Television legend Bert Newton has seemingly shocked fans, after he was captured visiting the site of a soon-to-be built retirement village in Melbourne.
WATCH: Maggie Kirkpatrick accuses Bert Newton of “inappropriate behaviour”
On Friday, the 81-year-old was spotted visiting the site of a new Lendlease retirement community in Richmond – but it’s not what you think.
As it turns out, Bert and wife Patti were special guests at the site of the former Channel 9 Studios on Bendigo Street, which is to be transformed into an over-55s community.
The iconic studios were once the stopping ground of many A-list celebrities back in the day, and it’s where Bert, Patti and pal Graham Kennedy started their TV careers.
Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Patti shared a screengrab of the local news bulletin, which showed herself and hubby Bert attending on the day.
“Bert did a great job at the LendLease launch at the old GTV9 site yesterday. It’s named after Graham Kennedy and they are going to be magnificent,” Patti wrote.
While the Newton matriarch didn’t elaborate on Bert’s exact role, it’s thought his presence was similar to Patti’s role last May, where she shared stories of her time at the studio.
At the time, Patti took guests on a trip down memory lane, where she recalled her 1957 debut in The Tarax Show at the age of 12, which kickstarted her career.
She went on to appear in a host of iconic shows from In Melbourne Tonight, Bandstand and The Graham Kennedy Show, and even met husband Bert at the famed studios.
According to Domain, Yarra council approved the original development plans in 2012, after Lendlease purchased the GTV9 site in 2010 for an estimated $50 million.
The reported $400 million housing community, which features the studio’s iconic red-brick façade and consists of four major precincts, was reportedly 40 per cent complete in January.
The exterior of the building, which is heritage listed, reflects its long history as the Wertheim Piano Factory in 1908, before it became a Heinz factory, and finally GTV9 studios in 1956.
Among the many shows filmed at the studios are Hey Hey It’s Saturday, The Footy Show, Sale of the Century, Family Feud, Temptation and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
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