{"id":12310,"date":"2025-10-07T18:57:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T18:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xstorynews.com\/?p=12310"},"modified":"2025-10-07T18:57:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T18:57:12","slug":"with-heavy-hearts-we-announce-the-passing-of-this-beloved-actor-he-just-died-from-bowel-cancer-at-the-age-of-46-%f0%9f%92%94","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xstorynews.com\/?p=12310","title":{"rendered":"With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of this beloved actor. He just died from bowel cancer at the age of 46 \ud83d\udc94"},"content":{"rendered":"

The theater world is mourning.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Ben Lewis, the West End star best known for his roles in\u00a0The Phantom of the Opera<\/em>\u00a0and Andrew Lloyd Webber\u2019s\u00a0Love Never Dies<\/em>, has died.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The Australian actor passed away at 46, after a battle with bowel cancer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the greats\u201d<\/h2>\n

The sad news was shared on Instagram on Monday, October 6, by his friend and Australian TV host Todd Woodbridge, who described Lewis as \u201cone of the greats.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen was a star on stage as Phantom\u2026in\u00a0Phantom of the Opera<\/em>\u00a0on the West End,\u201d Woodbridge wrote. \u201cMore importantly he was one of the great humans, funny, caring, and a wonderful mentor to all of the people he work[ed] with.\u201d<\/p>\n

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GoFundMe<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Woodbridge reminisced about the times they spent together, saying, \u201cSo many fond memories of holidays together in Scotland, visiting the dressing rooms of Her Majesty\u2019s Theatre in London, to times spent at Wimbledon.\u201d He concluded, \u201cSending our love to all the family tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diagnosed in 2024<\/h2>\n

Lewis was diagnosed with bowel cancer in February 2024, which was declared incurable, according to a GoFundMe page set up to support his family.<\/p>\n

After undergoing major surgery to remove the primary tumor, he started an intensive course of chemotherapy. Despite his determination and resilience, the cancer was aggressive and resistant to the treatment.<\/p>\n

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In April, scans showed tumors had spread to his liver, lungs, and pelvis \u2014 too numerous to be removed through surgery or treated with radiation.<\/p>\n

Born into a family of classically-trained opera singers in London, Ben studied vocal performance at London\u2019s Royal College of Music and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. His early career included stage appearances in Sydney in\u00a0Urinetown<\/em>,\u00a0A Little Night Music<\/em>, and\u00a0Priscilla, Queen of the Desert<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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In 2011, Lewis starred in the original Australian production of\u00a0Love Never Dies<\/em>, the sequel to\u00a0The Phantom of the Opera<\/em>, and reprised the iconic Phantom role in London\u2019s West End in 2017 and 2018.<\/p>\n

He won the Judith Johnson Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical at the Sydney Theatre Awards for\u00a0Love Never Dies<\/em>, with the production later filmed by Universal.<\/p>\n

Primary caregiver for his wife<\/h2>\n

What make Ben\u2019s story even more heartbreaking is that he was also the primary caregiver for his beloved wife, Australian actress Melle Stewart. In 2021, at just 40 years old, Melle suffered a life-changing stroke caused by the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.<\/p>\n

This devastating event led to Melle spending nearly nine months in the hospital. From that day on, Ben stayed by Melle\u2019s side every step of the way as she continued her long rehabilitation journey.<\/p>\n

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GoFundMe<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lewis is survived by his wife and his extended family. Ben Lewis\u2019s performances on the West End and in Australia left a lasting mark on audiences and colleagues alike.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Though gone too soon, his legacy on stage and in the hearts of fans will never be forgotten.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The theater world is mourning. Ben Lewis, the West End star best known for his roles in\u00a0The Phantom of the Opera\u00a0and Andrew Lloyd Webber\u2019s\u00a0Love Never Dies, has… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":false,"total_views":0,"today_views":0},"yoast_head":"\nWith heavy hearts, we announce the passing of this beloved actor. 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