Tributes for Australian showbiz icon Bert Newton

Family friend and entertainment reporter Peter Ford confirmed the death.

"Sadly he didn’t get the last chapter he deserved," he wrote on Twitter. "He was a great mentor & friend to me."

I have very sad news ….
Showbiz icon Bert Newton has died at age 83.
It was remarkable career on TV, stage & radio. Sadly he didn’t get the last chapter he deserved. He was a great mentor & friend to me.
Condolences to Patti,Lauren,Matthew & extended family.

Mr Ford said even up to a week ago, the veteran presenter was smiling and spreading joy with his grandchildren. 

This was just one week ago exactly.
If it’s to be the last ever pic taken of you it’s a bloody ripper!
Smiling and with his adored grandkids.
He never stop fighting until the very end. pic.twitter.com/vzzSChdTSW

Bert Newton is survived by his wife Patti, children Lauren and Matthew, and six grandchildren.

His career took off after signing a contract with Channel 7 in 1957, the year commercial television was launched in Australia.  

Over the decades, he entrenched his status as a legendary personality and presenter across radio, theatre and television.

He became a Logie Hall of Fame inductee, winning four Gold Logie awards and receiving numerous honours including an Order of Australia, an MBE and a Centenary Medal. 

Born in 1938 in the Melbourne suburb of North Fitzroy, he was the youngest of six children. 

Newton got an early start as a radio announcer at the age of 15, working over his career on shows at Radio 3XY, 3AK, 3UZ and 3DB.

He became a household name on TV, starting on The Late Show in 1957 and then appearing alongside Graham Kennedy on In Melbourne Tonight from 1959.

Nicknamed "Moonface" by colleague Don Lane, he would go on to host New Faces, Family Feud, Ford Superquiz, 20 to 1, the Logie Awards, In Melbourne Tonight, The Bert Newton Show, Good Morning Australia and more.

On stage, he played roles in the musicals Wicked, Annie, Grease, and as narrator in The Rocky Horror Show.

Colleagues, friends and family were quick to post tributes on social media.

Singer and actor Rhonda Burchmore said she is "devastated".

Comedian and writer Mikey Robins said he would never forget his encounters with Bert Newton.

"A legend, a gentleman and one of the sharpest minds to ever grace a studio."

"Australian TV wouldn't be what it is without Bert," comedian Adam Hills tweeted. "It's up to us all to take what he taught us, and keep his spirit alive."

"Bert Newton was a giant of our industry, entertaining generations of Australians across our television screens," Nine's director of television Michael Healy said in a statement.

Bert Newton in the Rocky Horror Show at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre on 12 June 2015. Source: AAP

"He brought unbridled joy and laughter into our homes as part of so many programs, partnerships and formats."

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese said Australia has "lost an icon".

"My heart goes out to his family who have lost a husband, a father and friend," he tweeted.

Former Victorian Liberal premier Jeff Kennett also paid tribute among the torrent of condolences.

"Providing laughter and joy, and generosity for so many good causes. Patti, we are thinking of you and your family," he said on Twitter.

Other fans said they grew up watching the TV legend. 

"An absolute icon of the Australian entertainment industry who brought so much joy and laughter to so many," Don Byass wrote on Twitter.

Such very sad news. An absolute icon of the Australian entertainment industry who brought so much joy and laughter to so many. RIP Bert an Australian Treasure.

Additional reporting: AAP

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