UPDATED: State funeral for Bert Newton

Australian TV legend Bert Newton is being remembered as a showbiz icon after he passed away, aged 83.

Newton passed away on Saturday evening after a long battle with his health.

Media commentator Peter Ford says the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews phoned the family on Saturday night and offered a state funeral, which wife Patti accepted.

It’s unclear how current COVID restrictions will impact plans for the state funeral.

He was admitted to hospital in March and his illness led to one of his legs being amputated. In September it was revealed there had been complications after the surgery.

Albert Watson Newton, AM, MBE, was the great star of Australian television during its golden era, and thereafter.

The youngest of six children, Newton was born in Fitzroy on July 23, 1938.

Newton had his first on-air appearance on radio station 3XY, aged 11.

In 1967 he hosted the Logie Awards for the first time.

He was the one of the last remaining links between the earliest days of commercial TV.

The 83-year-old underwent surgery to amputate his leg at Melbourne’s Epworth Hospital in May after doctors told him he would have only months to live without the operation.

He had already spent six weeks in hospital after a toe infection around Christmas became a serious medical issue.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Patti, daughter, Lauren, son, Matthew and six grandchildren, Sam, Eva, Lola, Monty, Perla and Alby.