By Tina Campbell

Copyright standard

Leslie Ash has spoken candidly about the near-fatal hospital infection that left her with lifelong health problems, admitting she felt she had “no choice” but to sue the NHS for £5million.

The Men Behaving Badly star, 65, contracted an aggressive superbug in 2004 while being treated for broken ribs. The infection caused partial paralysis and long-term mobility issues, forcing her to rely on crutches for years.

She successfully took legal action against the NHS in 2008, but the size of the payout sparked public criticism at the time. Ash now insists that the money was essential for her family’s survival.

“They totally messed my life up,” she told the How Do You Cope? podcast. “I had to sue the NHS… otherwise we would have lost our London flat, we would have lost everything. I know a lot of people dislike me for it, but when mistakes are made they have to hold their hands up.”

Ash, who was once at the centre of London’s showbiz scene alongside her husband, former Arsenal and West Ham footballer Lee Chapman, said the incident marked the beginning of a downward spiral.

“We had such a fantastic life, then suddenly it was like having the rug pulled from under your feet,” she recalled.

The actress had already endured intense public scrutiny after botched cosmetic surgery in the late 1990s left her with a so-called “trout pout”. “It was horrible… I was made a laughing stock,” she admitted. “Now it’s totally normal to have lips even bigger than what I had back then.”

Despite the setbacks, Ash has rebuilt her life and career. Last year she returned to the stage in comedy Artificially Yours at Riverside Studios, relishing the chance to make audiences laugh again.

“I was getting desperate for work… it felt like a grieving process losing my career,” she said. “But then I found a new agent, got back on stage and people laughed — it was a great feeling.”

Now a grandmother, Ash says she no longer sees herself as a victim: “I don’t want pity. I did some stupid things, but I’ve survived them.”