Dean Franklin, 36, a former contestant on The Voice UK, died Feb. 7, his mother Marie confirmed. Weeks earlier he had revealed a December diagnosis of stage 4 esophageal cancer and publicly shared details of his treatment and palliative care.
Family statement and tributes
Franklin’s mother, Marie, announced his death in a Feb. 8 Facebook post, saying the family was “truly heartbroken” and that her “precious boy Dean Franklin who fought so courageously over 8 weeks and 3 days passed over at 21.39pm last night. He was surrounded by love.” The post included a photograph of family members holding his hand as he lay in a hospital bed.
Marie added that the family would share more when able and thanked supporters for the messages of love and support.
His former coach on The Voice UK, Paloma Faith, paid tribute on her Instagram Stories, writing: “Such a talented and beautiful soul. My heart goes out to your family and particularly your very loved daughter. Xxxx rip.”
Illness, final messages and career
Franklin, who competed on season 5 of The Voice UK in 2016 and had earlier worked as a busker, announced his diagnosis in late December. In a Jan. 30 Instagram video, he described how the cancer had spread and explained that he was in palliative care while continuing treatment.
“Over the last few weeks, my life has changed very fast,” he said. “What started as esophageal cancer ended up spreading aggressively to my liver and weirdly, I had almost no symptoms from the esophagus itself.”
“Right now, I’m in palliative care while still continuing treatment,” he added. “I’ve chosen to keep fighting with chemo even though it has been incredibly tough.”
He urged others to heed changes in their bodies and to seek early checks: “Please listen to your body… push for answers, don’t ignore changes and early checks really, really, really do matter.”
Legacy
Fans, fellow musicians and members of the British music community expressed sorrow at his passing. Franklin’s openness about his diagnosis and his message about the importance of early checks were among the final notes he shared publicly.
The family has asked for privacy as they grieve and said they will provide further information when they are able.
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