Leslie Ash, 61, ‘to make her TV comeback on the daytime soap Doctors as newcomer Mary McRae after an 11 YEAR hiatus’
Leslie Ash, 61, is reportedly set to return to TV after an 11-year hiatus as character Mary McRae on the daytime soap, Doctors.
The Men Behaving Badly star will join the BBC drama as the mistress of the late womaniser, Malcolm Brown, reported The Sun on Friday.
The publication states her character’s fate on the show takes a dramatic turn for the worse as she is hospitalised following a fight with his wife, Joan, near his grave.
Back to business! Leslie Ash, 61, is reportedly set to return to TV after an 11-year hiatus as character Mary McRae on the daytime soap, Doctors
A source told The Sun: ‘It’s a big deal for Leslie to be back on the mainstream channels.
‘Merseybeat and Men Behaving Badly were a long time ago and she’s been focussing on smaller personal projects which are made through her company BooksOffice.
‘It’s only a short stint on Doctors but hopefully it reminds the nation what a talent she is and gets her name back out there a bit more for other roles.’
It will mark the actress’ first major acting role since 2010 when she made a short appearance on Holby City. MailOnline have contacted BBC and Leslie’s reps for comment.
New cast member: The Men Behaving Badly star will join the BBC drama as the mistress of the late womaniser, Malcolm Brown, reported The Sun on Friday
The reported new acting gig offers hope for Leslie who claimed In a 2019 interview on Good Morning Britain that the entertainment industry is ‘finished’ with her.
Talking to the show’s hosts, the Men Behaving Badly star discussed how contracting the superbug MSSA had impacted her occupation as she said she will never have the career she once had.
She won a record £5m compensation payout in 2008 after contracting the hospital-acquired infection, MSSA four years earlier.
Leslie said: ‘I was 44 in 2004. It was a difficult time in the industry anyway, a woman getting a bit older. It was also the peak of my career.
‘Everything was going well and then bam, the rug is taken from underneath you. You find yourself in hospital, paralysed from the waist down and you’ve to start all over again.
Talented: Leslie is best known for starring in the BBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly from 1992–1997 alongside Martin Clunes, Neil Morrissey and Caroline Quentin
‘I’m still recovering. The amount of work you put in, that’s what you get out. I normally take a stick if I’m going on the tube or Christmas shopping.’
Leslie was admitted to hospital in April 2004 after suffering two cracked ribs after falling off her bed during a love-making session with her husband.
She contracted MSSA, which, unlike superbug MRSA, does respond to standard antibiotic treatment.
However, she still struggled with her recovery as she continued: ‘I was on antidepressants, I was on very strong painkillers – and I had this feeling if I came off the painkillers I’d be in incredible pain.
‘My son said, “you should really get off them”. You can’t really make any decisions and they make you feel a bit of a zombie to be honest.
‘I thought as soon as I get back on my feet, I’ll be able to work again. The industry sort of finished with me, it’s horrible.’
She added: ‘I’ll be doing it [acting] until I pop my clogs. I knew right from the start the industry I was getting into was hard.
‘I want to be involved in the industry. All my years, I’ve always been interested in directing, producing.’
When asked if she would like to act again, she said: ‘Of course, I love acting. I still do. I’ve just done Holby City. I do little bits but I will never, ever have the career I had before, I realise that.’
‘Rebuilding her career’: It will mark the actress’ first major acting role since 2010 as she claimed in a 2019 interview that the entertainment industry is ‘finished’ with her
Source: Read Full Article