Sam Pang’s star turn as the first successful solo host of the Logies in more than a decade will see the comedian step up into a surprising new gig.
The Have You Been Paying Attention regular and Front Bar host, 51, is being given his very own late night talk show.
Channel Ten are gearing up to release a brand new ‘tonight show’, which Sam will host on Monday nights.
Daily Mail understands at least three networks pitched for the comic after he breathed life back into Australia’s Oscars with his ‘savage’ roasts for the second year in a row.
An inside source tells Daily Mail Australia that Sam has been tasked with ‘bringing his signature Pang humour,’ to a new weekly format, which is currently in pre-production in Melbourne.
‘After two years of bringing down the house hosting The Logies, Sam became hot property,’ they said, ‘with a few networks pitching “old school tonight show” formulas.’
Sam Pang ‘s star turn as the first successful solo host of the Logies in more than a decade will see the comedian step up into a surprising new gig in 2025 – primetime host.
TV insiders say the new program will position Sam Pang as an Australian Graham Norton
Ten won the bid, which is not surprising given his many years with the network.
‘Sam has a long history with Network Ten,’ the insider continued, ‘which has given him a lot of creative control.’
The vision, we are told, is for Sam to put his own spin on a starry Graham Norton-esque style panel show.
‘Australia will finally have a proper “tonight show”,’ our source adds. ‘It’s something that has really been missing in our free-to-air line up and Sam’s show will be quite different to The Cheap Seats.
‘It’s more Graham Norton for Australia than weekly news commentary.’
‘I hope he embraces some of the old school magic that made late night time television iconic back in the day.’
Typically, Australian television presenters sign exclusive contracts with a single network.
However, Sam has proved the exception to this rule by balancing roles on Ten’s hit comedy quiz show Have You Been Paying Attention? and Seven’s AFL-themed The Front Bar.
TV insiders say Sam Pang, 50, received multiple offers to create his own “tonight show” but chose to remain with Channel 10 because the network offered him ‘creative control’
Sam Pang’s ability to remain employed at both Channel 10 and Channel 7 has been a notable feature of his career
Sam’s ability to move between networks with minimal fuss has been a notable feature of the comic’s career.
He even made a cheeky reference to that achievement when opening the Channel Seven hosted 2023 Logies: ‘I would like to acknowledge a win for diversity tonight. I am the first host in the history of the Logies to be half and half – half Channel 7 and half Channel 10.
‘Let’s be honest, it’s just great to have an Asian on Channel 7 who isn’t trying to smuggle live birds through border security.’
Channel Ten will be banking on Sam calling upon his cross-industry contact book to rustle up celebrity guests for his show, both international and Australian.
‘We haven’t had a good late night talk show that could feature international guests when they come to Australia,’ a Ten insider tells Daily Mail.
The network is confident ‘Sam will easily facilitate that.’
Sam’s tonight show, which we don’t yet know the name of, will see him hire a team of comedic “sidekicks” to round out the line up appeal.
Casting is currently underway, with the network insider adding, ‘It will be interesting to see which industry mates he recruits. Sam is known for his relationships and I dare say he would have few mates begging to join him regularly.’
Fellow comic Ed Kavalee and fellow TV presenter Chrissie Swan are rumoured to have tossed their hats in the ring.
‘We still look forward to having Sam a part of The Front Bar next year,’ a spokesperson for the show told TVBlackbox, as fans questioned whether this new gig would mean Sam leaves one of his other roles.
‘But we have let him know that it would be great if he could take his Drip Tray segment with him.’
As for whether Seven will keep Sam on as host of the Logies in 2025 – given his new position as a primetime host on a rival network – remains unknown.
Sam’s hosting of the awards show over the past two years has been widely praised, with television ratings for the event climbing significantly under his stewardship.
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