An X Factor star has told how he 'nearly died' after having a quiet birthday meal. Christopher Maloney spent two weeks in the intensive care unit of Aintree Hospital and a further two weeks undergoing a string of tests after falling ill.
The 45-year-old, who became a hit when he placed third on the talent show, told the Liverpool Echo how he was performing as Prince Charming at the Bradford Playhouse when things took as turn for the worse. He said he decided to have a Chinese takeaway in his hotel room, rather than heading out to celebrate his big day with other members of the cast.
But his decision could have proved fatal after he took ill after eating the meal which he said was contaminated with a deadly bacteria. But despite getting sicker and sicker he continued to perform his run of shows so as not to let fans down.
And although he knew he needed to seek medical help, it was only when he collapsed on the pavement outside his mother's home that he finally got the treatment he needed. Now, three years on, he says he is bouncing back from the ordeal with a long-awaited return to the stage.
Christopher shot to stardom in 2012 on the ninth season of ITV's X Factor show. He went on to appear in Celebrity Big Brother and had a successful career in pantomime after the singing show.
But he has been forced to take a break from the stage since he became seriously ill in December 2019. He told the Echo how it was his 42nd birthday and he decided to stay in with a crispy duck pancakes takeaway from a Chinese restaurant.
However he said the move was a "big mistake" after he became violently ill following the meal. He said: "The food was contaminated with Campylobacter E-Coli, the worst food poisoning you could contract from poultry, it can kill, and it nearly did." He added: "There are just no words to explain the pain of Campylobacter E-Coli."
Carrying on through the rest of the run he could only manage to eat "one slice of pineapple and two small sips of water" over the next two weeks. He said: "On New Year's Eve 2019 I had a sell out show in Manchester, I couldn't cancel at last minute and let people down, so I went ahead with the show, explaining to the crowd I was feeling unwell and did my performance sitting on a stool which I have never done. The crowd still loved it, but I knew something was seriously wrong."
The illness eventually took its toll when Christopher visited his mum's home in Liverpool after the show. He said: "I collapsed on the pavement outside her house. My mum called an ambulance and I was rushed to Aintree hospital, where I spent two weeks in ICU and a further two weeks in a side room undergoing every tests, scans, ultrasounds, x-rays, you name it I had it.
"I deteriorated that much the senior doctors wanted to remove my colon." Christopher said the illness has had a life-changing effect as he continues to battle a number of underlying health issues, including ulcerated colitis, arthritis and digestive problems.
Christopher was on the road to recovery and was planning his return to the spotlight when the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK. He said: "2020 would have been my biggest year for shows, tours and TV, everything was cancelled, it was heartbreaking."
However, Christopher is now relieved he was forced to have a break as this has now allowed him to properly recover. He also said the break has enabled him to grieve the death of his nan, who died in 2019. He said: "I had to take time out as I've been absolutely shattered."
It has been just over 10 years since Christopher first arrived on the TV screens and he is now looking forward to mark his special milestone with a long-awaited return to the stage. Christopher is set for a busy year as he aims to bounce back from his ordeal with "An Evening With" tour, which kicked off in Europe last month.
He is also performing as Captain Hook at the Stourbridge Town Hall before he joins the adaptation of Beauty and the Beast as the Prince from April 2023 at the Bindley Theatre in Runcorn. He said: "I'm now back to what I love...performing. I've missed it so much."
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