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Bert and Patti Newton's bitter public showdown

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Bert and Patti Newton are focusing on their family

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Patti Newton shares sweet birthday tribute to grandson

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Bert and Patti's heartache over new grandchild!

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Bert & Patt Newton's Christmas miracle!

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Patti Newton's touching tribute to late mother

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Naked ambition! All New Monty’s cast revealed

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Patti Newton speaks out: The truth about my son!

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Patti Newton confesses: ‘My 45-year-old tragic family secret’

Why it’s finally time to share her story. - by Stephen Downie
  • 14 Sep 2020

For much-loved Australian entertainer Patti Newton, family is at the heart of everything she does.

WATCH: All New Monty: Sneak peek

And now the grandmother-of-six has opened up about the tragic family secret which drove her back to television. She also explains how husband, Bert, overcame his terrifying health battle. It comes as Patti, 75, this week bravely bares all on Channel Seven’s The All New Monty: Guys & Gals.

Bert and Patti Newton

Married for almost 50 years, Bert and Patti are Australian couple royalty.

Supplied

A year after Patti married Bert Newton, 82, in 1974, Bert’s beloved older sister, Alice passed away from cancer, aged 52. Bert, then a huge TV star, was devastated.

“He loved her desperately and she died,” Patti tells New Idea. “But in her time all those years ago, it wasn’t homed in on you to keep checking and to go and have mammograms.”

It’s now 45 years since her sad death, but Alice remains in the hearts of the Newtons. What few people realise is the crucial role she played in Australia’s television history.

Both Bert and Alice loved the theatre and as a young man, Bert was poised to pursue a career on the stage.

“They had a very close relationship,” a source said of the siblings. “She’s very special to him.”

Bert Newton red carpet

Bert almost didn't make it to our TV screens after being devastated by his sister's death four decades ago.

Getty Images

But Alice had some words of advice for her younger brother and future Gold Logie winner.

 “Alice said, ‘TV is the future, you must do TV,’” a source says. “So, if it wasn’t for Alice, Bert would have gone into theatre. Australia has Alice to thank for giving us the TV legend we know and love.”

Now, when Patti strips for The All New Monty, which raises awareness of breast cancer research, she’s honouring Alice’s memory.

“When I explained I was dedicating my performance to Alice, Bert was very moved,” Patti says.

Patti Newton dancing

Patti rehearsing her routine for Seven's new show: The All New Monty: Guys & Gals.

Channel Seven

In recent years, Bert’s own health has been a priority.

“When he had a health scare with pneumonia in 2017, it shook him to the core,” a source previously told New Idea. Patti reveals Bert’s diet has “changed” as he now monitors what he eats.

Their daughter, Lauren and husband, former Olympic swimmer Matt Welsh, have given them six beautiful grandchildren. Their latest, a son named Alby, was named in honour of Bert.

“Bert’s name is Albert and he gets Bert, and I’ve always called him Alb or Alby, so it’s such a lovely tribute,” Patti beams.

While it’s understood Patti and Bert would’ve loved to have had more children – their embattled son Matthew lives in the US – they dote on their grandchildren.

“Every time I talked about doing Monty, my [grandson] Monty, who’s 4, looks at me and says, ‘Why are you saying my name, Nan?’”

Patti Newton Burlesque

Patti is set to strip off and perform a Burlesque-inspired routine in All New Monty: Guys & Gals.

Channel Seven

‘The truth about my diet’

Performing a striptease on TV, even for a seasoned performer like Patti, was not easy.

“We were all very nervous,” Patti admits of her burlesque-style Monty routine.

The performer wears a top hat and coat before shedding her clothes, along with other celebrities, on the show. With little preparation, she put her faith in choreographer, Todd McKenney.

 “Look, I’m not somebody that is very good at dieting and I’m not a great exerciser, but Todd was so good with the choreography that we worked hard when we had to, and that gave us a bit of strength,” she says.

“And remembering the steps was a good exercise enough for me. So, I used my brain for the exercise part rather than my body.”

For more, pick up a copy of New Idea. On sale now.

New Idea
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Stephen Downie
Stephen Downie is Features Director at WHO magazine.

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