It's with great sadness that we comment on the passing of one of the most prolific and celebrated film critics of our time. Roger Ebert, the Pulitzer Prize winning writer, famed for his thumbs up/thumbs down reviews, has died today aged 70, after an ongoing battle with cancer.

Having suffered a recent relapse, something which he made reference to on his blog earlier in the week, Ebert sadly passed at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago earlier today.

Already, Twitter is alight with a constant influx of touching tributes to the writer who managed without agenda to touch the hearts of his countless fans.

Ebert is most known for his film writing with the Chicago Sun Times, a post he has held since 1967. Marking him as the man with the most influential thumbs in showbiz, he was also highly regarded for his hugely popular TV shows, co-hosted first with Gene Siskel and then Richard Roeper.

Ebert had struggled with his health for a number of years, most notably losing his ability to speak after undergoing a series of cancer operations which resulted in the removal of a portion of his jaw in 2006. In spite of these life-altering difficulties, Ebert never gave up his work. So compelled to continue critiquing film was this man, he even returned to television in the latter years of his life where he invited other guests on board to read aloud his reviews. Talk about triumphing in the face of adversity.

Of course what's most discussed when Roger Ebert's name comes up is the rare feat he achieved when becoming the first film critic to receive a Pulitzer Prize, back in 1975. No stranger to firsts, Ebert went on to become the first film critic to earn themselves a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The death of Roger Ebert will touch the lives of his many dedicated followers. His passing is an enormous loss to the world of not just film criticism, but writing in general. His unique voice will go down in history as one of the greatest ever, his success a shining example to all aspiring writers of how to make oneself heard.

To fully appreciate this wordsmith, we suggest you take a long look through his popular blog Roger Ebert's Journal and for something incredibly fitting and profound, have a read through his commentary on the calming imminence of death here. 

RIP Roger Ebert, 1942 - 2013.