Michael Sleggs was ‘only coping through sense of humour’ before death

Michael Sleggs told how he was "only coping" by having a "sense of humour" in his final interview.
The ‘This Country’ star – best known for portraying Slugs in the BBC Three comedy series – passed away from heart failure aged 33 on Tuesday night (09.07.19), and he suffered a number of health issues throughout his life, including being diagnosed with congenital heart disease as a baby.
Speaking in his last-ever interview just weeks before his death, he told The Sun Online: "For a normal person, your blood oxygen level is around 99 per cent, for me, it’s 75 per cent.
"Everyone goes, ‘What? How are you still standing?’ But it’s been the same for 33 years.
"They’ve gone through every vein possible, it means I’ve got varicose veins everywhere and leg ulcers, which are horrible, open wounds where your shins don’t heal up for years and years.
"My mum has often sat and slept by my hospital bed throughout the years and sneaked in takeaway grub so I didn’t have endure hospital food.
"I only cope through a sense of humour. I don’t know how long I can keep jumping these hoops."
Michael – who was put into palliative care last month – went through five open heart operations, leaving him with an enlarged and scarred heart, and he suffered two strokes aged eight.
He previously said: "They’ve been giving me the last rites all my life, saying: ‘I’ve got only two weeks.’ I doubt I’ve got another twenty years, but who knows? At the moment, I’ve no massive issues, problems come and go.
"I had cancer when I was 15, it was years ago. But I was born with congenital heart disease. I have a single-ventricle heart, instead of the two pumping chambers, I have only one working pumping chamber."
Michael’s ‘This Country’ co-star Charlie Cooper paid tribute to the late actor yesterday (10.07.19), describing him as a "unique" talent.
He tweeted: "We are completely heartbroken. Michael was utterly unique. He was kind, he was caring, he was loving. One of the most considerate generous and gentle friends you could ever wish for and funny – f**k me he was funny.
"Despite everything that Michael had been through in his life, he was never bitter or self-pitying. He just brought pure joy to everything and everyone. Just being in his company made you happy to be alive."