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Martin Kemp has opened up about the terrifying moment he thought he might die after being diagnosed with two brain tumours in the 1990s. The Spandau Ballet star, now 64, became so frightened during his hospital stay that he stopped his family from visiting him. The diagnosis forced the musician to abandon his burgeoning Hollywood career and return to Britain from Los Angeles, where he had been living with wife Shirlie. Following his critically acclaimed performance in The Krays alongside brother Gary, Martin had secured roles in films including Waxwork II: Lost in Time and Embrace of the Vampire. However, in 1995, doctors discovered two benign tumours in his brain, leading to emergency surgery. Reflecting on the devastating period, Martin told The Times : "There were times when I wasn't going to make it. One minute I was working harder than I've ever done, then all of a sudden I was on the operating table. It's like a car crash; it comes out of nowhere. "It all went wonky for about five years. It was terrifying for my family. I remember lying in hospital and I had to stop them from coming in because they were scaring me too." The star eventually made his acting comeback in 1998 with an appearance in The Bill, before landing the role of businessman Steve Owen in BBC soap EastEnders . Martin's three-year period on the popular soap opera earned him recognition as the Most Popular Actor at the 2000 National Television Awards and Villain of the Year at the British Soap Awards during the same year, reports the Mirror . Although Martin's professional life thrived following his health crisis, he maintains the tumours have left him battling with dyslexia. He admits he can struggle to decipher street names whilst out and about. The NHS estimates approximately one in 10 individuals in the United Kingdom experience some degree of dyslexia. The condition can result in difficulties with reading, writing, spelling and even finding one's way around. Martin discussed how his dyslexia affects his everyday existence on the FFS! My dad is Martin Kemp podcast, which he presents alongside son Roman. This followed Roman's discovery that over 50 per cent of his father's mobile phone usage is devoted to Maps. Martin said: "I am completely dyslexic, I struggle to read terribly. But my dyslexia, because it came from a physical thing that happened in my brain, it wasn't just about what I can read and what I can't read and stumble, it's about me finding my way as well. "I have dyslexia when it comes to thinking what street is in front of another street. So everywhere I go, even if it's just around to my local shops, I use my maps. That all goes back to the brain injury that I had." The former EastEnders actor has previously opened up about how his time on the BBC soap "saved his life". He explained: "All of my friends, all of them said - when I got offered the part in EastEnders as Steve Owen - they all said 'Don't do it, it'll ruin your career.' "But what they didn't understand was I didn't have a career. I was coming out of a four-year period that was probably the darkest moments in my life. And this show saved my life."
