Fears For 'Frail' Bert Newton

The TV legend rarely leaves his Melbourne home as he continues to battle a debilitating condition

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When Bert Newton celebrated his 81st birthday last week, his wife Patti, daughter Lauren and the five grandchildren he adores were there to brighten up the day for their beloved Poppy and count their blessings.

The famed former TV host’s health has sharply declined in the past three months, leaving close friends extremely worried about Bert, who has been struggling to overcome a form of anaemia so severe it can leave him unable to stand up.

“He is very weak, very frail and he’s ailing at an alarming rate,” revealed one family friend. “Patti doesn’t even like to leave him alone for more than a couple of hours. She’s been out of her mind with worry for weeks. That’s the real reason she didn’t go to the TV WEEK Logies recently, she couldn’t bear to leave his side.”

The severe form of anaemia Bert suffers from – a condition where there’s a decrease in red blood cells, which lowers the body’s ability to carry oxygen to its tissues – has left him a shell of his former self.