SOAP star Chris Fountain gives fans a rare health update one year after he suffered a stroke.
Chris, 35, known for his role as Tommy Duckworth on Coronation Street, feared "life as he knew it" was over after a serious health scare.
The actor had a mini stroke in August last year that left him "speaking like a toddler" and spent five days in a London hospital.
The doctors discovered he’d had a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) after a blood clot lodged in his brain.
Since then, Chris has dedicated himself to raising awareness of the condition, such as completing the London Marathon.
He took to social media to mark one year since his life-changing incident.
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He wrote: "1 year ago today. Life can change in an instant, I've had to make a lot of changes but things have gotten so much better.
"Be as positive as you can be, live life to the full and do not give up, no matter how hard things get."
He also filmed a video of him saying: "It's kind of been a weird thing to wrap my head around. Part of me is worrying thinking 'am I going to have another one today.'
"But then part of me is also super proud of how I've recovered. My speech is pretty much back to normal, I've run a marathon, I'm fit again.
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"It's been an interesting year. I just wanted to take an opportunity to thank everyone who has been supportive, who has sent me advice and sent me kind words.
"This time last year, I was staying in a hospital bed wondering what the hell is happening and here I am now feeling great."
Chris completed the London Marathon in under four hours earlier this year.
He trained for the event to raise money for the Stroke Association and shared a tearful update as he crossed the finish line in April.
He said: "I DID IT!!!!!!! From having a stroke in August to running a sub 4 hour marathon. I am beyond proud of myself.
"THANKYOU to everyone who cheered, donated, ran with me and everything else in between. I’m so, so happy. Will never forget this feeling."
Coronation Street stars Brooke Vincent, Richard Fleeshman and Adam Thomas congratulated their colleague and friend on his achievement.
Chris first joined soapland in the Chester village Hollyoaks in 2003, when he landed the role of Justin Burton.
In 2010, he joined the cast of Coronation Street as Tommy Duckworth.
However, his acting career was in jeopardy after he was sacked for being unmasked as a YouTube rapper who had used lyrics that implored violence against women.
Chris has apologised for his actions and said he’s “ashamed and embarrassed” about the language he used during a “moment of madness as a young man”.
He said: "I know what I did was wrong, and I’m mortified about it,
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"I think we’ve all done stuff we’re not proud of, we’ve all made mistakes that we hopefully learn from, but it was 10 years ago and for whatever reason, I’m never allowed to forget what I did and move forward."
Chris is determined to rebuild his TV career, as he added: “I’m just going to keep pushing forward, go for jobs I love and hope that casting directors will see me for the man I am now, not the one mistake I made a decade ago.”
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