Inside Ian Lavender’s health battles after he survived career-ending sepsis before major heart attack & bladder cancer

VETERAN actor Ian Lavender's death aged 77 has come after he battled a number of health scares throughout his life.

The actor first found fame as part of the troupe in Dad's Army - before becoming a popular member of the cast of EastEnders and appearing in over 200 episodes.

It was announced this week that the legendary actor had passed away at the age of 77Credit: Rex

The Birmingham-born actor was best known for his work on hit comedy show Dad's Army where he played Private Pike - the youngest of the troupe - and until then was only earning £9 a week during a six-month stint at Canterbury Rep.

What he didn't know at the time was that the role would send him into television stardom, and playing it with such brilliance meant later being turned down for movie roles because he couldn't shake the character off of his shoulders.

Ian - who was the last surviving member of the main cast of the show - starred alongside Clive Dunn, John Laurie, Arthur Lowe, James Beck, John Le Mesurier and Arnold Ridley.

The BBC series hit our screens over five decades ago and ran for nine series, shooting an impressive 80 episodes and proving to be a giant hit with viewers.

Bladder Cancer Diagnosis

In 1993, just under a week before he was set to marry his second wife Miki Hardy, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer - but it was luckily treated successfully.

After he survived he spent time advocating for more eyes on the disease to spread awareness of the symptoms that can lead to a diagnosis.

At age 70 he told the Belfast Telegraph: "It's a simple message 'look before you flush' and make sure you go and see your GP if you notice blood in your pee.

"Spread the word, someone you know might have this symptom and reminding them to get it checked could save their life - it saved mine, and I'm 70 and still happy to be working."

Sudden Heart Attack

In 2002 the journeyed actor then suffered a heart attack.

He explained that he was in a kitchen reading a script when he felt that something was wrong and medical proffesionals confirmed the diagnosis after he had been checked over.

At the time, he explained to the BBC: "In the middle of reading an EastEnders script. I just knew there was something very, very wrong.

"All I can say is I have never felt so dreadfully ill, and all in a few seconds.

“My first reaction was 'this is not supposed to happen to me'.

“I don't remember being in pain except that my chest and arms felt heavy.”

The famed actor said that he was shocked that it had happened to him but admitted his mother had a minor heart attack over three decades before he suffered the same fate.

Sepsis diagnosis

In 2017 while he was appearing alongside co-stars Johnny Ball, Judith Chalmers, Diana Moran and Rula Lenska in a reality show for Channel 5, he fell ill with sepsis and spent time in Italy and the UK while he recovered.

After surviving the scare it was announced that he would be taking a step back from his career while he focussed on his health.

What is Sepsis?

SEPSIS is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that if left untreated can prove fatal quickly.

It happens when your immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage your body's own tissues and organs.

You cannot catch sepsis from another person.

Sepsis is sometimes called septicaemia or blood poisoning.

The most common symptoms in babies and young children include:

Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
Difficulty breathing (you may notice grunting noises or their stomach sucking under their rib cage), breathlessness or breathing very fast
A weak, high-pitched cry that's not like their normal cry
Not responding like they normally do, or not interested in feeding or normal activities
Being sleepier than normal or difficult to wake

In adults and older children, the following can be signs of sepsis:

Acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast

Sepsis can be especially hard to spot in:

Babies and young children
People with dementia
People with a learning disability
People who have difficulty communicating

According to the World Health Organization, around 11million die from sepsis every year - many of them children.

Source: NHS and the UK Sepsis Trust

It was his sepsis battle that proved to put a full stop on his time on the big screen, and he said that BBC bosses were no longer able to insure him to appear in the series after the scare.

But before his absence he had played Pauline's gay best friend - Derek Harkinson - from 2001 until 2005.

He spent four years in his role in Albert Square and made a return during a Christmas special in 2016 - before his offical comeback in 2017 was axed.

At the time Ian said he would go back to the soap, but added: "I don't think they could get me insured now."

In an interview with The Radio Times he said: "I've got nothing but admiration for all the soaps, for the getting on to the screen of three and four episodes a week.

"The pure discipline of that."

Ian's death was announced on Dad's Army's social media account yesterday - bit it's believed that he passed away last Friday.

The post read: "We are deeply saddened to hear the passing of the wonderful, Ian Lavender. In what truly marks the end of an era, Ian was the last surviving member of the Dad’s Army main cast.