Home and Away actor and singer Johnny Ruffo dies, aged 35

His death was announced in a statement posted on his official Instagram account that read: "It is with a heavy heart that today we had to farewell our beloved Johnny."

The statement added that he had been surrounded by his partner Tahnee and family and that he "went peacefully with the support of some incredible Nurses and Doctors".

It continued: "He was a very talented, charming and sometimes cheeky boy. Johnny was very determined and had a strong will. He battled all the way to the end and fought as hard as he could. Such a beautiful soul with so much more to give.

"We all love you Johnny and will remember you for all the joy you brought to our lives."

Ruffo first found fame as a contestant on The X Factor Australia, making it to the final of the third season of the reality series in 2011.

He had more reality TV success the following year when he won the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars Australia, before joining the cast of Home and Away in 2013.

He went on to play Chris for three years – appearing in over 300 episodes in that time – while he later starred in six episodes of Neighbours in 2020, playing Owen Campbell.

He also released several singles, the first of which was titled On Top and peaked at 14 in the Australian charts.

His final track Let's Get Lost was released in 2021, and he explained at the time that it had been inspired by his experiences with medication and chemotherapy.

A joint statement released by Home and Away and Channel 7 – the network on which it airs – paid tribute to Ruffo with an Instagram post calling him a "talented and charismatic performer".

It added that he was "born to entertain and brought joy to the lives of so many on and off the screen" and said that his "infectious energy and big heart will be missed by all who had the privilege to know him".