John Farnham breaks silence after being declared cancer free

The iconic Aussie singer has provided an update on his health a year after undergoing marathon surgery to remove a mouth tumour.

John Farnham has spoken out after doctors declared him “all clear” of cancer a year after he was hospitalised to remove a mouth tumour.

The iconic Aussie singer was diagnosed with throat cancer in August 2022.

He underwent a marathon 12-hour surgery in Melbourne to extract the cancer. Part of his jaw was also removed, followed by reconstructive surgery.

Farnham, 74, has been in and out of rehabilitation care since then including eight weeks of radiation treatment and additional surgical procedures as a result of various complications and issues including infections that appeared over the past year.

Australian singer John Farnham in a scene from the documentary film John Farnham: Finding the Voice.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, Farnham confirmed last month he was formally given confirmation by his medical team that he is “all clear” of cancer.

He continued: “I am the luckiest man I know right now. It’s been a year since my first surgery and to be honest I’ve lost count as to how many other procedures there’s been since then. I’m sure someone’s kept track of them all – let’s just say, there’s been a few. But, I’m home now and I’m a very grateful and happy man. I’m sitting here in my living room lapping up the attention from my beautiful wife, Jill, my boys Rob and James and my mini Schnauzer, Edmund.

John with wife Jill and sons Rob and James. Picture: Supplied

“It’s only now that I can start to appreciate and comprehend, for myself, how many messages of love and support have been sent to me over the past year. I don’t know what to say, other than thank you so very much. It honestly means the world to me. Thank you to everyone who took the time to write and send a message.

“Today is a special day. And I’m going to mark it by having a pizza – because I can! I can’t wait to see what might be next on the menu. Bring on 2024.”

His son Robert revealed his father was cancer free last month during an interview on the Seven Network to discuss the new documentary John Farnham: Finding The Voice.

“He’s doing fantastic. Just the other day he was walking around with his cane and did a little bit of a dance, which was pretty fabulous. He is walking with his dog a lot. He is really, really happy,” he said.