Cal Wilson thought Chris Woods could be a "great fling". He was the love of her life.

The sudden death of comedian, author and TV personality Cal Wilson in October 2023 rocked the Australian media landscape.

Wilson had been a fixture on Australian TV screens for over two decades, along with being a prominent figure in the Melbourne arts community. The comedian passed away from a short illness, surrounded by family and friends at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.

According to the Daily Mail, Cal was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. She was admitted into the hospital two weeks before her passing, after collapsing while filming The Great Australian Bake Off.

As Cal's friends, family, and her many fans grappled with the tragic news of her passing, attention has turned to Cal's family, her son, Digby, and husband Chris Woods.

In a July interview with Sydney Morning Herald, Cal joked about how she first met her future-husband Chris in a bar in Melbourne in 2003.

"I was getting over a bad relationship at the time and we met at a mutual friend’s gig. I overheard Chris say he was heading overseas in five weeks and I thought, 'He could be a great fling.' Twenty years later we are still together with a 14-year-old son," she said.

It turns out that the pair's chance encounter was no coincidence. "We only learnt later that our mutual friend at the gig had set us up when she heard that I thought Chris was cute," Cal said.

Five years after meeting, Cal and Chris got married in 2008 and welcomed their son in 2009.

The couple celebrated their 15-year anniversary last year.

"Chris is a kind human and a man of his word. He will fill up the car with petrol to make life easier when I am stressed," Cal reflected at the time.

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Friend and fellow comedian Damian Callinan told the ABC that in Wilson's final moments she was "surrounded by love". He said that Cal had "a mystery illness, and they didn't know what it was until it was too late."

The Great Australian Bake Off shared their condolences for the show's presenter Cal, who was in the midst of filming when she was admitted to hospital.

"The Bake Off family is devastated at the news that Cal Wilson has passed away today, surrounded by family and friends, in hospital after a short illness," the show's Instagram page shared.

"Cal was not just brilliant and funny, she was also one of the most welcoming and generous people in the world. She took the role of host seriously, and made the entire shed a place people felt at home."

New Zealand actor, Rhys Darby, also shared a tribute on his Instagram page. “Unbelievable. She was beautiful in every way. An amazing talent, such a quick brain and so much style and taste,” the Flight of the Conchords actor wrote.

Rebel Wilson also wrote about Wilson’s death. “This is so tragic and my heart goes out to Cal’s family,” she wrote.

“I was very very lucky to work with Cal on multiple projects especially over the last few years where she wrote brilliant material for me. She was amazingly talented and amazingly kind.”

Wilson made her TV debut on Skithouse in 2003, before going on to become a recurring personality on shows ranging from Spicks and Specks to Thank God You’re Here and I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!

Tonight, she will be honoured by The Great Australian Bake Off in its season seven premiere.

Feature image: Instagram/@bakeoff.