Legendary sports broadcaster Darrell Eastlake has died at the age of 75 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease .
The Nine Network, where Eastlake worked and called rugby league games for many years, announced the sad news on Thursday on The Today Show, revealing he had passed away at a nursing home on the NSW central coast.
The former Wide World of Sports commentator had been battling Alzheimer’s disease and emphysema for the past eight years.
Eastlake was perhaps most famous for his State of Origin calls and his commentary of the weightlifting at the 1982 Commonwealth Games. He worked for the Nine Network from 1982 until his retirement in 2005.
He enjoyed a high profile career in the media and was well known for his trademark booming voice on screen and radio. While he was hugely popular, he caused a stir at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games when he was famously removed from the commentary floor for his over-excited delivery.
Eastlake recently appeared on an episode of A Current Affair in 2016 alongside his beloved wife, Julie.
She opened up on his debilitating health at the time, revealing her heartbreak at watching her husband suffer and “fade” before her eyes.
“If he falls I can’t pick him up – and he has fallen so many times,” she explained on the show. “He gets very down because he thinks he’s forgotten, but he’s not forgotten, he’s really and truly not.
https://youtu.be/FZaG1cRjTK4
“I do a lot of crying when I leave the nursing home,” she added. “I sit here and say to myself, ‘where’s my man gone?'”
Tributes have begun pouring in for Eastlake on social media, as fans and friends share their memories from his incredible career. Singer and stage performer David Campbell tweeted: “So sad to hear about Darrell Eastlake. Grew up watching him. A big personality. RIP.”
While The Today Show’s Trevor Long added: “Sad news, Big Darrell Eastlake had died… he was the voice of sport for me as a kid, the Origin, and most importantly for me #F1 Thoughts with his family and friends…”
Elsewhere radio star Higgo added: “REST IN PEACE DARRELL EASTLAKE, HO HO Ho HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE MAN. I had to pay my respects in caps because I can still hear his voice whenever I see his name. What a legend.”