George Negus: Legendary Australian journalist dies aged 82 after battle with Alzheimer's disease

The veteran TV reporter was best known to Aussie audiences for presenting the hard-hitting investigation show 60 Minutes throughout the 1970s and 80s, as well as serving as a correspondent on Dateline. His family confirmed that he “passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones”.

They said in a statement: “Despite the challenges diseases like Alzheimer’s inflict on families, we still shared beautiful times, laughter and happiness together in recent times. We also learnt a lot.”

His son Ned previously revealed on social media that his father had been diagnosed with the progressive condition five years earlier and had recently become non-verbal as a result of it.

One of Negus’ most famous moments on screen came when he clashed with former prime Minister of the UK Margaret Thatcher. After telling the Iron Lady that “people stop us in the street and tell us Margaret Thatcher isn’t just inflexible, she isn’t just single-minded, on occasions she’s plain pig-headed”, Thatcher prodded at Negus to tell her exactly who had said that and where.

Tributes have been paid to the well-respected journalist. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “George Negus was a giant of Australian journalism. His courage, curiosity and integrity gave millions of Australians a sense of the big issues on 60 Minutes, and a window to the world through Foreign Correspondent.

“George sought and served the truth with steely determination and a twinkle in his eye, and along the way, he made even the smallest TV screen feel that much bigger. He was a wonderful human being and his loss will be deeply felt by so many Australians. We offer his family the heartfelt condolences of our nation. May he rest in peace.”

Close friend and former colleague Kerry O’Brien added: “I think one of George’s great strengths for television was that the person you saw in the frame was an exact replica of the man.”