TV

Hollyoaks’ Duncan James to undergo more surgery following life-saving op

There are still complications from the first operation

Hollyoaks star Duncan James has revealed that he needs a second surgery on his spine following a life-saving operation back in 2016.

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The Blue singer was left paralysed down one side after his first op and has confessed his body hasn’t entirely recovered, meaning he’ll need to go back to theatre when he wraps up filming as Chester villain Ryan Knight.

Duncan very nearly died in 2016 when fluid from his brain started leaking out of an old surgery wound.

Luckily, surgeons were able to save him but he suffered paralysis down one side of his body after an operation to relieve the trapped nerve in his spine that was causing the problems.

Duncan told BANG Showbiz: “Unfortunately I suffered with a very bad back in 2016 and it’s still not right and once I’ve finished with Hollyoaks I’m going to have to go and have some more surgery on it because it’s left me with a limp all down my left side.”

He added: “It’s quite complicated but it’s the nerve and the nerve got badly compressed by my disc and if the nerve gets damaged for more than 24 hours it dies and unfortunately I was at 36 before they operated so it’s slowly started to die.

“It’s been a year and a half now and it hasn’t woken up so I have a lot of problems with the way I walk. I really hope I get the feeling back.”

He went on to say that the surgery was completely life changing for him and we wasn’t even able to use the toilet by himself .

Duncan continued: “It was really horrible. I’m a young guy, I’m fit and healthy and then one minute your life changes.”

Duncan’s Hollyoaks character was recently revealed as the murderer of his on-screen wife, Amy Barnes, although the rest of the village don’t know that.

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He’s currently taking a hiatus from the Channel 4 soap while he works with his band Blue, but he’s previously stated that Ryan will be returning to Hollyoaks village.

Hollyoaks airs Monday to Friday on Chanenel 4 at 6.30pm and E4 at 7pm