Ross Kerridge has revealed the extent of his illness, which forced him to temporarily step down from his prominent role last month.

The Newcastle Lord Mayor announced in October a “serious medical condition”, that required ongoing treatment, would keep him out of action until early 2026.

At the time, he also requested privacy to deal with the personal matter with his family.

But, after some confusion in the community and a wide variety of inuendo about his health, Cr Kerridge took to social media at the weekend to set the record straight.

“Unfortunately, there have been some wild rumours about the diagnosis, comments that I was MIA, or I was inappropriately taking leave,” he said.

“In late September, I had a ‘routine’ scan of my lower back, following up on an old injury.

“Ironically,

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