Tracy Grimshaw opens up on A Current Affair retirement decision

As loyal A Current Affair (ACA) viewers come to terms with Tracy Grimshaw’s time on the current affairs show nearing its end, the veteran journalist has spoken publicly about her decision to step down for the first time since the shock announcement.

Grimshaw, 62, no doubt surprised fans with the announcement that after an impressive 17 years behind the desk she would be stepping down while explaining that she wasn’t “being shoved out the door by the boys club” because she was “too old”.

“Normally right about now we’d be telling you what to expect tomorrow night but lately I’ve personally been thinking longer term, and I have some news that I wanted you to hear from me before you hear it from anyone else,” she told viewers.

“I’ve decided to finish up with A Current Affair this year.

“It’s been a big decision and before the gossip websites start telling you rubbish, I want you to know it’s been my decision alone and I’m not being shoved out the door by the boys club because I’m too old.

“I’m not too old, I’m just a bit tired. And for the record both the boys and the girls have asked me to stay.

“But I’ve basically been a shift worker for 26 years, driving to work before dawn for 9 years on the Today Show, and the past 17 years driving home after dark here on A Current Affair and it’s time for less of that daily obligation.

“It’s been my privilege to host this show.

“You’ve let me indulge my love of interviewing here. I’ve talked to people who’ve made us all laugh and cry, who’ve shared their triumphs and their challenges and their wisdom and despair.

“And because it’s your show not mine and you get to vote each night with your remote control, you told us you wanted more of that. So thank you for that opportunity.

“Thank you for your loyalty. I hope I’ve repaid it. I’m around until November then I’m going to take a long holiday, but it’s business as usual until then. See you tomorrow night.”

After 17 years in the hosting chair, our very own @tracygrimshaw has announced she will be stepping down from presenting A Current Affair at the end of the year.

Thank you, Tracy ❤️ #9ACA pic.twitter.com/kCYj9hRbHJ

— A Current Affair (@ACurrentAffair9) September 5, 2022

As Grimshaw prepares to step down from hosting duties on ACA after a long and successful career, the current affairs stalwart has spoken further about what spurred her decision to step away during a recent interview with Ray Hadley for 2GB.

Like so many across the world, Grimshaw revealed that the global pandemic had taken its toll and that as she worked tirelessly to stay ahead of the avalanche of updates that she “forgot how to sleep”.

“I kind of knew at the end of last year that I was pretty much fried and I took three months off and I came back after three months feeling like it was three weeks and I thought ‘I’m a bit cooked’,” she said.

Grimshaw also revealed that she was adamant she wanted the viewers “to know before anybody else” regarding her retirement and that she wanted them to hear it from her instead of “a newspaper or gossip columnist who was putting a spin on it”, hence why she “kept it such a secret”.

“And if you want to keep a secret, you tell nobody,” she said.

No date has been set for Grimshaw’s last show, however, when pressed she did hint at when her final sign-off could take place in what Hadley described as a “Scott Morrison answer”.

“We haven’t decided the date but I think that will be late November and there probably aren’t that many options in late November,” Grimshaw revealed.

“It will be a Thursday because since the start of this year, I do a four-day week, so it’ll be a Thursday in late November.

“There’s not a lot of choices.”

“That sounds like a Scott Morrison answer: ‘It’ll be an election date in late November and we don’t know which day it’ll be’!” Hadley replied.

Grimshaw began her career as a reporter in 1981 with the Channel 9 Melbourne newsroom and in 1985 began presenting 9News daytime bulletins. In 1995, she joined the Midday Show as co-host alongside David Reyne.

Grimshaw then went on to co-host Today with Steve Liebmann in 1996.

Grimshaw interviewed a range of people during her nine-year term with Today, including world leaders, movie stars to everyday Australians. She hosted the live coverage of the Stuart Diver’s rescue from the Thredbo disaster and took on hosting duties again for the coverage of Princess Diana’s death.

On January 30, 2006 she began presenting for A Current Affair, where she covered the rescue of the two miners in Beaconsfield, Brant Webb, and Todd Russell.

She was awarded the Walkley Award for Broadcast and Online interviewing in 2009.