Ever since Ally Langdon took the chair behind the desk of A current deal maintained the show’s winning ratings inherited from longtime anchor Tracy Grimshaw.
In the fickle game of television, that’s not something he takes for granted.
“He’s always nervous when you find yourself in a role like this and you look at the greats who’ve sat in that chair before you,” she says TV tonight.
“That was Tracy’s chair for 17 years. Audiences love her, and for a very good reason. So you want to get into that chair, and as she said, to me, before you do, ‘You have to put your stamp on it, but always listen to the audience. It’s their show.’ She and I feel very strongly about it.
“I probably did it a little differently than Tracy, but the show is still the viewers’ show and most of the stories we get are stories they email us.
“I really love being in the role. I love being on the road again, because it’s been tricky for the last three years, working those mornings, because you’re tired when you get up so early, and it’s been quite tricky when you can’t really travel and do much with COVID. So it’s probably the part of the job I love the most. It’s a great team, but I’m also doing a lot of interviews and I’m on the road again, which kind of reminds me of my old man 60 minutes days”.
Among the recent stories in the field was talking to the family of Esra Haynes, a 13-year-old victim of “chroming” during a sleepover with friends.
For Langdon, covering a powerful story meant a busy schedule for their Victoria home.
“I think we were on a 10pm flight on Tuesday night, we left around 6am so we could spend half a day with them filming, and then go back to the airport and back in the chair on Wednesday at 7pm here at Sydney But we make it work.
Also note recent key interviews with survivors of helicopter crashes and domestic violence.
“There have been so many wonderful stories that I definitely couldn’t pick one.”
Still A current deal it also made headlines, somewhat, with a recent ACMA violation for a 2022 story with personnel directed to be trained on the privacy requirements of the broadcast code.
Understandably, Langdon is reluctant to talk about the details of the story, but wonder if everything ACA Are staff familiar with the Code now?
“I think so. Absolutely. YES.”
A Current Affair is shown at 7pm Monday to Saturday on Nine.
