Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo’s heartbreaking post: ‘Back to reality’

Aussie star Johnny Ruffo has shared an update on his cancer battle with fans following a romantic getaway with his longtime girlfriend.

Johnny Ruffo has shared a heartbreaking update on his cancer battle following a romantic holiday with his long-time girlfriend.

The Home and Away star, 35, returned from Queenstown, New Zealand, with Tahnee Sims this week to resume his treatment, sharing a picture of himself in a hospital chair on Instagram, captioned: “Back to reality.”

He added three boxing glove emojis to the post.

Ruffo appeared to be staying positive as he prepared to undergo chemotherapy again, smiling at the camera and doing a thumbs-up sign.

Ruffo shared this picture, along with the caption: “Back to reality”. Picture: Instagram

The actor and singer shot to fame as a finalist on the third season of The X Factor in 2011, later starring on Home And Away.

He was first diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017 after seeking medical help for painful migraines.

He’d recently returned from a trip to Queenstown with his girlfriend. Picture: Instagram

The pair shared plenty of photos of their holiday. Picture: Instagram

Ruffo then underwent surgery to remove a seven centimetre brain tumour from his frontal lobe, before undergoing both chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

After his initial diagnosis, the Aussie star went into remission, but revealed to fans in November 2021 that his cancer had returned.

He’s described his partner as his “guardian angel”. Picture: Instagram

Ruffo revealed in August last year that his brain cancer was terminal, admitting to then-host Carrie Bickmore on The Project that he knows “at some point, it’s going to get me.”

“But I’m still fighting, still kicking on,” Ruffo told her in the emotional interview.

“Looking up my diagnosis and my tumour … the average life expectancy was three years.

“And for me, it’s now been five years. I’m already winning. My goal now is to try and help as many people as I can and also live a happy life”.

The singer was not alone while undergoing the chemo treatment, joined by “incredible” girlfriend, who also shared a photo of the moment.

In October, he told The Daily Telegraph that he wasn’t giving up his fight against the brain tumour but had started thinking about death.

Ruffo admitted to the publication that, if that happened, the possibility of not being surrounded by all of his immediate family scared him more than anything.

“I’m scared for my brother, my mum, Dad and Tahnee that they won’t be here with me [when I die],” he told the outlet.

“There is no way my family will all be here. The likelihood of that is [slim]. It would be ideal if everyone was there – not for my sake, but theirs.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Ruffo became emotional when speaking about partner Tahnee, who he described as his “guardian angel”.

“She is living with it as much as I am. She is here with me every step of the way. I’m so very grateful to have her by my side, I don’t know what I would do without her,” he said.

Originally published as Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo’s heartbreaking post: ‘Back to reality’