Patti's public breakdown

The doting grandmother could barely hold back the tears on a day out in Melbourne

Not even a catch-up with her beloved grandchildren, 17-month-old Perla, and Monty, four, could make Australian legend Patti Newton’s worries disappear.

Last week, the usually jovial 75-year-old was seen out in Melbourne looking downcast, with witnesses telling Woman’s Day the star, who has enjoyed a 45-year marriage to her TV icon husband Bert Newton, looked as if she was holding back tears.

“She appeared noticeably glum, not her usual self, that’s for sure,” a passerby tells. “Something was definitely getting her down, she was trying her best to attend to the kids, but she just looked sad and as if she was about to cry.”