Dancing with the Stars' Julian Benson dies after lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis

The entertainment world is mourning the loss of Julian Benson, a former dancer, choreographer, and television personality, who has died at the age of 54. His family announced the heartbreaking news on Saturday as they wrote: "Julian passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family and closest friends, after a courageous battle with Cystic Fibrosis. His strength, warmth, and sparkle remained with him until the very end."

Known affectionately as Captain Sparkle for his flamboyant style, Julian became a household name nearly ten years ago as a judge on RTE's Dancing with The Stars, following a successful career in dance spanning decades.

Despite being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis in childhood, Julian kept his condition private until an emotional revelation on The Late Late Show with Ryan Tubridy in 2018. He touched the hearts of the nation when he declared: "I have Cystic Fibrosis, but Cystic Fibrosis doesn't have me."

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Starting his dance journey at the tender age of four, Julian never allowed his illness to dampen his dreams, dedicating over 40 years to becoming a revered icon in the dance community.

Julian's remarkable achievements will be forever immortalised, not least through the opening of Tranquility House a sanctuary offering solace to families of Cystic Fibrosis patients. Featured on Dermot Bannon's "Room to Improve", this project was made possible by donations from over 100 companies and individuals.

His family has expressed heartfelt appreciation for the teams at St Vincent's University Hospital's Cystic Fibrosis and ICU units, Beaumont Hospital's transplant group, the care teams that looked after Julian, contributors to his foundation, and all those who offered their support during his extraordinary life.

Survived by his brother Adrian, sister-in-law Rachel, and treasured nieces and nephew, Julian left an indelible mark.

In memoriam, Larry Bass and ShinAwil said: "We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our wonderful friend Julian Benson. Our very own Captain Sparkle who brought so much joy, brilliance and talent to the .

"His attitude and outlook on life was ever inspiring and will continue to be thanks to his constant effort to better the lives of people around him, especially with the creation of the Julian Benson CF Foundation - his legacy will live on forever. Julian was one of a kind, and will be forever missed. The world lost a bit of sparkle today."

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