Olivia Newton-John: John Travolta leads tributes to his Grease co-star - BBC News
The British-born singer died "peacefully" at her US ranch this morning, surrounded by family and friends.
The star and her husband John Easterling in 2018 during the annual walk to raise funds for the cancer institute Image caption: The star and her husband John Easterling in 2018 during the annual walk to raise funds for the cancer institute

Flags are flying at half-mast outside the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Institute in Melbourne – to which the star gave her name and high profile support.

The facility helps patients live with cancer, focusing on treatment and wellness programmes as well as doing research and clinical trials in the search for cures.

Foundation director Debbie Shiell told ABC Breakfast how proud Newton-John was of the work done there.

"She drove around the corner and saw her name up on the building. She said it was better than any billboard she's ever seen.”

The star was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 – on the same weekend her father died of cancer.

"She was always positive, and she was always hopeful and she gave so much hope to so many people,” Shiell said.

“And it was really important to her that the cancer centre here offer wellness programmes, because she found those wellness programmes like yoga and meditation so helpful to her in her journey, that she wanted to make sure that she could provide those to everybody.

"I think anybody who knows Olivia just knew what a beautiful soul she was and what genuine happiness she exuded. Her visits here in the centre were just so special to the staff here who worked so hard, but also to the patients who are going through so much.

"And just watching her walk into the room, watching her, the faces light up, the joy that she brings to so many people just by being there.

"She was the light at the end of the tunnel for so many people.

"Olivia would sign off a lot of her emails: 'love and light, Olivia'. And she was love and light.

"It was always her dream to see an end of cancer in her lifetime, and she hasn't quite seen that. But certainly that is something we plan to continue on in her name here, and we plan to continue her legacy and to keep her dreams alive.

"We will have memorials, and we will find a way to remember Olivia, but not this morning. This morning, we're just remembering what a wonderful woman she was."