Shock 24 hours in showbiz with the death of Luke Perry, Keith Flint, Kate Cook

It’s been a brutal 24 hours in the entertainment industry after the deaths of former 90210 star Luke Perry, ex-Australian Idol contestant Kate Cook, and Prodigy frontman Keith Flint.

The world is in shock after three stars from vastly different showbiz backgrounds died within 24 hours.

Beverly Hills 90210 hearthrob Luke Perry passed away early this morning after suffering a massive stroke last week.

The American actor, who also starred in Riverdale, was surrounded by family when he died at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Burbank, California.

Luke Perry got his big break on Beverly Hills 90210. Picture: AP

“(Perry) was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiance Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, stepfather Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends,” his rep said in a statement to Variety.

“The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time.”

He started off in soap operas and voiceover work. Picture: AP

Perry - whose career began in soap operas and voiceover work - was rushed to hospital last Wednesday after emergency services were called to his Sherman Oaks, California home.

He was hospitalised on the same day Fox announced it would reboot Beverly Hills 90210.

The star was previously said to be experiencing “bad back problems”, and in 2015, doctors found precancerous growths in his body when undergoing a colonoscopy.

KATE COOK

Closer to home, Australian Idol alumna and country music star was found dead on Monday morning in bushland at Lowood - about an hour west of Brisbane.

Queensland Police were notified about 7.20pm Sunday night of Cook’s disappearance and began a search.

Reports indicated she had walked off into bushland alone.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances around her death at this stage.

Kate Cook competed on Australian Idol in 2009 and made it into the top six. Picture: Supplied

Tributes poured in from locals and even from the likes of fellow country music star Casey Barnes, lamenting the muso’s passing.

“Absolutely devastated to hear of your passing today Cookie. This is the Kate Cook I remembered and loved,” he wrote on Facebook.

“We were only just talking about trying to organise a 10-year Idol reunion later this year … you were a breath of fresh air and such a beautiful person inside and out.

“Hope you’re up there with your mum now mate. Love ya.”

The former abattoir worker competed on Australian Idol in 2009 and made it into the top six before being eliminated.

She was found dead in bushland about an hour west of Brisbane.

In 2013, she told the Queensland Times she’d grown up surrounded by music.

“Mum always played the guitar and when I was 10 years old she taught me a couple of chords,” she said.

“After that I was always taking the guitar out to the paddock to play, which later developed into a passion for songwriting.”

Cook also credited music with helping her get through tough moments in her life.

“Music has helped heal me during difficult times, so I hope that my music helps do the same for others,” she said.

KEITH FLINT

And in the UK, Prodigy frontman Keith Flint was found dead at his home in Dunmow, Essex, on Monday.

His death comes soon after the band returned from a tour of Australia.

Prodigy co-founder Liam Howlett said in an Instagram post that Flint took his own life over the weekend.

“I’m shell shocked … confused and heart broken,” he wrote.

Prodigy frontman Keith Flint, 49 took his own life. Picture: AP

Police confirmed that the body of a 49-year-old man had been found at a home in Brook Hill, northeast of London, at 8.30am local time Monday.

They said the death was being treated as non-suspicious and a file would be sent to the coroner — standard practice in cases of violent or unexplained deaths.

In a haunting final interview, Flint described himself as a “kind of court jester meets asylum escapee” and discussed his troubled childhood and “dark periods”, The Sun reports.

He said: “I’m not saving up for anything. I’m cashing it all now.

“I’ve always had this thing inside me that, when I’m done, I’ll kill myself.”

Keith added: “The moment I start s*itting the bed is when you’ll see me on the front of a bus.”

The Prodigy had recently returned from a tour of Australia. Picture: AP

If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636. If it is an emergency please call triple-0.

Originally published as Shock 24 hours in showbiz with the death of Luke Perry, Keith Flint, Kate Cook