EastEnders legend wanted to ‘end it all’ after ‘nearly dying’ amid health battle
Gillian Wright is a firm-favourite on EastEnders as Jean Slater - but away from the BBC One soap she had a real “brush with death when she was hit by a life-threatening illness
EastEnders’ Gillian Wright once shared how she was hit by a life-threatening illness – and admitted it was “touch and go.”
The actress shot to fame playing Jean Slater on the BBC One soap – making her debut in 2004. As the mum of Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) Jean became a firm favourite.
The character has also had her fair share of dramatic stories too. From her battle with bipolar to being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Jean’s time in Walford has not been short of drama.
Especially on the soap at the moment, as things are set to take a dramatic turn between her and Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo). Fans will recall how Jean has been helping his sick daughter Jade – who suffers from cystic fibrosis and recently underwent a lung transplant – with her charity fundraiser.
But away from the soap, Gillian’s health took a terrifying turn when she suffered with a near-fatal condition. Gillian realised she wasn’t feeling herself during a dog training class.
She managed to make it home where she was whisked to hospital. And it turned out to have acute pancreatitis which caused her to have a sharp pain in her stomach. Speaking to the Sunday Mirror in 2016, she opened up about the health battle.
She said: “I was so ill my parents flew down from the Highlands of Scotland to look after me. And my sister, Lois, and nephew, Stanley, were frantic.
“The pain was unbearable. If somebody had given me the choice of living with that pain a day longer or swallowing a pill to end it all, I’d have taken the tablet.”
The soap star then shared how she was given morphine to deal with the pain – but she ended up suffering hallucinations. She added: “One night, I was found at the foot of a bed giving a Shakespearean monologue.” Luckily Gillian made a full recovery from the illness which can sometimes lead to serious complications.
