It was dubbed one TV’s most brutal snubs. Leaving Channel Nine for the final time after signing off as host of A Current Affair, Tracy Grimshaw seemed to give her replacement, Allison Langdon, the cold shoulder.
Footage from the awkward viral moment appeared to show Tracy, 62, rejecting Ally’s offer of a hug as she made her way through a guard of honour. After embracing Peter Overton, the veteran presenter acknowledged Ally, 44, but then appeared to pull back from her before moving on to her Today co-host, Karl Stefanovic.
WATCH: Tracy Grimshaw rejects Ally Langdon’s hug
According to a well-placed insider, who was a part of Tracy’s final show celebrations, no-one was more shocked by the ‘snub’ than Ally.
“There were plenty of tears and cheers and applause as Tracy moved her way slowly down the line, stopping to chat to whoever she could. Ally was awaiting her turn to congratulate the woman she calls her ‘hero’. But then this snub happened!” the insider revealed exclusively to
New Idea.
“There was this weird sense among the group like ‘did that just actually happen?!’”
“This should’ve been all about Tracy celebrating her incredible 17-year run in the ACA chair. Instead, everyone is wondering if something has gone down between two of Nine’s biggest stars.”
Ally later conceded: “It’s pretty brutal when you watch the video, and I did say to Karl when it happened, like, ‘Grimshaw just snubbed me!’”
Although she stressed it wasn’t “a deliberate snub”, she added: “It looked really bad, I get that.”
She’s since spoken out about how she felt following the virality of the video. In an interview with Stellar on their Something to Talk About podcast, she shared, “It’s a great narrative of women hating women and being brushed by Trace, but I’m sorry it’s not the truth.”
She clarified that Tracy texted her the morning after the situation occurred to clear things up.
“I think the problem was that she knew I was the new host and it hadn’t yet been announced… her and I had been talking a lot and I think just in that moment… she was overwhelmed…”
“The way it did get then written up – hurtful in the sense that I work so hard and something that’s so important to me – female relationships in this business – for that to be taken that way, I really didn’t like,” she continued.
Allison echoed the same sentiment to sister publication TV Week in February, ”Trace texted me [after the footage was released] and said, ‘I just saw the video – I’m so sorry,” she said.
Tracy also insisted all was not as it appeared to be in the footage. She wasted no time clearing up the situation, sending a lighthearted message to Ally the following day. Their chat was shared on Today.
“I’m sorry I missed you,” Tracy said in her text. “I was so overwhelmed and obviously didn’t see your petite head once Karl’s big boofhead loomed into vision. Argh, big sorry.”
With rumours swirling that tensions between the two have been mounting for months, it seems Tracy and her newly appointed replacement have been eyeing one another off as healthy rivals for the better part of 20 years.
“Both Tracy and Ally are accomplished journalists with plenty of runs on the board,” tells the source.
“Ally has always had the utmost regard for Tracy, but never hid the fact she always wanted the ACA job one day.”
“You could say they are polar opposites. They certainly aren’t enemies and do have a lot of respect for one another.”
WATCH: Ally Landon debuts on A Current Affair. Article continues after video.
“However, they don’t really spend that much time together. I personally don’t think they are as close as it’s made to seem when the cameras are on.”
“There’s only ever going to be one Tracy Grimshaw – Ally knows better than anyone she has very big shoes to fill.”
