John Blackman’s wife Cecile is joined by Eddie Maguire, Daryl Somers and Red Symons for the Hey Hey It’s Saturday star’s funeral following harrowing battle with cancer

The who’s who of the Melbourne leisure group stepped out to attend John Blackman’s funeral on Sunday. 

The legendary Hey Hey It is Saturday star handed away from a coronary heart assault at his dwelling on June 4 at age 76. 

The veteran broadcaster had undergone minor surgical procedure the day earlier than to have two pores and skin cancers eliminated. 

Cecile Blackman, his devoted spouse, was joined by a roster of A-list supporters, together with Eddie Maguire, Daryl Somers and Crimson Symons.  

Cecile appeared immaculate in a black pinstripe blazer paired with black trousers and a easy black prime.

She appeared understandably grief-stricken as she greeted well-wishers on the day.

Cecile, who was married to John for 52 years, spoke publicly for the primary time about her husband’s demise earlier this month.

She detailed their valuable closing moments collectively, highlighting the deep bond they shared.

John’s battle with well being points had been ongoing. In 2018, he had his jaw eliminated amid a gruelling struggle with most cancers, and he underwent mind surgical procedure in 2022.

Regardless of these challenges, Cecile revealed it was his coronary heart that finally precipitated his demise. John had been on coronary heart medicine for a few years.

‘I believe his physique simply went “Nuh, I’m sick of this”, he died of a coronary heart assault, there was no signal of most cancers,’ she instructed the Herald Sun.

Cecile detailed Blackman’s final moments as she instructed how he went for a five-hour nap after feeling drained from his minor surgical procedure, however wakened with ‘surprising’ chest ache.

She instantly known as the ambulance however Blackman tragically died earlier than they arrived at their dwelling.

She shared: ‘I took him to the sofa and laid him down and he died simply then, the ambulance arrived in minutes they usually did all the pieces they may, at one stage there have been eight folks right here, however his coronary heart simply stopped beating.’

Cecile mentioned she was grateful Blackman was at dwelling on the time and instructed how she and her daughter Tiffany, born in 1974, got two ‘particular’ hours with him after his passing.

‘They wrapped him up warmly and the funeral parlour folks requested if we wish to spend time privately with him at dwelling,’ she shared.

‘We requested for 2 hours and people two hours shall be embedded in my mind perpetually, they had been so valuable and particular and necessary.’

Cecile additionally mirrored on Blackman’s well being struggles and mentioned he by no means bought an official most cancers prognosis, regardless of having quite a few surgical procedures to take away pores and skin tumours.

The presenter first suffered with extreme case of pores and skin most cancers generally known as a basal cell carcinoma in August 2018.

The ‘actually aggressive’ most cancers was found on a routine journey to his physician to see about an infected pimple.

Later that very same 12 months, Blackman had a 12-hour operation to take away the cancerous development on his mouth, and his jaw was substituted with a portion of his thigh bone.

In January 2024, he instructed how his life modified after the operation, which eliminated the cancerous tumour however meant he could not work in entrance of a microphone once more.

‘After I went to my surgeon to get the outcomes of the take a look at he mentioned, “Look, John, your life goes to alter utterly any longer”,’ he instructed the Herald Solar. 

‘Professionally, financially, emotionally, it’s by no means going to be the identical once more. You’ll by no means work in entrance of a mic once more.’

He bravely instructed how the gruelling operation could not rob him of his well-known sense of humour regardless of altering his profession.

‘Every little thing the surgeon mentioned has come true. Even now speaking to you, it’s painful. I am unable to do what I really like,’ Blackman went on.

‘Fortunately, I nonetheless have my sense of humour, they didn’t take away that.’

Simply years after his first surgical procedure, Blackman confronted a second battle in 2022 when he needed to endure one other life-saving operation on his mind.

One other development had sprouted ‘in a crater’, a results of one of many removing procedures, and had began to maneuver in direction of his mind.

Blackman admitted the most cancers may have ‘killed’ him and he had a six-hour surgical procedure to take away the ‘aggressive’ tumour, leaving him with a titanium mesh plate in his head.

‘That was the one that would have truly killed me, as a result of it was a really aggressive most cancers (Squamous Cell Carcinoma) that was rising proper on the highest of my noggin,’ he mentioned.

The legendary broadcaster had a massively profitable radio profession spanning round 50 years, however was greatest identified for his character voices on the long-running selection TV present Hey Hey It is Saturday.

Blackman first began his profession within the media again in 1969 and went on to turn into a family title on Australia’s airwaves.

He went from working in gross sales to launching his radio profession on the age of twenty-two and first labored at 2GN Goulburn as an announcer, newsreader, copy author and salesman.

Blackman went on to safe a gig at 2CA Canberra earlier than becoming a member of 3AW in Melbourne as a night announcer alongside Reverend Alex Kenworthy on Nightline.

He later moved to Sydney and labored as a workers continuity announcer and daytime newsreader at Nationwide 9 Information’ program TCN-9.

Then got here his well-known transfer to Hey Hey It is Saturday, the place he labored as an announcer and doing the character voices on the present for its whole 28-year run. 

Blackman turned well-known for his rapid-fire wit, unimaginable sense of humour and hilarious punchlines.

He voiced legendary characters together with Angel, Mrs Macgillicuddy, Alfred Desk Mike and Charlie Who, amongst many extra, as he gained over legions of followers.

The long-running program was on screens from 1971 till 1999, and went on to have a string of transient relaunches within the early noughties, which Blackman returned for.

Blackman additionally lent his well-known voice to the Hey Hey It is 100 Years particular, which aired in Victoria and South Australia in April 2022.

Hey Hey It is Saturday was hit by controversy in recent times when Kandiah ‘Kamahl’ Kamalesvaran claimed he was focused by a sequence of racist jokes on this system.

He mentioned essentially the most offensive skit occurred in 1984 when a stage hand coated his face in white powder earlier than presenter Blackman known as out off-screen: ‘You are an actual white man now, Kamahl, that?’ 

Blackman was additionally well-known for his position as a breakfast present presenter on 3AW alongside Bruce Mansfield, in what was thought-about to be certainly one of Australia’s most profitable radio pairings. 

After leaving 3AW, he had a seven-year hiatus from radio earlier than returning to 3AK Melbourne as a breakfast present host alongside Anna Pinkus and Denis Donoghue.

Blackman additionally went on to characteristic on a string of panel exhibits together with Household Feud, Blankety Blanks and Character Squares.

His different radio highlights included engaged on Triple M Adelaide, MAGIC 12778 and Coodabeen Champions on 3UZ.