Australian TV legend Bert Newton has spoken out about his controversial comments during Sunday night’s Logie Awards on the Gold Coast.
Newton divided audiences with a speech he made when he took to the stage to present an award. He referred to himself as an “old poof” and made jokes many thought were offensive to the late Graham Kennedy.
Newton addressed the comments speaking to reporters at Melbourne Airport on Monday afternoon, 9News reported.
“Well, I thought it went very well until after the show when I looked at comments on social media,” he said. “I never set out to offend anybody, and I think it’s well known in the industry that I don’t prepare material… I just go for it.
“If I did offend anyone, I apologise. But I can’t promise I wouldn’t do it again.”
The 79-year-old defended his use of the term “old poof”, and said he has supported the gay community throughout his career. “It was never meant in any sexual way,” he said, adding his use of the phrase shows he’s not “one of the newbies”.
The veteran’s wife, Patti, said she thought he had done “wonderfully”. “Social media is social media. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not,” she said.
Host Dave Hughes also set tongues wagging with a cheeky opening number that pointed fun at everyone from Barnaby Joyce to Don Burke and Lisa Wilkinson.
The comedian, known for his work on radio and TV, went to town as he roasted anybody and everybody in Australia’s public eye. One of the first people oh Hughes’ hit list was Today star Karl Stefanovic, who caused outrage earlier this year when he was caught gossiping about his co-stars in an Uber.
“Karl it’s okay, you shouldn’t have been bitching about your work colleagues, I’m sure Georgie’s very happy with it,” Hughes told the audience. “Still on the fence Georgie or did you take a pail off and hit him in the head with it? Can you imagine Karl and his brother in the bunk beds at home as kids just talking smack about Mum? She’s outside the door going, ‘I can hear you d***heads.”