Australian political commentator Bob Ellis is suffering from liver cancer, recently announcing he may only have weeks to live.
“I may have months to live but it is more like weeks,” he said.
Ellis has been undergoing tests on his liver in Mona Vale Hospital over the weekend, writing that things looked “ominous”.
Despite illness, he said he would continue working on his "political fiction", titled "Abbott: The Worst Three Hundred Days".
The news from Ellis - the author of over 20 books and 500 political speeches for Labor leaders including Bob Carr, Paul Keating and Kim Beazley – has been met with despair from his fans.
“Didn’t think I would tear up but I have,” wrote Geoff, while Michael posted that “we rely on you”.
“I had hoped you’d live to be at least a hundred,” he wrote.
“And I still hope!”
The news has also drawn response from fellow commentator Derryn Hinch, who underwent a liver transplant in 2011.
Ellis - previously described as a "ruffled figure" - has also written more than 55 screenplays and spoke to the SBS Movie Show in 1988 about his work.
