Australian TV icon Jeanne Little dead at 82

Flamboyant Australian television entertainer Jeanne Little has died after a battle with Alzheimer’s.

Much-loved television personality Jeanne Little has died, aged 82.

Flamboyant Australian television entertainer Jeanne Little has died, aged 82.

Little, who shot to fame in the 1970s and was well-known for her “hello darlings” catchphrase, had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Her daughter announced her passing on social media overnight.

“My mother has left the earthly plane. This is a huge shock – but I’m so grateful. Love you all my friends. Cheers Mum, to all the fun times,” Katie Little wrote.

Little parties with Molly Meldrum.

Little, who was born in Sydney in 1938, won the Gold Logie for Most Popular Television Personality in 1977 for her work on The Mike Walsh Show, where she started out showcasing her outrageous fashion designs.

She later became a regular guest on The Don Lane Show, Ray Martin’s Midday and later, a panellist on Beauty and the Beast with Steve Zemanek.

Beauty and The Beast panellists Belinda Green, Ita Buttrose, Julia Morris, Stan Zemanek, Carlotta, Charlotte Dawson, Jeanne Little Picture: Regina King

She also toured Australia and the US with a one-woman tribute show to actor Marlene Dietrich, simply title Marlene.

Little, born Jeanne Mitchell, was diagnosed with rapid-onset Alzheimer’s in 2009 and went into a Sydney nursing home two years later, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Little with prime minister Bob Hawke in the 1980s.

In an interview with the Herald Sun in 2018, daughter Katie described her mother as “an iconic piece of Australian culture”.

“She was such an individual and she was so unafraid to be herself,” Katie said.

“She loved dressing up, loved making outfits and loved to entertain. She was a great person and I want more people to celebrate and remember that.”