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Friday 1 May 2015

Nonna Paola hosting Logies Red Carpet for KIIS 101.1: VIDEO + Interview

Nonna Paola is hosting the Logies red carpet for KIIS 101.1.

In news announced by Greg Lachimia on his Facebook page last night - Greg is of course Nonna Paola's son and the man behind all the Nonna P videos going viral - Nonna Paola is going to the TV Week Logie Awards this Sunday.

Here is the video, below:






Josie's Juice spoke to Greg this morning and he said:

The radio station contacted Nonna and asked if she'd like to attend the Logies red carpet with Jane Hall as one of their representatives and be on the red carpet on the day, and look I wasn't sure: we're talking about a 78 year old Calabrian grandmother who lives in the western suburbs, what is gonna say to people? And I spoke with Nonna, and she's like: what's the Logies? Who's the Logies. I think at that age, she would have seen the Logies before and she would have some comprehension on what it is, but never paid any attention to it, if that makes sense?

I've explained it to her, and they want to know who her favourite actors and actresses are. And she said: "Karl Stefanovic!"

And I said, "But he's not an actor, mum."

And she said: "Is he gonna be there?" And I said yes, and she said, "Okay, I'll talk to him."

"She's going to the radio station this morning to run through it all, and then on Sunday she'll be taken to the Crown Casino in Melbourne, where she'll get media accreditation, and then we can take it from there.

"Everyone wants to know when she's going to be on TV, what's she's going to be doing. Yes, she is excited.

People are saying, "We are proud on Nonna and what's she done - and also, 'Go Women Power!'" She's out there.

I think we've taken what has always been typecast and stereotyped on TV, and turned it into something genuine."

With Jane Hall's daughter Lucia (Lucia's dad is actor Vince Colosimo) being around her paternal grandmother, who is Italian, Jane is very familiar with the Nonnas of the world.

Greg agrees.

"Yes, that's why she can relate to the whole Nonna Paola thing. She feels that bond."

Adds Greg: "She talks to anybody like they're just people on the street. That's why people love Nonna."

Greg is proud of his mum, but it goes even deeper than what you see.

"People are saying to me, 'Good, we want to see an Italian, Calabrian grandmother to represent what our Nonnas are about. I mean, she's a 'nobody' basically, and now she's going on the red carpet. That's why I posted what I did on Facebook (see Greg's post below). Because I didn't want to see Nonna and say, why didn't you tell us! This is great!'

"Because she's my mother, and she's around me all the time, I think: gosh, I see other grandmothers and they're sweet and adorable. And here's my mother! It's very funny.

"It's something different! I'm just proud of her for even going on air.

"And I think, it's great for women! Women power! That's why I'm doing it. For women of that generation, you know? If there are critics that say, why are you doing this? Well, why not! And if they say, why do you speak to your mum like that, she's an old Calabrian woman, look at all the people she's making happy! She spoke to a young boy last night who doesn't have a grandmother, and it made him so happy. This kid doesn't have a grandmother, you know. How is that a negative? You know, my grandparents died before I was born. I never got the chance to hang with my Nonna. So, I'm sort of treating her like my Nonna."

People say to me, 'I want to adopt her, she's the Nonna I never had. So, I believe I've challenged that negativity and allow people to see it's actually a positive. It goes against that typical Italian thing where it's all, don't film me, don't put me out there."

Josie's Juice says here, it could be that these people are embarrassed about themselves, their accent, their mannerisms. It's actually like holding up a mirror. But Nonna Paola makes it all okay, all acceptable. Greg agrees.

"Yes, that is right. But I tell you what, this whole thing, this whole trip was scary, when I first started out. I didn't want people to make fun of her, I didn't want that. But that hasn't happened at all. But I didn't expect it to go this far, to be honest. I didn't know how people were going to take it. But now, if anything, they pick on me, speaking the way I speak," adds Greg with a laugh. "But that's the relationship I have with her! She tells me where to go all the time. I'm just so proud of the fact that we're so genuine, that we can tell it how it is. How many people at the dinner table, would dare put a video on the table, and record how they interact with one another!"

Josie's Juice talks about the video where Nonna P calls her telephone provider and tells them about an incorrect bill. It highlights what all Italo-Australian kids know - they've been making those phone calls for their parents for 40+ years and sometimes, I am frustrated by that!

Greg says I've hit the nail on the head: "See, that's why that phone bill video was posted up! That was the first time she's ever called anybody like that. Because she can't press hash, she can't do this. There's a point there. What happened to the good ol' days where you could just call someone. She doesn't know what to do, and that's the same for a lot of people of that era. They can't ring anyone anymore like that because they don't know what to do [with automated call centre calls]. So, she waits on the phone for 15 minutes until someone says hello. And at the end: 'Va fanculo!'"

"I know that on the red carpet she'll represent, and she'll smile and compliment people, she won't call them a dickhead. She knows what to do, and how to act. She'll have that class about her, she'll represent what they (the radio station) want her to do. It's all about heart."

Greg had written in his post on Facebook last night:



I don't like boasting about things like this but I gotta say I'm so proud of my mum (nonna Paola) ....a true western suburbs women worked in the west for over 35 years payed her house off twice for unforseen reasons ......& has just been asked to attend the red carpet at the logies to interview a few of the celebrities.... I said no she says yes she wants to .....I'm so embarrassed lol should be interesting...….

Read more on Nonna Paola's Logies red carpet appearance here.

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