Popular Australian personality Larry Emdur is up for his very first Gold Logie at Sunday’s TV Week Logie Awards.
He’s used to living his life in the spotlight, but as the old saying goes, behind every great man there’s a great woman – and in Emdur’s case, it’s his wife Sylvie.
Larry and Sylvie have been married since 1995 and have two adult children – son Jye, who works in real estate, and daughter Tia, who is following in her famous dad’s footsteps by embarking on a media career.
Emdur’s social media is peppered with loving, heartfelt references to his wife and children, who form the bedrock of his life away from the glitz and glamour of commercial TV.
Here’s what we know about his marriage to Sylvie, his children, and what makes the Gold Logie nominee tick.
Is Larry Emdur married?
Yes, Larry Emdur has been married to his wife Sylvie since 1995 – meaning next year will mark their 30th wedding anniversary!
The pair met when Sylvie was an Ansett flight attendant in the 90s. Emdur was a passenger on a flight she was working on – and he made an immediate impression on her!
He boarded business class on a Sydney to Melbourne flight completely drenched from head to toe after getting caught in a downpour, and by the time the plane touched down the pair had exchanged phone numbers.
”He looked like a wet dog,” Sylvie later recalled. ”I went over and told him he looked terrible and asked him what was wrong!”
Emdur later said it was love at first sight for him – he thought Sylvie was ”the most beautiful woman in the world”.
And when he proposed, he didn’t do anything by halves – his proposal involved a cavalcade of five Harley-Davidson motorbikes, each with a flag on the back spelling out ‘Sylvie, will you marry me?’
Emdur was on the fifth motorbike – with an engagement ring at the ready.
The pair married in Sydney but in 2010 they renewed their wedding vows on the Tahitian island of Bora Bora.
They had wanted to have a second wedding in 2005, for their 10th anniversary, but sadly, Emdur’s father David passed away that year.
”Sylvie’s always done the bulk of the work for our family,” Emdur said ahead of the Tahitian trip.
”This is my way of saying thank you for putting up with me … We just really want to spend some quality time together and fall in love all over again.”
What has Larry Emdur said about his wife?
Behind the glossy facade of being in TV, the work can be difficult and demanding – as Emdur’s wife well knows.
He’s called her a ”pillar of strength” during tough times, telling TV WEEK in 2021 that he ”adored” her.
”I’m sure anyone else would have walked out a thousand times because I’ve been through some pretty terrible times in my job, and I’ve never been able to say to my family, ‘Yes, I guarantee I can feed you or pay the mortgage’,” he said.
”She’s just been so strong. I adore her. We spend so much time together. We love each other dearly, desperately. She’s away now for a couple of days and I can’t sleep. It’s so sad! I’m like a little baby. She’s everything to me.”
Does Larry Emdur have children?
Larry and Sylvie Emdurhave two adult children, Jye, 30, and Tia, 24.
The TV personality has a strong relationship with both of his kids. On his son’s 28th birthday, Emdur took to social media to call Jye his ”co-pilot for life”.
“28 years ago I got this awesome ‘2 for 1’ special ! I got a best mate and a best son in the same deal,” he wrote at the time.
“Happy Birthday Jye, for 28 years you have entertained and fascinated us and made us beyond proud,” he added.
“You are my co-pilot for life and I’m excited to watch your next chapter which may or may not include helping me push my Zimmer frame around the nursing home.”
Emdur’s daughter Tia wed her partner Rowell in Sydney in February 2024. It was an incredibly emotional occasion for Emdur, who posted a heart-melting picture as he walked Tia down the aisle.
”Yesterday was one of the happiest and most tearful days of my life,” he wrote.
”Yesterday I walked my baby girl down the aisle, at the end of the aisle I had to place her hand on his, I didn’t want to let her hand go but it was time and it was right.
”I gently placed her hand on Ro’s and sat down to cry a bit more. And just when I thought I didn’t have any tears left it was time for the Daddy/ Daughter dance.
”More tears, more love, more moments I’ll treasure til the day I die … massive congrats Tia and Ro, we love and adore you both.”
