey, Rodger Corser, Costa Georgiadis and Sam Mac.

To win the Gold Logie you have to fight dirty. Going negative works. Here's my @mrsammac attack ad. #TheWeekly #tvweeklogies #Gleeson4Gold pic.twitter.com/2j0U8sHOm6

— Tom Gleeson (@nonstoptom) June 12, 2019

The comedian has criticised his opposition in the press, calling Gardening Australia’s Costa Georgiadis an “impostor” and saying it would be a “travesty” if Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac wins on Sunday.

“He travels around the country telling people what temperature it is,” Gleeson said about Mac in Stellar magazine. “I’ve got a f***ng app in my phone that does that!”

Gleeson has also been open about wanting to win the Gold Logie to make a mockery of the event, telling Stellar: “The idea of winning the Gold Logie is so preposterous that I have to have it. It is so stupid, and it makes me laugh so much, that it makes me want it.”

Gold Logie nominees: Tom Gleeson, Sam Mac, Eve Morey, Amanda Keller, Costa Georgiadis and Rodger Corser. Missing is Waleed Aly.

But the comedian’s smear campaign hasn’t gone down well with some of his rivals.

Speaking to Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa this morning, Mac said, “I love all of the other nominees except Tom Gleeson because I think that he’s been bullying people.”

In a separate interview with news.com.au, Mac added Gleeson’s campaign has been “very negative, very smear focused”.

“I feel that perhaps some of his own insecurities are coming through in this campaign,” Mac joked. “He’s constantly talking about being hard, which is a little unnerving. He seems to have an obsession with phallic things, so maybe that’s why the Logie is appealing to him.”

Tom Gleeson is going for Gold this year.

Mac’s comments come after fellow Gold Logie nominee Amanda Keller also spoke out about Gleeson’s negative campaign.

“It’s hard because Tom is playing a different game, and that’s what I’m finding I’m struggling with to the honest,” The Living Room host told news.com.au.

“It’s always been that the nominees are a happy soup, and I still want us to be a happy soup, there’s no need to make it personal and pick us all off. I know Tom’s playing a comedic game, but really, I’m just happy to be in the soup.”

Amanda Keller is this year’s sentimental favourite.

Sunrise weather presenter Sam Mac.

Gleeson fired back at Keller and Mac in a statement to news.com.au, saying: “When you’re the top dog everyone wants to have a crack at you. They’re probably just jealous my show rates more than theirs.

“I’m not going to apologise for being successful,” Gleeson said. “I wish them luck. I’m focusing on my campaign and not my competitors. #Gleeson4Gold.”

We’ll have to wait until Sunday to see if Gleeson’s campaign has paid off, but for now the odds are looking good, quite literally. Sportsbet has him listed as the favourite ($1.85) to win the Gold Logie ahead of Keller ($3) and Georgiadis ($8).

Live voting for the TV WEEK Logie Awards Most Popular categories is now open at www.tvweeklogieawards.com.au and will finish at the end of the red-carpet telecast on Nine and 9Now on Sunday, June 30.