Grange Hill legend Lee MacDonald, 56, who played Zammo, reveals he has been diagnosed with skin cancer after noticing an ‘unusual spot’ on his face
Former Grange Hill actor Lee MacDonald has revealed he has skin cancer.
The actor, 56, announced he had gone to the doctors over concerns about an ‘unusual’ spot on his face but was told it was cancer.
Viewers know Lee best as teenage alter-ego Zammo, whose hard-hitting storylines broke TV boundaries on Grange Hill in the mid-1980s.
Lee wrote: ‘Went to the doctor today to examine an unusual spot on my face! The doctor says it’s cancer!
‘As we get older, keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary and hopefully get it looked at early!!! I’ve booked to sort it out in the next few days!’
Fans took to the comments section to share their well wishes.
Former EastEnders star Lee MacDonald has revealed he has skin cancer. The actor, 56, went to the doctors over concerns about an ‘unusual’ spot on his face but was told it was cancer
Viewers know Lee best as the alter ego of teenage Zammo, whose gripping storylines broke the boundaries of television in Grange Hill in the mid-80s (pictured with Tim Polley and Melissa Wilks)
Lee, who played bus driver Terry in the BBC soap in 2019, wrote: ‘Went to the doctor today to check out an unusual spot on my face! Doctor says it’s cancer!
They wrote: ‘Glad you had it looked into – here’s to a quick fix’ and ‘Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Lee. Good luck in the coming days!’
‘I hope everything goes well Leen. It’s a good thing you checked it early!’
Lee’s Grange Hill character Samuel Maguire was affectionately known as cheeky chappy Zammo, who attended the fictional north London school between 1982 and 1987.
The actor played a role in the series’ most famous – yet controversial – storyline, which saw Zammo become addicted to heroin, culminating in an overdose scene.
Despite the shock factor, Lee and his cast members helped lead the Just Say No anti-drug campaign by releasing a charity single that became a Top 10 hit.
However, in 2007, Lee said that he subsequently struggled to get acting work in his late teens due to his negative association with drugs.
‘After [the new series] was out, my agent said, “No one wants you anymore because it’s a drug-related character. So no one wants to use you,” he told fansite Grange Hill Gold.
Lee became a locksmith and opened his own shop before returning to the soap world as bus driver Terry in EastEnders in 2019 (pictured in 2018)
Fans took to the comments section to share their well wishes
‘I lost a lot of work because adults didn’t want me in the club because it was drug related. But that is the power of television. . . Especially in the 80s, when there were only a few channels. ‘
“Things were taken much more seriously than they are now. There are so many things that kids are watching now, it’s outrageous.”
Since leaving Grange Hill in 1987, Lee has enjoyed cameos in The Bill, Birds Of A Feather and Neighbours,
Lee became a locksmith and opened his own shop before returning to the soap world in 2019 as bus driver Terry.