Beloved comedian Magda Szubanski has been inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame, after 40 years in the industry and months after she revealed her diagnosis of stage 4 blood cancer.
Szubanski, 64, became the fifth woman to be awarded Australia’s top TV honour on Sunday night, saying she was “overwhelmed” with love and support.
The Kath and Kim star spoke on what the recognition means to her in a video message played to attendees at the Logies award ceremony.
“I do have a good excuse this time (for not coming to the Logies), normally I don’t come because I can’t be bothered getting out of my pyjamas. This time there really is a reason,” said Szubanski, who has won seven Logies over the course of her career and twice been named the Most Popular Person on Television, in 2003 and 2004.
“I want to say first of all, let’s get this out of the way, I have not been awarded this honour because I have the cancer, like I am getting this because of 40 years of hard work.”
“The love and support that I have felt, like a tsunami, from the Australian public, it has been overwhelming and I have to tell you, it really helps.”
Shedding tears, Szubanski thanked those around her for their support, saying she hadn’t expected to cry.
“When I go online and look at those messages, every time, my heart lifts. And I feel that much stronger to deal with the cancer,” she said, adding, “So thank you for the love that you are pouring my way, I really feel it.”
Other female Hall of Fame inductees include Rebecca Gibney, Mother and Son’s Ruth Cracknell, Playschool’s Noni Hazlehurst and presenter Kerri-Anne Kennerley.
The Hall of Fame inductee for the Logie Awards is chosen based on the person’s contribution to the enrichment of Australian television culture, their key achievements, past awards and recognition as well as continued longevity and relevance.
Szubanski got her start in sketch comedy with boundary-pushing shows like The D-Generation, Fast Forward, Full Frontal and Big Girl’s Blouse. However, it was her role as Sharon Strzelecki in Australia’s iconic show Kath and Kim, from 2002 to 2007, that really cemented her into comedy TV history.
On the big screen, Szubanski was in 1995’s Babe, which had Oscar success, followed by Happy Feet (2006) and Happy Feet Two (2011).
She’s written an award-winning memoir, Reckoning, as well, which detailed her thoughts on the story of her father’s life as a Polish assassin.
In May this year, Szubanski revealed she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer known as mantle cell lymphoma.
Szubanski has also been an influential advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, with her work during the Marriage Equality campaign seeing her appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2018.