For millions, Chris Rea’s most famous song was the definitive sound of the festive season. His anthem, Driving Home for Christmas, has become a staple of December and a top runner for Christmas number one.

But behind the scenes,Rea fought a lengthy medical battle that left him needing to take 34 pills a day after being diagnosed with cancer aged 33. Since then, the singer has been battling the aftermath of such intensive treatment.

From surviving pancreatic cancer to collapsing in front of thousands of fans, we take a look back at his health struggles over the years.

• Chris Rea's poignant final social media post before sudden death days before Christmas

• Parents gifting Switch, PS5 and Xbox issued alert about 'surprise' bills

The singer's health battle began in 1994 when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 33. At the time, the survival rates were terrifyingly low. To save his life, he underwent a "Whipple procedure," a massive, 14-hour operation that is considered one of the most complex surgeries in modern medicine.

Surgeons removed his pancreas, his duodenum, his gall bladder, his bile duct, and part of his stomach. It left him as a Type 1 diabetic, requiring insulin injections a day and a handful of pills.

He lost significant weight and lived in a state of constant physical management. His health problems made him reassess his career - he never toured America despite his popularity.

"I was never a rock star or pop star and all the illness has been my chance to do what I'd always wanted to do with music," he said.

In 2016, the singer suffered a stroke, though recovered enough to record and tour his 24th album: Road Songs for Lovers.

He described as a “very scary moment... I got it into my head that my perception of pitch had gone with the stroke. And it took a lot of convincing from people saying there’s nothing wrong with what you’re playing.”

He was left with slurred speech and a weakened side, but was determined to continue singing.

However, the physical strain reached a breaking point on December 9, 2017. While performing at the New Theatre Oxford, just a few songs into his set, Rea suddenly slumped and fell backward.

The audience watched in horror as the singer, then 66, was rushed to the hospital in a stable condition.

In his later years, Rea was open about the "horror" of his daily health routine. In a 2020 appearance on an episode of Gone Fishing with Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse, Rea reeled off a list of the medical procedures he'd received in 1994, which he called his "most successful year".

"I've never really got over it," he told the pair, adding that he was having to take "34 pills every day" to keep on top of his health.

Tributes have poured in for Rea after news of his death broke this afternoon.

Addressing his illnesses in another interview, Rea said he "wasn't frightened of dying", and said he used his health battles as inspiration to return to his musical roots - the blues.

"It did look like the end but what got me through was the thought of leaving a record that my two teenage daughters could say: 'That's what Papa did - not the pop stuff, but the blues music. That's what he was about,'" he said.

Announcing Rea's death, a spokesperson for his wife and two children says: "It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris.

"He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family." Rea was long-married to his wife Joan and had two daughters, Josephine and Julia.

• Strictly star to spend Christmas Day alone in heartbreaking admission