Bert Newton, absolute icon of Australian TV and king of the Logies, has died at the age of 83.
According to News.com.au, Newton’s wife of 46 years Patti Newton asked family friend and entertainment reporter Peter Ford to announce the news, which he did on Twitter this evening.
I have very sad news ….
Showbiz icon Bert Newton has died at age 83.
It was remarkable career on TV, stage & radio. Sadly he didn’t get the last chapter he deserved. He was a great mentor & friend to me.
Condolences to Patti,Lauren,Matthew & extended family.— Peter Ford (@mrpford) October 30, 2021
Bert Newton was a showbiz stalwart, starring on Aussie screens for over 50 years, hosting long-running daytime show Good Morning Australia, countless Logie Awards broadcasts and appearing in film, theatre and on radio.
Per News.com.au, he passed away while undergoing palliative care at a private clinic in Melbourne, having previously had his leg amputated in May and battling illness for several years.
Peter Ford told the outlet that “[Newton] didn’t get the last chapter he deserved having spent the past year in hospital during Covid and losing his leg”.
Newton, who was affectionately nicknamed “Moonface” thanks to his round and perpetually grinning visage, underwent a quadruple heart bypass in 2012.
Tributes have been rolling in for the icon on Twitter from plenty of folks from the entertainment industry and beyond.
What a loss. There was no one quite like the great Bert Newton. To have lost him at 83 is still too soon, because he’s truly irreplaceable. Brilliant, cheeky, generous, kind. Sending deepest condolences to his beloved Patti, Lauren, Matthew and his treasured grandkids. Vale. 💔
— Angela Bishop OAM (@AngelaBishop) October 30, 2021
Vale Bert Newton, a true Melbourne legend, a true believer and a world class entertainer. #bertnewton pic.twitter.com/sVl8UlNOu6
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) October 30, 2021
Bert Newton was so brilliant, so wickedly funny and so lovely – we were lucky to have him on our screens for so long in so many incarnations. Perhaps we should rename the Logies “the Berts” after him so they mean more than they do now – they were, after all, very much his night.
— Dom Knight (@domknight) October 30, 2021
This is such sad news for any Australian. Bert Newton was the ultimate entertainer. Australian TV wouldn’t be what it is without Bert. It’s up to us all to take what he taught us, and keep his spirit alive. Enormous love to his family. Take a bow, Bert. You deserve the applause. https://t.co/FyE10m1Jdy
— Adam Hills (@adamhillscomedy) October 30, 2021
Rest well, legend.
