Gavin & Stacey star Larry Lamb has recalled suffering from a life-threatening illness back in 2010. The actor, 77, who plays Mick Shipman in the show, caught malaria after a trip to Senegal to raise awareness about child poverty. When he returned to the UK from his trip he started to develop a severe fever that lasted for months and the illness eventually left him deaf in one ear and developing tinnitus.
![[The actor, 77, who plays Mick Shipman in the show, caught malaria after a trip to Senegal to raise awareness about child poverty]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/25/01/93469175-14225349-image-a-145_1735089380780.jpg)
He has now told The Express of his terrifying symptoms: 'It's been catastrophic. I'm famous for never being ill. But I went into complete physical meltdown. At one point I felt like I was dying. But the real shock was when I realised I couldn't hear properly.
![[When he returned to the UK from his trip he started to develop a severe fever that lasted for months and the illness eventually left him deaf in one ear and developing tinnitus]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/25/01/93469285-14225349-image-a-146_1735089396133.jpg)
'It was like the worst hangover I'd ever had. For a few days I had a fever which caused me to sweat and then cool again. I couldn't sleep - I didn't have the strength to do anything. 'It was hellish. If I was sitting with two or three friends, it was impossible to follow the conversation. I suddenly understood why people with hearing loss can become isolated.'.
![[The Gavin and Stacey cast broke down in tears this week as they marked the final time that they would be together as a group ahead of watching the final episode]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/25/01/93450659-14225349-image-a-147_1735089407099.jpg)
Gavin & Stacey star Larry Lamb has recalled suffering from a life-threatening illness back in 2010. The actor, 77, who plays Mick Shipman in the show, caught malaria after a trip to Senegal to raise awareness about child poverty. Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes.
![[The last ever instalment will air in a 90-minute special on Christmas Day this year after fans of the show begged for an end to the story]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/25/01/93469289-14225349-image-a-148_1735089441025.jpg)
The Gavin and Stacey cast broke down in tears this week as they marked the final time that they would be together as a group ahead of watching the final episode. The show's creators James Corden, 46, and Ruth Jones, 58, took over as hosts on the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show on Monday and were joined by a plethora of cast members ahead of the sitcom's final ever episode.
