Uber-composer/producer Andrew Lloyd Webber has prostate cancer. "Andrew is undergoing treatment and expects to be fully back to work before the end of the year," his spokesperson said in a statement.

The mind behind such mega stage musical hits as The Phantom of the Opera and Cats, Lloyd Webber was an American Idol "mentor" in October, 2008 but later said he thought Simon Cowell preferred to "torture" the contestants rather than motivate them.

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• American Idol
• Andrew Lloyd Webber
• cancer
• Simon Cowell
• The Phantom of the Opera