TV personality Ian Fairweather remembered as 'talented, brilliant man'

Tributes are flowing for personality and presenter Ian Fairweather following his death. He achieved prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, especially through the popular children's program Here's Humphrey. A family spokesperson says the 86-year-old died at Gosford Hospital in New South Wales due to complications after a fall. Adelaide television personality Ian Fairweather, who has died at the age of 86, is being remembered as a "wonderful man" who lived life to the full. Fairweather achieved prominence in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s at Channel Nine, where he worked on shows including the hugely popular children's program Here's Humphrey. He was also at times a presenter, and his on-screen appearances made his face recognisable to a generation of viewers. A family spokesperson confirmed Fairweather died on Thursday morning at Gosford Hospital in New South Wales due to complications after a fall. "He was an incredible person who led an incredible life," the spokesperson said in an online tribute. Former colleague Penni Hamilton-Smith first met Fairweather while she was a young actress in 1970, and described him as someone who was "kind, considerate [and] always helping young performers". Smith, who worked with Fairweather for two decades, told 891 ABC Adelaide that she would cherish memories of his "delicious, wicked sense of humour". "We've just lost the most gorgeous, wonderful, talented, brilliant man," she said. "We had a thoroughly good time for a number of years. "As he got older, his face wrinkled into a smile because he was such a happy person — he was always confident, always happy, always thinking good thoughts about people." Hamilton-Smith said Fairweather had spent his final years living in the New South Wales' Central Coast region, after making his start in television in 1959. She said regardless of whether he appeared on screen or was behind the scenes, Fairweather stamped his personality on his work. "Ian was the one that made the character come alive, he was the one that made the program come alive," Ms Hamilton-Smith said. "He lived a full life, and he helped a lot of people along the way, and brought a lot of joy to a lot of people." Among those people was Hamilton-Smith herself, who was proud to say she had honoured him by bestowing his name upon her own son. "My son was born and Ian said to me, 'If you name him after me I'll give you $100' — so I did. I'm not kidding you. He had his own name, and then 'Ian Fairweather' and then his surname," she said. "When I rang Ian up and said, 'I've done it', he said, 'You've done what?' and I said, 'I've named him after you'." Smith ruefully joked that "he never gave me that hundred bucks".