Speaker 1: Before we get into today's episode, a quick reminder that
Speaker 1: you can also watch this conversation on YouTube by tapping
Speaker 1: the link in our show notes. Hello and welcome to
Speaker 1: Something to Talk About the Stellar Podcast. I'm sarah La Marquin,
Speaker 1: your host, and every week I sit down with some
Speaker 1: of the biggest names in the country because when Australia's
Speaker 1: celebrities are ready to talk, they come to Something to
Speaker 1: talk about. Six of this year's seven Gold Logi nominees
Speaker 1: have already made history because they are women, the most
Speaker 1: ever nominated in a single year, and the nominee is
Speaker 1: vying for Australian TV's highest honor in August, including the
Speaker 1: Token Mail Hamish Blake, all happened to be over forty.
Speaker 1: On today's episode, I sit down with three of the
Speaker 1: women who have been nominated for Gold and when Lynn McGranger,
Speaker 1: Ali Langdon and Sonya Krueger walked into the Stellar Podcast studio,
Speaker 1: it didn't take long for the laughter and the real
Speaker 1: talk to be whoever.
Speaker 2: Doesn't win, we should all agree to burst into tears laughter.
Speaker 3: Beauty, I don't sunrise.
Speaker 4: Yes, if Hamish wins, we should all stand up.
Speaker 1: Sonya, Ali and Lynn join me to discuss the big night,
Speaker 1: who they really think will take the prize, and why
Speaker 1: the competition between them is anything but. From red carpet
Speaker 1: dilemmas and live television chaos to the truth about female
Speaker 1: rivalry and the joy of not having to play it
Speaker 1: small anymore. This is a conversation with three women who
Speaker 1: have survived and thrived in three very different corners of
Speaker 1: a notoriously tough industry. Ali Langdon, Sonya Kruger, Lynn mcgrangel,
Speaker 1: Welcome to the Stellar Podcast. Thank you for having so
Speaker 1: three gold LOGI no manee walk into a studio, congratulate
Speaker 1: many walk outs.
Speaker 5: I just want to hear the punchline. I'm looking for you,
Speaker 5: the three of you.
Speaker 1: For the punchline. You will fill in the blanks. So
Speaker 1: you've walked into two studios today. You're here in the
Speaker 1: Stellar Podcast studio and you've just come from set of
Speaker 1: the photo studio to get the amazing images that are
Speaker 1: on the cover of Stella today. So can I start
Speaker 1: by asking how well, if at all, the three of
Speaker 1: you have known each other prior to today and this
Speaker 1: little spending a day and an excursion with Stella.
Speaker 2: Ali and myself haven't met, but Sonya and I go
Speaker 2: back a bit, and we in fact did a did
Speaker 2: a promo on Sunday and had a laugh and so,
Speaker 2: and we've talked on the Red Carpet and obviously seen
Speaker 2: each other around the traps seven time now.
Speaker 6: And Ali and I know each other from when I
Speaker 6: was at nine, So yeah, I know I know both
Speaker 6: ladies really well.
Speaker 5: We've been around a while, three of us, haven't we.
Speaker 5: I mean, you know. And that's and that's why I
Speaker 5: had to keep thinking, Okay, it's in good point.
Speaker 1: Ali, and I apologize in advanced lin if I say, look.
Speaker 2: To it, darling, I get it all the time. It's
Speaker 2: like I said to the girls here earlier, I said,
Speaker 2: how long how long do you have to be on
Speaker 2: the bloody television before.
Speaker 3: People know who your real name is? Know your real name?
Speaker 3: But I get it. I understand it because people see
Speaker 3: me as irene.
Speaker 5: I also think it's a compliment.
Speaker 4: Oom for what thirty thirty three three years? I would
Speaker 4: I would lean into that. I think it is a
Speaker 4: great compliment that that people feel they know you.
Speaker 3: Thank you your character. Take with me. So next time
Speaker 3: I abuse somebody, I'll go wait a minute. Ali told
Speaker 3: me it's advice.
Speaker 1: From Alie is always good. But of course, having said that,
Speaker 1: Lean you are on screen at the moment still as Irene.
Speaker 1: But you did actually film your final scenes early this year,
Speaker 1: so in the coming months Australia will be saying, for well,
Speaker 1: we don't know how I mean, do not spill that.
Speaker 3: I don't have to kill him.
Speaker 2: To one, you know, you're sworn to secrecy obviously contractually.
Speaker 2: Also you spoil you know, you don't want to spoil it.
Speaker 2: It's a soap and you don't want to give away
Speaker 2: the ending. But I'm very excited about it. I have,
Speaker 2: and I proudly say that for once, the riders didn't
Speaker 2: slam the door in my face and say and.
Speaker 5: Stay out so she doesn't die.
Speaker 4: Well, I didn't say that, well a kind of did
Speaker 4: I Well, I don't know.
Speaker 3: Did you know they.
Speaker 6: Already sad In advanced that, Well, we have a lot
Speaker 6: of emotion to get through before then, because we've all
Speaker 6: got to get through Logi's knife.
Speaker 1: Yes, one of them may, that's right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but just I went up with the storyline and
Speaker 2: they they liked it.
Speaker 7: They went with so you came up with, yes, it's
Speaker 7: a fantastic which we great, you know, I was very
Speaker 7: I just felt it was a story that needed to
Speaker 7: be told and one that's very relevant.
Speaker 2: And they, for once, as I say, agreed and didn't
Speaker 2: slam the door in my face.
Speaker 3: So you know, stay in your own laneh.
Speaker 1: There we go.
Speaker 3: See, there we go.
Speaker 1: Ali clarification slamming the door in the face not goodbye,
Speaker 1: I was jumping again. No, that's great, that's really good. Well,
Speaker 1: I genuinely cannot wait to see that. Thank you, love,
Speaker 1: see if you get a writing credit as well. Gold
Speaker 1: Loging nominee.
Speaker 3: Doubt ideas ideas, girl.
Speaker 1: There are seven nominees this year, and I am privileged
Speaker 1: enough to be sitting down with three of them. One
Speaker 1: of the reasons that the Logis this year have already
Speaker 1: made history is because six of those seven Gold Logi
Speaker 1: nominees are, of course women. Since the category became genderless
Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy eight, that ten women have won the Gold. Now,
Speaker 1: some of those women did a few times, so it
Speaker 1: might feel like there's been more of ten. Sonya Krueger,
Speaker 1: of course you are one of them. Do these figures
Speaker 1: still surprise you in twenty twenty five, You know, it's.
Speaker 6: Really funny because somebody pointed that out to me after
Speaker 6: the logis and because you know, you don't go back
Speaker 6: and you don't look at the history of who's won
Speaker 6: it and when and all of that, and it did
Speaker 6: surprise me. And I think what happened with this particular
Speaker 6: group of nominations was it just highlighted the fact that
Speaker 6: there are some amazing women who work in this business.
Speaker 6: We all have daughters, And for me, that was one
Speaker 6: of the best parts about it was knowing that all
Speaker 6: those little girls out there who might be watching TV
Speaker 6: or looking for a career at some point in the
Speaker 6: media in some way as an actor or a journalist,
Speaker 6: whatever it might be, a presenter, that they could then
Speaker 6: aspire a little bit more to that because they see
Speaker 6: women who were doing that and being recognized for that.
Speaker 8: So that was probably the best part about it for me.
Speaker 4: I think it's that recognition, isn't it That that is
Speaker 4: really nice to see. And you look at the six
Speaker 4: women and and how in the morning we had the breakfast.
Speaker 4: Hamish was hilarious. He's just he's genuinely saying, don't vote
Speaker 4: for me. This would be the worst thing in the
Speaker 4: world if the one guy was the person to win it.
Speaker 4: But you also look at all the different pathways that
Speaker 4: each of us have to reach the point where we're at.
Speaker 4: Is really nice to celebrate that.
Speaker 8: The diversity in the past within the pathways. Yeah, Poe is.
Speaker 6: There for a reason, Hamish is there, You're there as
Speaker 6: a journal Lynn as an actor. Julia has done just
Speaker 6: about everything I think, but you know, she's a comedian,
Speaker 6: she's she's hilarious. And Lisa Miller is also you know,
Speaker 6: breakfast she came through breakfast televisions on my phone.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 5: Can we just have that on the record that it
Speaker 5: is Sonya.
Speaker 4: It's not lind to buy a case of beer, that's right.
Speaker 1: If it rings again, will be a case of champagne
Speaker 1: as well, exactly, and then snacks for anybody else's We
Speaker 1: know they call at least once a day, so it
Speaker 1: was bound to happen, I'm sure. Well. Actually, still on
Speaker 1: the category of your fellow Gold LOGI nominees mentioned Lisa Miller.
Speaker 1: So Lisa has kindly submitted a question to ask.
Speaker 5: To her three fellow gold log nominees. This is fair
Speaker 5: before you said, this is lovely, that's right.
Speaker 1: I asked her to ask the tough questions I didn't
Speaker 1: want to ask I'm like, I'll be in the room
Speaker 1: no no, before I roll out my own red carpet moment.
Speaker 1: What colors are you all wearing? To the logis I'd
Speaker 1: hate to clash when we could be a perfectly color
Speaker 1: coordinated on simple cast.
Speaker 6: Answer that if you don't know what, if you do what?
Speaker 6: If you haven't actually worked it out.
Speaker 5: You've got a short list. I haven't even had the
Speaker 5: first conversation yet.
Speaker 1: Okay, are you leaning towards the color? Do you think?
Speaker 8: CALLI no, I can tell you what I'm going to
Speaker 8: stay away from.
Speaker 6: Yes, probably because I've done a lot of metallics, and
Speaker 6: you know, like I think, if you're nominated for gold
Speaker 6: and you wear gold, then you always get that whole
Speaker 6: You've come.
Speaker 8: Dressed as a gold.
Speaker 5: This is all the things we need to listen to
Speaker 5: at the first.
Speaker 6: Silver is a bit the same, but I think silver
Speaker 6: is a little bit more acceptable. You know, black is
Speaker 6: beautiful but can be common as mark though, but it's
Speaker 6: I mean, it can be classic and beautiful in the
Speaker 6: red carpet, but then it's.
Speaker 8: Television, so sometimes you.
Speaker 3: Need color, I think.
Speaker 2: So for me, I don't like to wear black because
Speaker 2: I gravitate towards color white. I will find the nearest
Speaker 2: piece of beet trout where the out fail, or the
Speaker 2: nearest glass of red wine.
Speaker 3: There was one I had a cream.
Speaker 2: I have picked my color, and I don't mind saying
Speaker 2: it is called citrine, which is like to me, it's tumoric.
Speaker 2: So it's like, it's not mustard, it's not yellow. It's
Speaker 2: got a bit of a sine. It's not gold, but
Speaker 2: it is like a yeah, it's a yellow, shiny, yellowy
Speaker 2: mustard color, but they call it citrine. You match some
Speaker 2: jewelry with that, well, I like, I'd like to do
Speaker 2: the uh, you know, the contrast. So I'd like to
Speaker 2: do maybe a cobalt blue with it, or maybe a yes.
Speaker 1: A pink.
Speaker 3: I do like the contrast.
Speaker 2: So I really gravitate towards color. Looking a bit dull today.
Speaker 6: This is actually the fun part, like the whole And
Speaker 6: I think when you work with people who are in
Speaker 6: fashion or stylists, they really love to pull it all together,
Speaker 6: the look, the color of your manicure, you know, the jewelry,
Speaker 6: the bag, the whole, all of that.
Speaker 5: The shoe.
Speaker 8: The shoes are always uncomfortable.
Speaker 4: What can we say, because I just sort of lean
Speaker 4: into that so like of this beautiful styless Beck Wilson,
Speaker 4: who's coming And I've just kind of handled all it
Speaker 4: like if you left it to me.
Speaker 5: I am wearing ug boots right now this chat.
Speaker 4: I would probably wear ugg boots to the logies And
Speaker 4: I'm still trying to vibe. Can I wear a sneaker?
Speaker 4: But that's Julie Morris's look, so you can't steal that.
Speaker 5: So I don't know.
Speaker 4: I just this one. I go, I know my lane
Speaker 4: and this ain't Malay, yes, So I'm just handing it,
Speaker 4: handing it over.
Speaker 3: See.
Speaker 2: I always wanted to cast it Home and Away to
Speaker 2: all turn up in their pajamas.
Speaker 3: Just everybody.
Speaker 2: If everybody did it, brought a pillow, turned up in
Speaker 2: their charmys, no one would better know it.
Speaker 3: If you did it by yourself, you.
Speaker 2: Know, they would call the you know, the funny wagon
Speaker 2: and have you cart it off. But if you did
Speaker 2: it as a cast, you could set a train that
Speaker 2: is warm and comfy, and given how long.
Speaker 8: The ceremony he's going to.
Speaker 2: That when you're falling asleep up for this show is
Speaker 2: of the cast of Home and Away.
Speaker 3: There sleep under the table.
Speaker 1: Has anyone brought into that idea.
Speaker 2: Of your because everyone always wants to get fancy. There's
Speaker 2: always someone that goes, no, well, I've got this frock
Speaker 2: to wear.
Speaker 3: I want to wear this designer.
Speaker 2: It's like, oh, party pooper, I just want to wear Matage.
Speaker 1: In citri tho citrine. It sounds like a monologue that
Speaker 1: Meryl Streep's character would give the devil.
Speaker 3: Citrin in that shape.
Speaker 1: Another of your fellow gold Logging nominees has also submitted
Speaker 1: a question, what do you think our three characteristics which
Speaker 1: have given you longevity in the industry? Luck is not
Speaker 1: acceptable as an answers, That's not me.
Speaker 2: I'll tackle because I'm the longevitis here. I would say
Speaker 2: still breathing is a good one.
Speaker 4: I feel like that's in the same category's lucky.
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I think you know, being serious with home
Speaker 2: and away, I think the writing has it just keeps
Speaker 2: on keeping on and keeping people's interests. I think that
Speaker 2: that the happy medium between hanging on to the ogs
Speaker 2: and getting new and fun cast in passing through to
Speaker 2: keep up the young one's interest is a big one.
Speaker 2: And so yeah, the writing and I think you know,
Speaker 2: really production production values have just increased and improved so
Speaker 2: much over the years. So personally, I still think it's
Speaker 2: probably because I'm still breathing, and I guess the character
Speaker 2: has been able to I've been able to, you know,
Speaker 2: massage the character over the years and turn her from
Speaker 2: a nasty piece of work who was an alcoholic who
Speaker 2: tried to throttle her kids to being, you know, to.
Speaker 3: Being an every mum in a way.
Speaker 2: And for her super objective, to being just taking in
Speaker 2: waves and strays and trying to make life easier for
Speaker 2: younger members of the cast. So mix all that together, Poe,
Speaker 2: and there's your answer.
Speaker 1: Alie, what about for you?
Speaker 4: Look, I think at the heart of it, you've got
Speaker 4: to have a good sense of humor. Just surviving media
Speaker 4: this long. You go about to laugh and you know
Speaker 4: there there are so many talented people in this industry
Speaker 4: work with. For me, I just it's just working hard.
Speaker 4: It's working hard and being authentic. So I think have
Speaker 4: a sense of humor, be yourself because people can see
Speaker 4: through it, and just work bloody hard.
Speaker 8: Now I think, yeah, Ali totally nailed it.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 5: That's why I went before you.
Speaker 6: Yeah, because I'll add a couple. I think resilience is
Speaker 6: important because I think sometimes in the media you ride
Speaker 6: a bit of a wave, don't you know. You have
Speaker 6: your ups and your downs, and working hard, definitely collaborating
Speaker 6: and collaborating with people that you know that you work
Speaker 6: well with, because we're not as silent, We don't operate
Speaker 6: as individuals in what we do. We have teams of
Speaker 6: people that we work with, and I think it's loving
Speaker 6: the people that you work with, gets the best product
Speaker 6: at the end of the day, and not taking any
Speaker 6: of it too seriously, as Ali said, having a sense
Speaker 6: of humor. You know, we're not curing cancer where you know,
Speaker 6: we're providing entertainment or news or a service of some kind.
Speaker 1: So yeah, I think longevity is a great word and
Speaker 1: great question I think from Poe because two aspects I
Speaker 1: think that have made news or been interesting and given
Speaker 1: a lot of women, especially optimism about the state of
Speaker 1: the industry and representation in the Australian media. In twenty
Speaker 1: twenty five, in seeing six of the Gold Logi nominees
Speaker 1: being women, is it actually also all of the women
Speaker 1: and Hamish I will say, are all over forty. Now
Speaker 1: that actually sounds quite young, depending of course, to how
Speaker 1: old the person listening watching.
Speaker 3: Reading is, but I like it all.
Speaker 1: I'd love to ask each of you about in the
Speaker 1: course of your career and your own observations. Also as
Speaker 1: a media consumer, do you think that the reality of
Speaker 1: longevity of a career and visibility of women, oh my gosh, forty,
Speaker 1: God for fifty, sixty, seventy is getting better than when
Speaker 1: it was and really not that long ago when we go,
Speaker 1: oh my gosh, she turned thirty. I guess it's behind
Speaker 1: the camera for you now.
Speaker 3: Do you know?
Speaker 2: It's funny you should ask that because I was thinking
Speaker 2: about this the other day. About maybe ten twenty years ago,
Speaker 2: there was a whole thing about women over fifty being invisible,
Speaker 2: and in a way I started to feel it a
Speaker 2: bit myself, just because you're surrounded by this bevy of
Speaker 2: beauties on the show, and at that point I was
Speaker 2: the oldest woman. What am I saying now, Colin Lynn
Speaker 2: Colin was always older than me, but she didn't like
Speaker 2: she wasn't around for that long. But I suppose in
Speaker 2: the scheme of things, I've always been the oldest woman
Speaker 2: on the show.
Speaker 3: But it seems to me.
Speaker 2: The older I've got, the more visible I've become. And
Speaker 2: I thought isn't that interesting that it? And it seems
Speaker 2: to be happenings. And I think it's evident with the
Speaker 2: age range that we've got with the Logi's nominees, and
Speaker 2: it's like we're no longer invisible. And I think think
Speaker 2: there's people like Meryl Streep and Susan Sarandon and Maggie
Speaker 2: Smith and Helen Mirren and all of those wonderful, wonderful,
Speaker 2: you know, seasoned actors, actresses that we have to thank
Speaker 2: for that that no longer I don't feel invisible anymore
Speaker 2: at all. But you know what, twenty years ago, I
Speaker 2: was starting to feel invisible. So I think was that
Speaker 2: the answer to the question you want?
Speaker 4: So there it goes to you've got that next generation
Speaker 4: coming up and seeing you in that role and you're
Speaker 4: that role model. Yes, And I look at it, you know,
Speaker 4: from a news perspective, and like, you know, talking to
Speaker 4: when Tracy Grimshaw celebrated her forty years in television and
Speaker 4: I'm saying, this fabulous night was at the Opera House
Speaker 4: and she was talking about it that night about how
Speaker 4: you know she's got this great career and it was
Speaker 4: in her twenties. It's like, Okay, a thirty, someone's probably
Speaker 4: going to tap me. And then then all of a sudden,
Speaker 4: I get to fifty and then you know, then you know,
Speaker 4: then you sort of keep going.
Speaker 5: It's like maybe I'm not going to get the tap.
Speaker 4: Whereas we've always watched these you know, these esteemed fabulous
Speaker 4: male colleagues go forever and then you but we now
Speaker 4: you now see that and as you say, everybody in
Speaker 4: this category being over the age of forty, and you know,
Speaker 4: as we always say, you can only be what you
Speaker 4: can see, and you can see and it's not that weird,
Speaker 4: no anything.
Speaker 5: And the audience wants to see it.
Speaker 6: They do because I think experience counts for something now
Speaker 6: and that's what they are looking for and wanting, you know,
Speaker 6: to hear from people who have had some life experience,
Speaker 6: some layers. And it's a phenomenon not just in Australia,
Speaker 6: but you do see it overseas now when you switch
Speaker 6: on the television. So I think it's a global thing
Speaker 6: where women are, yeah, their careers in the media and
Speaker 6: television have are extending and extending and it's a great.
Speaker 2: Thing absolutely, And I think too the aging population, particularly
Speaker 2: here in Austraia. I mean I you know, I have
Speaker 2: many friends who are you know, five years either side
Speaker 2: of my age, which is a very young fifty no, no, no, no.
Speaker 3: I'm joking about. It's a lot older than that.
Speaker 2: But I feel like because of that, as Sonya just
Speaker 2: pointed out, people gravitate to those people who are around
Speaker 2: the same age as as some sort of role model.
Speaker 2: That that almost an admiration of Wow, these guys have
Speaker 2: gone gone through the invisible stage and come out the
Speaker 2: other side. And that is a I think, a real
Speaker 2: pat on the back for all of us, really, all
Speaker 2: of us who are over the age of forty.
Speaker 4: And it's not even it was it was so nice
Speaker 4: all being in that room together and even doing the
Speaker 4: shoot this morning where you know, and it was it's
Speaker 4: very fun today and doing doing doing our thing, and
Speaker 4: it's like, okay, it's not like you're serious. I want
Speaker 4: to when the gold to like, you know, you knock
Speaker 4: the person out besides you. And every time they tried
Speaker 4: to make us be serious or you know, one of
Speaker 4: us would laugh and there you just there is there
Speaker 4: is a lovely sense. There is kindness and camaraderie in
Speaker 4: this sort of this group. You know, when they're trying
Speaker 4: to make us be competitive. None of us had a
Speaker 4: in a I do in a work sense, you know,
Speaker 4: you know when it comes like chasing a story in
Speaker 4: that way. But in regards to this, it just feels
Speaker 4: entirely different. And it's just it's a lovely ride with
Speaker 4: just some really really extraordinary women and Hamish it's.
Speaker 1: So lovely too, isn't Because it's also that narrative of
Speaker 1: being competitive and very good at what you do and
Speaker 1: being the top of your field, but also not buying
Speaker 1: into this notion that that has to come at the
Speaker 1: expense of someone else, and especially another woman, because that's
Speaker 1: what the culture since fairy tales have traditionally told women
Speaker 1: that if she's getting that, then you can't have that.
Speaker 1: So Ali, that's another aspect of what I hear in
Speaker 1: that that experience.
Speaker 6: That's a strange thing that that's the culturally, and even
Speaker 6: when you look at clickbait and cap fight and you know,
Speaker 6: those kind of stories that always seem to pop up
Speaker 6: because the reality and my experience in television, I don't
Speaker 6: know about you guys, has always been much more collegiate
Speaker 6: and much more collaborative and friendly page and I think
Speaker 6: people have this perception that everybody's at each other's throats
Speaker 6: and TV, but in actual fact, it's I've found it's
Speaker 6: the poposite.
Speaker 3: I'm willing to bet that that is a man made.
Speaker 2: You know, really that that's that's exactly.
Speaker 4: Blame men for that, because I feel like if you
Speaker 4: go back while there was I think because it was
Speaker 4: so hard for women to get ahead. Yes, I feel
Speaker 4: like if you made that, you know, I feel like
Speaker 4: it did used to be a thing. It's like, this
Speaker 4: was really hard for me to get here, so I'm
Speaker 4: not going to make it easy for you. Like I
Speaker 4: truly do think that that existed, and even when I
Speaker 4: came into the news room that there were pockets of that,
Speaker 4: But there were also just some fabulous women who were
Speaker 4: come on up, let me show you, let me tell
Speaker 4: you everything I know. And that's what always stuck. And
Speaker 4: I think when you see that and it sticks with you,
Speaker 4: it's like I will always be that. I will always
Speaker 4: make sure that you know that you were you're helpful.
Speaker 4: That knowledge that someone passed on to you, you pass
Speaker 4: that on and you build around you and then more
Speaker 4: and more so it becomes becomes a thing.
Speaker 5: But I do think once upon a time it was real.
Speaker 2: It reminds me of lessons in chemistry, you know, wonderful book.
Speaker 8: The book and it was I think it was on Apple.
Speaker 3: It was Si with.
Speaker 2: Laston and you know that awful time in the sixties
Speaker 2: when you know, and a woman with a modicum of
Speaker 2: intelligence was put down, so you know, she happened to
Speaker 2: be a chemist. And it's really worth seeing. It's really
Speaker 2: worth seeing if you haven't seen it. But it just
Speaker 2: reminded me of that when you were talking about it.
Speaker 2: But with Home and Away, we've always made an effort
Speaker 2: and certainly not just myself but all of us. I think,
Speaker 2: going back to your question about the success of the show,
Speaker 2: is that we've always welcomed people aboard and really made
Speaker 2: an effort. So even guest is on the show have said,
Speaker 2: it's such a happy family, it's such a good I mean,
Speaker 2: of course, it's like any workplace where you you know,
Speaker 2: you prefer Susan to Jocelyn.
Speaker 3: But that's just a name.
Speaker 4: Jocelyn do we've heard that about.
Speaker 2: But you know that that thing of welcoming people and
Speaker 2: not not being.
Speaker 6: I think it's counterproductive, isn't it to be like that?
Speaker 6: Because you don't get ahead by pulling somebody else down.
Speaker 6: And I think when people realize that, that's maybe when
Speaker 6: the shift occurs. And maybe it's just that I gravitate
Speaker 6: like you guys, towards people like that, you know so.
Speaker 4: But I also think that when you do show that
Speaker 4: that kindness and when you do build up others, if
Speaker 4: you look at longevity, like those who've had longevity, I
Speaker 4: feel like you feel like that if you're that person,
Speaker 4: you actually last longer.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think you're right. I think you are right. Absolutely.
Speaker 1: And up next, who is actually going to take home
Speaker 1: the gold at the Logis in August? Our nominees give
Speaker 1: us their predictions. I'd love to ask each of you individually,
Speaker 1: given that cross section of your industries is really wonderful.
Speaker 1: I think it is part of the representation and the
Speaker 1: tapestry of the Gold Logi nominees this year, because we
Speaker 1: have broadcast journalism and we have actingly, you've also on
Speaker 1: the stage at the moment you're appearing in Grandparents, Grandparents clubs,
Speaker 1: who are in live theater again, Sonya of course, Queen
Speaker 1: of the Shiny what we call shy Floor between the
Speaker 1: Boys and Dancing with the Stars.
Speaker 3: Queen of the shiny balls.
Speaker 8: No, I was wondering where you were going.
Speaker 5: I wasn't going there. But that's a good question.
Speaker 4: This is why it must be hard for you then
Speaker 4: to find a dress for the Logies, because every time
Speaker 4: you were on air you look fabulous.
Speaker 8: And every time we go, oh, maybe we should have kept.
Speaker 1: That is true. Actually, how do you top each year that?
Speaker 6: Well, luckily that's not up to me. That's Natalia my
Speaker 6: stylist job. But there is a dress coming up and
Speaker 6: Dancing with the stars. The finale dress for that is spectacular,
Speaker 6: and I was like, Natalia, really, I think we should
Speaker 6: have held this back and kept it for the logies.
Speaker 3: Citrine, it's not true, but you know.
Speaker 6: What, I'm glad we didn't because it was actually quite uncomfortable.
Speaker 8: It was quite sharp and this does that bother you though,
Speaker 8: I feel like you're sort of.
Speaker 1: Kim kardash In at the Macgala, like to hell with
Speaker 1: the pain.
Speaker 6: Yeah, look a little bit, a little bit, but by
Speaker 6: the end of the night it can be a bit torturous.
Speaker 1: You need Alli's ug boots and broom pajamas.
Speaker 3: You just sneak them in early.
Speaker 4: You put them under the table, so then you walk
Speaker 4: the Red Carpet in those uncomfortable shoes. And then and
Speaker 4: then when it's when it's time for because you're in
Speaker 4: you had a bunch of categories ratfort just.
Speaker 5: Pop them off, slip them on you.
Speaker 6: Are you presenting we're doing the Red Carpet? Yes, Chris
Speaker 6: and I are doing the Red Green Carpet.
Speaker 5: So you're going to have to interview yourself.
Speaker 4: What did you The host of the Red Carpet going
Speaker 4: to ask Sonya.
Speaker 5: The nominee, who are you wearing?
Speaker 6: Really funny actually, because I love talking to all of
Speaker 6: the nominees. And then the end Chris kind of interviews
Speaker 6: me and it feels strange, But yeah, the Red Carpet
Speaker 6: is one of my favorite parts of the show.
Speaker 8: That and Sam Pang's opener.
Speaker 6: He's incredible and he makes me very nervous, but I
Speaker 6: love that.
Speaker 1: I'm going to ask about that.
Speaker 5: He's given it to you a couple of times.
Speaker 3: Yes, I expect the ages gags. No, Yes, he will,
Speaker 3: he will. It's bound to.
Speaker 2: I mean, I'm the eldest by long shots, so I'm
Speaker 2: sure he'll.
Speaker 3: He'll give it to me hook blind and see.
Speaker 6: The funny thing is Sam has he's fearless when he
Speaker 6: goes out there, and that's such one strawdinary quality.
Speaker 1: It fills the room with fear.
Speaker 8: Though I think we like.
Speaker 4: But ling, you need to be ready because I mean,
Speaker 4: and maybe son, you can give us tips on like
Speaker 4: what facehipool when when he goes us yes, because you.
Speaker 8: Know, just slightly disinterested is good.
Speaker 2: Probably, yeah, I think, sorry.
Speaker 1: Go rifling for your slips at the table at that
Speaker 1: exact moment.
Speaker 5: Sorry visible, Maybe maybe be in the bathroom during the opening.
Speaker 2: When you least expected and he comes out on stage
Speaker 2: and he suddenly goes, Sarah.
Speaker 1: You have your pokeer face on all night. Any tips
Speaker 1: for poker face for when somebody else wins, because that's
Speaker 1: always a moment. They got the camera at the table,
Speaker 1: we've all sat there and then you know, everyone like
Speaker 1: I mean, de me more when she didn't win the
Speaker 1: Oscar this year, I mean that moment, like every reaction
Speaker 1: in that poor woman has been globally dissected for the
Speaker 1: subsequent six months.
Speaker 3: So any anything, it was her first nomination and she was.
Speaker 1: Expected to win, So it was a shock. My Key
Speaker 1: Madison from like a younger actor from Anora the other film,
Speaker 1: So it was a bit of an upset. But you know,
Speaker 1: the cameras obviously zoom in on all of the nominees
Speaker 1: and everyone has their moments.
Speaker 4: We should there's already enough pressure and you're not helping
Speaker 4: whoever doesn't win.
Speaker 2: We should all agree to burst into tears after.
Speaker 3: Beauty I don't sunrise.
Speaker 4: Yes, if Hamish wins, we should all just.
Speaker 3: Stand up to walk out.
Speaker 2: We sure that everybody we should make we'll stay stated.
Speaker 2: If he wins, we all just stand up and walk out.
Speaker 1: Well, I reckon, if Hamish wins, he will take you
Speaker 1: all up there with him. That would be my prediction.
Speaker 2: Would you agree and we just turn around and go
Speaker 2: You're on your own, buddy.
Speaker 3: Sorry? Bye?
Speaker 1: And can I just say that when we're talking about
Speaker 1: reaction and Lina like everyone cries, that's that you're an actor.
Speaker 5: Though you probably.
Speaker 1: Can cry, not just speaking and Sonya, but they might
Speaker 1: not be able to cry.
Speaker 6: I had to do a Logi's promo with Lynn on
Speaker 6: the weekend, and I was so nervous because I had
Speaker 6: to act with Lynn.
Speaker 3: You were fantastic.
Speaker 1: You've been in a bas Lerman film.
Speaker 8: To change.
Speaker 2: We had such fun and and just on that. We
Speaker 2: kept changing the script all the time. And I actually,
Speaker 2: I don't think I'm giving Oh no, maybe I'm giving
Speaker 2: it away.
Speaker 3: I won't give away.
Speaker 2: I turned to Sonya and I went, do you mind
Speaker 2: if I go dah, don't take this the wrong way,
Speaker 2: but do you have a dressed normally.
Speaker 5: Silver?
Speaker 3: And she goes, what are you talking about? I'm off
Speaker 3: to the gym.
Speaker 1: Sound Sonya pops out to get some milk. I would
Speaker 1: like to ask you each about those observations of your
Speaker 1: own career and your respective industries. Sonya talking to you,
Speaker 1: for example, a lot of life TV under your belt.
Speaker 1: I know Ali you do as well, But Sony, you
Speaker 1: obviously are very famous for just mic drop moments and
Speaker 1: saying talking of Sam Pang, it's a bit like that,
Speaker 1: you know? Did she just say that? One of the observations,
Speaker 1: of course, of the culture that we're living in now
Speaker 1: is that everyone's very quick to jump on anything. You know,
Speaker 1: you get canceled. This happens a lot of people are
Speaker 1: reluctant to even go on live TV now. Having hosted
Speaker 1: and co hosted some of those shows, what are your
Speaker 1: observations and how does that sit with you now? Well?
Speaker 6: I love live television and I think I will always
Speaker 6: love live television because of the fact that it is
Speaker 6: a little bit dangerous and I think when we're watching
Speaker 6: it we almost enjoy it when things go slightly off
Speaker 6: the rails because we don't want perfection.
Speaker 8: Perfection is kind of boring. So I do love that.
Speaker 6: Unfortunately, when COVID came along, its shut down a lot
Speaker 6: of live production in Australia, and so we do shows
Speaker 6: now that often recorded as live so that if things
Speaker 6: go and sometimes you know, you'll make a joke just
Speaker 6: for the room, thinking Okay, this is just for them,
Speaker 6: so I'm gonna I'm gonna go here because they're gonna
Speaker 6: cut it out, and a few times they've left it
Speaker 6: in and that's disturbing, especially at school drop off.
Speaker 5: That's what's the best example.
Speaker 8: Of oh man, oh to.
Speaker 6: I've just made a couple of you know, very borderline
Speaker 6: that you know we could make sitting here, but you know,
Speaker 6: I probably wouldn't want Maggie to hear you know that
Speaker 6: that's gone to air. And so yeah, I mean I
Speaker 6: love live television.
Speaker 5: I always will.
Speaker 6: It's probably I know what you're saying, though it is
Speaker 6: it is becoming more and more difficult. I suppose to
Speaker 6: to have fun the way Sam is going to on
Speaker 6: the night of the Logies, and that's why I'm glad
Speaker 6: it's him doing it and not me.
Speaker 4: But that is you at your best as well, I think.
Speaker 4: And when you go close to the line, it's just
Speaker 4: it's a wonderful dance that very few people can do,
Speaker 4: and you do and you can actually cross the line
Speaker 4: where lots of people can't and get away with it
Speaker 4: like there is a cheekiness to you that it just.
Speaker 5: It just works.
Speaker 2: Well.
Speaker 6: This has changed too, because years and years ago, I
Speaker 6: think when I first started dancing, it was twenty years ago,
Speaker 6: Peter Meakin said to me, I know I'd said something
Speaker 6: and it had caused some kind of an uproar in
Speaker 6: the paper about something, and he said, Krueger, you're a woman.
Speaker 6: You're not allowed to have a sense of humor. I
Speaker 6: don't get me wrong. I love Peter Meakin and he
Speaker 6: was a great mentor for me, but he was What
Speaker 6: he was saying to me is you have to be
Speaker 6: careful because you're going to be judged differently as a
Speaker 6: woman about your sense of humor. And so I ignored
Speaker 6: that and just continued on with everything.
Speaker 3: But that's why, amongst other things.
Speaker 2: Why you've lasted so long, it's because you are genuine
Speaker 2: and you haven't tried to mold yourself to be something
Speaker 2: that you're not. And because the audience can see through
Speaker 2: it like that, they can absolutely well.
Speaker 1: And I mean, Ali, I know this a part. You're
Speaker 1: obviously hosting a Current Affair, and then you co hosted
Speaker 1: the Today Show for a couple of years as well,
Speaker 1: and it's often commented that a role like that, where
Speaker 1: you're in people's living rooms as yourself for several hours
Speaker 1: a week, that there is nowhere to hide. To Lynn's point,
Speaker 1: people can sense exactly who you are. How have you
Speaker 1: found the changing industry over the course of your career
Speaker 1: in terms of we talk a lot about how broadcast
Speaker 1: media has changed. This week as this cover comes out,
Speaker 1: the Project, for instance, has gone off fair. It's in
Speaker 1: a similar timeslot to a Current Affairs, so people have gone, well,
Speaker 1: that's it. It's impossible to capture audiences for news and
Speaker 1: current affairs in twenty twenty five. How are you feeling
Speaker 1: about a huge question here? Just answered yeah, no, no, I.
Speaker 4: Disagree with that, and I think we're quick to sort
Speaker 4: of put down free to wear and free to way.
Speaker 4: It's changing for sure, but news, current affairs, sport absolutely
Speaker 4: critical to free to wear, and I think there was
Speaker 4: a bit of a drop off when people move to streaming.
Speaker 4: But we're looking at our numbers now and our numbers
Speaker 4: not only steadied, we're growing them. And we've changed how
Speaker 4: I think, because not everyone is sitting down, so yet
Speaker 4: we're live at seven o'clock. Not everyone is sitting down
Speaker 4: and turning on the television at seven o'clock. We're still
Speaker 4: getting that audience, but they're watching it online. They're watching
Speaker 4: it just on delay so when it kind of works
Speaker 4: for them. But we're looking at our numbers and you
Speaker 4: would find this too, you know, Sonia with you know,
Speaker 4: our audiences are strong, our audiences are good, and you
Speaker 4: know with Oka, we're across the board because we're not
Speaker 4: we're not We're not a right or a left leaning show.
Speaker 4: We're not for a ritual for Paul where like we do,
Speaker 4: we cover everything and you know where we're about to
Speaker 4: do a big domestic violence forum where we have all
Speaker 4: the you know, we have police, politicians, judges in the
Speaker 4: room along with victims and survivors.
Speaker 5: And then what will.
Speaker 4: Probably do the next night will be some sort of
Speaker 4: chase of dodgey bloke down the street, who who who
Speaker 4: owes granny couple of thousand dollars or took a money
Speaker 4: and ran you know. I mean it's a tapetory of
Speaker 4: our show and we have a really locked on audience
Speaker 4: that we never take for granted. But the audience is there,
Speaker 4: and the audience is still watching free to air.
Speaker 5: It's not dead.
Speaker 6: Can I add to that too, because I think from
Speaker 6: a news perspective, if anything, news is growing on free
Speaker 6: to air because if you look at this amount of
Speaker 6: time taken up in the day now, that is that
Speaker 6: news fills from sunrise, will Today's show, right through the
Speaker 6: mornings to midday news, to afternoon news four o'clock, five o'clock,
Speaker 6: six o'clock, then you've got ACA seven o'clock. You know,
Speaker 6: we have late news services. There is actually a lot
Speaker 6: of real estate occupied by news. So I think the
Speaker 6: demand for news is definitely there, as well as the
Speaker 6: demand for you know, quality Australian drama and escapism entertainment programs.
Speaker 6: So the audiences are there, and we've changed the way
Speaker 6: we look at the rating system now because we know
Speaker 6: that people watch television differently. They watch it on demand,
Speaker 6: they watch it on devices, but they are there.
Speaker 2: Lynn.
Speaker 1: Let me ask you, as an actor, you are saying
Speaker 1: goodbye to a character that you have played for more
Speaker 1: than three decades, moving between being working in TV. And
Speaker 1: of course that's changed too, hasn't it The way that
Speaker 1: they're film that they've changed studios, locations, and the distribution
Speaker 1: model of a show like Home and Away has evolved
Speaker 1: a lot since the early nineties. And now, as we
Speaker 1: talked about, you're on stage, live theater. How do you
Speaker 1: say goodbye to a character that you've played for that
Speaker 1: long because obviously you've never played a character for that
Speaker 1: long prior to now. Was it hasn't been difficult going
Speaker 1: and inhabiting different characters?
Speaker 2: Honestly, Sarah, I have to say no, I'm not one
Speaker 2: of those actors who takes you know, irenees Irene's departure
Speaker 2: story was it was hard. It was hard work. It
Speaker 2: was hard for myself, for Shane Whinnington, with whom I
Speaker 2: played a lot, and ate A Nicodemo and Emily Simon's
Speaker 2: and all my close friends on the show. Was it
Speaker 2: was hard. But I'm also not I'm not one of
Speaker 2: those actors who takes things with me. I would be
Speaker 2: honestly in the palace for the peculiars if I was,
Speaker 2: because I would would have lost the plot years. So
Speaker 2: I can believe it and return to it. So in
Speaker 2: answer to your question, look, it was a long time coming.
Speaker 2: I knew it was coming. I was so exhausted by
Speaker 2: the end of filming back in March, my last scenes
Speaker 2: on the show. I sounded like a drag queen. I
Speaker 2: had no In fact, the next day I was diagnosed
Speaker 2: with what do you call it, influenza? Ah, And they said,
Speaker 2: now you need to isolate because you're highly contagious, and
Speaker 2: I went, well, I've just hugged five hundred people, including
Speaker 2: the road workers outside Everly, so I'm pretty sure that
Speaker 2: ship has sailed.
Speaker 3: But because I'd had my injection, and I don't.
Speaker 2: Want to get into an argument about, you know, inoculation,
Speaker 2: but I had had it, and I was only crooked
Speaker 2: for a couple of days, and then I was back
Speaker 2: and I bounced back. I was fine, but I was
Speaker 2: so exhausted and I just needed the time was right,
Speaker 2: Sarah at the time was absolutely right? And now it's
Speaker 2: been where are we March April May Jun so it's
Speaker 2: the best part of four months. At no point have
Speaker 2: I gone or have I made the right decision.
Speaker 3: It's just onwards and upwards.
Speaker 2: And to be able to go, yeah, I don't think
Speaker 2: I'll do that, or yes, I'll audition for that and
Speaker 2: fail it like every other actor auditioning. It's just it's joyful.
Speaker 2: It's lovely. And in saying that, I'm so blessed with
Speaker 2: my thirty three years at home and away because it's
Speaker 2: like winning the acting lottery. To get a gig for
Speaker 2: that long is unbelievable. It really is like winning the lotto.
Speaker 1: And you would never have foreseen that when you were
Speaker 1: first starting. As you say, the character started so differently.
Speaker 1: I mean that character surely had six month contracts contract.
Speaker 3: And then they said do you want to come back
Speaker 3: in three months for maybe a year? Hell yeah, And
Speaker 3: then thirty three years later they still had worked out
Speaker 3: and know what I was done.
Speaker 1: Do you think, well, your trajectory do you think post
Speaker 1: Summer Bay with thinking something Alie Sonya maybe Chris Hemsworth.
Speaker 8: I'm thinking, I think you've got to go directly to
Speaker 8: Hollywood and.
Speaker 4: When you're rang early it was was that actually.
Speaker 3: On them?
Speaker 6: Honestly, so look at Jackie Weaver. Her career is now
Speaker 6: bigger than it's ever been. So I would, as your agent,
Speaker 6: taking twenty percent, recommend you go to Los Angeles.
Speaker 2: And I could see I could do Harold and Mood,
Speaker 2: a remake of Harold and Maud.
Speaker 3: We love it.
Speaker 8: Can you do an American accent?
Speaker 3: Well, you know, I can do a cerven one.
Speaker 8: I can tell it's really.
Speaker 1: You'll have to accept. Maybe if you win the Gold
Speaker 1: LOGI you might have to accept accept it.
Speaker 3: Say that just a little off story.
Speaker 2: There's a beautiful actress on our show called Allie, and
Speaker 2: she plays Dana on the show, and she's fabulous and quirky.
Speaker 2: But whenever we used to do a run through of lines,
Speaker 2: we'd either do it in an Irish accent, or we
Speaker 2: do it in a certain accent. So you have things
Speaker 2: like Dana, you come here now and you sit down
Speaker 2: because I have to talk to you about something very
Speaker 2: and pultent.
Speaker 1: And some of the real Aussie dialogue, yeah, thing of
Speaker 1: some of our olf slides like stone the Crows, Flame
Speaker 1: and Crows.
Speaker 2: I honestly we used to have such fun. So yeah,
Speaker 2: I kind of dig a Southern accent.
Speaker 1: Do well, Yeah, final question, let's go back to the
Speaker 1: Logis where there are on Sunday, August three. Who do
Speaker 1: you think will win? I'd like to ask each of
Speaker 1: you that, and who do you think should win? Ali?
Speaker 5: Lynn and Lynn stop it?
Speaker 8: Second way to put the muzz on me.
Speaker 5: Girls, Lynn think that will and deserves to.
Speaker 2: Oh look, that's very kind girls. I do you know
Speaker 2: what I'm leaning towards. I'm leaning towards Lisa.
Speaker 3: Or Poe. And I think ABC as sneaky audiences.
Speaker 2: Look at look now they are, look at Kitty Flannagan sneaky,
Speaker 2: their little sneaky squirrel audiences.
Speaker 3: They pretend they're not voting, but they are.
Speaker 2: And I think Poe will have a huge following given
Speaker 2: her heritage.
Speaker 3: Rightly so.
Speaker 2: But yeah, look, I think it's I really think it's
Speaker 2: a it's an even field.
Speaker 3: And if Hamish wins, I think we.
Speaker 2: Should all scand up, walk out and give him the finger.
Speaker 5: You know what, if he wings, he'll do the same thing.
Speaker 1: There'll be a spotlight on an empty chair.
Speaker 5: He'll be in exactly.
Speaker 1: That's right. Well, I wish you all all the best
Speaker 1: at the Logis and it really is to be nominated,
Speaker 1: isn't It's nice.
Speaker 4: Truly, it truly is it is really nice to you know,
Speaker 4: to see everybody acknowledged for the hard work that they're
Speaker 4: putting for a really long time. It's, you know, it's
Speaker 4: it's just a great moment that you've just got to
Speaker 4: enjoy the.
Speaker 2: Right absolutely, as Raymad messaged me and he said, congratulations
Speaker 2: mc granger, enjoy the bullshit while at last.
Speaker 3: I can show you hilarious.
Speaker 4: It gets the final on that note, I can say
Speaker 4: no more perfect and you can see fabulous Sonja Krueger,
Speaker 4: Lima Granger and Ali Langdon fining.
Speaker 1: For the Gold LOGI at the sixty fifty v Week
Speaker 1: Logi Awards on Sunday, third of August. Thank you so
Speaker 1: much for walking into the studio.
Speaker 3: Thanks good luck.
Speaker 1: You can find out more about today's guests in this
Speaker 1: episode show notes and a reminder that you can also
Speaker 1: watch this episode on YouTube. We'll also find a link
Speaker 1: to that in our show notes. Thank you for your
Speaker 1: company today. I hope you've enjoyed this episode, and if
Speaker 1: you're not already, make sure you're following something to talk
Speaker 1: about because we'll be back with another exclusive guest next week.