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Noni Hazlehurst Stuns With Logies Speech

"Things are clearly changing, but they are changing glacially slowly."

Veteran actress and one of Australian television's living national treasures, Noni Hazlehurst, has used her Logies acceptance speech to hit out at the TV industry for lacking diversity.

The 62-year-old -- known for her roles in Playschool,The Sullivans and City Homicide -- on Sunday became just the second woman to be inducted into the Logie's hall of fame since Ruth Cracknell in 2001.

"I fear that our hearts are growing cold. The fact that I'm only the second women to be given this honour is merely a reflection of the prevailing zeitgeist," she said on Sunday.

Noni Hazlehurst has been praised for her straight-talking acceptance speech, after she was inducted into the hall of fame at 58th Annual Logie Awards on Sunday
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Noni Hazlehurst has been praised for her straight-talking acceptance speech, after she was inducted into the hall of fame at 58th Annual Logie Awards on Sunday

"As is the odious suggestion in some quarters that the eligibility of our esteemed colleagues, Waleed Aly and Lee Lin Chin, to be considered for the Gold is questionable.

"Things are clearly changing, but they are changing glacially slowly. The great thing about glaciers is that if you aren't on them you go under. I've been riding that glacier for 40 years."

"No child is born a bigot."

Aly, who hosts Channel 10's The Project, took home the Gold Logie and also won best presenter.

He opened his acceptance speech with a nod to negative press leading-up to Sunday's awards ceremony.

"Do not adjust your sets ... there's nothing wrong with the picture. I'm sure there's an Instagram filter you can use to return things to normal," he said

"This is happening, it's true. Finally a male presenter on commercial TV has won the Gold Logie."

Hazlehurst, who spent 24 years of her 43-year career on the ABC's Playschool, criticised the effect of the 24-hour news cycle on mental health, and reflected on how her time on Playschool changed her outlook.

"I started to see the world through preschoolers' eyes, to see how free and unafraid they are, to just be. They haven't yet been conditioned," she said.

"But also how easily frightened and overwhelmed they are, how easily abused, and particularly how empathetic they are. No child is born a bigot."

She said she suspected almost none of the audience was immune from growing incidence of depression, anxiety and suicide, adding that media viewers were surrounded by bad news.

"So here is my pitch: I'd love a channel that features nothing but stories that inspire us and reassure us and our children that there are good things happening and good people in the world," she said.

"And by the way, I'm available."

Her speech caused a bit of a stir online.

You are right Noni we don't have the time to do all the things we want to do with our kids. Thanks for shaping my childhood. #HallofFame

— Carrie Bickmore (@BickmoreCarrie) May 8, 2016

Completely stunning speech from Noni Hazelhurst as she is awarded the much-deserved #Logies Hall of Fame award. @Channel9@TVWEEKmag

— Lisa Wilkinson (@Lisa_Wilkinson) May 8, 2016

Such a good idea Noni Hazlehurst, a channel dedicated to positive and inspirational stories to balance out the negativity...

— Simon Brown (@sime_b) May 8, 2016

You mean Noni Hazlehurst wasn't in the Hall of Fame already? What?

— Aya Reina (@AyaReina) May 8, 2016

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