Former Hollyoaks actor Lysette Anthony has revealed tears over her three-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease.
The 58-year-old, who played Marnie Nightingale in the Channel 4 and E4 soap, was so scared she thought she was going to die.
Now, she’s bravely decided to speak out about the condition that affects an estimated 145,000 in the UK.
Read more: EastEnders legendary villain Glynis Barber joins Hollyoaks
Speaking to OK! magazine, Lysette confessed to feeling nervous about finally opening up about her battle. She admitted that the toughest things are taking little steps, the constant tiredness and how her symptoms have become worse recently.
Lysette also told the publication how things once got so bad, she really thought she was dying.
She said that her symptoms peaked around Christmas 2021.
What symptoms does Lysette suffer from?
“One of the symptoms you can get is muscle freezing. You cannot move but then you just get this rush of smoke sound inside your ears and then you fall and knock yourself down,” she confessed.
Lysette managed, despite the fear, to keep going – because she didn’t want to wee on her velvet sofa.
She also says she’s found comfort in other celebrities suffering from Parkinson’s, including Sir Billy Connolly and actor Michael J Fox. In fact, she credits them as the reason she worked out she had the disease.
She said: “I just thought, ‘That’s what I’ve got.’ I did what I normally do and made sure I knew as little about it as possible. And I thought, ‘What’s the point? I could lose the power of my neck, I might not be able to speak, walk or even have a wee and that’s not exactly pretty.’”
But despite her insistence, Lysette didn’t get a lot of support from her doctors. She tells OK! that they fobbed her off, telling it was probably just a trapped nerve and that she was too young anyway.
In the end, they agreed to a brain scan, something Lysette points out you can’t get away from.
The actor has admitted that her health prognosis isn’t looking great, but she is also insistent that it doesn’t mean she won’t live life to the fullest she can.
Read more: Corrie star Katie McGlynn got death threats after joining Hollyoaks
How was Lysette diagnosed?
She also revealed that she was diagnosed on the very same week she found out she’d got the part of Marnie in Hollyoaks.
“I was diagnosed the same week I was offered the job at Hollyoaks. But needs must, I’m a single mum. Also, denial is a marvellous way to pass the time. I had to work, and I’m glad I made that decision,” she said.
She also added that she’s decided to speak up now to help the like of Sir Billy and Michael J Fox raise awareness and funds for research into the disease.
Lysette starred in Hollyoaks from 2016 until earlier this year when Marnie was killed off in a shock death.
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