Johnny Ruffo says he’s ‘angry’ about his terminal cancer diagnosis

The embattled Aussie star doesn’t hold back in a new interview, venting anger at his terminal diagnosis – and at a media report about his illness.

Australian singer and actor Johnny Ruffo has given another interview about his ongoing brain cancer battle this week, revealing that despite his positive attitude he is “angry” about his terminal diagnosis.

Former X Factor and Home And Away star Ruffo, who was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2017, opened up about his health issues in a new interview with Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa this morning.

Host Michael “Wippa” Wipfli asked Ruffo if he was “pissed off” about his brain cancer battle.

“I’m definitely not happy about it,” he said, confirming he “definitely” feels robbed by the diagnosis.

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Ruffo during his X Factor days.

Ruffo receiving cancer treatment.

“I’m angry about it; there’s so many emotions that I feel about it. I’m angry. I’m sad. I’m … there’s so many feelings that are just balled up. Sometimes you don’t know what to feel. I’m sad.”

But despite this, Ruffo said there were “still days” of happiness, telling the hosts that he and longtime girlfriend Tahnee Sims try to “find the goodness and joy in every little moment”.

Elsewhere in the interview, Ruffo slammed his former employer Seven for a “stupid” article claiming he had “vowed” to hold on until Christmas so he could see his brother, who will come home from Ireland for the holidays.

Ruffo with partner Tahnee Sims.

“My brother lives in Ireland now so I haven’t seen him for three years and he’s coming home for Christmas and I honestly can’t wait to see him,” Ruffo told the outlet – which then ran the interview with the headline “Terminally ill Johnny Ruffo vows to be alive for emotional Christmas arrival”.

“Some stupid article came out saying that I vow to fight to get to Christmas this year. What a stupid article. Firstly I don’t really have control of what’s going to happen. But I am staying strong you know, I’m doing everything I can. I’m doing everything I can,” he told Fitzy and Wippa.

Ruffo is doing the rounds of Australian media this week as he promotes his new memoir, No Finish Line: The Johnny Ruffo Story. He earlier sat down with Carrie Bickmore for an emotional interview during Monday’s episode of The Project.

Johnny Ruffo on The Project: ‘Positivity doesn’t cure cancer.’

“At some point it will get me, but I’m still fighting, still kicking on,” he told her of his cancer.

“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.”

In the interview, Ruffo also revealed the one piece of advice he cops from wellwishers that drives him mad: “Stay positive.”

“It really annoys me, because positivity doesn’t cure cancer,” he told Bickmore.

“I am the most positive person going round. And I’m like, do you think I’m not being positive? And if I die, it’s because I wasn’t positive?”