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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Emmeline Saunders

Russell Grant's sight has been saved after five hour surgery to remove brain tumour

Russell Grant has revealed his eyesight has been saved after major surgery to remove a brain tumour.

The Daily Mirror astrologer said the growth had threatened to "blank out" his optic nerve. But surgeries removed the lump from his pituitary gland during a painstaking five-hour operation.

Now Russell has been told not to sneeze, blow his nose or travel for the next six months to avoid post-surgery complications.

The 71-year-old praised the team of two surgeons and an anaesthetist who saved his sight.

He said: "To Professor Pathmanaban, Mr Bhalla and Dr Sebastian, truly my dream team who shifted around their theatre days to accommodate my transits.

"It was important to make sure they complemented the astrologicals".

Russell Grant (pictured) said his eyesight has been saved after having major surgery to remove a brain tumour (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Russell, pictured with his late mother Jo (left), said he is now on the road to recovery after the operation (@THERussellGrant/Twitter)

The former Strictly Come Dancing star consulted two astrologer friends to find the best day for his operation, and said he was "eternally grateful" to them for "helping me to help myself".

He added: "I am now on the road to recovery. There are a few complications to sort out so the post-op stuff has already started."

Russell said he foresaw a major health event three years ago but did not expect it to affect his brain.

He added: "As you know I saw something pretty major coming when giving my lecture in Blackpool on December 1, 2019, so I was prepared.

"I didn't shout about the growth as I’d been waiting for a knee operation which was due Easter 2020, so many of you would have presumed I was going in for that.

"Covid ruined that. So it's next on my list of 'Things to do'."

He spoke about the experience recently (WireImage)
Russell teased that a knee operation is the next thing on his to-do list (WireImage)

Russell has previously opened up about his health issues, having had recurrent illnesses as a boy and suffering from tinnitus for the past 40 years.

"I ended up with bronchitis nearly every Christmas and often suffered from laryngitis," he said in 2013. "I'm also asthmatic and as an adult I’ve teetered on the edge of pneumonia and pleurisy because of my ear, nose and throat problems."

He has also had issues with his weight, ballooning to 27st and developing agoraphobia after the death of both his grandmothers.

His excess weight led to angina, diabetes and blood pressure so high his shocked GP told him he should be dead.

But after his Strictly stint, Russell was able to drop 11st and dramatically change his life.

Now he thanks his genes for his overall good health, telling friends: "I thank goodness for my mum and dad's DNA, who fought the good fight until they were 93 and have passed that inner strength and empowering health on to me."

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