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Anthea Turner almost lost her eyesight in accident with hotel blinds

Anthea Turner almost experienced a serious injury to her eye after an accident in a hotel room. (Instagram/Anthea Turner)
Anthea Turner almost experienced a serious injury to her eye after an accident in a hotel room. (Instagram/Anthea Turner)

Anthea Turner has urged fans to always get injuries to their eyes checked after an accident involving hotel blinds left her close to being blinded.

The 61-year-old TV presenter sustained the injury several weeks ago and waited a week before seeking medical attention, only to be rushed into an operating room for surgery.

"Because there were no outside visible signs I did the classic thing which is, think it’ll all go away," she wrote on Instagram.

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"But what I didn’t realise is I’d actually, due to the impact of a pull down blind cord smacking me square in the eye, made a tear in my retina and came frighteningly close to retinal detachment which results in permanent blindness."

Turner said people should get "any injury to your eye" checked immediately and thanked the surgeon who was able to save her eyesight.

She wrote: "What could have happened would have changed my life and it frightens the hell out of me when I think about it, which I now try not to."

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The star previously explained how the injury happened when she let go of "a plastic ping pong ball-shaped toggle" on hotel blinds too quickly and it hit her in the left eye.

Anthea Turner urged her followers to make sure they took any eye injuries seriously. (Getty Images)
Anthea Turner urged her followers to make sure they took any eye injuries seriously. (Getty Images)

She subsequently began to experience deterioration in her vision, seeing flashing strobes and red drops.

Turner rose to fame at the end of the 1980s as one of the presenters of Saturday morning show UP2U, as well as Top of the Pops.

Current Blue Peter presenter Anthea Turner (right) with former presenters John Noakes and Caron Keating at the BBC's Studio 3 to celebrate the children's programmes 35th birthday with past and present presenters.   (Photo by Adam Butler - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
Anthea Turner (right) with John Noakes and Caron Keating at the BBC's Studio 3 to celebrate the children's programmes 35th birthday (Adam Butler - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)

She joined the Blue Peter presenting line-up in 1992 and was a part of the show for two years.

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Tabloid interest in her relationship with businessman Grant Bovey, who left his wife for Turner, led her career to decline until she made a comeback in 2006 with TV series Anthea Turner: Perfect Housewife.

She has since appeared on numerous reality TV shows, including The Jump, First Dates and Dancing On Ice.

Watch: Mel B recovers after eye infection leaves her temporarily blind