A Logies win with an emotional meaning

For Ally Langdon, the 2026 TV WEEK Logies were a night of celebration — but behind her second consecutive Ray Martin Award for Most Popular News or Public Affairs Presenter was a deeply personal story she could not forget.

Speaking to News24.com.au on the red carpet, the A Current Affair host reflected on the interview that had stayed with her most strongly over the past year.

It was the story of Professor Richard Scolyer, the renowned Australian pathologist and melanoma researcher whose extraordinary battle with brain cancer captured the attention of Australians.

“The stories that I’ve done with Professor Richard Scolyer will forever stay with me,” Langdon said.

A professional interview became something much more personal

Langdon interviewed Scolyer, a father of three, several times throughout his illness, including an emotional conversation in July 2025 after his cancer returned.

What began as a journalist telling the story of a remarkable Australian gradually became something much more meaningful.

“Those interviews really turned into a really beautiful, special relationship with him and his family,” Langdon said.

Scolyer was diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma in 2023 and was initially given just six to eight months to live.

Instead, he continued fighting for almost two years while undergoing an experimental treatment that made him the subject of a world-first approach to treating aggressive brain cancer.

The scientist who refused to take the credit

Scolyer was already internationally respected for his work in melanoma research.

Together with Professor Georgina Long, his colleague and co-director at the Melanoma Institute Australia, he helped pioneer breakthroughs in melanoma treatment. The pair were jointly named Australians of the Year in 2024.

But what stayed with Langdon was not simply his scientific achievements.

It was the person behind them.

“He never took credit for anything he did,” she recalled.

Whenever people praised his work, Scolyer would instead emphasise the people around him.

“It’s a team effort — it’s not me, it’s the team,” Langdon recalled him saying.

For Langdon, that humility made his story even more powerful.

“I have cried many tears over Richard”

Scolyer passed away on June 7 following his lengthy battle with glioblastoma.

Reflecting on his passing, Langdon struggled to hide the emotion behind the words.

“He was an incredible man,” she said. “I have cried many tears over Richard.”

She described being able to tell his story as “an incredible privilege”, particularly because it allowed Australians to understand the contribution he had made through his work.

“He was a true hero,” Langdon said, adding that losing someone with “a beautiful human” spirit and an extraordinary mind was “really, really hard.”

His journey was also recognised at the Logies, with Langdon’s coverage of his story nominated for Best News Coverage or Public Affairs Report.

A second Logies win after 25 years at Nine

Langdon’s emotional reflection came during an otherwise triumphant evening.

She took home the Ray Martin Award for Most Popular News or Public Affairs Presenter for the second consecutive year, following her inaugural win in 2025.

After sharing a kiss with her husband, Michael Willesee Jr., Langdon took to the stage and turned the spotlight towards the people behind A Current Affair.

She revealed that August marked 25 years since she joined Channel Nine.

“This month I’ve been at Channel Nine for 25 years,” she said during her acceptance speech.

Rather than focusing solely on her own achievement, she dedicated the award to the ACA team, praising the colleagues who continue to care deeply about the program and its work.

A career built around telling other people’s stories

There was something particularly fitting about Langdon reflecting on Scolyer on a night when she was being recognised herself.

For 25 years, she has built her career by stepping into other people’s lives and telling stories that might otherwise never reach a national audience.

Some are difficult. Some are uplifting. And occasionally, as with Scolyer, a story crosses the invisible line between journalism and genuine human connection.

Her Logies victory celebrated the presenter Australians know.

But her words about Richard Scolyer revealed something quieter — the stories that stay with a journalist long after the cameras have stopped rolling.