Australian television personality Kerri-Anne Kennerley has confirmed the devastating news her beloved husband, John Kennerley, has passed away. He was 78.
John died at Sydney’s St Vincent’s hospital in Darlinghurst on Wednesday, February 27th.
His death comes three years after he suffered a tragic fall which left him paralysed.
Kerri-Anne Kennerley broke the news via her Instagram page on Thursday morning with a poignant Instagram post.
“It’s with a heavy heart and awful sadness that I let you know that my beautiful husband John passed away last night,” the Studio 10 host revealed alongside a stunning black and white photo from their 1984 wedding day.
“As you all know, John has faced some tremendous challenges over the past few years and with each he has been extraordinarily brave and determined to overcome those hurdles and live a normal life.I want to thank everyone at St Vincent’s Hospital for the beautiful care they have provided to John in his last days.”
The couple were married for over 30 years. (Image: Getty)
Signing off, the beloved television personality revealed her husband of 35 years took his final breath surrounded by the two most important people in his life.
“John passed away peacefully with his son Simon and I by his side. John, you were the love of my life. Xxx,” the 65-year-old explained.
Channel 10, Kerri-Anne’s employer, also released a statement on behalf of Chief Executive Officer, Paul Anderson.
“We would like to offer our deepest sympathies to Kerri-Anne Kennerley and John’s son Simon on the passing of their beloved husband and father John Kennerley.”
“John faced some enormous challenges over the last few years and during this time, Kerri-Anne, in her usual grace and stamina, has shown enormous strength, compassion, love and commitment.”
“Our thoughts are with Kerri-Anne, Simon and their family during this difficult time,” the Network 10 CEO said.
Indeed, John’s world was turned upside down in 2016 when he suffered a life-changing fall which left him paralysed and wheelchair-bound.
In March 2016, the couple were enjoying a night of celebrations at the picturesque Bonville Golf Resort, laughing with friends and posing for photos when John stepped back from the restaurant’s ledge and took a nasty tumble onto the lawn, landing on his head.
The British businessman was placed into an induced coma before being flown to ICU to be treated by specialists at the Royal North Shore Hospital.
See Kerri-Anne’s touching post, in full below. Post continues after…
“Last night John Kennerley – much loved husband of Kerri-Anne – had a fall while attending a golf event in Coffs Harbour,” Kerri-Anne’s manager Sean Anderson said at the time.
“As a result of that fall, John has sustained a serious neck injury.”
“John was placed into an induced coma before being flown this morning to ICU at Royal North Shore Hospital where he is currently being treated by specialists.”
Sadly John’s horrific fall left him with quadriplegia but despite their challenging new circumstances, the couple never let up hope.
KAK also opened up about her husband and the accident that changed their lives forever. “He’s just a remarkable person. He’s unbelievable! He can run a power chair forward he can’t reverse so he can’t push a button, turn a page or feed himself,” she said on the Kyle and Jackie O Show. “So it’s 24-hour care but he’s lucky he’s not ventilated so he can breathe and chew and eat. His talking is about 40 per cent of what he was,” she said. When asked if her husband’s condition would ever improve, she remarked, “To be quite frank, no. When you have quadriplegia – which is a broken spine – his type of injury two-thirds is damaged.” READ NEXT: Kerri-Anne Kennerley on her new kind of normal “He’s just a remarkable person. He’s unbelievable,” KAK said of her husband. (Image: Getty) While you could forgive the couple for being bitter, they never once complained about their situation and continued to conquer their new world with gusto. “We still talk! He’s still got the same intellect, though he gets on some of these drugs and he doesn’t share it about. It’s a really wicked thing to say! I’ll tell you, John and I have had some of the worst jokes because you have to have a sense of humour,” KAK once said. Kerri-Anne and John married at the Sydney Opera House in 1984. A quarter of a century later, they renewed their vows for one another in a romantic ceremony in Port Douglas. In a candid interview with The Weekly in 2006, Kerri-Anne revealed their attempt to start a family had ended in heartbreak after she suffered a miscarriage. “It’s the most terrible thing to have a baby die inside you. It is a source of great sadness,” the talk show queen told us at the time. An unbreakable bond: KAK and John were one of the nation’s most celebrated couples. (Image: Peter Brew-Bevan, exclusive to The Weekly) Kerri-Anne admitted she’d often been judged with a “holier-than-thou prejudice” by others because she wasn’t a mother. “I have lived with assumptions for 13 or 14 years. There are people who are so very maternal and so family-friendly that they discriminate.” “In the back of their minds they think, ‘She prefers to have a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes than pay for her child to go to school’ or ‘She’s too busy to have a baby,'” she said. While she longed to be a mother, the author forged a strong bond with John’s son Simon from a previous relationship. During their incredible marriage, the couple showed unwavering support for one another time and time again, especially during John’s bowel cancer battle and with Kerri-Anne’s fight against breast cancer in 2012. John with their beloved pet pooch Digger. (Image: Instagram) Kerri-Anne’s career has been just as successful as her marriage – from being at the helm of Good Morning Australia for 11 year to hosting Midday and appearing on The Celebrity Apprentice Australia as an adviser, she has become one of the most recognised faces on Australian television. It’s a feat she says never would have been accomplished without her ultimate supporter, John, by her side. In 2017 when Kerri-Anne was inducted into the TV WEEK Logies Hall of Fame, the star paid tribute to her husband, who watched on proudly on from the audience, in an incredibly moving speech which further proved their dedication to one another. “The person who shares this accolade more than anyone else, is my husband John. He been with me for almost the whole circus, up close and personal,” KAK began. “He has seen it all – even liked some of it. He’s been there to push me out of bed at 4am with a cup of coffee. He’s been there when I didn’t think I could do it,” she quipped with her trademark wit. WATCH: KAK’s goose-bump inducting Logies acceptance speech in the player below. Post continues after the video… Her number one fan: Kerri-Anne and John were the life of the party. (Image: Getty) “He was there to party, to celebrate, to commiserate. In the last 13 months it’s been a pretty big learning curve. We’ve learnt things we didn’t want to learn, or have to learn. We have learned darling. And we will continue to learn.” “And in that time, we’ve learned about fabulous medical professionals who not only saved his life but cared for him. Brilliant geniuses in surgery and brains – because I’ve only worked in TV, I don’t know anything about brains!” “I can honestly say I would give away 50 years of this career and incredible experiences and anything else I can think of, just to have you standing right here by my side, holding my hand,” the star continued. What a truly beautiful couple. We’re sending love to Kerri-Anne during this time. Rest In Peace, John: “I can honestly say I would give away 50 years of this career and incredible experiences and anything else I can think of, just to have you standing right here by my side, holding my hand.” (Image: Instagram) The incredible achievement Kerri-Anne’s husband John made after his tragic accident Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s new kind of normal The touching time a fire brigade helped Kerri-Anne Kennerley and her husband Kerri-Anne Kennerley celebrates wedding anniversary with husband John in hospital
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