The King is dead, long live ….the Queen?
I vote Denise Drysdale to succeed Bert Newton on Australia's TV throne.
- Published by David Knox
- on
With the sad passing of Bert Newton last month, it’s crossed my mind about who next takes the TV throne as the King of Television.
Bert was the natural successor to Graham Kennedy when he passed.
But while there are some blokes who would be likely candidates, I’d like to suggest it’s time for a Queen, and I’ll nominate Denise Drysdale.
‘Ding Dong’, aged 73, has been on television for over 55 years, first appearing as a dancer, aged just 17, on The Tarax Show in 1965.
She performed for troops in Vietnam in 1967, became Ernie Sigley’s barrel girl where she was nicknamed ‘Ding Dong.’ She had a mega-hit with “Hey Paula,” and an endless list of TV credits including Kommotion, The Norman Gunston Show, Celebrity Squares, Young Talent Time, Countdown, Division Four, Homicide, Bellbird, In Melbourne Today, Ernie & Denise, Hey Hey it’s Saturday, Spicks and Specks, The Circle, Please Like Me, Neighbours, Studio 10.
‘Ding Dong’ has two Gold Logie Awards and her own Australian Stamp -oddly, is not yet inducted into Logies Hall of Fame (why?).
I’m hard-pressed to think of anybody who has been on our screens for so long and is still entertaining us -she was on Studio 10 as recently as this week.
But what does a Queen of Television do? Anything she wants…. opens the Logies, cuts the ribbon at a studio, congratulates AFTRS graduates, makes a Christmas speech for TV Tonight readers -I dunno.
Look it’s the silly season I realise, but it would be a great way to introduce her for all future appearances.
Long live the Queen!
12 Responses
Denise needs to be on Studio Ten more, she knows how to entertain people.
While we appreciated Bert’s contribution. The emphasis is on appreciated, it is a long time since Bert was king of TV. Denise is also yesterday’s hero along with so many of that era. Eddie is more like the king of TV now.
There is already a queen of Australian TV, Kerri-Anne Kennerly.
As for a new king, I don’t think anyone deserves that honour. Bert shall forever be the king.
What about Patti
OK lets get serious, obviously it should be Eddie or Daryl 🤣🤣
👍👍
Agreed!
Denise needs to be in the hall of fame
Ding Dong gets my vote.
I like Denise.
Who else would be a candidate? Male and female?
Perhaps Denise Scott for female, Peter Hitchener or Ray Meagher for male. Though completely agree with Denise Drysdale as the top candidate.
Hear, hear!
And she was Queen of Moomba in 1998