Tom Gleeson grilled by wife over Gold Logie speech
She looked unimpressed during his Gold Logies speech, and now Tom Gleeson has revealed what his wife had to say to him afterwards.
Tom Gleeson may have won the night’s biggest award, but that doesn’t mean his speech was a winner in his wife’s eyes.
In an eight-minute acceptance speech while holding a wine glass in one hand, the comedian admitted to “drinking heavily” and told the audience to “lighten the f**k up”.
“There’s been a lot of concern that I’m turning this award into a joke. This award has done a lot of great things for a lot of different people,” Gleeson said.
“In the past it has represented trying to get more diversity on the screen or launching charities and that’s fantastic. But for me it represents a joke, but I love jokes. I really enjoy them. I really think we should all lighten the f**k up.
Gleeson’s wife Ellie Parker sat in the audience and looked less-than-impressed when the camera cut to her, something the comedian confirmed was the case today.
“I was talking to my wife after the speech, and she said there was a great moment right in the middle when you said that there is one thing that the Logie can stand for and that is just taking the piss, enjoying yourself and everyone should lighten up,” Gleeson told Today.
“She said, ‘You really had the room there, and it would have been great if you finished then’ … she was right I should have finished then.”
“Are you in a bit of trouble with her then, because she was giving you the death stare?” Deb Knight asked.
“Yeah, I think if I never say the word Logie in our house again she will be very happy, I think she’s over it,” Gleeson quipped back.
Gleeson also joked that Ellie “gives me far more hard chat” than he does on his own game show of the same name.
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Despite winning the Gold Logie, Gleeson decided to skip the afterparties and left the ceremony with his wife.
“The last drink I had was on stage. I put it on the ground and I looked at it, looking at this empty wine glass, and I thought that is enough for me, I need to go. I don’t want to join anyone’s party,” Gleeson said.
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“I went back to my hotel room for my wife to give me some honest feedback and went to bed … She keeps me in check.”
Gold Coast Sea FM radio presenter Dan Anstey joked that the look Gleeson got from his wife was a “piercing glare”.
Earlier in the night Gleeson had used the opening monologue to rip into the Today show and former host Karl Stefanovic.
“Just to throw it back on Tom Gleeson, get a bit of revenge from the Today show, that look that his wife gave him, we have all had that look before. It was a piercing glare. I saw the wrap up in the eyes as well,” Anstey told Today.
“I think we know Tom Gleeson controls the industry but I think we know who controls Tom Gleeson.”
Gleeson also told Sunrise he had drunk “more than I planned to” during the Logies because he was convinced he wouldn’t win, a move that resulted in his longwinded speech.
“It was a bit tricky for me because I honestly thought Costa was going to win because he won best presenter. I started drinking more than I planned to,” the comedian said.
“I was not as sharp as I could have been … I might (have) outstayed my welcome.”
During his speech, Gleeson acknowledged his Logies campaign had been divisive and annoyed his nominees.
“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.
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“Turns out I’m just really good at manipulating the media into doing things for me. Which, if you think about it, is why we’re all here.”
Gleeson said he had planned to “just have fun” with his Gold Logies campaign as he claimed “it really doesn’t matter”.
“We can have fun and just be entertaining. People get concerned about people campaigning for the award. Is that legitimate? Maybe. Maybe not,” he said.
“I don’t know. But it is social media. It is just media. I’m just trying to be entertaining through the media. Do you know what would have been weirder? If I campaigned for this award sincerely. That would have been worse. 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.”