But while the 2009 reunions rated well and showed there was still an audience for its brand of vaudeville-style comedy and hijinks, the racism row they provoked also demonstrated just how much the world had moved on.

A skit on the talent show segment Red Faces, in which a bunch of performers appeared in black face as the Jackson Jive, outraged guest judge Harry Connick Jr.

Giving the act a score of zero, Connick Jr commented: “I know it was done in humour ... but we have spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that we take it really to heart.”

The same five performers had appeared on the show 20 years earlier with the same act, winning the segment.

In 2021, accusations of racism on the show again flared when Malaysian-born singer Kamahl, who was a frequent guest on Hey Hey over the decades, said “there were a number of instances where I felt humiliated [on the show], but I didn’t want to raise any objections or protest about it. I kept smiling and pretending all was OK.”

He cited in particular a sketch in 1984 in which he was hit with a powder puff doused in white pancake make-up while performing, with an off-camera Blackman quipping, “You’re a real white man now Kamahl, you know that?”

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When Kamahl’s remarks were published, Somers issued a public apology.

“I want to make it clear that I and all members of the Hey Hey team do not condone racism in any form,” he said. “I have always considered Kamahl a friend and supporter of the show, so I deeply regret any hurt felt by him as a result of anything that took place on the program in the past.”

Blackman, however, was unrepentant.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “Kamahl joins the ranks of the Cancel Culture Club – strikes retrospectively at HHIS – a bit like shooting Bambi (or fish in a barrel). Good one Kamahl!”

Blackman returned to radio in 2015 as a presenter on Magic FM.

He had had a benign brain tumour removed in 2008.

In a statement, Blackman’s long-term employer Nine (which also owns this masthead) said he was a “cherished voice” who had “brought joy and laughter into countless homes every weekend”.

“John Blackman’s legacy is one of laughter, dedication, and a profound impact on Australian media,” the statement added.

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