ABC News Breakfast Tony Armstrong was missing in action for several hours after winning a Silver Logie at Sunday night’s TV Week Logie Awards.
The 32-year-old spent all night partying and failed to show up for work on Monday after scooping the Graham Kennedy Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent.
ABC Queensland reporter Michael Rennie was tasked with tracking down Tony on the Gold Coast and eventually found him just before 7am.
Minutes before Tony emerged, Michael told viewers he was genuinely stumped.
‘I’m looking for him, trying to find him. Haven’t been able to find him yet,’ he said while standing in front of the former AFL player’s hotel.
‘We’re looking around the hotel where he’s staying. No sign of him yet. Been on the phone a few times. No answer! But I’m sure we’re getting closer to tracking Tony down. I think we might find him by the end of this hour, hopefully,’ he added.
After a long search, Michael was eventually able to find Tony outside the hotel chatting to Gardening Australia presenter Costa Georgiadis.
ABC News Breakfast Tony Armstrong (right) was missing in action for several hours after winning a Silver Logie at Sunday night’s TV Week Logie Awards. ABC reporter Michael Rennie (left) was tasked with tracking down Tony on the Gold Coast and found him just before 7am
‘I found him – he’s over here!’ Michael declared as he raced towards a dusty-looking Tony and gave him a handshake.
Tony looked rather exhausted after a long night of partying, sporting a scruffy hairdo, red eyes and a hoarse voice.
He sported a green hoodie and clutched his Logie statuette.
Tony admitted he was hungover and had struggled to get up that morning
‘Hey guys, I can’t hear you back in the studio but thank you so much for all the support that you gave me along the way,’ Tony told viewers.
He went on to admit he was hungover and had struggled to get up that morning.
‘A lot of people were after a rapid rise this morning but I couldn’t quite get up in the seven o’clock hour. But [I] managed to rapidly rise at eight and here we are,’ he said.
It comes after Tony (left, with Dylan Alcott) hit back at Twitter trolls who had criticised him for delivering a Welcome to Country at the Logies
When asked to share any gossip from the Logies, he simply replied: ‘Oh, just had a couple of chats with a couple of people.’
‘And definitely not feeling at all under the weather,’ he added sarcastically.
It comes after Tony hit back at Twitter trolls who had criticised him for delivering a Welcome to Country at the Logies.
Armstrong went on to win the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent
Tony acknowledged the traditional owners of the land while presenting an award with 2022 Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott.
His speech drew backlash from some social media users who accused the Barranbinya man of ‘going woke’ and ‘virtue signalling’.
‘Acknowledgement of country is virtue signalling that does nothing to further the wellbeing of indigenous people in Australia,’ one person wrote on Twitter.
‘Specially to a room of coke-sniffing elites. It’s time we drop this nonsense.’
Tony is pictured with Rove McManus (left) and Dylan Alcott (right) during the Logie Awards ceremony on Sunday night
Armstrong returned fire and shut down his haters with a blunt and apt response.
‘Shut up bro,’ he wrote. ‘I’m a blackfulla and I am duty bound to respect the land I’m on.’
His comment sparked an outpouring of support from fans who swooped in to defend him and commend the former AFL player for delivering the Welcome to Country.
‘Dont let him shake you you are at the start of the top of your game keep growing past this point lot better things to do with your awesome energy up and beyond,’ one wrote.
Another added: ‘It’s his award, He won it. He can say whatever he wants. Don’t like it? You win an award. You can say whatever you want. Simple really.’
His speech quickly drew backlash with social media users accusing the proud Barranbinya man of ‘going woke ‘ and ‘virtue signalling’
Armstrong went on to win the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent.
He made an emotional acceptance speech thanking his mother for her unflagging support throughout his career.
‘The old cheese, my mum, she is a superstar, has done everything for me and has been a superstar and I would not be up here without her so a big thanks to her and please give her a clap, she will love it back home,’ he said.
The TV Week Logies Awards ended with a bang, with the Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television going to comedian Hamish Blake, who gave a moving speech as he accepted the coveted statuette for the second time.
Armstrong made an emotional acceptance speech thanking his mother for her unflagging support throughout his career
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