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The Krankies' Janette Tough required 18 stitches to arm after biking injury

Janette Krankie had to undergo emergency surgery after a cycling accident. (Getty Images)
Janette Krankie had to undergo emergency surgery after a cycling accident. (Getty Images)

The Krankies star Janette Tough has had 18 stitches in her arm after falling off her bicycle.

The 73-year-old Scottish comedian – famous for playing Wee Jimmy Krankie was rushed to hospital by husband Ian Krankie and underwent emergency surgery after the accident occurred when she swerved to avoid a pedestrian near her Australian holiday home.

Tough told the Scottish Sun: I was cycling along when a man suddenly walked right in front of me.

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“I had to swerve off the path to miss him and fell off. My arm was ripped open by the kerb — it was really painful.

The Scottish comedians Janette Tough and Ian Tough with the harbour bridge and opera house on March 09, 2017 in Sydney, Australia.
The Scottish comedians Janette Tough and Ian Tough are currently living at their holiday home in Australia. (Getty Images)

“I’m lucky as I was told that because it’s on my elbow, where the skin is thinner, I may have needed plastic surgery.

“But I told them I resisted having plastic surgery on my face during my career so I wasn’t about to start now.”

The comedy star – who retired from her panto career in 2018 – was taken to hospital in Tweed Heads, New South Wales where she was put under general anaesthetic, given an antibiotic drip and kept in for two nights.

She said the stitches have now been removed and the wound has “healed beautifully”, although she is still sporting a full bandage on her right arm.

John Barrowman and the Krankies (Janette and Ian) during a photocall on The Tall Ship in Glasgow, Scotland, to promote their pantomime Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates.   (Photo by Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images)
The Krankies had a lengthy panto career, including with John Barrowman in Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates. (Getty Images)

Tough said: “I dread to think what would have happened if I’d landed on my head.”

Husband Ian, 73, added: “It was a real shock for both of us.

“Fortunately Janette fell about 200 yards from our doctor’s surgery, so the staff looked after her while I got the car to take her to hospital.

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“We haven’t been back on the bikes since - I think we’ll just be walking for the time being.”

The Krankies rose to fame as a comedy duo on UK TV in the 1980s.

Watch: Could the coronavirus pandemic kill off panto?