Bert: The Story of Australia’s Favourite TV Star

Graeme Blundell, journalist and bestselling author of King: The Life and Comedy of Graham Kennedy, delivers an insightful account of Bert Newton’s life on and off the screen. Along the way he chronicles the Australian television industry from its earliest years.

TV and radio star, interviewer and all-round media personality, Bert Newton’s career spans the decades. He ruled the radio sets of Melbourne in the 1950s – when another young blade, Graham Kennedy, was also on the air – then made the transition to the box. Whether on television, radio or more recently on stage, Bert is the preeminent entertainer. Behind this most public of faces is the story of a boy whose father died early; a lad who loved riding the famous trams of his home town; and a young man whose compulsion to work led him to collapse. A consummate professional who holds the respect and admiration of his peers and multitude of fans alike, Bert has reinvigorated his career over and over as the world around him changed.