Man who had near-death experience reveals what he saw on the ‘other side’

An actor who appeared in Eastenders, Doctors and Luther, says he had an “extraordinary near-death experience” on the operating table after suffering a sudden brain haemorrhage and near-fatal seizure, during which he performed tai chi exercises in his mind – willing himself to survive and meet his unborn granddaughter.

Jason Riddington was rushed to hospital in June 2021 after his wife, Team GB show jumper and personal trainer Faye Riddington-Smith, 47, found him collapsed on the floor and saved his life by performing CPR on him while awaiting an ambulance.

During surgery to coil the brain aneurysm he had suffered, the 54-year-old from Derby, who lives in Buckinghamshire, said he became aware and started doing a basic tai chi routine in his head.

Jason “knew he was dying”, but the Chinese martial art helped him to focus on the then-unborn Leila, who is now one.

“I saw this man wearing what I can only describe as the fancy dress outfit of a crow, with long feathers along his torso and a black beak,” he said.

“My daughter Emily was heavily pregnant at the time and we knew it was a little girl.

“I became aware of Emily and remember saying out loud ‘No I need to meet her’ because I knew that this was it, I was dying.”

Less than a month later, Jason had a near-fatal seizure and had an “identical” brush with death.

Almost two years on, Jason still suffers deep physical and mental trauma, including long-term memory loss, stuttering and vulnerability to bright lights, and as a result, he is not sure when he will return to full-time acting.

He now gives tai chi classes to elderly people suffering from chronic diseases with an organisation called Active in The Community and he has written a book called “Life, Death, Tai Chi and Me”, after encouragement from his friend and fellow actor Brian Blessed.

“There is no doubt that Faye and the NHS saved my life, but tai chi has helped me fight back,” Jason said.