Sam Mac is sitting at the back of a theatre at The Star Gold Coast in Queensland, as his fellow TV WEEK Gold Logie Award nominees bustle around him.
“Can I show you a video?” he asks, whipping his phone out to play a video of the moment his mum found out he had been nominated. “Mum, Dad and my sister have been my biggest supporters, so this nomination is for them to enjoy as well.”
Sam grew up in Adelaide, where he studied psychology, before dropping everything for what would become a successful media career.
After winning the SAFM Who Wants To Be A Co-Host On Air competition, Sam scored his own late-night radio show. He eventually made the move to Perth, where he stayed for three years before packing up once more to chase his TV dreams in Sydney in 2013.
“Perth was hard… I did three years of breakfast radio there and that’s another level because of the time difference and being so far away,” Sam, 38, says of leaving his loved ones behind. “But they get it. They know I’m doing it because it’s what I love and they support it.”
“Mum, Dad and my sister have been my biggest supporters!”
The Sunrise weather presenter is overwhelmed to be considered one of our most popular TV personalities.
“It was genuinely unexpected,” he admits. “I know a lot of people say that, but it was. It felt like This Is Your Life.
“I started to think about all the work that goes in, all the decisions you make in your career. I take it [the nomination] with absolute respect, and it’s exciting.”
Of course, an achievement of this scale doesn’t come without sacrifice. Sam, who’s been single for several years, says it’s only now he can reflect on his path, realising that while his star soars, his personal life is left behind.
“You miss a lot of things – birthdays, engagement parties, big moments in the lives of people you care about. I’m lucky to have people who understand that I’m following what I want to do and I’m passionate about it,” he explains.
Sam with his fellow Gold Logie nominees.
Indeed, while Sam may not have anyone to go home to at night just yet, he says the love and support of those around him make him feel complete.
However, he doesn’t see things being this way forever.
“I’d love to get married and have kids,” he says. “But I’ve never pushed that. Sadly, I’ve seen some friends marry early and get divorced, so maybe I’m a bit gun-shy. It’s also difficult with my hours; I’m not home very often. But I think if you meet the right person, you can make that work.”
Sam is grinning as he declares he’s happy being single. In fact, after he stripped off as part of last year’s The Real Full Monty to raise awareness of men’s mental health issues, he received more than 500 direct messages on social media commending his bravery.
“I’m lucky – there’s interest [in me], but some people make the mistake of thinking that if you’re single, it’s, ‘Oh, you poor thing.’ But single can be great fun. Let’s not have a go at single people!”
And what does his mum think?
“There was a bit of disappointment that [when he called to tell her of the nomination] I wasn’t calling to say I’m getting married and about to have a baby,” he says, laughing.
“Being a nominee for a Gold Logie was a nice third prize for Mum.”
