Costa Georgiadis, the ever-affable host of ABC’s 30-year-old lifestyle show Gardening Australia, finds himself one of seven nominees ensnared in the fiercest Gold Logie races in years. That’s in large part to comedian Tom Gleeson’s tongue-in-cheek negative campaign to swing the vote his way, which – ahead of Sunday’s Logies 2019 ceremony (7 pm, Nine), the king of the compost heap tells The New Daily he digs.

How are you feeling ahead of the big night?

I’m excited because it’s a big chance for us to get to an audience that might not necessarily cross orbits with us as much as we’d love them to. Not just with gardening, but just everything we do in terms of sustainability and environmentalism. It’s a big deal.

 What are your expectations?

Just to celebrate all of the programs. It’s not just about the person standing through the sunroof and waving to the people. It’s about the industry. Television is undergoing so much panel beating and remodelling that there is a generation out there that don’t recognise TV the same way generations gone by do.

How do you rate your chances? Have you written a speech?

No, I haven’t written a speech. I’ve thought about some aspects of it in my head just because it’s important that I get to throw the blanket over everyone involved.

What’s your take on the cynical campaigning?

I think you can’t underestimate how the tongue-in-cheek campaigning is having a huge impact on the reach and the publicity. At a time when people are more and more in canisters, this is rattling the cages a little bit and people hear every rattle. It means that people are having the Logies come across their news feeds and whether you like what Tom Gleeson’s approach has been or not, he is putting the Logies back in people’s windscreen, and that’s what we want.

And maybe you can pull a Steven Bradbury and just sail over the finish line …

I’m happy for Tom and Amanda Keller to fight it out. They can argue over the merits of Tom’s approach and whether or not it’s in the spirit of the Logies, but if its hooking people into the discussion, then that’s a good thing.

So, what are your predictions?

Look, there’s a very positive narrative around Amanda and the work that she does across radio and television. She’s got a big reach, and her history makes her a sentimental favourite. And then there are examples of recent elections where sometimes the spoiler has a certain power, so you just never know. But listen, there’s always room for Bradbury to carry the community flag over the line.

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LOGIES 2019 FORM GUIDE

GOLD LOGIE FOR MOST POPULAR PERSONALITY

Amanda Keller (The Living Room / Dancing With The Stars)

Costa Georgiadis (Gardening Australia)

Eve Morey (Neighbours)

Rodger Corser (Doctor Doctor)

Sam Mac (Sunrise)

Tom Gleeson (Hard Quiz)

Waleed Aly (The Project)

Who should win: Amanda Keller. Sportsbet is backing Gleeson, but another year of Keller boxed out for the sake of a punchline could be a bummer.

MOST POPULAR ACTRESS

Asher Keddie (The Cry)

Celia Pacquola (Rosehaven)

Deborah Mailman (Bite Club/Mystery Road)

Eve Morey (Neighbours)

Jenna Coleman (The Cry)

Marta Dusseldorp (A Place to Call Home/Jack Irish)

Who should win: Jenna Coleman. Her harrowing and gruelling performance was exhausting to even watch.

Jenna Coleman as a mother whose baby vanishes in The Cry. Photo: Getty

MOST POPULAR PRESENTER

Amanda Keller (The Living Room / Dancing With The Stars)

Carrie Bickmore (The Project)

Costa Georgiadis (Gardening Australia)

Julia Morris (Blind Date /I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! / Chris & Julia’s Sunday Night Takeaway)

Tom Gleeson (Hard Quiz)

Waleed Aly (The Project)

Who should win: Tom Gleeson. For his wit and as a backslap for getting us to care about the Logies again. Well-played.

GRAHAM KENNEDY AWARD FOR MOST POPULAR NEW TALENT

Bonnie Anderson (Neighbours)

Courtney Miller (Home And Away)

Dylan Alcott (Invictus Games Tonight/The Set)

Eddie Woo (Teenage Boss)

Joe Jonas (The Voice Australia)

Tasia Zalar (Mystery Road)

Who should win: Dylan Alcott. The international sportsman is now killing it in a new arena.

MOST POPULAR DRAMA PROGRAM

Doctor, Doctor

Home And Away

Mystery Road

Neighbours

The Cry

Wentworth

Who should win? The Cry. Great performances and deeply addictive. Still getting over it.

MOST POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM

Anh’s Brush With Fame

Dancing With The Stars

Gogglebox Australia

Gruen

Hard Quiz

The Voice Australia

Who should win: Gogglebox Australia. The silly seeming concept makes for surprisingly compelling viewing.

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MOST POPULAR COMEDY PROGRAM

Have You Been Paying Attention?

Hughesy, We Have A Problem

Rosehaven

Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures

Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell

True Story With Hamish & Andy

Who should win: Have You Been Paying Attention? Consistently entertaining and a stellar showcase for the nation’s deep comedy bench.

MOST POPULAR REALITY PROGRAM

Australian Survivor

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

Married At First Sight

MasterChef Australia

My Kitchen Rules

The Block

Who should win: Though hesitant to encourage, it’s hard to argue with the ratings of MAFS.

MOST POPULAR LIFESTYLE PROGRAM

Back In Time For Dinner

Better Homes And Gardens

Gardening Australia

Selling Houses Australia

The Living Room

Travel Guides

Who should win: The Living Room. Likeable, non-taxing variety programming at its best.

MOST OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

Doctor Doctor (Nine Network)

Mystery Road (ABC)

Neighbours (10)

Secret City: Under The Eagle (Foxtel)

Wentworth (Foxtel)

Who should win: Hard to go past the inmates at Wentworth.

Susie Porter as inmate Marie Winter in Wentworth. Photo: Getty

MOST OUTSTANDING ACTOR

Aaron Pedersen (Mystery Road, ABC)

Bryan Brown (Bloom, Stan)

Jay Ryan (Fighting Season, Foxtel)

Robbie Magasiva (Wentworth, Foxtel)

Scott Ryan (Mr Inbetween, Foxtel)

Who should win: Scott Ryan. His hitman character is at once charming and terrifying in the series he also wrote.

MOST OUTSTANDING ACTRESS

Danielle Cormack (Secret City: Under The Eagle, Foxtel)

Jenna Coleman (The Cry, ABC)

Judy Davis (Mystery Road, ABC)

Leah Purcell (Wentworth, Foxtel)

Nicole Chamoun (On The Ropes, SBS)

Who should win: Judy Davis. In her first role as a cop, the multi-award winning veteran has serious swagger in the outback noir series.

MOST OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR

Bernard Curry (Wentworth, Foxtel)

Ewen Leslie (Fighting Season, Foxtel)

Frankie J Holden (A Place To Call Home, Foxtel)

Ian Meadows (Dead Lucky, SBS)

Wayne Blair (Mystery Road, ABC)

Who should win? Bernard Curry. His complex corrections officer character continues to surprise.

MOST OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Asher Keddie (The Cry, ABC)

Celia Ireland (Wentworth, Foxtel)

Jacki Weaver (Bloom, Stan)

Keisha Castle-Hughes (On The Ropes, SBS)

Susie Porter (The Second, Stan)

Who should win: Jacki Weaver. The star pulled off a powerhouse performance as an Alzheimer’s-afflicted former TV star.