Joe Swash once revealed he had to “learn everything again” after a terrifying illness left him fighting for his life in his early twenties.
The former EastEnders star, who will appear on Celebrity Catchphrase this weekend (March 21), was just 23 when he contracted the rare virus meningoencephalitis while filming the soap.
The condition, a severe form of viral meningitis that causes swelling of the brain, forced the actor to step away from the show for three months while he underwent treatment and a long recovery.
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Joe Swash on terrifying health scare that could’ve ‘kill’ him
Joe spent around six weeks in hospital and later admitted the illness left him needing to relearn basic skills.
“I had to learn everything again,” he told The Sun at the time.
He recalled how his speech became slurred and even simple tasks felt difficult. “My speech was slurred,” he explained, adding that it sometimes felt like “my tongue was too big for my mouth”.
The star also suffered from intense headaches while recovering. Joe previously admitted he feared the illness might kill him as the symptoms worsened.
“My head hurt so much I wanted the nurses to cut it off. I’ve never felt pain like it,” he previously told the News of the World, as reported by HELLO!. “I knew something was wrong and it could kill me.”
The actor also experienced frightening numbness on one side of his body, which led him to initially assume he had suffered a stroke.
“It was terrifying. I’ve never been that scared before.”
‘My illness had a massive impact’
The time away from EastEnders had a lasting impact on his career on the show.
Reflecting on his return, Joe admitted: “My illness had a massive impact on the job.”
He explained that new producers and actors had joined during his absence, leaving him feeling as though he had fallen down the ranks.
“When I came back I couldn’t find my feet. I got lost down the pecking order.”
Joe eventually left the BBC soap in 2008 after five years playing Mickey Miller.
Despite the setback, Joe went on to build a successful career in television.
He later won I’m a Celebrity… and also triumphed on Dancing on Ice in 2020.
The star is now married to Stacey Solomon. The couple headline the reality show Stacey & Joe, where they share their family life with fans from their Essex home, Pickle Cottage.
Celebrity Catchphrase is on Saturday, March 21 at 5:45pm on ITV1.
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