Bert Newton's beloved wife Patti revealed she missed his death by 12 excruciating minutes after leaving his hospital bed on Saturday
Bert Newton's beloved wife Patti has revealed she missed his death by 12 excruciating minutes, but believes the Australian TV legend hadn't wanted her to see his final breath.
The entertainment icon, 83, died in his hospital bed on Saturday night after a long battle with a number of illnesses, including a toe infection that saw his leg amputated from the knee down.
Patti, supported by granddaughters Eva and Lola outside their Melbourne home, revealed Bert passed away some 12 minutes after she left him that evening - waiting so she didn't watch him die in a last moment of selflessness from her husband of 47 years.
'I left [the clinic where Bert was in palliative care] at ten past seven, and I was just pulling around to come into my drive and I get the call to say he'd taken his last breath at 7.22pm,' she said.
'I missed him, but maybe he didn't want me to be there for his last breath.
'It's very, very devastating. All our hearts are breaking because he was just the most wonderful man.'
Grief-stricken Patti Newton is seen for the first time since her husband Bert's tragic death aged 83 following a long health battle
Speaking for the first time since the TV legend's death, Patti (pictured) said she was notified of his passing shortly after leaving his bedside on Saturday night
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali plants a kiss on Bert Newton's cheek at the Logie Awards in 1979. Both have since passed away, Newton on Saturday night while Ali died in 2016
The 76-year-old said Bert 'just couldn't do it anymore', but believed he didn't want her to watch him go.
'He had such a fabulous attitude. And he gave us so much joy right up to the end,' she revealed.
'His year was not only tough health-wise, but mentally he had a lot to cope with.'
Bert had his leg amputated earlier this year after a toe infection that led to another range of complications.
The former singer and dancer said he held his humour until the end, regularly saying he could replace current stars on their respective shows.
'All he could talk about was things that he had in mind,' she said. '"I'd be good at that, I wonder how I'd go at doing Eddie's show if ever he wants to take a break."
'I used to laugh, because I'd think "you're 83, you've got one leg, how would you go up and down the stairs?"
'But I love that attitude of his, he was never going to give up and that's what we have to take with us, don't we girls?
'We have to just make sure that the love he gave us stays with us forever.'
Patti emerged from her Melbourne home, just hours after the shock announcement that Bert passed away having suffered a long health battle which led to one of his legs being amputated
The TV personality is survived by his wife of 47 years Patti, his two children Lauren and Matthew, and six grandchildren
Patti, who was married to Bert for 47 years, said she hoped her late husband 'will be remembered for legend that he was'.
She said the family was struggling to cope with the loss, with granddaughters Lola and Eva particularly distraught.
'It's hard. It's hard for this age group Lauren and Eva were out to dinner last night, just having a quick little girls' meal. And I rang and poor Eva had to come, she didn't go in, we felt that was too much for her,' she explained.
'I can't get that out of my mind, really, but I have to think that he's at peace and he's not in pain. Eva and Lola, both the loves of his life.'
Bert Newton (left) smiles with 'The King' Graham Kennedy (right). The pair are two of the most recognisable faces in the country's entertainment history
Hours later, Patti's daughter Lauren and two of her children were seen arriving at the family's home to comfort her
Bert Newton kisses Rove McManus at the telethon raising money for the victims of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami
According to a report in Confidential on Sunday, an alleged insider claimed it's 'unlikely' Matthew will fly home to Australia (pictured with his father)
Bert's troubled son Matthew, 44, moved to New York in 2012 after battling a series of mental illnesses and addictions while being involved in a number of incidents.
According to a report in Confidential on Sunday, an insider claimed it's 'unlikely' he will fly home to Australia to be alongside his family as they deal with the death of his father.
The actor and director, who suffers from bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and has a history of addiction, has a notably tumultuous past.
This includes domestic violence allegations from two former girlfriends, Australian actresses Brooke Satchwell, 40, and Rachael Taylor, 37.
Matthew was also arrested twice in Miami, Florida, in 2012 - the first for trespassing and resisting officers, while a second incident saw him charged with battery and resisting arrest after he attacked a hotel receptionist.
The actor and director, who suffers from bipolar disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder and has a history of addiction, has a notably tumultuous past (pictured in 2001)
