Former EastEnders star Sid Owen, who played Ricky Butcher, has been left with a shattered jaw and six missing teeth after being hit in the face with a golf ball on holiday.
The actor, who was in Thailand when the accident occured, revealed he was rushed to hospital.
In pictures obtained by The Sun, Sid can be seen in hospital with a bandage over his mouth, showing his missing teeth.
As reported in the publication, Sid said: “One minute I’m playing a round and the next I’m in total agony and on my way to hospital.
“But actually I’ve almost been lucky because they told me if it had hit me two inches higher up, I’d probably be dead from that sort of impact.”
He also revealed he had a bone graft followed by several rounds of dental surgery as they were unable to treat it all at once.
So far he has undergone 15 hours of reconstructive treatment to repair his face.
He said he is awaiting brain scan results to check for underlying damage and has no idea how long his recovery will be.
On top of this, he will need to fly home soon as his visa has expired.
He said: “It has been five weeks of hell, total hell. I came here for a detox to relax, as I had been doing sober for January annually for 20 years, and I was nearly ready to come home when it happened.”
“Five weeks later and I’m still here and I need more treatment. The doctors said I wasn’t ready to fly, but my visa expired.
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“So I will need to go home soon because they will only give me an emergency extension for one more week – which will mean flying back to have the surgery finished.”
Sid is now facing a battle with his insurance company to cover the costs of his dental work.
The firm warned him he would not be covered if he contracted the Coronavirus, which has been spreading rapidly.
The news of Sid’s accident comes after reports Patsy Palmer, who plays Ricky’s ex-wife Bianca is set to return to EastEnders for a fourth stint.
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A source quoted by The Sun’s bizarre TV column said: “Bianca is a legendary character and the writers are always delighted to be able to invite Patsy back to play her.
“Whitney’s admission will lead to some tough times for her, so her adoptive mum comes back to help her out. Although it remains to be seen how helpful Bianca back will be for her.”
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