Andrew Lloyd Webber has paid tribute to West End star Ben Lewis.
Lewis, the Australian actor who played the title role in The Phantom of the Opera in London’s West End, died today of bowel cancer in Sydney. He was 46.
“My heartfelt condolences go out to his wife and family,” Lloyd Webber shared. “Ben Lewis will be sorely missed by his many friends in theatre all over the world.”
The musical theatre impresario went on to detail his own personal reasons for taking the loss hard.
“I felt a personal connection with Ben’s horrible cause of death,” he explained. “My own son Nick died of stomach and bowel cancer. Had he lived, he would have been the same age as Ben when he so tragically died.
“These dreadful stomach and bowel cancers are increasingly afflicting young men who are ever more often being taken from us so cruelly, so early.”
His death was announced on Instagram by his friend, Australian TV presenter and former tennis player Todd Woodbridge.
“Today we lost Ben Lewis, one of my family’s dearest friends, way too young, and the Australian musical theatre family also lost one of the greats. Ben was funny, caring and a wonderful mentor to all of the people he worked with.”
Lewis was diagnosed with bowel cancer in February 2024. He is survived by his wife, Australian actor Melle Stewart.
