Australian singer-actor Johnny Ruffo died on Friday, after a year-long battle with brain cancer. The 35-year-old star shot to fame with the reality show The X Factor Australia in 2011 where he finished third. The very next year, he won the 12th season of the celebrity dance show Dancing with the Stars Australia. He also gained prominence for acting in the popular soap opera Home and Away from 2013 to 2016.

Ruffo was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017 at the age of 28. As per BBC, he underwent rigorous treatment for two years and entered remission. However, his cancer returned in 2020. In August 2022, Ruffo announced that his cancer was terminal. The same year, he released his memoir titled No Finish Line.

Ruffo’s death was announced on his Instagram account.