Tom Gleeson savagely roasts Aussie stars at the AACTA Awards

Tom Gleeson savagely roasted Aussie stars such as TV chef Pete Evans and former Studio 10 host Kerri-Anne Kennerly during his opening monologue at the 2020 AACTA Awards on Monday night.

The comedian opened up by targeting the celebrity chef, saying: "I’m your host for this evening, I’ll be taking you through the night and I’ll be choosing my words very carefully because TV shows used to get cancelled, now people get cancelled...like Pete Evans."

"He was dropped from I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here," Tom continued. "It’s a missed opportunity for Channel 10 though, the first challenge could have been 'try this vaccination', or 'stand under this 5G tower', or 'be credible'."

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He then moved on to SAS Australia and Plate of Origin, saying: "SAS Australia was a huge success this year for Channel 7. Congratulations, they put celebrities through their paces.

"It was so entertaining that they almost forgot about the war crimes," he added, referencing the damning report into alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan.

Moving on, Tom said: "This year Channel 7 also poached Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston. They left MasterChef to launch Plate Of Origin, which I suspect completed its only season."

"Plate of Origin was a TV competition where Gary Meighan and Matt Preston unknowingly competed to answer the question, 'Was MasterChef’s ratings success due to the talent or the format?' Spoiler alert, it was the format."

The host then moved on to Kerri-Anne, saying: "Studio 10 on Channel 10 had a big clean out. Joe Hildebrand gone, Natarsha Belling gone. Kerri-Anne gone. After getting a Gold Logie, Kerri-Anne called me a wimp for not going to Studio 10, so I’d just like to say to Kerri-Anne, who is probably watching from home because she’s not invited, or on air... I’d just like to let you know Kerri-Anne that I didn’t go on Studio 10 because I enjoy performing to an audience!"

"There are more people in this room socially distanced than who watch Studio 10," he continued. "Going to Studio 10 is like yelling your opinions into an empty shoebox. It's pointless behaviour.

"If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it fall, you’re on Studio 10. G'day Kerri-Anne, I know you like being mentioned."

The AACTA Awards were separated into two ceremonies to make the event Covid-Safe, a film ceremony in the afternoon and a TV ceremony in the early evening.

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