Hugh Jackman pays emotional tribute to Olivia Newton-John after cancer update

6 August 2019, 12:05 | Updated: 14 October 2020, 22:21

Hugh Jackman has paid an emotional tribute to his friend Olivia Newton-John after the 70-year-old star revealed she wasn't sure how long she has left to live.

The Greatest Showman star sent a tribute video to the Grease actress from his The Man, The Music, The Show gig at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena.

Along with a crowd of 15,000 people, 50-year-old Hugh recorded a short video clip.

Filming himself in front of the audience, Hugh said: "Hi Olivia, it's Hugh, with 15,000 of your closest friends and family.

"Listen, you are the most amazing person, the most amazing mum, the most amazing ambassador, singer and dancer. We just love you."

11 amazing facts about Olivia Newton-John

Olivia spoke to 60 Minutes where she revealed: "When you're given a cancer diagnosis or a scary illness diagnosis, you are suddenly given a possibility of a time limit.

"If you believe the statistics, you're going to make them happen. If somebody tells you, 'You have six months to live', very possibly you will - because you believe that."

In January, Olivia was forced to deny she was "at death's door".

In a Twitter post, Olivia said: "Happy New Year everyone, this is Olivia Newton-John and I just want to say that the rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated, to quote a very famous quote.

"And I am doing great and want to wish all of you the happiest, healthiest 2019 as possible and thank you all for your wonderful love and support for me and for my Olivia Newton-John cancer wellness centre in Melbourne, Australia."

The 70-year-old Australian singer was diagnosed with cancer for the third time in 2017, after she was successfully cured of in both 1992 and 2013.

Olivia currently has stage four cancer, and has said she refuses to see the illness as a fight.

"It's something that I'm living with, but I don't see it that way. It's a choice. Everything's a choice," she said.

"I see it as something in my body that I'm getting rid of. I don't talk about a battle or a war. I let it go and tell it to leave and talk to my body and tell it to heal itself."