Latest news with #TippingPointAustralia
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Todd Woodbridge reveals how he really felt about Jelena Dokic's 'he's my person' Logies speech - as she steps out with new boyfriend in Melbourne
Todd Woodbridge has spoken publicly for the first time about being the focus of colleague Jelena Dokic's extremely emotional Logies acceptance speech. The 54-year-old sports commentator and Tipping Point Australia host joined Nova FM's Jase and Lauren on Friday, where he was asked about the emotional tribute during TV's "Night of Nights". Dokic, 42, won Best Factual or Documentary Program for her documentary Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, and used her speech to thank Woodbridge for encouraging her to pursue a career in media after retiring- even calling him her "person". "I want to go back to the Logies on Sunday night, because I got very emotional when Jelena Dokic won her Logie and she made this incredible speech about how if every woman and wife and daughter and sister had a Todd in her life, the world would be a better place," host Lauren Phillips said during a visit to The Tipping Point set. "I mean, Paul, my fiancé and I were on the couch sobbing watching that. How did you feel in that moment?" Woodbridge admitted the speech took him by surprise. "Yeah, I was surprised by her doing that," he said. "I know she (Jelena) sometimes says that in a keynote a little bit, but I've never seen the keynote and been there, but her whole speech was flawless." The multiple Grand Slam-winning doubles champ said the moment was made even more special because the messaging "was so strong". "And to be a big part of that messaging and understanding of getting her on track, really, I felt incredibly proud to have watched someone be able to get up and deliver, in front of that audience at a Logies when you got all these TV people, that's nerve wracking," he said. "But she just killed it." Phillips also recalled Woodbridge's kindness towards both Dokic and herself during her former role as a Nine sports reporter. "I remember, in those early days of Channel Nine taking over the Australian Open and I worked on those first seasons… you were so nurturing to her, but not just to her, to all of us," she said. "You have this innate ability to make people feel so comfortable and so welcome, and you've just got this beautiful aura about you. So I'm so glad that that moment was shared so publicly, because a lot of us feel that way." Woodbridge thanked her, saying he "enjoys the company of it all" and wants "everyone to do well". "I want to do the very best job. I'm quite competitive, but I can't do it if the other people don't do it well. So you're together in that," he said. The tennis great said the evening was even more surreal after he later won his own Logie- the Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter- for Tipping Point. "But that whole thing with what Jelena was able to deliver, and then to have my moment follow that, more or less, that was bizarrely, I just couldn't believe the whole timing of it all, because none of that's planned," he said. "We didn't know. She didn't know she's going to win. I had very little faith. And so it just became one of the most special evenings I've ever been a part of." On Thursday, Dokic shared a video of herself and Woodbridge moments after their respective wins. "We did it !!!! We won the Logies !!! This was just moments after both @ and I won. So good we were able to capture this moment together. Honoured and proud of us,' she wrote. In the clip, an elated Dokic asked, "Who won the Logies?" before Woodbridge replied, "We did!" He then joked: "Your speech goes down as the longest 30 seconds that the Logies have ever had, but it was worth it!" "Listen," Dokic laughed back, "for TV what do they say? It's better that you can talk than not talk!" That evening, Dokic reposted footage of herself with her new boyfriend, Melbourne-based hospitality operations manager Yane Veselinov, singing and laughing together during a date night at the Royal Botanic Gardens. She later shared a sweet selfie of the pair, captioned with love hearts.
Sky News AU
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'You're my person': Jelena Dokic stuns Logies crowd with emotional tribute to Todd Woodbridge after Unbreakable documentary win
Beloved Aussie tennis champion Jelena Dokic broke down in tears on Sunday night as she accepted her first-ever Logie Award, and paid emotional tribute to fellow sports star turned broadcaster Todd Woodbridge. The 42-year-old received the Silver Logie for Best Factual or Documentary Program for Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story during Australian TV's night of nights at The Star in Sydney. Dokic stunned on the red carpet in a shimmering custom Alin Le'Kal gown that matched her award, but appeared completely caught off guard when her name was called. "Ooh! I know you said 30 seconds but I will need at least 30 to gather myself," she said as she took a deep breath. "I'm actually in shock. I really didn't think this was possible and I didn't have a speech prepared." Despite not having notes, Dokic quickly captivated the room with an emotional tribute that left many teary-eyed, including Woodbridge himself. "Todd Woodbridge, I don't know where you are, there," she said, scanning the crowd. "Todd. You're my person. "I say that, and this makes me cry so much because I sat down with you on the table 11 years ago when I retired, and you said to me that I can be a commentator and speaker and bring my story to life. "And I looked at you I said to you, 'I don't know who you're talking about, but you're not talking about me'." Dokic described herself then as "a person who couldn't string two sentences together, look people in the eye, had no social skills left", and credited Woodbridge with giving her the belief to rebuild. "You were the only one who believed in me, especially professionally. Thank you for that. I always say to everyone, 'Be someone's Todd', and I hope that everyone finds a Todd like I did." As the camera cut to Woodbridge in the crowd, he too was seen wiping away tears as the room erupted into applause. "You are a massive reason I'm standing here in every single way, you love to remind me every single day as well how right you are and that I still need to listen to you. So I will, and I always say, if everyone can have a father and a mentor like Todd, they would be very fortunate." Dokic also used her moment to speak on behalf of fellow survivors. "This is about a win for victims and survivors, especially of domestic violence and mental health, to not just have these stories heard, but for them to reclaim their life, to find their voice and to actually not just survive, but to thrive," she said. The moment was talked about multiple times during the rest of the show. One came after Woodbridge, who hosts Tipping Point Australia, went on to win the Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter. As he made his way to the stage, actor Angus Sampson wrapped him in a hug and quipped to the audience: "He's my Todd too." The moment also went viral on social media, with one Instagram user calling it the "Speech to end all speeches". Another user said that Woodbridge was clearly touched by her words. " amazing speech un rehearsed straight from the touching the way you honoured Todd's love and support in your tell he was overwhelmed by your special for you to have him as a trusted friend," they said. On X, one user wrote, "Todd made a Wimbledon semi-final in singles. More importantly, he's Jelena's human." Another added, "Her gratitude to Todd Woodbridge will stay in our memories." Unbreakable, directed by Jessica Halloran and Ivan O'Mahoney and distributed by Roadshow Films, follows Dokic's harrowing but inspirational story, from surviving abuse at the hands of her father, Damir Dokic, to becoming a tennis icon and media figure. Halloran also co-authored Dokic's memoir of the same name, published in 2017. While Dokic recently went public with her new partner, Melbourne-based hospitality operations manager Yane Veselinov, she attended the event solo, as did many stars on the night.
