What Would Jo Griggs Do?

This is my new mantra. When I’m in a jam, having trouble making a decision or am facing any kind of moral dilemma, I now simply say/think “WWJGD”?

What Would Jo Griggs Do?

I’ve always been a fan of Jo Griggs. She just looks like someone you’d want to hang out with – have a good laugh and girly chats with while also being handy with an angle grinder when renovating houses (which she does with her husband Todd) and not take any crap.

I remember her giving the late Stan Zemanek a gobful every other week on Beauty and the Beast on Foxtel. She was always, and quite obviously remains, a woman not afraid to speak her mind and more often than not, says what many people are thinking.

Social media went berserk when she slammed the closing ceremony of Commonwealth Games for excluding the athletes. I thought her Face of Thunder was completely justified. She was wild and she said so. Furious in fact and told her co-host Basil Brush he was being too polite! “Jo for PM!” the tweets said and the support for her was overwhelming from well known people and ordinary people alike. Did you see her face? She was so filthy. I think people respect her for calling it how she (and pretty much everyone else) saw it. It’s hard to believe that not even Anthony Callea’s hideous shirt could raise a smile from her. That thing was HILARIOUS!

She’s also got form when it comes to calling people on their nonsense.

Do you remember at the 2011 Logies she had a crack at Karl Stefanovic for being inappropriate? He was blathering on about this person being a good sort, Lisa Wilkinson being a good sort and then thanked his (then) wife Cassie and said she had a great arse.

Jo Griggs got up to accept the Logie for Better Homes and Gardens and said to him “Karl, we don’t have bum and boobs jokes; it’s just nice family viewing.” The subtext of which was “Karl, you’re being a knob. Just stop it, ok?” The whole room was on Team Jo.

Now the whole country is on Team Jo!

And why wouldn’t they be? She’s not preachy or annoying – she’s just honest.

It got me thinking about women in television and I wondered who else would have the gumption to say what Jo Griggs did on live TV?  I wonder too what Jo Griggs would have done in the same situation Jessica Rowe found herself in at Channel Nine in 2006. The ratings were plummeting and there was much cloak and dagger about her being “boned” or “burned” (depending on whose version of events you believe)?

I guess it can only ever be a hypothetical but given her consistent gutsiness I’m inclined to believe she would have stood up to anyone who tried to take her out or put her down.

In the spirit of recognising how others may benefit from Jo’s straight talking, I’ve compiled a list of people whom I think she could help:

Barnaby Joyce (on the last 12 months)

Liz Hurley (for Gods sake put some clothes on)

Two of my former boyfriends (you’re idiots – grow up)

The PM on his bonking ban (you can’t dictate to people who they can shag!)

Pete Evans (just stick with cooking Pete)

Pauline Hanson (everything really)

Me (as above)

You’ve got my vote Jo!