Russell Watson says cancer battle has left him with younger looking skin
The opera singer says fans often ask if he's had Botox as his looks defy his 53-years
Russell Watson has revealed how younger looking skin has been an unexpected benefit from his near-fatal cancer battle.
The opera star, who turns 54 next month, says he puts his youthful looking visage down to beating two brain tumours.
Russell was first diagnosed with an aggressive tumour in 2005. He was given the all clear but received the devastating news that he had a second pituitary tumour in 2007 as well as bleeding on his brain.
After surviving the terrifying ordeal, Russell has opened up on how the hormonal imbalance caused by the tumours have affected his appearance.
"The type of illness I had is known for making you look like you have a younger looking face because I wasn’t producing certain hormones and not producing certain other ones. So I am actually 3373 years old.
"I have been asked about having Botox before but I’ve never had it.
"In the middle of last year, someone Tweeted me and said: “’Oh my God, look at Russell Watson’s face – he can’t move it with all the Botox he’s had.’
"I thought, ‘I haven’t had any! But thanks mate!'" Russell told The Sun, ahead of the release of his new album 20.
While he went on to make a full recovery, Russell had been left fearing he would never sing again when he was diagnosed with the second tumour in 2007.
He underwent a seven hour operation to remove the growth, which had hemorrhaged in four places, followed up with intense radio therapy treatment.
Despite giving the all clear, Russell says he was still traumatised by what he went through and was terrified of the tumour returning.
"For two years after the illness, I had a really bad traumatic disorder, where I had this horrible feeling each evening when I went to bed that I was going to die.
"It took a long time to overcome," he previously told Best magazine.
He went on: "I'd feel panicky and had palpitations.
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