Former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been admitted to hospital with a mystery illness, sparking concern and speculation about his health.
According to multiple sources, Mr Andrews, 53, was admitted to Monash Medical Centre in Clayton several days ago and remains under medical care. The hospital has confirmed that he is in a stable condition.
One source suggested the former Premier may have suffered a stroke, however this has been disputed by others familiar with the situation. Another source described the incident as a “minor medical issue”, insisting Mr Andrews was “fine”.
Mr Andrews, a long-time smoker, has previously acknowledged struggling in recent years to quit the habit, a factor that has drawn renewed attention amid concerns about his health.
He abruptly resigned as Premier of Victoria in September 2023, bringing to an end nearly a decade in office during which he led the state through the Covid-19 pandemic and what became the world’s longest lockdowns.
This is not the first time Mr Andrews has faced serious health challenges. In 2021, he was hospitalised after a severe fall while on holiday at Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. The fall left him with crushed vertebrae, multiple broken ribs and respiratory failure. He was placed in intensive care, required breathing support due to collapsed lungs, and later said he feared he was “going to die” in the moments after the accident. He spent four months undergoing intensive rehabilitation.
Since leaving office, Mr Andrews has largely kept a low public profile. However, he returned to national headlines in September following a controversial private visit to China. During the trip, he attended a military parade in Beijing marking the anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II, an event also attended by leaders including Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.
The visit attracted widespread criticism, including from members of his own political circle. Mr Andrews defended the trip, saying it was an opportunity to engage with regional leaders and reiterating his long-held view that a constructive relationship with China, Australia’s largest trading partner, remains in the national interest.
Among his critics was Victorian Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams, who stressed that Mr Andrews attended the event as a private citizen and said it was not an event she would choose to attend.
Mr Andrews’ hospitalisation also comes just days before he is due to file a defence in ongoing Federal Court proceedings linked to the long-running “bike boy” incident.
Mr Andrews and his wife, Catherine Andrews, are being sued by cyclist Ryan Meuleman over a 2013 collision in Blairgowrie on the Mornington Peninsula that left Mr Meuleman, then aged 15, seriously injured. The case has generated years of legal disputes, investigations and public controversy.
In the latest development, Mr Meuleman has launched defamation proceedings against both Mr and Mrs Andrews. If the matter proceeds to trial and is not settled privately, Mr Andrews is expected to be called to give evidence under oath regarding the circumstances of the crash.
