Leslie Ash, 61, 'scared' to look after grandson because spine condition limits her mobility

Leslie Ash has admitted she is "scared" about caring for her new grandson because her spinal condition means she will struggle to run after him.

The 61-year-old Holby City star has just become a grandmother after her son Joe Chapman welcomed a baby boy, Lucas, with his fiancee Farah. Ash has limited mobility after she contracted a severe infection in 2004.

She told The Mirror: "I am scared. I can’t run and any mother will know that there are scary moments where you have to be able to run after your children to protect them, or stop them doing something.

Watch: Holby City cast on the challenges of filming during a pandemic

"I’ll never be able to be alone with Lucas until he’s a certain age because I couldn’t be fully responsible.

Read more: Leslie Ash: 'It would be nice to grow old naturally'

"I also won’t be able to run around and play with him as much as I’d like. That’s what my mum did with my kids. Still, there are plenty of other ways we can have fun."

Ash contracted methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) in 2004 after being admitted to hospital with cracked ribs from falling off the bed while having sex with her former footballer husband Lee Chapman.

The actor has had to learn to walk again and wean herself off painkillers that she said made her feel like a “zombie”.

She said becoming a grandparent felt "unbelievable".

Ash said: "It was a lot more emotional for me than Lee, because I value life more. You can’t take it for granted."

Ash – who has two sons with Chapman – rose to fame in 90s sitcom Men Behaving Badly alongside co-stars Martin Clunes, Caroline Quentin and Neil Morrissey.

Read more: Leslie Ash: 'It would be nice to grow old naturally'

She successfully sued the NHS in 2006 for loss of earnings due to her MSSA and was awarded £5m in compensation.

It was recently revealed she will make a guest appearance in BBC medical drama Casualty as former hospital chief executive Vanessa Lytton, who she played in Holby City from 2009 to 2010.

Watch: Holby City is being axed after 23 years