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Patti Newton beamed as she posed for a photo, her arm proudly circling her eldest grandson Sam.
It was a milestone moment, captured on camera, as the proud grandmother celebrated the youngster finishing year 12 at school.
“Bert adored you and so do I,” Patti told Sam – who is the eldest son of Patti and Bert’s daughter Lauren and son-in-law Matt Welsh. “You have achieved so much and deserve your success. You are so special.”
The 81-year-old shared the memory to her Instagram page, where fans couldn’t get over Sam’s likeness to Patti’s son Matthew, who is based in the US.
“Patti couldn’t be more proud of Sam. He’s her first grandchild and to see him so grown up and looking the spit of Matthew has given her a lot of hope for the future,” a source tells Woman’s Day.
“It was a wonderful moment for everyone, but of course Bert wasn’t far from everyone’s minds.
“Patti will never stop missing him and knows he would have been tickled pink to have seen Sam become House President at Xavier [college], where they sent Matthew.”
Indeed, the insider shared more about the moment – which poignantly came almost almost five years on from the day that Bert died aged 83
“It’s now five years of life without Bert and honestly Patti didn’t think she’d be able to get through those early years after his death,” the source shares.
“It’s been difficult picking herself up, but she has six absolutely amazing grandkids to dote on and she just can’t wait to see the next chapters in all their lives.”
Patti is also excited to see what the future holds for son Matthew. The star shot down rumours of a feud between the pair in 2025, telling New Idea, that while her son resides in the States, he “always shares in family celebrations, with video messages and calls”.
“Patti and Matthew aren’t estranged, despite what people make out, and they speak every couple of weeks or whenever there’s family news,” an insider confirms to Woman’s Day, adding that Matthew turns 50 in January and if he doesn’t get back for Christmas, Patti’s hoping to fly out and see him, depending on her health.
“He’s desperate to stay away from the family spotlight and is happy living an anonymous life with his wife in Texas,” the insider adds.
“He’s still writing and directing but getting in front of the camera again is something he’s not interested in.
“It’s a shame because he’s incredibly talented.”
