I had a 50 percent chance of being paralysed by major surgery that threatened my career, sobs All Saints’ Melanie Blatt
CELEBRITY Race Across the World’s Melanie Blatt broke down in tears after opening up about major surgery that could have left her paralysed.
The third episode of the BBC series saw the four celebrities and their loved ones travel from Corsica to the next check point in the Swiss Alps.
Along the way, All Saints star Melanie, 48, and her mum Helene stopped in Nice, France.
Their family had moved to France when Melanie was a youngster, and they took the chance to reflect on that time while in the city.
Melanie said: “France for me was such an intense few years, it was such a change of life for me in every aspect of it.
“I had to learn a new language, I had leave big city life for village life, I had a major operation, at 12 it’s quite a shock to the system.”
In a piece to camera before the race began, Melanie explained: “They discovered I had scoliosis a few months into stage school as I was doing ballet there and my ballet teacher was like ‘stand up straight’ and I was like, ‘I am’.
Her mum added to the camera: “She had really badly twisted spine and the hospital informed us that if we didn’t put her in a brace and do this kind of thing she would probably be paralysed at the age of 21.
“So we left England, sold everything and went to France for her operation.”
Back in Nice, Helene tearfully told her daughter: “We spoke to a doctor who was pioneering a new operation and if we were willing to sign a discharge form which was a 50/50 chance of being paralysed….so we signed the form.”
Becoming emotional too, Melanie replied: “I didn’t know all that, my mind is blown right now. I didn’t feel like it was a big deal ever.”
Helene told told the camera: “You have to make that decision for the well being of your child but not knowing what is going to happen, and its one huge…probably you would never have to make that kind of decision again in your lifetime.”
Melanie’s voice was thick with emotion as she told her mum: “You just do what you have to do for your kids I get it, you’re a really good mum.”
Helene then said how she encouraged her daughter to come back to England and chase her dreams once she was ready to, considering everything she had been through.
Melanie replied: “Well definitely if I had not had that operation I would not have had the life that I’ve had, because 21 is just before we got..All Saints became successful.”
Moments later she added: “My parents, they’ve never really spoken to me about how…well I knew it was serious but not to that degree.”
Celebrity Race Across the World airs Wednesdays at 9pm on BBC One.