Lisa Wilkinson has shared a heartwarming tribute to iconic television broadcaster Brian Henderson after he passed away on Thursday aged 89.
WATCH Brian Henderson reveals cancer diagnosis
Brian was Australia’s longest serving news presenter, known best for hosting Channel Nine’s Sydney weeknight news from 1957 until 2002 when he retired.
While the cause of his death is yet to be officially confirmed, Brian had endured a long battle with cancer.
Lisa shared a photo of her and Brian at an event to Instagram, saying she often crossed paths with the television icon when she worked at Channel Nine.
“Vale, the legendary Channel Nine newsreader, Bandstand host, Gold Logie winner, champion mentor of so many, and true gentleman, Brian Henderson,” she wrote.
“I was never fortunate enough to work with Brian, but he was an avid Today Show viewer, and never failed to have a kind word when we crossed paths, and as someone who grew up watching him on Bandstand, and then, as the only newsreader our family would ever watch, that meant everything.
“Brian died today after a long battle with cancer, just shy of his 90th birthday. No-one, ever, did it better.”
The 61-year-old shared her “deepest condolences” with Brian’s wife of 54 years Mardi and daughters Jodee and Nicole.
Lisa got choked up after The Project aired a segment showing the highlights of the legendary newsreader’s career.
“I get a bit emotional watching that,” she told her cohosts through tears.
“You know, when someone has been in your life for so long. He was the voice that you just really trusted.
“He was really a legend at Channel Nine for the mentoring that he did for young journalists right across the industry.”
Lisa finished by saying Brian was a “beautiful man” who will be sorely missed in the Australian journalism industry.
Having beaten melanoma, prostate, bowel and throat cancer over the years the TV star revealed to Channel Nine in 2020 he had recently been diagnosed with kidney cancer.
Despite beating cancer four times previously Brian revealed he didn’t want any major surgery to treat the kidney cancer and wanted to let nature take its course.
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