Doctors star Diane Keen, 77, reveals she suffered a ‘catastrophic stroke’ and her family were told she ‘wouldn’t make it’ but says she is ‘fighting back hard’

Doctors star Diane Keen has revealed that she has suffered a ‘catastrophic stroke’ and told how her family were devastatingly told she ‘wouldn’t make it’.

The veteran TV actress, 77, took to Twitter on Wednesday to give her fans a health update, explaining she had been absent for two months due to suffering a stroke.

Diane, who portrays Julia Parsons on the BBC soap opera, explained that she had suffered a ‘catastrophic stroke’ which had come on with ‘no warning at all’.

She devastatingly told how her family were informed that she might not make it but insisted she is ‘fighting back hard’ and now recovering with physiotherapy.

She shared: ‘Hi lovely followers. Sorry I’ve been absent for 2 months, had Catastrophic stroke, family told I wouldn’t make it. 

Hard time: The veteran TV actress, 77, took to Twitter on Wednesday to give her fans a health update, explaining she had been absent for two months due to suffering a stroke

‘Universe intervened & here I am! doing well and determined to get back to normal. Just come home and fighting back hard. Physio going well. Stay safe everyone.’

Diane received supportive messages from her famous friends and kind followers, who all sent her love during her recovery.

Carol Challis, the widow of Only Fools and Horses star John, commented: ‘Sending you much love and positive thoughts.’

Diane, who also starred on The Cuckoo Waltz and Rings on Their Fingers, told how the stroke was a ‘shock’ as she responded to a message from the Stroke Association.

She said: ‘Thank you so much. I’ve learnt to be patient! It’s truly a shock with no warning at all.’

Diane starred on Doctors from 2003 until her exit in 2012, but she reprised her role in 2020 for a special extended episode to mark the show’s 20th anniversary.

Speaking about her return, she told Metro at the time: ‘I started it when it was quite a young programme, and we were all very unsure about what was going to happen to it and now here we are. It’s just extraordinary.

Difficult: Diane, who portrays Julia Parsons on the BBC soap opera (pictured), explained that she had suffered a ‘catastrophic stroke’ which had come on with ‘no warning at all’

Career: As well as Doctors, Diane has also starred on The Cuckoo Waltz (pictured on the show with David Roper) and Rings on Their Fingers

‘There’s people here who keep delivering excellence every day, and all those wonderful guest artists that you get to meet and work with. 

‘So going back just to do that stint that I did, it was like going home.’

Diane has also starred as Fliss Hawthorne in the Granada sitcom The Cuckoo Waltz and also featured on Nescafé advertisements from 1980 to 1989.