Patti Newton took to the Logies stage to a standing ovation, before introducing and presenting the newly renamed ‘Bert Newton award for the Most Popular Presenter.
Standing in front of an early photo of herself with her late husband, Patti spoke about her grief and how she knew Bert would always be with her.
“I actually didn’t think I was going to be able to do this tonight, because it is still very raw and I will never get over him not being here,” she told the audience.
“But I know he is with me. And here… he is inside me,” she added, going on to explain the ‘Bert’ necklace she was spotted wearing on the red carpet earlier that night.
“My daughter had this Bert [necklace] made for me, so I will be wearing this forever around my neck,” Patti said
“I will know who I am and when I cannot remember anymore, I will say who’s that? It will be Bert.”
Patti reflected on her late husband’s “bravery”, the great experiences he had throughout his TV career, and one of the things he really loved.
“He really did live his dream,” she said, “but the one thing he really loved was this show, the Logies. This was his baby.”
She added that Bert had another “love”: his daughter Lauren, son Matthew, and six grandchildren.
“I have been his partner for 57 years, it is a long time,” she said, prompting an eruption of applause she quickly responded to.
“Thank you, but I don’t need applause because I have loved every minute of those 57 years.”
Patti then introduced the award named in Bert’s honour.
“I’ve been so blessed that he chose me, and I think that’s why we’re so pleased that the award for the most popular presenter is going to be known as the ‘Bert Newton Award for the Most Popular Presenter’,” she said.
“I was only thinking today, if I could just ask him how he feels about this particular award being named in his honour, and I’m absolutely certain that he would say, ‘What? Not the gold, then?” she joked.
To end her speech, Patti said: “He never wanted to be forgotten, so I hope he never is.”
She then presented the award to Hamish Blake for presenting Nine’s Lego Masters.
On receiving the award, Blake said the fact that Bert “loved what he did” was something that struck him, and spoke of the late presenter’s generosity and kindness.
“There will never be another Bert,” he said.
See the full list of 2022 Logie winners below.
- The Newsreader, ABC (TV WEEK Silver Logie – Most Outstanding Drama Series)
- Richard Roxburgh, Fires, ABC (TV WEEK Silver Logie – Most Outstanding Actor)
- Anna Torv, The Newsreader, ABC (TV WEEK Silver Logie – Most Outstanding Actress)
- The Project – Brittany Higgins Interview, Network 10 (Most Outstanding News Coverage or Public Affairs Report)
- Incarceration Nation, NITV (Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program)
- Heather Mitchell, Love Me, BINGE and FOXTEL (TV WEEK Silver Logie – Most Outstanding Supporting Actress)
- Colin Friels, Wakefield, ABC (TV WEEK Silver Logie – Most Outstanding Supporting Actor)
- Fires, ABC (TV WEEK Silver Logie – Most Outstanding Miniseries or Telemovie)
- Gogglebox Australia, FOXTEL (Most Popular Entertainment Program)
- Bluey, ABC (Most Outstanding Children’s Program)
- Guy Pearce, Jack Irish, ABC (TV WEEK Silver Logie – Most Popular Actor)
- Tony Armstrong, News Breakfast, ABC (Graham Kennedy Award For Most Popular New Talent)
- The Project, Network 10 (Most Popular Panel or Current Affairs Program)
- Kitty Flanagan, Fisk, ABC (TV WEEK Silver Logie – Most Popular Actress)
- Hamish Blake, Lego Masters Australia, 9Network (Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter)
- I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!, Network 10 (Most Outstanding Reality Program)
- Jacki Weaver, Yellowstone, Stan (TV Week Silver Logie – Most Popular Australian Actor Or Actress In An International Program)
- Have You Been Paying Attention?, Network 10 (Most Popular Comedy Program)
- Olympic and Paralympics Games Tokyo 2020, Seven Network (Most Outstanding Sports Coverage)
- MasterChef Australia, Network 10 (Most Popular Reality Program)
- Travel Guides, 9Network (Most Popular Lifestyle Program)
- Home And Away, Seven Network (Most Popular Drama Program)
- Lego Masters Australia, 9Network (Most Outstanding Entertainment or Comedy Program)
Image: Nine
This article first appeared on OverSixty.