Vince Earl Fights Back From Illness
As we reported in September, former Brookside star Vince Earl [pictured far left with the rest of the ‘Dixon family’] had been battling Goodpastures Syndrome, but as the soap reaches its 28th anniversary its good news we can report on the 66-year-old actor.
He arrived as mobile shop owner Ron Dixon on the Brookside Close in 1990 and soon had the neighbours tongues wagging. The on-screen Dixon family were at the centre of distaste and confrontations for being ‘common’ and ‘downmarket’ off-screen Ron and his clan were a popular arrival with viewers.
The Dixons were at the centre of one of the shows most memorable dramatic moments when son Tony was left in a coma and ultimately died after a car crash. Ron survived divorce, explosions and robberies in his time on Brookside, but today the actor behind the popular figure is fighting his own battle.
The comic and performer became a real-life drama when in September it was reported Earl was seriously ill in hospital with Goodpasture’s Syndrome which effects the kidneys and lungs when antibodies in the immune system cause the organs to potentially fail.
At the time friends and former co-workers sent the actor messages of support to the star who began his showbusiness career aged eleven – and today, just over a month on, Vince Earl is fighting back to full health. The road to a full recovery however is still quite a way off as the star undergoes dialysis and will have to have a kidney transplant Throughout October Earl was subjected to eight weeks of plasma treatment.
Speaking recently to the Liverpool Echo Vince said: “I was never really aware, but I was critically ill. The toxins that were in my body were the highest they had ever seen. Maybe I got lucky. My family were very worried for the first five days. They knew how critically ill I was, but I didn’t.”
He added: “I felt bad, but I thought they would give me a few pills and I would be going home. The doctors said to me it’s serious.”
Later this month Vince hopes to return to work, with a number of stage performances lined up across November and into January next year.
Lee Brady of the Brookside DVD Campaign told ATV Today: “It’s great to know Vince is doing well and its great to see him back doing what he likes to do best.”
Lee adds, “I wish him all the best on behalf of all the fans and members at the Brookside DVD Campaign! Get behind us Vince!”
During the 1960s Vince was a ‘pop star’ performing in a number of bands, with a brief success in America. Throughout the 1970s, 80s, 90s and 2000s Earl has been a popular regular on the cabaret circuit but became a household name in Channel 4’s serial Brookside, which he remained with until its demise in 2003.