Leslie Ash beats the odds by returning to TV - after doctors said she'd be in a ...

Leslie Ash has beaten the odds by returning to TV, after doctors told her she'd be in a wheelchair at 60 due to a life-changing spine condition.

The Men Behaving Badly star, 61, has suffered many public medical conditions, including botched lip fillers, taking antidepressants and cracking two of her ribs after falling off the bed while having sex with her husband, ex-footballer Lee Chapman, in 2004. 

But it was while she was in hospital for this injury that she contracted a 'deadly strain' of the MRSA superbug because of an abscess that had developed in her spinal column - which could have left her permanently unable to walk.

Leslie was given a bleak prognosis following the string of unfortunate events and told The Sun: 'They said I’d be in a wheelchair by 60 because of my terrible hips and knees. I was only given a slight hope of recovery but because I wanted it enough I was able to achieve what I have today.'

The Quadrophenia actress has bounced back and rarely relies on a trusty walking stick, let alone a wheelchair. 

She returned to the small screen this year, snatching up roles in Doctors and Casualty, but the future didn't always look this bright. 

Back in 2008, Leslie successfully sued the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and won an astonishing £5million in compensation, as she had contracted the antibiotic-resistant MSSA form of the infection after an epidural needle came loose.

The payout was so hefty because there was a belief she would not return to ongoing TV roles - and the compensation reflected the future loss of earnings.

Of the importance of staying optimistic, the Oxfordshire-born star said: 'If I sat down and did nothing I’d be in a wheelchair now, without a doubt. You need a lot of mental strength to keep fighting.'