Ally Langdon’s second consecutive Logies victory came with a deeply personal reflection on the late Professor Richard Scolyer. She revealed how their interviews grew into a “beautiful, special relationship” — and why his story will “forever stay” with her.
Ally Langdon Reveals the Heartbreaking Interview That Will ‘Forever Stay’ With Her After Logies Win
Ally Langdon’s latest Logies victory marked another major milestone in her television career, but one deeply personal memory remained at the centre of her reflections on the night.
The A Current Affair host paid an emotional tribute to the late Professor Richard Scolyer, revealing that their interviews — and the special bond she formed with him and his family — had affected her more than any other story she covered over the past year.
“I have cried many tears over Richard”
Speaking on the red carpet at the 2026 TV Week Logie Awards on Sunday, August 16, Langdon said her conversations with the world-renowned pathologist would remain with her for the rest of her life.
“The stories that I’ve done with Professor Richard Scolyer will forever stay with me,” the 47-year-old presenter said.
“Obviously we lost him to brain cancer a few months ago… But those interviews really turned into a really beautiful, special relationship with him and his family.”
Scolyer died on June 7 following a lengthy battle with grade 4 glioblastoma. He was 59 and a father of three.
Langdon interviewed him several times throughout his cancer journey, including during an emotional conversation in July 2025 about the return of the disease.
Her coverage of his story was also nominated for Best News Coverage or Public Affairs Report at this year’s Logies.
Reflecting on the impact he had made, Langdon described Scolyer as an extraordinary but deeply humble man.
“What he did to help cure melanoma… He was an incredible man — I have cried many tears over Richard,” she said.
“For me, it was an incredible privilege to have been able to tell his story, and for all of Australia to know what an incredible contribution this wonderful, humble man has made.”
A “true hero” who always credited his team
After receiving his terminal brain cancer diagnosis in 2023, Scolyer became “patient zero” for a world-first combination of immunotherapy treatments administered before and after surgery.
The experimental approach was developed with his colleague Professor Georgina Long and built on breakthroughs from their melanoma research.
Although he was initially given between six and eight months to live, Scolyer survived for almost two years while undergoing the treatment. He continued sharing his experience publicly in the hope that it could help researchers improve outcomes for other brain cancer patients.
Scolyer and Long, co-directors of Melanoma Institute Australia, were jointly named Australians of the Year in 2024 for their pioneering work in melanoma treatment.
Langdon said Scolyer never sought personal recognition and consistently highlighted the people working alongside him.
“He never took credit for anything he did,” she recalled.
“Every time anybody tried to tell him, ‘Richard, look what you’re doing’, he always said: ‘It’s a team effort — it’s not me, it’s the team’.”
“And when you have a beautiful human and great mind like that go too soon, it’s really, really hard.”
A second consecutive Logies victory
Langdon’s emotional reflection came as she collected the 2026 Ray Martin Award for Most Popular News or Public Affairs Presenter.
It was her second consecutive victory in the category after she became the award’s inaugural recipient in 2025.
After kissing her husband Michael Willesee Jr and walking to the stage, Langdon thanked her A Current Affair colleagues and reflected on another significant milestone: 25 years at Channel Nine.
“I’d love to say I’ll be there for another 25, I’m not sure the audience would have me for that long,” she joked.
“But I will say that I love coming into work each day and doing a job that I still genuinely love and doing it with people who are extraordinary and really, really care.”
Closing her speech, Langdon dedicated the award to everyone she had worked with over the years, particularly her A Current Affair team.
“So to everyone I’ve worked with across the years and especially to my ACA team — this one’s for us,” she said.