A professional panto singer was forced to pull out of a Christmas show after stretching her neck caused a STROKE - that has left her unable to sing.

Helen Farrell, 32, had been moving her head side to side in order to stretch her neck when she suddenly experienced a huge pain in the back of her head.

Waking up from a nap the following day, the professional singer was terrified when she couldn't speak properly or control her movements.

Shockingly, Helen had torn an artery when stretching her neck, resulting in a stroke - leaving the performer unable to sing.

She has now been left with no choice but to cancel all of her upcoming gigs until February 2022.

Helen also had to pull out of a Christmas pantomime - and fears losses of thousands of pounds of potential earnings.

Helen, who lives in Blackpool, said: "I think the stroke happened when I was woken up by my partner the day after stretching.

"As soon as I woke up, this pain in my ear started - it was this loud, tingling, wooshing sound, like tinnitus.

"I tried to get up but I couldn't walk or talk and I was being violently sick.

"The doctors have now said that I had had a stroke which was from me tearing the main artery going into my brain when I stretched my neck.

"When I was on the ward after the stroke, I tried to sing and I realised I had no control or power or strength in my vocal chords.

"Now I'm back home and I want to get back to normal, the severity of it has hit.

"Singing is my way of living but I'm having to cancel all my jobs and that's after a year of no singing work because of lockdowns.

"I'm trying my best to stay positive. I'm still so grateful that I can walk and talk now because I couldn't even do that when the stroke first happened, but obviously, I do feel worried and sad that I can't sing."

This compilation was created on the 24th December 2021.