George Negus passes away after prolonged struggle with Alzheimer’s.

Newsman George Negus, who passed away at 82 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, will be fondly remembered as an icon of Australian journalism.

His death was announced on Wednesday on social media.

Passionate about covering major stories, Negus once fearlessly questioned Margaret Thatcher about being “pig-headed” and Muammar Gaddafi about being a dictator.

Negus, known for his open-necked shirts and thick moustache, ushered in a new, dynamic, and distinctly Australian era of television journalism.

“Somebody once told me that they believed my greatest contribution to Australian journalism was not wearing a coat and tie in jungles and deserts. So, I took them off,” he said.

Born in Brisbane on March 13, 1942, Negus started off as a high school teacher until his late 20s when he transitioned into journalism.

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He wrote for The Australian and the Australian Financial Review before making his television debut on ABC television’s hard-hitting current affairs program This Day Tonight.

After serving as press secretary for then attorney-general Lionel Murphy during the Whitlam government, he rejoined journalism as one of the original reporters on Nine’s version of America’s 60 Minutes in 1979.

Transitioning to commercial television, Negus emphasized connecting with ordinary Australians.

“It was important to me—many Australians weren’t being treated with the respect they deserved because they watched commercial TV,” he said.

He co-hosted the news and current affairs show for seven years, becoming a ratings hit.

During its peak in the 1980s, a significant portion of the national TV audience tuned in on Sunday evenings.

In later years, Negus became the inaugural host of the ABC international current affairs program Foreign Correspondent, anchoring it from 1992 to 1999. His reporting on global issues, often from conflict zones, made him a household name.

“I might sound a bit highfalutin, but I consider myself an anti-war correspondent,” the seasoned journalist said of his five-decade career.

He took pride in simplifying complex political issues and making them accessible to Australians nationwide.

In 2015, Negus was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia for his significant contributions to journalism, television presenting, and conservation.

Negus also hosted Nine’s Today Show and SBS’s Dateline, was a regular on Ten’s 7pm Project, and fronted two current affairs programs: George Negus Tonight on ABC and 6.30 with George Negus on Ten.

“I’ve always been intrigued by what drives places, people, and especially politics,” he said.

Arguably, his most famous interview was in 1981 with UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, known as “the most powerful woman on the planet.”

With just two of his 20 pre-approved questions asked, Negus went off-script, questioning Thatcher about why the British people perceived her as “plain pig-headed.”

The resulting tense exchange made headlines worldwide.

His irreverent and engaging interviewing style, always delivered with a glint in his eye, was authentically Negus, both on and off the screen.

“People tell me ‘when I meet you, you’re just like you are on TV.’ I reply, ‘no, you’ve got it backwards: on TV, I’m just as I am,’” he said.

“If you think you know me, then you do.”