‘He’s my best friend’: How Blanche d’Alpuget and Leigh Sales shed a tear together as they discussed how she would cope after the death of her husband Bob Hawke
- Mr Hawke died peacefully at home in Sydney on Thursday aged 89
- He was in poor health for months before dying, and his wife spoke of preparing
- Blanche d’Alpuget said Mr Hawke had ‘no fear of death’ in February 2018
- Ms d’Alpuget and Leigh Sales cried as they discussed her life after his death
Bob Hawke’s wife Blanche d’Alpuget shared an emotional moment with interviewer Leigh Sales as they discussed the legendary Australian leader’s death.
Mr Hawke died peacefully at home in Sydney on Thursday aged 89 after serving his country as Prime Minister from 1983 to 1991.
He was in poor health for months before his death, and 7.30 host Leigh Sales spoke to Mr Hawke’s wife Ms d’Alpuget about preparing for his passing in February 2018.
‘He has no fear of death and we’ve talked about it quite a lot. And we’ve talked about his funeral, and what he would like to happen at his funeral. I’ve brought the graves and I’m going ahead and planning that,’ Ms d’Alpuget said.
Bob Hawke’s (left) wife Blanche d’Alpuget (right) shared an emotional moment with interviewer Leigh Sales as they discussed the legendary Australian leader’s death
Sales asked Ms d’Alpuget if she thought she could continue living her life as normal without her husband.
‘With difficulty, Leigh, with difficulty. Oh dear,’ Ms d’Alpuget said before pausing and becoming emotional.
Sales asked Ms d’Alpuget (pictured) if she thought she could continue living her life as normal without her husband
‘I’m sorry,’ Sales said, before Ms d’Alpuget said it was ‘all right’.
Fighting through tears, Ms d’Alpuget said: ‘He’s my best friend’.
‘It strikes me that the flipside of having been so fortunate to have such a great and wonderful love – I’m so sorry that I’ve made you upset … is that later on you just have such intense suffering,’ Sales said, before the tough-as-nails interviewer began to cry herself.
‘That’s right,’ Ms d’Alpuget said.
‘Look at us, what a couple,’ Sales said as both women showed their emotions.
‘And you’re crying!’ Ms d’Alpuget said.
‘Well I’ve brought it on myself by even raising that,’ Sales said.
Sales interrupted her 7.30 show on Thursday night to deliver news of Mr Hawke’s death, and again became emotional.
She halted pre-recorded interviews with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to speak about Mr Hawke.
‘It’s my very sad duty to break the news this evening that the former Australian PM, Bob Hawke, has died aged 89,’ she said.
‘Mr Hawke was Australia’s 23rd prime minister. It’s very difficult to overstate what a giant he is of the Labor Party and of the Labor movement.’
‘With difficulty, Leigh, with difficulty. Oh dear,’ Ms d’Alpuget (pictured with Mr Hawke) said before pausing and becoming emotional
The longest serving Labor Prime Minister suggested his health was getting the better of him in an interview with The Courier-Mail at the end of 2018.
Mr Hawke, speaking at Queensland’s Woodford Folk Festival, gave an honest account when he was asked about if he had plans for the new year.
‘I’ve had my time, just stick around for a little while. [My health has] been terrible,’ Mr Hawke said.
Known for singing Waltzing Matilda, Mr Hawke said he sung his ‘last verse’ in 2018.
Mr Hawke, who had become wheelchair dependent, struggled with ailing health throughout last year.
He was taken by ambulance to Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital for what was reported as ‘the wobbles’ and was also admitted to hospital in July.
Mr Hawke (pictured with Ms d’Alpuget), who had become wheelchair dependent, struggled with ailing health throughout last year