EastEnders star Sid Owen has been left needing reconstructive surgery after a golfball smashed into his face while holidaying in Thailand.
The star, who played the famous Ricky Butcher on the soap, had his jaw shattered with several teeth going flying after the incident.
Sid was on a detox holiday in Thailand, when a ball smashed into his jaw while he was playing a round of golf.
It’s believed that he is awaiting brain scan results and has been told that he cannot fly home, leaving him in Thailand and taking strong painkillers.
He was taken to hospital from the swanky Siam Country Club Old Course, near Bangkok.
Sid claims that he could have died if the ball struck two inches higher (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Speaking to The Sun, the actor said: “One minute I’m playing a round and the next I’m in total agony and on my way to hospital.
“But actually I’ve almost been lucky because they’ve told me if it had hit me two inches higher up I’d probably be dead from that sort of impact.”
Patsy Palmer’s former on-screen husband went on to say: “I was stood about 10 feet away when it hit me, hard, and of course it hurt like hell, but it was the shock factor too.
The actor has undergone reconstructive surgery (Image: Getty Images)
“I remember seeing two teeth fly straight out of my mouth but it turned out to be a fracture in my face and a broken jaw, along with another tooth embedded into my jaw.”
He continued: “I had to have a bone graft, followed by several rounds of dental surgery because it was too much damage to try to treat it all at once.”
Sid is said to have completed a staggering 15 hours of reconstructive surgery to repair his face and is due to undergo more.
(Image: GC Images)
The actor went on to say: “It has just been five weeks of hell, total hell. I came here for detox to relax, as I have been doing sober for January annually for 20 years, and I was nearly ready to come home when it happened.
“Five weeks later I’m still here and I need more treatment. The doctors said I wasn’t ready to fly, but my visa expired.”
He has since been granted an emergency extension.
“So I will have to go home soon because they will only give me an emergency extension for one more week – which will then mean flying back to have the surgery finished.
The actor was enjoying a detox break in Thailand when his jaw was smashed during a game of golf (Image: ITV)
“Even then there’s no way of knowing how long a full recovery will take or if there will be long-term problems – something like this changes you as well.”
The publication claims that the accident has already cost Sid acting work, with rumours circulating that he is expected to return to EastEnders .
He also faces a battle with his insurance to cover the costs of his dental work, after being given new implants following advice from a surgeon.
Rumours claim that Sid will be reprising his role as Ricky Butcher (Image: BBC)
“I’m having to pay it myself at the moment and it is costing a lot of money just for hospital bills, dental bills, accommodation – and I’ve had to pay for an extension for my visa.
“But I don’’t want to have dentures for the rest of my life, f*** that.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
