Molly Meldrum’s lewd performance at Elton John’s farewell concert in Melbourne on Friday was the last straw for his former protégé Samuel Johnson, who has vowed never to speak to the TV legend again after his last sensational performance.
The former Countdown presenter, 79, took to the stage with longtime friend Elton for a performance of The B***h Is Back, where he bared his buttocks to the crowd.
He later blamed a faulty belt buckle for his behavior.
Johnson, who acknowledges his long friendship with Meldrum, said Tuesday the dark incident was the final straw after years of keeping his mouth shut, adding that he was “sick” of the music critic’s increasingly erratic behavior.
Molly Meldrum’s (pictured) lewd performance at Elton John’s farewell concert in Melbourne on Friday was the last straw for his former protégé Samuel Johnson, who has vowed never to speak to the TV legend again after his last sensational performance
He told Morning Show hosts Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur: “He got me out of a legal pickle, I’ve known him for 20 years. He visited my sister in the hospital when she was diagnosed with cancer in the 1980s at the age of 11.
“I’m really grateful for everything Molly has done in our lives.”
He then referenced Meldrum’s infamous speech at the Logie Awards in 2017, when Meldrum stole his limelight by standing on stage and accepting the Gold Logie for his performance in the Channel Seven miniseries Molly.
Johnson (right), while acknowledging his long friendship with Meldrum, said on Tuesday’s Morning Show the grim incident was the final straw after years of keeping his mouth shut
“When I won the Gold Logie I was about to have my million dollar moment and I told him not to come on stage. He wasn’t nominated, it was my moment,” Johnson said.
He wanted to take the moment to promote his charity Love Your Sister and thank his sister Connie, who was battling cancer at the time and died months later.
Johnson hoped the moment would be similar to Carrie Bickmore’s Gold Logie speech two years earlier when she launched her charity, Beanies 4 Brain Cancer.
The former Countdown presenter, 79, took to the stage with longtime friend Elton for a performance of The B***h Is Back, where he bared his buttocks to the crowd. He later blamed a faulty belt buckle for his behavior — an excuse Johnson didn’t buy
The legendary Australian music critic watched his old friend Sir Elton in the crowd at AAMI Park for his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour before being taken on stage
‘I wanted to do [my speech] about cancer and he wanted to do everything through the network … It was an absolute disaster,” said the actor.
‘He crooned very drunk for a whole eight minutes! Now I saw him again at the Elton John concert.’
Johnson then expressed his concern for the music legend.
“Maybe it’s time to hang up your hat, mate,” he said. ‘I hope he’s fine.’
Johnson said he never forgave Meldrum for staging him at the 2017 Logie Awards (pictured), where he was hoping to use his time on stage to promote his charity Love Your Sister. Instead, a rambling and incoherent meldrum spun on itself
Johnson went on to say that he didn’t take Meldrum’s apology to infatuate the crowd at the Elton John concert, noting that if he had had a belt malfunction “we would have seen his underwear, not his butt.”
“For years I haven’t said anything because I don’t want to say anything,” he added.
“Who are his minders? is he ok He’s not allowed to go out in the afternoon, he’s already drunk.”
Johnson went on to hint that Meldrum has a problem with alcohol, claiming he has “two shots of vodka in his coffee in the mornings.”
Johnson played Meldrum in the Channel Seven miniseries Molly, for which he won the Gold Logie (pictured on the show). Unfortunately, his victory was undermined when Meldrum stormed onto the stage during his acceptance speech
‘If I want to make any sense of him. I have to see him at noon. Stop Molly!’ he exclaimed.
Gillies then suggested that Johnson might be able to call Meldrum and have a chat about his behavior, but Johnson said he hasn’t spoken to him since the Logies debacle six years ago.
‘I’ll never speak to him again. It cost my charity a million dollars that night,” he said.
Morning Show host Kylie Gillies suggested Johnson might be able to call Meldrum and have a chat about his behavior, but Johnson said he hasn’t spoken to him since the Logies debacle six years ago
“Can someone take care of him? can someone take care of him Can someone, I’m really worried about him. I’m not mad at him. I’m just really worried,” he added.
Johnson first spoke about Meldrum’s disturbing behavior during an interview with Sofie Formica on Monday on 4BC’s Afternoons.
“He needs to hang up his hat. Now,” he said bluntly.
Samuel founded the Love Your Sister charity in 2012 with his late sister Connie (right), who died of breast cancer in 2017
“A few years ago I won a Gold Logie for playing Molly Meldrum. And we didn’t get along at that point because for six months he was telling me who to thank [in my acceptance speech]’ Johnson recalled.
“He wasn’t even nominated for the Gold Logie and he wanted me to do everything about the network and thank the producers and I wanted to do everything about cancer. And we didn’t agree on that.’
Johnson said the couple “didn’t speak to each other all night” about the logies.
“He wasn’t even nominated for the Gold Logie and he wanted me to do everything about the network and thank the producers and I wanted to do everything about cancer. And we didn’t agree on that,” Johnson told 4BC’s Afternoons with Sofie Formica on Monday
Halfway through Johnson’s emotional acceptance speech, Meldrum shuffled onto the stage, picked up the mic, and began ranting about himself.
“He took my moment and recently he took Elton John’s moment too. And I’m sick of him doing that. I’m sick. Hang up your hat, mate,” Johnson said to Formica.
He made similar comments to WSFM’s Jonesy & Amanda on Tuesday morning.
‘Can I be honest?’ he said while taking a deep breath. “There’s a lot I haven’t said and I’m really trying to be diplomatic.”
He made similar comments about WSFM’s Jonesy & Amanda on Tuesday morning, admitting he was “trying to be diplomatic” in relation to Meldrum, although he was angry
“I’ve seen the same type of things happen over and over, including – when I told him not to – he came on stage during my Gold Logie win and ruined my Carrie’s Beanie moment, in which I wanted to try and raise a lot of money for cancer research,” he added.
‘[He came] drunk as a skunk and babbles for eight minutes to end the logies tonight.’
Then he asked: “Who is taking care of him? He’s not allowed to be in public during the PM, not with the way he’s drinking.’
Johnson asked: “Who’s taking care of him? He’s not allowed to be in public during the PM, not with the way he’s drinking.