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"Terrifies me": Tracy Grimshaw reveals her biggest fears around ageing

<p>Tracy Grimshaw has headed back to TV alongside alongside Dr Nick Coatsworth in a new medical series<em> Do You Want To Live Forever? </em></p> <p>In an interview with <em>9Entertainment</em>, the journalist explained why she chose to return to TV, after standing down from <em>A Current Affair </em>in 2022 following 17 years on the show. </p> <p>She explained that what pulled her to the medical series was "the extreme end of longevity." </p> <p>"People who shake the tree always fascinate me, particularly if they're putting their bodies on the line," she said. </p> <p>"It's so new, some of this stuff... that's probably what brought me in, but we're not just going to be at that end of the whole longevity discussion.</p> <p>"We're talking to people on how they can improve their quality of life and address issues that might lead to a premature death."</p> <p>In the interview she also revealed her own fears on ageing, especially what she finds most terrifying about it. </p> <p>"I'm not too scared about the passage of time," she began. </p> <p>"The only thing that scares me about getting older is becoming feeble." </p> <p>"Alzheimer's terrifies me. My brain has always been I think the best part of me, and it would be really sad to lose that."</p> <p>The show itself follows four pairs of everyday Aussies, including sisters from <em>The Block, </em>Eliza and Liberty, husband and wife, Enver and Eliana, partners Luke and Taylor, and father and son duo Duncan and Tom, as they undergo medically supervised trials and health interventions that may provide clues to help us live longer. </p> <p><em>Image: Channel 9</em></p>

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Tracy Grimshaw's surprise TV return

<p>Tracy Grimshaw is set to return to Aussie TV for the first time since she stepped away from her <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/tracy-grimshaw-s-huge-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longtime role</a> on <em>A Current Affair </em>in November 2022. </p> <p>On Friday, Channel 9 announced that the TV icon is set to co-host a brand new series titled<em> Do You Want To Live Forever? </em>alongside medical expert Dr Nick Coatsworth. </p> <p>The upcoming show will explore our obsession with staying young and healthy, and follows four pairs of everyday Australians as they undergo medically supervised trials and health interventions which could help us understand how to live longer. </p> <p>“I’m keen to explore exactly what a long life will look like,” Grimshaw said of the new show. </p> <p>“While in honesty I really haven’t spent my life looking for the Fountain of Youth, I’m fascinated by how far people are taking that search, and how advanced medicine is becoming in that space.”</p> <p>Dr Coatsworth also shared his enthusiasm for the show and working alongside Grimshaw. </p> <p>“For centuries people have been captivated by the idea of living forever. I am extremely excited to be working with the highly respected Tracy Grimshaw on this new series.”</p> <p>This comes after Grimshaw was rumoured to return to ACA, which she has since <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/tracy-grimshaw-responds-to-tv-return-rumours" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a>.</p> <p>The show's air date is yet to be announced, with the network currently taking in <a href="https://www.nine.com.au/entertainment/do-you-want-to-live-forever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">applications</a> for those who want to be a part of it. </p> <p><em>Image: A Current Affair</em></p>

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Stan Grant's wife Tracey Holmes quits the ABC

<p>Veteran senior ABC journalist Tracey Holmes has announced her resignation from the public broadcaster, marking the end of an era for the network. This decision follows closely on the heels of her high-profile husband, Stan Grant, walking away from his role as host of the ABC's <em>Q&A</em> program, citing exhaustion due to persistent racial abuse.</p> <p>Holmes took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram to make her resignation public, leaving many to wonder about her future in the world of journalism.</p> <p>Holmes, a prominent figure in Australian journalism, has been a familiar face to ABC viewers for decades. With a career spanning over three decades, her contribution to the field of sports reporting has been nothing short of remarkable. However, as she shared her decision to part ways with the ABC, Holmes alluded to the exciting prospect of Paris 2024, which will mark her 14th Olympic Games as a journalist, reporter, and broadcaster. This time, though, it won't be under the ABC's banner since her resignation will take effect on November 30.</p> <p>In her heartfelt message to colleagues and listeners, Holmes expressed her gratitude and promised to continue her career in the future. "For now though, to channel a former governor of California in his former life as The Terminator, 'I'll be back,' that's a promise," she declared. Her departure from the ABC may be a farewell, but it's certainly not a permanent one.</p> <p>Holmes's career at the ABC began in 1989, and her groundbreaking role as Australia's first female host of the sports program, <em>Grandstand</em>, made her an icon in the world of sports journalism.</p> <p>Her trailblazing work has not only inspired countless aspiring journalists but also garnered the recognition she truly deserves. Earlier this year, she received the Australian Sports Commission's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, an accolade that cements her status as one of the most influential sports broadcasters in the country.</p> <p>Her decision to leave the ABC is undoubtedly a significant moment in Australian media. The circumstances surrounding her departure, coupled with her husband Stan Grant's recent exit, raise questions about the state of journalism and the challenges faced by those in the public eye. Grant cited exhaustion and racial abuse as reasons for his departure, highlighting the harsh realities that journalists and broadcasters often face.</p> <p>While Holmes may be bidding farewell to her long-standing role at the ABC, her departure by no means signifies the end of her illustrious career. As she prepares for her 14th Olympic Games, she's poised to continue making a significant impact in the world of sports journalism. Her resilience and determination, in the face of challenges that forced her and her husband to step away from high-profile positions, serve as a testament to her unwavering commitment to the craft.</p> <p>As we await her next move, the Australian media landscape is left with a void that will be hard to fill. Holmes leaves behind a legacy that future journalists can only aspire to match, and her impact on the industry will be felt for years to come.</p> <p>While the ABC bids her farewell, we can be certain that the world has not seen the last of this pioneering journalist. Paris 2024 beckons, and with it, a new chapter in the remarkable career of Tracey Holmes.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy7OVPzvUXF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy7OVPzvUXF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tracey Holmes (@traceyleeholmes)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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Tracy Grimshaw responds to TV return rumours

<p dir="ltr">Tracy Grimshaw has responded to rumours claiming that she is <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/tracy-grimshaw-s-rumoured-tv-return" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returning to <em>A Current Affair</em></a>, and working on a “secret project” with TV execs.</p> <p dir="ltr">On Tuesday, <em>Woman’s Day</em> magazine claimed that according to an insider, Grimshaw was preparing for her TV return in a few low-key meetings with <em>Nine</em> execs.</p> <p dir="ltr">The veteran presenter took to Twitter to respond to the claims denying any “sneaky meetings”, as she hasn’t returned to the headquarters since she left last November.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is not true,” she tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not coming back to ACA, I haven’t been into the office this year, no sneaky meetings, and I’ve always said I may do something else next year, that hasn’t changed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The report also claimed that Grimshaw misses “the thrill of TV” and that she might not be ready to leave the entertainment industry after all.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She has so much time on her hands and has been watching Ally flourish, and it's made her miss the thrill of TV. She's started to think that maybe she isn't done after all,” the outlet claimed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Grimshaw was the host of<em> A Current Affair </em>for 17 years before her <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/tracy-grimshaw-s-huge-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exit</a>, and has since been replaced by Ally Langdon.</p> <p><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

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Tracy Grimshaw’s rumoured TV return

<p dir="ltr">Tracy Grimshaw is rumoured to return to TV less than a year after her <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/tracy-grimshaw-s-huge-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em> exit</a>, with a "secret project" in the works with <em>Nine,</em> according to an insider.</p> <p dir="ltr">The veteran presenter reportedly made a low-key entrance into the <em>Nine</em> offices earlier this month to meet up with their bosses and pitch some new ideas.</p> <p dir="ltr">"They were very surprised to hear from her but excited to see what she'd been working on," the insider told <em>Woman's Day</em>, and added that at least one of the ideas she pitched is already in the works.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Tracy could be back on our screens as early as 2024!" the insider said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The TV star’s change of mind is reportedly inspired by Ally Langdon's flourishing career as the new host of <em>A Current Affair</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Tracy is telling friends she may have made a big mistake. She has so much time on her hands and has been watching Ally flourish, and it's made her miss the thrill of TV."</p> <p dir="ltr">"She's started to think that maybe she isn't done after all, and she knows <em>Nine</em> will always welcome her back, in whichever capacity she chooses,” the insider revealed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ally Langdon was one of the<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/new-front-runner-to-replace-tracy-grimshaw" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> front-runners to replace Grimshaw</a> among other contenders including Carrie Bickmore, Deborah Knight, and Sylvia Jeffreys.</p> <p dir="ltr">Langdon has proven that she is a worthy replacement after bringing in 1.1 million viewers in the final week of ratings season, which is 30,000 more than when Grimshaw was hosting.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Ally Langdon finally breaks silence on Tracy Grimshaw snub

<p>Ally Langdon has broken her silence on the apparent "snub" she copped from Tracy Grimshaw before she took over her hosting role on <em>A Current Affair</em>. </p> <p>Langdon, who previously hosted <em>Today</em> alongside Karl Stefanovic for three years, even <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/i-just-got-brushed-ally-langdon-responds-to-greatest-snub-in-australian-television" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poked fun</a> of the viral moment in November last year as rumours emerged of tensions between the two women. </p> <p>The video in question was filmed as Grimshaw walked through a guard of honour at the Channel 9 studio following her final show as the <em>ACA</em> host, where she appeared to reject Langdon’s embrace.</p> <p>Now, Langdon has opened up on the moment and the coverage surrounding the video, saying she was disheartened to see the media pitting women against one another. </p> <p>Appearing on <em>Stellar</em> magazine's <em>Something To Talk About</em> podcast, she said, “It’s a great narrative of women hating women, but I’m sorry … It’s not the truth.”</p> <p>“I’ve got to say, [subsequent reporting of the video] was hurtful in the sense that I’ve worked so hard and for something that’s so important to me – female relationships in this business – for that to be taken that way, I really didn’t like it.”</p> <p>At the time, Grimshaw defended not embracing Langdon by saying she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, and there was no ill intent. </p> <p>However, Langdon shared another reason why Grimshaw skipped her as she said her goodbyes.</p> <p>“Trace sent me a great message very early that morning – which is good of her, because I know she was singing karaoke at [her farewell party at Sydney bar] The Pickled Possum until about two in the morning. So well done her for being up at 6am,” Langdon began.</p> <p>“I think the problem was that she knew I was the new host – it hadn’t yet been announced – so she and I had been talking a lot. And I think in that moment, she’s overwhelmed because, if you know Trace, she hates a fuss."</p> <p>“So we’re all standing and cheering her, and it wasn’t her favourite place to be. And it was like, ‘Gee, hang on, if I give Ally a hug and that gets snapped, then [people might know she’s the new host].’”</p> <p>After Grimshaw's departure from <em>A Current Affair,</em> Langdon took over hosting duties in January 2023. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram / Twitter</em></p>

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"I just got brushed": Ally Langdon responds to greatest snub in Australian television

<p>An awkward exchange between Tracy Grimshaw and her rumoured A Current Affair replacement has been caught on camera and immediately went viral on social media.</p> <p>The media veteran bid an emotional farewell to ACA after 17 years of hosting. Of course, Channel 9 staff delivered a standing ovation after she signed off for the last time.</p> <p>However, the clip shows a very awkward exchange between Grimshaw and current Today co-host Allison Langdon.</p> <p>After hugging several other staffers, Grimshaw approaches Langdon, who has her arms outstretched ready for an embrace. Instead of acknowledging this, Grimshaw instead walks right past her, appearing to slightly shake her head before leaning in for a hug with a male colleague.</p> <p>The clip immediately attracted thousands of likes, comments and shares. “I’m actually second hand embarrassed for that lady,” one person wrote, while another added they “need to know the drama” behind the exchange.</p> <p>“In front of at LEAST 50 people as well,” another commented, while one TikTok user said it was proof “Allison is definitely taking her place!”</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@badassnewss/video/7169539767065955586" data-video-id="7169539767065955586"> <section><a title="@badassnewss" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@badassnewss?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@badassnewss</a> Tracy Grimshaw has signed off ACA for the last time and also regected a hug from Today Show host - Allison Langdon on the way out 😬 bit awks. <a title="tracygrimshaw" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tracygrimshaw?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#tracygrimshaw</a> <a title="acurrentaffair" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/acurrentaffair?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#acurrentaffair</a> <a title="goodonyatrace" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/goodonyatrace?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#goodonyatrace</a> <a title="congratulations🎉" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/congratulations%F0%9F%8E%89?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#congratulations🎉</a> <a title="♬ another love sped up - avery" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/another-love-sped-up-7043057957856398126?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ another love sped up - avery</a></section> </blockquote> <p>Langdon and Stefanovic weighed in on the “snub” on Today describing the situation as “brutal” but explaining that there was a “reason” behind the apparent brush off.</p> <p>The pair revealed they had “managed to secure some never-before-seen footage from another angle of the shock snub”, with the new clip showing the excruciating moment in even clearer detail.</p> <p>“That’s the moment my heart breaks,” Langdon said.</p> <p>“Look how red my face is. I just got brushed. I don’t think Tracy knows who I am.”</p> <p>Stefanovic joked Langdon “didn’t have much sleep last night”, with his co-host teasing that she was “devastated” after being “brushed” by her “hero”.</p> <p>They went on to share a statement from Grimshaw herself clearing up the incident, with her confirming it had been a big misunderstanding: “I’m sorry I missed you, was so overwhelmed and obviously didn’t see your petite head once Karl’s big boofhead loomed into vision. Argh, big sorry x’’ the statement said.</p> <p>Langdon said she had accepted the apology and the Today co-hosts joked about it being “one of the greatest snubs in Australian television”.</p> <p>“Anyway, apology accepted Trace. It was a very big night. It was a beautiful night to be part of. I have decided I still love her,” Langdon said.</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

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“I’ve got some good news for you”: Tracy Grimshaw's generous final gesture

<p dir="ltr">Tracy Grimshaw has <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/tracy-grimshaw-s-most-memorable-hosting-moments">ended her time on <em>A Current Affair</em></a> with her trademark generosity and gave a much-needed boost to a local community ravaged by recent floods.</p> <p dir="ltr">The TV host and journalist presented the town of Eugowra with a $50,000 donation from Coles, which will go to Givit’s Eugowra Flood Appeal and be used by the community to pay for fuel, groceries and hardware.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think I have got some good news for you.” Grimshaw told locals Amanda Mongan and Judd McKenna. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Aaron Ralph from Coles is standing off to the side there, Aaron would you like to come in (to the shot) because I think you’re about to make everyone’s day.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Coles regional manager proceeded to give the large cheque to Mongan and McKenna, to the cheers of locals standing behind them.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Here at Coles, we love to look after our communities that we serve and Eugowra is in the heartland of our region out here in the Central West," Ralph said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d857059f-7fff-cf3e-b8bc-27621bb68e60"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“We’ve come out last week and saw the devastation and it was really, really heartbreaking. We dropped off a delivery of essential goods and today we just wanted to go again and we want to kick off the Eugowra Flood Appeal with a massive $50,000 donation to the community.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/eugowra.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: A Current Affair</em></p> <p dir="ltr">After receiving the good news, McKenna grabbed Ralph for a heartfelt hug.</p> <p dir="ltr">When asked how they would use the money, McKenna said it would go back into the community.</p> <p dir="ltr">“These people that stand behind us here are the backbone of the community,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“If this can help them in any way possible, some goods, whatever (they) need to get back on their feet, this is what it’s going to be used for.</p> <p dir="ltr">“These people have lost everything - their houses, houses have floated away, they’ve got nothing. But look at this spirit behind us.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Earlier in the segment, McKenna and Mongan spoke about what it was like during the floods and how their homes and businesses have been affected.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mongan, who has lived in Eugowra her whole life, watched her hairdressing salon go under and waited for eight hours on the roof of her home with her family before being rescued</p> <p dir="ltr">“You’re not the only one who did that, are you?” Grimshaw asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh god no, we were one of the lucky ones, we were slightly safer than the other people in the full force of the carnage,” Mongan said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was just any general flood, we were downtown helping people pack up and next minute, a wall of water came.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’d moved our cars and ran back to the house for a few things, and tried to get our kids down the back lane to the evacuation centre at the school and we nearly got washed away, and luckily we have a big solid house that stopped the water a bit, so it rose slower.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And then we just realised, ‘Oh my god, it’s going to go over our heads, we need to get up on our roof’, and from up there we could see houses moving. It was just unimaginable, really can’t describe it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">McKenna, who owns two cafes in town, was swept away in the water while trying to get others to safety and his businesses were damaged.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair said donations were sorely needed to help the community recover and thanked those who had already given funds, time and help in other ways.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The kindness and generosity has been incredible," Mongan said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And we don't know how we will ever thank those kind people."</p> <p dir="ltr">The episode marked the end of Grimshaw’s 17-year tenure as the show’s host, after <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/tracy-grimshaw-s-huge-news">she made the shock announcement</a> that she would be stepping down from the show’s top spot in early September.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-041713fc-7fff-1564-75d0-03360b7d2bb4"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: A Current Affair</em></p>

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Tracy Grimshaw's most memorable hosting moments

<p>After 17 years in the A Current Affair hosting chair, Tracy Grimshaw has signed off for the final time. </p> <p>In an emotional farewell special, the veteran TV host looked back on some of her most memorable moments, and reflected on all the stories of determination she had helped to tell. </p> <p>Some of Grimshaw's most memorable exclusive stories dominated headlines across the country and touched the hearts of Australians, such as her interview with the Beaconsfield miners.</p> <p><strong>Brant Webb and Todd Russell</strong></p> <p>In 2006, Tracy spoke with the two men who survived the Beaconsfield mining accident, after the mine collapsed and trapped the men underground for 14 days. </p> <p>Grimshaw had been the A Current Affair host for just a few short months when the men agreed to sit down with her in an emotional interview that captivated the nation, as the men described how they spent days trying to claw a tunnel to freedom. </p> <p>The men, who had little in common when they became trapped, revealed to Grimshaw the moment they both penned letters to their loved ones, not knowing if they would get out alive.</p> <p><strong>Don Burke</strong></p> <p>In 2017, Don Burke sat down with Tracy following allegations of bullying, indecent assault and sexual harassment during his hit gardening show's 17-year run.</p> <p>The allegations against Burke included claims from more than 50 women who worked with the gardening guru.</p> <p>He denied many of the allegations and claimed his accusers were on "a witch hunt", but Grimshaw didn't back down and reiterated to him that "a lot of people are lying" if no one's claims were true.</p> <p><strong>Pauline Hanson</strong></p> <p>Following the 2019 strip club scandal involving former One Nation party member Steve Dickson, Pauline Hanson went into damage control and sat down with Tracy to set the story straight. </p> <p>Hanson also faced questions the origins of many of her party donations, after members had been linked to the US pro-gun lobby, National Rifle Association. </p> <p>During the interview, when Grimshaw asked her why she didn't give up on politics after all the backlash she'd faced over the years, Hanson broke down in tears.</p> <p><strong>Lindy Chamberlain</strong></p> <p>Following a groundbreaking ruling by a coroner in 2012 that Lindy Chamberlain's daughter Azaria had died after being taken from their tent by a dingo in the Northern Territory in 1980, the mother spoke to Grimshaw in an open and honest sit-down interview.</p> <p>Tracy and Lindy spoke about the person Azaria could have been if she hadn't been taken, causing Lindy break down in a rare display of emotion. </p> <p>She said, "There are things that hit you. You never forget."</p> <p><strong>Terri and Bindi Irwin</strong></p> <p>Just three months after the death of Steve Irwin, Tracy spoke with his wife and daughter, who was just eight-years-old at the time. </p> <p>The young wildlife warrior told the <em>A Current Affair host</em> she wanted to be just like her father and when interviewed by Grimshaw again in 2013 at the age of 14, she said while she wants to have her own identity she also wanted to "make sure that his (Steve's) legacy continues".</p> <p><strong>Scott Morrison</strong></p> <p>As the 2022 federal election was called, Tracy spoke with then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison and bluntly asked why he thought people deserved his vote after his chaotic years in power. </p> <p>"You don't hold a hose, you weren't in your tinnie plucking people off rooftops," she said.</p> <p>"You weren't doing 16-hour days in PPE on COVID wards, you didn't get enough vaccines soon enough."</p> <p>"You didn't get enough RATs so that we could finally have a holiday interstate for Christmas, and China is set up based in the Solomons."</p> <p>Whether interviewing a celebrity or a regular Australian, Grimshaw has proven time and time again that she can be trusted to tell stories that make a difference.</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair</em></p>

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Kyle “confirms” new host of A Current Affair

<p dir="ltr">Kyle Sandilands could not hold his tongue any longer and has revealed that Ally Langdon will be replacing Tracey Grimshaw as host of <em>A Current Affair</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The radio shock jock was speaking to Grimshaw on his show just two days before she leaves the show after 17 years as the face of the news program.</p> <p dir="ltr">He told Grimshaw that he had a conversation with <em>Today Show</em> co-host Karl Stefanovic who all but confirmed that Langdon will be replacing Grimshaw.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I feel like I know, because I've been speaking to [Karl] Stefanovic,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Well, let me just tell everyone it is Ally. I don't mean to bust Channel Nine's bubble.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sandilands claims that Stefanovic didn’t ask him to keep quiet about it and that he thought it was okay to share the news.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Maybe that was a personal chat? I don't know... But he didn't ask me not to say anything.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Grimshaw however remained coy about who will be replacing her in the top chair but said everything could be out as early as next week.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I can't possibly give you a hint, but you'll know very soon,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wouldn't be surprised if you know next week.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The news comes a week after Sandilands grilled Langdon about her new position about a noticeable disappearance from the breakfast show.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Are you doing A Current Affair or not?” Sandilands asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Well, I'm going to do the Today show, I'm going to do A Current Affair, I'm going to coach the Wallabies and I reckon Dan Andrews might offer me a ministry,” she responded.</p> <p dir="ltr">This did not stop Sandilands who told Langdon to answer the question.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Let's stop the speculation. Are you doing A Current Affair? Just tell us!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Langdon remained tightlipped and would not budge.</p> <p dir="ltr">Watch this space.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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What's next for Tracy Grimshaw

<p>As Tracy Grimshaw prepares to say her final farewells after 17 years in the <em>A Current Affair</em> hosting chair, many are left wondering what her next moves in the media industry will be. </p> <p>Speaking candidly to 2GB's Ray Hadley, the veteran journalist admitted she is looking forward to having some time off. </p> <p>The 62-year-old said that her focus after her last show will be to “clear” her mind and “learn to sleep again”.</p> <p>“I’m going to take a year off, because I feel like I need that I need a one year sabbatical where I just can clear my head and learn to sleep again, rest my stupid brain,” she said.</p> <p>“I’m not just going to sit on the verandah, I’m going to see my friends. I have prioritised the work for a lot of years. I’ve put the work before really, certainly, before me."</p> <p>"I’d like time to not let my friends down. I’d like to be able to go away for a weekend and not find out say on the Friday that I’m doing an interview next week so I feel I have to spend the weekend at home prepping for the interview."</p> <p>“I want to be able to be spontaneous and flexible about those things. I’m looking forward to that.”</p> <p>Despite looking forward to her well overdue downtime, Tracy hinted that she may be interested in returning to our screens eventually. </p> <p>“And then after that, I think probably I’ll be bored enough to want to come back, I reckon,” she revealed.</p> <p>In early September, Tracy Grimshaw <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/tracy-grimshaw-s-huge-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that she would be finishing up with <em>A Current Affair</em> by the end of the year, with no confirmed date of when her last show might be. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Retirement Life

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Tracy Grimshaw shares "brutal" sexist advice she received

<p>Tracy Grimshaw has shared the sexist advice she received when she began her first job in the media industry. </p> <p>The <em>A Current Affair</em> presenter spoke with talkback radio host Ray Hadley on Wednesday morning, and opened up about a "brutal" comment she received when she was just 21-years-old. </p> <p>Speaking about her first job as a journalist, she said, "Cameramen are quite brutal, quite blunt they certainly don't pull any punches."</p> <p>"This guy said to me, 'You should marry that rich boyfriend that you've got because you're not gonna have a long career because you certainly won't be here when you're 40'."</p> <p>The TV presenter revealed that the advice didn't put her off, since she had already decided her career in TV was unlikely to be long-term.</p> <p>"I'm 21 years old and I am thinking 'well 40 is pretty ancient, well I want to be out the door when I'm 40 I reckon'."</p> <p>"And then I kinda liked it."</p> <p>Grimshaw, who is now 62, stayed in the TV journalism industry and spent 41 years on camera, with the last 17 years spent in the hosting chair of <em>A Current Affair</em>. </p> <p>In September, she <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/tracy-grimshaw-s-huge-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> this would be her last year at <em>ACA</em>, saying she was "tired" from doing "shift work".</p> <p>Despite the sexism she encountered when first entering the industry, Grimshaw believed the media had "changed" during her time and questioned whether affirmative action was now needed to correct any gender imbalance.</p> <p>"We should get work on merit," she said.</p> <p>"We shouldn't get a job based on gender and we shouldn't lose a job based on gender either."</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair</em></p>

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A Current Affair reveal shortlist for host replacement

<p>Bosses at the Nine Network are just weeks away from announcing the new host of <em>A Current Affair</em>, with two powerhouse women battling it out for the top spot. </p> <p>After Tracy Grimshaw <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/tracy-grimshaw-s-huge-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made the announcement</a> in September that she would be leaving the show after 17 years in the hosting chair, a flood of predictions for her replacement rolled in online. </p> <p>Now, the Sunday Telegraph has reported that the network is trying to choose between <em>60 Minutes</em> reporter Sarah Abo and 2GB radio host and former <em>Today</em> host Deborah Knight for the coveted role. </p> <p>It had previously been reported that Georgie Gardner, Leila McKinnon, Carrie Bickmore, Sarah Harris, Stan Grant and Melissa Doyle were being considered to replace Grimshaw, with Allison Langdon also expressing interest in the role.</p> <p>Grimshaw, 62, shared the news of her departure in an emotional speech at the end of her show last month.</p> <p>“Normally right about now we’d be telling you what to expect tomorrow night but lately I’ve personally been thinking longer term, and I have some news that I wanted you to hear from me before you hear it from anyone else,” Grimshaw told viewers in early September.</p> <p>“I’ve decided to finish up with <em>A Current Affair</em> this year."</p> <p>I've basically been a shift worker for 26 years, driving to work before dawn for nine years on the <em>Today Show</em>, and the past 17 years driving home after dark here on <em>A Current Affair</em> and it's time for less of that daily obligation."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine</em></p>

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New front-runner to replace Tracy Grimshaw

<p dir="ltr">Carrie Bickmore is being eyed out by Channel Nine executives to replace Tracy Grimshaw as host of <em>A Current Affair</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The Project</em> co-host’s contract will reportedly end at the end of the year and rumours are swirling that she is set to take Grimshaw’s chair. </p> <p dir="ltr">If Bickmore succeeds in getting the new role, it is highly possible that production for the news program will move to Melbourne where she is based. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, Bickmore is not the only one who is in sight of producers for the popular TV program with the likes of <em>ACA</em> stand-in replacement Sylvia Jeffreys and weekend host Deborah Knight, along with <em>Today</em> co-hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon.</p> <p dir="ltr">OverSixty readers also chimed in on who they would like to see replace Grimshaw – as well as who they most definitely would <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/readers-respond-in-light-of-tracy-grimshaw-s-announcement-who-would-you-like-to-see-in-the-big-chair-at-a-current-affair" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NOT</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Grimshaw shocked viewers when she announced she is <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/tracy-grimshaw-s-huge-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepping down at the end of the year</a> and going on an extended break.</p> <p dir="ltr">After having been the face of the program for a whopping 17 years, the veteran reporter told the audience that she wanted them to hear from her first. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Normally right about now we'd be telling you what to expect tomorrow night but lately I've personally been thinking longer term, and I have some news that I wanted you to hear from me before you hear it from anyone else," she began.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I've decided to finish up with A Current Affair this year.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's been a big decision and before the gossip websites start telling you rubbish, I want you to know it's been my decision alone and I'm not being shoved out the door by the boys club because I'm too old.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm not too old, I'm just a bit tired. And for the record both the boys and the girls have asked me to stay.</p> <p dir="ltr">"But I've basically been a shift worker for 26 years, driving to work before dawn for nine years on the Today Show, and the past 17 years driving home after dark here on A Current Affair and it's time for less of that daily obligation."</p> <p dir="ltr">Grimshaw then thanked fans for sticking by her side for the long haul and that she will be around until November. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Thank you for your loyalty. I hope I've repaid it. I'm around until November then I'm going to take a long holiday, but it's business as usual until then. See you tomorrow night."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Readers Respond: In light of Tracy Grimshaw's announcement, who would you like to see in the big chair at A Current Affair?

<p dir="ltr">Earlier this week, Tracy Grimshaw announced she will <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/tracy-grimshaw-s-huge-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no longer be presenting A Current Affair</a> to enjoy a much needed break.</p> <p dir="ltr">Grimshaw has been the face of the show for a whopping 17 years and shocked audiences when she announced she is stepping down at the end of the year and going on an extended break.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now, whoever replaces her has BIG shoes to fill and we wanted to ask our readers who they would want to see in the ACA chair next.</p> <p dir="ltr">Check out some of your responses below. </p> <p dir="ltr">ShaRoss Coles - Melissa Doyle.</p> <p dir="ltr">Wendy Mulholland - Good luck Tracy, enjoy the next stage of your life. I think you did a great job. Definitely not Lisa Wilkinson as a replacement!</p> <p dir="ltr">Jo Soper - Debra Knight, Silvia Jeffries or Layla McKinnon. All these women would be great.</p> <p dir="ltr">Janet Payne - All the best Tracy!  Deb Knight would be great.</p> <p dir="ltr">John Wells - Don’t care as long as it’s not Lisa Wilkinson.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jenny Taylor - Debra Knight does a good job on the weekend ACA.</p> <p dir="ltr">Max Margie Mallard - DEB. KNIGHT. The only one.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bruce Croker - The wonderful GEORGIE [Gardner].</p> <p dir="ltr">Kim Anderson - Sylvia Jeffries!!</p> <p dir="ltr">John Smith - A male please. Love Tracy but time for a bloke.</p> <p dir="ltr">Share your suggestions <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oversixtys/posts/pfbid0z4Bkvdx2r37tSVe6SNzJgNt3h188S8kasAngXVDvAFBSLDZAEsJsEvS3arpF2m1El" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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"You have done it your way:" Karl's send-off for Tracy Grimshaw

<p dir="ltr">Karl Stefanovic has paid tribute to his colleague Tracy Grimshaw following her shock bombshell announcement of <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/tracy-grimshaw-s-huge-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retiring as host of <em>A Current Affair</em></a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Grimshaw has been the face of the show for a whopping 17 years and shocked audiences when she announced she is stepping down at the end of the year and going on an extended break.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stefanovic reminisced about his time with Grimshaw, who at one point was his co-host, and congratulated her on her work on the news program saying she “is the best” he’d seen.</p> <p dir="ltr">"There are few interviewers in this country that are as balanced, as incisive, as well briefed and as well loved," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You have made your mark, Tracy Grimshaw, and you have done it your way."</p> <p dir="ltr">He also revealed some of the advice he received from the veteran journalist, who told him that it was a tough industry to be a part of.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She told me to stop being needy and grow up, because the industry will not be easy if you are soft - and it wasn't," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Karl pointed out Tracy’s infamous eyebrow raise - which he said instilled fear in viewers as they watched the program.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tracy dropped the bombshell news on September 5, saying she wanted her viewers to hear it from her first.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Normally right about now we'd be telling you what to expect tomorrow night but lately I've personally been thinking longer term, and I have some news that I wanted you to hear from me before you hear it from anyone else," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I've decided to finish up with A Current Affair this year.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's been a big decision and before the gossip websites start telling you rubbish, I want you to know it's been my decision alone and I'm not being shoved out the door by the boys club because I'm too old.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm not too old, I'm just a bit tired. And for the record both the boys and the girls have asked me to stay.</p> <p dir="ltr">"But I've basically been a shift worker for 26 years, driving to work before dawn for nine years on the Today Show, and the past 17 years driving home after dark here on A Current Affair and it's time for less of that daily obligation."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Nine</em></p>

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Tracy Grimshaw's huge news

<p dir="ltr">Tracy Grimshaw has announced she will no longer be presenting <em>A Current Affair</em> from the end of this year, ending her 17-year stint as the show’s host.</p> <p dir="ltr">Grimshaw shared the emotional news at the end of Monday night’s show, telling viewers she wanted them to hear it first from her.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Normally right about now we'd be telling you what to expect tomorrow night but lately I've personally been thinking longer term, and I have some news that I wanted you to hear from me before you hear it from anyone else," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I've decided to finish up with <em>A Current Affair</em> this year.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's been a big decision and before the gossip websites start telling you rubbish, I want you to know it's been my decision alone and I'm not being shoved out the door by the boys club because I'm too old.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm not too old, I'm just a bit tired. And for the record both the boys and the girls have asked me to stay.</p> <p dir="ltr">"But I've basically been a shift worker for 26 years, driving to work before dawn for nine years on the Today Show, and the past 17 years driving home after dark here on <em>A Current Affair</em> and it's time for less of that daily obligation."</p> <p dir="ltr">The 62-year-old said it had been a privilege to host <em>A Current Affair</em>, thanking and paying tribute to the show’s loyal viewers.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I was just a kid in 1971 when Mike Willesee started it and in our family it was required viewing each night as Michael either forensically dismantled some politician or maybe laughed along with Hoges,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Back then, I was going to be a vet or a flight attendant so if you'd told me that one day I'd sit in this chair, let alone occupy it for 17 years, I'd have thought you were mad. Well lucky me.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You've let me indulge my love of interviewing here. I've talked to people who've made us all laugh and cry, who've shared their triumphs and their challenges and their wisdom and despair.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And because it's your show not mine and you get to vote each night with your remote control, you told us you wanted more of that. So thank you for that opportunity.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Thank you for your loyalty. I hope I've repaid it. I'm around until November then I'm going to take a long holiday, but it's business as usual until then. See you tomorrow night."</p> <p dir="ltr">Grimshaw, who started at Channel Nine as a reporter in 1981, will be taking an extended break after she steps down from <em>A Current Affair</em> but will be involved in future Nine projects.</p> <p dir="ltr">Darren Wick, the Director of News and Current Affairs at Nine, said the Walkley-award-winning journalist was “an inspiration” to everyone at the network.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She is the best interviewer on television and has been for many years. And she will forever take her place alongside the greatest interviewers that Australian journalism has ever seen,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Tracy is stepping away from <em>A Current Affair </em>at the peak of her powers. That generates mixed feelings of joy and sadness for those among us who have known her for many years.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Wick added that feelings of sadness came as Grimshaw was “irreplaceable” and “one of a kind”, but that there was joy due to her deciding to step away from the show “on her own terms on her own timetable”.</p> <p dir="ltr"> "She cares about her colleagues and she cares about her viewers,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We love her. We admire her. And we will miss her nightly on our screens."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f6f37bac-7fff-85ac-250e-31f09e186052"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

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Tracy Grimshaw wins social media on Russell Crowe's holiday snap

<p>Russell Crowe has shared a sweet holiday snap with his children from one of his most iconic movie locations. </p> <p>The Oscar-winning actor is currently in Italy with his girlfriend Britney Theriot and sons Charles, 18, and Tennyson, 16, on a holiday, where they posed for a family snap outside the Colosseum in Rome.</p> <p>Russell captioned the picture, "Taking the kids to see my old office."</p> <p>The 58-year-old former "office" refers to a set that saw Crowe pull off one of his best performances and nab an Oscar for Best Actor in 2001 for his role in <em>Gladiator</em>. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Taking the kids to see my old office <a href="https://t.co/uySmnOWHvo">pic.twitter.com/uySmnOWHvo</a></p> <p>— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) <a href="https://twitter.com/russellcrowe/status/1548941331267047429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><em>A Current Affair</em> host Tracy Grimshaw replied to Crowe's tweet, joking with a nod to Crowe's warrior character, "That's taking the selfie to the Maximus."</p> <p>It seems the masses agree, with almost 560,000 people liking the original tweet within less than 12 hours of posting – they certainly seem to have been entertained.</p> <p>Crowe also shared a snap from Rome's Trevi Fountain, writing, "One of my favourite places in the universe."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Twitter</em></p>

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Tracy Grimshaw's head-to-head clash with Scott Morrison

<p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison has copped a sledging from Tracy Grimshaw in a savage <em>A Current Affair</em> interview. </p> <p>In the fiery on-air conversation, the veteran host didn't hold back when she suggested the Prime Minister was not the superhero he suggested he was to voters, and asked him if he “slightly over-egged” his claim that he saved the country.</p> <p>“Prime Minister, you said at your launch on Sunday that you saved the country,’’ she said.</p> <p>“You don’t hold a hose, you weren’t in your tinnie plucking people off rooftops, you weren’t doing 16-hour days in PPE on COVID wards, you didn’t get enough vaccines soon enough, you didn’t get enough RATs so that we could finally have a holiday interstate for Christmas, and China is set up, based in the Solomons,” she said.</p> <p>“Do you think maybe you slightly over egged the part about saving the country?”</p> <p>In response, the Prime Minister responded to the hard-hitting question by saying, “Well, that’s quite a long list you’ve been able to pull together.”</p> <p>“But let me say this, we come out of this pandemic better than almost any other country in the world,’’ he said.</p> <p>“I acknowledge constantly the great resilience and strength of Australians and I backed them in together with Josh Frydenberg and my whole team and that’s how Australia survived, by backing in Australians, and our policies do that. Sure I have my critics, not everything that we did worked perfectly, but I can tell you, when you stack it up Tracy, what we were able to do in Australia compared to the countries around the world, our economic plan has worked.”</p> <p>Tracy then asked the PM about his popularity within the Australian public, especially his dwindling support from women in recent weeks. </p> <p>Grimshaw then asked the PM, “What would you have done differently if you had known that so many Australians were holding a grudge.”</p> <p>“I think I could have certainly been more sensitive at times, there is no doubt about that," he replied.</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair</em></p>

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Tracey Spicer's bedridden plea

<p dir="ltr">Media personality Tracey Spicer has shared an insight into life with long Covid, saying the condition has left her feeling like “a shadow of her former self”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Spicer, best known as a journalist, newsreader and #MeToo campaigner, caught COVID-19 while holidaying on the Gold Coast and was diagnosed in January.</p> <p dir="ltr">After being bedridden for two weeks as she recovered from symptoms including a severe cough, she told <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/long-covid-tracey-spicer-health-coronavirus-news-australia/0ba8cffa-7ed2-4f82-94dd-fab69b598b77" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine.com.au</a></em> that she’s still so sick that she struggles to work.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve felt like a shadow of my former self. I’ve been swimming through mud every day,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Even cooking a meal can be absolutely crushing. I can hardly walk around the block.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve had the debilitating exhaustion, and I also had a very worrying four weeks where I was in and out of hospital with chest pain, I thought I was having a heart attack.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Sydneysider is triple vaccinated and, having received differing advice on how to look after herself, has called on Australia to improve its response to long Covid and how it helps patients like her.</p> <p dir="ltr">One GP told Ms Spicer to push through her fatigue, which a long Covid expert at St Vincent’s Hospital later advised against.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He said, ‘I’ve had so many people like you come in - you must stop exercising altogether immediately’,” she recalled.</p> <p dir="ltr">Previously, Ms Spicer would exercise for two hours a day and had been training to undertake a 30-kilometre walk.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since battling it out with the virus, Ms Spicer has been diagnosed with mild pericarditis, a swelling of tissue around the heart, which has been <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/10/1997" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in patients who have recovered from COVID-19. </p> <p dir="ltr">Although new long Covid clinics have started in Sydney and other areas, Ms Spicer is calling on the government to accelerate their efforts to care for the tens or hundreds of thousands who may be affected by this condition.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Australia is so far behind the rest of the world in its understanding of it - America has labelled it as a disability,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We need a government-led public information campaign to inform health care workers and doctors as well as the public about the symptoms, and what they should be doing about it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Otherwise we're going to end up with this wave of disability like what they've seen in other countries, and the society and the workplace are just not ready for it."</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Spicer is one of a growing number of ‘long haulers’ sharing their experiences, including several people <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60708123" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who spoke to the BBC</a> after having long Covid for two years and Australian journalist Felicity Nelson, who <a href="https://medium.com/@frogsandstars/life-on-a-timer-35495b485ecb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> long Covid as living “life on a timer”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d355fe78-7fff-694b-dd98-7dac132cab63"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @traceyspicer (Instagram)</em></p>

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