Bert Newton

Albert Watson "Bert" Newton (born 23 July 1938), Australian television performer, was born in Fitzroy, an inner suburb of Melbourne.

1970's to today

By the late '70s Newton had become something of a cult figure in Melbourne. In 1979 he received an MBE. A song about him, "For Bert", was written by GTV-9's musical director Brian Rangott. The Newtons found success with a television talent show, New Faces, but a 1984 show on Seven, Tonight With Bert Newton was short-lived. In 1986 he returned to his radio roots as General Manager and broadcaster on Melbourne station 3DB.

Related Topics:
1979 - MBE - Brian Rangott - 1984 - 1986 - 3DB

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In December 1993 Newton admitted to having a gambling problem. According to an article published in The Sydney Morning Herald in July 2004: "One day in late 1993, he woke up to read the front-page story he had been dreading: he was broke and owed $1 million." Newton sold two houses and agreed to pay creditors 40 cents in the dollar. Most of the money was owed to institutions or companies, banks, law firms and the Tax Office, rather than to individuals.

Related Topics:
1993 - The Sydney Morning Herald - 2004 - Tax Office

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Newton hosted the Logies, the Australian equivalent of the Emmies, for 18 years. He has done some acting, appearing in guest roles in Australian dramas in the 1980s. He is also active in musical theatre, playing the character of the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz (starring Nikki Webster), 'Cogsworth' in Beauty & The Beast and more recently appearing in the Australian cast of the Mel Brooks musical The Producers, as Franz Liebkind.

Related Topics:
Logies - Emmies - 1980s - Musical theatre - The Wizard of Oz - Nikki Webster - Beauty & The Beast - Mel Brooks - The Producers

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In 1992 Newton moved into daytime television with Good Morning Australia on Network Ten, a show which has revived Newton's celebrity status and which has been a continuing success for Ten.

Related Topics:
1992 - Good Morning Australia - Network Ten

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Newton released an autobiography, Bert! Bert Newton's own story in 1977. More recently he has been the subject of several tribute broadcasts. In 1997 he was the subject of a "This Is Your Life" tribute. Patti was honoured with her own tribute in 2001.

Related Topics:
Autobiography - 1977 - 1997 - This Is Your Life - 2001

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The Best of Bert Newton was aired in 2002. Channel Nine Salutes Bert Newton was broadcast in early 2004, depicting the career of Newton from his early days of late night television to his height as Logie presenter.

Related Topics:
2002 - 2004

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