Former Coronation Street star Chris Fountain opened up about his shock after suffering a mini-stroke two months ago on Tuesday’s episode of This Morning.
The actor, 35, was admitted to Homerton University Hospital in Hackney following the August 11 incident, after which he found himself talking “like a toddler”.
He said he realized something was seriously wrong after waking up to find he couldn’t articulate his speech, prompting the terrified star to dial 111 from his London home and to request an ambulance.
Scary: Former Coronation Street star Chris Fountain opened up about shock after suffering a mini-stroke two months ago on Tuesday’s episode of This Morning
Speaking to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, he explained: ‘I woke up in the morning to a call from my mum. While on the phone I was trying to say something but I couldn’t remember what I was saying and it wasn’t going through. I said I would call her back and I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“I was trying to identify things in my house, like a towel, but I couldn’t tell what I was thinking, my brain and my mouth weren’t on the same page.
“What made it more obvious to me was that I picked up a book and tried to read it, it worked in my head but not out loud.”
Traumatic: The actor, 35, was admitted to Homerton University Hospital in Hackney following the August 11 incident, after which he found himself talking ‘like a toddler’
He then continued: “Physically I felt fine, but when I sat down with the nurse it became very difficult to speak, I was embarrassed, panicked and scared.
“They kept me in hospital for a scan which was clear and then they kept me overnight and tested me for an MRI.
Opening up about his shock, Chris said: “The doctor said the word stroke and although it was a mini stroke, as soon as he said it I looked at him and asked why is that? happened, will it happen again?
Staying positive: Despite this terrible experience, Chris explained that he felt lucky, saying: ‘As traumatic as it was, it could have been much worse for me. I could have lost my arm and my face could have fallen’
“It was like someone had pulled a rug out from under me. I keep myself in shape and last year I did a crazy health kick.
“I found out I had a hole in my heart, apparently it’s quite common and a lot of people won’t notice it, but the clot traveled from the heart to the brain.”
Despite the terrible experience, Chris explained that he felt lucky saying, “As traumatic as it was, it could have been so much worse for me. I could have lost my arm and my face could have fallen off.
“For the first few days after I left the hospital, I was tripping over my words a bit and getting irritable.”
Terrifying: Former Coronation Street star Chris Fountain says he lost the ability to speak and ‘fears for his life’ after suffering a mini-stroke two months ago
The actor – best known for his former role as Tommy Duckworth in Corrie – later discovered he had suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA), commonly known as a mini-stroke, following blood clotting in his brain.
He told the Mirror: “When the doctors confirmed I had had a TIA and said the word stroke I just couldn’t believe it, there was a moment of pure panic, just fearing what it would be. meant for the rest of my life.
‘Would I have another one? Would the next one be even worse and I would lose the use of my arms or my legs? I was really scared and burst into tears.
Chris was eventually transferred to the Royal London Hospital, where he underwent further tests over a period of five days before being released to the care of his worried family.
He added: ‘Doctors said they saw damage to the left side of my brain, where your cognitive abilities are controlled.
“The scary thing is that if I hadn’t called 111 when I did and got to the hospital so quickly, I don’t know if that clot could have gone to the wrong place in my brain, I could have died. This clot was like a ticking time bomb in my head.
In the good old days: The actor played Tommy Duckworth on Coronation Street but was fired by the soap in 2013 after videos of him rapping about the rape surfaced online
Doctors have since discovered the clot was triggered by a previously undetected small hole in his heart allowing blood to flow to his brain, meaning he will need an operation to close it.
The actor is now working with a speech therapist and says his ability to speak has almost fully returned, but he still struggles to read aloud.
But he insists he will use the experience in a positive way and now intends to ‘live life to the fullest’.
He said: “Experiencing something like this makes you realize how fragile life is, it really can be snatched away from you at any moment.”
Interview: In May, Fountain opened up about the depression he went through after being kicked out of Coronation Street while appearing on the Mancs On The Mic podcast with Ryan Thomas
In May, Chris opened up about the depression he suffered after being kicked out of Coronation Street when a video of him using misogynistic slurs while rapping about women was posted online.
The actor was filmed rapping about the rape in the music video, which he says left him with “bleak” career prospects to this day.
Chris discussed his struggles with fellow Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas and his brothers Adam and Scott on their Mancs On The Mic podcast.
He said: “I’ve been to some very dark and horrible places, to the point where I realized I had to start changing my way of thinking – otherwise I might not have been here.
“My life, my job, my image, my reputation – everything has been ripped off. Within 24 hours. I didn’t leave my house for four days.
Struggles: After leaving Coronation Street, Chris appeared on Girlfriends and also performed in regional plays, but says his job prospects are still affected by the video.
He added: “I had never been so bewildered before. I was supposed to be on This Morning and then it got canceled because they didn’t want me there. After a while, I was like, “I think I’m going through a depression here.” ‘
After leaving Coronation Street, Chris appeared on Girlfriends in 2018 and also performed in regional plays, but says his job prospects are still affected by the video.
He said: “While I like to say it’s all good and good, as far as work goes at the moment, it’s bleak.”
‘I don’t get jobs because of this [the scandal], or am I not getting jobs because I’m not as good an actor as I once thought? I don’t know if I’ll ever find that answer.
If you have any questions about TIA or would like to speak to someone, call the TIA helpline on 0303 3033 100. If you have been affected by this story, call Samaritans anytime free of charge on 116 123.