Australian broadcaster Kate Langbroek has condemned Robert Irwin’s Logie Awards opening monologue as pitiful
and a bit s***,
specifically slamming his pointed jokes about absent television stars Karl Stefanovic and Dave Hughes during the awards ceremony.
The Logie Awards, in their 66-year history, featured 22-year-old animal conservationist Robert Irwin as the youngest host ever to lead the broadcast. Irwin kicked off the night with a high-energy dance routine before delivering an opening monologue that combined physical comedy with pointed barbs aimed at television personalities who were not in the room.
Kate Langbroek Slams Logies Monologue as Unnecessary
Appearing on Melbourne’s 101.9 The FOX on the Fifi, Fev & Nick radio show, comedian Kate Langbroek voiced sharp frustration over Irwin’s routine. While she praised the opening dance sequence as really bright and bubbly,
her tone shifted immediately once the monologue touched on her contemporaries in the media industry.
Langbroek argued that the remarks were uncalled for, directing her anger at what she perceived as a shifting tide of public opinion against long-standing television figures.
“It’s like they’re just a pack of like animals who, the second where they sense the power shift, they’re like, oh, let’s get stuck in.”
Kate Langbroek, Broadcaster and Comedian
Langbroek defended both Stefanovic and Hughes, asserting that the commentary lacked professional integrity.
“I just found it a bit s**t to be honest. Pardon me.”
Kate Langbroek, Broadcaster and Comedian
The Absent Targets Respond to the Far-Right Jabs
The targets of Irwin’s punchlines included Karl Stefanovic, who has spent the year navigating a major career transition. Stefanovic departed the Nine Network immediately after publishing an independent podcast episode featuring British far-right activist and anti-immigration figure Tommy Robinson, cutting short his planned exit from the Today show.
During his opening speech, Irwin addressed Stefanovic’s absence by telling the audience that unfortunately Karl Stefanovic didn’t RSVP tonight,
adding that we saved him a spare seat. It’s over there to the right . . . the far-right.
Irwin also turned his attention to Dave Hughes, quipping that Channel 10 was developing a reboot of his former panel show titled No, Seriously, Hughesy, We Have A Problem.
Despite the pointed nature of the gags, neither man expressed anger. Stefanovic told PerthNow that he skipped the broadcast for a peaceful night of sleep, waking up fresh on a Monday morning for the first time in 20 years.
“Can’t be cranky with Robert Irwin. It would be like being cranky with Bambi.”
Karl Stefanovic, Former Television Host
Meanwhile, Dave Hughes skipped the ceremony entirely to attend a Liberal Party event in Geelong. Speaking the following morning on the Today show, Hughes maintained that being roasted on television without having to sit through the event was an outright victory.
“I knew I’d get a mention at the Logies last night and I didn’t have to be there, so that was a win.”
Dave Hughes, Comedian and Presenter
Industry Fallout and Broadcast Milestones
While Sam Pang took home the 2026 Gold Logie—a feat Stefanovic previously achieved in 2011—the conversations surrounding the broadcast have centered just as much on who was missing from the room.
Stefanovic’s independent podcast venture has continued to draw headlines by featuring controversial figures such as One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, radio personality Kyle Sandilands, and television presenter Piers Morgan. That independent path led to his immediate split from network morning television, setting the stage for his absence at an awards show where he was once a fixture.
