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In Memory of Bert Newton

23 July 1938 - 30 October 2021.

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Today we farewell a giant in television, Bert Newton AM MBE.

Full details of the State Funeral Broadcasts across Nine, 10, Seven, ABC News, SKY News and YouTube are below.

In 2008 I was lucky enough to chat with Bert about his career on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

Amongst his key shows In Melbourne Tonight, The Don Lane Show and Good Morning Australia, it was actually New Faces he nominated as a ‘quiet achiever.’

“I was put in as compere in 1976 when it was a totally Melbourne show. Not through any fault of any who was working on it, but it had been around for a long time, looking a bit tired and feeling a bit tired,” he said.

“It was a show I loved doing”

“A new producer came in, a new compere came in. Frank Wilson who’d been the compere had retired from the show. Within 12 months it became a national show in prime time and it was never beaten in its timeslot. It was a show I loved doing because it was a talent quest, presented with a bit of fun.”

With judges including Tim Evans, Bobby Limb, Ron Tudor, John McMahon and Rod McLennan, there were also a few discoveries who went on to become household names.

“The ones that stand out are Daryl Somers. John Farnham was on, but not in my time. Also the beautiful Marina Prior was a folk singer and went on to become one of the great theatre performers in Australia.”

At the time he was hosting Nine’s 20 to 1.

“I’m very happy doing 20 to 1, it’s been a great success and a lot of fun to do. And because I host it separately from the filmed sequences, I love watching it to see what I was talking about!”

Having worked across three commercial networks, Newton was ever loyal to Nine, and especially GTV9 -our interview was in the former Bendigo Street studios.

“A lot of happy memories here”

“It’s the Australian home of television. A lot of happy memories here,” said Bert. “Very few sad ones. A lot of people have gone through, many of whom are no longer with us. But to me their spirit is still around the corridors and in the studios.

“The decision has been made to stay for a little while. Around the world television is becoming boutique stations and everyone laughed when TEN moved from Nunawading to South Yarra but it’s been very successful for them. That will happen I’m sure, but not for a little while which I’m glad about.”

As he looked ahead ‘Moonface’ was pragmatic.

“I think I’ve reached that stage where someone else has to suggest what I can do. And if I think I can do it, away we go.”

Graham Kennedy and Bert Newton 2 (1)
Graham Kennedy and Bert Newton 3
Bert Newton - Michael Pate
Bert Newton & Graham Kennedy - B&W - on set
Bert Newton and Don Lane
Bert Newton & Don Lane - bad suits
Bert Newton & Don lane as Laurel and Hardy
Bert Newton with Patti, Matthew and Lauren
Bert Newton & Sir Eric Pearce - The Don Lane Show
Bert Newton & Muhammad Ali - B&W
Bert Newton & Don Lane - wheel segment The Done Lane Show
Bert Newton in blonde wig
Bert Newton & Graham Kennedy - wheel segment
Bert Newton & Demis Roussos
Bert Newton Mike Walsh on elephants
Ugly Dave Gray, Stuart Wagstaff, Bert Newton, Jimmy Hannon
Tony Barber,Daryl Somers,Don Lane, Mike Walsh, Bert Newton
Bert, Patti, Matthew and Lauren Newton with Sir Eric Pearce and his wife, Betty
Bert Newton, Graham Kennedy, Geoff Corke and Jim (Woody) Woods - 3UZ - September 1959
Bert and Patti Newton
Bert Newton casual
Bert Newton with trombone
Bert Newton - head shot
Bert Newton - on set at desk 2
Bert in tux
Bert Newton
Bert Newton on set of Bert's Family Feud
Bert Graham IMT
IMT 1965 Bert Newton
1972 Bert Newton, Reg Grundy at Logies
Bert Newton with Paul Hogan
Bert on TV Week with Gold Logie 2
Bert on TV Week with Bob Hawke
Bert Newton with a birthday cake
John Foreman and Bert Newton
Bert Newton reclining GMA
Bert Newton on set
Bert Newton and Belvedere
Bert Newton and John Foreman 2
bert gma
bert
Bert: Who Do You Think You Are ep

10am State Funeral for Bert Newton.

Order of Service
Welcome and Gathering: Very Reverend Werner Utri Dean – St Patrick’s Cathedral
Australian National Anthem:  Ms Silvie Paladino
On behalf of the people of Victoria: The Honourable Daniel Andrews MP. Premier of Victoria
Words of remembrance: Mr Eddie McGuire AM
The Prayer: Mr Anthony Callea accompanied by Mr John Foreman OAM
Tribute on behalf of the Newton Family: Mr Peter Smith OAM
Requiem mass

Nine / 9Now

9:30am Melbourne, Sydney Nine News: State Funeral.  Tony Jones and Alicia Loxley
6:30am Perth on 9GEM

10am Melbourne, Sydney State Funeral for Bert Newton
9:30am Adelaide
9am Brisbane
7am: Perth on 9GEM

10 / 10Play:

8am Live Melbourne, Sydney. Studio 10: Celebrating Bert Newton. Angela Bishop, Tristan MacManus, Craig Bennett.
7am Live Brisbane
7:30am Live Adelaide
8am Perth

Seven / 7Plus

9:15am Melbourne, Sydney. The Morning Show. Kylie Gillies, Larry Emdur and Peter Ford.
10am  Melbourne, Sydney. Bert Newton State Funeral
9am Brisbane / Adelaide

ABC News / iview

10am AEDT State Funeral for Bert Newton

SKY News / Flash / Foxtel Go

10am AEDT State Funeral for Bert Newton

YouTube

10am AEDT State Funeral for Bert Newton

8 Responses

  1. Congrats to this article there DK. You’ve put in some good photos of Bert Newton. I watched the coverage live and broke down tears when Frank Sinatra’s song started playing. Farewell Bert, and thanks for the Memories.

  3. Honestly TV tonight is the #1 site and this proves why.
    Wonderful article. Wonderful tribute across the site home page. Congratulations David, a lot of other sites are too up themselves with exclusives and being “first” than to celebrate the great man and you have done it well.

    Vale Bert Newton. The great man.

  4. Looking at all the wondeful photos makes me hope you were lucky enough to get a pic with Bert after the interview David. Very sad day but very thankful for the wonderful happy memories.

  8. Lovely article David, thank you. I have never come across a person who didn’t like Bert, he was the ultimate entertainer. Thank you for the memories Bert, RIP.

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