‘Every morning is a bonus’: TV legend Bert Newton makes every day count five years on from life saving heart surgery

ALMOST five years on from quadruple heart bypass surgery, TV legend Bert Newton has described every day as a blessing after he was told he had a 50/50 chance of the major operation being a success.

Patti and Bert Newton at the Heinz Beanz ‘Can Size For Every Aussie’ Exhibition. Picture: Lucas Dawson Photography

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ALMOST five years on from his quadruple bypass heart surgery, TV legend Bert Newton has described every day as a blessing after he was told he had a 50/50 chance of the surgery being a success.

Newton underwent the major operation in Melbourne in November 2012.

“When he had his quadruple bypass they said it was a 50/50 chance,” his wife Patti revealed at the Heinz Beanz Can Size for Every Aussie exhibition launch in Melbourne last week.

“Lola (their youngest granddaughter) had just been born and all of the rest of the years are bonuses, really. We are very lucky.”

Bert Newton with wife Patti, daughter Lauren, grandchildren Lola, 5, and Monty 1. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Bert added: “I feel good. Every morning is a bonus.”

He said he was naturally conscious of his health.

“I had a bad run for awhile health-wise but now I am pretty good,” he said.

“I am on a leash, sort of, Patti takes extra special care of what I do and particularly what I don’t do.

“Since (the surgery) I have had a couple of bouts of pneumonia.

“Every morning when I wake up I read the death columns in the paper and if I am not there we get up and away we go again.

“I think you have to go through it to realise that (with) we mortals, it is a fine line and I am grateful.”

Australian icons Bert and Patti Newton have been immortalised on another great Aussie icon, the Heinz beans can as part of a new art collaboration. Picture: David Caird

The couple are featured in the Heinz Beanz exhibition, painted by artist Mason Roberts.

“The very first commercial I did live on television when I first went to Channel 7 was for Heinz in 1957, then I did another one for them in 1975, but is has been a long wait to do number three,” Bert said.

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