above: Ben with the star of The Boy from Oz, Hugh Jackman

Heartbreak High creator and producer Ben Gannon has died at his home in Sydney's eastern suburb of Tamarama after a long battle with cancer.

Aged 54, his 30-year career spanned television, theatre and cinema. As well as bringing us Heartbreak High, Ben's credits include the smash hit Broadway musical The Boy From Oz, The Heartbreak Kid, Head Start and The Man Who Sued God.

Recently, Ben completed a hugely successful arena tour of his musical, starring Hugh Jackman. He was hospitalised for liver cancer before opening The Boy From Oz in New York in 2003.

In 2004, I was fortunate enough to have met Ben in London, where he spoke with me about his career, and Heartbreak High in particular:

"I look for things that appeal to me personally, and find that I'm much more successful when I do something that I would actually want to watch, rather than saying just I'm going to make all this stuff because there's a demand for it."

It's a testament to his success as a producer that eight years after Heartbreak wrapped production, viewers worldwide continue to enjoy his work. My thoughts are with his friends and family.

External Links:
Boy From Oz Producer dies
Jackman pays tribute to producer
Cancer claims top producer