Today show star and veteran doctor dies at age 69
A veteran doctor and regular guest on the Today show Dr Ric Gordon has passed away at the age of 69 from pancreatic cancer.
Known for sharing his expertise as an obstetrician and fertility specialist, Dr Gordon became a household name after he delivered the first baby on Australian television.
Upon hearing of his death, veteran radio host and beloved Australian author Wendy Harmer revealed Dr Gordon delivered both her babies even after she and her partner dropped out of IVF.
In a post on X, she wrote, “He was a pioneer in IVF in Australia and gave hope to so many... and was kind and caring professional. Vale.”
Nine News confirmed the “sad news” of Dr Gordon’s passing from pancreatic cancer on Saturday, as presenter Georgie Gardner said “he will be deeply missed”.
Professionally known as Dr Ric Porter, he had previously hosted Nine’s long-running lifestyle hit Good Medicine, which ran for nine years in the 1990s.
Dr Gordon was a part of the team of doctors who delivered the first IVF birth in NSW in 1983, and during his career, he delivered more than 5000 babies, including in 2003 when he safely delivered a baby live on the Today show.
Reflecting on the moment in 2022, Dr Gordon told Today viewers it was an extraordinary moment in television.
“It went so well, it was a great morning and a good outcome,” he said. “The baby cried when it was meant to cry, mum and dad were happy."
The well-known doctor also drew some controversy over his career, including an offensive analogy where he used the Holocaust to explain weight loss on the same breakfast TV program in 2015.
Despite apologising for saying “there were no overweight people in the concentration camps”, his apology was dismissed by many for being “insufficient” and “unsatisfactory”.
Dr Gordon said at the time, “I’m very sorry it upset those people. It was never my intention.”
He added that he had “done a lot of study” on the Holocaust and his comments were merely “used as a medical example”.
Image credits: Today