West End star Ben Lewis, who was best known for starring in The Phantom of the Opera, has died aged 46.

The Australian actor’s death was announced overnight by his friend and TV host Todd Woodbridge, who said Lewis was ‘one of the great humans’.

‘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!’ he began.

‘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 worked with.’

He went on to share that they’d shared ‘so many fond memories of holidays together in Scotland, visiting the dressing rooms of Her Majesty’s Theatre in London to times spent

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