A surprise public appearance by Molly Meldrum was the highlight of the 2012 ASTRA Awards.

Meldrum was carried on-stage by four male ‘Egyptian slaves’ to a standing ovation from the audience.

It was his first on-stage appearance since his recovery after a near-fatal accident in December.

Introduced by Tina Arena, Meldrum presented the night’s top award, Channel of the Year. He managed quite well, dropping gags to Ruby Rose in the audience and ad-libbing beyond the autocue script.

Chatting backstage after the show to ASTRA CEO Petra Buchanan he said, “I am so honoured to be involved in this year’s ASTRA Awards. What an incredible show and a fantastic night looking back over the industry. I started working with Foxtel 17 years ago and am thrilled to still be on air as the face of MTV Classic. There is so much energy and great talent in STV and each year it just gets more and more exciting to be part of such a dynamic community. PS to FOX Sports – the winning channel – can you arrange for St Kilda or The Storm to win the premiership in 2012!”