Ask Ian Leslie what word best describes his legendary 60 Minutes colleague George Negus, and just one will do.
“Brother,” he says.
Leslie is reflecting on the lasting bond she shared with Negus after learning of his death at age 82 following a long battle with Alzheimer's disease on Tuesday.
“George has been battling dementia for probably three years, and we were all expecting this news, but it was still quite a shock,” he told Daily Mail Australia from his home in Queensland.
'It's a very sad, very sad time. We shared many memories.
Many of these memories are captured on film.
The pair signed up as inaugural reporters – alongside Ray Martin – for Nine's news and current affairs disruptor 60 Minutes when the program debuted in 1979.
Although he admits that he initially expected them to struggle to cover the biggest stories, he soon discovered that there was nothing Negus enjoyed sharing more than a story; whether over a beer, with your audience or even with your colleagues.
Ray Martin, Ian Leslie and George Negus soon became a band of brothers after becoming the inaugural reporters for Nine's 60 Minutes news and current affairs program in 1979.
The team was soon joined by a 'sister', the young reporter Jana Wendt. From left to right: Ray Martin, George Negus (front), Ian Leslie (back) and Wendt
“When we met, I didn’t know what to expect – I’d never met George before, I’d never met Ray,” Leslie recalls.
'I had left the news and, in my experience, there was a very tough, tough competitiveness in newsrooms, in the sense that you were always competing with your colleague.
'But that was completely different on 60 Minutes; we share information, we share our thoughts, we help each other.
“It was like suddenly it felt like I had some new brothers.”
The group of brothers were soon joined by a sister, Jana Wendt, and together they are credited with changing the way Australians saw themselves and the world around them.
“I think it’s fair to say we introduced Australian audiences to the world,” says Leslie.
“Before 60 Minutes, we basically depended on the Americans, the French and the British to bring us the images, the stories, the news and the politics of the world in general.
'But with 60 Minutes, our role was to say, 'Well, let's get Australian journalists to tell these stories through Australian eyes, and let's go out and bring the news to the Australian public.'
Ian Leslie says he was used to struggling to cover big stories in competitive newsrooms
But Negus was always happy to share a story with a colleague – whether over a beer or at work
“It was a very special moment in broadcasting. And I can speak for George and say that we were all very proud to take on this role at that time.
“We feel this deep privilege, you know, that we share with each other.”
Of course, when it came to telling stories through the eyes of Australians, he says Negus was a natural.
“George was an extraordinary storyteller in the sense that he was a man of his words,” says Leslie.
'He was never, ever stuck on one word or one opinion – often very strong opinions.
'Jorge he just had that incredibly curious mind and the ability to absorb details and images and then talk about them to his audience.
'He was a great storyteller and he loved it – he was a man who loved to talk.'
Negus had an innate ability to see – and talk about – the world through 'Australian eyes'
While there have been few occasions where Negus has been left speechless, Leslie jokes that it was usually a technical glitch.
“I remember seeing George in the deserts of Ethiopia trying to do a piece for the camera in the back of a jeep,” he says.
'He was covering a war there, and he remembered all these words to say [on film] but the problem was that, with the force of the wind, no one could hear a single word he said.
“It was one of the only times he was speechless.
'We all laughed about it – it was a good memory.'
As for Negus's impact on the often difficult and turbulent world of television news and current affairs, Leslie has no doubts about his famous colleague's legacy.
“People often ask, 'Why was 60 Minutes a success?' and I have to say, I give George credit for that,” he says.
Negus was rarely at a loss for words… but he was speechless during one memorable story while filming a piece for the camera in the back of a jeep in the Ethiopian desert.
'Of the three of us, George needs to be thanked for propelling 60 Minutes into the high-rated program it has become.
'He was the source of his success because he was very visible and very publicized.
'Ray and I come from more conservative backgrounds, but George… George craned his neck, stuck his head out and said what he wanted to say.
'He had that chemistry, you know? And people thought, 'Wow, who is George Negus?'
'That was the kind of magic he had… that was the kind of man he was – and that put 60 Minutes on the map.'
