Australian TV and radio icon, John Blackman, has passed away at the age of 76 after a long battle with cancer.
Mr Blackman’s media career started in radio in the 1960s, however he was best known for his voiceover work on Channel Nine’s hit show, Hey Hey It’s Saturday.
He was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2018 and underwent surgery at the time to remove part of his jaw. He had bravely battled the insidious disease in the years since.
It’s believed Mr Blackman suffered a heart attack yesterday, before passing away.
Channel Nine entertainment reporter, Richard Wilkins, confirmed the sad news on-air this morning.
“I had the pleasure of working on Hey Hey, many times over the years, and John was an integral part of the family,” he said.
“He was a beautiful performer on radio and television, in recent years, of course, he’s put up this incredible cancer fight.”
Radio host, Derryn Hinch, paid tribute to Mr Blackman following news of his passing today, tweeting, “He handled his illnesses so bravely. We had some huge rows but he was the fastest ad lib man ever. Vale”.
