Australian TV icon Bert Newton dies aged 83
Australian entertainment icon Bert Newton has died, aged 83.
The veteran performer, whose long career spanned across television, stage and radio, died tonight while undergoing palliative care at a private clinic in Melbourne.
Tributes are pouring in for the larger-than life entertainer, who earlier this year underwent surgery to amputate part of his leg below the knee after an infection his toe became life threatening.
Entertainment reporter Peter Ford, who is a long-time friend of Newton broke the news on Twitter, saying Newton didnât get âthe last chapter he deservedâ. Ford said heâd received a phone call from Newtonâs wife, Patti, early tonight before 9pm.
âIt wasnât totally unexpected,â Ford said, referring to Newtonâs deteriorating health and operation this year, saying 2021 had been a âhorrific yearâ for the Newton family.
âItâs been a horrible, horrible last chapter.â
Just days ago, Patti posted a photo of Newton with his grandchildren by his bedside, with the caption, âThatâs what Happiness Isâ.
Ford described Newtonâs death as the âend of an eraâ in Australian show business.
âHeâs the last of the iconic figures of those original days, he had a most extraordinary career in television, not to forget theatre, and also radio too. His success in radio in Melbourne was record-breaking,â Ford said.
âEverybody should celebrate that extraordinary career and the fun he brought people, but part of me canât help but feel he didnât get the last chapter he deserved.â
Newton, widely lauded as a television pioneer, collaborated with Don Lane and Graham Kennedy on their variety shows, as well as with his singer wife.
Their two children, Lauren and Matthew, are both celebrities in their own right, with the latter living in the US, his relationship with his family having thawed after a period of estrangement.
Tributes have also been flowing from Australiaâs political leaders, with federal Health Minister Greg Hunt describing him as âpart of very fabric of our television landscape and a key part of the continuing evolution of the silver screen.â
Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese also paid tribute: âMy heart goes out to his family who have lost a husband, a father and friend. And to Australia who have lost an icon.â
As well as his television work, Newton appeared on stage in the Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, The Producers, The Sound of Music, Wicked and The Rocky Horror Show, and on the big screen in a number of local films.
Ford told 3AW on Saturday night that people talked about Newtonâs TV career âbecause thereâs so many important things that are included there, including the partnerships with Graham Kennedy and the partnership with Don Lane, and loads of things that he did on his own as well such as Good Morning Australia which introduced him to a new, younger audience.â
âHe also had 20 years of performing in peak musicals around Australia like Beauty and the Beast, the Sound of Music and the Rocky Horror Picture Show.â
Graham Kennedy and Bert Newton on the set of In Melbourne Tonight, October 1964.
Television and radio announcer Pete Smith called Newton the best of the best when it comes to Australian television.
âWeâve all lost the most admired entertainer Australian television has produced,â Pete Smith to 3AW on Saturday night.
Smith added that Newtonâs brilliance came from how well he worked with other entertainers such as Graham Kennedy and Don Lane.
âWell, the magic of Bert Newton, call it magic if you like, was that while he was such a success in his own right over the years, his partnerships with people like Graham Kennedy and later with Don Lane endured,â Smith told 3AW on Saturday night.
âPeople wonder, how come that endured? It wasnât Graham Kennedy and it wasnât Don Lane. It was Bert Newtonâs brilliance in making those people feel as though they were all that mattered.
âWhen he was on air with them, they didnât feel at all threatened. All that mattered when he was on air with you was that you were the only one that counted, and I felt that experienced firsthand myself in much smaller ways as a guest on different spots and different shows.â
The Chase Australia host and The Morning Show co-host Larry Emdur said everyone loved Newton which was âas good as it gets in our businessâ.
âWatching Bert always made me feel like a TV executive had wandered into âTV Hosts R Usâ and custom ordered the perfect TV host. Charming, witty, relatable, adorable, self-deprecating and a smile to rival the Luna Park entrance,â Emdur said.
Presenter and comedian Rove McManus posted on Twitter: âI donât know that Iâm ready to accept this yet. Today I lost a mentor and friend, our country lost an icon, but most importantly a family has lost their hero and soul mate.â
Television personality Grant Denyer said he was lucky enough to follow Newton as one of the hosts of Family Feud.
âI couldnât be him, no one could. His wit was razor sharp and he commanded a stage like a king. He will forever be absolute royalty to me. The rest of us are just jesters,â he said.
Nineâs Director of Television, Michael Healy, described Newton as a âgiant of our industry, entertaining generations of Australians across our television screens.â
âHe brought unbridled joy and laughter into our homes as part of so many programs, partnerships and formats. He was loved by us all at Nine and we wish Patti, Lauren, Matt and their families our sincere condolences at this sad time,â Mr Healy said.
Comedian Adam Hills said Australian TV âwouldnât be what it is without Bert.â
âItâs up to all of us to take what he taught us, and keep his spirit alive,â Hills posted on social media.
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Roy Ward is a sports writer, live blogger and breaking news journalist. He's been writing for The Age since 2010.Connect via Twitter or email.
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