May McFettridge actor John Linehan reflects on TIA, Covid-19 and cancelled panto

Sadly this year, due to Covid restrictions which have seen all theatres closed, John Linehan – the man who has made May a household name – will not get to reprise the role of pantomime dame for what would have been the 31st time.

John said he would be glad to see the back of 2020 after also recently contracting Covid-19 along with his wife Brenda, and suffering a mini-stroke in February.

Speaking this morning to Radio Ulster, the 68-year-old Belfast actor said: “It’s really hard to fathom at this stage of the year that you’re not getting ready to go on in the Opera House with a thousand kids out in front of you.”

He continued: “My 30th year (in the Grand Opera House pantomime) was last year.

“It was a big, big year for me. My wee granddaughter (Eve) – it was her first time ever, she was just three.

“She was just amazed at her Papa John being on the stage. She’d only seen me once dressed up. She said to me, ‘Oh Papa, what is going on here?’

“She was looking forward to this year. That’s the way it is for all kids, it’s their first time probably seeing a live show, seeing theatre.”

He said that first experience could inspire children into pursuing a career on stage: “Out of 1,000 people you might get three of them saying that’s what I want to be and lodge it in their head.”

While he is sad to be missing the panto this year, 2020 could have a been a lot worse for John.

He said: “In February I took a TIA. I didn’t know what it was but I rang a mate of mine in Kingsbridge Hospital and he said, ‘John, I think you’ve taken a TIA’.”

He explained to John that a TIA was a mini-stroke.

John said: “Within 20 minutes my daughter Donna had me in the hospital. Within a half an hour there was two doctors, two nurses with me – the stroke squad.

“They had me done and dusted within three hours.

“It’s been tickety boo from then on. The NHS were absolutely brilliant.”

But the scares didn’t stop there: “Then the wife and myself took Covid, about two months ago.

“We both tested positive, that was a bit of nightmare.”

Thankfully the only action required was isolation.

John said: “It’s like groundhog day, every day is the same for me. You get up thinking you’ve something to do, but you’ve nothing to do.

“My isolation finished on the Wednesday and they closed the bars on the Friday. That was a bit of a nightmare too.

“The sooner I see 2020 gone the better.”

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