Who Was Ben Lewis Married To? Meet Melle Stewart- Survived Vaccine Stroke, Had Part Of Skull Removed

The Australian musical theatre industry is mourning the untimely death of actor Ben Lewis, who lost his battle with cancer at age 46. He was best known for playing the ‘Phantom’, aka ‘Eric’, in Phantom of the Opera, the iconic West End production from 2017 to 2018, and its sequel, Love Never Dies. 

The London-born performer took his last breath in Sydney, Australia, leaving behind a grieving family. Lewis’s death was confirmed by his close friend, Tipping Point host Todd Woodbridge, who shared the news on his social media, calling him ‘one of the greats’ in the ‘Australian Musical Theatre family’.

This isn’t the first tragic blow to the Lewis household. Ben’s grieving wife, Melle Stewart, has faced her own challenges, with Ben becoming her primary caregiver before his death. The couple endured years of hardship together but stood the test of time. Here’s everything to know about Melle Stewart.

Who is Ben Lewis’s wife, Melle Stewart? A glimpse into their decades-long love story that began on the stage

Melle Stewart is an Australian actress best known for her roles in Home and Away and stage productions, including Mamma Mia! and Kiss Me, Kate. Her ties with Ben Lewis date back decades, to the late 1990s, when the two were studying at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). After working together in the theatre, both on and off stage, their shared passion for the industry eventually blossomed into a lifelong partnership.

While the exact details of their marriage year remain under wraps, reports suggest that they were already together by the early 2000s, and their first joint photo as a couple reportedly dates back to 2011. Despite being accomplished actors, both Ben and Melle chose to keep their private lives out of the media glare.

Melle Stewart suffered a one-in-a-million medical tragedy

Ben and Melle’s otherwise smooth-sailing love story took a devastating turn during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021, Melle, at just 40 years old, suffered a life-threatening stroke caused by an extremely rare reaction to the AstraZeneca vaccine. Her condition was later identified as Vaccine-Induced Thrombocytopenic Thrombosis (VITT).

The tragedy struck in the middle of the night at their London home when Melle woke up feeling ‘funny’ with weakness on her right side. Within hours, she was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered extensive blood clotting in her brain, which had caused a rare stroke that could prove fatal if not treated immediately.

Melle had an emergency surgery performed on her, having part of her skull removed to relieve the pressure. For several weeks after that, the actress stayed in a coma, followed by months of intensive care. Both Melle's and Ben’s careers took a halt as the latter devoted all of his time to bringing her back to normal.

Surgeons later replaced the part they had removed from Melle’s skull with a metal plate. The actress reportedly spent around nine months in the hospital, during which her industry colleagues conducted a fundraiser. The fundraiser gathered a whopping USD 250,000, which significantly helped the couple during that challenging phase. 

Just before the tragedy, Melle had appeared in the musical, Kiss Me, Kate, in Belfast. Even after recovering from the near-death experience, she sustained ongoing mobility and speech problems, and she was unable to work, let alone return to the stage. In a 2023 interview with 9news.com.au, the Mamma Mia actress said:

"I'm grieving for the theatre and won't dance again. I'm not acting anymore, and I'm grieving all of that, and I have to accept that [...] I was in shock. I was fit, healthy, I had low blood pressure, I was not a smoker, I occasionally drank alcohol [...] My intelligence is fine, my memory is fine, but getting the words out is a struggle.”

Melle has also been an avid reader who used to professionally record audiobooks when she was healthy. Her grieving husband, Lewis, heartbreakingly revealed that after the stroke, “The amount of time it used to take Mel to read a chapter takes Mel to read a page [...] No money will compensate for what Mel has lost.”

Ben Lewis became Melle’s full-time caregiver after the stroke

Throughout Melle’s gruelling ordeal, Ben put his flourishing international career on hold to become her full-time carer. The couple, who had spent ten years in London by then, returned to their homeland in Australia to be closer to their families. Ben helped Melle relearn everyday tasks and regain confidence. Speaking of his wife, the actor later thanked everyone for supporting them in their journey, praising Melle’s strength and resilience through it all. He said:

"Five years ago, when the pandemic hit, we could never have imagined that we would be where we find ourselves today. But the sheer strength and determination that my incredible wife has shown throughout this period has taught me the importance of putting one foot in front of the other, staying as present as you possibly can, and being grateful for all the amazing family and friends that we have in our lives."

Despite the experience, the couple remained pro-vaccination, leaving an inspirational impact on people. In a 2023 interview with 9news.com.au, the couple reflected on their experience and their views on the vaccine. Lewis jokingly remarked:

"Obviously, if you're gonna win a lottery, you'd prefer it was the other one.”

Ben Lewis’s final battle with cancer

The couple was only starting to recover from the tragedy when they received another blow. In February 2024, Ben Lewis was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer. The disease had already spread to his lymph nodes and liver by the time it was discovered. Despite aggressive treatment and a GoFundMe campaign that raised over USD 183,000, Ben’s condition kept worsening.

Ben’s family revealed that by April 2025, scans showed aggressive tumours in his liver, lungs, and pelvis, making surgery impossible. Even after a major surgery and intensive chemotherapy treatment, the cancer continued to spread, and it was considered incurable. Still, Ben’s focus remained on Melle’s future. His family’s statement said:

“In April this year, scans revealed tumours in the liver, lungs and pelvis, too many to remove surgically or treat with radiation. Ben's cancer is now considered incurable. Ben's greatest concern is not for himself — it's for Melle, and that he will be leaving her before their journey is complete.”

The world mourns Ben Lewis

On October 6, 2025, Ben Lewis passed away peacefully, with his wife, Melle, by his side. Tributes have since poured in from across the globe, including Phantom of the Opera composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Producer Cameron Mackintosh described Ben as “a very special and much-loved talent taken far too soon,” while actress Lucy Durack shared, “I hope Kel (Kellie Dickerson) is up there giving Ben a welcome hug.”

After enduring the toughest chapter of her life with Ben by her side, Melle must now find the same strength and optimism to move forward without him, the man who always believed in her. Wishing her courage in this heartbreaking time.

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