Her most personal INTERVIEWEVER!

FROM BERT TO MATTHEW, NOTHING IS OFF THE TABLE

- By Melissa Field

Patti Newton will turn 80 on February 4 – and it’s clear that, when New Idea catches up with the iconic Australian entertainer, she’s in the mood to set a few things straight about her life. From the outset, when we chat about plans for her milestone birthday, Patti explains her eldest child, Matthew, 48, will definitely be part of the celebrations. “There’s no feud going on,” Patti says.

While Matthew, who’s based in the US, is unlikely to return to Australia for her birthday, Patti will speak to him on the phone – and she does so regularly. “He’s been in America for quite a long time, where he’s writing and working on scripts, but we talk frequently and he always shares in family celebrations, with video messages and calls,” Patti explains.

“He just had his birthday in January – and his wife Cat’s birthday is at the end of February – so we’ll catch up on those special days, too.”

Patti adds: “I’m always sending him photos and videos of things that are happening with the family.”

She says that any suggestion Matthew is estranged from his Melbourne-based family is “nonsense”. “He’s happy in the US and he’s having a good time there,” Patti explains. “I think he’s better off where he is, to be honest. All his dad Bert [Newton] and I ever wanted was for him to be happy – and he is.”