Corrie's Bill Tarmey to undergo heart surgery

Coronation Street star Bill Tarmey has revealed that he needs urgent heart surgery.

The actor, who played Jack Duckworth for 31 years, has been told that he needs a new pacemaker fitted with a defibrillator to kick-start his heart in case it stops.

The news comes after he suffered a series of dizzy spells and fainting, The People reports. Doctors have warned Tarmey, currently holidaying in Tenerife, to quit smoking and continue resting.

He said: "I'm deeply worried. I have cheated death so many times I feel like a cat running out of lives. I'm used to being out of breath but this is something different. I could be dead tomorrow.

"I want to live day to day and enjoy it. I've got to have surgery as soon as I return home. I've had my chest opened so many times it might be better to put in a zip-fastener.

"I've already died twice and the last time they brought me back to life using a medical version of jump leads."

The former soap star recently admitted that he feels helpless for his son Carl, who is suffering from a brain tumour.