- published: 03 Oct 2013
- views: 7978
Albert Watson "Bert" Newton, AM, MBE (born 23 July 1938) is an Australian television personality, known for hosting television series such as In Melbourne Tonight, Good Morning Australia and 20 to 1. Newton has also hosted the Logie Awards on numerous occasions through his career.
Newton was born in Fitzroy, an inner suburb of Melbourne in Australia. He was educated at St Joseph's Marist Brothers Roman Catholic college. In his early years he had thoughts of entering the priesthood and he is still an active Roman Catholic.
Newton's first paid radio appearance was as a schoolboy on 3XY on 10 June 1952, doing advertisements dressed as a clown with Doug McKenzie, later to become "Zag" in Zig and Zag.
"... there was a radio program on 3XY Melbourne called Scouting Around, compered by the late Tom Jones. One week the broadcast was recorded at our Scout Hall, and as the direct result of this, I began to appear on 3XY".
This led to regular appearances on a Saturday morning children's show, in which he worked with Stan Rofe and McKenzie.