By Matt Jackson

Copyright walesonline

Strictly Come Dancing star Russell Grant was forced to leave Wales as he deals with a terrifying health battle. The 74-year-old took part in the ninth series of the hit BBC show. The astrologer was eliminated ninth after being paired with professional dancer Flavia Cacace. It was McFly drummer Harry Judd who eventually went on to lift the famous Glitterball Trophy. In 2023 Russell underwent surgery after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. It has meant he has been forced to swap his Victorian property in Eryri (Snowdonia) for a property in Lancashire as he continues to receive hospital treatment in Manchester. Speaking to The Times , the astrologer said: “I recently bought a small two-bedroom 1930s house in Lancashire, just outside Manchester, after renting since my diagnosis. “Before this, I had lived in Snowdonia, but because the specialist hospital that is dealing with my pituitary brain tumour and recovery is in Manchester, I needed to move. As I live alone, I needed somewhere that was low maintenance.” Russell, who moved to Wales in 1999, says he was initially treated at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor before his care was transferred to Manchester. It left him with an “eight-hour round trip several times a week”. The star admits he has regular MRI scans, blood and hormonal tests as he continues his recovery. It comes after the tumour left his pituitary gland – a small gland at the bottom of the brain – “destroyed”. Russel had been renting a property in Lancashire before deciding to make the switch full-time. He concedes that while he has now bought a property in England, he will reassess where he lives after being given the all clear. “If you had asked me a few years back, I might have said somewhere in the Austrian mountains, but not now,” he admits. It’s not just Russell’s living arrangements that have been impacted by his tumour either. He says he now has “limited contact” with people, meaning his career has pivoted towards social media. Although he continues to provide horoscopes for newspapers, including WalesOnline sister titles The Mirror, Echo and Daily Record, he has moved away from pantomimes and stage shows. That is, he says, despite having “offers coming in”. Russell says he hasn’t “really worked” since 2019 when his father Frank died. A year later he lost his mother, Jo, and had to watch the funeral on Zoom due to the coronavirus restrictions at the time. He says the following year was when he was diagnosed with the tumour. Medics told Russell the tumour had been “growing for 10 years” when it was discovered. The star rose to fame in the 1980s after appearing on BBC Breakfast Time with the Your Stars feature. He has since gone on to appear on a host of popular programmes including Daybreak, This Morning and Loose Women on ITV as well as competing on Celebrity MasterChef.