Former partner of Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe Ryan Channing dies suddenly in Bali

The younger brother of Ryan Channing, Australian Olympic icon Ian Thorpe’s former partner, is “seeking answers” about the tragic death of his sibling in Bali.

The former partner of top Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe has died in Bali.

Friends have told The Daily Telegraph skincare entrepreneur Ryan Channing died suddenly on the Indonesian island this week.

“Everyone is distraught,” said one close friend, who did not want to be named. “It is just so sad and everyone is shocked.”

The friend said Channing had been “battling health issues” for some time.

Another close friend confirmed the news, saying it “is so incredibly sad”.

Ryan Channing and Ian Thorpe were vocal advocates for the marriage equality campaign. Picture: Instagram

The pair in the Birdcage at the 2017 Melbourne Cup Day. Picture: AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy

It is understood Channing was taken to Bali’s BIMC Hospital on May 8. He is understood to have been staying in Bali’s Seminyak area.

That day, a friend commented on Channing’s Instagram with a heartbroken emoji while another wrote: “RIP beautiful soul”.

Ryan Channing and Ian Thorpe as seen in Instagram posts.

Friends of Mr Channing are shocked by his sudden death.

Channing’s younger brother, Jake, confirmed the death on Instagram while clarifying it “wasn’t covid related”.

“It is with a heavy heart I announce that my brother Ryan has recently passed away on Sunday the 8th of May at 32 years of age,” Jake wrote.

“As we seek answers and try come to terms with the heartbreaking loss of my beautiful big brother, we ask for your prayers, support and privacy, he will be forever loved, never forgotten and forever young.

“To my big brother, I love you, I’ll see you one day soon you’ll be missed more than you know.”

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman confirmed it was assisting the family of an Australian in Bali with funeral arrangements and the repatriation of his body.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian citizen who died in Bali,” he said. “Owing to our privacy obligations we will not comment further.”

A representative for Thorpe said the Olympic great’s “thoughts are with Ryan’s family”.

Channing, 32, was a model and law student before he and Thorpe, 39, began dating in 2015. The pair were vocal through the marriage equality plebiscite and spoke about their desire to become parents together with the help of a surrogate in the US.

He went on to launch a successful skincare business, The Blaq Group, encompassing brands Flight Mode, Blaq and Generation Skin.

Channing, a successful skincare entrepreneur, is being remembered as a “beautiful soul” Picture: Daily Telegraph / Flavio Brancaleone

In June, 2019, Channing confirmed he and Thorpe had split.

“We have just gone our separate ways,” Channing told the Telegraph, a year later becoming engaged to civil engineer Leevon Baptiste. “I have moved out.”

Channing’s last post on Instagram, on which he had more than 21,000 followers, was revealing he had been diagnosed with Covid and had been hospitalised at Sydney’s St Vincent’s on March 10.

Channing and Thorpe parted ways in 2019.

He was a regular on Sydney’s social scene, friends with high profile locals including Tahlia Giumelli, Christian Wilkins and Jono Castano.

Detailing its founder on the Blaq website, Channing’s biography read: “While Blaq Group founder Ryan Channing’s first career was within the law industry, he always had a keen interest in beauty.

“It wasn’t until Channing discovered the instant benefits of activated charcoal during a trip to Japan in 2016 that he felt inspired to make the career switch.

“The launch of the first of his three beauty brands – the activated charcoal-infused range BLAQ – followed. The rest, as they say, is history.”

Originally published as Former partner of Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe Ryan Channing dies suddenly in Bali