Latest news with #SamPang
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sam Pang set to return for the third time to host The Logie Awards 2025
TV funnyman Sam Pang is heading back to host The Logie Awards in August. This will be the third time in three years that the 51-year-old comedian has taken on the anchor role for TV's Night of Nights. Sam's cheeky and irreverent comedy as host last year and in 2023 proved to be a big hit with audiences and TV's A-list as well as a major ratings winner for Seven. 'It's been an honour to host the last two years and I'm looking forward to again celebrating the talented people and amazing shows that combine to make the Australian television industry something everyone can be proud of,' Sam told The Herald Sun on Sunday. 'I am very excited to return for another Logies and would like to thank 7 for asking me back.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. This year's lucky Logie nominees will be announced on June 16. Sam is expected to unleash another take-no-prisoners monologue as host when the Logies ceremony kicks off at the Star Sydney on August 3. The beloved comedian left viewers in stitches with a cutting series of one liners when he took to the stage last year. He was widely praised for his presenting - and roasting of celebrities - for the 2023 event and he certainly did not fail to disappoint as viewers applauded his 'fearless' monologue which saw him boldly take aim at Channel Seven. Sam didn't hold back as he savagely roasted Seven for their spate of recent scandals, such as the Bruce Lehrmann-Spotlight scandal, despite the fact the Logies were airing on the network. He also hit out at Network 10 and Married At First Sight in his take-no-prisoners monologue, before making jokes at the expense of Adam Lambert and LeAnn Rimes. Sam opened his monologue by savagely taking aim at Seven, referencing their recent scandals as the crowds reacted with shocked gasps. 'Firstly, Channel 7, well, I'm just letting you all know I'm going to say whatever I want tonight,' he said as he kicked things off. 'I stand before you safe in the knowledge that whatever I say, this network will defend me in court, and with their impeccable record in defamation cases over the last 12 months I reckon I'll be fine.' Amid a string of jobs being cut at Seven, Sam then joked that he wasn't getting paid by the network for his hosting gig and said they would instead be paying his rent. 'Full disclosure - I'm not getting paid by Channel Seven tonight. Instead, for the next 12 months, they're paying my rent,' he quipped. Which is handy as they'll know what address to send the Thai masseuse to.' Sam then left the crowds in stitches with his MAFS joke as he quipped: 'Reality shows continue to thrive. One of the biggest shows sees contestants thrown together, isolated and willingly eating testicles and sometimes anus. That's right, Married At First Sight continues to go from strength to strength.' Sam's return comes after his first Logies as host scored an impressive 877,000 viewers in the TV ratings. The 2024 Logies broadcast, meanwhile, was another massive hit for Seven According to Sunday night's OzTam ratings, the awards show was the most popular program on free-to-air with a huge national reach of 3,351,000, with a national audience of 1,338,00.
Herald Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Herald Sun
Sam Pang locked in to host Logie Awards for third year in a row
Don't miss out on the headlines from Fiona Byrne. Followed categories will be added to My News. It is a Sam Pang 'three-peat,' with the Front Bar star locked in to host the Logie Awards for the third year in a row. Pang, who received high praise for his hosting efforts in 2023 and 2024, will be at the helm of Australian TV's biggest night in Sydney on Sunday, August 3. Sam Pang is hosting the Logie Awards for the third year in a row. Picture: Paramount The role continues Pang domination of local TV in 2025 with the likeable funny guy this year hosting his own tonight show for Channel Ten, appearing on Have You Been Paying Attention on 10 and being a part of Channel 7's hit sports nostalgia show The Front Bar. Sam Pang with Tom Gleisner and Ed Kavalee for Have You Been Paying Attention. Picture: Supplied Sam Pang, Mick Molloy and Andy Maher on The Front Bar. Picture: Supplied The TV Week Logie Awards is acknowledged as one of the toughest hosting gigs in TV with two hard to please audiences — those watching at home and the industry guests in the room for the live broadcast — to entertain and impress. 'It's been an honour to host the last two years and I'm looking forward to again celebrating the talented people and amazing shows that combine to make the Australian television industry something everyone can be proud of,' Pang said. 'I am very excited to return for another Logies and would like to thank 7 for asking me back.' The Logies will be held at The Star and be broadcast on Channel 7. Last year, the Logies drew a total TV audience of 1.44 million, the biggest audience for the awards since 2016. Nominations for the 2025 Logie Awards will be announced on Monday, June 16. Morning Show and The Chase host Larry Emdur took home the coveted Gold Logie in 2024.
Sky News AU
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Channel 10 confirms airdate for new season of Have You Been Paying Attention? and reveals Sam Pang will return
Channel 10 has confirmed Have You Been Paying Attention? will return to screens next month as the broadcaster doubles down on breakout star Sam Pang. The panel series, which sees host Tom Gleisner quiz his celeb panellists on current events, has emerged as a reliable ratings winner for Ten since its humble beginnings in 2013. On Tuesday, Ten revealed that the series will return to its Monday night timeslot for a 13th season next month beginning on May 12. 'It's time to make some noise as powerhouse trio Tom Gleisner, Ed Kavalee and Sam Pang are back to crank up the fun when the thirteenth season of Have You Been Paying Attention? premieres on Monday, 12 May at 8:40pm on 10 and 10 Play,' the network told in a statement. The series currently consists of Gleisner on the cue cards and Pang and Ed Kavalee as permanent panellists alongside a revolving line up of celebrity guests. 'I can't wait to get back into the studio with all the gang for another huge season of Have You Been Paying Attention?,' Gleisner said in a statement. 'For me, there's no better way to spend a Monday night.' Ten also confirmed that the upcoming season will see some 'brand new faces' as panellists. 'Be prepared to be a little bit informed, a whole lot entertained and perhaps slightly confused when all of your favourites (along with some brand new faces) put their knowledge of the week's news to the ultimate test,' Ten said in a statement. 'Same hilarious show, brand new headlines!' The update comes after Ten renewed Pang's late night show for a 'second run' of episodes just weeks after its debut in March. Sam Pang Tonight features an American-style late night format with celebrity guests and marks the most ambitious attempt at a late night series since Rove left the airways in 2009. The weekly late night show premiered last month to lukewarm critical reviews but managed to pull in Ten's biggest audience for a new show since 2022.
Express Tribune
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Sam Pang Tonight premiere criticized as 'awkward' and 'unwatchable': 'I lasted three minutes'
Sam Pang's highly anticipated late-night talk show, Sam Pang Tonight, debuted on Channel Ten on Monday, but its reception was anything but unanimous. While some viewers enjoyed the new addition to Australia's late-night lineup, others were quick to criticize the show, labeling it "awkward" and "unwatchable." The show featured classic late-night elements, including a celebrity guest announcer—comedian Dave Thornton—scripted segments, and quirky banter. However, the audience reaction on social media was mixed, with many taking issue with the execution. "'Oh s***... I said I'd give it five minutes... I lasted three,'" one viewer shared on X (formerly Twitter). Another user added, "'Canned laughter makes it unwatchable.'" Some fans argued that the traditional late-night format might be outdated in today's entertainment landscape. "'In the age of long-form podcasts, 10-minute segments feel clumsy and awkward,'" one person commented. "'Sam is funny but the 'tonight show' paradigm is over.'" Despite the criticism, others defended Pang, noting that he appeared nervous in his hosting debut. "'Every single one of us who has followed Sam Pang his whole career will agree that this is the most nervous or uneasy we've ever seen him,'" a supporter wrote. Some viewers encouraged audiences to give the show more time to settle into its groove. "'Not a great start, a bit clunky and flat at times, but he's a genuinely funny guy, and I will give him a few more weeks' grace. Good luck, Sam,'" one fan commented. While Sam Pang Tonight has divided opinions, Channel Ten is betting on its success, hoping it will bring an Australian spin to the late-night format and attract top-tier celebrity guests.
The Guardian
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sam Pang Tonight: Australia's newest talk show is haunted by the spectre of Rove McManus
For a man of such average height, Rove McManus casts a long shadow over Australian TV. Since Rove Live ended in 2009 – probably the last example of a successful talkshow on our screens – the TV landscape has become unrecognisable: the internet got invented, streaming took over, and televisions themselves got bigger but, conversely, much flatter. McManus also manages to loom over Network 10's new talkshow gamble, Sam Pang Tonight. In his opening monologue to last night's premiere, Pang pointed out that this was the network's first late night foray since Rove. In a line that was sadly indicative of the calibre of jokes to follow, Pang then called himself the 'Asian Rove: say ni hao to your mum for me'. Sam Pang, a common and beloved sight on various 10 panel shows, and fresh from a couple of popular stints hosting the Logies, is an understandable choice for host. But Sam Pang Tonight's immediate genuflection to Rove belied an obvious fear that nestles in the breast of the program: is Australia finally ready to break the late night talkshow curse? Since Rove Live's final broadcast, there have been multiple attempts to find that magic again – most of them dying lonely and quickly forgotten deaths. Rove even rebooted his own show in LA, which, unfortunately, ended up Rove Dead. Channel Ten then tried again in 2018 with Saturday Night Rove, which they cancelled after only two episodes. Other, less Rove-centric attempts ensued, such as the ABC's 2018 youth-based comedy talkshow, Tonightly With Tom Ballard, which was cancelled after a year due to poor ratings. Recently in 2023, the ABC tried a talkshow format helmed by Fran Kelly, called Frankly, which was axed after a single season. It feels like anyone who tries to wear Rove's crown suffers a terrible demise. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Broadcast TV is a difficult market in general right now, with a glut of content spread across hundreds of channels and streaming services, competing with YouTube and other online content. It's hard for a show to make any impact, regardless of its worth. Even in the US – the spiritual home of the late night talkshow – the heavy-hitters have seen a decline in audiences. 'If I were a 25-year-old whose dream was to host a late-night show, I would have some concerns,' Late Night host Seth Meyers told The Town podcast recently. 'But at the same time … they're not watching Late Night, so they're probably not dreaming about doing it.' And Sam Pang Tonight unabashedly follows in the footsteps of the US, with a tongue-in-cheek promo showing Pang watching Colbert and taking notes on the jokes he can plagiarise. The show's format itself clearly took notes too: a cold open (last night's was a sketch with music legend Paul Kelly failing to come up with a theme song), an opening monologue from the host, forced studio laughter, and a stage bedecked in a generic cityscape backdrop. The two guests on Sam Pang Live were where the differences became clear: instead of Hollywood glitterati, we were treated to a long interview with 'Australia's first movie star', the delightful film legend Jack Thompson – perhaps a pessimistic nod to the general age of network TV viewers. The other guest was a trauma doctor, answering comedic questions on topics such as the medical validity of Rambo cauterising a wound with gunpowder. Both interviews felt awkward and too long, with Pang seemingly nervous throughout. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion Sam Pang Tonight was the most charming when it wasn't imitating the US format, but playing into the self-deprecating humour that both Pang and Australian comedy in general is known for: my favourite segment featured vox pops asking a bunch of young influencers 'do you know who Sam Pang is?', to which the answer was a blanket 'no'. Sam Pang Tonight isn't trying anything new, but a talkshow doesn't really need to. Rove Live, while fun and playful, was essentially the same as its overseas competitors; and if we look to the UK, where the Graham Norton Show seems to only be increasing in popularity, it has a very simple formula of 'interesting guests on a couch'. For late night TV to work you need the mysterious confluence of a talented and charismatic host, the right guests, the right time slot and, crucially, enough time. Sam Pang Tonight might not have it yet, but it's only been one episode: it'll take a while longer to bottle the lightning that makes late night TV magic. Sam Pang Tonight airs on Mondays at 8:40pm on Network Ten and 10 Play
