EastEnders star John Partridge reveals he was left ‘unable to speak for nine months’ after major surgeries following a serious health scare

John Partridge has revealed that he has suffered serious pain as a result of surgeries which left him unable to speak. 

The EastEnders actor, 52, who played the role of Christian Clarke on the BBC One soap for eight years, opened up about undergoing a surgery on his vocals. 

Speaking on Sunday Brunch, John gave the health update as he explained that he had the procedure after discovering cysts which needed to be removed. 

He said: ‘I had two surgeries on my vocal cords through the pandemic and it wasn’t guaranteed that I’d ever be able to sing or speak really again.

‘I just got my all-clear last week from Guy’s Hospital that I’m fully fit, fighting fit and ready to go.’

‘I healed really badly’: The EastEnders actor, 52, who played the role of Christian Clarke on the BBC One soap for eight years, opened up about undergoing a surgery on his vocals

Speaking to hosts Simon Rimmer and Tim Lovejoy, he continued: ‘For me singing is like my seventh sense – I wasn’t able to speak at all for nine months and for me, it was like losing my sight or losing my hearing.

‘I sing when I feel good, when I feel down, I sing without even knowing when you’re driving along in the car. It was a really debilitating thing.’

John also revealed he was lefter ‘really badly scarred’ following one cyst healing badly on his left vocal cord. 

After going back in for surgery, John, who is currently appearing in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, revealed it resulted in his voice changing and it ‘raise the pitch of his voice.’

He explained: ‘My first surgery I had a cyst on my left vocal cord and that went really, really well but I healed really badly because it had been historic.

‘My body didn’t realise that it didn’t have a cyst anymore. So when they took it away and packed it, my body went, “Ooh, what is that?!” and pushed it out, so I was scarred really badly.

‘So when I got back in and they saw it, I had what they call a glottoplasty. This is what happens when you go from male to female transition, it’s kind of the female vocal feminisation process where they slightly shave away your vocal chord to raise the pitch of your voice.

‘So my left chord they slightly shaved that away so I got myself a couple more notes at the top. So I now have the voice I should have had [when I was younger].’

‘I just got my all-clear’: John gave the health update as he explained that he had the procedure after discovering cysts which needed to be removed and the surgery has resulted in his voice changing