By Shweta Parande

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Theatre actor Ben Lewis died on October 6, 2025, at the age of 46, in Sydney, Australia. The actor, known for the West End production The Phantom of the Opera in London from 2017 to 2018, was suffering from bowel cancer. Australian tennis star and Grand Slam winner Todd Woodbridge, also the host of Tipping Point and a friend of Lewis’, confirmed the news of the actor’s death on his social media. Ben Lewis played the masked Phantom aka Eric in the play The Phantom of the Opera and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies, a sequel. Andrew Lloyd Webber also paid tribute to Ben Lewis on his social media. Ben Lewis leaves behind wife Melle Stewart, who is a stroke patient and he was his only caregiver. Hollywood Legend Robert Redford Dies at 89: Star of ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ and Oscar-Winning Director Passes Away in Utah. Celebs Remember Actor Ben Lewis Todd Woodbridge wrote on Instagram about Ben Lewis, “Today we lost Ben Lewis one my families dearest friends way to young and the Australian Musical Theatre family also lost one of the greats! Ben was a star on stage as Phantom in Love Never Dies and In Phantom of the Opera on the West End.. more importantly he was one of the great humans, funny, caring and a wonderful mentor to all of the people he work with…so many fond memories of holidays together in Scotland, visiting the dressing rooms of Her Majesty’s Theatre in London to times spent at Wimbledon… and our last pic together in late June at our home…sending our love to all the family tonight..” Val Kilmer, ‘Batman Forever’ and ‘Top Gun’ Star, Dies at 65 Due to Pneumonia. Todd Woodbridge Pays Tribute to Actor Ben Lewis – See Post: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Todd Woodbridge (@woodbridge.todd) “My heartfelt condolences go out to his wife and family. Ben Lewis will be sorely missed by his many friends in theatre all over the world,” wrote Andrew Lloyd Webber on Facebook about Ben Lewis. The music composer and impresario also posted images of a special message, where he mentioned first meeting Ben on their play Love Never Dies. Webber also revealed about his son’s death. “My own son Nick died of stomach and bowel cancer,” he wrote. Andrew Lloyd Webber Pays Tribute to Actor Ben Lewis – See Post: Ben Lewis and Melle Stewart’s Tragic Love Story Ben Lewis and Melle Stewart (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons) What makes the passing of Ben Lewis even more tragic is that he was the sole caretaker of his wife and actress Melle Stewart, who had suffered a life-threatening stroke in June 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the health condition, Melle Stewart was reportedly comatose for sometime. Her a part of her skull was removed and later replaced with a metal plate by doctors. The stroke was reportedly a reaction to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, a condition known as Vaccine-Induced Thrombocytopenic Thrombosis (VITT). As Melle Stewart slowly recovered from her stroke, another tragedy struck the couple in February 2024, with Ben Lewis’s bowel cancer diagnosis, which was at an advanced stage and had spread to his lymph nodes and liver. Ben Lewis is survived by Melle Stewart.