Professor Green received letter from Prince William after suffering life-threatening seizure in 2019
Professor Green has revealed that he received a “very nice” letter from Prince William after suffering a life-threatening seizure in 2019.
The 39-year-old rapper suffered a fractured cervical vertebrae after falling during three horrific seizures, forcing him to cancel his UK tour at the time.
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, he admitted he was “quite surprised” by the kind gesture from the future king, with whom he previously campaigned on mental health issues.
‘I was pretty shocked and never expected it’: Professor Green revealed he received a ‘very nice’ letter from Prince William after suffering a life-threatening seizure in 2019
He said: ‘I had a pretty bad accident actually and then got a very nice letter from Prince William.
“It was when I had a seizure. I broke my neck the day I was meant to start a tour, so that was a while ago. Yeah, pretty awkward.
“I never expected to receive a letter from him, so I was quite surprised. I am saving it for my son when he grows up.
In 2018, the musician, real name Stephen Manderson, visited west London’s Ark Burlington Danes Academy along with the then-Duke of Cambridge, who raised concerns about teens and cyberbullying.
What a pair! In 2018, the musician (left) visited a west London school along with the then-Duke of Cambridge (right), who raised concerns about teens and cyberbullying.
After the visit, he declared: “A brilliant morning with HRH The Duke of Cambridge… discussing mental health and cyberbullying: the correlation between the two and how we can be a little nicer to each other.”
They had joined forces to help spark conversation and end the stigma surrounding mental health, with Heads Together charity.
In February 2019, Green was forced to cancel his UK tour because he suffered a fractured cervical vertebrae after falling during three horrific seizures.
The musician shared a candid Instagram snapshot of himself from his hospital bed wearing a neck brace.
Detailing the shocking incident, the Hackney native wrote: “I had a seizure this morning which resulted in a fall while packing for the 1/3 tour.”
‘Depending on how you look at this fall, I was very lucky. I have a badly fractured vertebra in my neck and subsequently had to cancel my tour which was due to start today 2/3.
I’ll be back in the winter with a bigger tour. I had two more seizures and I’m lucky I didn’t break my neck. Really fucking lucky. Thanks for putting up with me,’ the Hackney native told his fans.’
Stephen was scheduled to perform across the UK, with his shows set to kick off in Cardiff, before taking the stage in Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and finally Brighton on February 21.
Surprise: He said: ‘I had a pretty bad accident actually and then got a very nice letter from Prince William.’ It was when I had a seizure’ (in the 2020 photo)
A statement from his spokesperson read: “Due to a serious neck injury, Professor Green has been forced to cancel his February 2019 tour. Tickets for all dates are refundable. Refunds will be available at point of purchase. .’
The NME Award winner, who has been dogged by chronic digestive problems since birth, was just six weeks old when he underwent his first stomach operation.
It was from pyloric stenosis, which meant food couldn’t get into his small intestine, leading to excessive projectile vomiting and potentially lethal levels of dehydration.
In 2017, 34 years later, and after a lifetime of stomach problems, he found himself in surgery again, this time for severe inflammation of both his esophageal mucus and stomach lining.
Wow! The 39-year-old rapper suffered a fractured cervical vertebrae after falling during three horrific seizures, forcing him to cancel his UK tour at the time (pictured in 2018)
The underlying cause of this was a hiatal hernia, where part of the stomach bulges into the chest.
Elsewhere, Professor Green has partnered with Virgin Media O2 and The Big Issue to support all providers with free O2 SIM and data vouchers as the cost of living crisis deepens this Christmas.
Last year, O2 delivered free data plans to over 200 Big Issue providers, enabling them to accept contactless payments, providing vital support at a time when 52% of magazine sales are made via this method.
This year, the company will offer monthly data to the entire network of magazine providers. This comes as it is reported that 18.7 million people are expected to have their ability to go online affected by the cost of living crisis.
The Read All About It hitmaker said: “I think it’s a brilliant campaign because people who can offer contactless payments sell up to 30% more magazines, which is incredibly important to them.”
“But there’s a bigger picture here, and I think connectivity is what we should be talking about as well. For people who are homeless or have been on the fringes of society, there are already enough social barriers to deal with.
“Isolation is a terrible part of homelessness and to be further isolated due to lack of connectivity, without having the freedom to access information or a support network, is a horrible thing to think about.”
“So the fact that they give them the opportunity to accept contactless payments but also to stay connected, I think that’s brilliant.”
Professor Green partners with Virgin Media O2 and The Big Issue to support O2’s campaign to provide all Big Issue providers with free O2 sims and data, enabling them to accept contactless payments, providing vital support.
Good cause: Elsewhere, Professor Green teamed up with Virgin Media O2 and The Big Issue to help all providers with free O2 SIM cards and data vouchers.