n entertainer Tim Minchin has announced his mother Ros has died after a three-year battle with blood cancer.
‘My mum died yesterday,’ Tim told a stunned audience at his Sydney show on Friday night.
The British-born comedian, 48, had been sharing several stories about his mother and played a variety of songs he had written about her during the show.
During one of his stories, Tim revealed his mum Ros was diagnosed with terminal blood cancer back in 2020.
The Matilda composer received a standing ovation at the end of the show before making the devastating announcement.
Devastating: n entertainer Tim Minchin has announced his mother Ros has died after a three-year battle with blood cancer
‘My mum died yesterday,’ Tim told a stunned audience at his Sydney show on Friday night
He said he decided to go ahead with the show despite the family tragedy before an emotional performance to White Wine in the Sun.
Tim’s voice faltered momentarily as he sang the lyrics: ‘I’ll be seeing my dad, my brother and sisters, my gran and my mum … they’ll be drinking white wine in the sun.’
He then ended the show by asking the audience to help him sing the final song for the night, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
Many audience members praised Tim on sharing such a candid confession.
‘Fifth time seeing Tim Minchin tonight. Absolutely incredible show without question his best! Very emotional ending to the night,’ one person wrote on X.
‘Thank you for (another) great show and being able to do the show after the week you and your family have been through. The last song was a beautiful way to end the show,’ another said.
‘It was one of the most incredible performances ever,’ a third agreed.
Another commented: ‘Thank you for tonight’s show and the very emotional ending. Condolences and much love to you and your family.’
Tim took to social media on Monday with a simple tribute, and a photo of his mum which read: ‘So it goes.’
Tim is an n comedian, actor, writer, musician, poet, composer, and songwriter.
He is the composer and lyricist of the Olivier Award-winning, Tony Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated show Matilda the Musical.
Tim took to social media on Monday with a simple tribute, and a photo of his mum which read: ‘So it goes.’
The star was born to n parents – Ros and David – in Northampton, United Kingdom, and raised in Perth alongside his elder brother, Dan, and two younger sisters, Katie and Nel.
Tim revealed his mum Ros was diagnosed with terminal blood cancer back in 2020.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald in August that year, he told the publication a loved one was awaiting biopsy results to confirm a cancer diagnosis.
He said: ‘In the last two weeks I have lost a very close friend who just very suddenly died, and then a loved one has fallen ill.
‘I’m just trying to get on with it.
‘We’re very lucky that we live in a time where you can all talk to each other on screen. It’s not the same, but it’s a hell of a lot better than throughout history; people have always sailed away knowing they’ll never see anyone again.
‘And without being flippant. I’m so blessed. No one said life got to be exactly as you wanted all the time.’
In November 2020, he gave an update on his mothers health to Rolling Stone magazine: ‘The reason we’re in Perth is because my mum suddenly got very sick out of nowhere, and we all had to rush back because it was looking pretty bad for a moment, although she’s stable for now.
‘And so the COVID thing now [presents] this problem that I have to go back to Sydney, because my kids have school and stuff. But then, when am I going to get to see mum again?
‘Because she, you know, there’s no guarantees she’ll be around for long, and she’s very young. So I guess our whole COVID experience has now been completely overshadowed by this new thing. And I lost a very good friend a couple of weeks before mum got diagnosed so it’s yeah, it’s gone to sh*t.’
Parents: The star was born to n parents – Ros and David (pictured) – in Northampton, United Kingdom, and raised in Perth alongside his elder brother, Dan, and two younger sisters, Katie and Nel
Family: Tim and his wife Sarah, who he married in 2001 and shares a daughter and son with, returned to from Los Angeles in December 2017
Tim previously told The Guardian about the close bond he had with his family while growing up.
He explained: ‘We were taught we were a family, and that we owed each other our dedication, without ever using words like love.
‘Even when I was at uni, aged about 18, my mother would say, ‘You’re not going out this weekend, you’re spending time with us.’ There was no choice. I’m not quite sure why no one rebelled, really, although it was a constant battle.’
Tim and his wife Sarah, who he married in 2001 and shares a daughter and son with, returned to from Los Angeles in December 2017.