Hosting Logies is 'toughest gig in the business' as Gretel Killeen cops a hiding

HOSTING the Logie Awards is the hardest job in the business, one of the nation’s top TV critics said as Gretel Killeen copped a hiding from viewers over last night’s show. 

Killeen continued the strong tradition of tanking as Logies host, but News.com.au readers reserved their main criticism for the Logies themselves, calling them “boring”, “embarrassing”, “tragic” and “self-indulgent nonsense”. 

‘Rob of Sydney’ wrote: “The Logies are an embarrassment full stop with or without Gretel hosting. They make the whole affair look cheap and nasty and wonder whether there is a balcony with someone doing snags on the BBQ.” 

“Unlike American awards shows where the audience is behind the host from the outset and if it isn’t going well will buck them up, in Australia award show hosts have to win the audience over,” he said.

One user wrote: "Oh Gosh. We have to put up with Gretel some more?''

Another wrote: "Hope Gretel gets drunk and falls over and her dress rips off on stage.''

Director of the Digital Technology and Culture program at the University of Sydney, Chris Chesher, said people were having conversations on Twitter that used to be confined to the lounge room. 

“There’s a sense of intimacy to Twitter conversations that belies its extreme public nature,” he said. “It can go straight to the person you’re insulting.” 

Dr Chesher said although people seemed to have no qualms about saying nasty things online, the way we use Twitter would change as people realised how public it really was.

“Twitter is not excluded from defamation laws,” Dr Chesher said. 

Although Killeen copped most of the blame for yet another lacklustre Logies night, segments featuring TV golden boys Adam Hills and Rove McManus also fell flat. 

Wendy Harmer, who became the first woman to host the awards night in 2002, likened the experience to having her arm sawn off with a blunt chainsaw, and Eddie McGuire, who had hosting duties from 2002-2005, was also panned. Last year’s series of presenters, rather than a single host, yet again failed to win over audiences. 

Perhaps the last word goes to reader ‘Chris of Sydney’: “I struggle to place any value on the opinion of anyone who uses twitter. All award ceremonies are crap, the Logies is generally the worst of them. I have never known anyone who hosted the Logies to be praised for the job they did.”