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Elderly Australians were asked how it feels to watch your friends die. This is what they said.

Some of the oldest Australians have shared what it’s like to outlive all their friends and family and watch their mates die.

A group of centenarians appeared on this week’s episode of ABC’s You Can’t Ask that and answered curly questions, from whether they’re dating to what’s the most remarkable thing that happened to them in more than 100 years of life.

But by far the most affecting question was, “What’s it like to watch all your friends die?”

Listen: Sometimes, it’s beneficial to structure our grief.

The older Australians spoke of the loneliness and heartbreak that comes with a century of life.

Anne Bernstein, 100, said though members of her family had died decades ago, she still mourned them.

“I still grieve for my brother. I still grieve for mum and dad. And it’s (been) 40 years, so you don’t forget.”

She shared that it was still hard to watch friends die.

“Just this week a very good friend went to sleep. She didn’t wake up. And her daughter was so wonderful.”

“She put her arms around me ‘Anne I knew you would be here darling.’ I said, ‘Well, Esther was like one of my own family’.

“When I got to my own room I had a good cry.”

Anne lost her friend recently. (Image via You Can't Ask That.)
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Unsurprisingly, it was the loss of their spouses that caused the most heartache.

"I still love my wife," shared Lindsay Boyd, 100, through tears. "I see her where she was cremated, quite regularly. I might go there and shed a few tears."

"I miss the one who made the most trouble, my first husband," shared 102-year-old former dancer Eileen Kramer. "My second husband never made any trouble at all. We had a very blissful nine years together and I wish he hasn't died."

The group all admitted to feeling lonely and when asked how they made it to be 100 or older, they let viewers know they mostly weren't sure.

Lindsay and Colin lost their wives. (Image via You Can't Ask That.)
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Others offered up their lifestyle habits, such as not smoking and drinking moderately.

"I didn't chase girls," said Dexter Kruger, 106.

Asked when they last had sex, Alf Jarvis, 102, said six months ago and his, ahem, appendage "broke down".

"It was alright one minute and then the next day was like a damp cloth," he said.

However, it had been a lot longer for others, with one man last having sex four years ago and another not since his wife died in 1989.

Irene O'Shea said her husband died in 1953 and implied she hadn't had sex since then.

"I was 37. I had too much to do to miss it. I had two children to bring up so I had no time to miss it."

And as for whether "kids these days have it easier" than they did growing up? A resounding yes.

You can watch You Can't Ask That on iView.

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