Bert Newton: Tributes flow for legendary entertainer at funeral

Bert Newton’s grandchildren have paid a touching tribute to their “Poppy” in front of hundreds of mourners at the Aussie legend’s state funeral service on Friday.

Eva – one of Newton’s six grandchildren – took to the lectern at St Patrick’s Cathedral and read out a prayer for the Newton family, their friends and everyone who had gathered at the touching service about 10am.

“We pray for nana and all our family and friends gathered here today,” the 12-year-old said.

“May we find comfort in poppy‘s example of love and friendship. We pray for poppy up in heaven.”

She was followed by Sam: “We remember and hold close to us those who could not be here today, especially those members of Bert‘s family and has many friends who have gone before us, but with the signs of faith. May we be reunited with them one day in our heavenly home.”

There were emotional scenes outside the cathedral as Newton’s grandchildren cried while their grandfather’s coffin was carried out through the church.

Newton’s wife Patti was by his side the whole way as the casket was carried into the hearse.

The family were then arm-in-arm outside while white doves were released into the sky.

The showbiz-king’s service at Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral started at 10am and is attended by fully vaccinated family, friends and colleagues.

Patti arrived with her daughter Lauren, son-in-law Matthew and her six grandchildren in a white stretch limousine about 9.15am.

Public mourners also gathered outside the church, with one person yelling out “we love you Patti,” to which she replied: “I love you too,” and blew a kiss to the crowd.

Eddie Mcguire delivered the eulogy at the request of Patti, and suggested the Gold Logie be named in Bert Newton’s honour.

“Whether the Gold Logie becomes the Bert Newton award or a theatre or something be named in his honour, show business in this city will never be the same,” the TV personality said.

“The young boy from Fitzroy who became a star, then a legend, then an institution and now our greatest memory of the golden years of television. Forever Albert … our Bert.”

Newton’s coffin wrapped in an Australian flag arrived at the church about 8am.

Daniel Andrews was the first to address mourners at the service, shedding heartwarming details about the TV icon’s marriage proposal to his wife Patti.

The Victorian Premier said their 47-year relationship was a “story for the ages”.

“Christmas 1974, Bert flies from Melbourne to LA and eventually onto New York to board a cruise unannounced and unprepared,” Mr Andrews said.

“He is travelling with the hope that the woman he loves but hasn’t seen for quite some time will accept his proposal of marriage.

“During a rainstorm in the Caribbean on Australia Day 1974, she did just that. Bert and Patti were partners in every way. Husband and wife, parents and grandparents, best friends, entertainers, performers and soulmates.”

The formidable love story was just one of many reasons why Australia adored the 83-year-old as millions of people across the country tuned into live coverage of the service at 10am.

Newton’s grandchild was one of the first to pay a touching tribute to the TV icon inside the church as arrivals took their seats, reaching down and to touch the top of his coffin.

Bert Newton’s son Matthew revealed the final conversation he had with his father before his death last month, saying they both “laughed until we cried”.

He could not attend as he was stuck in New York due to the pandemic, but in a message read out to mourners Matthew said: “The change was never directly stated but we just said how much we loved each other.”

“During this wonderful chat, my mother was pottering around in the background, adding her two cents every now and again and doing lovely things for dad, as usual.

“At one point, she took something into another room and the second she left, dad leaned into the phone camera and whispered, I think she is poisoning my food, Matthew!

“Well, we both laughed and laughed until we cried.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews put aside their political differences to honour the TV great, as they took a seat next to each other inside the church.

They were joined by Aussie music great Molly Meldrum and former Footy Show host Sam Newman.

Aussie comedian Andy Lee and his partner Rebecca Harding could also be spotted among the arrivals, as well as former treasurer of Australia Peter Costello.

Eddie Mcguire’s touching tribute was followed by Anthony Callea who belted out the vocals to Andrea Bocelli’s classic song, The Prayer.

In the final tribute of the service, popular Australian radio announcer and longtime friend of Newton’s Peter Smith took to the lectern.

“Although the past year was hard he was so brave through it all. None of us wanted to see him suffer any more but we also could not imagine life without him,” he said.

While Covid-19 restrictions have limited those in attendance to 500 people, many more tuned into the live stream.

Newton died on October 30 from complications after having his leg amputated.

Patti chose the hymns and prayers for the service, and musical theatre star Rhonda Burchmore will read a passage from the Bible as part of the proceedings.

Bert and Patti’s children, Lauren and Matthew, have written messages which will be read at the service.

Matthew, an actor and director who is based in New York, will not attend the funeral.

Channel 9 and Channel 10 will live stream the service, with a link to the coverage set to be displayed online on news sites.

It was the final chapter in a long health battle involving several serious bouts of pneumonia, and then lifesaving quadruple bypass surgery in November of 2012 after having been admitted to hospital twice in the year prior.

In November last year there were fresh fears for the TV, radio and stage icon’s health after wife Patti posted a picture of him in a hospital bed to her Instagram account.

Then in May came the shocking update that an infection which started in Newton’s toe before Christmas 2020 had worsened to the point that doctors gave him a “life or death” ultimatum: Lose your leg, or you may die within months.

Newton faced some big life changes when he returned home to wife Patti after the amputation.

BERT’S COLOURFUL CAREER

His glittering performing career has spanned generations since the late 1950s and the joy he brought to Australian living rooms will be remembered by millions on Friday.

Newton started his career in the industry with a bang when he was only 15-years-old, rejecting previous plans to join the priesthood.

In 1952, Bert was hired as a junior announcer on the Melbourne radio station 3XY. Two years later and he was a presenter of a program that was recorded on the street called Melbourne Speaks.

He then made his way to television, hosting The Late Show, before he making his debut on In Melbourne Today, in 1959. He soon joined the sister show In Melbourne Tonight, becoming a regular alongside the King of Television, Graham Kennedy.

In early 1960 he hosted The Bert Newton Show, and the duo appeared weekly on The Graham Kennedy Show on Channel 9.

A short stint back on radio, and he returned to TV when he was in the 1975 show The Don Lane Show as sidekick “barrel boy” to Don Lane that earned him the title of “Moonface”.

Hosting gigs on game show Ford Superquiz, talent show New Faces and Tonight with Bert Newton followed before he was asked to host Good Morning Australia on Network Ten in 1992. He was the host of the program for 14 years before the show was cancelled in late 2005.

When he left the network in 2005, Bert Newton signed a three-year deal with Nine in 2006, going on to host Bert’s Family Feud, 20 To 1, and What A Year.

He even reprised his role as Logies host in 2006 when he co-hosted with former Gold Logie winners Lisa McCune, Georgie Parker, Ray Martin and Daryl Somers. He hosted the show solo in 2010.

In fact he went on to host he show more than 20 times.

Bert was named the number one Australian television star of the past 50 years in 2006 during the 50 Years 50 Stars special on Channel 9.

But he also added a number of starring roles in musical theatre to his resume, including in Beauty And The Beast (1995), The Sound Of Music (1999), The Producers (2012), Grease (2013) and Wicked (2009), where he played the role of the Wizard.

Bert Newton married wife Patti Newton in 1974 and have been by each other’s side ever since.

He leaves behind son Matthew, 43, and daughter Lauren, 40 – He is also a grandfather to their daughter’s six kids with husband, former swimmer Matt Welsh.