Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson is worried he will die from Covid just like his younger brother.
He was devastated when David passed away last year aged 79 and the star is worried his own weak immune system puts him at risk.
It has meant Ricky has shielded for long periods since the pandemic struck early last year.
The actor told the Daily Star Sunday: “I haven’t taken any chances. My wife Rita has kept an eye on me. We have had to be so, so careful because of Covid.
“I have an affected immune system because of some medication I’m on for a skin disease, so I really have to be so careful.”
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Ricky, 82, has gone through hell seeing his family suffer the effects of Covid in recent months.
He added: “The brother I lost was younger than me.
“My older brother caught it as well and he had it pretty bad. Thankfully, he got over it.”
Ricky, famed for playing Jim in The Royle Family, has taken a string of precautions to protect himself from catching the virus.
He agreed to star in a new film only because he was promised that rigorous restrictions would be imposed on the set.
Ricky said: “I filmed a movie called The Witch-finders and the precautions they took were fantastic.
“We were tested every single morning and every single night.
“They really went the extra mile to make sure everybody was safe and sound.”
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(Image: BBC)
Ricky has battled multiple health problems for years.
In 2012, he had a quadruple bypass that left him feeling lucky to be alive.
Over the years he’s also suffered from asthma and had cataracts removed from both eyes.
He said: “Without the NHS, I’d be dead. I owe them my life.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
