Virginia Lillye, who was a contestant for Season 9 of The Voice Australia, has passed away from ovarian cancer. She was 56 years old.
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Australian musician Don Spencer announced the tragic news. “I am terribly saddened to hear that the beautiful Virginia Lillye has lost her battle with cancer,” Spencer wrote. “Virginia was not only an amazing talent but one of the loveliest people you could meet. She performed many times to help raise funds for The Australian Children’s Music Foundation.”
The late musician reportedly spent years touring with various major musicians such as Gene Simmons, Gilby Clark and Richie Kotzen.
Lillye signed up for Season 9 of The Voice in 2020 and was part of Boy George’s team. She made it through to the top 20 showdown rounds before being kicked off the show.
Three years after her The Voice run, Lillye was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She then spent the past two years fighting the disease. She is survived by her husband, Julian.
Virginia Lillye Sought to Bring Awareness to Ovarian Cancer
In late 2023, Virginia Lillye spoke to the Daily Mail about ovarian cancer. She pointed out that the disease is a “silent killer” that claims the lives of 1,000 Australians per year.
“It’s a silent cancer that doesn’t make its appearance known until it’s stage three,” she explained. “Ovarian cancer doesn’t get as much attention as other cancers. It’s a sneaky cancer with the symptoms coming on late in the diagnosis.”
She further shared that ovarian cancer usually gets to stage three before it’s diagnosed. “There needs to be more awareness amongst society, and more funds need to be raised to help instigate finding ways to discover earlier diagnosis.”
Recalling how she discovered her ovarian cancer, Lillye said she was on vacation with her husband when she started experiencing severe stomach pains, bloating, and other issues. She was rushed to a nearby hospital for the symptoms.
As the couple was arriving back at their home in Sydney, Australia, they received the devastating phone call about the diagnosis.
Despite her circumstances and other health obstacles along the way, Lillye remained optimistic about her cancer battle.
“My biggest hope for the future is for a full recovery,” she said. “No relapsing and living life to the absolute fullest! Live with no regrets.”