Todd Woodbridge still remembers the moment he first touched gold.
It was the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and, alongside doubles partner Mark Woodforde, he had just played the match of his life. The duo affectionately known as ‘the Woodies’ defeated Great Britain to claim gold for Australia in the men’s doubles final. The pair dominated men’s doubles, winning 11 Grand Slam titles together.
Thirty years on from Atlanta, The Tipping Point host is edging close to victory of a different kind; the tennis champion-turned-presenter has just been nominated for his first ever TV WEEK Gold Logie Award.
He joins a plethora of talent including Robert Irwin, Sam Pang, Julia Morris, Lisa Millar, Poh Ling Yeow and Ally Langdon, who are also nominated for the prestigious award.
As we sit down to reflect on the moment, Todd, 55, admits he can’t quite believe it.
“It’s a surreal feeling,” he says with a smile.
“It’s odd because if you look at the results [of Tipping Point] you might say I’m deserving – but then this is not my world, even though it is! I consider myself a sportsman still in some ways so I feel: ‘What am I doing in this space?’”
From tennis champion to Tipping Point
In some ways, he’s right. Australians will forever see him as one half of the Woodies. He had his first tennis lesson when he was four years old and he’s been synonymous with the game ever since.
But, after numerous commentary positions and a stint on Postcards in 2022, Todd was unexpectedly offered the role of host on the game show Tipping Point – a direction he had never imagined for himself.
Embracing the opportunity in 2023 proved transformative. Almost overnight, Todd found new possibilities unfolding before him. To people watching at home, he became even more than an iconic sportsman; he was now also a TV star.
“It’s something I never dreamed of and I do wonder how it happened,” he says. “But, when I look back and look inwards, I think I set these goals and believed I could do it, as an athlete to a sports commentator and presenter.”
Some were sceptical of his ability as a game-show host in the beginning, Todd says. “But I like to remind people that I’ve been in the TV space for 20 years. I retired [from professional tennis] when I was 34 and was on TV by the age of 35. The first time I appeared on TV was for Simon Townsend’s Wonder World!
“It goes a long way back and a lot of stuff has been happening since, so getting the fruits of that labour now is incredible.”
Todd was first nominated for a Silver Logie in 2025 for Most Popular Presenter – and he won! Winning on his maiden nomination proved the strong connection he has with fans.
“When I signed up, I didn’t realise how much hard work it is to produce a game show,” he says. “But I don’t feel stressed by my job. I’ve had stressful jobs before, even as an athlete, but what I’m doing now gives me the opportunity to have fun. I guess that’s also a factor of my age and where I am in my life.”
A promise amidst heartbreak
That perspective has been shaped, not only by success, but also by profound grief. Todd faced unimaginable hardship when both his brothers died in quick succession. His eldest brother, Greg, passed away in 2017 from the health complications of a long heroin addiction.
The following year, Todd’s middle brother Warren died from bone cancer and lung fibrosis. Their mother, Barbara, who inspired Todd’s love of tennis, passed away in 2023 and his father, Kevin, had died years earlier.
“I think what happened, for me, was that all of a sudden, you’re not the child anymore. You sort of become the carer,” Todd says of his experience of hardship.
“I probably missed the transition of that middle bit and became the statesman of the family – and that happened really fast. You take more of a leadership role in your space, which I didn’t expect to happen how it did. But, in some ways, I was prepared for that.”
As for how his parents would react to the news of his Gold Logie nomination, Todd takes a small pause.
“They would be beaming,” he says proudly. “If they were with us now, my parents would be down at the Bowling Club, just sitting there, holding court.
“I also don’t think they’d believe what has happened in the last few years. Tipping Point and moving into the entertainment space was just starting to come together when Mum passed three and a bit years ago, so they’d think this is unbelievable. They would be very proud.”
Those life experiences have also struck a chord with viewers, who have obviously connected with Todd’s honesty.
“I sort of came to the conclusion with my parents, at a point with my brother’s drug addiction, that they lived in an area where you didn’t talk about things and you’d sweep things under the rug. And that held so much pent-up emotion,” he says.
“Eventually, my mum decided that it doesn’t matter anymore and we had to be those people [that talk about it], but it took time for that. It even took time for my brother to have that.
“So that’s sort of my philosophy now. I don’t mind people knowing your strengths and your weaknesses because it makes you real to them – and more likeable because of it.”
A golden run to the Logies
On the street, Todd is now more often approached about Tipping Point than tennis. He believes the public have seen more of his personality now than ever before.
“I was a very straight-minded athlete and, actually, that probably inhibited my career because I put too much pressure on myself,” he says. “I don’t feel that now. It’s nice for people to enjoy what you do but I’m not taking myself too seriously. I like getting to know the contestants and them getting to know me.”
As for his own family, which includes daughter Zara and son Beau, alongside Natasha, his wife of 31 years, the host says they, like him, are overwhelmed by this Logie honour. Unlike in 2025 when his family was in the UK at the time of the awards ceremony, Todd says he won’t be flying solo to the event this year. “I should have a date!” he smiles.
As a Gold Logie nominee and potential winner, Todd joins a select group of TV legends such as Bert Newton and Graham Kennedy. And it’s an honour he doesn’t take lightly.
“I’m of an age that, when I was growing up, television was golden,” he says. “It was the only source of entertainment. So, to be in their field is similar to how I feel about being a tennis player alongside the likes of Rod Laver and John Newcombe. I’m in their house and you have to respect that.”
But, on the 30th anniversary of that Atlanta Olympic Games triumph, part of him says he’d be lying if he hadn’t thought about what another gold trophy could look like.
“One of the things that keeps coming into my mind is that it’d be amazingly cool to have a Gold Logie and an Olympic gold medal,” he says with a laugh.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who has won both? So, if by any circumstance it did happen, that would be a great picture!”
The 66th TV WEEK Logie Awards will air August 16 on Channel Seven and 7Plus, best enjoyed on a TCL TV.
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