Richard Wilkins shares heartwarming stories about Olivia Newton-John ahead of her state memorial and reveals why nobody has EVER said a bad word about her
Richard Wilkins has shared some heartwarming stories about his friendship with the late Olivia Newton-John ahead of her state memorial service.
Speaking to Ben Fordham on 2GB Breakfast, the entertainment reporter, 68, revealed that the Physical singer never said no to a fan when it came to taking photos or stopping for a chat.
'She was the real deal,' he said. 'Just a genuine, lovely person. I never heard her say a bad word about anybody.'
Wilkins also said that he never heard anybody in the industry say a bad word about Newton-John either.
'She just attracted goodness because that's what she put out there,' he said.
![Richard Wilkins has shared some heartwarming stories about his friendship with the late Olivia Newton-John ahead of her state memorial service](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/02/26/04/68068289-11791591-Richard_Wilkins_has_shared_some_heartwarming_stories_about_his_f-a-8_1677385343156.jpg)
Richard Wilkins has shared some heartwarming stories about his friendship with the late Olivia Newton-John ahead of her state memorial service
The Today show report even revealed that at times, Olivia would babysit his son Christian, now 27, when he was a child.
The State Memorial Service for the beloved entertainer will be held on February 26.
The memorial will celebrate the Grease star's sixty-years as a recording artist and actress as well as her achievements as an advocate for cancer research.
Olivia was diagnosed with cancer three times in 1992, 2013 and, for a final time, in 2017.
She died in August after a brave and public decades-long battle with the illness.
![An emotional Wilkins was reduced to tears on the Today show and had to be comforted by host Karl Stefanovic following Olivia's death in August](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/02/26/04/61194515-11791591-An_emotional_Wilkins_was_reduced_to_tears_on_the_Today_show_and_-a-9_1677385343261.jpg)
An emotional Wilkins was reduced to tears on the Today show and had to be comforted by host Karl Stefanovic following Olivia's death in August
Following her death, Wilkins burst into tears on the Today show as clips from his final interview with her aired.
Today host Karl Stefanovic left his seat on the panel to comfort his colleague as he wiped away tears.
'I didn't want to do this,' Wilkins wept as he wiped away tears.
'It's alright,' Stefanovic said while hugging the presenter. 'This woman was extraordinary.'
'Dickie, I'm so sorry for your loss,' Stefanovic added.
'It's our loss,' Wilkins replied. 'The world has lost a beautiful human being today.'
!['She was the real deal,' Wilkins said of the late star. 'Just a genuine, lovely person. I never heard her say a bad word about anybody'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/02/26/04/68068315-11791591-_She_was_the_real_deal_Wilkins_said_of_the_late_star_Just_a_genu-a-10_1677385343365.jpg)
'She was the real deal,' Wilkins said of the late star. 'Just a genuine, lovely person. I never heard her say a bad word about anybody'
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