This is indeed sad news to start a day with. Andy Whitfield, who played the lead role in the hit TV series Spartacus: Blood & Sand died at his home in Sydney, Australia at the age of 39.

Whitfield was diagnosed 18 months ago with Lymphoma and was forced to leave the show to receive treatment in New Zealand, but when his condition grew gradually worse his role was taken over by another actor for the second series.

His manager Sam Maydew spoke to the press: , (if the following statement doesn’t give you even a tiny hint of a lump in your throat you are clinically dead).

“On a beautiful sunny Sydney spring morning, surrounded by his family, in the arms of his loving wife, our beautiful young warrior Andy Whitfield lost his 18 month battle with lymphoma cancer,” Whitfield’s wife Vashti said in a statement. “He passed peacefully surrounded by love. Thank you to all his fans whose love and support have help carry him to this point. He will be remembered as the inspiring, courageous and gentle man, father and husband he was.”