Tracy Grimshaw takes aim at Tom Gleeson after controversial Gold Logie win

Television presenter Tracy Grimshaw has ripped into ABC comedian Tom Gleeson after he made headlines on Sunday night with a controversial Gold Logie acceptance speech.

During Monday night’s A Current Affair, Tracy branded Tom’s Logies speech as ‘hilarious’, before claiming the Hard Quiz host failed to ‘close his speech with some grace’.

“The newly minted Gold Logie winner advised us all last night to lighten up,” 59-year-old Tracy told viewers. “How light did he want it?

“Julia Morris was wearing Costa’s beard, Pete Helliar was wearing a Logie. We were celebrating achievement in an industry whose main purpose is to entertain, and also happens to employ thousands of Australians — an industry the Gold Logie winner smugly told us last night was ‘dying’,” she continued.

“We all waited for him to change pace and close his speech with some grace, but no chance... Hilarious!”

Over the past few weeks, Tom has raised eyebrows with his apparent efforts to turn the TV Week Logie Awards into a ‘joke’, and he only added fuel to the fire with his highly controversial acceptance speech on Sunday night.

“There has been a lot of concern that I'm turning this award into a joke,” he said on stage at The Star on the Gold Coast.

“But what you are forgetting is I'm a comedian. I love jokes.

“This award has meant so many things to so many different people and that doesn't cease to exist. It has done a lot of great things for a lot of different people.

“In the past it has represented trying to get more diversity on the screen or launching charities and that's fantastic,” he added, referring to the likes of previous winners Waleed Aly and Carrie Bickmore.

“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. I really do.”

“The aim of my campaign was just to have fun with the whole thing,” Tom then explained.

“Because it all doesn't really matter... We can have fun and just be entertaining. People get concerned about people campaigning for the award.”

But if he were to take the victory more seriously, he’d say it’s a big win for comedy as a category.

“I'm taking it as a win for comedy because comedy to me is really important. In the past it hasn't even been a category for years for the Logies. To me it should be a staple,” he said.

Tom defeated fellow Gold Logie nominees: The Project host Waleed Aly, Doctor Doctor star Rodger Corser, Sunrise presenter Sam Mac, The Living Room’s Amanda Keller, Neighbours actress Eve Morey and Gardening Australia’s Costa Georgiardis.

Tracy, who was nominated for a Gold Logie last year, wasn’t the only big name in the television industry who’s not a fan of Tom’s stance.

The Project host Waleed Aly, who was up against the comedian for Gold this year, claimed Tom was “undermining people who had worked really hard to build careers”.

During an interview on the Channel Ten show on Monday night, Tom said he ‘disagreed’ with Waleed.

“What I was actually having a go at was just how the awards are put together,” he explained. “I mean, it's a popular vote, so you can go and vote however you want, and I just chose to do it in a funny way.”

There are some stars who are on Tom’s side, one being Studio 10 presenter Sarah Harris.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday night, she tagged the comedian and wrote: “I’ll tell ya @nonstoptom is my absolute favourite. Don’t hate the player, hate the game!”

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