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| Heart surgery for actor Tomlinson | Heart surgery for actor Tomlinson |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Comic actor Ricky Tomlinson has been told he must have heart surgery. | |
| The 68-year-old, who starred as couch potato Jim Royle in BBC comedy The Royle Family, had a routine angioplasty on Friday to unblock his arteries. | The 68-year-old, who starred as couch potato Jim Royle in BBC comedy The Royle Family, had a routine angioplasty on Friday to unblock his arteries. |
| But the procedure was halted after further blockages were found, and he will now need a quadruple bypass. | But the procedure was halted after further blockages were found, and he will now need a quadruple bypass. |
| Tomlinson, also known for Brookside and Cracker, conceded it was "frustrating" but said he was told it would be "in my interests" to have the operation. | Tomlinson, also known for Brookside and Cracker, conceded it was "frustrating" but said he was told it would be "in my interests" to have the operation. |
| He added that he had been pre-warned that this might be the outcome of Friday's hospital visit. | He added that he had been pre-warned that this might be the outcome of Friday's hospital visit. |
| "I thought they had carried out the procedure because I was in the operating theatre for quite some time, about an hour," the actor explained. | "I thought they had carried out the procedure because I was in the operating theatre for quite some time, about an hour," the actor explained. |
| I was told this operation would make me a new man, and Rita says she could do with a new man Ricky Tomlinson jokes about his wife | I was told this operation would make me a new man, and Rita says she could do with a new man Ricky Tomlinson jokes about his wife |
| "But apparently they came across a problem in my main artery so I didn't have the complete operation." | "But apparently they came across a problem in my main artery so I didn't have the complete operation." |
| Tomlinson is at home, waiting for an appointment with a specialist to discuss when the surgery can take place. | Tomlinson is at home, waiting for an appointment with a specialist to discuss when the surgery can take place. |
| He said he was in good spirits, however, adding that the situation was more frustrating for his wife, Rita. | He said he was in good spirits, however, adding that the situation was more frustrating for his wife, Rita. |
| "I was told this operation would make me a new man, and Rita says she could do with a new man," he joked. | "I was told this operation would make me a new man, and Rita says she could do with a new man," he joked. |
| Before Friday's procedure, Tomlinson had launched an awareness campaign to encourage men to check the health of their hearts, to try to avoid the need for surgery. | Before Friday's procedure, Tomlinson had launched an awareness campaign to encourage men to check the health of their hearts, to try to avoid the need for surgery. |