Christopher Biggins says he ‘should be dead’ (Image: Getty)
TV presenter and actor Christopher Biggins has revealed that he had a ‘pig valve’ inserted into his heart and without the controversial operation he would be dead. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Express, the Porridge star said: “I am 76 and I’ve had a new valve put into my heart. A pigs valve.” Displaying his trademark infectious humour, he joked: “I occasionally snort.” Recounting the various ailments he’s beaten over the years, the I’m A Celebrity alum added that he is under no illusions he shouldn’t be here.
The presenter revealed he has secretly battled skin cancer, saying “you just have to go on”, as he said he has made a recovery after finding the melanoma.
He continued: “My pig’s heart is fantastic. You can either have a plastic one or a pigs one and I went for the pigs one. It was about three years ago and I’ve just had my check up and its all A1. It’s a marvellous operation.” So risky was the operation that Christopher admitted he told his long-time partner Neil that he was going in to have a stent inserted as he didn’t want him to worry.
Biggins has gone through a number of health battles in recent years (Image: Getty)
Going into detail about the extensive procedure, Christopher added: “They actually take the heart out of your body and it sits next to you when you are lying on the operating theatre. It’s a major operation but luckily I had wonderful doctors and they were terrific. It’s worked out brilliantly. It saves people and makes you live longer. So we have to blame the doctors and surgeons who are keeping us all alive. I take a drug and that’s it.”
Christopher also revealed that although happy to be alive, he couldn’t think of anything worse than living over the age of 100. He stated: “You just have to go on but the trouble is we are all living far too long. But I saw the other day Bear Grylls was saying he would like to live to 200 and I thought ‘God, the thought of living to 100 is bad enough, not 200’. Stupid man. But I don’t want to go on and on and on. “
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“The thought of people freezing me and waking me up in a thousand years time sends heeby jeebies down me. I couldn’t think of anything worse. You wouldn’t have any of your friends or family. It would be like being reborn. I would hate it.”
Commenting on the recent tragic passing of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, he reflected on how he hopes his own passing will come about. He said: “All I want from death – and I’m not frightened of it – is to go to sleep and never wake up. It’s something I really believe in.