Coronation Street actress Carol Royle’s husband died after plunging into a freezing outdoor pool at his local David Lloyd leisure centre, MailOnline can reveal.
Julian Spears, a music industry legend who made stars of the Boom Town Rats and The Stranglers, had seen steam rising from the pool and assumed it was heated, as it had been every time he had used it over the past four years.
But when he jumped, the cold temperature caused a sudden, massive brain hemorrhage.
Spears, 74, was able to drive home safely after swimming at the David Lloyd branch in Hampton, west London.
She even made herself lunch and started putting stamps on Christmas cards to send to family and friends abroad when she started feeling sick and dizzy.
The head of public relations for music company Phonogram collapsed in a downstairs cloakroom and screamed at his wife for help.
He called an ambulance and he was rushed to West Middlesex Hospital from his home in Twickenham, west London, on Sunday afternoon.
He died the following day, Monday, because the internal bleeding he had suffered was located in a part of the brain that was inoperable.
Coronation Street actress Carol Royle’s husband died after plunging into a freezing outdoor pool at her local David Lloyd leisure centre, MailOnline can reveal.
Actress Carol Royle photographed with her son Sam Taran and her husband Julian Spear
Royle, second from left, posted this image of her husband Julian, far right, on Instagram.
His devastated family today paid tribute to an “amazing” husband and father who jogged three times a week, cycled instead of driving and ate healthy organic food.
His wife Carol said: ‘We met when we were 14 and were childhood sweethearts. Of course, we went our separate ways, but we reunited in 1977 and have been together ever since.
‘He was the healthiest person you could ever meet, he ate organic whole foods. He was a great runner, he ran every day. I used to cycle to the shops instead of driving and went for a walk after every meal.
‘He loved life and was incredibly passionate about music. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of music from the 1960s to the present day. He loved trivia games so he used to make me very tempted because he got everything right all the time.
‘But he was very humble, he never boasted about the incredible successes he had, like breaking out with The Boom Town Rats and The Stranglers.
‘He worked with artists like Barry White and Cheryl Crow.
‘But Julian was a very rooted man, very humble. He was never full of himself and had an amazing talent for getting people the press they deserved.
“I think it’s a shame he’s not there to hear the praise and tributes.
‘I will remember so many things about him.
And there were so many. But he had a lot of positivity in life and passion for everything he did. He had complete faith in his children.
‘His nature was to be a provider. Nothing was ever a problem.
‘I don’t know how we are going to face Christmas this year. It just won’t be the same.
Julian Spears had seen steam rising from the pool and assumed it was heated, as it had been every time he had used it for the past four years.
Royle, 70, is in mourning after her 47-year-old husband died in a freak swimming pool accident.
‘The Christmas cards we were going to send to friends and family abroad are still in the same place on his desk, untouched from Sunday.
‘I had gone to the leisure center just to use the outdoor pool. I had gone swimming there three or four times a week for the past four years.
‘The pool was always heated. It was never cold any of the other times I had used it.
And on Sunday he remembered seeing steam rising from the water, so he assumed it was heating normally.
But he jumped and the water was freezing. He was quite shaken, but managed to get out and drive home safely.
“Apparently there were signs warning people that the pool was not heated that day, but we don’t know exactly where those signs were or how prominent they were.”
“But certainly no one told Julian there was a problem with the pool heating at reception or at any other time before he jumped.”
‘Julian came home and managed to make himself some lunch and then went to his office to put stamps on those Christmas cards.
“I heard him scream and found him collapsed in the cloakroom downstairs.
‘He complained of feeling unwell and that he had lost his balance. He said the room was spinning so much he didn’t want to open his eyes.
“I called an ambulance and they took him to the hospital. The hemorrhage was in a part of the brain that was inoperable and he died the next day.
‘He completed me. One hundred percent. He was kind, genuine, generous and lived life to the fullest.’
Royle shared another image of her husband Julian on social media.
The 70-year-old woman portrayed as Lady Patricia Brewster in Heartbeat
His daughter Tally, a songwriter and musician, said: “My dad recently gave me a Taylor acoustic guitar as an early Christmas gift.
‘From now on, any song I write will be inspired and dedicated to him.
‘He was always the first person I went to when I needed to exchange ideas or show him material.
‘Many people who worked with him contacted us to share their memories of Dad and pay tribute to him.
‘Bob Harris said he was a warm, upright and loving man. Cheryl Crow saw him as one of her family, they loved each other and had worked together for more than 30 years. She is absolutely heartbroken.
‘Even my friends have contacted me to remember how dad played the guitar for them, made them healthy snacks and made them laugh a lot.
‘His kindness left a mark on their lives. A friend used a Maya Angelou quote that I think is particularly apt, which says, “People will forget what you said.” People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.
“That sums up Dad perfectly.”
Son Taran, 41, also a musician, added: He was an incredible father, he couldn’t have been more loving and caring.
‘He always told us how much he believed in us and how much he would inspire us. He was our number one fan and we were his.
“We will remember him for the music he gave us and the love he gave us.”